CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51: DEFEAT YOU, AND THIS FACE BECOMES MINE_1

The Qian Family.

Atop a lavish pavilion, Landlord Qian and Landlord Sun gazed toward the north of the city. A rain of merit, a light more brilliant than gold, was pouring down. They were so envious their mouths were watering, cursing the fact that it wasn’t them bathing in that glorious light.

In fact, they had been tempted three days prior, upon learning that He Daren was accepted as a disciple by the Sanqing Immortal Sect as an exception for his disaster relief efforts. They had originally intended to join the relief efforts to get a piece of the pie.

However, the He Family’s attitude was resolute. They absolutely refused to give the Sun and Qian families any authority, nor would they allow them to skim any profits from the disaster relief and land reclamation work.

Only an idiot would do a job where you could only contribute without gaining any benefits.

Since they couldn’t secure a promise to join the Sanqing Immortal Sect and couldn’t reap any rewards, the Qian and Sun families left in a huff, refusing to participate in the relief and reclamation work.

Now, however, they were sick with regret.

Even if you’ve never eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run. They knew just how precious merit was. In the past, they had organized disaster relief with coarse rice porridge many times. While it earned them a decent reputation in the city, they never received the Heavenly Dao’s acknowledgment, let alone a Merit Rain.

And now, the one time they decided to skip out, it triggered such a magnificent and vast Merit Rain?

Was there no justice? Was there no law?

"Brother Qian, I’m thinking of going to the He Family to offer them money."

"Me too! With that much merit, if we could get even a small share, it could extend our lives by at least a decade, couldn’t it?"

"Money is just a number. I’m already in my sixties with not many years left. Those worthless whelps of mine are hopeless, so I can’t count on them."

"Brother Sun, that He Family lad seems foolish, but his every move is calculated. It seems he’s been playing dumb and hiding his true abilities all these years!"

"We were completely outplayed. I bow in defeat. That boy is even sharper than his father. I admit my loss."

"Let’s go! Let’s go to the He Manor and beg him to let us help with the relief efforts. We’ll do whatever he says. As long as we can get a share of the merit to extend our lives, what’s the harm in giving away ninety percent of our family’s wealth?"

***

「Zhao Residence」

Within the eerie and treacherous Ghost Domain, three men dressed in the robes of True Disciples stood against the wind. They each stood atop a different roof, forming a three-point formation that enveloped the Zhao Residence at the heart of the Ghost Domain. Fierce sword energy constantly radiated from them, dissolving the surrounding Yin Sha Qi.

The eldest was Li Longhao.

The second was Li Longji.

And the third, Li Longyou.

Suddenly, Li Longhao, who carried a heavy sword on his back, frowned slightly as if sensing something, and his eyes snapped open. When he saw the magnificent Merit Rain in the northern part of the city, he was completely stunned. "Such an amount of merit... I fear it could only be bestowed after saving tens of thousands of commoners."

Nearby, Li Longyou, who carried twin swords, nodded slightly. "I expect a highly respected senior from our sect has arrived in Maple City. Could they be worried that we can’t subdue Nie Linglan and have come to provide support?"

With a scoff, Li Longhao shook his head. "She’s just a Bound Spirit who recently broke through to the Core Formation Stage. What’s so troublesome about that? If it weren’t for her Ghost Domain’s innate Divine Skill being so elusive, I could scatter her soul with a single swing of my sword, ensuring she never reincarnates!"

Li Longhao, with the heavy sword on his back, stood a full eight feet tall and radiated an air of sheer recklessness. He would rather fight the heavens, the earth, and the sky than use his brain.

Li Longyou sighed. "Eldest Brother, don’t be rash. I have a bad feeling about this Malicious Ghost case involving Miss Nie. It feels like there’s something strange going on, some hidden story."

"With just the three of us, we can’t be sure it’s foolproof. Why don’t we play it safe and call for a few more of our brothers for backup?"

Li Longhao rolled his eyes. "Play it safe, play it safe! You always want to play it safe on every mission. I think you should just give up on dual swords and cultivate a ’Cautious Sword’ instead!"

"And what’s so strange about it? Isn’t it just a Core Formation Stage Ghost General? Once she fully manifests on the seventh day after her death, we just go in and finish the job!"

Li Longyou shook his head. "Eldest Brother, you’re being too reckless. That’s a good way to get yourself killed heroically."

Li Longhao roared, "Insolence! I am the Eldest Brother! Listen to me and it will be fine!"

Li Longyou sighed helplessly. "Being right has nothing to do with being loud. It doesn’t matter if you’re the ’Eldest Brother.’ Even if you were our ’Eldest Father,’ it wouldn’t make your ideas right. Second Fa... I mean, Second Brother, what do you think?"

Li Longji finally opened his eyes, casting a lazy glance at Li Longyou. "Third Brother has a point."

Li Longhao was furious. "He has a point? In dozens of missions, he’s always claimed something was ’strange.’ He’s not confident even with a ninety percent chance of success and calls for backup over the smallest thing. Now, some of those idiots in the Sword Sect are calling us the ’Backup Brothers’ behind our backs. Aren’t you embarrassed? I’d rather die than suffer this humiliation! Second Brother, what do you think?"

Li Longji turned his dead-fish eyes to Li Longhao and nodded reluctantly. "Eldest Brother also has a point."

Li Longhao: ???

Li Longyou: ???

They both shouted in unison, "So, whose side are you on?"

Li Longji yawned and drawled, "Either is fine. As long as it doesn’t disturb my sleep, I don’t care."

With that, he slowly closed his eyes again. Standing on the rooftop to recuperate, he soon let out soft snores, having fallen asleep on his feet.

However, even as he slept, his body continued to exude sword energy. Three powerful streams of sword energy flowed ceaselessly into the sword formation, weakening the Yin Sha Qi within the Ghost Domain and the hidden Bound Spirit lurking within.

***

「Wangbei Tower」

In another private room, a man dressed in black stood before the window. His features were plain, and his body showed no fluctuations of a cultivation level. He was the type of person who would be completely overlooked in a crowd.

At that moment, the man stared at the dense Merit Rain filling the sky, at Wang Xiu who was enveloped in its light, and at the ecstatic citizens below.

A cold smirk touched the corners of his lips.

The Sanqing Immortal Sect is quite fortunate to recruit such an exceptionally clever disciple. If I had encountered such relief rations in my youth, I wouldn’t have been starved into killing and eating corpses, nor would I be on this path today.

A ruthless look crossed the man’s face. But the cleverer and more handsome you are, the more hateful you become! Why couldn’t you have appeared two hundred years earlier? Why do those worthless plebeians get to eat handout porridge when I could not? Wang Xiu!

KEKEKEKE... you have successfully captured my attention! Your face will become the most perfect piece in my collection. And those commoners... they all must die. Let them be the sacrifice for the emergence of my unparalleled demonic artifact! Since you have all caused me such pain, then none of you will have an easy life!

KEKEKEKE...

As the black-robed man cackled, a skull-shaped token at his waist began to tremble faintly.

"Snake Ji?" he purred, a hint of depraved desire in his eyes. "You little vixen, do you want me to whip you with a new face again?"

He slowly raised his right hand and gently swept it across his face.

...

Suddenly, the face that was once exceptionally ordinary became incredibly handsome and dashing, enough to make countless women fall into obsessed adoration.

Aside from his eyes, which remained sinister and malicious, he was flawless.