Free Web NovelChapter 1240: Chapter 952: Walking Right Into the Trap (Part 2)
"Because you are members of the Leisure Sect." Jiang Yuan bent slightly and smiled: "First, we captured those ten evil cultivators from the Leisure Sect. They uniformly confessed that you were their superior, and that you could contact the Incense Master.
It’s fortunate you proactively sought help from the Mountain Master. Otherwise, it would take quite some effort, even for the Mountain Master, to find a small evil cultivator in the vast Qihan Mountain. It’s a mutual fate that led us here. So, tell me about the Incense Master of the Leisure Sect — who is he? Where can we find him?"
"Huh? The Mountain Master?" Peng Dahai’s mind buzzed as he heard this, and he felt disturbed all over.
He thought he had stumbled upon his nemesis by chance, believing it was the Mountain Master who graciously granted his plea for help, only to realize they were in cahoots!
This guy is an evil cultivator who practiced the Soul-Devouring Demon Skill, and surely the Mountain Master must be an accomplice.
It all makes sense now — Qihan Mountain accommodating the likes of all sorts yet rejecting the Leisure Sect’s members. It seems the forces on both sides are incompatible...
While still caught up in his thoughts, Jiang Yuan noticed Peng Dahai’s eyes darting around and immediately stepped on his wrist, coldly saying: "I don’t have time to waste with you. If you don’t speak, I’ll proceed with the Soul Searching."
"Soul-Devouring Demon Skill, Soul Searching Technique — where, where did you learn these cultivation techniques?"
Considered intriguing, Peng Dahai felt annoyed yet envious upon hearing, lamenting the late encounter with a regretful look: "Ever since I learned of an evil cultivator technique that could extract others’ lifespan, I’ve been searching for it but never found. If not for this, I wouldn’t have settled for joining the Leisure Sect!"
His tone suddenly flattered: "However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I personally saw the shocking scene of a fallen evil cultivator extracting essence from numerous demon cultivators, supported by an array to successfully pass through the Thunder Tribulation!
Fellow cultivator, would you consider joining the Leisure Sect? No matter what evil techniques you practice or how much wrongdoing you commit, there’s no risk of being struck by heavenly thunder!"
Seeing the impatience on Jiang Yuan’s face, Peng Dahai hastily answered the earlier question: "I don’t know the Incense Master’s name, nor their gender, but I know when to contact them!
After developing ten subordinates, I’ve achieved some merit.
But those subordinates are mediocre and incapable of advancing more, thus I only gained a bit of cultivation technique inheritance without qualifying for promotion.
We fallen evil cultivators aim to act recklessly without constraints. Therefore, I decided to go all out! Leading these ten to set up gambling dens in Qihan Mountain, seducing people — though attracting mostly lustful individuals with weak abilities, it remains a win-win situation, either contributing Spirit Stones or enticing demon cultivators.
This idea came less than two months ago, demon cultivators can be valued between thirty to a hundred pieces of essence.
When calculating merit, as the superior and strategist, I naturally earn more. Every time, I divide all the merit into five parts, taking four-fifths myself, leaving the remainder for them. Over time, this earned me a chance to contact the Incense Master beyond my superior!
Demon cultivators kidnapped from Qihan Mountain are fed mind-numbing soup, rendering them in a stupor for two days and nights without antidote. Before the effect fades, they’re fed more until we gather ten, then taken a hundred miles southwest of Qihan Mountain to Green Forest Gou.
I don’t have the qualification to enter, so I just wait outside.
When Green Forest Gou illuminates, go in, the demon cultivators are gone, leaving us eleven sect members’ merit tokens. Each is inscribed with the earnings and able to review the total merit list, which is managed by the Incense Master for all sect members.
The Leisure Sect values those with merit for promotion. If I keep striving, I can surpass the Incense Master’s Deputy Director and replace him as the closest assistant to the Incense Master. At that time, the merit token would be updated, granting me the chance to pursue the position of Incense Master."
"Who is your superior? Who told you to bypass the superior and contact the Incense Master?" Jiang Yuan delightfully listened to his ramblings, hoping for more unexpected gains, then asked: "Isn’t the Incense Master worried about you surpassing him, causing mischief against his subordinates?"
Peng Dahai instantly displayed an "I knew it" expression, smiling and shaking his head: "Us being comrades means I can understand the confusion of a fellow cultivator.
After all, evil cultivators are relentlessly pursued and suppressed by righteous cultivators, not innocent. It’s because of no integrity — even harming fellow cultivators.
Therefore, other evil cultivators dare not band together, fearing an unintentional betrayal leading to death.
In the Cultivation Realm, not teaming up implies no growth or power. It’s one reason I insistently invite fellow cultivators to join the Leisure Sect — most other evil cultivators fight alone, often seeing cases of masters devouring disciples or disciples harming masters.
But the Leisure Sect, as the only growing evil cultivator organization, beyond having unified cultivation technique inheritance, the key importance is not fearing betrayal from fellow sect members.
I mentioned before, Leisure Sect members advancing realm don’t worry about thunder strikes, as protectors and arrays offer safety. When a sect member nears ascension, the omnipotent Sect Leader becomes alerted and sends a protector to make contact.
Before setting up the protective array, the protector checks for any harm done to fellow sect members. If any harm occurred, not only protection won’t be given but heavenly thunder will freely strike.
With such cautious and stringent preventive measures, what matters more than life? Who would risk harming fellow members?
Regarding my superior, she runs a shop in the Spending Gold Cove, previously my sweetheart. After recommending me into the Leisure Sect but seeing my merit accumulate faster than hers, the Incense Master Deputy Director allowed me to bypass her and contact the Incense Master, angering her into breaking ties."
On hearing, Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow subtly, smiling: "What is your sweetheart’s name? What shop does she have?"
"She’s called Lady Yu, the shop owner of the ’Branch Flower’ in Spending Gold Cove. It’s said half the Leisure Sect members inside Qihan Mountain were recommended by her, but alas, mingling in Qihan Mountain, how many are truly capable ones? Anyway, I haven’t seen a cultivator with such strong methods like you.
But they’re mostly pleasure-seeking, treacherous types harboring false intentions, practicing righteous cultivation techniques yet failing, neither high nor low, hence she recommends many cultivators but achieves no major merit."
"Pleasure-seeking, treacherous types... you summed it up well."
"Indeed!" Peng Dahai proudly said: "I’m well aware of my own limitations. Mediocre by nature, yet much stronger than those demon beasts, struggling to progress with righteous cultivation techniques. So I figured, cultivators like me should focus on evil paths to satisfy internal desires that can’t be suppressed.
And sure enough, upon finding the avenue to become a fallen evil cultivator, I thrived like a fish in water! Cultivation speed was multiple times faster! I’m on the brink of advancing to the next realm now; I thought yesterday — the protector should be reaching out soon to assist with my ascension..."
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan immediately asked further: "How does the protector contact you?"
"Of course, through the Leisure Sect’s merit token. All sect-related matters are handled through the merit token, though superiors can initiate contact with juniors, juniors lack such privilege. I’ve accumulated substantial merit, but haven’t become the Incense Master Deputy Director yet, so still a regular sect member, unable to make contact and waiting for the protector."
"Tut-tut, indeed this Leisure Sect’s Sect Leader is extraordinary. The internal system design is meticulous and interesting. Show me your merit token, let me see."
"Please look, fellow cultivator!" Peng Dahai, noticing the interest, thought he might yet turn the situation to his favor, hurriedly fetched his exclusive merit token from the Storage Bag, showing it and supplementing: "As far as I know, the lowest level in the Leisure Sect is the sect members, followed by Incense Master, Banner Master, Sub-Pavilion Master, Altar Master, Sub-Squad Leader, Squad Leader, Protector, Elder, and then Sect Leader.
Except for the irreplaceable Sect Leader who controls the protective ascension array, all other titles are based on merit.
With your formidable evil cultivator skills, if you join the Leisure Sect, you’ll surely have tremendous potential! In the future achieving ascension as an evil immortal, unending and undying is within reach."
[Leisure Sect Merit Token: The Leisure Sect Sect Leader’s tool for overseeing disciples, do you want to bind it?]
[Note: Only one Leisure Sect token can be bound, once bound it disguises the holder’s identity, allowing access to view merit lists, receive internal orders. To swap bound merit tokens, it requires unbinding the current item before proceeding.]
[Additionally: An unbound Leisure Sect merit token becomes invalid upon the token holder’s death, displaying death status within the merit list, binding cannot be chosen.]
