Birds of a Feather

"Liu Hong!" Su Yu muttered under his breath. That fellow had actually shown up—and to make a deal with the Heaven Hunting Pavilion? What could he possibly have to trade? Su Yu lightly tapped his fingers on the table, murmuring, "Liu Hong..." When Su Yu had left last time, the guy was busy swindling the descendants of Invincibles. To have survived being beaten to death all this time was proof enough of extraordinary luck. Not only that, he had even made it onto the Yellow Ranking. Truth be told, he was truly worthy of his status among the geniuses of back then. Bai Feng's generation had been hailed as the golden generation beneath Liu Wenyan's cohort, and it had produced plenty of talent. Of course, looking at them now, their strength lagged a bit—people like Huang Teng and Xia Yuwen, for instance. As for Liu Hong, Su Yu had always been curious about him. The man actually possessed a multiple divine character combat technique. He claimed to be Zhang Ruoling's successor, but Su Yu didn't believe it for a second. He had asked Liu Wenyan and the others, and none of them had known anything about it. Had Zhang Ruoling truly passed his legacy to Liu Hong before dying, he wouldn't have failed to inform Liu Wenyan and his peers. "A multiple divine character heritage doesn't come out of nowhere..." Su Yu pondered. In Liu Hong's case, it boiled down to only a few possibilities: Nan Wujiang, Yun Chen, Wan Tiansheng, Xia Longwu, Marquis Xia... Of course, if it came from another academy, that was another matter. The origin of the multiple divine character faction was the Great Xia Civilization Academy, but that didn't mean other academies had none. Su Yu gazed outside the city and sank into thought. He didn't care what Liu Hong had traded. What puzzled him was that Liu Hong clearly knew Su Yu was in the ancient city, yet he hadn't bothered to disguise his appearance, strolling right into the city in broad daylight. Even though he had run off afterward, wasn't he afraid Su Yu would discover him and settle scores? "Is he luring me out of the city?" Su Yu's expression shifted slightly. Was it deliberate, meant to tempt him outside so someone could ambush him? It wasn't impossible! That scoundrel was hardly a good person. Su Yu glanced back toward Xinghong, hesitated for a moment, and quickly dismissed the idea of asking him. That big brother loved acting aloof and threw "rules" around at every turn. Xinghong was out; he needed to find Yunxiao instead. He would have Yunxiao accompany him outside to act as his Dao protector. He had to go see what Liu Hong was up to. If there was a trap waiting for him, bringing Yunxiao ought to be enough, right? And if she wasn't, he could always summon Old Turtle Hongmeng in time! "Liu Hong... the Star Residence Mansion..." Capture him and impersonate him? Su Yu stroked his chin, but soon shook his head. No, that wouldn't do. The man was a trouble magnet who had offended far too many people; disguised as him, Su Yu would draw attention far too easily. If he wanted to impersonate someone, he needed someone who flew under the radar. Or better yet, someone not from the human race at all! Still, Liu Hong could be useful. Su Yu's eyes flashed, and he vanished on the spot to track the fellow down! ... Outside the city. Liu Hong constantly altered his appearance. As for the Five Elements bug Foutuling had planted on him earlier, he had incinerated it long ago—he had merely pretended not to notice back then. Once he had put enough distance between them, he pulled out a black mask and put it on: a Heaven Hunting Pavilion black mask. A moment later, he met up with a white mask. Wasting no words, Liu Hong tossed over a storage ring and said, "Let's lie low for a while and not pull anything else. Hide wherever you can—the Five Elements race isn't one to mess with!" "No problem!" The white mask inspected the haul. Seeing how substantial it was, he chuckled. "I'm off. Best of luck to you—he doesn't know my identity, but he certainly knows yours!" He added, "Call me next time you have a deal like this!" "Will do!" The white mask vanished instantly. Liu Hong didn't linger either, sprinting away as fast as he could. Time to bolt! He had made a fortune, plenty to last him. With this haul, cultivating all the way to the Sun Moon Realm shouldn't be much of an issue, right? Right at that moment, an enormous hand descended from above! The colossal palm brimmed with numerous divine characters, interspersed with divine character attacks. Liu Hong's face fell. Just as he tried to resist, a surging wave of qi and blood shook the void, suffocating him and instantly dispersing his divine characters. The colossal hand fell like the sky crashing down! Liu Hong looked up, his expression shifting rapidly, and cried out in a hurry, "Su Yu, we can talk this through!" Boom! With a deafening crash, the sky-covering hand slammed down, swatting him flying. In the next instant, the massive hand clenched shut, crushing him into its palm with a sickening crunch that forced Liu Hong's tongue right out of his mouth. "Su Yu, I came to help you! Don't misunderstand, I—" Crunch! The giant hand squeezed tighter, causing Liu Hong's blood to surge to his head until steam seemed to rise from his scalp! Su Yu strode out of the darkness and said calmly, "My teacher taught me that when dealing with you, there's no need for words. Just beat you into submission first! He competed with you for years, and he doesn't seem to have lost a single time." Liu Hong had swindled plenty of people, but he had never managed to get the better of Bai Feng. Bai Feng had only one guiding principle for dealing with him: give benefits, or get thrashed. After the beating, refuse to admit any fault, and then continue working together. As for expecting Bai Feng to pay out of his own pocket... don't even dream of it. First, he had no money; second, even if he did, he wouldn't part with a single copper. Su Yu wasn't surprised that Liu Hong recognized him. He had used the Expanding Will Art, which Liu Hong knew well. Besides, who else would suddenly make a move against him here? "Su Yu, I really came to help you! Truly... I—" Bang! With a heavy snap, Su Yu flicked an enormous finger against his forehead, sending him reeling in dizzy confusion! A moment later, Yunxiao materialized, holding a white mask by the scruff of his neck. She laughed. "Far too weak. No traps either. You didn't drag me out here just to catch a minnow like this, did you?" A white mask at the peak of the Shanhai Realm was hardly weak. But to Yunxiao, he was pathetic. Su Yu smiled. "My Lady, that was just an excuse to let you stretch your legs so Lord Xinghong wouldn't get jealous. How could I truly trouble you to catch a mere Shanhai? I could handle him myself." Yunxiao beamed with satisfaction. Not bad! A promising young man! So that was it. Su Yu really knew how to treat people properly. She had thought calling an Invincible like her out for a mere Shanhai was using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, which had irked her slightly. Did he think Invincibles were cheap? But hearing his explanation now, she felt he was exceptionally considerate. Yunxiao chuckled. "Very good. If you run into this sort of trouble next time, call me whenever you like. I've checked—there are no ambushes nearby. In that case, I'll..." Su Yu smiled. "Please, My Lady, suit yourself. As long as you return within three hours, it's fine. I've been spending more time cultivating lately; otherwise, you'd be free to roam as you please!" Yunxiao smiled once more. Excellent! She liked a castellan like him; he suited her tastes perfectly. Not standing on ceremony, she promptly said, "Then I'll... take a look further out to ensure no one is ambushing you from ten million li away!" With that, she vanished! A smile lingered on Su Yu's face, but internally he was speechless. What a halfhearted excuse. Ambushing him from ten million li away? She had the nerve to say that out loud. Clutching Liu Hong, who was still in a daze, while the white mask beside them had been knocked senseless by Yunxiao, Su Yu chuckled, seized them both, and vanished from the spot. ... The Castellan's Residence. Liu Hong woke up in a haze. Looking up, he saw Su Yu sipping tea atop the dais of the great hall. In the vast hall, there were only the two of them. Startled awake, Liu Hong glanced at his storage ring. Relieved to find it still on his finger, he hurried to say, "Su Yu, there's no blood feud between us! Back in the Great Xia Prefecture, I actually helped you plenty of times. I gave you that text of will for Sky Cleaving Slash! And when you swindled the single divine character faction out of merit points, I knew about it all along and never exposed you..." He rushed on, "I was just passing by the ancient city, doing nothing harmful. Why ambush me out of nowhere? Su Yu, if you think about it, we belong to the same lineage! I'm Teacher Zhang Ruoling's disciple, so we're practically of the same generation..." Su Yu watched him in silence for a long time before smiling. "Care for a cup?" "..." Liu Hong had no appetite for tea. He laughed dryly. "Su Yu, I—" Wham! A hammer came crashing down. Before Liu Hong could even react, he was knocked out cold again. Faintly, Su Yu's voice drifted into his fading senses: "My teacher was right. When dealing with you, talk less! Truth be told, I also love to talk. I love reasoning with people, appealing to emotion and logic. But I know full well that ninety percent of what I say is bullshit, and only ten percent is true!" Su Yu sipped his tea unhurriedly, composed and leisurely. They were cut from the same cloth. In truth, he was quite similar to Liu Hong. Or rather, after entering the Great Xia Civilization Academy, he had learned quite a few tricks from Liu Hong—like doing atrocious, heart-stabbing deeds with a bright smile, or lying through one's teeth with an innocent look, or... Su Yu had always considered himself a good person at heart. Most of the bad things he did had been picked up from certain characters at the Great Xia Civilization Academy. That place crawled with treacherous scoundrels, and Liu Hong was among the very best of them. With his teacher in secluded cultivation, with no backer, no influential background, and adrift in the murky, cutthroat single divine character faction, the man had navigated it all like a fish in water. He definitely possessed some undeniable talent. Su Yu continued sipping his tea. A short while later, Liu Hong's eyes cleared. Just as he opened his mouth, wham! Another hammer struck. Knocked out again! After another interval, Liu Hong's eyes cleared slightly. This time, he pretended to stay unconscious. Wham! Another hammer slammed down! ... Who knew how much time had passed before Liu Hong opened his eyes and hastily roared, "What in the world do you want?!" Su Yu chuckled. "Don't talk, and don't play dead. In this ancient city, I control everything! As for your excuses, I can't be bothered to listen. They're pointless!" Liu Hong fell silent, staring at him with deep frustration. Su Yu continued drinking his tea, within which Heaven Yuan Qi churned. As he sipped, he said with a grin, "Instructor Liu, let me ask you something. Where did you learn your divine character combat technique?" "My teacher, Zhang Ruoling—" Wham! Knocked out! Seven or eight minutes later, his head splitting with pain, Liu Hong opened his eyes again. Su Yu smiled. "Where did you learn it?" "I... It really was Teacher Zhang Ruoling—" Wham! Knocked out yet again! Liu Hong had a belly full of arguments, but had no chance to utter them before being hammered senseless. Su Yu knew exactly how to handle someone like Liu Hong. All too well! I only believe what I want to believe; what I don't want to believe, I won't even listen to. A while later, Liu Hong woke up and blurted out frantically, "Don't hit me! Any more and my sea of will is going to shatter! I'll talk, I'll talk, all right?! My combat technique was learned from Teacher Yun Chen! I was an undercover scout planted by the All-Races Cult, but in truth, I was the liaison arranged by Teacher Yun Chen..." Su Yu looked at him with a half-smile. "Are you banking on the fact that I won't go ask Yun Chen?" "It's the truth!" Liu Hong said with utmost earnestness. "Why would I lie to you at a time like this? Su Yu, I really haven't lied to you!" Su Yu chuckled. "Forget it. If you don't want to talk, you won't say it even if I beat you to death. Boring! Just now you made a deal—who did you swindle this time?" "I didn't—" Wham! Knocked out once more! A little later, Liu Hong opened his eyes and said weakly, "Don't be like this. I was your instructor once, after all. You're taking this too far..." Su Yu smiled. "Who did you scam?" "Foutuling." Su Yu was surprised and burst out laughing. "How did you trick him?" Liu Hong sighed helplessly. "An accident, truly an accident. I never expected to bump into him. I just happened to know that the Five Elements Divine Art was tied to the Five Elements race, and that they've always wanted to recover it to unite the five elements. Seeing how that Primordial Spirit Art you passed down had a bit of a five elements flavor to it, I just spun a casual yarn. Who knew... he'd be so gullible!" Liu Hong sounded thoroughly exhausted. "I never expected him to be that easy to trick. Everything unfolded right according to my script. It was the smoothest scam I've ever pulled." Su Yu wasn't surprised. Foutuling was shrewd, but too many factors had misled him. The biggest factor, in fact, was Su Yu himself: when Su Yu fought him, he had wielded the power of the five elements, cast the Five Elements Purgatory, and devoured the power of an Invincible from the Five Elements race. Hearing about the Five Elements Divine Art, Foutuling likely already suspected as much, and Liu Hong had simply corroborated those suspicions. Furthermore, Foutuling couldn't imagine that Liu Hong would dare swindle him, the great hope of the Five Elements race! Of course, the supporting actor had also been crucial. That white mask had served to create time pressure, leaving Foutuling no time to think—a classic shill. Su Yu laughed. "Your guts are truly massive, Instructor Liu. Bigger than the heavens! The Five Elements race has over a dozen Invincibles, yet you dare provoke them. Do you think the human race will protect you? How many descendants of Invincibles have you offended? Don't you know? Were you planning to grab a fortune and make a run for it?" Liu Hong laughed hollowly. "I had no choice. The All-Heavens Battlefield is fraught with danger. A cultivator of my strength is neither here nor there. If I want to seize resources, the good places are out of reach, and the dangerous places terrify me... I had no other way to survive except by doing this." Su Yu looked at him for a while, chuckled, and stepped down from the dais. He stared at Liu Hong, and Liu Hong stared back. Su Yu said with a grin, "Instructor Liu, stop pretending. Your guts are huge; there's nothing you wouldn't dare do! Tell me: did you come here on purpose, or was it truly a coincidence to dodge Foutuling?" "It really wasn't on purpose, purely a coincidence..." Liu Hong insisted with utter sincerity! Su Yu smiled. "How about we make a deal?" "What deal?" Su Yu chuckled. "Instructor Liu, I've realized that in the myriad realms, when it comes to scamming and disguises... you're an absolute master! Everyone knows I like impersonating others. But I noticed something... across the myriad realms, no one has ever impersonated me!" "..." Liu Hong's eyes flickered. Su Yu beamed. "Instructor, if you impersonate me, I think it would be absolutely seamless! Just as refined and cultured, just as shameless, just as glib, and just as bold! "You exceed my wildest expectations!" Su Yu chuckled. "You know a divine character combat technique. Do you know the disassembly art? If not, no problem—I'll teach you. How about shaping your technique into a hammer? Your physical body is a bit weak, and you lack some death qi, but otherwise... tsk tsk. Instructor, you and I are practically twins!" Liu Hong's face shifted through several expressions. "You want to impersonate me?" "No, no, no!" Su Yu shook his head and laughed. "That's far too dangerous! Instructor, you've offended so many people; wouldn't impersonating you just bring trouble onto myself? I don't need to impersonate you. I need someone to stand in for me!" "You..." Liu Hong said in a heavy voice, "What do you mean?" Su Yu smiled. "Everyone thinks I'm definitely going into the Star Residence Mansion. But... why must I go in? Knowing full well everyone wants to kill me, why would I walk into a death trap? Am I right? Instructor, why don't you take my place and preside over the ancient city, ruling as an overlord here? It won't be for long—just a month. How about it?" Liu Hong eyed him for a long while before speaking. "Then I won't be able to enter?" Su Yu smiled. "If you enter, Instructor, you might gain some benefits. But if you don't, I'll give you benefits too. For example, the resources you scammed this time, your life... all of those belong to me right now!" "You're still going in?" Su Yu laughed. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?" "I want to go in too..." Su Yu laughed. "No, Instructor, you don't want to go in! You'd rather be an overlord here. Isn't that great? It's wonderful!" This time, Liu Hong's expression genuinely changed. "I thought at most you'd borrow my identity. Now you want me to impersonate you... Are you saying you want me to convert into an ancient city resident?" "Bingo!" Su Yu chuckled. "Instructor, you're truly brilliant. I love talking to smart people! If you don't convert, you'll still be a living person. The Invincibles aren't stupid; they'd see through it in a heartbeat! Only by becoming a living dead will you meet my criteria!" Su Yu laughed. "Yes! That exact look, that posture, that expression of fury laced with hypocrisy... It matches my expectations to perfection! Instructor, aren't the two of us cast from the very same mold?" "..." Liu Hong glared at him and ground his teeth. "You want to get me killed!" Su Yu shook his head. "How could that be? What's wrong with being a living dead?" Liu Hong furrowed his brows. "Impossible! I'd rather you just kill me! If you turn me into a living dead, my life is completely finished! Everything I've struggled and scrambled for up until now was to survive, to become powerful—not to become a walking corpse!" "No, no, no!" Su Yu shook his head with a grin. "Instructor, don't be like that. Don't put on an act with me; it's pointless! To someone like you, as long as the benefits are big enough, whether you're human, a living dead, or a dead spirit—so long as your memories remain intact, you wouldn't care in the slightest! Saying all this now is just haggling because the price isn't right yet, isn't that so?" Liu Hong was left speechless, then couldn't help swearing, "Dammit, but being a living dead costs way too much! No way, it'll literally kill me!" "It's not like there's no hope of breaking free!" Su Yu smiled and looked at him again. "Let me ask once more: was coming here really a coincidence, Instructor?" Liu Hong put on an innocent face. "Total coincidence!" Su Yu smiled. "Who sent you? Or did you come deliberately on your own? Did you think that once I saw you, I'd get the idea to impersonate you, given that your identity was reasonably fitting, so you came to deliver me a vest?" "Not at all!" Su Yu chuckled. "Then was having you convert into a resident part of your calculations?" Liu Hong nearly coughed up blood. "Definitely not!" "So you're admitting the earlier things were in your calculations?" "None of it was!" Su Yu laughed again. "I just love your stubborn, unyielding mouth, Instructor. It's just like mine! Even when exposed, I keep up the attitude of 'unless you produce undeniable proof, I'll never admit a thing!'" "..." Liu Hong wanted to spit a mouthful of complaints. After a long silence, he sighed. "Can we find another way? A living dead... I can't accept that. The cost is too steep. I want to live; I don't want to die." "If you don't accept, you die right now. What do you think, Instructor?" Su Yu chuckled. "Of course, I'd much prefer you do it willingly. Only when you're willing will the act seem genuine! How about this: I'll teach you a supreme technique! I'll pass down the ancient heavenly aperture cultivation method—a supreme art. Open your heavenly apertures, and your strength will at least double! "Instructor, you're already formidable. Once you open your heavenly apertures, I guarantee you'll be able to battle Shanhai cultivators!" Liu Hong looked at him and laughed dryly. "Digging a pit for me? There are huge drawbacks, aren't there?" Su Yu smiled. "No, it's manageable! If you don't convert into a resident, the flaw is massive, but once you convert, there are practically no flaws! I'll find a dead spirit that isn't too strong for your conversion—how about first-stage Sun Moon? It'll satisfy your aperture's demand without killing you. A Sun Moon Realm dead spirit: whenever you want to be freed in the future, just find an expert to sever the death qi channel, and I'll help you eliminate that Sun Moon dead spirit. Then you'll return to a normal body." Liu Hong said helplessly, "Can I refuse? Besides, I don't have divine characters for disguises..." "Instructor, are you kidding me?" Su Yu looked at him in mock astonishment. "A treacherous scoundrel like you doesn't have a few disguise characters? No aura-concealing characters? No face-altering characters? No aura-altering characters? Instructor, why bother lying to me?" "..." Liu Hong stared at him, and Su Yu stared right back. For a moment, in tacit understanding, both men broke into knowing smiles. Indeed—I have them, you have them, neither of us can call the kettle black. Liu Hong quickly turned bitter again. "Converting into a half-dead person is really too hard to stomach. Truly, I—" "A supreme technique isn't enough?" Su Yu smiled. "If you cultivate well and grow strong, I'll take the lead in arranging a castellan position for you, second only to me! When the time comes, the guardian lords will even fight on your behalf! That's a city castellan, an overlord! With your current strength, how many people have you offended? Without becoming a castellan, without Invincibles backing you up, could you ever live comfortably?" Liu Hong said awkwardly, "I haven't actually offended that many people..." "Then I'll just hand you over to the Five Elements race!" "Don't! We can talk this out!" Liu Hong hesitated. "Then am I... really not going to the Star Residence Mansion?" Su Yu laughed. "What would you go there for? To snatch treasures? You might not even get as much as what you scammed! Plus the danger—more than one or two people want you dead! Instructor, just relax and take my place outside the Star Residence Mansion, presiding over the Ancient City Alliance. Once I come out, if there are treasures, I'll share a piece of the pie with you! The crucial point is: can you act so convincingly that even Invincibles can't tell the difference? If you can't... then I won't have any use for you!" What would happen if he was of no use? Liu Hong didn't bother asking. He just sighed helplessly. "This... fooling Invincibles is honestly a bit difficult!" "No worries, I'll teach you some aura-concealing techniques..." "But if I become a half-dead person, my name on the Yellow Ranking will disappear, and everyone will know!" Evidently, the fellow was already weighing the feasibility of the plan. Su Yu stroked his chin and nodded with a smile. "That's true! But it can actually be managed. As long as the death qi doesn't exceed thirty percent, your name will stay on the ranking. So on your end, Instructor, you must have death qi on you, but not too much—keep it capped at thirty percent. Once your heavenly apertures are opened, you can absorb some death qi... Most likely, you'll be able to maintain that balance." "And what if I can't?" Su Yu smiled. "Then you'd be useless, wouldn't you? I can provide you with plenty of Heaven Yuan Qi, which can also wear away death qi. I have faith in you, Instructor!" Liu Hong said helplessly, "What if someone provokes me? I'm not you; how could I make a stone statue act?" "And if I don't attack, that wouldn't fit your style as Su Yu." Su Yu chuckled. "True enough! Alone, you probably can't bear the death qi from a guardian leaving their post... No matter. I'll think of something and find another person. If the two of you cooperate, you should be able to bear the death qi of a guardian making a strike." Who? Bai Feng's grandfather! The old man was on his last legs, and Su Yu felt he ought to save him. However, Old Master Bai wasn't familiar with him, so having the old man impersonate him had little chance of deceiving anyone. Su Yu didn't need to impersonate Liu Hong! As long as the "real" Su Yu remained in the city and didn't enter the Star Residence Mansion... all plots targeting him would fall flat. As for his identity being exposed after he was inside... that would be an issue for later. At least before entering, no one would specifically target him. And if he wasn't going in, those who had planned to gang up on him might even end up slaughtering each other. When it came to who in the myriad realms was most suited to impersonate him... Su Yu counted on his fingers, and Liu Hong was definitely top-tier material! Liu Hong said weakly, "Su Yu, there are still too many loopholes. If a stone statue strikes, the death qi will definitely be massive. At that point, I won't be able to keep the death qi below thirty percent. My name will vanish from the ranking, and you'll be exposed!" At this point, he gave a dry cough. "How about... I work out another scheme: lure Foutuling into killing me... My name disappears from the Heaven Hunting Ranking, and at that very moment, I convert into a resident... How does that sound?" Su Yu gave him a look. "So you've agreed, Instructor?" Liu Hong said in exasperation, "If I don't agree, will you let me leave?" "Nope." Liu Hong shrugged. "Then what else can I do? Since I can't resist, I can only lie back and take it! Besides, you fight all the time with Sun Moon combat power, whereas I don't have that strength. That's another loophole. I think... the chances of getting exposed are still very high!" Su Yu said meaningfully, "That was before. Now, you're the overlord of the ancient cities! If worst comes to worst, put on a show and have a guardian step outside the city once. Absolutely no one will doubt your identity—they'll be completely convinced that you are Su Yu! You and the other person will only need to endure it for an instant; it won't kill you. After that, who would suspect a thing?" Liu Hong smiled. "Fair point. But I'm still curious—if you aren't impersonating me, who do you plan to impersonate?" "You want to know?" "Just asking. You wouldn't tell me the truth anyway!" Su Yu chuckled. "I'm glad you understand, Instructor. As for who I'll impersonate... what do you think of Moduona?" "..." You fucking love bullshitting me! Liu Hong sighed helplessly. Forget it, no point asking. He still made one last struggle, saying, "Su Yu, can I really be freed? To be frank, there's no real grudge between us. When you set up that Mutual Aid Society, I didn't cause trouble. When you first enrolled, your teacher couldn't afford the War God Art, and I was the one who put up the money to buy it for you! If you don't believe me, ask Bai Feng... We were student and instructor once, after all; do you really have to screw me over like this?" Su Yu laughed. "How am I screwing you over? I'm saving you! I'm finding you a backer, teaching you the heavenly aperture method, leaving all the scammed loot in your hands, giving you Heaven Yuan Qi, and teaching you aura-concealing arts. Tell me, where else could you find such a sweet deal? How is this screwing you over?" Liu Hong sighed. "If you help me break free later, I'll accept it. But if I don't get freed and turn into a dead spirit, I won't rest in peace even in death!" "You'll already be dead then. Save dead people's talk for when you're dead!" Su Yu turned around, walked back onto the dais, and looked down at him with a smile. "Instructor Liu, let's cooperate well this once—there are benefits in it for both of us! Transmission talismans and the like, throw them away! Crush them yourself! In addition, I'll have people keep an eye on you. You're a smart man who cherishes his life, so there's no need to seek death. Once you convert into a resident, you won't be able to run even if you wanted to, and we'll be in the same boat! "As for your business with Foutuling... we'll see." Su Yu beamed. "Instructor, are you reasonably satisfied with this arrangement?" "Not particularly!" Liu Hong said weakly. "I can only say you're even more ruthless than I am. I helped you in the past, yet you're turning me into a living dead. That's downright cruel." "No, no, no. Instructor, you might just fall in love with this identity! You've spent your entire life playing the bootlicker; now that you're impersonating me, you'll be the top dog, majestic and domineering! How is that cruel?" "..." You're the bootlicker! Liu Hong cursed inwardly. Did this brat even know how to talk? When had he ever been a bootlicker? Meanwhile, Su Yu turned the thoughts over in his head. The odds of Liu Hong pulling off the impersonation and fooling everyone were quite high. This way, he could start preparing to resolve his identity issue. Additionally, the Heaven Hunting Ranking needed to be handled. Or should he simply enter disguised as someone from the ancient cities? This time, he still needed to secure some entry quotas to get people from the ancient cities inside. If he posed as someone from an ancient city, there would be no need to deliberately eliminate his death qi. However, the yang aperture still had to be dealt with. Furthermore, once inside the Star Residence Mansion with the death qi channel severed, the issue of the Heaven Hunting Ranking would still need addressing. But the Heaven Hunting Ranking was tied to the Heaven Hunting Pavilion, which posed a nuisance. Su Yu didn't want the Heaven Hunting Pavilion finding out about any of this! Or... he could simply wear away his death qi right now and let his name show up on the ranking again. As for how wary the myriad races became, that would be their problem. Thoughts flickered through his mind one after another. Looking back at Liu Hong, Su Yu suddenly remarked, "Instructor Liu, I've noticed you aren't that resistant to becoming a half-dead person. Your attitude is remarkably positive!" Liu Hong managed a strained smile. "Didn't I say I had no choice? Since you can't fight it, you might as well enjoy it, right?" Su Yu furrowed his brows. He gave Liu Hong a searching look, then finally looked away. The fellow was far more submissive than he had anticipated. Was he truly bowing to reality, or did he have his own hidden agenda? Su Yu took a deep breath. Forget it, whether Liu Hong had schemes or not didn't matter—his strength was limited. As for himself, it was time to find Old Turtle Hongmeng to seal his yang aperture. Hopefully it would work. Soon, Su Yu vanished from the spot. Once he was gone, Liu Hong looked around the empty hall, clicking his tongue in wonder. Su Yu had left—did this mean he was practically the big boss castellan now? That brat's heart was truly vicious. He was actually going to make him convert into a half-dead person. Truly inhumane!