Inner Demons

Chapter 166: Purpose Share Comments

Liu Gongzan showed a difficult expression, as if he were hesitating.

But Yu Qi smiled slightly. "The background of this Divine Dragon Cult Master beside you, I'm afraid he's a fisherman, right? It's rare to be born with such good looks. Was he originally from the Liu Family Village in Changpu Lake? It's commendable that you were able to find him."

After these words were spoken, that Liu Gongzan became even more dejected, not even having the strength to cup his hands.

This show of force came so quickly and fiercely that it seemed his momentum had completely vanished. As for that "Divine Dragon Cult Master," he was now just sitting there dumbfounded, constantly looking at Liu Gongzan, completely at a loss for what to do or say.

Seeing the two of them like this, Yu Qi chuckled inwardly. He leaned back in his chair again—someone had already replaced the cup of tea he had taken one sip from, which had already cooled.

"Speak, your methods."

He felt even more settled in his heart. He felt that he had roughly figured out the other party's background and just needed to hear them say some details he hadn't thought of—for example, how did they develop? How could they be so audacious?

And he already had a vague inference about these matters in his mind.

Grasping the other party's background through a few words was his specialty.

That Liu Gongzan also seemed to have finally been subdued by him. He cupped his hands from his seat and said with a bitter smile, "Lord Yu is as reputed, truly a master. Since that's the case, I, Ghost Calculator, will not speak in riddles before an expert—I'll tell you everything. It's just that what I'm about to say… hehe. Although Lord Yu is a prominent family in Weicheng, you must also sit tight. We people of the martial world do things quite differently."Yu Qi picked up his tea and took another sip, saying nothing.

That Liu Gongzan then let out a low snort and said, "Does Lord Yu know the great trend of the world today?"

Hearing his words and seeing his tone and expression, the servants and maids wanted to laugh again.

Yu Qi's face, however, remained impassive as he said calmly, "Tell me about your, 'great trend of the world'."

That Liu Gongzan seemed to want to regain some ground after the earlier show of force. So he coughed twice, gathered his energy, and said in a deep voice, "Today, this Great Qing Dynasty is peaceful, and the emperor rules with ease. It is precisely the prosperous age spoken of by the Sages. But for heroes like us who want to achieve great things, what we need is a great chaotic world. I, Liu Gongzan, have been lying low in Weicheng for so many years, learning some immortal Daoist arts. I have been waiting for an opportunity. And now, that opportunity has finally arrived."

"Right now in this Weicheng, Prefect Zhao has left his post, and the three Prefectural Governors are also not in their positions. The people in and out of the city are in a state of panic, not knowing where to turn—this is the perfect time for us to achieve great things!"

"Now, I have started this Divine Dragon Cult and gathered some people. Afterward, not only will I not collect money, but I will also build water conservancy projects, repair roads, and open mines. In this way, the people inside and outside Weicheng will be more devoted, and my Divine Dragon Cult will become even more powerful."

"By the time the next Prefect comes to Weicheng, my Divine Dragon Cult will already have tens of thousands of followers. How could he not value me, this Command Elder, and the Divine Dragon Cult Master? At that time, I will no longer be some martial world bandit, but an honored guest of the Prefect! Once I have unified the various factions in Weicheng and established a relationship with the Prefect—from then on, I can truly be free from worries and enjoy a peaceful life!"

As Liu Gongzan spoke with excitement, he even left his chair and paced a few steps. "But the only thing missing from this plan is you, Lord Yu."

Yu Qi pretended not to understand, and said with a smile, "Oh?"

That Liu Gongzan seemed to think that his speech had already fooled Yu Qi. He smiled slightly and said, "Building water conservancy projects, repairing roads, and opening mines all require money. And this money is like dirt to Lord Yu. Lord Yu is from a merchant family. You must have had enough of the bullying from the city officials, right?"

"I am asking Lord Yu to lend a hand to my Divine Dragon Cult. When we succeed—Lord Yu will be a friend of my Divine Dragon Cult, and you and I will share this Weicheng!"

Yu Qi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, a hearty and unrestrained laugh. Although his servants and maids weren't entirely sure what their master was laughing at, they had to laugh along softly—not laughing was not an option, as it would make the master feel bored. But laughing too loudly would be crossing a line.

It was amidst this sound that Liu Gongzan once again showed the bewildered expression he had shown several times since entering this hall.

"Lord Yu, why are you…"

Yu Qi stopped his laughter. And so, the laughter of the others also came to an abrupt halt.

He shook his head while pointing at Liu Gongzan and asked, "So the great trend of the world you spoke of… is actually referring to this Weicheng? Do you think that this Weicheng is the world in your heart?"

Liu Gongzan said "oh" in confusion. Yu Qi laughed again. "Let me ask you, even if this Weicheng is the world in your heart—you want to build water conservancy projects, repair roads, and open mines, and I provide all the money for you…"

"Have you ever thought that you are seeking death by doing this?"

Liu Gongzan was even more bewildered, blinking his eyes. His voice seemed to tremble. "Please, please… teach me, Lord Yu…"

Yu Qi's face turned cold, and he let out a heavy snort. "Previously, seeing a hundred people from your Divine Dragon Cult run to that Taoxi Road, I thought you had a great background. But now I see, ha… it's because you don't know you're courting death!"

"Never mind… people of the martial world, hehe. Do you rough folks think you can speculate on the great trend of the world just because you know a few characters, have some petty cleverness, and understand the unorthodox customs and ways of the common people?"

"My Yu Family is bullied by the officials of Weicheng? Hahahaha… what a joke! When that Weicheng Prefect Zhao Xu comes to see me, he has to send an invitation first!"

Hearing this, Liu Gongzan's face turned even paler. Standing there, he looked even more lost.

After he finished laughing, Yu Qi stared at Liu Gongzan for a moment, then let out a cold snort. "Building water conservancy projects, repairing roads, and opening mines, are these things that people like you can do? Attracting followers and holding public gatherings, are these things you can do? You are openly buying the hearts of the people under broad daylight—are you trying to establish some kind of relationship with the Prefect?"

"This is treason!"

Hearing these words, Liu Gongzan staggered back three steps and sat back down in his chair. His face was deathly pale as he stared blankly for a long moment before hurriedly saying, "Lord Yu, save me, Lord Yu, save me!"

Yu Qi shook his head slightly, lowered his eyes, and took a few sips of the newly changed tea before saying, "Saving you is not impossible. It just depends on whether you want your life or your wealth."

Liu Gongzan said blankly, "This humble Daoist doesn't have any right now…"

"It's your Divine Dragon Cult." Yu Qi put down his teacup and looked at him. "There are some things you cannot do, but others can. I see you as a clever person, but it's your status that limits your perspective. Perspective is something that varies from one level to another."

"In the eyes of those fishermen and farmers, what they see is their family, their village. And you, are you a hero in this Weicheng?" Yu Qi shook his head and smiled slightly. "—It was a pity before. If I had known there was a character like you, I wouldn't have let you be buried for so long—a character like you is already considered far-sighted at your level. You can see the situation in Weicheng and by the Wei River."

"But to talk about the great trend of the world… that's not for you to see." As Yu Qi said this, he sighed slightly.

He subconsciously looked down at his own robe—purplish-red, embroidered with fragrant branches in gold thread.

Just one look. When he looked up again, his tone had softened and become calmer. Perhaps it was because that Liu Gongzan had been intimidated into obedience by him—or perhaps it was simply because he was in a good mood at the moment.

"Building bridges and paving roads, the local gentry and celebrities can do it. Because this is for the benefit of the community and also adds to the prestige of the local officials. But for people like you to do it, it doesn't sound good." Yu Qi thought for a moment. "My Yu Family, people say we are a prominent family, but we are not a tyrannical one. Your Divine Dragon Cult is just a motley crew, and I don't have any designs on it. I just cherish you as a talent. I will give you a chance—"

As he spoke, he paused slightly.

That Liu Gongzan understood and quickly said, "Lord Yu, please point out a clear path!"

"This clear path is this. The things you just said you wanted to do, I'll allow you to do them first, and I'll also give you money." Yu Qi looked at Liu Gongzan and said, "But you will do this in the name of the Yu Manor. Firstly, I want to see what you're capable of. Secondly, you will do another thing for me."

Yu Qi's voice lowered slightly. "Investigate—the whereabouts of the people from the former Wanshun Escort Agency in Weicheng. Find this out—and in the future, you will be a man of my Yu Manor. Then, never mind a Prefect… even a provincial governor will be nothing."

Liu Gongzan's eyes widened, as if he were carefully considering it for a moment. Only then did he say, "Then this Divine Dragon Cult, is it… ah. Still in my hands? Lord Yu… you really don't want anything else?"

When he said this, it seemed he had completely disregarded the latter half of Yu Qi's sentence—"even a provincial governor will be nothing"—and was still only thinking about the "pitiful" power he held in his hands.

Yu Qi smiled. "Yes."

Only then did Liu Gongzan become happy. He first chuckled, and then followed with a string of flattering words.

When he arrived, he had put on the appearance of a master; after being exposed, he put on a heroic facade. Now that he had gotten what he wanted… he finally revealed his original mercenary nature.

The servants and maids frowned at the sight, and even Yu Qi no longer liked him.

He responded with a few words, then looked carefully at the "Divine Dragon Cult Master" who had been sitting there like a wooden chicken, and with a wave of his hand, he sent them away.

After the two disappeared outside the door, Yu Qi frowned again.

A maid was about to come over and change the cooled tea. He waved his hand, signaling her to withdraw. Then he stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt that this robe did not fit well. He then picked up the tea on the table and drank it in one gulp before saying, "Mister Li, what do you think?"

A middle-aged man with a unique appearance and a clean-shaven face came out from behind the screen at the side of the hall.

He walked until he was a step or two away from Yu Qi before stopping, then raised his head, which had been lowered all this time. However, he was still frowning. "Lord Yu, that Liu Gongzan was not telling the truth."

"Oh? You see it that way, Mister?"

"Just now, I asked the young master to take a look, and the young master said that the person he saved is indeed identical in appearance to that Divine Dragon Cult Master Li Yunxin on the seat. We went to Changpu Lake to investigate, and what we found was indeed that, that Li Yunxin was originally a man from the village and was found by Liu Gongzan."

"I also asked the disciples at the Lingxu Sword Sect's residence—they all said that the Li Yunxin who was saved by the young master and appeared at the Qionghua Tower is dead. So I wondered… could it be a faked death."

"It's highly unlikely. Firstly, the two people at the residence both said he was dead—his soul scattered. They wouldn't tell us the reason, probably because it's a matter of the cultivation world, which we wouldn't understand even if they told us. But it must be certain. Secondly, that Li Yunxin is said to be an even more brilliant Artificer than the current state preceptor—he created a Precious Scroll on the spot at the Qionghua Tower."

"A person like that, firstly, would not lower himself to mix with that rabble. Secondly, if he really isn't dead, a person like that—a person who can create a Precious Scroll—has Lord Yu ever seen one? Or heard that such a person truly exists?"

While this Mister Li was speaking, Yu Qi listened calmly, as if he were communicating with someone of equal status. Now that he was asked a question, he also thought about it seriously and replied, "I have never heard of one. It is only said that 'there are masters who can create Precious Scrolls,' but… it seems no one has ever really seen a master so skilled."

Mister Li let out a light breath. "That's it. How could such a character be allowed to wander freely outside!"

"Therefore, I conclude that the Divine Dragon Cult Master is a fake. If he weren't a fake, he would never dare to appear so brazenly. Lord Yu said earlier that Liu Gongzan has a shallow perspective, and this is a clear example. He has schemes, but they are all the methods of the martial world. They can fool some brutes, but for anything else… hehe."

"Mister is right. I also think so. Please sit down and speak, Mister."

That Mister Li did not refuse and sat down. After sitting down, he tapped the table lightly again. "Lord Yu, you must have thought of all this. Otherwise, you wouldn't have—given that Liu Gongzan money to do things."

Yu Qi also sat with him, a smile appearing on his face. "Oh? How can you tell?"

Mister Li shook his head slightly and smiled. "There are people in the world who look alike. But exactly the same? That's rare. And to find someone exactly the same just outside Weicheng, by Dongting Lake? Heh, a cautious person like Lord Yu would not believe it."

Yu Qi smiled without speaking. Mister Li continued, "Furthermore, a few days ago, that person went to the young master's room and pretended to be a ghost in a dream. That Liu Gongzan, he used to be the Temple Keeper Hunyuanzi of the Taoxi Road Dragon King Temple. How capable this person is can be found out with a simple investigation. He is absolutely incapable of pulling this off."

"And look at his attitude when he came here today—first pretending to be profound; then pretending to be passionate and heroic, and finally becoming utterly vulgar."

"A person like that can never achieve anything great. If it were all up to him, the Divine Dragon Cult would not be what it is today."

"So… there must be another master behind the scenes. This master… Lord Yu has an idea, right?"

Yu Qi nodded slightly, waiting for him to continue. But after a moment, he looked up and found that Mister Li seemed to be in the middle of his reasoning… and was waiting for him to continue.

He coughed slightly in embarrassment. "Mister, please share your thoughts first."

This Mister Li then smiled. "If I were to guess, it would be that Shangqing Elixir Cauldron Sect, in their Weicheng residence… the newly arrived Immortal from the Grotto-heaven."

"Does Lord Yu know that a few days ago, after the fierce battle on Little Hun Street… someone saw that Immortal appear at the scene of the incident!" (To be continued.)