"There is a rough plan like that. Think about it, Senior Brother Dai—if only Meng Jingzhou and I, two ancient geniuses, joined the Heavenly Court Cult, wouldn't the cult seem rather empty? It wouldn't be easy to convince the Nine Nether Cult," Lu Yang explained his reasoning.
"Even adding the Fifth Elder, having only a single Body Integration cultivator in the grand Heavenly Court Cult just doesn't make sense either.
"In the end, we need a few high-level cultivators to prop up the framework of the Heavenly Court Cult. And as you know, I don't know many people in the cultivation world. After running the numbers, I feel the sect elders fit the bill best!"
Meng Jingzhou chimed in, "Besides, practice makes perfect. In the swindling business, experience matters most. The elders have already conned the Nine Nether Cult once; conning them a second time won't be hard at all."
Dai Bufan fell silent for a moment, at a loss for words—mainly because he felt Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou actually made a lot of sense.
The Nine Nether Cult weren't fools. You couldn't just keep trotting out the same few actors; you had to rotate them.
"All right. In that case, go talk to the elders. If they agree, I have nothing to say."
Dai Bufan was managing the Mission Hall on the Grand Elder's behalf, but he was ultimately just a disciple and had no authority to decide for the elders.
Though he suspected the elders would be thrilled.
After all, a collective scam against the Nine Nether Cult was a rare second opportunity.
Dai Bufan knew that the last time the Nine Scions of the Dao Seeking Sect acted together, they had swindled the Nine Nether Cult to the brink of bankruptcy.
Nine hundred years ago, the elders' original plan had been to strip the Nine Nether Cult of every last copper, hoping internal strife would tear them apart from within.
Who would have guessed the Nine Nether Cult was absurdly resilient? Even with all their money conned away, they still endured.
...
Tianmen Peak, the Discussion Hall.
Eight elders were gathered around Li Haoran, watching him as if he were a rare, prized beast.
They had just learned that Li Haoran was the reincarnation of the previous Nine Nether Cult Master.
"Reincarnation truly exists in this world, and it happened right here in our Dao Seeking Sect? How marvelous!"
"What kind of talk is that? Our Dao Seeking Sect is blessed with glorious land and extraordinary talent. What couldn't happen here?"
"I said it long ago—the Founder made an absolute masterstroke choosing this location! The geomancy of our Dao Seeking Sect is leagues ahead of the other four immortal sects. I've specifically studied feng shui!"
"Eldest Brother, please stop talking. Your 'geomancy studies' are strictly about picking gravesites. I even heard that while you were sleeping in a coffin, you ran into several waves of grave robbers. They saw you and nearly scared themselves to death, thinking a corpse had reanimated."
"Let me correct you: that was called waiting by the stump for a hare to appear."
"Limb Regrowth Core, smooth and round—it is undoubtedly a first-grade Golden Core, and it doesn't look like a hidden trick left behind by Qin Haoran."
"I can't see anything wrong with it either. By the way, Nephew Li, do you know what kind of Golden Core Qin Haoran formed? It's possible your Golden Core is connected to Qin Haoran's, and he might gradually assimilate you through it, turning you into him."
Li Haoran pondered earnestly before answering, "I don't know what Qin Haoran's Golden Core was called. I only recall a brief fragment of memory: Qin Haoran held a Soul-Summoning Banner and manifested his Golden Core, accompanied by the wailing of a hundred ghosts and the howling of demon beasts. It was tremendously imposing, like the king of a hundred ghosts embarking on a procession."
Rich in experience, the eight elders swiftly identified what kind of Golden Core it was.
"From that description, it sounds like the Ghost Crying Wolf Howling Golden Core. It makes a huge racket to intimidate people, can unleash sonic attacks, and when you lack an entourage going out, it bolsters your fanfare. It's quite versatile."
Li Haoran asked out of curiosity, "What grade is that Golden Core?"
"Second-grade."
"Qin Haoran's Golden Core shares nothing in common with Nephew Li's. Nephew Li's Golden Core should be perfectly fine."
"Junior Niece Yun Zhi, do you see any issues?"
Yun Zhi, who had remained silent all along, gave a slight shake of her head. "None."
"Then there's no problem." The elders closed the matter with finality.
Just as everyone was preparing to disperse, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou walked in.
The moment the two entered the Discussion Hall, a suffocating pressure washed over them—the Sixth Elder, possessor of the Immaculate Immortal Physique, was present, so everyone had been conversing entirely through divine sense until now.
"Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, is something the matter?" Fifth Elder asked, somewhat puzzled.
Lu Yang transmitted his voice via divine sense: "It's like this: to swindle the Nine Nether Cult, we specially founded a Heavenly Court Cult..."
Lu Yang concisely recounted the course of events, with Meng Jingzhou chiming in now and then.
"That is the gist of it. We are currently short on manpower, so we would like to invite you elders to pose as Protectors of the Heavenly Court Cult."
Silence. A long silence.
Just as Lu Yang began to think the elders would refuse, the divine sense exchange erupted into noisy chatter.
"If there was something this fun, you should have said so earlier! Had I known, I would've gone in place of Old Fifth!"
"Haoran is my disciple—naturally, I should be the one to go!"
"Nephew Lu truly is full of ideas! Why didn't I think of this back then?"
"Heavenly Court Protector—now that sounds far more prestigious than an elder of the Dao Seeking Sect!"
"Count me in! Count me in! Tricking the Nine Nether Cult is my greatest specialty."
"Slaying demons and vanquishing monsters is an inescapable duty of our generation!"
"I missed out on messing with the Immortal Cult last time; I can't miss the Nine Nether Cult this time!"
The elders displayed an enthusiasm that far exceeded Lu Yang's imagination. It seemed as though they had been reminded of the green, youthful days when they wreaked havoc upon the mortal world a thousand years ago.
"This old man deals with graves all year round, so I shall be called the Nether Heavenly King."
"I oversee the Herb Garden and have deep knowledge of spiritual plants. How about the Hundred Herb Heavenly King?"
"I specialize in body tempering. Even those monks from the Buddhist Kingdom who cultivate the Vajra Body are no match for me. Call me the Unbroken Heavenly King."
"I am a Confucian cultivator, so I'll be the Great Confucian Heavenly King."
"Lu Yang already named me: Heavenly King of Many Treasures."
"Let me think. I possess the Immaculate Immortal Physique... Dustless Heavenly King? Pure Dust Heavenly King? Or perhaps Immaculate Heavenly King? Pure Dust Heavenly King sounds nicer, doesn't it?"
"My greatest strength is alchemy. In alchemy, fire control is paramount. Why not Golden Flame Heavenly King?"
"Last time, I was the very first to swindle the Nine Nether Cult, and here we go again. Truly a twist of fate! I shall be the Origin Heavenly King."
"It's a pity Old Ninth isn't here for something so amusing."
"He's rotting in prison alongside the Minister of Justice right now; he probably won't make it in time."
"What Heavenly King should Old Ninth be? The Sword-Peddling Heavenly King?"
"Does 'Sword-Peddling Heavenly King' sound proper? Have you forgotten the prosperous days when Old Ninth led us to fortune? He should be called the Fortune Heavenly King!"
"Old Ninth squats in prison every day. Why not call him the Inmate Heavenly King?"
"Can we think of a name that actually sounds like it belongs to the Heavenly Court Cult?"
"The Ten Thousand Swords Heavenly King, then?"
"That doesn't feel quite right either."
The elders babbled on, enthusiastically debating their own titles. Once they finished settling their own, they turned their attention to what title Daoist Buyu should bear.
While the elders were occupied with their discussion, Lu Yang quietly walked up to Yun Zhi, who had remained silent throughout. Her brows were slightly knit, as if she were wrestling with a momentous decision.
"Eldest Senior Sister, are you contemplating whether to join the Heavenly Court Cult?"
Her position as Cult Master was of paramount importance.
Yun Zhi looked up, her eyes gleaming slightly. "No. I am considering what Heavenly King Master should be named. He is glib and sharp-tongued—how about the Loquacious Heavenly King?"
Chapter 336