Volume One: The Menial of Changshui County - Chapter 114: Merging into the Blazing Flame Sect

"Master, we are on the same side. They are the outsiders, and the root of this disaster is their doing. I..." Wu Fei attempted to defend himself.

"Apologize!" the Master reprimanded.

"Mr. Lu, I am sorry!" Wu Fei lowered his head.

"What about the slaps? There are still two more slaps to go!" the big black dog, eager for trouble, urged.

"Smack! Smack!"

Wu Fei slapped himself twice, the sound crisp and clear.

"You may withdraw now!" The Master was finally satisfied.

"Mr. Lu, it was a failure in my discipline." The Master glanced at the others. "The conflict between the Lijiang Villa and the Flaming Gate has persisted for a long time. It is not the fault of Mr. Lu and his companions; being weak is the only original sin."

"Shifting blame onto others is not the style of the Lijiang Villa."

"Although our Lijiang Villa is but a small sect, we must not be a laughingstock in our conduct. Even here in the world of ruins, even within the Lijiang Villa, we cannot act in such a manner, even when there are no outsiders present."

The closer a sect is to decline, the more it must uphold its principles. Otherwise, once civility and order collapse, it will perish all the faster. Like a sinking ship, failing to make repairs and instead allowing the leaks to widen guarantees that it will not travel far.

"Rest assured, Master. Since I have made such a claim, I am certainly prepared." Lu Jiuzhang took out a token. "This is a True Disciple Token of the ruins' sect, which can mobilize the power of the incomplete formations."

As soon as these words were spoken, many eyes burned with greed. To be able to mobilize the power of an incomplete formation meant that one would be invincible within the entire world of the ruins.

"The token is already bound to me," Lu Jiuzhang said. "If I die, the token's efficacy ceases, so there is no need for you to be envious. If one manages to pass the fortieth floor of the Trial Ancient Tower, one can also obtain a True Disciple Token."

Lu Jiuzhang spoke with ease, but to those present, it sounded incredible. Everyone there had attempted the Trial Ancient Tower. Most could not even pass the first five floors, and even the Master had reached only the ninth floor at most. As for someone reaching the fortieth floor, it was unheard of.

"We shall cooperate with the Flaming Gate, lure them to the location of an incomplete formation, and I will use the token to harness the formation's power to strike them down," Lu Jiuzhang explained. "Once the pressure from the sixth-grade martial artist is gone, we can seize the momentum to annex the Flaming Gate!"

"Mr. Lu, you have great talent!" The Master nodded. "I will consult with the elders shortly to select a suitable incomplete formation."

There were many such incomplete formations in this area, all of which had been discovered through the sacrifice of human lives. The Lijiang Villa kept records of them.

"Very well, then we shall go and rest for now." Lu Jiuzhang nodded and headed to Feng Wanqing's home with Zhong Zhengming and the big black dog.

...

As soon as they entered, Feng Wanqing asked busily, "Mr. Lu, let me prepare some food for you all. You can rest after you have eaten."

"Good, add plenty of meat. Preferably that fresh beast meat. Don't boil it, and don't roast it—just stir-fry it. That's the freshest way!" the big black dog chimed in.

"Don't bother. We will sleep first and eat when we wake up!" Lu Jiuzhang said.

He had expended a great deal of mental energy traversing the Trial Ancient Tower. Even the Kui Star Tower within his sea of consciousness was dimmed. He needed to rest and recover his strength.

"Master Nine, oh Master Nine, I can't sleep if I'm hungry," the big black dog said. "How about this: you two go to sleep, and I'll eat first."

"Suit yourself!"

With that, Lu Jiuzhang began to rest. As for Zhong Zhengming, he did not sleep, choosing instead to find an open space to practice. He had always thought Lu Jiuzhang was diligent, but only now did he realize that those who carry too much can never find ease. He practiced relentlessly, solely to uncover the truth behind the siege of the Zhong family. If one day he could reach a high martial grade, he would have hope of avenging his family.

"But we don't have any beast meat at home. Shall I go borrow some from the Master?" Feng Wanqing asked, feeling troubled. Their family's cultivation levels were low; beast meat was extremely difficult to obtain. The Master, being a seventh-grade martial artist, surely had some.

"Why go to all that trouble? Just wait. I'll go slaughter one for you right now. If we're going to eat, we're going to eat fresh," the big black dog declared. "Tell me, where are there plenty of beasts around here?"

"Dozens of miles to the west, there is a place with many monsters. You must be car—"

Before she could finish the word, the big black dog had already dashed out. Feng Wanqing chased after him, but the dog was already out of sight.

"Be careful!" Feng Wanqing shouted regardless.

That area was indeed swarming with monsters, gathered together and possessing immense strength. Was the big black dog a match for them? Feng Wanqing was not sure.

...

Elsewhere, the Master gathered the elders to deliberate.

"What do you all think of this matter?" The Master did not rush to discuss the incomplete formations, but instead asked about the current situation.

"Master, do you mean whether Mr. Lu can truly mobilize the power of the incomplete formations?" an elder asked.

"Exactly!" The Master nodded. "No one has ever set foot in the later floors, and no one has ever obtained a True Disciple Token. What if it is a lie? We cannot trust him entirely based on his word alone."

"But we only have this one chance. If it is true, our Lijiang Villa could annex the Flaming Gate."

The Master did not wish to abandon the name of the Lijiang Villa. It was a heritage from their ancestors, much like a family name. To be annexed by the Flaming Gate would mean betraying the sect and changing their name!

"Master, this is difficult," an elder sighed. "Should we stop struggling and peacefully merge into the Flaming Gate?"

"Let us try!" the Master sighed. "Since we have this opportunity, we must give it a shot. If it fails, I will bear all the blame, and you can safely merge into the Flaming Gate."

The Master had already prepared himself; if it failed, he, as the culprit, would die to ensure the Flaming Gate's peace of mind.

"Master, that must not happen. You are our backbone..." The elders tried to object, but the Master cut them off. "It is decided. We shall first select a few suitable incomplete formations to lure the head of the Flaming Gate here."

The Master continued, "I actually already have a few locations in mind. There are several incomplete formations at the border between the Lijiang Villa and the Flaming Gate. We shall use the excuse of holding an annexation ceremony to lure him there."

"Then, the formations will erupt and kill him outright!" The Master took out a map and spoke slowly.

"This location is quite suitable. It belongs to the Qian position. That which reaches the top is called Qian. All that reaches the top is like energy; heaven is accumulated energy, so Qian is heaven," an elder said slowly. "If we succeed here, it can be considered a good omen."

"What are the opinions of the others?" The Master looked at them.

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

The others agreed.

"Good, then it is settled!" the Master decided. "I will soon send someone to the Flaming Gate to negotiate and lower the guard of their sect leader."