Chapter 234: Huang Mazi's Plan

Inside Heavenly Moon Hall of the Heavenly Star Sect, two men and one woman were conversing. The three individuals were Feng Yue, Chen Qiguang, and Huang Fugui.

“Huang,” Feng Yue said coldly, “After hiding for so long, you finally show your face. I thought you were dead!”

Huang Fugui, hearing this, didn't mind. He said with a smile, “Thanks to your good fortune, Madam Feng, I’m doing very well. As the saying goes, one doesn’t visit without a reason. I’m here today to propose a deal with your Heavenly Star Sect.”

“A deal? What kind of deal?” Feng Yue said, her eyes showing disdain and a hint of confusion. “You, Huang the Pockmarked, are penniless. We even gave you that prototype magic treasure. What good could you possibly offer?”

“Madam Feng, please don’t be so fiery!” Huang Fugui replied. “There were some misunderstandings between us, but haven’t they all passed? I want to become a Guest Elder of your Heavenly Star Sect, with an annual salary of ten thousand spirit stones. In addition, your Heavenly Star Sect has ten slots for the Dragon Gate Grand Ceremony, hosted by the Seven Great Immortal Sects. I want one of those slots. How does that sound?”

“Guest Elder?” Chen Qiguang frowned, a sneer on his face. “Fellow Daoist Huang, you’re from Chu. Do you think we would trust you to be a Guest Elder for our Heavenly Star Sect?”

“Precisely!” Feng Yue added. “If you want to be a Guest Elder, why don’t you approach a Chu sect? Are you perhaps a spy from Chu?”

“Let me be frank!” Huang Fugui continued. “My main reason for wanting to be a Guest Elder is for that slot. I have a grandnephew whose aptitude is decent, and I want him to join an immortal sect. You made me act, selling a bottle of third-tier pills to a Core Formation cultivator from Song. The four sects of Song have been looking for me for some time; those pills definitely had a problem. The four sects of Chu are in a cooperative relationship with the Three Sects of Medicine King Valley. If I become a Guest Elder for the four sects of Chu, they might sell me out to the Three Sects of Medicine King Valley one day. I am a lone wolf; if the four sects of Chu sell me out, they will have no qualms whatsoever. Even if they don’t sell me to the Three Sects of Medicine King Valley, they would never give me a slot. To put it plainly, they don't lack a down-and-out Core Formation cultivator like me, but your Wei country lacks Core Formation cultivators. The Grand Unity Immortal Sect has decreed that the six nations shall not attack each other for a hundred years, but if the forces behind Chu ordered an attack on your Wei country, would Chu dare disobey? Chu also has an immortal sect backing it; otherwise, why would you cede territory to Chu? You’ve faced the Green Sun Sect and the Poisonous Gu Sect before. If war breaks out again, and one of you were to suffer a mishap, the Heavenly Star Sect would absolutely not survive. Of course, if you had the ability of Fellow Daoist Guang, capable of fighting one against three, then consider that I said nothing.”

“I am not Wang Huashan; I will absolutely not waver,” Huang Fugui continued. “If war breaks out again, I am willing to represent your Heavenly Star Sect and fight against the Core Formation cultivators of Chu. If you are worried that I am in league with the four sects of Chu, you can arrange a residence for me and have people monitor me day and night. How about that?”

Feng Yue and Chen Qiguang exchanged glances and began communicating through spiritual transmission.

“No matter how well you put it, we still don't trust you,” Feng Yue said. “After all, you are a cultivator from Chu. For us to trust you, you must break ties with Chu. For example, destroy one of the subsidiary forces of the four sects of Chu. Other methods are also acceptable, as long as we see your sincerity.”

“Break ties with Chu? Do you take me for a fool?” Huang Fugui scoffed. “If I break ties with Chu and then you refuse to protect me, wouldn’t I be digging my own grave? If you don't trust me, then so be it. I’ll go to Han or Tang. I don't believe that in this vast world, there's no place for me. If war breaks out again, your Heavenly Star Sect can look out for yourselves!”

After speaking, Huang Fugui stood up and started to walk away.

“Wait, Fellow Daoist Huang, halt!” Chen Qiguang called out. “We are willing to hire you as a Guest Elder, with an annual salary of five thousand spirit stones. You don't have to break ties with Chu. Dealing with Tang shouldn't be a problem, right? Go and kill twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators from Tang’s Five Sects. I will send disciples with you. We will spread this news. These twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators will be your pledge of allegiance. You can refuse, but then don’t blame us for spreading the news about you harming Fellow Daoist Chen. That bottle of pills was mixed with Blood Dove Red. Blood Dove Red is colorless and odorless. After consumption, a cultivator can easily suffer qi deviation during cultivation. Fellow Daoist Chen consumed the pills you provided and suffered a mishap in his cultivation, which is why he had to retreat to Chu. If we don't say anything, Chen Hongtian merely suspects. But if we do, you know the consequences.”

Li Shixian and Chen Hongtian both cultivated wood-attribute techniques. Huang Fugui only knew that the pills had been acquired by a cultivator from Song. As for who consumed them, he had no idea, and he was even less aware of the true reason for the Three Sects of Medicine King Valley’s withdrawal.

Chen Qiguang’s words struck Huang Fugui’s weak spot.

Huang Fugui had known at the time that the pills were problematic, but he had agreed because of the prototype magic treasure. This was also why he didn't want to become a Guest Elder for a Chu sect. One must know that the four sects of Chu were currently in a cooperative relationship with the Three Sects of Medicine King Valley, and to curry favor with them, it was possible that the four sects of Chu might sell Huang Fugui to them.

Of course, he didn't fully believe Chen Qiguang's words, but it was better safe than sorry. If what Chen Qiguang said was true, then he would be in deep trouble.

“Even if you go to Tang, Han, or other countries, who would trust you without a pledge of allegiance?” Feng Yue pressed on. “Setting that aside, if we reveal that you helped us sell poisonous pills to Fellow Daoist Chen, do you think they would dare use you? Wouldn't they worry that this is a trap set by us? After you complete the task, Yunquan County, located on the border between Wei and Tang, will be your home. We'll give you five thousand spirit stones annually. You can recruit your own forces and acquire resources; as long as you can support them, we will not interfere. Huang the Pockmarked, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Do you really think you can get benefits just by talking?”

Huang Fugui’s face showed hesitation for a moment. After a long deliberation, he spoke, “How do I know if what you’re saying is true or false? If, after I succeed, you not only refuse to accept me but also spread the news, wouldn’t that be forcing me onto a path of death?”

“If we wanted to kill you, we could do it right now. Why would we bother with so much effort?” Chen Qiguang retorted. “You can refuse, but the news of you selling poisonous pills to Fellow Daoist Chen will soon reach his ears. At that point, I’d like to see who protects you. You won’t be able to stay in any of the six nations. We’ve cooperated once before. Don’t you trust us?”

Huang Fugui’s expression flickered erratically. He had no way to refuse. If he refused, and Feng Yue spread the news about him selling poisonous pills to Chen Hongtian, it would be a huge problem. That wasn't even the biggest problem. If Wei’s Five Sects were to pin blame on him, claiming he helped spy on Song’s Four Sects, which led to their smooth victory over Song, he would have no way to refute it, especially since he had frequently visited Song before.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll do it. But I have one condition: you must invite Fellow Daoist Huang of the Yellow Sacred Palace to bear witness. The fact that I become a Guest Elder of your Heavenly Star Sect must be widely publicized. Furthermore, after the task is done, I don't want to settle in Yunquan County. I want to settle near your Heavenly Star Sect’s mountain gate; just provide me with a second-tier spirit vein. If I stay in Yunquan County, I won't be able to rest easy, even with my eyes closed.”

If Huang Fugui became a Guest Elder of the Heavenly Star Sect, and other nations’ Core Formation cultivators moved against him, if the Heavenly Star Sect remained indifferent, their subsidiary forces would become disheartened.

“Alright, no problem,” Chen Qiguang agreed without hesitation. “I will immediately relocate a second-tier spirit vein for you to settle near the mountain gate.”

He and Feng Yue exchanged a smile. As long as Huang Fugui was on their ‘pirate ship,’ getting off would no longer be up to him.