Chương 69: The Truth

The blade flashed cold. It pierced 834's neck. Blood sprayed instantly, staining the wall. 834 barely had time to make a sound before he hit the ground, convulsed a few times, and breathed his last. His eyes remained wide open, full of confusion, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Since I have already drawn blood, you two disgusting bastards inside can die too!" Fang Cheng snorted. He kicked the door open and charged in, his demon sword dripping with blood. Stab! Stab! Two strokes. Everything inside came to a halt. The world finally fell silent. What a relief. Fang Cheng let out a long breath. He looked at the three bodies, but had no desire to eat them. He started to wonder if he should dig a hole somewhere and bury them instead. Just then, cheering erupted from outside.

"The Cult Master is back!"

"Wuwuwu... Cult Master, you are finally back! While you were away, I could not eat or sleep. Wuwuwu..."

"Look at our Cult Master. He is so beautiful. I really want to explore the truth with him."... Fang Cheng walked outside. The main character had arrived. No need to bury the bodies anymore. He looked up. In the distance, a man floated through the air toward them. His green robes fluttered. His features were sharp and defined, his skin pale as snow. He was like a heavenly immortal descending to earth. A smile curved at his lips, captivating every man and woman who laid eyes on him.

"Greetings, Cult Master." Everyone knelt, kowtowing devoutly. The Cult Master hovered high above the palace, looking down at the crowd below. He saw the fanatical expressions on their faces. Good. This was exactly what he wanted. This was worship that came from the marrow and soul. Pure spiritual devotion would allow the array to produce top-grade Immortal Crystals. What he did not notice was a lone figure standing in a corner, eyes filled with bloodthirst. Delicious sin. Haha. You are finally here.

"Hahahaha..." Fang Cheng laughed loudly and rose into the air. As he flew, he released the demon sword to stab the disgusting bastards who had been talking about "exploring the truth." He arrived above the palace, facing the Cult Master. The Cult Master's smile remained warm and gentle as jade.

"Fang Cheng, you came earlier than I expected." Even though Fang Cheng's appearance had changed, the Cult Master recognized him instantly. Fang Cheng frowned.

"You know me?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The Cult Master laughed heartily.

"In Lianshan Prefecture, who does not know you? Not just Lianshan. Your name has spread throughout Xijiang Prefecture and even the Great Sheng capital."

"Oh, I see. You are the 'boss' the supervisor mentioned. The rumor campaign and the wanted posters were your doing." Fang Cheng realized. He dropped his disguise and returned to his true appearance. The Cult Master continued smiling.

"Just a little trick of mine. Forgive me, Brother Fang. Come, come. Let us go into my palace and have a proper talk." Fang Cheng did not refuse. This time, he would control his emotions. He would not attack immediately. He needed to interrogate this man about his accomplices and his dealings with Hu Tong and Zhu Youchang. They sat down in the center of the palace. Before Fang Cheng could press him, the Cult Master spoke first. He said his name was Su Mu.

He was an ordinary low-level cultivator who had followed the tide of the times to create the Stabbing Brotherhood. He had gathered many followers and become Shuili City's largest underground organization. As Su Mu spoke, Fang Cheng used his Heavenly Eye to assess him. Su Mu was at the Seventh Realm. For the demon sword, which had already tasted a Ninth Realm crayfish, a Seventh Realm cultivator was barely worth the effort. He also noticed that Su Mu was missing something down there. Haha. A eunuch.

Even less appetizing. Su Mu brewed tea, poured a cup for Fang Cheng, and said, "Brother Fang, we can cooperate. Together, we can control the vast region from Lianshan Prefecture to White Flower City and Xijiang Prefecture. We can build an independent underground kingdom. What do you think?"

"Cooperate? What a joke!" Fang Cheng sneered.

"I only want to hear about your sins. Confess them all, then surrender peacefully. Understood?" Su Mu shook his head with a smile, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and pulled three tokens from his robes. He laid them before Fang Cheng. The first token was gold, engraved with the character "Eternal" and bordered with dragon patterns. It was the symbol of a Hall of Eternal Life elder. The second was red, with the character "Dark" on the front and a bat with bared fangs on the back.

A Dark Night assassin's token. The third was black, with a skull motif on the back, jaws open, biting down on a long sword. On the front was engraved a large character: "Underworld." An Underworld Officer's token. Su Mu picked up the Underworld Officer token and asked Fang Cheng, "I am an Underworld Officer. You tell me to surrender. Where would you even take me?" Fang Cheng frowned deeply. This was bigger than he had thought.

"You are both a Hall of Eternal Life elder and an Underworld Officer? And a member of Dark Night? Can one person hold three positions?"

"Times have changed, Brother Fang." Su Mu's lips curved outward as he spoke slowly.

"A friend in the capital once said those words to me. Now I pass them on to you. Times have changed. As cultivators of the new era, we should not be bound by tedious rules. Let us act boldly. Hahahaha..." Su Mu laughed wildly, maniacally. The entire palace shook with his laughter. Fang Cheng did not laugh. He was more interested in one thing.

"Who is this friend of yours in the capital?" Su Mu shrugged.

"Do not worry about who he is. We have friends everywhere. In the Hall of Eternal Life, in Dark Night, in the Underworld Bureau, and in other forces. This is the tide of the times. No one can stop it. The Chief of the Hall of Eternal Life wants to kill us all. Haha. How could he? In the new era, information flies everywhere. He cannot cover it up. More than half of Great Sheng's cultivators already possess the Spirit Gathering Array. Now his Dark Night organization is filled with our people.

The Underworld Bureau Chief, the Ascended Realm great cultivators, all these high and mighty figures. None of them can stop the great tide of the new era. Hahaha!" Su Mu grew more excited. He stood up, raised his hands, and roared at the sky, "The tide has come! No one can stop it! Rise up, great new era!" He embraced the void like he was embracing the entire universe. His eyes gleamed with arrogant crimson light. Yes. The great new era was here. Su Mu's face was full of excitement, spittle flying from his mouth.

Though he was small, standing on the great shoulders of the Spirit Gathering Array, he too could stand tall. He said to Fang Cheng, "Why should the immortals lie comfortably in the celestial realm while we cultivators of the lower realm work day and night, only to receive inferior Immortal Crystals that even dogs would refuse? Why should we accept their oppression? Why should we follow their commands? Who do they think they are? Rise up, oppressed cultivators! The celestial realm is in chaos.

We must seize the moment. Let the sparks fly. Be our own leaders. Build our own Spirit Gathering Arrays. Those immortals want Immortal Crystals? Hah. Dream on! We, the low-level cultivators, will stand up and become the new era's overlords!"