Chapter 1621: Want to Eat Fish (I)

That was indeed the agreement that they’d decided on prior, but... Heaven Rite was still wrapping his mind around the fact that Myriad Dao had truly killed four exalted emperors in one go.

You’ve... got so much brawn that you don’t have room for brains, do you?? You’re willing to pursue money at the cost of your own life!

I’m an Orchid Forest local and I don’t have the courage to do what you did!

The Red Moon exalted emperor across the way took a deep look at Li Hao, the look in his eyes forebodingly sharp. He didn’t say anything else since the Orchid Forest master was already certain of his conclusions. Anything else he said would just bring down humiliation on himself!

This also wasn’t the time to bring out the Red Moon identity to intimidate the other.

“We’ll see about this!” He looked coldly at the group, a violent light sparkling in his eyes before vanishing on the spot. Damn that wandering cultivator!

“Clean up the battlefield!” commanded a smiling Li Hao. “In addition, someone accompany Senior Heaven Rite to retrieve the dao crystals. The rest of you will stand guard here and repair the barrier crack. Once the dao crystals are at hand, we’ll continue to patrol the four directions and ensure Orchid Forest’s safety!”

“Understood!” Li Hao’s group was highly agitated in their responses. Nothing was going to happen to them after what they’d done??

Meanwhile, Heaven Rite looked on with a deadpan expression.

You’re going to send someone with me? You’re such a bunch of... wealth-grubbing wanderers!

Fine, whatever, they could have what they were due. While one hundred million was a lot, the world master had spoken. Not to mention... Myriad Dao’s group hadn’t obtained too much dao strength from the four exalted emperors they’d killed. It’d all gone to Orchid Forest.

The major world would not be losing anything from this arrangement. Not to mention, they were down four enemies. This was a worthwhile trade!

“Then please send someone with me, fellow daoist. Orchid Forest does not lack this amount of reserves...” Though these were Heaven Rite’s words, he sighed to himself. What an easy way of making money!

“Ah, yes, you mentioned previously that you would give us fifty million dao crystals as startup funds,” Li Hao continued. “We have only received ten million thus far, leaving forty million unpaid. Fellow daoist said that we would be paid once we took action. So with that included, that is one hundred and sixty million dao crystals, yes?”

Heaven Rite started, then nodded awkwardly.

Fuck! This really is an easy way of making money!

One hundred million dao crystals could purchase a mid world, and they would have some left over! Did these guys really want to make money through killing exalted emperors?

But... considering the size of their group... this wasn’t a large sum at the end of the day.

“Right, one hundred and sixty million dao crystals...”

“Very good,” Li Hao grinned. “Gan Wuliang, you go with the senior to retrieve payment. Return as soon as possible!”

“Yes, sir!” Gan Wuliang assented and left with Heaven Rite.

Li Hao laughed after he looked in the four directions.

It’s so lucrative killing exalted emperors! I received only one hundred and seventy million dao crystals when I killed a seventh rank—that was a seventh rank!

I’ve only killed some low ranks now for nearly the same amount!

It’s just as the Sword Sovereign said, the master of a major world really has deep pockets. I’d just wanted to get a legitimate identity out of all this, but now...

Li Hao’s mind turned to safeguarding Orchid Forest, killing all external exalted emperors, and putting money in the bank!

He would fleece the sheep first as he guarded Orchid Forest, strengthening himself and the group. The young man now rather wished for Orchid Forest to be at peace for a while longer. A sixth rank dao universe was not his ultimate goal.

Sword Sovereign and the others were used to running after each job. But once they took out Orchid Forest, Cold River, Skywave, and Nether Moon around them would be on high alert. They might even hunt down the perpetrators.

It would be very difficult to come back for more.

In addition, would the Red Moon master leave his world if the Sword Sovereign refused to leave after taking care of Orchid Forest?

Not necessarily!

They needed to cast a long line to reel in a big fish. Such were Li Hao’s thoughts.

Of course, those weren't necessarily echoed by the Sword Sovereign. Hence, the young man was also considering if he should agree or disagree with the Sword Sovereign’s potential insistence on eliminating Orchid Forest.

Based on their previous plan, they would shoot and run. If he changed the plan on the spot, would changes ripple from that decision?

It might even cause some conflict with New Martial. They had different goals in mind compared to his. Their core belief was that one less enemy was always preferable. Killing one today and another one tomorrow... They would fish for whatever big fish they could get. If they couldn’t, they would kill some weaklings to weaken their opponent.

The young man couldn’t say that they were short-sighted, just that their habits were different from his.

......

Li Hao’s group stood on one side of the barrier crack and began repairing it. Rays of imperial intent wafted in the surroundings. All of Orchid Forest was keeping an eye on them. These people were seriously insane.

It’d only been a few days since they arrived, but they dared to kill multiple exalted emperors straight off the bat! Were they really unafraid of death?

In another locale, the Red Moon exalted emperor glowered forebodingly. Since they weren’t too far away from Red Moon, he sent some messages back to the main world. He was requesting that Red Moon send more exalted emperors to Orchid Forest. Although Red Moon had suffered heavy losses in terms of high ranks, they still had many mid ranks.

Even Orchid Forest possessed a dozen mid ranks, to say nothing of Red Moon. And as an eighth rank major world, there were plenty of exalted emperors that wished to join Red Moon’s banner.

How dare those bastards kill exalted emperors from an eighth rank major world in broad daylight?! Although Red Moon’s exalted emperors hadn’t expressly identified themselves, everyone was in the know. These assholes were just pretending that they didn’t know their opponents were from Red Moon!

As furious as he was, the Red Moon exalted emperor didn’t say anything. He was a fourth rank, so he wasn’t afraid of Myriad Dao. However, the latter had multiple exalted emperors on his side. Ten low ranks would still overwhelm a fourth rank.

A fourth rank could stand against two or three third ranks, and win, but more than ten exalted emperors...

Forget about it.

......

At the same time, the Orchid Forest Hall of Discourse.

Shadows of exalted emperors were projected into the hall. The world master was absent, so it was another exalted emperor in charge of the proceedings—the ancient sixth rank that Heaven Rite had spoken of, Exalted Emperor Yan Fang. He was the only sixth rank in Orchid Forest apart from the world master.

A loud hubbub was present within the hall as voices rose and fell in discussion.

“Myriad Dao’s group is very possibly lackeys of another major world!” a person angrily growled. “They’re here to stoke the flames of war between us and Red Moon! We must get rid of them to prevent open hostilities with Red Moon!”

“Are you listening to yourself?? Red Moon is the invader here! So what if there are problems with Myriad Dao’s group?! If they’re killing people and turning their weapons on Red Moon, then we support them!”

“It’s not that simple. If we kill large numbers of Red Moon exalted emperors now and... end up losing the battle, how will we explain ourselves then?”

“Explain ourselves? What kind of bullshit is that?? What do we need to explain to Red Moon for?! Are we their vassal state?? We’re Orchid Forest exalted emperors, not Red Moon exalted emperors! Are you going to betray Orchid Forest for an invader?”

“I’m just speaking the truth, that we cannot ruin our future for momentary valor...”

“Hmph, the world master has already said that these are times of war! Those who surrender on their knees never meet with good ends! Only when we make our name known on the battlefield will we be important in their eyes! Even if we cannot hold onto the last and have to surrender, Orchid Forest will not be an ignoble footnote in history!”

“......” Orchid Forest’s exalted emperors were split into two factions. One side was for Myriad Dao’s actions, the other was not. The wandering cultivator’s decisive actions had taken them all by surprise.

They’d thought that they were simply extending an olive branch to wandering cultivators so that the group would not cause trouble. And yet, the wandering cultivators were immediately involved in the death of four exalted emperors. That was absolutely horrifying!

Sounds of debate rose and fell. Even exalted emperors could be terrified of the future, whereas some of them were excited. Enemies should be killed!

Orchid Forest still possessed a dozen mid ranks. Apart from the world master and Heaven Rite, all of them were here.

Aside from Yan Fang, the remaining nine each had their own opinions. Yan Fang stood at their head, his face wizened and old. He didn’t say anything; he was focused on determining the world master’s thoughts.

Did the world master wish for this group of people to exist?

He did!

If he didn’t, he would’ve had an excuse to end Myriad Dao’s group today—regardless of whether or not the young man was from New Martial. That would’ve been the perfect explanation of himself to Red Moon.

And yet, he did not choose to do so.

Clearly, the world master was of a mind to let these people muddy the waters.

If Red Moon did indeed end up winning and seizing Orchid Forest, it would be one thing if bygones were bygones. But if Red Moon wished to assign blame, then they had a readymade scapegoat.

Yan Fang understood the world master’s considerations. If Red Moon didn’t mind and all was water under the bridge, then it would just strengthen Orchid Forest to recruit so many exalted emperors to their side.

The two sides went back and forth. A portion of them had been under the previous dao master’s banner. They opposed Li Hao killing people and wanted to hand him over to Red Moon. That was to be expected since they were most fearful for their lives after the dao master died. They worried that the world master would use any excuse to be rid of them.

Since Red Moon wished to recruit them, then these people would rather work for the Red Moon master instead of the Orchid Forest master. It was highly understandable.

There were quite a few that answered to the late dao master. Of the nine mid ranks present, five stood on the dao master’s side. The remaining four and Heaven Rite also made for five; they were part of the world master’s faction.

A master of dao usually held some advantage as they were in charge of allocating dao origin and dao strength. The world master could not measure up to that. There were also more fifth ranks that supported the dao master.