Sect
Li Xing stares at the floor on her bed. In the past, she would've been training diligently but she has lost the motivation.
She sighs as she glances at the moon.
...
What her father, Li Ye, said before the enthronement bothered her.
Li Xing has never seen her mother. Li Ye used to say her mother disappeared on a whim and never returned but he told Li Xing the truth recently. Her mother was the princess of another country who eloped with her idiotic father.
However, imperial cultivators found her and brought her away by force. Threatened by the harm to her family, she had no choice but to comply. Li Ye then went to his cousin's sect, the Heavenly Divine Dragon, to seek refuge.
Many things came about and Li Ye end up inheriting the seat of Patriarch.
Li Xing is well aware: her father is foolish but to an extent still loves her.
His decision to pass the sect into Wang Ji's hands may have required plenty of mental preparation.
"In the end...power is everything..." Li Xing mumbles.
Still deeply hurt by what Xie Mo said, she cuddles back into a ball.
--------------------
The sect...is in tatters.
First of all, Nielong belongs to the Heavenly Divine Dragon sect. Naturally, tax from the town should go to the sect itself.
However, they signed a ridiculous contract with an influential merchant group called Golden Steal.
The contract allowed the merchant group to collect all of Nielong's revenue and return the money to the sect 5 years later at 5 fold.
At first, it might seem like a steal for the sect. But it's obvious that the sect is collapsing and I fear that the sect could not survive the 5 years to fulfil the contract. In that case, Nielong automatically becomes Golden Steal's property.
Let's say the sect can survive, Merchants are profit-orientated. I don't think they will wholeheartedly return the money.
At best, they may plot for the sect to fall.
How did the sect survive? Using a really stupid method, they sold the original martial arts of the sect. Li Ye's justification is that no sect members can grasp the technique and they will just collect dust. Rather than leaving them on the shelf, Li Ye wanted to make use of them and sold them for the sake of the sect.
I sigh. What's the point of a sect without martial arts?
The remaining ones are martial arts that disciples can understand or the "secret" martial arts the sect holds.
Also... The sect has a spiritual pool beneath that improves the cultivation base and cleanses the body. Nobody has entered the pool for a century as the extreme profound Qi can pose a danger if the cultivator is too weak.
The sect's martial arts that are being taught... are too simple and weak. The strongest one is nothing but a bluff. Although a dragon materializes when using it, the aesthetic does not enhance the power.
Martial arts that materialize certain entities tend to have power resembling them, yet the dragon is only entertainment. Most of this technique focuses too much on practising the materialisation of the dragon, which the disciples deem to be "Body Training".
I look through the book and swing my finger aside. A light blue qi emits from the tip and lags behind the finger movement.
I was right, this method of Qi Control purposely condenses surrounding Qi into your muscles and blasts it out into visual.
My evaluation can be validated by Li Xing's weak attack during the tournament.
Two knocks were heard on the door. I am in a room dedicated to the Patriarch for paperwork.
"Come in."
The hot-tempered disciple and Xiang Hou enter the room to bow.
"We apologise for our rude behaviour from before!" They say.
...
From the papers, the person next to Xiang Hou is Dei Lo.
"Let bygones be bygones," I say.
"Thank you very much for the leader's kindness!"
...
"Bring me to Xie Mo."
"Yes! This way." Says Dei Lo, he opens the door and lets me through first.
We walk out of the building and head in the direction of a tall mountain to the right. On the way, we see a drunk cultivator who limps aimlessly around the dark ground.
I instantly guessed who that is, Zi Mi. He is the only disciple to not attend the enthronement ceremony and wanders around at night.
Zi Mi's eyes widen when he sees me. "You?! You are that mortal who who who...!? That mortal who caused me such... Burp... Caused me such humiliation! I will kill you!!!!" Zi Mi's red face contorts inwards.
He charges at me with the wine bottle in his hand and Xiang Hou attempts to stop him.
One blink and I'm near him with my hand extended out.
?!
*BOOM!*
I flicked Zi Mi's forehead to fling him through a wall into the courtyard.
...
Xiang Hou goes to check on Zi Mi and grabs his wrist.
An elder came to check on the commotion and sees me. He instantly figured out what went on and carries Zi Mi on his shoulder. "Patriarch, please excuse me and continue."
And the elder leaps away.
"Zi Mi... Has been behaving like this for the past few years?" I ask.
Xiang Hou nods. "He was exiled from his family and sent to this sect as a punishment. So he theoretically isn't a disciple and isn't bounded by the rules. But an assault against the leader is unforgivable!" Xiang Hou tries his best to appease me.
"Let's continue."
We arrive at a large door leading into the big mountain. An elder is seated at the front with a core disciple beside him.
There are only 8 core disciples in total, each has a heavy responsibility because of the lack of manpower.
The core disciple bows to me as the sleeping elder arose when he senses my presence. "Young master! Is there anything I can do for you?" He asks.
"Let me see Xie Mo."
------------------
"Fuck... What is going on?" Xie Mo mumbles to himself, chained up in a dark cell.
"I was revered as a top genius in the upper realms yet I am suffering this humiliation in this weak realm."
A metal collar is around his neck, it seals up his meridians at his spine and stops him from using Qi. Thus, rendering his entire cultivation base useless.
...
Xie Mo grits his teeth as he clenches his fist. "Wang Ji Wang Ji Wang Ji... Bastard, just wait. You will die by my hands."
"I applaud your bravery, openly admitting to an assassination attempt against me," I say.
!!!
"What are you here for?!" Xie Mo screams. His defiant glare pierces through the atmosphere.
"Haha... Do you think you will be allowed freedom? You have planned assassination against the entire sect as you publicly announce at the ceremony yesterday." I say. "Naturally you will die here."
Xie Mo smiles. "Hahaha...It's best if you let me go."
"Bastard! You still-"
I stop Xiang Hou.
"So your hope lies in those 'connections' that you make?" I ask.
"That's right. There are many things you don't know in the Murim, such as my influence."
...
"Xiang Hou, leave."
!
"Yes!"
And he left in a hurry.
I open the cell and walk to Xie Mo.
"You are from the upper realms?" I say.
Xie Mo isn't surprised that I know. "That makes things a lot easier."
Xie Mo looks around. He is checking for Qi fluctuation in the surroundings to identify hidden cultivators.
"There's no one near."
...
"I am a benefactor of the Luo Family in the upper realms and they have pledged allegiance to help me. Once word of my arrest spreads, the Luo family in the lower realm will attack the sect. Even the weakest of them is in the Golden Core realm, how can this rubbish sect rival against them? Not to mention, many many organisations owe me. Kill me and it will be the end of you." Says Xie Mo.
(Benefactor of the Luo...Wait, I might have an idea of who reincarnated into Xie Mo's body. He is Ji Qiang, the revered arrogant genius who crushed the entire demonic sect by himself. There is only one benefactor of Luo and that is him.)
What? Someone who crushed the demonic realm is this weak?
(He is not weak, you are too strong. Besides, the main determining factor is his cultivation base limiting what he can do while your system allows you to bypass it.)
Haha, many things are unfair in the Murim.
"Ji Qiang?" I say.
!!
"You...know?"
Xie Mo smiles. "If you let me go, I might overlook everything after you tell me how you managed to grasp my martial arts. I might even help you."
I smile. "There is no need."
System, infect Xie Mo with my second virus.
---------
Your target has a very strong mental and soul resistance.
Chance of Puppetry working: 0.01%
--------
Proceed.
!!!!
"ARGHHH!!?" Xie Mo screams as he grabs his head. His eyes turn bloodshot red.
"W-WHAT DID YOU DO?! WHAT KIND OF MENTAL ATTACK IS THIS- ARGHHHH?!!"
Xie Mo collapses to the ground and rolls around. Soon, his body turns limp as he falls unconscious.
--------------
Infiltration was unsuccessful.
-1000 points.
Xie Mo is successfully infected with the second virus but "Puppetry" will not work. The host can try again by issuing another infection order.
--------------
!!
I...
I didn't think that my second virus can be used as a mental attack...?