Chapter 2715 - In a Full House of Elites, He Sits Back and Watches

The valiant-looking man was called Yu Zhensong. He was a member of the Divine Willow Mountain Yu Family and a Silent Realm Eternal.

As he stood, his oppressive power swept outward.

Su Yi had long since anticipated that the banquet would be eventful, but he didn’t suspect something like this would happen as soon as the host arrived.

The room was utterly silent.

The inauspicious spirits to the left of the hall glowered at Yu Zhensong.

“His Excellency does indeed distribute his blessings at every wedding banquet, but you’re a guest. Bad enough that you’re ungrateful. Don’t you think demanding gifts like this is over the line?” said the old woman whose pale face was smeared with blush.

“What the hell are you? You have no right to speak!” Yu Zhensong said with a cold snort. He pressed down, sending the old woman flying. She slammed into the walls with such force that they split and cracked.

The throng of inauspicious spirits was instantly enraged. They shot to their feet.

But Yu Zhensong didn’t seem the least bit concerned. He just laughed coldly, “If you want to die, that’s simple enough. Go ahead and attack me together!”

But then, the handsome Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit laughed. “Sit down, all of you. This is my day of celebration! It would be terrible if violence broke out.”

He turned to smile at Yu Zhensong. “Don’t be in such a hurry, Daoist Brother. The gifts have already been prepared.”

With that, he snapped his fingers, and the coffin at the center of the room split. Resplendent treasure light surged out of the coffin.

Upon closer inspection, it contained all manner of treasures, glowing with radiant light and dazzling the senses.

Everyone’s gazes were instantly drawn to the treasure.

Su Yi was surprised too, but not by the treasure. Rather, he could tell that Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit had anticipated that something like this would happen at the banquet. He couldn’t have remained so calm otherwise.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit smiled broadly. “I wish you all full coffers—and an empty coffin. Everyone with a Blessed Jade Record can claim a share of the coffin’s good fortune. Consider it a token of my good intentions.

“Once you’ve claimed your treasure, if you’re willing to stay for the festivities, I’ll naturally welcome you with open arms. If you’d prefer to leave, I won’t keep you. Please do as you see fit.”

With that, he sat in the centermost seat, calm and composed. It seemed Yu Zhensong’s poor manners hadn’t provoked him in the slightest.

“These treasures aren’t even enough to fit in the gaps between our teeth!” Yu Zhensong said coldly. “Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit, I’m sure you know why we’re here, so I’ll get straight to the point. If you want to leave, bring out

all

of your treasures!”

The crowd was in uproar. All of the inauspicious spirits were furious.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit’s smile faded. He looked at the other cultivators. “Do all of you feel the same way?”

The Confucian from Bluebird Palace smiled faintly. “Bluebird Palace just wants the Lightning Minister’s Seal. That will be sufficient.”

The Lightning Minister’s Seal!

A dwarven, elderly inauspicious spirit roared, “That seal is His Excellency’s natal treasure. If he gives it to you, it will mean the end of Dao. You... You’re asking too much!”

The Confucian just smiled and said nothing; he couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit’s smile was nowhere to be found. After a moment’s silence, he looked at the cultivators of Fire Dragon Temple. “And what does Fire Dragon Temple want?”

The bashful young man who called himself “Fire” rose to his feet. “The patriarch told me before we left that he wanted to refine a batch of medicine. He needs inauspicious spirits to boost the medicine’s efficacy.”

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit said expressionlessly, “How many does he need?”

Fire scratched his head awkwardly. “All of them.”

Silence descended over the room. The inauspicious spirits in attendance dared not believe their ears.

Fire Dragon Temple wants to use every inauspicious spirit in our territory to... boost the efficacy of some medicine?

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit’s gaze was cold and indifferent, with no outward sign of emotion. “Does that include me?”

Fire said, “The patriarch said that if you agree to his request, we could spare your life.”

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit snorted derisively; it seemed he couldn’t take it anymore. His gaze was increasingly icy.

After a while, he looked at Luan Yunzhong and Qin Suqing. “And what does Sky Profound Court want?”

Luan Yunzhong fell silent.

Qin Suqing took a deep breath and said, “All we want are the gifts originally planned for us. Once we receive them, we’ll leave immediately. We absolutely won’t get involved in this any further.”

Su Yi just watched coldly from the sidelines. He’d long since realized that Bluebird Palace, Fire Dragon Temple, and the Yu Family were colluding. Stepping forth in rapid succession to make their demands was all part of their plan.

Only Luan Yunzhong and Qin Suqing of Sky Profound Court had been kept in the dark. They’d really thought everyone was here for the banquet and gifts.

It seemed that Qin Suqing had realized the deception too, so she’d decided to leave immediately.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit had nothing to say to this. He just turned his attention to the rogue cultivators. “And what say you?”

One of the rogue cultivators, a charming, beautiful woman, smiled faintly. “Today, we rogue cultivators shall act in accordance with Fire Dragon Temple’s arrangements!”

The situation was now apparent.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit sat there, caressing the arms of his chair. He murmured, “Throughout the ages, I’ve given out an enormous sum of treasure year after year, never asking for anything in return. All I wanted was to stay here and cultivate in peace. I would never have guessed... that your appetites would grow so enormous.”

The corners of his lips twitched, and he let out a burst of self-deprecating laughter. “They say a small favor is appreciated, but that a large one only incurs resentment. I didn’t believe it. I thought that by doing good deeds, I could spread positive karma. I could simultaneously create a path to life for those unfortunate inauspicious spirits and accumulate karmic merit for myself. I didn’t think that...”

He sighed, then rose from his chair. “Now, I can finally say with certainty that being a villain is easy, but doing good is hard. Cultivating the heart of a bodhisattva as an inauspicious spirit... is far, far too difficult!”

“Doing good? The heart of a bodhisatta? Ha!” Yu Zhensong burst into uncontrollable laughter. “An inauspicious spirit like you wants to cultivate the heart of a bodhisattva? What a farce!’

The Confucian from Bluebird Palace couldn’t help but smile. “It’s absurd indeed. Who doesn’t know that inauspicious spirits are malevolent beings we must all work together to destroy?”

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Fire, the young Daoist, blinked. “If you really wish to cultivate the heart of a bodhisattva, why not assist the other inauspicious spirits in boosting the efficacy of our medicine?”

Qin Suqing rose, then said decisively, “Sky Profound Court will not be involved in this mess any further!”

Su Yi nodded inwardly. Qin Suqing and Luan Yunzhong hadn’t known about this until now. If they got involved, there was no way it would end well for them.

It was indeed in their best interests to withdraw.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit said expressionlessly, “You’re welcome to leave, but it won’t be too late if you wait until after all of this is over.”

Qin Suqing’s heart sank.

Luan Yunzhong smacked the table and said, “Aren’t you afraid of a falling out with Sky Profound Court?”

But before Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit could respond, the Confucian from Bluebird Palace chuckled. “Brother Luan, it’s too late to leave. Try, and Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit will only suspect you’re up to something.”

The young Daoist, Fire, smiled sheepishly. “Everyone ought to work together to slay malevolent beings like them. Miss Qin, Fellow Daoist Luan, if you retreat without fighting, what will become of Sky Profound Court’s reputation?”

Yu Zhensong said, “Quit nattering on. We’re meting out divine justice, so let’s hurry up and flatten the place already!”

Luan Yunzhong and Qin Suqing’s expressions were instantly unsightly. They’d been kept in the dark, and now, both sides were against them!

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit wouldn’t let them leave, and even their fellow cultivators insisted on dragging them into this!

Su Yi just drank, sat back, and watched. Given the circumstances, there was no way Luan Yunzhong and Qin Suqing could remain neutral parties. That is, unless they were strong enough to suppress everyone else present.

This was for the simple reason that the inauspicious spirits saw them as enemies, while their neutrality would provoke the other cultivators’ ire.

It seemed their only choice was to steel themselves and help the other cultivators defeat Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit.

But there was no way they’d be happy about it. After all, they’d been swept into this without warning, and their fellow cultivators wanted to use them as a weapon. Who’d have been happy about that?

But that didn’t mean there was no way out of this.

Su Yi pondered briefly, then poured himself another cup of wine. He had to admit that the wine of Golden Spirit Manor had quite a distinctive flavor.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit laughed, then whispered to himself, “If someone wants to kill me, what should I do?”

He’d asked that same question to the eight characters of calligraphy hanging on his wall, and to his own heart.

Now, as he faced the room full of cultivators, he gave his answer. “I’ll kill to prevent further killings and uphold righteousness!”

He spoke every word with firm conviction.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit’s robes fluttered around him, and his handsome face was full of murderous intent. A terrifying, sinister vision appeared reflected behind him, a sword flying through the air and staining the starry dome of heaven red!

The seated inauspicious spirits seethed with murderous intent. They were ready and raring to fight.

Murderous intent swept throughout the hall in waves.

The young Daoist, Fire, smiled bashfully as a plain black cauldron floated over his palm.

The Confucian took out a feather fan blazing with five-colored divine flame.

Yu Zhensong of the Yu Family took out a glinting saber swathed in eye-catching arcs of lightning.

The other cultivators readied their treasures, too. A grand battle was about to begin.

But then, an old man stepped out of the rogue cultivators’ ranks and said hoarsely, “Allow me to go first.”

His features were aged, and he wore plain black robes. His back was hunched, his hair was thinning, and he leaned on a black wooden cane.

He just stood there, with no majestic aura to speak of, but Fire, the Confucian, and Yu Zhensong nodded, a hint of reverence on their faces.

The sight left Qin Suqing and Luan Yunzhong a bit stunned, but neither of them recognized the old man.

Su Yi gazed at the old-timer in thought.

There’s no doubt about it. This is the three factions’ true leader.

Ol’ Devil Golden Spirit narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?”

The old man in plain cloth robes sighed. “You don’t recognize me, my old friend?”