Chapter 741: Six Hundred Thousand

"Kid, don't just stick to the books. If you try to learn according to any 'Scam Sutra,' you won't get anywhere. Let me teach you; we of the Zuo Wang Dao don't lie to people."

Li Huowang, sitting in the teahouse, drank his tea and watched Liu Wan, who was uttering these astonishing words.

"Deceiving people is always the most rudimentary approach. If you want to trick someone, you have to make them trick themselves," a shifty-eyed man with a handlebar mustache further explained to the young man before him. "Once they've convinced themselves, even the most absurd lies will seem like the truth to them."

Just then, a remarkably haggard old woman, carrying a vegetable basket, walked past the front of the teahouse.

"Look at this Mrs. Liu. Her husband was conscripted as a soldier over ten years ago and still hasn't returned. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows he's not coming back, but she refuses to believe it. She’s convinced he'll eventually return."

"This is a case of self-deception. You don't even need to know what her husband looks like. People who can't let go are the easiest to fool. Watch this."

As soon as Liu Wan finished speaking, he ran a hand over his face, instantly transforming into a white-haired, ragged old beggar before Li Huowang.

With a "clang," Liu Wan struck his bowl, creating a crack, and then tottered toward the old woman.

From his distance, Li Huowang couldn't hear what was said. He only saw Liu Wan cautiously speak a few words to the old woman. Immediately, her hand went limp, the vegetable basket dropped to the ground, and she excitedly rushed forward, bursting into tears.

After their long-awaited reunion, the two, tears of excitement streaming down their faces, leaned on each other as they walked homeward.

A short while later, Liu Wan returned, still in the guise of the old beggar. He had not reverted to his original appearance.

"See? It's as simple as that."

"But you didn't actually deceive her about anything," Li Huowang commented, shelling a few peanuts and popping them into his mouth.

"Who said I didn't deceive her? If I wanted to, she would provide me with food and comfort for the rest of her life. Even after her death, her son, not wanting to be labeled unfilial by the neighbors, would dutifully care for me until my last breath."

"This trick is called 'the cuckoo in the magpie's nest.' Some old swindlers, tired of their trade and without children, use this method to live out their twilight years in comfort."

Li Huowang picked up a teacup and took a sip. "Living together day in and day out, aren't you afraid she'll realize something's amiss? After all, it's her own husband."

"Ah, that's precisely the brilliance of this trick! Think about it: what if an old woman discovers something is wrong? Would she dare to expose it?"

"Bound by the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, would she dare tell others that the husband she waited for over ten years, the man who has shared her bed for months, is actually a fraud?"

"Not only would she have failed to wait for her true husband, but her purity would have been defiled by a stranger, bringing immense shame upon her husband's family. If that truth got out, the neighbors would break her back with their gossip. How could she possibly go on living?"

"Compared to such a desperate fate, isn't it far easier to accept that perhaps she was just overthinking things and deceiving herself?"

"Heh, Senior, you're quite a scoundrel."

"A scoundrel? Aren't humans and beasts both made of flesh? Humans are beasts. All that talk of benevolence, righteousness, ritual, and music is utter nonsense. It's precisely because people believe such drivel that we of the Zuo Wang Dao find it so easy to manipulate others."

Liu Wan set down his tea and continued, "When we of the Zuo Wang Dao perform our tricks, we must go big. The grander the deception, the greater the impact on others, and the more 'Fei Gang' we receive from the Heavenly Venerable."

"'Fei Gang'?" Li Huowang asked, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Call it whatever you like; it's simply a substance. I call it Fei Gang, and with it, we can utilize the divine abilities and cultivation techniques of the Zuo Wang Dao."

"Simple things like illusions and disguises are fine, but the more complex applications are truly powerful: creating dark pawns and living puppets. What's more, the more you deceive, the more exhilarated you become, and the more interesting it gets! Your deceptive abilities will naturally soar!"

"So that's how it works. Thank you for your guidance, Senior." As he listened, Li Huowang's face showed a flicker of longing for such divine abilities.

"But remember, we of the Zuo Wang Dao have our principles. We don't just deceive for Fei Gang; that's too vulgar. In this life, our primary reason for deception is for enjoyment! For the thrill of it! As long as you play well, then... you'll have all the Fei Gang you could ever want!"

"What's the point of gaining a bit of Fei Gang from tricking people? The real skill lies in making ourselves feel genuinely content and bursting into laughter. That's true mastery."

"Indeed, Brother Liu Wan. I was born with a love for trickery, which is precisely why I joined the Zuo Wang Dao."

"Oh, young man, you're quick to catch on! But you're still a step short of deceiving me. I know you didn't just come to join the Zuo Wang Dao of your own accord."

"We of the Zuo Wang Dao always recruit by deception. You were tricked by someone else into becoming a member."

Seeing Li Huowang's silence, Liu Wan continued, "It's fine, it's no big deal. I joined this way myself back then, and even our current Dice Boss came to us in the same manner."

Li Huowang smiled. "That deception was rather crude. I wasn't actually planning anything; I just wanted to see how much Fei Gang I'd gain if I managed to fool you."

"Oh, so that's the case. You're after Fei Gang? You should have said something sooner. I just happen to have a scheme going. How about we team up?"

"If we succeed, you'll have all the Fei Gang you want."

After Liu Wan finished speaking, he picked up his tea and took a sip, then leaned back and thoughtfully looked at Li Huowang. "Did you poison your bowl while I was busy deceiving that person?"

"No," Li Huowang replied with great composure.

Immediately, the two exchanged smiles, simultaneously raised their teacups, and clinked them together with a resounding thud. Their tea splashed high into the air, some spilling into the other's cup, before they both drained their drinks.

Liu Wan smacked his lips a few times. "This poison isn't quite up to par. Those women in the village are far more skilled with toxins."

Without a word, Li Huowang bowed to Liu Wan. "Alright, I'm in for this round. Thank you for the opportunity, Senior Liu Wan. How do we plan to deceive in this one?"

"How can you call this deception? We're going to help people. Let's go!"

Seeing Liu Wan rise from the table, Li Huowang followed suit.

The two walked one behind the other down the clean street, indistinguishable from anyone else in the bustling crowd.

"Senior, who exactly are we going to help?" Li Huowang inquired.

"Of course, we're going to help good people. Let me tell you, the amount of Fei Gang you gain depends on who you deceive; it varies."

"The lowest are ordinary mortals. A little higher are those who are literate and educated. Then come the people from the imperial court, and after them, practitioners of unorthodox paths."

"In any case, the greater the impact, the more Fei Gang is bestowed."

"Oh, I see. In that case, Senior, if we manage to deceive the Emperor, wouldn't that yield the most Fei Gang?"

"Naturally. Do you know why our current Dice Boss earned his title?"