Way of the Devil

After several days of rest, Lu Sheng recovered the means to walk and move about. Previously, he found it difficult to even walk for a prolonged period of time and was able to move about only in a limited range. The poison had spread too pervasively in his body and he had lost too much blood; all he could do was to rest and recuperate in his sanctuary.

Fortunately, Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi was extremely impressive. At Level Seven, its High-Speed Qi Replenishment effect greatly sped up Lu Sheng’s recovery. Supplemented with large quantities of food and tonic supplements which Lu Sheng consumed and converted into inner Qi, his body was well nourished.

In just the short span of four days, Lu Sheng had eaten up to ten thousand taels’ worth of precious herbs. He ate centuries-old ginseng and precious roots as if they were rice. Thanks to all that, he was now able to move about like normal.

Only the sect master of Crimson Whale Sect would have the financial ability and connections to secure so many precious medicinal herbs. If it were anyone else, even ordinary wealthy men with sufficient money would not be able to buy so many precious items in the short term.

With his injuries turning for the better, Lu Sheng finally came out of his seclusion and lived aboard the Crimson Whale, slowly recuperating.

In the surface, others could not tell that he bore severe injuries. Like the everyday routine, he continued to visit the pharmacy and Martial Proclamation Court. Occasionally, he would practice his saber technique in the arena on shore.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed…

“Rumble…!”

Streaks of lightning flashed across the ominous sky. The purple arcs of electricity leapt in and out of the clouds.

The waters of Cypress Pine Lake smashed into the side of the Crimson Whale in waves.

In the Swallow Hall, Lu Sheng, Hong Mingzi, and Chen Ying sat together, unbothered by the weather outside as they observed the sect disciples sparring before them.

Hong Mingzi’s two disciples—Lin Honglian and Yuan Zhong—as well as Chen Ying’s three disciples and a whole bunch of young disciples in the sect were undergoing a contest held across the sect. The selected contestants were all younger than the age of twenty.

Many of the sect’s upper echelons were also seated in the hall.

This was the sect’s routine rankings contest, held once every three years. All who were under the age of twenty were eligible to take part. Those who made it into the top ten would receive practical monetary rewards as well as special guidance in their skills. Additionally, they would also enter the view of the sect’s top management and be promoted to key posts in the sect.

Seated on the sect master’s seat, Lu Sheng gazed at the sparring disciples under the platform disinterestedly. His mind was elsewhere.

This realm of combat was simply too weak for him now. On the surface, he seemed to be watching the match; in actual fact, he was circulating and accelerating the healing speed of Yin Yang Jade Crane Aquarius Qi in the hopes of recovering sooner.

“Clang clang clang clang!!”

Coincidentally, two female disciples were sparring right now. Both were using sabers and were locked in a close fight. Although they were lacking in strength, they were fast and had a good acumen for timing. Moreover, both were known for their good looks in the sect. Dressed in purple and blue respectively, the two of them sparred like they were dancing.

“Su Yue’er may not be using the Grand Golden Saber Technique with great ease, but she’s got a good grasp of timing. Shangguan Rong’s got the upper hand slightly in terms of speed. In terms of the Violet Desire Mantra cultivated by them, Shangguan Rong’s cultivation is deeper as well, making up for her poorer grasp of timing. The outcome of this fight will determine who clinches the tenth spot,” Chen Ying nodded in evaluation.

“Chen Ying’s right. Both of them are at the pinnacle of Strength Proficiency. Even for our great Crimson Whale Sect, they can be considered outstanding talents with above average strength. Especially Su Yue’er. She’s skilled in networking and handling people. Jie Long City needs precisely such a talent,” Hong Mingzi suggested with a smile. “What do you think, Junior Apprentice Brother?”

“Erm…” Lu Sheng hummed distractedly.

“That works. Senior Apprentice Brother’s suggestion is a good one. Let’s appoint Su Yue’er as Deputy Branch Head in Jie Long City after this.”

“Junior Apprentice Brother…?” Hong Mingzi noticed that Lu Sheng was distracted. Since Lu Sheng had made that trip that night, he had been distracted like this. This was the sect’s great contest! Many disciples and key personnel were looking at him from under the platform!

More than thirty people were seated in Swallow Hall. They were the Branch Heads or Deputy Branch Heads posted to various places. If the sect master was disinterested, their morale would all be affected.

“Mm, as for Shangguan Rong, we can appoint her as the Branch Head of Shifting Star City. That place sits on the border with Ju Rong Nation and could use a human resources and networking talent like her,” Lu Sheng came back into the present and replied after some thought.

His voice wasn’t loud. But all who were present were experts; even the weakest among them was at Strength Proficiency. How could they not have heard him?

To be honest, they all had noticed Lu Sheng’s distracted state. But ever since the battle with the umbrella girl and the heavy losses suffered by the sect, the remaining leaders of the Sect regarded Lu Sheng, who had single-handedly turned the tides of the battle, with reverence as if he were a deity. They trusted and obeyed him without question. Hence, not much negative influence was caused by his distraction, unlike Hong Mingzi thought.

Just then, the two sparring ladies pulled away from each other and cupped their fists together, declaring a draw. They had both reached the end of their strength. If they were to carry on any further, they would only prolong the stalemate, unless one of them used their killing move. There was no point in just comparing their stamina in a match of skill.

“Many thanks to Sect Master for your appointment!” having heard Lu Sheng’s answer, Shangguan Rong was filled with joy. A sweet smile appeared on her face as she cupped her fists and bowed. Finally, she made it into the sect’s management. That was the goal she had been striving for all this while.

There were many females in Crimson Whale Sect. Many of them were of aristocratic background and were of comparable looks and martial arts skill. She had slowly made a name for herself by paying more attention to her dressing.

Now that she had gained the upper management’s attention, she was satisfied with the returns of her effort.

Unlike Shangguan Rong, Su Yue’er stepped forward without any joy on her face.

“In reply to Sect Master, Su Yue does not wish to be appointed a branch head.”

“You don’t want to be a branch head?” Lu Sheng and Hong Mingzi were caught by surprise. What they were offering was the wish of countless sect disciples—to possess authority over others, like a duke with a fiefdom! And yet here was someone turning it down!

A glint of surprise flashed in Lu Sheng’s eyes as he stared at Su Yue’er. He remembered that she was the granddaughter of some particular elder in the Sect.

Ever since that elder had passed away, this girl had had to become the pillar of the family. Fortunately, she possessed outstanding talent and was blessed with good fortune, avoiding the great calamity caused by the umbrella girl’s attack on the headquarters. Only now did her time come.

“What do you want then? There must be something you wish for since you’ve taken part in the contest,” Chen Ying asked, his curiosity piqued.

Su Yue pursed her lips together, took a step forward and gazed directly at Lu Sheng.

“Su Yue wishes to have Sect Master as her teacher! Will Sect Master please grant her request!” she knelt on the ground abruptly, kowtowing continuously with her forehead to the ground.

The hall fell into silence. None among the experts and upper echelon of the sect had expected that Su Yue would make such a move.

Lu Sheng—Sect Master Lu’s strength had been witnessed by all. He was the publicly acknowledged Number One Expert of all the Northern Lands. His saber art, palm technique, and inner force were all ranked first; none were his match.

Even when compared to those in the Central Plains, he would undoubtedly earn a place among the very top-notch experts.

In fact, many who were not in-the-know had guessed that the Sect Master had attained Divine Prime.

As for Hong Mingzi and the other top leaders, they believed that Lu Sheng wasn’t an ordinary mortal at all! Rather, he must have been a surviving member of a declined Noble Family bloodline to have been able to nullify the lethal poison and defense of Bind. That was why he could reach draw with the umbrella girl.

Such power couldn’t be replicated and hence they had not thought of learning from Lu Sheng. Towards him, they felt awe and reverence.

Now at Su Yue’s request for Lu Sheng to be her teacher, Hong Mingzi and others were first stunned. Immediately after that, they ruled out the possibility of this arrangement working. Lu Sheng’s power could not be replicated; there was no point in being his disciple.

“Your request… I…” Lu Sheng said softly, staring at Su Yue quietly.

Although he was recovering very quickly, he needed at least a month to repair his damaged meridians and so would be rather unoccupied for the next one month. But…

“BAM!!”

Without warning, the doors of Swallow Hall were rammed open with great force. As if they were two thin planks of wood, the heavy wooden doors slammed into the walls on both sides of the door.

“Who’s that!!?” a muscular red-haired man rose immediately. Lifting up his Demon Taming Pestle, he dashed towards the doors.

“SCRAM!”

“BOOM!”

Even faster than he could move, the red-haired man flew over ten meters backwards and landed on the ground with a loud thump, knocking over a row of tables and stools.

“What guts! This is the headquarters of Crimson Whale Sect! How dare you barge in here!” Chen Ying sprung up with a jolt. He recognized the red-haired man—it was a Strength Proficiency executive known in the sect for his strength. Yet he was sent flying backwards so easily!

That went to show how powerful the intruder must have been. Although Chen Ying bellowed sternly, he dared not belittle the intruder in the slightest. Channeling all his cultivation into his palms, he glided down from the platform and aimed straight at the black shadow with a palm strike.

“BOOM!!”

The intruder punched in response, sweeping aside Chen Ying as if sweeping a leaf.

Several other men charged at him, their swords, sabers, palms and daggers landing on his body.

“Clang clang clang clang clang!!”

In a series of crisp clangs, all the weapons rebounded from his body. The black shadow was unscathed and strode to the center of the hall.

“Lu Sheng! Let me ask you this! What on earth happened at the foot of the Eastern Mountain that night? How did my master go missing?”

Only now did the black figure come into view. Surprisingly, it was the hunch-backed single-eyed old man—Senior Black—who followed the Officiator from Ashoka Manor!

Seated motionlessly on the Sect Master’s throne, Lu Sheng stared at Senior Black. His heart lurched.

He was lacking inner Qi severely now. Without Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies Skill, even if he could forcibly activate Yang Extreme Mode purely by his hard body skills alone, there was no way he could slay a Demon like Senior Black.

Presently, he was truly at the lowest point of his valley. He was just wishing that he could lay low for a length of time to recuperate till he was fully recovered. Little did he expect Ashoka Manor to come knocking on the door so soon.

If he was forced to fight now, he probably would not be able to best even a Single-Vein Nobleman, not to mention an expert like Senior Black.

“All I did that night was to perform a transaction with a group of mysterious people. Has your master gone missing? Based on your knowledge of your master, what do you think I could know if he went missing?” Lu Sheng said impassively.

“And… I don’t like people talking to me in such a manner and with such a tone. This is the Crimson Whale Sect. Not your master’s Xiao Manor.”

Senior Black glared at Lu Sheng sinisterly. He had witnessed the latter’s strength previously. At his level, he had no guarantee of defeating him in a fight. At best, they would probably reach a draw.

But, Lu Sheng surely knew something about that night!

Senior Black stood rooted to the ground, his lone eye locked on Lu Sheng. Threads of killing intent slowly emanated from him.

“Sect Master Lu. Do you not wish to speak, or do you truly not know?”

Seeing the ferocity brewing in Senior Black’s eye, Lu Sheng understood that if he continued to stay silent, the other party might really make a move.

But, he absolutely couldn’t back down now. Once he was exposed to be gravely wounded and unfit for combat, he would find himself in deep water.

Lu Sheng glanced at his surroundings. If they were to fight here, based on the other party’s character, he was likely to slaughter wantonly. If that happened, the entire Crimson Whale Sect could be destroyed. He still had not recovered sufficient strength to stop this man.

“I truly am in the dark about this matter. But this isn’t the best place to talk. Let’s talk further somewhere else,” Lu Sheng said softly. Since the time he entered the hall till now, Senior Black had only wounded but not killed. Clearly, he was not about to sever all ties with Shangyang Family just yet.

“Fine.”