Chapter 9: Forming Factions

Leaving some things unsaid makes the fear of the unknown more potent; this is the Demon Sect, not a charity.

Seeing Wang Yu leave that corner, the two were both fearful and hesitant, never daring to approach him again to strike up a conversation.

And so, the day’s lecture ended, and everyone returned to their respective stone huts.

The twenty-second day of life as a spirit slave.

Wang Yu was using the same method to approach fellow townsmen from Stone Lake City, though he had to change his rhetoric for the others.

There are three types of people willing to learn Those who are resigned to their fate, those who are pragmatic, and those who are ambitious.

The first type is the most numerous, the second type follows, and the third is the rarest. Wang Yu found it easiest to persuade the third type; with the endorsement of Steward Duan’s declaration that day, his reputation carried weight.

As long as they wanted to become outer sect disciples, a brief explanation of the pros and cons, using the Ice Sword Technique as bait and showing them the "pie" he had already tasted, was enough to make these people tempted very quickly.

In the span of a single morning, he had convinced seven people.

At this moment, those two "acquaintances" approached him of their own volition and whispered to Wang Yu.

"We all have mixed or trash spiritual roots; it’s impossible for us to enter the Dao in two months. Not to mention, we don't even know how to read before this. You’re lying to us."

Wang Yu couldn't help but sneer.

"This is the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, not a charity! Do you think my aptitude is good? As long as you are willing to sacrifice your lifespan, entering the sect is simple, and you are no exception."

This kind of ignorance appears among the lower classes in any world, but once they are persuaded, they also become the most steadfast supporters.

The two were rendered speechless again. After a moment of silence, they agreed to Wang Yu’s demands.

"Very good."

Wang Yu smiled and dangled another carrot.

"If you want to shed the status of a spirit slave, increase your monthly tribute of spirit sand to one tael and six qian. Only by being different from the others will you have a chance to be noticed by the Cold Blood inner sect disciples."

"This—"

The two looked at each other, not daring to say more, and could only nod repeatedly.

Seeing this, Wang Yu left once again.

The following days were spent handling the "resigned" group. These people are the most susceptible to threats, so showing a tough attitude is enough, but they are also the most likely to flip.

There are three stewards overseeing the spirit slaves. The one surnamed Duan chose him, but that doesn't mean he is the only one; other stewards use similar methods.

The commotion caused by moving around to recruit people was not small.

And so—he was targeted!

The twenty-eighth day of life as a spirit slave.

A group of haggard, aged "old men" with messy white hair gathered together. All three were at the second level of Qi Refining, and they belonged to the steward surnamed Liu, one of the three stewards.

"Boss Fang, that kid named Wang Yu has recruited quite a few newcomers lately—at least fifty or sixty of them. Will Steward Liu be displeased?"

Boss Fang stared unhappily at Wang Yu, who was still walking about.

"So what if he’s displeased? We can't just kill him. Spirit slaves are the property of Cold Blood Peak. Killing someone in private doesn't just mean paying with your own life; you’ll suffer inhumane torture before you die, and even your soul won't escape."

"Then what do we do?"

"Give him a verbal warning first. If that doesn't work, break his limbs."

"And if that still doesn't work?"

The boss surnamed Fang squinted at his deputy, staring until the deputy backed away, before saying, "If conventional methods don't work, then slaughter a dying old man and dump him in his room."

Framing him.

It’s not that they are simple-minded; it’s just that among the spirit slaves in the stone hut area, there aren't many effective methods that don't easily violate the rules.

At this point, they would need the stewards behind them to intervene.

Whoever is more powerful gets the loyalty of more spirit slaves.

…………

…………

"If you agree, not only will you be fine, but you will also have the hope of becoming an outer sect disciple like me in the future. The future is promising."

"One tael and eight qian of spirit sand, it's a deal."

Having just persuaded another fellow townsman from Stone Lake City, Wang Yu did the math; he had already achieved more than half of his target, and it could be completed within ten days.

He didn't know if Steward Duan would keep his promise, but he had no choice but to gamble. The weak have no say, and questioning is just asking for death; he could only choose to believe for now.

Whether it was a lie or pressure, he kept that one sentence in mind—[One tael of spirit sand belongs to Cold Blood Peak; only the excess belongs to Inner Sect Disciple Su!]

There were two prerequisites for him to turn his life around 1. Steward Duan is willing to put in a good word. 2. Inner Sect Disciple Su is willing to pull him up.

Providing more benefits was his way of demonstrating his value; that’s what works best in the Demonic Path.

He could only make his fellow townsmen suffer a little. Just as he was preparing to find his next target, a dozen spirit slaves surrounded him, blocking him off completely.

Three people stepped out from the crowd; they were the very spirit slaves who had discussed teaching him a lesson, led by the one surnamed Fang.

"Hey, kid, do you know you've crossed the line?"

Wang Yu frowned. This was the Bluestone Plaza; not only were there twenty outer sect disciples watching, but several stewards were also stationed here.

Of course, the most important thing was the group of people from Stone Lake City—both those he had persuaded and those he hadn't. If he showed weakness or ended up beaten black and blue, he would be finished.

Most of those resigned types would defect to the stronger side.

By surrounding him, they were cutting off his path!

Perhaps the spirit slave surnamed Fang hadn't thought that far ahead and simply wanted to scare Wang Yu into voluntarily giving up on recruiting more slaves.

But Wang Yu’s eyes turned red in an instant.

A spirit slave can never turn his life around; he not only needs to operate with the caution of walking on thin ice, but he also needs to be "ruthless"—ruthless in heart, ruthless in hand, and even more ruthless in character—to stand firm.

He could not afford to lose this opportunity!

Presumably, Steward Duan taught him this spell with such situations in mind.

"Ice Sword Technique, go!"

With Wang Yu as the center, the temperature within a ten-foot radius plummeted. Three ice swords condensed around him. As Wang Yu flicked his finger, the three second-level Qi Refining cultivators led by the one surnamed Fang each lost a hand and a foot in one clean sweep.

Thick, dull blood flowed out in a gurgle.

"Ahhh—"

The onlookers retreated violently, terrified of getting blood on themselves.

There was no dialogue; they were taken down the moment they showed malice.

The spirit slave surnamed Fang was terrified, but could only struggle on the ground. The three ice swords did not disappear after the first attack; instead, under the control of Wang Yu’s hand seals, they returned.

The Blood-Burning spiritual power on them alternated with the fresh blood, turning them into completely crimson ice swords.

"Wang Yu, you can't kill me! "Mutual slaughter between spirit slaves is forbidden. If I die, you have to pay with your life."

Wang Yu remained unmoved. He changed his hand seals, and the three blood-stained ice swords shot out again. Just then, a small seal pressed down, growing rapidly in the process.

It crushed all three of Wang Yu’s ice swords into powder.

Steward Duan arrived in a flash, waved his sleeve to retract the artifact, and looked at Wang Yu with a frown.

"Calm down."

Seeing his backer, Wang Yu immediately put on a look of grievance. He was faking madness, not truly insane, and spoke first.

"Steward Duan, you’ve finally arrived! You must uphold justice for me! "I don't even know this man. I was just listening to the outer sect masters' lecture and having some realizations when they surrounded me without a word, intending to dismantle my arms and legs. "I have dedicated half my lifespan to the Holy Sect just to deliver spirit sand and make contributions as quickly as possible, yet these people want to kill someone like me who has sacrificed himself for the Holy Sect."