Chapter 36: The Thirty-Sixth Day as Cult Leader (Part 1)

Recently, Zhang Daniu had been holding in a breath of anger.

Ever since the Cult Leader distributed the secret manuals of divine arts and the Demonic Cult’s followers began throwing themselves into diligent cultivation, Zhang Daniu had not experienced true happiness.

With his dantian blocked, he was born unable to practice martial arts. All he could do was watch as the other disciples’ inner force advanced by leaps and bounds while he remained stuck in place, going in circles.

Because he possessed extraordinary strength, he had originally joined the Little Hong Sect with the ambition of dominating the jianghu. Yet after two years of earnest practice, he was told he had no talent for martial arts. The blow at the time could not be called small.

Especially when he watched the other disciples who had entered the sect alongside him surpass him in martial arts one after another, leaving him alone behind, even mocking and ridiculing him for being stupid, that feeling of fury and unwillingness surged violently into his heart.

That was also why, when his master saw how depressed he remained, he asked Zhang Daniu whether he wanted to go to the Demonic Cult as an undercover agent and become a hero.

In the end, Zhang Daniu agreed. He did not want to be the only one left in place. He did not want to continue living a life where others looked down on him. Even if it was the dangerous Demonic Cult, he still wanted to take a gamble and try.

And after coming to the Demonic Cult, he truly did live much happier than before. No one here knew about his past. They admired him, worshiped him, and even when facing bandits and mountain thieves, his great strength proved enormously useful.

Until everyone began focusing on cultivation.

Everything seemed to loop back again. It was as if he had returned to the time when everyone at the Little Hong Sect had abandoned him where he stood. Because of that, he felt anxious. It was like a fire had been lit in his chest, burning fiercely.

Because he had no martial arts, he had been excluded from the attack on the Blood Blade Sect. Even after everything returned to the proper track, one spy after another was entrusted with important duties, yet he alone had accomplished nothing, only occasionally being summoned by the Cult Leader.

That could not possibly fill the great hollow that was gradually opening in Zhang Daniu’s chest. So when he accidentally barged into the disciples’ cultivation area and disturbed a Demonic Cult disciple’s meditation, the disciple woke and immediately glared at him in fury. That lit the fire deep in his heart, and the two of them fell into open conflict.

“I was wondering who kept wasting his days and disturbing other people’s cultivation. So it was the one who can’t learn martial arts no matter how hard he practices.”

Some Demonic Cult disciples had always been jealous that his martial arts were poor, yet the Cult Leader still treated him differently. Therefore, they mocked him without mercy. “Who knows how someone can be this stupid? He can’t even reach the entry level of a basic cultivation method. Someone like him doesn’t deserve to be a disciple of our Demonic Cult at all.”

Zhang Daniu’s departing steps paused. In his mind, the memory of being mocked at the Little Hong Sect almost instantly overlapped with the present. His eyes immediately widened, and he could not suppress the violent rage in his heart as he shot back, “Even if I don’t know martial arts, I can still beat two of someone like you at once. You can’t even beat me, and you think you deserve to be a Demonic Cult disciple?”

“What did you say?!”

That one sentence made the Demonic Cult disciple fly into a towering rage. He struck out with a palm on the spot.

Zhang Daniu merely tensed the muscles in his arms and crossed his hands in front of himself. Just like that, he easily blocked the palm.

“That’s it?” Zhang Daniu sneered. His broad hand suddenly clamped around the Demonic Cult disciple’s neck, and he smashed him hard into the nearest tree trunk.

That terrifying brute force left the Demonic Cult disciple with no way to struggle. His head struck the tree trunk, and he fainted completely on the spot.

…

When Zhang Daniu was brought before the Cult Leader by the others for harming a fellow disciple, his face was still full of defiance.

But after venting some of his anger, his mind had also calmed considerably. When he met the eyes of the man in blue seated behind the desk, who seemed calm and unruffled yet faintly contained killing intent, a little fear welled up in Zhang Daniu’s heart.

He also knew that right now, they spies were in the most dangerous stage. If the Cult Leader caught even the slightest handle on them, the consequences would be quite miserable. He really should not have caused trouble at a time like this, yet he had just happened to violate a taboo.

Thinking of this, Zhang Daniu began to feel nervous. But feeling wronged was still feeling wronged. He could not help pursing his lips, lowering his head, and saying nothing as he waited for the Cult Leader’s punishment.

However, he never expected that the man in blue before him would merely set down the book in his hand and say one sentence.

“I already understand what happened. You did nothing wrong.”

Zhang Daniu abruptly raised his head in shock, staring in disbelief at the Cult Leader who had said such a thing.

Qin Ming only stated the judgment in his heart. “He mocked your martial arts first and even made a move against you. You had the right to beat him back. There is nothing wrong with that. This seat will not punish you for it either.”

Lifting his eyes to Zhang Daniu’s eyes, which faintly held tears, Qin Ming’s tone paused. In his heart, he was somewhat torn between laughter and helplessness, but he still added the words that came after.

“However, this is the Sun Moon Divine Cult, and we are also in the jianghu. Do you understand?”

Qin Ming looked deeply into Zhang Daniu’s eyes. His earlier judgment had been based on the thinking of a modern person, while what he wanted to say next was the common belief of this era.

“In the jianghu, the one with higher martial arts has the right to speak. The one with greater strength can cover the sky with one hand. The strong prey on the weak all around you. If you don’t know martial arts, you will be bullied. That is correct!”

These words were just as much something Qin Ming was saying to himself. That was why he worked so hard to cultivate. He wanted to obtain the right to freedom in this chaotic world.

Seeing Zhang Daniu’s hands clenched tightly into fists and his face filled with pain and unwillingness, Qin Ming sighed inwardly and suddenly asked, “Do you want to learn martial arts?”

Zhang Daniu’s expression once again revealed bright, obvious shock. He was even more stunned than before, but he quickly calmed down and scratched his head with a bitter smile. “I... My dantian is blocked. I was born unable to practice martial arts.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Qin Ming did not take that matter to heart. Instead, he secretly opened the System shop to look through it.

Sure enough, he found a blue-quality martial art he had seen before. Because of its special nature, it had left a deep impression on Qin Ming!

Dog Beating Staff Technique: A martial arts ultimate art created by a certain Beggar Sect chief, but after special adjustments, only those who are naturally slow-witted and possess boundless strength may learn it. All other learning requirements are unrestricted!

Naturally slow-witted, boundless strength, no other restrictions...

The first thought in Qin Ming’s mind was that it perfectly suited Zhang Daniu’s constitution! Moreover, it was a blue-quality technique that only required five thousand merit points. Economical and practical. Qin Ming secretly noted it down.

In truth, if judging by power, this technique belonged at the level of golden quality. It was only because the conditions were so strict that it had been lowered to blue quality. As long as one learned all thirty-six routes and twelve moves of the Dog Beating Staff Technique’s eight-character formula, squeezing into the front ranks of jianghu martial arts rankings would not be impossible! This was the terrifying part of the Dog Beating Staff Technique!

Using a mere five thousand merit points to exchange for a god-tier technique and a subordinate who would learn that god-tier technique was something Qin Ming was quite willing to do. Besides, Zhang Daniu had also helped him do many things and solved many difficult problems for him. Qin Ming had always wanted to reward him somehow, and this moment seemed just right.

Thus, he pretended to take a technique manual from the bookshelf, while in reality quickly exchanging for Dog Beating Staff Technique in the System shop, then handed Dog Beating Staff Technique to Zhang Daniu.

“This is a martial art only you can cultivate. You must study it seriously. The power of the Dog Beating Staff Technique far exceeds your imagination. If you truly master it, dominating the jianghu will no longer be a dream.” Qin Ming could not help urging him. More importantly, once Zhang Daniu finished learning this technique, the strength of their Demonic Cult would gain another fierce general. Heh heh. At that time, Zhang Daniu would be able to serve him even better. He had to hurry and learn it.

“Only I can learn it... I can learn martial arts too?”

But when those words fell into Zhang Daniu’s ears, they were like thunder exploding. Zhang Daniu stared blankly at the technique manual in his hands, one he had never heard of before. For a moment, deep emotion and grievance surged into his heart together.

This was a technique the Cult Leader had specially designed for him! He could learn martial arts now! He could practice martial arts!

The Cult Leader had him in his heart. He had not overlooked him. Instead, he had specially created a unique heart method for him so that he would no longer have to endure the mockery of his fellow disciples, no longer have to live beneath others...

A tear slid from his eye, only for him to suddenly wipe it away messily with his sleeve.

As expected, the Cult Leader valued him in his heart! Heh heh!

Zhang Daniu suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud. Before Qin Ming could react, he bowed deeply, knocking his forehead against the ground with a loud bang.

“Many thanks to the Cult Leader for bestowing this technique!”

“I, Zhang Daniu, know I’m stupid and don’t know what to say, but I’ll remember the Cult Leader’s great kindness! Many thanks to the Cult Leader!”

It was a simple sentence, but it contained Zhang Daniu’s most sincere thoughts. At this moment, he raised his head and looked at the Cult Leader before him. Although he could still sense that subtle killing intent when their eyes met, Zhang Daniu felt his heart fill with joy. He even began to worship and revere the Cult Leader’s authority.

At the same time, he also decided that he would devote himself fully to every mission the Cult Leader assigned him from now on, to repay the Cult Leader’s great kindness.

Congratulations, you have gained a large amount of worship from a Demonic Cult disciple (3/5).

Zhang Daniu left after thanking him again and again, while Qin Ming stared at the notification that popped up from the System and sank into shock. He had always thought that this kind of large amount of worship needed to be triggered by all the Demonic Cult members together. He had not expected Zhang Daniu alone to reach the target. That was enough to show just how grateful Zhang Daniu was to him.

Qin Ming felt gratified. He knew he had not misjudged the man. See? He had indeed received a System reward!

However, while Zhang Daniu was seriously studying the Dog Beating Staff Technique and becoming stronger, he also had to practice Myriad Swords As One to perfection. Otherwise, if he could not suppress Zhang Daniu’s martial arts by then, he would become a joke.

Fortunately, the cult’s internal affairs had all been distributed to others. Qin Ming had nothing to do and could focus his attention on cultivating techniques.

But he soon realized that he had truly been too naive. Although he had entrusted every difficult matter entirely to his subordinates, he had not anticipated that his subordinates could also make mistakes and encounter predicaments they could not solve.

As a result, during this period, Qin Ming successively received urgent reports from all his subordinates, each delivered at top speed. When he opened them, every single one was a major problem!

For example, on Qian Xiaodou’s side, after he tried expanding the intelligence network, his personnel’s unfamiliarity caused a few traces to be exposed while tracking intelligence, alerting the other party that someone was following them.

That alone would have been fine. But that very night, black-clad figures actually sneaked into the restaurant, intending to kill everyone who knew the truth.

Besides that, problems had also appeared in the Qingyue Sect disciples’ research into movable type printing. None of them were carpenters by trade, so carving the characters backward into wood in a way that looked attractive was already a major difficulty.

Next Chapter >