Who Let Him Cultivate?!

In the darkness, more than a dozen pairs of eyes gleamed with a strange light, reminiscent of venomous snakes lurking in a cave. These pairs of eyes were intently focused on the Rudder Master, silently waiting for him to speak.

Finally, the languidly seated Rudder Master began speaking. His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in decades, and each word was heavy with significance.

“Wiry aren’t the lights on?”

A demonic sect Manager politely replied, “Rudder Master, you’ve forgotten. Last meeting, you mentioned about the atmosphere in the higher level meetings and said our Yanjiang Rudder lacked that typical demonic sect ambiance.”

“On second thought, it’s true. Our Yanjiang Rudder is, unfortunately, the most inferior among all subbranches, perhaps for this very reason.”

“It’s often mentioned in tales that our demonic sect prefers hatching our plots in the dark. I specifically ordered the staff not to light the lamps.”

“And wouldn’t you know, the lack of lights does seem to lend a certain atmosphere to mischief.”

This Manager apparently had a very clear understanding of his role, fully aware that the demonic sect wasn’t exactly a force for good.

The Rudder Master fell silent for a long time, wondering if the Manager was subtly hinting at leaving the sect? Or implying that the allowance for Yanjiang Rudder hadn’t been increased in a long time? Or suggesting that the demonic sect should start providing insurance for its members?

He probably isn’t thinking of leaving the sect.

The person in question was quite diligent in his deeds of wrongdoing and didn’t discriminate between friends and foes. He caused harm outside and within the sect, he was a true villain.

It wasn’t about raising the allowance either.

Allowance within the demonic sect was linked to the local finances, it was three times that of local officials and was already quite high. Yanjiang County was a remote and small county, and the allowance for Yanjiang Rudder couldn’t possibly be equivalent to that of the headquarters.

And it certainly wasn’t about insurance. Most members of the demonic sect had no heirs. Buying insurance would be useless, as there would be no one to claim it.

Moreover, the Land Money Trade Association wouldn’t sell insurance to the demonic sect. If they did, the sect was confident that they could make the association compensate them to the point of bankruptcy.

“Let’s start with the lights.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Manager blew gently, lighting the lamp wick. Immediately, the entire hall was illuminated.

The Rudder Master spoke again, “Most of you have probably heard the rumors about Qin Yuanhao, I suggest we stop spreading them and avoid becoming a laughing stock.”

“Everyone is well aware of Yuanhao’s conduct. He’s a villain, guilty of all sorts of offenses. If the government catches him, the least he’d face is execution. This alone is evidence enough that his nature aligns with our sectarian principles.”

“The rumours suggesting Yuanhao is on the Righteous Path are absurd. Those who join the demonic sect typically do so after being tested by the Master.”

“The Master’s evaluation of him was ‘demon nature to the bone.’ The Master’s judgment cannot be wrong.”

Qin Yuanhao bowed respectfully, “The Rudder Master speaks wisely.”

Qin Yuanhao felt slightly reassured, resolving to deal with the source of the rumors as soon as he returned.

The Rudder Master did not address Yuanhao’s issue any further, having already indulged him because of the provided chairs.

“The reason for summoning you all here today is a mission from the headquarters.”

After a slight pause, the Rudder Master continued, “The headquarters demands each branch to recruit new disciples for the demonic sect.”

Qin Yuanhao and the rest of them were taken aback, they hadn’t expected this. The demonic sect hadn’t conducted large-scale recruitment for thirty years, with the recent additions coming through personal recommendations.

For instance, Qin Yuanhao had once tried to recruit the Tiger Demon, but to his regret, the Tiger Demon steadfastly guarded the Song Mountain and refused to join the demonic sect.

“You should all be aware of the opinions of the Great Era. Geniuses have risen in the past century, and even renowned masters have been defeated by unknown youngsters. Numerous previously undiscovered Relic Blessed Caves have reappeared in the world during this era filled with both opportunities and challenges.”

“The Five Great Immortal Sects, Superb Sects, First-Grade Sects all have talented recruits, and the once rare Dual Spirit Roots is now commonplace. If these young talents are allowed to fully mature, we might as well concede this Great Era.”

“If we want to compete, the time is now!”

“Capturing the right opportunity, one can transform into a dragon during rain and rise to roam the nine heavens, becoming an immortal free spirit!”

“But such opportunities aren’t easily obtained. The damn Great Xia Dynasty and Five Great Immortal Sects have increased their attacks on us, causing many of our kind to perish.”

“To secure a place in this Great Era, we must expand the followers of our demonic sect. This is a consensus reached by the Four Great Devil Sects.”

“What we need you to do is spread the news that our demonic sect is recruiting, and strive to gather the cultivators in Yanjiang County and neighboring counties who are on the Demon Path, or those interested in joining our demonic sect.”

Some voiced their concern: “Won’t such large-scale recruitment give the Righteous Path an opportunity to infiltrate our demonic sect?”

Not just him, many others present also had this question in mind.

The demonic sect has always been cautious. If more undercover agents from the Righteous Path appear, the sect will be in an extremely precarious situation.”

The Rudder Master shook his head: “The recruitment this time is organized by our Master with his unparalleled Great Divine Skill. His trials are impossible for anyone from the Righteous Path to pass.”

The skepticism subsided, replaced by endless fervor.

For the disciples of the demonic sect, the Master is a seemingly omnipotent figure, the sky of the demonic sect. He will undoubtedly lead our Eternity Sect to glory!”

After the meeting, Qin Yuanhao immediately leveraged his connections to find out who was trying to frame him.

Through various channels, he eventually traced the source back to a small tavern.

“That customer was about eight feet tall and eight feet wide, with a face full of freckles and a robust body, looking like he could eat three kids in one meal,” the tavern owner gestured, having a strong impression of Lu Yang.

Based on the description, Qin Yuanhao quickly sketched a picture that looked nothing like the real Lu Yang.

Originally, it was after disguising themselves that Lu Yang and his companions entered the tavern to spread rumors.

Qin Yuanhao’s expression was cold. How dare someone spread rumors about him, so conspicuous and still daring to spread rumors. Did they take him for an easy target?

It was already late at night. The Great Xia Dynasty had no curfews, and Qin Yuanhao was eating grilled food on the street with his lackeys: pork skewers, beef skewers, roast lamb leg, grilled chicken feet, grilled chicken legs, grilled pork skin, grilled tendons, grilled beef hooves, river prawns, tender grilled kidneys, grilled leeks, grilled potatoes, grilled eggplants, grilled tofu…

The charred skewers were tender and full of flavor, endlessly delicious. They were smeared with a secret sauce that gleamed darkly with oil. Once heated by the charcoal fire, the aroma was overwhelming.

The pork skewers were grilled over a big fire, fat but not greasy, with a strong meaty flavor.

The lamb legs were smoked and then roasted, evenly heated and perfectly crispy.

The chicken feet were first stewed then roasted and had a rich flavor and texture with skin and crispy bones.

Chicken legs were roasted raw, with precise control over the heat. The moisture and fat weren’t allowed to evaporate too much, achieving a balance between the skin, meat, tendons, and bones.

Potatoes were stewed and roasted with smoky steam, served with a secret soy sauce, crispy outside, and tender inside.

Their faces were covered in grease as they ate.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Qin Yuanhao arrogantly commanded his lackeys: “You guys, go, search the whole city for these people. Don’t return until you find them!”

“Yes, big brother!” His lackeys agreed, and they scattered in different directions.

After Qin Yuanhao finished eating, he was content and temporarily stopped thinking about the people who spread the annoying rumors. At the same time, he was oblivious to Lu Yang who was lurking beneath him.

Very few people pay attention to what’s under their feet, and Qin Yuanhao was no exception.