Chapter 12: New Routine?
“Little Yuan’er, where are you?”
“Yes, Master?”
Clad in blue clothes, Little Yuan’er darted in from outside.
“Inform your Senior Brothers and Sister that they must treat innocent people kindly.”
“Kind...kindly?” Little Yuan’er had a look of disbelief when she heard the word come out of her master’s mouth.
“Go now.”
“I’ll inform them right now.”
Filled with doubts, Little Yuan’er went to the foot of the mountain. When she told the three villainous disciples what Lu Zhou had said, Zhao Yue tripped herself and almost fell to the ground.
“Fourth Senior Brother, there’s something wrong with Master’s new routine...No matter how his taste has changed, he would never ask us to treat others kindly.”
Mingshi Yin looked at Little Yuan’er and asked, “Little Junior Sister, did Master really say that?”
Little Yuan’er nodded and said, “Yes, those are Master’s exact words, treat innocent people kindly.”
“Finished...We’re finished...” Mingshi Yin paced back and forth.
“Old Fourth, what do you mean by that?” Duanmu Sheng asked while frowning.
“Master had done all the evil things in his life, so if he really wants to play with a new routine, he can only play with ‘kindness’.”
“But, that doesn’t necessarily mean we are finished,” Zhao Yue said with a smile.
“The problem is that I don’t know how to be kind at all!” Mingshi Yin felt like weeping but had no tears.
“...”
Looking at her helpless senior brothers and sister, Little Yuan’er cleared her throat and said, “Aren’t you thinking too much?”
Their eyes fell on her at the same time. “Since you are so close to Master, do you know some secret that we don’t, Little Yuan’er?”
“Aye, tell us quickly!”
“There’s no secret, but Master did tell me one thing...”
“What is it?”
“Killing people is not the only way to solve a problem.”
That gave the three disciples a pause.
“I knew it is not that simple! Although Master has a mighty cultivation base, he could never say something so deep!” Mingshi Yin slapped himself on the thigh.
Meanwhile, at the Tigerridge Gang’s headquarters...
“Chief, the Derived Moon Palace wrote back...”
“What does the letter say?” Zhu Honggong was overjoyed.
“The palace master of the Derived Moon Palace said that since the old villain of the Golden Court Mountain could kill Luo Changfeng, the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, with one move, it means that his cultivation base has recovered. Hence, he cannot help you. He also asks you to hide as you are the weakest.”
Plop!
Zhu Honggong fell to the ground. He felt a chill run down his back while cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
‘Why is this happening? How could Master be so powerful?’
“Chief!”
“Don’t panic! Calm down! I’m still here! Why do you need to be so scared?”
...
“Ding! You are rewarded with 50 merit points for taming Zhu Honggong.”
Lu Zhou was rather puzzled when he heard the prompt.
‘Why am I rewarded with merit points related to Zhu Honggong when I have done nothing to him?’
He glanced at his personal menu.
Name: Lu Zhou
Race: Human
Cultivation Base: Mystic Enlightening realm, Heart Aperture
Merit Points: 244
Remaining life: 610 days
Items: Ji Tiandao Peak Form Card x 2, Critical Block Card (passive) x 5
He was still extremely weak.
Although he found a new way to accumulate merit points, in the face of those items that cost at least one thousand points, the merit points he had at the moment were a drop in the ocean.
These merit points were merely enough for a few lucky draws and nothing else.
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. You have received a Whitzard.”
“Whitzard is a unique and permanent mount.”
Lu Zhou could not help widening his pair of cloudy old eyes as he exclaimed excitedly, “A Whitzard!”
It was a heaven-defying prize!
Ji Tiandao owned various cultivation techniques, weapons, and even this kind of a rare mount. After all, he was an old villain who had lived for a thousand years. Surely, he had accumulated many things. But now, Lu Zhou had replaced Ji Tiandao, and he owned nothing. He was very poor.
He did not expect that he would get such a rare mount through a lucky draw.
The world of Great Yan was full of strange and wonderful things. Those who could not catch demon beasts or wild beasts as mounts would find ways to craft flying chariots or learn the art of flying swords, so that they could fly in the air. But, none of these were as impressive as an actual mount.
If it were in the modern times, a Whitzard was equivalent to the most luxurious car—it symbolized status.
The higher the level of the wild beast a person controlled, the stronger he would naturally be.
“Whitzard!” Lu Zhou called out.
At his voice, a beast, with the body of a lion, two horns atop its head, and a goatee, bathed in auspicious light and stepping on clouds, flew over and landed in the courtyard of Evil Sky Pavilion.
Lu Zhou froze for a moment as he stared at the shining Whitzard in the courtyard. Even though he had Ji Tiandao’s memory, which made him extremely knowledgeable, he was still thrilled when he saw the Whitzard.
He casually waved a hand. At the gesture, the Whitzard spun in the courtyard and disappeared, as if it had squeezed into the void.
...
At the foot of the mountain, the three villainous disciples looked back over their shoulders at the Evil Sky Pavilion on the mountaintop, their faces blank.
“Is there something wrong with my eyes? I seem to see a very strong auspicious energy.”
“Your eyes are fine, because I sensed it too.”
“It is a new routine. Master is deliberately concealing his evil aura. Just pretend you didn’t see it.”
“Yes, just pretend we didn’t see it.”
...
Inside the Evil Sky Pavilion, Lu Zhou felt a little light-headed because he kept winning prizes from lucky draws.
He had indeed decided to use the rest of his merit points on lucky draws.
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
Just like that, he got two ‘thank you for trying’ in a row.
“So, after giving me some sweets to get me addicted, you are not giving me anything now?” Lu Zhou was speechless.
“Lucky draw.”
“Ding! This lucky draw costs 50 merit points. Thank you for trying, you have received 1 luck point.”
“...”
He was left with 44 merit points, so he could not continue. Hence, he helplessly closed the lucky draw function.
“It is all a trap.”
However, he was not too disappointed or regretful. On the whole, the payoff was huge. With just four lucky draws, he had gotten himself a Whitzard, which was considered a great deal.
...
Near the foot of Golden Court Mountain...
Three middle-aged men looked in the direction of the mountain while riding on tall horses.
“Ahead of us is the Golden Court Mountain, which is also the lair of the old villain who holds sway in the cultivation world and keeps everyone at a fearful distance from him.”
“Lord Steward, why did Lord Patriarch send Yuan’er to Golden Court Mountain? This place has a bad reputation!”
“Do you think this is what Lord Patriarch wanted? The old villain kills people without batting an eye. It was out of helplessness that Lord Patriarch had offered Yuan’er to take him as her master.”
“I just hope the old villain will help our family through this disaster for Yuan’er’s sake.”
The steward, who took the lead, shook his head helplessly and said, “I hope so, too. It is said that the old villain had driven back the top ten experts alone a few days ago, and he had even slain the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Luo Changfeng, with one move. If he is willing to help, the Ci Family will surely survive this disaster.”
The three men rode on.
When they entered the mountain forest, a black figure suddenly floated up in the sky like a ghost and said in an eerie voice, “Who are you? How dare you trespass Golden Court mountain!”
The three men immediately dismounted and fell on one knee as they looked up at the sky.
“The Ci Family from the city of Anyang offers greetings to the vill...to the exp-experts of Evil Sky Pavilion...” The steward swallowed as beads of cold sweat trickled down his cheeks.
“The Ci Family from the city of Anyang?” Mingshi Yin’s figure flashed from hundreds of meters away, leaving numerous afterimages behind. Meanwhile, Duanmu Sheng and Zhao Yue appeared out of nowhere and stood on either side of the other.
The three men widened their eyes and their lips trembled. Seeing for oneself was a hundred times better than hearing from others. It was said that every villain of the Golden Court Mountain was terrible, and they found it to be true after seeing them with their own eyes.
“Old Fourth, the Ci Family of Anyang is Little Junior Sister’s family,” said Duanmu Sheng.
“I know that...Fortunately, I’m smart...According to Master’s new routine, we can’t kill them now and have to treat them kindly. Besides, they are from Little Junior Sister’s family,” said Mingshi Yin while nodding.
“Fourth Senior Brother has a point.”
That made the three men of the Ci Family exchange a puzzled look.
Mingshi Yin smiled as he walked over and helped the steward up to his feet. “Please get up! You don’t have to be so courteous with us.”
“Ah?”
The steward was confused by that. ‘This must be a bait that hides the hook. The kindlier he treats me, the humbler I must behave.’ And hence, he said in a trembling voice, “No, I do not deserve this...”
“You are wrong. Since you are from the same family as Little Junior Sister, you are one of us. There is no need to be so courteous among ourselves. Come, don’t be so nervous...”
“I really don’t deserve this...”
While frowning, Mingshi Yin kicked the steward, throwing him to the ground.
Bam!
“You seem to prefer rough treatment, don’t you? Go up the mountain now and let Master decide what should be done about you!”
Duanmu Sheng and Zhao Yue were stunned.
“Don’t look at me like that, I can’t help it. Master’s new routine is really difficult to get used to.”