Chapter 29: The Twenty-Ninth Day as Cult Leader (Part 2)

“Say that now that the old Cult Leader is absent, as the newly appointed Cult Leader, I naturally ought to discuss the matter of the Blood Blade Sect’s submission with him. Tell him to come to the Purple Bamboo Grove ten days from now for a conversation… To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, neither side is allowed to bring subordinates. We will meet openly and honorably.”

This was the gentlest and most assured method Qin Ming could think of to call the other party out. Of course, being open and honorable was impossible. He was just afraid the other party would have too many people and gang up on him, leaving him unable to escape.

“This subordinate understands.” Shen Fubai immediately wrote as if aided by the gods. He rapidly wrote across the paper, almost without needing to think, and Qin Ming was very satisfied by the sight.

Sure enough, this kind of odd job could just be handed to Shen Fubai. It made things far too easy for him.

After Shen Fubai finished writing, Qin Ming did not check it again or anything. He directly instructed him, “Send it to the Blood Blade Sect as fast as possible by swift horse.”

“Rest assured, Cult Leader!” A glint flashed through Shen Fubai’s eyes, and he turned and left with swift steps.

And after Qin Ming finished arranging all the action, he temporarily let out a relaxed breath. Good. For now, he only needed to wait for the Blood Blade Sect Leader’s reply, then decide how to act next.

Taking advantage of this period, Qin Ming trained almost even harder. The urgent priority was to train his qinggong well. Otherwise, later, he would not even be able to run away!

Under the Cult Leader’s lead in training, it could be said that every member of the Demonic Cult was cultivating. The entire atmosphere was better than it had ever been. Even those menial servants on the rear mountain seemed to have sensed something and silently worked even harder.

And among this crowd, Shen Fubai walked alone to the mountain gate. Only after looking left and right and seeing no one did he hand the envelope in his hand to the informant at the mountain gate. “Send this letter to the Blood Blade Sect by swift horse.”

The informant at the mountain gate was just about to turn and leave when Shen Fubai took out a second letter from his robes and said in a low voice, “Give this letter to your Shopkeeper Qian. He will naturally know what to do.”

The informant had also received basic training. Even if he was curious, he absolutely would not say too much. After taking the two letters, under Shen Fubai’s gaze, he swiftly descended the mountain with qinggong.

After making it all the way down the mountain without obstruction and arriving in the city below, the informant set about handing one letter to a beggar at the city gate. He also casually handed over two bits of broken silver. The beggar’s eyes lit up, and he immediately tucked the envelope into his sleeve. Without a word, he turned and left. After passing through layer upon layer of crowds, he finally arrived at a restaurant packed with people. He entered through the back door and called out skillfully, “Waiter, a letter’s come for your shopkeeper!”

“Hey!” Hearing this, a menial servant immediately walked over nervously and scolded in a low voice, “Didn’t we agree that when you come over to deliver something, you’re not supposed to shout? If you’re still like this, then next time I’ll find someone else. Anyone can do this job!”

“Don’t, don’t!” The beggar hurriedly begged nervously. “Wasn’t I just excited for a moment and forgot? Don’t worry, I can definitely do it properly.”

For such an easy way to earn silver, there was no way the beggar would let the opportunity slip away for nothing. He hurriedly fawned as he took the letter out and handed it over. “This is your letter!”

“That’s more like it.” The menial servant let out a breath of relief and sneakily hid the envelope before walking into the restaurant. Then he came to the shopkeeper’s room with a fawning expression and handed the letter over. “Shopkeeper Qian, your letter.”

Qian Xiaodou was currently organizing all sorts of intelligence he had heard recently, and his head had already begun to ache. Hearing the menial servant’s report, he forced himself to remain calm. “Not bad. You’ve finally gotten familiar with this job.”

“Many thanks for your praise, Shopkeeper!” The menial servant instantly grinned, having no idea that Qian Xiaodou was not to be disturbed, and sensibly withdrew from the room.

Qian Xiaodou immediately collapsed onto the tabletop, grimacing in pain. “I thought being a shopkeeper would be simple work. Now look at it—this isn’t even as relaxing as being in the Demonic Cult. There’s way too much intelligence every single day. How can I keep up with it all by myself?”

As he cursed, he helplessly opened the envelope. When he saw Shen Fubai’s signature, his expression became even uglier.

However, when he finally began reading the information on it, his mouth opened wider and wider, and his face grew more and more shocked. In the end, his legs nearly went weak, and he almost collapsed onto the ground.

He was dumbstruck.

“No… How is Shen Fubai, that guy, stirring up trouble again? He can even make trouble out of the Demonic Cult going to attack the Blood Blade Sect?”

“…If the Cult Leader and the Blood Blade Sect Leader both suffer heavy injuries, and the Demonic Cult disciples and Blood Blade Sect disciples fight a bloody battle, the Demonic Cult will be at the moment its vitality is greatly damaged. Upon receiving my command, you must swiftly notify the Five Great Sects to encircle and suppress the Demonic Cult. The opportunity must not be missed. If the Cult Leader is unharmed, abandon this plan. If he can even retreat completely unscathed from a battle with the Blood Blade Sect Leader, then he absolutely must not be fought head-on!”

…

Qian Xiaodou’s brows nearly twisted together. In the end, he let out a heavy sigh and hurriedly burned the letter.

Whether the Demonic Cult was destroyed or not all depended on the result of the battle between the Cult Leader and the Blood Blade Sect Leader? This really was one move affecting the whole body!

Forget it. In any case, whether they won or lost had nothing to do with him. It would also be good for him to go with the flow and send over a piece of intelligence!

Qian Xiaodou put the envelope away and continued organizing the rest of the intelligence.

On Qin Ming’s side, he was waiting for the Blood Blade Sect Leader’s reply, but the first thing to pop up was the System’s notification.

“Detected the Intelligence Pavilion’s first intelligence exchange. Reward activated!”

“Mission Objective: Intelligence Pavilion Opens for Business (Completed)”

“Mission Reward: Obtained one piece of confidential intelligence!”

In the next instant, an envelope with “Top Secret” written on it suddenly appeared on Qin Ming’s desk.

“…”

Qin Ming stared at this scene with a blank face, unable for a moment to understand what exactly had happened. What did it mean, the Intelligence Pavilion had exchanged intelligence? He had not yet ordered the Intelligence Pavilion to open for business!

Could it be that Qian Xiaodou had acted on his own initiative and moved the Intelligence Pavilion’s intelligence?

The more Qin Ming thought about it, the stranger he felt. He was just about to first open the top-secret envelope and check the System’s prompt when the room door was suddenly knocked on. The manservant replacing Qian Xiaodou walked in holding a reply letter. Qin Ming subconsciously tucked the confidential intelligence into his robes and asked, “Is that the Blood Blade Sect Leader’s reply?”

After receiving a definite answer, Qin Ming let out a breath of relief. He had been afraid the Blood Blade Sect Leader would directly ignore his letter and leave his scheme with nowhere to be used. As long as he could reply, that was good. In all likelihood, he should have agreed, right?

Thus, Qin Ming unhurriedly opened the letter. Then… he was left dumbstruck by the vulgar language inside, which was practically pointing at his nose and cursing him.

There were phrases like “Demonic Cult dog thief,” “a scholar may be killed but not humiliated,” “go to your grandmother,” “wait for death,” and so on everywhere. While Qin Ming was shocked, he realized that there really were people in ancient times who used such plain and low-class language when writing letters. He had thought they all had to think up something literary and classical.

No, the issue was why the Blood Blade Sect Leader was so angry. Looking at this whole page of furious words, it felt as if Qin Ming had done something utterly unforgivable. The only benefit was that the Blood Blade Sect Leader had already agreed to duel with him. He was even so impatient that he wanted to come kill him right away…

The System even jumped out to remind him:

“Detected that the enemy Blood Blade Sect Leader’s hatred toward you has soared by one hundred percent. The difficulty of the mission ‘Challenge the Blood Blade Sect Leader’ has doubled. A multiplied reward of one hundred thousand merit points will be issued!”

Qin Ming’s face turned green. No, just what letter had Shen Fubai sent? How did the mission’s difficulty suddenly upgrade?

Although the reward after that was also very tempting, he at least had to survive long enough to get it!

Qin Ming immediately summoned Shen Fubai into the room. Then, with furrowed brows, he threw the letter at him and let him read it himself.

After Shen Fubai finished reading it at a glance, he was practically enraged. “That old bastard dares provoke the Cult Leader! Such an arrogant, conceited person is not worthy of living in this world at all. Please kill him, Cult Leader!”

Qin Ming: “…”

If I could kill him, why would I need you?

But seeing that his anger was not fake in the slightest, Qin Ming’s suspicion decreased by half. He said coldly, “What letter did you send him? Why is he so furious?”

“This subordinate merely added a little free elaboration within the Cult Leader’s requirements!” Shen Fubai did not realize there was any problem and answered eloquently. “It was actually nothing much. I only told that old bastard to kowtow in thanks for the Cult Leader’s grace, ordered him to personally roll over and kneel in worship before the Cult Leader, and angrily denounced his refusal to pay grain. Truly, it was nothing much.”

“…”

Looking at Shen Fubai’s clear and innocent eyes, Qin Ming was dumbstruck. For a moment, he truly did not know what to say.

…You call that nothing much?

Qin Ming finally understood what sort of bitter fruit one would reap from letting a loyal dog that randomly bit other people run loose.

His brows gradually furrowed. He kept feeling that Shen Fubai was exceeding his control. This time, he had even acted on his own initiative and done such a thing. He was truly lawless!

He had to be taught a lesson!

Qin Ming deliberately put on a stern face and said coldly to Shen Fubai, “Do you know that by acting on your own initiative and creating unnecessary complications, you have provoked even more trouble? Come here.”

After saying this, he stood up and waited for him to approach.

“…”

Shen Fubai’s fingers, hanging at his sides, moved slightly. Feeling the killing intent continuously spreading from the Cult Leader before him, he actually felt a chill race up his spine, and his Adam’s apple rolled subconsciously.

Sure enough, had he done it too obviously?

In order to create a situation where the Demonic Cult Leader and the Blood Blade Sect Leader would both suffer heavy injuries, he had deliberately written a few more provocative lines in the letter to increase the hatred between them.

He had originally thought the Cult Leader would not know about this act. But he had not expected the Blood Blade Sect Leader to curse so intensely that it drew the Cult Leader’s suspicion.

And now, the Cult Leader seemed to have become angry for the first time because of his actions. He could feel the person before him looking at him with killing intent. The dangerous aura landed on his body. He had nowhere left to flee!

Shen Fubai’s heart was grave, yet he still obediently walked closer to that person.

For the sake of his grand plan, even if he lost his life, he needed to endure. He absolutely could not give himself away here!

Shen Fubai’s expression was calm, but he closed his eyes with a bloodless face.

In the next instant, a folding fan suddenly descended from above. With a smack, it struck his forehead, neither lightly nor heavily.

Shen Fubai abruptly opened his eyes and subconsciously covered his forehead. For the first time, his face revealed a dazed expression.

…?

Raising his head and looking over, he saw the man in blue robes holding a folding fan, standing in place as he watched him.

A faint smile had quietly dyed the depths of his eyes.

“Tell me—will you dare do it again next time?”

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