ALL NOVEL The rudder master, who had been lounging lazily, finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken for decades, and every word he uttered carried weight.
“Why aren’t the lights on?”
A demonic sect officer replied respectfully, “Rudder master, you forgot, at the last meeting you mentioned how you attended a higher-level meeting and described the atmosphere there. You also said that our Yanjiang Rudder the true atmosphere of the demonic sect.”
“I thought about it and realized you were right. Our Yanjiang Rudder is the lowest performing among all branches, perhaps for this very reason.”
“I figured, doesn’t every story about our demonic sect say we like to plot schemes in dark places? So, I specifically ordered not to light the lamps.”
“And you know what, not lighting the lamps does indeed create the atmosphere for doing evil deeds.”
Clearly, this officer had a clear understanding of his actions, knowing full well that the demonic sect was not a place for doing good deeds.
The rudder master was silent for a long while, pondering whether the officer was indirectly suggesting he should leave the sect? Hinting that Yanjiang Rudder hadn’t received a raise in dues for a long time? Or suggesting that it was time to buy insurance for the sect members?
It surely wasn’t about leaving the sect.
The person had always been diligently doing evil deeds, not distinguishing between friend and foe, causing trouble outside and even within the sect, truly deserving the title of a bad seed.
It wasn’t about raising the dues either.
The dues of the demonic sect are linked to the local finances, being three times that of local officials, which was already high. Yanjiang County was a remote and small county, so the dues of Yanjiang Rudder couldn’t possibly match those of the headquarters.
And it certainly wasn’t about buying insurance. Most members of the demonic sect don’t have heirs, so who would the insurance payout go to?
Furthermore, the Land of Gold Commerce would not allow the demonic sect to purchase insurance. Selling personal accident insurance to demonic sect members would likely leave the commerce with nothing, not even their underwear.
“Let’s light the lamps first.”
“Yes.”
The officer blew a breath, and a small flame touched the wick of a lamp, igniting it and instantly brightening the entire hall.
The rudder master spoke again, “You’ve all more or less heard the rumors about little Qin. Stop spreading them, lest outsiders laugh at us.”
“Little Qin’s character is evident to all. He commits all manner of evils and atrocities. If caught by the authorities, even beheading would be too light a punishment for him, which is enough to prove that little Qin’s conduct aligns with our demonic sect’s teachings.”
“As for the rumors that little Qin belongs to the righteous path, that’s even more nonsensical. Those who join the demonic sect have all passed the test of the sect leader.”
“The sect leader described him as ‘demonically possessed to the bone.’ The sect leader’s judgment is never wrong.”
Qin Yuanhao bowed respectfully: “Rudder master, your wisdom is profound.”
Qin Yuanhao felt somewhat relieved. He resolved to deal with those spreading rumors about him once he returned!
The rudder master did not mention Qin Yuanhao further, having said those few words out of consideration for the chair he had received as a gift.
“The reason for gathering everyone today is that the headquarters has assigned us a task.”
The rudder master paused before continuing, “The headquarters requires us to recruit new disciples for the demonic sect.”
Qin Yuanhao and the others were surprised; it had been thirty years since the demonic sect had recruited on such a large scale. In recent decades, joining the demonic sect had been through personal introductions.
For instance, Qin Yuanhao had wanted to recruit the tiger demon, but unfortunately, the tiger demon steadfastly guarded Song Mountain and was unwilling to join the demonic sect.
“Everyone should be aware of the grand era’s discourse. In the past century, prodigies have emerged, and famous masters could be defeated by unknown individuals. Numerous previously undiscovered relics and heavenly realms have reappeared, marking an era of both opportunities and challenges.”
“The five great immortal sects, super-grade sects, and first-grade sects are all brimming with talents. The once rare dual spirit root individuals are now commonplace. If these prodigies truly mature, there will be no need to compete in this grand era.”
“The only time to compete is now!”
“Seize the opportunity, and you could transform and soar to the heavens, achieving immortality with ease!”
“But opportunities are not so easily grasped. The damned Great Xia Dynasty and the five great immortal sects have intensified their crackdown on us, resulting in the fall of many of our comrades.”
“To claim a place in this grand era, we must expand our demonic sect’s congregation. The four great demonic sects have reached a unanimous agreement on this matter.”
“What you need to do is spread the news of the demonic sect recruiting through your channels, aiming to gather demonic cultivators from Yanjiang County and the surrounding counties, or those interested in joining our sect.”
Someone expressed concern: “Won’t such large-scale recruitment provide an opportunity for the righteous path to infiltrate our demonic sect?”
This wasn’t just one person’s worry; many present shared this concern.
The demonic sect has always been cautious in its existence. If a few righteous path spies were to infiltrate, the demonic sect’s situation would become precarious.
The rudder master shook his head, “This recruitment is organized by the sect leader using supreme divine powers. The trials he has set up are impossible for anyone from the righteous path to pass.”
Doubts vanished, replaced by boundless zeal.
For the members of the demonic sect, the sect leader is an omnipotent being, the sky of the demonic sect, surely capable of leading them to eternal glory!
… After the meeting, Qin Yuanhao immediately used his connections to find out who was trying to frame him.
Eventually, the source was traced back to a small tavern.
“That customer was eight feet tall, with a wide frame and a face full of pockmarks, a strong man who looked like he could eat three children in one meal,” the tavern owner described vividly, clearly remembering Lu Yang.
Based on the description, Qin Yuanhao quickly produced a sketch that barely resembled the real Lu Yang.
Originally, Lu Yang and his companions had disguised themselves before spreading rumors in the tavern.
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Qin Yuanhao, with a cold expression, thought to himself, how dare such a conspicuous person spread rumors, thinking he could be easily bullied?
It was late at night, and the Great Xia Dynasty had no curfew. Qin Yuanhao and his followers were eating barbecue on the street side, enjoying pork skewers, beef skewers, roasted lamb legs, chicken feet, chicken legs, roasted pork skin, grilled tendons, roasted beef tendons, grilled shrimp, tender grilled kidneys, grilled leeks, potatoes, eggplants, and soft tofu…
The skewers were tender and well-seasoned, smeared with a dark, oily secret sauce, and sizzled with fragrance upon touching the charcoal.
Pork was skewered on long bamboo sticks and roasted over a large fire, with the fat sticky but not greasy and the lean meat rich in flavor.
The lamb leg was baked in a naan oven, combining roasting and stewing for even heating, tender and juicy.
Chicken feet were marinated then grilled, offering a rich texture of tendons, skin, and crisp bones, delightfully chewy.
Chicken drumsticks were grilled to precision, ensuring no excessive loss of moisture or fat, balancing the taste and texture of skin, meat, tendons, and bone.
Potatoes were steamed and smoked, served with a secret soy sauce, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a fine and sandy texture.
The group feasted until they were glossy with grease.
After eating their fill, Qin Yuanhao commanded his followers with a swagger, “You guys, go, search the entire city for these people. Don’t come back if you can’t find them!”
“Yes, boss!” the followers responded, dispersing in all directions.
Qin Yuanhao, satisfied with the barbecue, temporarily set aside thoughts of those spreading rumors. Meanwhile, he was unaware of Lu Yang lurking underground.
Few people pay attention to what’s beneath their feet, and Qin Yuanhao was no exception.
(End of the chapter)