Chapter 98: 98th Generation Master Takes Disciples – 51K Subscriptions Requested

When the Master's voice sounded from the other end of the phone, Wang Wu was first shocked, but then a huge joy surged.

"Master, master!!" he shouted repeatedly, "So you aren't dead after all, Master!!!"

As he spoke, Wang Wu's voice choked up again. His choking made the previously angry Qin Xiang feel a bit embarrassed.

"Enough, enough," Qin Xiang said impatiently to the phone, "What kind of person am I to your master? How the hell could I die so easily? That kid pretended to surrender and set a trap for me, but now he's already lying on the ground."

After speaking, Qin Xiang hung up. Immediately, a video was sent by Qin Xiang.

Opening the video, it showed Qin Xiang stepping on Killer Bro Wu Yun's head, making a reversed 'V' with his phone, and the caption read:

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Haha, worthless thing, if you can't win you surrender, then you cheat, truly damn incompetent. You worthless one should get hit less, you need to look for your brother more, let him train you properly, understand?】

Looking at the video in his Moments, Wang Wu chose not to repost this time.

After sending his master a red envelope of five hundred yuan, Wang Wu happily posted another update on Moments:

【Shan Ding Dong Yao Guai: Master isn't dead, that's great】

As for the previous update, just as he was about to delete it, the master sent another message:

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Disciple, you don't need to delete that video; keeping it is fine. After all, I, the master, did set a trap for that kid, so leaving it serves as a warning to myself.】

【Shan Ding Dong Yao Guai: Oh, okay, Master】

A five-hundred-yuan red envelope isn't a small amount for Wang Wu now; his account is nearly empty.

But Wang Wu thinks that as long as he opens an account at a local bank and deposits the money, everything will be fine.

Scrolling through Moments, Wang Wu actually has few Juxin friends; aside from Killer Bro, there's only his master and a few Direct Transmission Disciples from Extreme Heaven Vajra Gate.

【Extreme Heaven Vajra Gate Direct Transmission Senior Disciple Acting Master for Taking Disciples (Senior Sister): Deeply mourn Master, you are my reborn parent, a beacon in my dark life. I will forever mourn you. My former master Qin Xiang, you are strong, it's okay (sad emojis)】

【Extreme Heaven Vajra Gate Direct Transmission Senior Disciple Acting Master for Taking Disciples (Senior Sister): Acting master for taking disciples, affordable price, contact my work account jtjgmws1989 if interested】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le @ Extreme Heaven Vajra Gate Direct Transmission Senior Disciple Acting Master (Senior Sister): You're looking for death, huh? Beast, I'm not dead yet!!! (flame emojis)】

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister) @ Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Huh? Master? You're not dead???】

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister) @ Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le: Can't blame me, Master (fear emoji), it was the junior brother posting random videos that made me think you were dead! Master! Don't blame me! You go trouble the junior brother!】

【Bo Sheng Gui Bi Ni Ma Si Le @ Wu Shuang (Senior Sister): Beast, still shifting the blame to the junior brother, you're finished!】

Senior Sister and Wang Wu aren't very familiar, or rather Wang Wu isn't very familiar with his senior brothers and sisters.

Because he's rarely online; even when he is, he usually lurks in Killer Bro's small group or chats with his master.

But Wang Wu does have a clearer impression of this Senior Sister. This guy is very abstract, arguably the most abstract among Wang Wu's senior brothers and sisters.

Often disrespectful to the master and often gets beaten. In the master's posts, you often see videos of him and his beloved disciple 'sparring'; nine out of ten times the protagonist is her.

Senior Sister is quite beautiful; it seems warriors in Killer Bro's world all have high looks, though so far I haven't seen any of their monster-level handsome men or women…

Oh right, Killer Bro's older brother has that level of appearance, with a celestial aura, even slightly stronger than them.

After scrolling Moments a bit more, Wang Wu was about to exit Juxin and return to the real world. At that moment, his Senior Sister Li Ronglan suddenly sent a message.

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister): Fine, you brat, you're messing with me on purpose, right?】

【Shan Ding Dong Yao Guai: No, Senior Sister, I really thought Master had died then. It was a video a friend sent, so I reposted it】

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister): Wu Yun is your friend?】

【Shan Ding Dong Yao Guai: Yeah, we get along fine】

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister): I'm just joking with you, not really blaming you. By the way junior brother, is there anything you like? I'll send you something another day】

【Your sent red envelope (100 Yunguang Coins) has been accepted by Wu Shuang (**Lan)】

【Shan Ding Dong Yao Guai: Sorry, Senior Sister, caused you trouble】

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister): Sigh, you kid, why so polite? We're practically siblings, you and I doing this?】

【Wu Shuang (Senior Sister): Then I won't take advantage of you; in the future, if you encounter anything, just mention my name. I'm sure they'll give you some leeway, after all I, Li Ronglan, have some reputation in Yunguang City (proud emoji)】

【Shan Ding Dong Yao Guai: Uh, then thank you, Senior Sister (awkward emoji)】

This time, Wang Wu finally truly exited Juxin and returned to the real world.

He looked up around; although he had just been here, head down, scrolling his phone, no one paid attention to the obviously out‑of‑place magical thing.

Wang Wu was completely immune to it, or rather, even he didn't think anything was wrong.

After searching the wall for a while, Wang Wu looked back at the fort. At that moment, a local militia member behind him cautiously said:

"Immortal Master, are you looking for someone?"

"Huh?" Wang Wu turned to look at him, "Yes, where did that cultivator go?"

"Um," the militia said, "That Immortal Master is inside the fort. Do you want to go find him?"

"Yes, but you don't need to bring me, I've already found him."

"Bank?"

Zheng Shuang, seated in the fort meditating, was startled by Wang Wu's question, "Fellow cultivator, why ask that?"

"I have some money I'd like to deposit; do you have any recommended banks?" Wang Wu asked with a smile.

"If you want to save money…" Zheng Shuang lifted his head, thought a moment, then smiled, "The best bank in Southern Province is probably my Zheng Family Bank."

"Not bragging, but my Zheng Family Bank has high interest rates; if you need a loan…" Zheng Shuang said, eyeing Wang Wu briefly, then smiled, "If you need to borrow, I doubt you'll need it."

"As for deposits, a three‑year term yields about one‑hundredth annual return. Even for demand deposits…"

Zheng Shuang stopped, as Wang Wu was nearly falling asleep listening. He got straight to the point:

"My Zheng Family Bank has branches in every county of Southern Province; you may choose any for storage."

"Thank you." After Zheng Shuang finally gave the answer Wang Wu wanted, his spirit returned. He bowed to Zheng Shuang and turned away.

"I am Zheng Shuang," a voice called from behind.

"Wang Wu," Wang Wu replied.

Watching Wang Wu leave, Zheng Shuang smiled, then pulled a bizarre-looking object from his Qian Kun sleeve.

If Wang Wu were here, he'd surely notice the object in Zheng Shuang's hand resembles a 19th‑century telephone from his hometown, but with a more 'national style'.

"Dad, it's me, Zheng Shuang. Um, right, there's something I need to tell you, right, um um, um…"

Long‑range communication devices also exist in this world, but they're rather cumbersome to use.

You have to speak while using true Qi to simulate a sound wave, feed it into the handheld artifact. The artifact converts it, encodes it specially, then transmits it at a set frequency to the county's communication hub, which forwards it to the next hub.

So this thing is basically exclusive to cultivators, and it must be a cultivator with a certain level of strength.

For a rural area like this, having a cultivator at the Transcendent realm stationed here is already quite good. As for a True Realm cultivator staying? Don't even think about such a thing.

The True Realm may seem common, but it is still the entry‑level tier of high‑end combat power.

For example, a True Realm cultivator is like the knight class back in Wang Wu's hometown, or the pre‑Qin "shi", the lowest rank of nobility.

But even the security guard of the demon household is a "Hu Ye", and lower‑level nobles are, of course, nobles.

The next morning, He Dong County's troops arrived at Sunjia Bay. Just as Zheng Shuang said: He Dong County is indeed a step ahead of Lin Dong County.

The villagers were quickly taken away, and after the He Dong County forces reached Sunjia Bay, Wang Wu said goodbye to Zheng Shuang and pressed on toward Sanhe County.

Along the way, he passed by Lin Dong County but did not enter.

From a distance as he passed Lin Dong County, the soldiers on the wall instantly grew tense, all aiming at him with the wall‑mounted cross‑bow‑like weapons.

But before Wang Wu could even feel any danger, shouts from the officers on the wall rang out:

"What the hell are you aiming at?! And you! You bastards, that place isn't a human settlement!!!"

After quickly passing Lin Dong County, heading south another fifty‑plus kilometers brings you to Sanhe County, Wang Wu's first destination.

Pick up the goods, then go to the money bank to open an account.

"Hello, I'd like to open an account." After asking a passerby for the location of the Zheng Money Bank, Wang Wu arrived at the Zheng Money Bank Zheng Shuang had mentioned and spoke at the counter.

"Alright, go ahead."

Behind the counter, a sweet‑faced, sweet‑smiling clerk handed Wang Wu a stone tablet.

Or rather, a handheld computer—a PDA—with holographic projection.

"Place your hand on it, then follow my instructions. You're here to open an account and get a deposit card, right?"

"Yes." Wang Wu nodded, kept his hand on the tablet, and then, curiously, asked, "Don't I need any old household registration or something?"

"Hehe, you're joking, of course not."

Before long, Wang Wu's bank card—here called a deposit card—was handed to him.

The process is simple: register, enter personal info, enter verification info, set a password, and that's it.

After Wang Wu completed all the registrations, a jade‑colored card, after a few minutes of the clerk's handling, fell from a strange device, was caught by the clerk, and pushed outside.

"Your deposit card."

Wang Wu took the jade card; the front bore gilded "Zheng Money Bank" in four large characters, the back a string of numbers and several rows of tiny silver‑inlaid text.

The information on it was the same as the bank cards Wang Wu had used before, with no real difference.

This damn thing is a bank card; after flipping it over for a while, Wang Wu was certain.

"Within at most half an hour, your information will sync to every branch of our Zheng Money Bank in Nan Zhou; if you need to withdraw cash, please return after half an hour."

The clerk, still wearing a sweet smile, said to Wang Wu.

"This is what the hell a money bank is."

As he left Sanhe County, Wang Wu still had this matter on his mind.

Even though Wang Wu hasn't spent much time in the human world, his money isn't scarce at all—five thousand seven hundred taels, which converts to about 1.71 million in his hometown's currency.

Most of it came from the Wang Clan, and a portion came from the wealthy Zhao Xingyue.

During that period, Zhao Xingyue paid Wang Wu a total of a thousand taels of silver—a staggering sum, though the woman seemed not to mind at all.

Zhao Xingyue is rich; thinking of her, Wang Wu suddenly felt a tinge of nostalgia.

After recalling Zhao Xingyue, Wang Wu's mind jumped to another person—a Zhao commandant he'd previously clashed with in He Dong County.

The two don't look alike, but Wang Wu can't shake the feeling they're related—after all, they share the surname Zhao.

He left the city and kept moving, but this time he didn't follow the Guan Dao eastward; instead he exited through Sanhe County's South Gate.

Sanhe County is larger than He Dong County, with a reported permanent population of five hundred thousand, and serves as one of the Southern Frontier garrisons of the Nan Zhou army.

Wang Wu could clearly feel that Sanhe County's soldiers far outmatched those of He Dong County in strength and equipment.

The towering, snarling walls of Sanhe County, with their defensive weapons, posed a threat to Wang Wu far greater than anything in He Dong County.

Leaving the South Gate, he followed the Guan Dao eighty kilometers to Luoxi Town, then another hundred kilometers east to the next destination, Yuchuan County.

Wang Wu's pace wasn't fast; riding his horse at roughly sixty kilometers per hour, the one‑hundred‑eighty‑kilometer stretch took about three hours, assuming no detours or slow‑downs.

The horses here are as sturdy as oxen; maintaining sixty kilometers per hour for five or six hours, with a full‑speed sprint lasting about an hour.

The situation in Sanhe County is far better than in Lin Dong County; Wang Wu saw no demon‑men besieging towns, nor any villages that had fallen.

The sky remained dim as always; even at noon, when the sun appeared, its light was unnaturally crimson, bathing the land in blood‑red.

The moment he emerged, the sun was a blood‑colored waning disc.

Squads of cavalry roamed the plains outside Sanhe County—these were Sanhe County's patrol units sent between villages; upon spotting trouble they would report immediately and charge into the village to suppress it.

He continued onward for a while, entering a desolate plain.

He turned his head left to a boundless plain, where even the distant Wang Gu Lin and Si Hun Shan were already buried below the horizon.

The sky was already dark, yet the sun had not set; its rays grew even redder, like the eyes of those cursed demons.

It was a demonic, evil red.

But Wang Wu felt nothing, because a demon sat in his arms.

The Yanzhi beneath him was restless; Wang Wu gently stroked her neck and fed her some food, yet she remained uneasy.

"Wu Lang, shall I go back?" Zi Yuan asked softly, looking at the restless Yanzhi in Wang Wu's arms.

"Not a while longer, then?"

"Then Wu Lang, you can come into the cave residence and watch with me?" Zi Yuan said with a smile.

The two demons were intimate for a while longer, and after a bout of nuzzling, Ziyuan disappeared into the horse.

But after Ziyuan disappeared, Yanzhi was still in an agitated state. Wang Wu had assumed it would settle down after a little while, so he paid it no further attention.

It was not until ten minutes had passed that Yanzhi was still in this same state.

Wang Wu realized something was wrong, so he reined in the horse to make it stop, then gave its rump a slap and sent Yanzhi to the second floor of the fortress.

At this moment, Wang Wu looked ahead once more, only to discover that an inn had appeared there at some unknown point.

An inn in the middle of the wilderness.

Wang Wu remembered very clearly that when he had looked ahead several dozen seconds ago, there was absolutely no inn on the right side of the road.

A lantern hung from a pole at the inn's entrance, swaying in the wind.

Four large characters were written on the lantern: "Coming and Going Inn."

It emitted a blood-red glow, as eerie as the sun in the sky.

All the inn's windows were covered with a layer of paper, making it impossible to see clearly inside.

A very ancient design; it was Wang Wu's first time seeing paper-covered windows in this world. Because this side had glass windows.

Wang Wu picked his nostrils, dug out a lump of snot, bent down, and wiped it on the ground. Then he strode toward the inn with the blood-red lantern.

"Are you open for business?"

Wang Wu pushed the door open and walked into the inn.

Inside the inn, the guests all turned their heads. The moment he saw this group of people, Wang Wu was taken aback.

None of them had faces.

"Are you monsters?" Wang Wu asked curiously, looking at these people who had turned their heads.

Then he sensed the auras of these people; they did not seem like monsters.

But they were not human, either.

Wang Wu did not know what they were, but he was very curious.

"Never mind." Wang Wu walked past these guests to the counter.

Their gazes followed him as he moved, all the way until Wang Wu stopped.

In an instant, Wang Wu felt as if countless pairs of eyes were staring at him. But when he turned back and counted in confusion, the guests looking at him numbered only fourteen in total.

"Crazy."

Wang Wu muttered, turned back, and looked at the waiter—or perhaps the innkeeper—slumped behind the counter.

"Hey, are you open for business or not?"

Wang Wu asked.

(End of this chapter)