Chapter Twenty-Five: As Expected, Nothing Good Comes Free
Su Jian could not guarantee that the Alliance of the Righteous Path would fully believe him, but at least he could divert their attention. He could not be the only one under constant scrutiny...
At the very least, the Alliance would not suspect him of killing the Blade King. Otherwise, next time, would they not send a cultivator of the Void-Returning Stage to hunt him down?
A cultivator at the Void-Returning Stage—no matter how one counted, the Alliance did not have many. Any one of them could found a sect and become its ancestor.
Unfortunately, he currently lacked any means to contend with a Void-Returning Stage cultivator. The price, tens of thousands of spirit power, was simply prohibitive.
The difference between the Nascent Soul Stage and the Void-Returning Stage was incomparable.
Next time... perhaps he could use technology to challenge the ways of immortality.
Gao Zhengde, upon hearing this, suddenly saw the light. “With the immortal master’s strategy, dealing with the Alliance will naturally be no problem. I will attend to it right away. Besides, I am acquainted with the lord of Gao Yue City next door; I will ask him to join in the hunt for this fiend. That should not be an issue.”
Su Jian nodded slightly, then instructed, “Though you alone witnessed what happened last night, walls have ears. The commotion from the fight surely alerted the servants in the residence. Before things are settled, not a word must leak from their mouths.”
How to handle them was now Gao Zhengde’s concern.
Gao Zhengde was taken aback; he had not considered this detail. “The immortal master’s reminder is most apt. I will make sure they keep silent. But while there is this window, perhaps the immortal master should first investigate the lake.”
“If the demon is weak, you can destroy it with a flick of your hand. If it is troublesome, you can devise a thorough plan in advance.”
Su Jian politely refused. “There is no hurry. Even if the demon emerges, I have ways to deal with it. I have other matters to attend to now; dealing with the Alliance is not as simple as you imagine. I must stir the flames further.”
The calculations in the other’s heart were clear.
Such urgency was suspicious; how could he fall for it?
Even if there truly was a demon, he would never confront it head-on. At a moment’s notice, he could use the Grand Teleportation Talisman to escape.
No matter how far the demon could leap, it could never catch up to someone as elusive as him.
Besides, Su Jian knew this matter could not be delayed too long; it had to be resolved within two or three days, lest the Alliance’s experts come to investigate.
Gao Zhengde was somewhat reluctant, but could not insist further, for Su Jian’s words were too reasonable.
Su Jian watched the other’s departing figure without a ripple on his face.
He already had a plan for what to do next.
After making sure the courtyard was empty, he returned to his room.
Silently, Su Jian recited in his heart, “Begin summoning players.”
Indeed, he intended to use this player-summoning opportunity. It was impossible for him to investigate the demon in the lake himself; that would play right into Gao Zhengde’s hands.
This player summoning mode had come at the perfect time.
He could assign the task to a player, thus avoiding any danger himself.
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[You have summoned three players this time; all are from the same dimension. You may choose one to summon.]
[The player will appear in this realm with a suitable identity. The player will not know your exact identity. Once summoned, you may assign tasks in system-editor form.]
[Upon completing the task, the player will have the opportunity to select a reward and return to their original world.]
[Guo Jing]
[Ouyang Ke]
[Mei Chaofeng]
Su Jian paused in silence, so many words he wished to say, all of them justifiably harsh.
The dog system—indeed, nothing good comes for free.
Although these three were formidable in the martial world, in his world of immortal cultivation, they were mere weaklings.
Then again, if the summoned player were truly strong, he would not have wasted them on this; he could simply assign the task to destroy the Alliance. Wouldn’t that be more fitting?
Still, since it was free, these three would suffice to handle Gao Zhengde.
Su Jian immediately eliminated Guo Jing. The man was honest and loyal, but far too simple-minded, not suitable for his purposes.
But he was not recruiting subordinates; he only needed a player who could fulfill his objective.
Though Mei Chaofeng was stronger, she was, frankly, a fool. In terms of cunning, she was no match for Ouyang Ke.
Picking the best from a poor lot—there was no real choice.
Su Jian silently recited, “Select Ouyang Ke.”
[Player summoning successful. Randomly descended into Lingzhou City with a suitable identity. Please edit the player’s exclusive task.]
Su Jian quickly composed the task...
[Fulfill one hundred wishes of the task-giver.]
Such a rare opportunity to summon a player for free—if he set such a simple task, he would be wasting it.
[Task publishing failed. Please edit again.]
Su Jian: “……”
[Investigate Gao Zhengde’s conspiracy in the City Lord’s Mansion and find Xi Wang’s whereabouts.]
[Task generated. Awaiting player acceptance.]
Eh?
It worked this time. Su Jian had only been testing his luck.
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Apparently, the dog system was not that intelligent after all.
A pity—had he known, he would have added another condition after “and.”
...
Meanwhile, Ouyang Ke was enjoying a lively show with two beautiful attendants.
Suddenly, a voice sounded in his mind, and his expression turned as if he had seen a ghost.
[Congratulations, you have gained player status. Why hesitate? Opportunity knocks but once. Complete the task and receive generous rewards. Hurry and act!]
Before he could react, his consciousness wavered.
After a long while, Ouyang Ke’s mind cleared, though his face was dark.
He sensed the complete change in his surroundings, realizing this was no dream.
The originator of all this was the voice in his mind.
Demon?
Immortal?
Or some strange entity...
He had not even been given a chance to respond before being sent to this ghostly place.
[Your task has arrived!]
[Investigate Gao Zhengde’s conspiracy in the City Lord’s Mansion and find Xi Wang’s whereabouts.]
[Task hint: You may start your investigation from the lake in the mansion’s backyard.]
[Upon completion, you may choose one reward from the following:]
[The entire trajectory of your future life.]
[The Nine Yin Manual.]
[All of Ouyang Feng’s internal energy.]
Ouyang Ke gazed at the rewards with greed, wishing he could claim them all, but he knew things would not be so simple.
Faced with the inscrutable voice in his mind, he felt powerless.
This was a feeling unlike any he had ever experienced...