Chapter 411: We Are All Very Loyal

The beggar touched the festering sores on his face, his hands trembling uncontrollably, and spoke incoherently:"I, I definitely won't let him go again. I promise there won't be a next time. Don't kill me, please don't kill me..."

"Don't be afraid, it's just a few bumps," Greenwater Beggar chuckled. "You're a beggar; which beggar hasn't had bumps? As long as you do well for me and don't mess things up again, these bumps will vanish in an instant. Don't you trust what I say?"

The beggar only wished the bumps on his face would disappear immediately, but Greenwater Beggar no longer wanted to listen to him. In his ear, a calling sound repeated incessantly:"Great Ancestor of the Daoist Sect, I sincerely pray to you. Unwelcome guests have appeared in your territory. I am reporting this news to you immediately and am ready to fight for you."

Prayer? What kind of word is that? Greenwater Beggar frowned, recalling the few disciples left in his Daoist sect.

"Keep a close eye here." Greenwater Beggar glanced at the beggar, then turned and disappeared.

The beggar sat by the roadside, his body still trembling uncontrollably.Li Qi.Goodbye, Li Qi. He must not be allowed to escape.

At Boundless Hospital, Wan Jinshian sat in his office, looking at Cui Tik and asking, "What's so urgent that you had to call me here?"

Cui Tik brought a cup of black tea. "Please, Senior Brother, have a seat. Let's strengthen the bond between fellow disciples."

Wan Jinshian set the teacup aside. "Are you out of your mind? How do I explain running to the hospital in broad daylight if someone sees me?"

Cui Tik chuckled. "Senior Brother, that makes no sense. Everyone eats grains; who doesn't get sick?"

Wan Jinshian retorted angrily, "I cultivate illnesses; how could I get sick easily?"

Cui Tik pursed his lips. "That's a fair point. I'll try to choose a more suitable meeting place next time."

"There won't be a next time!" Wan Jinshian was furious. "Let's make this clear now. What do you want from me?"

"Yesterday, you came to me and told me about a unique person who had arrived in Greenwater City—the young man always dressed in white. You also conveyed this important news to He Jiaqing. I believe what you said is true, but I still don't understand why this person in white came here."

Wan Jinshian said impatiently, "I told you, he's from Sage Peak. He caused us trouble before, so he's likely here for us again."

Cui Tik held his teacup and took a sip. "What kind of trouble was it, again?"

"You're very forgetful. I told you clearly that he almost killed Shen Rongqing at the Lotus Pond Teahouse. I don't need to remind you who Shen Rongqing is, do I?"

Cui Tik took another sip of tea, pondered for a long time, then shook his head. "I know who Shen Rongqing is; she's a very talented woman. But I don't think the man in white came for Shen Rongqing this time, nor for you."

Wan Jinshian sneered, "You don't even know the identity of the man in white, yet you can guess who he's here for?"

"It's indeed hard to guess. I saw Carefree Dwelling recruiting people on the street to clear new land, and I found it quite interesting, so I went to watch the commotion. Among the crowd, I think I saw the young man in white you mentioned. I can't be certain it was him, but his clothes, appearance, and age perfectly matched your description. Beside him was an important figure whom I didn't recognize, but his cultivation was very high. If not for the power of the Ancestor, I might not have even been able to see them. I just feel that this important figure looks somewhat familiar. I suspect I might have been mistaken, so I wanted to confirm with you."

Wan Jinshian didn't want to hear any more from Cui Tik; he just wanted to leave the hospital as soon as possible. "I haven't seen either of these two people you saw, and you don't even recognize them yourself. How am I supposed to verify for you?"

Cui Tik pressed his palm down. "Senior Brother, please sit down. Don't be so irritable. It's indeed hard for you to verify alone. I've also invited someone else to join us in verifying."

Wan Jinshian's pupils contracted. "What do you mean by that?"

Cui Tik answered honestly, "I told this person the information you gave me. When he arrives shortly, we can all analyze the intentions of this man in white together."

Wan Jinshian burst into a rage. "You told someone else the information I gave you? And you're having this person come to find me? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Senior Brother, calm down," Cui Tik advised. "This person isn't an outsider."

Wan Jinshian pushed Cui Tik away and roared, "I don't care who he is! If he dares to appear before me, I'll kill him!"

As his words fell, Greenwater Beggar appeared before Wan Jinshian.

Wan Jinshian looked at the beggar before him. He was covered in festering sores, from which green pus oozed. Wan Jinshian had never seen Greenwater Beggar before, but at that moment, he could guess the other's identity.

Greenwater Beggar looked at Wan Jinshian and asked, "You want to kill me?"

Wan Jinshian took a breath and calmly replied, "No." After saying that, he prostrated himself on the ground, attempting to maintain a kneeling posture, but his knees trembled, preventing him from rising. He remained sprawled there.

Cui Tik was much calmer, as it wasn't their first meeting. He was about to bow to Greenwater Beggar, but Greenwater Beggar waved his hand. "No need. Speak. What do you want from me?"

"Senior Brother saw a person in Greenwater City, dressed in white, who came from Sage Peak. I also saw this person..." Cui Tik recounted the events.

After listening, Greenwater Beggar frowned and asked, "You're talking about Zhong Huairen from Sage Peak, aren't you? Why did you insist on telling me about this?"

Cui Tik replied, "To demonstrate my loyalty to the Ancestor."

Greenwater Beggar smiled upon hearing this. "Where is your loyalty? Can I see it?"

"You can!" Cui Tik unbuttoned his robe, revealing a tattoo on his chest that read: "I love the Ancestor."

If Greenwater Beggar hadn't been right there, Wan Jinshian would have burst out laughing. What's the point of this lunatic showing something like that?

"Very good," Greenwater Beggar nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Wan Jinshian. "And you? Are you loyal to me?"

What to do? Wan Jinshian was dumbfounded. He had no tattoo.

"My, my loyalty to the Ancestor, is, is in my heart!" Although his reply wasn't smooth, it was the best answer Wan Jinshian could think of.

"Is that so? Let me see what your heart looks like." Greenwater Beggar waved his hand, and a patch of green pus adhered to Wan Jinshian's chest, disappearing into his skin and permeating his chest cavity.

Wan Jinshian clutched his chest, feeling countless living things roaming and darting through his chest cavity. "Ancestor, spare me, I am absolutely loyal to you," Wan Jinshian pleaded with difficulty.

"Heheheh," Greenwater Beggar squatted in front of Wan Jinshian, scrutinizing his face. "Your face is white, but I see your heart is black. You don't seem that loyal."

"I am loyal!" Wan Jinshian couldn't think of any other words.

"I believe you," Greenwater Beggar patted Wan Jinshian's head. "I'm giving you a task: find out Zhong Huairen's intentions for coming here. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"Disciple, I will do my best!"

"Your best?" Greenwater Beggar was displeased with the answer. "If you fail to accomplish this, you'll lose your life."

Wan Jinshian didn't know how to reply.

Greenwater Beggar stood up and looked at Cui Tik. "You too. Although you are very loyal, I detest loyal cripples. First, tell me, besides demonstrating loyalty, what other purpose do you have for seeking me out?"

Cui Tik answered truthfully, "I crave power."

Greenwater Beggar frowned. "I find it hard to understand you. You want cultivation, don't you?"

Cui Tik nodded. "I yearn for the Ancestor to bestow higher cultivation upon me."

"What do you want cultivation for? A longer life?"

Cui Tik shook his head. "I don't want to prolong my own life; I want to shorten the lives of others."

Greenwater Beggar stared at Cui Tik for a moment. "You and I are quite similar. I'll give you a task as well. Go to Blue Poplar Village, find a beggar on the road leading to the new land, and watch him. See what he does. If he's killed, or if he kills someone else, inform me immediately."

Cui Tik asked, "Does this beggar have any distinctive features?"

"No distinctive features, he's just like any ordinary beggar. But you'll definitely be able to recognize him because I've left a mark on his face."

"How high is his cultivation?"

"Not on the ground; one layer above the clouds."

"Ancestor, I dare not bargain with you, but if his cultivation is on the 'cloud layer,' I'm afraid I won't be able to complete the task of monitoring him."

"I'll help you. Don't you want power? I'll give it to you! Stretch out your hand." Greenwater Beggar tapped Cui Tik's palm, and tiny organisms burrowed into Cui Tik's flesh.

"Thank you for the Ancestor's gift!" Cui Tik bowed again.

Greenwater Beggar looked at the two and nodded. "My disciples, perhaps I shouldn't have killed all of you. Keeping you might be of some use after all." With that, Greenwater Beggar vanished.

Wan Jinshian scrambled to his feet, grabbing Cui Tik. "You damn foreigner, you called the Ancestor here?"

Cui Tik said, "Senior Brother, don't be so agitated. I merely used the power the Ancestor left us to offer him a prayer. You also have his power in your body; it's the herpes I left you. This power is very strong; as long as you focus your thoughts on the herpes, you can also contact the Ancestor."

"That's not what I asked!" Wan Jinshian roared. "Why did you call the Ancestor?"

"I did it to help you, Senior Brother. I know you also want to become powerful. Aren't you following He Jiaqing also for stronger power?"

"I follow him for the new Proliferation State!"

Cui Tik shook his head. "You can deceive me, but you can't deceive yourself. You obey a young man's orders only because you want to become stronger. The power He Jiaqing gives you is ultimately limited. The Ancestor can give you endless power. Join me and embrace the Ancestor's embrace!"

After speaking, Cui Tik took out a needle.

Wan Jinshian was startled. "What are you going to do?"

Cui Tik said in a calm tone, "Relax. I want to give you a tattoo, also saying 'I love the Ancestor.' That way, you can prove your loyalty to him next time you see him."

"Bullshit!" Wan Jinshian pushed Cui Tik away.

Cui Tik wasn't angry. "Senior Brother, a word of advice: if you want to find the young man in white and his friend, go to Carefree Dwelling. They seem to be waiting for someone outside Carefree Dwelling."

Wan Jinshian stumbled to the entrance of Carefree Dwelling. Cui Tik was indeed right; he saw the person he was looking for: the young man in white, Zhong Huairen. What was he doing at Carefree Dwelling? Was he looking for Li Qi and Ma Wu?

Beside him was another man, dressed in a grey-white overcoat and wearing a grey-white top hat. From his back, Wan Jinshian also found him somewhat familiar. He occasionally spoke with the young man in white beside him. Wan Jinshian stared at his profile for a long time but still couldn't figure out who he was.

People came and went around them, but none could see these two. Theoretically, Wan Jinshian shouldn't have been able to see them either. The man's cultivation was very high, and he had concealed the young man in white and himself. However, Wan Jinshian still retained Greenwater Beggar's power, which allowed him to see these two people and also successfully hide himself.

The two spoke softly, and Wan Jinshian could barely make out some of their conversation.

"Mr. Chu, you don't need to be here. I can just have people from the Purity Guard come to keep an eye on things."

"The Purity Guard might not be capable enough. Let's wait a bit longer. I feel it's almost time."

As they spoke, Zhong Huairen, the young man in white, suddenly glanced towards Wan Jinshian. Wan Jinshian thought he had been exposed and quickly hid himself far away.

In reality, Zhong Huairen hadn't seen Wan Jinshian; he had seen Chu Huaiyuan. Chu Huaiyuan arrived at Carefree Dwelling from the street corner, leading a dozen people.

Zhong Huairen asked the man, "Mr. Chu, do you want to go and see?"

The man was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll go and see. You wait here."

(End of Chapter)