Chapter 46: Day Forty-Six of Becoming Cult Leader (Part 2)

This nimble and wondrous martial art left everyone in the Little Hong Sect dumbstruck. None of them had expected Zhang Daniu’s martial arts to suddenly improve by leaps and bounds, astonishing everyone present.

“What staff technique is this? How is it so powerful!”

“What kind of damned luck does Zhang Daniu have? He actually managed to receive martial arts instruction from a master. It’s hateful!”

Basking in his show-off moment, Zhang Daniu was smug under their gazes. He had never imagined that this stunning staff technique of his had not made his senior and junior brothers of the Little Hong Sect accept him. Instead, it had made intense jealousy and resistance rise in their hearts.

On the surface, however, they no longer dared to mock Zhang Daniu. When they saw Zhang Daniu walking over with the staff, some of them immediately showed fawning smiles and flattered him. “Senior Brother Daniu is amazing!”

“That’s right, Senior Brother. We wonder who taught you this staff technique. Could you teach us too?”

“This…” Zhang Daniu had received everyone’s praise as he wished, but upon hearing their request, he hesitated. “That won’t work. This is a cultivation method someone specifically designed for me. You wouldn’t be able to learn it either.”

However, how could the disciples of the Little Hong Sect know all those twists and turns? Hearing that Zhang Daniu did not want to teach them, their faces immediately fell, and behind his back they revealed looks of contempt.

After staying among the crowd for a while, Zhang Daniu gradually felt only that these people were false and full of flattery. He could not talk to them at all. It seemed… not as happy as he had imagined.

Even after displaying his martial arts, even after winning everyone’s astonishment, Zhang Daniu still felt empty inside.

He left without any appetite, and at this moment, the other disciples of the Little Hong Sect immediately changed expressions. One by one, they showed angry and disdainful gazes and spat several times at his back.

“He only learned a bit of kung fu, and now he’s getting full of himself.”

“Exactly. Hiding it away like that. If he’s so capable, he shouldn’t have come back.”

Someone suddenly shook from head to toe and said in terror, “Wait. If what Zhang Daniu said is true… then doesn’t that mean the Zhang Daniu the Huazhen Sect is currently searching for is right here in our Little Hong Sect?? If the Huazhen Sect learns of this, won’t they mistakenly think we provoked them?!”

Everyone’s expression changed one after another as they realized how troublesome the matter was. They and the Huazhen Sect had always been inseparably linked. They had always depended on the Huazhen Sect for survival. If they truly caused the Huazhen Sect to misunderstand, wouldn’t their Little Hong Sect be finished?

After understanding this point, their eyes were already filled with hostility and wariness.

“What should we do? I think we should hurry and drive that jinx away. He angered the Huazhen Sect and still dares to come back. Isn’t he bringing disaster down on us?”

“I think he has bad intentions! He specifically wants to smear our name!”

“No. If we drive him away, who knows what this person might do? Why don’t we directly notify the Huazhen Sect and say we captured Zhang Daniu for them? If we offer Zhang Daniu up, wouldn’t we be able to build a good relationship with the Huazhen Sect?”

At this, everyone’s eyes lit up. Suddenly, they felt that this plan was excellent!

Since the matter brooked no delay, they did not choose to beat the grass and startle the snake. Instead, while acting as they usually did on one hand, they secretly notified the Huazhen Sect on the other.

After learning that Zhang Daniu had been captured by the Little Hong Sect, the Huazhen Sect indeed praised the Little Hong Sect lavishly and decided to personally go to the Little Hong Sect to arrest Zhang Daniu. Thus, the two sects’ secret plot was agreed upon.

But there was no wall in this world that did not let the wind through. What had originally been a rather secret message was coincidentally intercepted by Qian Xiaodou’s Intelligence Pavilion.

“What? Zhang Daniu was captured by the Little Hong Sect? The Huazhen Sect will be coming to demand him at once?”

Thus, when Qin Ming saw the message Qian Xiaodou had secretly passed along, his spirits instantly sharpened, and he rose to his feet with a frown.

Fine. He had wondered why, no matter how they searched these past few days, there had still been no news of Zhang Daniu. So it turned out he had been captured by the Little Hong Sect!

Moreover, the Little Hong Sect had always been on good terms with the Huazhen Sect. Then after Zhang Daniu left the Demonic Cult, it was not impossible that the other side had recognized and captured him!

It made sense. Everything was clear now.

Having obtained the “truth,” Qin Ming immediately understood the entire cause and effect. Since his subordinate was facing danger, Qin Ming naturally would not sit by and do nothing. He wanted to quickly send people to rescue Zhang Daniu, but Shen Fubai at his side suddenly reminded him, “Cult Leader, this subordinate guesses that the Huazhen Sect still does not know Zhang Daniu is one of our people. Otherwise, they would certainly seize this chance to suppress our cult.”

“If we truly go to rescue Zhang Daniu, we are bound to come into conflict with the Huazhen Sect.”

“But if we do not rescue him…” A trace of reluctance appeared in Shen Fubai’s eyes, but he still said it aloud. “Our cult can preserve itself and safely pass through this calamity. Sacrificing him alone in exchange for the safety of our cult—this subordinate believes… it is worth it!”

“And all of this was Zhang Daniu acting on his own without authorization. He brought it on himself. He can blame no one else!”

“Cult Leader, please think this over carefully!”

“...” Hearing his words, Qin Ming could not help falling silent.

Saving him would give the famous orthodox sects of the Righteous Path a proper and justified reason to join hands and attack the Demonic Cult.

Not saving him would preserve the peace of their cult.

Then… should he save him, or not?

…

Zhang Daniu still did not know about the evil scheme of the Little Hong Sect’s disciples and continued living in the Little Hong Sect.

But the longer he stayed here, the more he felt an indescribable loneliness and boredom. When he was in the Demonic Cult, every day he linked arms with his brothers, drinking wine and eating meat. But in the Little Hong Sect, even though everyone greeted him with smiles, he still did not feel even the slightest bit of happiness.

In those flattering and fawning conversations, all he felt was layer upon layer of hypocrisy.

It seemed returning to the Little Hong Sect was not as good as he had imagined. Why had he always wanted to come back before?

Zhang Daniu lived inside the Little Hong Sect for three days, then hesitantly wanted to leave. But the moment they heard he was going to take his leave, the disciples of the Little Hong Sect immediately became terrified and uneasy. They practically fought for their lives trying to persuade him. “Don’t, Senior Brother Daniu! Did we fail to host you properly in some way? Don’t go!”

“If Senior Brother Daniu is bored, how about we find people to practice martial arts with you? Whatever you say, we’ll do it!!”

Hearing the enthusiasm of the Little Hong Sect’s disciples, Zhang Daniu’s originally sunken heart began to feel a little lighter again. So his fellow disciples did not want him to leave either. It seemed he still had a place in their hearts.

Precisely because of this, Zhang Daniu gave a simple, honest laugh, scratched his head, and decided to agree. “All right, then I’ll stay a while longer.”

Only then did the disciples of the Little Hong Sect let out a long breath. Damn it all, the Huazhen Sect would arrive here tomorrow. If Zhang Daniu ran off before then, how were they supposed to explain things to the Huazhen Sect?

They had to keep him steady!

“Pah! This fool is still smiling so easily. Once the Huazhen Sect captures him, let’s see how he can still smile!” one Little Hong Sect disciple snorted coldly, his face full of disdain.

It could be said that there was almost no one in the Little Hong Sect who welcomed Zhang Daniu’s return. But there was only one person whose feelings toward Zhang Daniu were very complicated. He could not bear to see Zhang Daniu be captured by the Huazhen Sect, yet he also could not bear to let his own sect suffer the Huazhen Sect’s condemnation.

But whenever Yu Canghai faced Zhang Daniu’s simple, honest smile, his conscience was always tormented. Therefore, after struggling over it again and again, he still risked betraying his sect and told Zhang Daniu the truth.

The broom in Zhang Daniu’s hand suddenly fell to the ground. Zhang Daniu, who had been sweeping, stared blankly at his master’s face and said in disbelief, “They… want to hand me over to the Huazhen Sect?”

“Why? How have I wronged them?!”

Looking at his eyes, which had instantly turned red, Yu Canghai revealed a bitter smile. “Sigh… You cannot blame them. You angered the Huazhen Sect. No matter who it was, no one would dare shelter you.”

He patted Zhang Daniu on the shoulder. His tone carried a trace of sorrow. He seemed to want to say something, but could not say it. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh. “Daniu, I know you are a good child, but there is no longer a place for you here… For the sake of the master-disciple bond we once had, you should leave quickly. The Huazhen Sect will arrive tomorrow. If you stay here any longer, it will be dangerous.”

But Zhang Daniu only stood there blankly. Suddenly, hot tears rolled from the corners of his eyes, and he murmured to himself, “...Where can I go?”

“Master, there’s nowhere I can go anymore.”

The world was vast, yet there was not a single place in it where he could stay.

Even though he had desperately improved his martial arts because he wanted to gain people’s affection, in the end, he had only now learned that it was nothing more than drawing water with a bamboo basket.

After wiping away those tears with the back of his hand, Zhang Daniu took a deep breath, and his expression became resolute once more. “I’m not leaving. Isn’t it just the Huazhen Sect? Screw them!”

Yu Canghai was so shocked by the fierceness contained in those words that his eyes widened. He hurriedly tried to stop him. “You must not be impulsive, Daniu. The Huazhen Sect is the number one sect in the world. You must not anger them! If there is truly no other way… you can lower your head and ask for their forgiveness. That would be good too!”

“I didn’t do anything wrong! Why should I hide from them? The people who did something wrong are clearly the Huazhen Sect!”

Although Zhang Daniu’s heart was full of anger, his answer was reasonable, justified, and open. “Master also once taught me to be an upright man, didn’t you? So no matter who comes here, I won’t change my words! I didn’t do anything wrong. Nobody can make me lower my head. My conscience is clear!”

After saying this, he suddenly bent down and kowtowed deeply to Yu Canghai. Yu Canghai was startled and hurriedly tried to stop him. “What are you doing?”

But he heard Zhang Daniu speak in a muffled voice. “Master above, this disciple thanks Master for his teachings in the past. Your great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten in this lifetime… But today, this is also this disciple’s final bow!”

Yu Canghai’s hand, which was supporting him, abruptly trembled.

“Since the Little Hong Sect cannot accommodate me, once I resolve the matter of the Huazhen Sect, I will leave at once and never come back!” Zhang Daniu said in a low voice. “I can only repay Master’s great kindness in the future.”

As he spoke, he kowtowed three times with heavy thuds. His voice was faintly choked. “Master… take care!”

Yu Canghai stared blankly at this disciple he had taught for three years and could not help closing his eyes as old tears flowed freely. “The jianghu is so vast. One day, you will also find a home that belongs to you, friends who cherish you, as well as senior and junior brothers, and a master… Daniu… take care on the road ahead.”

…

After learning that the Little Hong Sect had framed him, Zhang Daniu no longer gave the disciples of the Little Hong Sect any pleasant expression. From now on, he only regarded them as strangers.

However, Zhang Daniu was also a reasonable person. Realizing that he had indeed brought some trouble to the Little Hong Sect and to his master, Zhang Daniu decided that after he finished resolving the matter of the Huazhen Sect, he would leave this place.

Although he did not know where he should go, he never again wanted to return to this place that had left him with only sorrowful memories.

Otherwise… return to the Demonic Cult?

The moment he thought of how he had stormed out of the Demonic Cult in a fit of anger, Zhang Daniu felt somewhat embarrassed inside. However carefree and impressive his departure had been that day was exactly how battered and miserable he felt now… This counted as desertion, right? How would he have the face to go back?

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