Chapter 30: The Thirtieth Day of Becoming Cult Leader (Part 2)

Qin Ming walked back and forth across the ground with his hands behind his back, thinking about exactly what he should do. Perhaps… he could start with food again?

No matter what it was, he decided to try first. He made a prompt decision and called Zhang Daniu over. “Go notify the people on the back mountain. Today, every person will be able to eat Demonic Cult cuisine, with no limit on quantity. Let them eat as much as they can.”

“…Ah?”

Hearing this, the first thought that appeared in Zhang Daniu’s mind was: Has the Cult Leader gone mad?

The second thought was: It can’t be me who’s gone mad, right?

Seeing that the Cult Leader had nothing else to explain, Zhang Daniu withdrew with a baffled expression. Then he immediately sprinted off and pushed open Chen Lue’s door first.

He knew his own brain was not good, so he had gotten into the habit of asking Chen Lue’s opinion on everything. After Chen Lue heard his words, his eyes also sharpened. He sighed and said, “The matter I worried about has finally appeared.”

“The Cult Leader has always been vicious, fond of deception and scheming, far-sighted, cautious, and prudent. How could he dare leave a hidden danger within the cult and simply walk away?”

Zhang Daniu frowned as he listened. “Then what do you mean?”

Chen Lue said coldly, “This is a Hongmen Banquet!”

“…What does Hongmen Banquet mean?” Zhang Daniu was not very educated and only scratched his head.

Chen Lue was not annoyed. He merely said meaningfully, “Giving someone a piece of candy first, then whipping them, is a common method during interrogation. Now, letting those common people eat their fill is the candy. Do you understand?”

Only then did Zhang Daniu understand. “The Cult Leader is going to make a move against those people!”

“He is only going to deal with the disobedient ones and the troublemakers,” Chen Lue added. After a pause, a trace of pity surfaced in his eyes. “When you go notify them of this matter, secretly reveal the Cult Leader’s intentions to those common people. Tell them to conduct themselves carefully, not to be greedy, and not to give rise to improper thoughts… This is all we can do for them.”

Zhang Daniu understood. After learning the Cult Leader’s intentions, he immediately went to the back mountain and informed everyone that they would be able to eat Demonic Cult cuisine. But before the common people could rejoice, he also secretly revealed the matter of the Cult Leader’s Hongmen Banquet.

“I think it’s better not to be greedy. Maybe this’ll be your last meal!”

Because Zhang Daniu’s personality was closer to that of a simple, honest rural strongman, these common people all trusted and liked him. The moment they heard him say this, the joy in their hearts instantly vanished without a trace. Forget eating until their bellies burst; even when eating the little food in their hands, they became cautious and timid, afraid that the Cult Leader would be dissatisfied with them.

Thus, Qin Ming, who had originally been waiting happily for the mission to complete, waited left and right, waited before and after, and still failed to receive the common people’s admiration.

Qin Ming: …Could it be that good food no longer works?

Qin Ming felt extremely depressed. After thinking about it, he increased his efforts the next day and treated the common people even better. He found Zhang Daniu and said, “Today, let all the people on the back mountain rest for one day. They don’t need to work!”

At this moment, Zhang Daniu had already learned without a teacher and grasped the Cult Leader’s implied meaning: It seemed the Cult Leader’s candy had begun again!

Faced with a new round of testing, Zhang Daniu dutifully informed everyone on the back mountain. As a result, how could those refugees, who were already frightened and uneasy, have the courage to rest? They were afraid that if they truly rested, they would be eliminated by the Demonic Cult Leader. Therefore, not a single person voluntarily went to rest. Instead, they worked as if their lives depended on it.

In the end, that night, Qin Ming waited all the way until darkness fell, and once, again, again, his hopes came to nothing. He did not gain any admiration at all.

…This was not right. How was even rest not working?

Qin Ming held his forehead, not quite understanding where the mistake had appeared. Therefore, on the third day, he prepared to personally go to the back mountain and probe what those common people wanted. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you would never be defeated in a hundred battles.

The Demonic Cult Leader going to the back mountain was bound to cause panic among the common people. Qin Ming deliberately put on a mask and went to the back mountain without anyone knowing. Seeing the group of people lined up neatly on the back mountain, some farming and some weaving, Qin Ming casually struck up a conversation with a woman in an inconspicuous corner, beating around the bush as he tried to find out what she wanted.

After the Demonic Cult Leader’s tests over the previous two days, however, this woman suddenly saw a strange person asking what dissatisfaction she had toward the Demonic Cult. In an instant, she realized that Daniu had truly been right. This had to be another test from the Cult Leader! If they dared reveal the slightest dissatisfaction, would they not be in danger?

Therefore, she repeatedly smiled apologetically and answered, “There’s nothing I’m dissatisfied with. This place has everything, everything. I think it’s good, very good. Please don’t worry, sir!”

“…”

Qin Ming was unwilling to give up and questioned a few more people, but unexpectedly, they all gave the same answer. One by one, they praised the Demonic Cult so much that they nearly extolled it to the heavens.

Today was yet another day when Qin Ming returned fruitlessly with a baffled expression.

…No, why was it so hard to obtain the common people’s admiration? Was the Demonic Cult really that good?

Qin Ming was utterly puzzled!

Seeing that the small team attacking the Blood Blade Sect had already set out on its journey, while time on his side was tight yet the mission still remained incomplete, Qin Ming became so worried that he scratched his ears and cheeks.

But no matter what methods he used, the common people simply did not buy it. Tell me, was that not worrying?

At this moment, it was noon. The weather was hot, his mood was irritable, and the lunch Qin Ming had been waiting for in the study had still not been served. He could not help feeling a bit of anger rise in his heart, and directly summoned a servant boy to ask the reason.

“What time is it now? Why has the meal not been served yet?”

Faced with his gaze, which was already brimming with killing intent and now carried a trace of anger as well, the servant boy had long since been scared silly. He hastily knelt on the ground and explained, “Please forgive this servant, Cult Leader. The meal had already been brought over, but who would have expected that halfway here, it would be bumped by those unruly commoners from the back mountain carrying their rice bowls. Not only was the food scattered all over the ground, even the Cult Leader’s exclusive bowl and chopsticks were broken. The rear kitchen is now rushing to prepare another serving!”

The servant boy began angrily cursing again. “That blind unruly commoner actually broke the bowl and chopsticks the Cult Leader cherishes! Please rest assured, Cult Leader. This subordinate has already had him captured and will drive him down the mountain at once. He will never again offend the Cult Leader’s eyes!”

“Someone bumped into it and broke them?” Qin Ming was startled, then found it somewhat funny. The servant boy spoke as if those bowl and chopsticks were his beloved possessions. They were just the most ordinary bowl and chopsticks. The cult had plenty more exactly like them. If they were broken, then they were broken.

“No matter.” Therefore, Qin Ming did not take it to heart at all and merely waved a hand. “There is no need to drive him down the mountain. This matter is not a serious problem. Was that person injured?”

“No. Absolutely not!” The servant boy hurriedly promised. “This subordinate has kept the Cult Leader’s teachings firmly in mind and would never easily use violence against those people, so I did not injure even one of his fingers.”

After thinking for a long while, he added, “…It’s just that the bowl in that person’s hands also fell to the ground and broke.”

“Then give him another one,” Qin Ming said indifferently. Then he had the servant boy leave, while his mind was still desperately pondering what he should do to make the common people admire him.

Little did he know that this matter, which he had not taken to heart at all, had already frightened the person who broke his bowl and chopsticks out of his wits. That man was currently kneeling on the ground, begging the Demonic Cult disciples not to drive him away.

“You can punish this lowly one however you like. I only beg you not to make me go down the mountain. I still have a wife and an old mother to take care of. If I go down the mountain, all three people in my family will starve to death. I beg you!”

That man was a sturdy fellow with a strong frame, but at this very moment, he knelt humbly on the ground, constantly bending over and kowtowing.

In his eyes, being driven down the mountain was even more frightening than suffering physical punishment. Once he went down the mountain, his whole family, young and old, would only have the fate of starving to death. So no matter what, they absolutely could not leave such a good place as the Demonic Cult.

However, the Demonic Cult disciple before him was not softhearted in the slightest. He sneered, “You broke the Cult Leader’s possession. How could that be offset by kowtowing a couple of times?”

This reply made the sturdy man’s face fill with even more despair. Just as he gritted his teeth and nearly decided to sever one of his own arms to let the Demonic Cult disciples witness his resolve, the Cult Leader’s servant boy ran over at this moment and suddenly said, “Stop. By the Cult Leader’s order, although this person has committed a great offense, the Cult Leader is merciful at heart and will not pursue it. Punishment may be waived!”

The sturdy man was first stunned, then overjoyed. He kowtowed repeatedly in thanks. “Thank you, thank the Cult Leader! Thank you for your mercy, Cult Leader!”

Before the wild joy in his heart had fully surged up, that servant boy suddenly took out a perfectly good bowl from his robes and handed it to him.

“The Cult Leader learned that you no longer had a bowl, so he told me to bring this bowl to you. Here. Take it and use it.”

“…”

The moment that beautiful porcelain bowl entered his sight, the sturdy man was completely stunned.

His lips moved. After trembling for a long while, he finally used his rough, dark hands to carefully hold that exquisite bowl.

Tears silently slid from his eyes. For some reason, he suddenly began sobbing uncontrollably, and he bowed deeply.

“Thank you… Cult Leader!”

Lucky Mission: Gain The Common People’s Admiration (5/5)

Congratulations, You Have Completed The Mission. A Random Golden Protective Gear Is Hereby Awarded — Golden Silk Soft Armor!

Qin Ming was still in the study racking his brains over what move he should use next time to gain the common people’s admiration, only to hear the System’s sudden notification.

Qin Ming: …?

What was going on?

Qin Ming was completely dumbfounded. He had deliberately designed things with such care to make the common people feel grateful and admiring toward him, but none of it had succeeded. How had the mission suddenly completed when he had not done anything at all?

Truly, a willow planted unintentionally grows into shade, while flowers planted with care refuse to bloom…

Only after a long while did he finally let out a soft laugh.

Perhaps there had never been any shortcut to gaining another person’s admiration. Instead, one had to follow one’s heart and let things take their natural course.

Qin Ming sighed in his heart, then impatiently took out the Golden Silk Soft Armor granted by the System and happily checked the effects of this golden protective gear.

Golden Silk Soft Armor: Clothing woven from dense, specially made golden threads. Once worn, it increases defensive value, blocks three instances of serious injury, and leaves the wearer one hundred percent completely unharmed!

Blocks three serious injuries!

Qin Ming’s eyes lit up. This was simply a lifesaving miracle. After putting it on, would he not completely become The Cockroach That Cannot Be Killed?

Now he no longer had to fear enemy sneak attacks. Wear it! He had to wear it!

Qin Ming did not even hesitate. He directly put the golden soft armor on his body, and only then did he finally gain some sense of security.

Good. Now the poison was prepared. The healing medicine was prepared. The hidden weapon was prepared. The protective gear was also prepared. Everything was ready. What remained was adapting to circumstances when facing the Blood Blade Sect Leader.

Qin Ming took a deep breath and readied himself to set off.

“Let’s go. Time to meet that Blood Blade Sect Leader!”

“Yes!” Shen Fubai carried the bundle on his back, traveling light, full of energy and spirit as he strode forward with him.

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