Chapter 84: Are You the Demon Cultivator, Then Who Is He?

With that Demon Cultivator's ability, he wouldn't necessarily lose regardless of whom he encountered, but he was different from Ruan Xing; every time he sparred, he had to suppress his own instincts and refrain from using magic power, relying entirely on arrays to resolve things instead, which was quite mentally taxing.

Ruan Xing would rather have him fight a few more matches to exhaust his energy and trump cards.

Unfortunately, heaven did not grant her wish.

Ruan Xing returned to her dwelling in a state of grief and indignation, planning to have a good simulation tonight to vent.

The Real-scene Simulation was activated, and Ruan Xing lay on her bed to get a good sleep first; it wasn't until the next day, when she heard voices coming from the plaza, that she got up and cast a Dust-Gathering Technique on herself.

Her match against that Body Cultivator was the third one on Ring Number One; it wasn't their turn yet, but both had already appeared around the ring, watching others' matches while waiting.

Ruan Xing's heart stirred, and she moved closer, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation: "Good morning, Senior Brother Xiong."

The tall, burly man looked left and right upon hearing someone call him, and only after Ruan Xing patted his sturdy thigh did he lower his head, his voice very muffled: "Sorry, Junior Sister, I didn't see you just now."

Ruan Xing was a bit speechless, but she could tell the other party didn't seem to do it on purpose... never mind, she shook her head and said: "It's alright, Senior Brother Xiong. I am your opponent for the next match. Looking at my small frame, I probably won't be able to take many of your punches, so please show mercy later!"

It was originally just a joke to be humble and flatter the other party, but unexpectedly, Xiong Dacheng said seriously: "That won't do, Junior Sister. I have to break your bones, so you had better buy some Healing Pills to keep on hand."

Ruan Xing:? She was full of question marks; what kind of talk was this?

You, a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, how can your personality be so arrogant? You're spouting such harsh words before the fight has even started?

However, recalling yesterday, when Xiong Dacheng had grabbed that female cultivator and slammed her onto the ground, she couldn't stand up, so why did he have to go to the extra trouble of breaking the female cultivator's arm?

Ruan Xing asked: "Why?"

"Because one must keep their promises. Since I promised Senior Brother Xu, I must do it."

Senior Brother Xu? Who is that? Ruan Xing felt her brain getting even more muddled, and she hurriedly grabbed Xiong Dacheng's lapel: "Come, come, Senior Brother, let's step aside to talk."

After trying a few times without moving him, Ruan Xing felt as if she were pulling a mountain. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a look, and Xiong Dacheng scratched his head in confusion, actually following Ruan Xing's steps to the side.

Looking left and right to ensure no one was nearby, with everyone's attention focused on the cultivators sparring on the rings, Ruan Xing asked impatiently: "Senior Brother Xiong, what did you mean just now? Did Senior Brother Xu tell you that you must break the bones of everyone you spar with?"

"That's right," Xiong Dacheng nodded.

"But why?" Ruan Xing bit her lip in thought.

Xiong Dacheng thought she was asking him, so he said: "Senior Brother Xu said this makes it easier to sell Healing Pills."

So that was it. No wonder there were only ninety-some cultivators in total, yet the Second-grade Healing Pills were selling so briskly. The injuries in the preliminary trials were already this severe; other cultivators would surely feel a sense of crisis, and even if they didn't encounter such a ruthless person in their own preliminary trials, they would still have to buy pills to keep on hand.

Presumably, Senior Brother Xu had arranged for more than one shill like Xiong Dacheng, just to make the fellow disciples with broken bones buy his Healing Pills... wait.

Ruan Xing looked at him in shock, "You're just telling me this?"

Xiong Dacheng seemed even more shocked than her, "Senior Brother Xu didn't say I couldn't tell anyone?"

Ah, this... Ruan Xing held her forehead, "Alright, then what benefits did Senior Brother Xu give you?"

"Benefits?" Xiong Dacheng was bewildered, "Master said I must listen to Senior Brother."

"So he made you do the work without giving you any benefits?" Ruan Xing found it hard to understand, then suddenly a thought flashed, "Wait a moment, you have a Master, are you a Personal Disciple? Which Elder is your Master?"

Perhaps because his muscles were too developed, there was no room left for his brain to grow; Xiong Dacheng said very honestly: "I am a Personal Disciple. Master is sitting on the platform. Senior Brother said Master is always watching me, and if Master thinks I'm doing something wrong, he will definitely come down to stop me."

Ruan Xing's train of thought became a little clearer.

So, the person monopolizing the Healing Pill industry was Senior Brother Xu. He instructed other junior brothers and sisters to severely injure people during the matches and then sell Healing Pills at high prices. However, he did this with the tacit approval of Elder Xu, and their relationship could be seen from their surnames; Senior Brother Xu was a relative of Elder Xu.

This... indeed didn't need to be hidden too much. It was likely that many cultivators knew about it privately, and the matches in previous years had all been done this way. This was an unspoken, yet effectively public, rule of the Jin Tai Dao Discussion.

So her three matches in the preliminary trials were also the result of Senior Brother Xu's behind-the-scenes manipulation to teach her a lesson for stealing business?

Sigh, still couldn't avoid it after all...

Ruan Xing sighed, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xiong."

Xiong Dacheng didn't understand why Ruan Xing was thanking him, and opened his mouth wide to say "Ah?".

Although Xiong Dacheng had no schemes and these immoral things weren't done out of his own subjective will—he didn't even gain any benefits from it, just doing it because his Master and Senior Brother told him to—he actually didn't have his own set of values, following entirely those close to him.

But Ruan Xing wasn't a good person herself; she didn't intend to be a saint who saved others. She laughed without explaining anything and reminded him: "It seems our match is almost here, let's hurry back."

"Oh, oh, okay."

When they returned, the second match had just ended. The loser jumped off the platform looking dejected, while the winner accepted the cheers of the crowd below with smug satisfaction. The referee waved his hand, and in a few moments, the ring was restored to its original state: "Third match, Ruan Xing, Xiong Dacheng, please take the stage."

The two went up to the stage and bowed to each other. The protective barrier rose slowly, and before it was completely isolated, Ruan Xing still heard the voices of the people below.

"Isn't this the one who conceded in the first match yesterday?"

"Yeah, so unlucky to run into this Body Cultivator. The kid is probably going to be beaten to tears."

"That's not necessarily true, what if she concedes again?"

"Haha, concede all three matches? Then why sign up? Just came to play?"

"If she concedes again, that male cultivator from yesterday will have his grievances cleared; he really didn't use a Charm Technique!"

Ruan Xing certainly wouldn't let Xie Huai clear his name, and besides, she didn't intend to lose this match.

"Many thanks for your help, Senior Brother Xu." Xie Huai wore a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth and offered a jade box with both hands, "This is a token of my gratitude."

He had a bye today and didn't go to the plaza, but instead came to Elder Peak.

When he saw his name and Ruan Xing's next to each other on the water-curtain list for the preliminary trials, he had already grown suspicious. After being told a few things by Ruan Xing, he began to investigate, and from Ruan Xing's not-so-subtle pill-selling behavior, he found the person behind it: Elder Xu's nephew, who was also his top Personal Disciple, Xu Sixi.

"Small matter." Xu Sixi waved his hand casually, took the jade box, and opened it to see a mask-like Dharma Artifact lying quietly inside. "Can this Dharma Artifact really change my appearance as you said?" "Of course, you can try it in front of Elder Xu; it will be flawless even before him." Xie Huai was very confident in what he presented.

"Good, rest assured. If it is truly useful, a spot for the Golden Terrace Secret Realm will definitely be yours." Xu Sixi laughed heartily, touching the mask as if he couldn't put it down.

A trace of obscure, unfathomable emotion flashed through Xie Huai's eyes. He lowered his head to bow, his smile gentle: "Then I thank you, Senior Brother Xu."

Coming out of Elder Peak, Xie Huai looked at the Crystal Chair and the transparent water curtain hanging high in the sky above Palm Peak in the distance, which formed a tiny, pale blue dot in his line of sight.

He was indeed a bit worried. Arrays were something he had only started learning half a year before he planned to infiltrate the Xuanbing Sect. Relying solely on his not-very-profound array skills, he didn't have a foolproof guarantee of entering the Golden Terrace Secret Realm, so if he could take a shortcut, he would naturally take it.

He gave a self-deprecating smile; a Demon Cultivator, after all, was inherently unscrupulous.

Xu Sixi's affairs were not a secret within the Inner Sect. Forty years ago, he came to the Nanzhou Xuanbing Sect with Elder Xu. At that time, he had just reached Foundation Establishment and was full of spirit, just in time for the Golden Terrace Secret Realm. He couldn't occupy a spot for Central Province disciples, so he set his sights on the Jin Tai Dao Discussion. Unfortunately, his skills were inferior, and he was not on the list.

For forty years, even though he had now reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, this matter remained an unresolved knot in his heart.

To maintain the appearance of fairness, Elder Xu would not do such a thing as openly violating the rule that each cultivator could only participate in the Jin Tai Dao Discussion once. Therefore, he could only find trouble for the cultivators participating in the Jin Tai Dao Discussion through other means to vent the pent-up frustration in his heart. It just so happened that he could also earn some Spirit Stones, and Elder Xu turned a blind eye to this, so his courage grew, and he even dared to manipulate the match lists.

It was at such a juncture that Xie Huai delivered a Dharma Artifact capable of altering one's appearance into his hands.

It was not that he hadn't sought out similar Dharma Artifacts before, but none were perfect enough; either the duration was too short, or they were ineffective against those with a higher cultivation realm than his. What he needed most was one that was seamless, capable of maintaining his appearance indefinitely without being detected by Elder Xu or the Sect Master.

Xie Huai had guessed that he could alter the competition roster, and thus used this Dharma Artifact to trade for a condition.

Xu Sixi was naturally willing to open this back door for him, so Xie Huai received a bye, and for the next round, and even the re-examination, he would not encounter any opponents above the Foundation Establishment Early-stage.

When Xie Huai first proposed this exchange condition, Xu Sixi was quite surprised, "To trade such a flawless Dharma Artifact just for a spot in the Golden Terrace Secret Realm, aren't you at a loss?"

Xie Huai merely smiled and said: "The Dharma Artifact is of no use to me, but the Golden Terrace Secret Realm is useful to me. To trade it for Spirit Stones would feel like an insult to it, so it is better to offer it to Senior Brother."

Xie Huai lowered his eyes; in any case, once inside the Golden Terrace Secret Realm, whatever was his would have to be returned.

……

"Hoo—"

Ruan Xing panted, her clothes already so tattered that their original appearance was unrecognizable, while her opponent, Xiong Dacheng, lay on the ground, his entire body charred black, twitching incessantly.

The referee announced indifferently: "Ruan Xing, victory."

The protective barrier was withdrawn, and the referee went over to check on Xiong Dacheng's condition. Seeing that he was still conscious, he let him take a Healing Pill to consume himself and helped him off the stage.

With injuries like these, it was unlikely he would be able to participate in tomorrow's third round.

After stepping off the stage, Ruan Xing endured the piercing pain as she tore the Short Sword from her hand; the flesh in her palm had already adhered to the sword hilt, and each tear brought away a piece of blood-stained skin and flesh, making her gasp in pain.

During the match just now, she had tried out almost all the new abilities she had gained in the Simulation the day before. Although she won in the end, it was a pyrrhic victory, and she herself was in no better shape. It was a case of damaging the enemy by a thousand while losing eight hundred herself; she was currently in pain all over, as if her body had been scorched and corroded by fire.

She had to check for gaps and make up for deficiencies; she had to find a way to resolve the problems she encountered in this Simulation.

But she could not end the Simulation yet. Ruan Xing took a Healing Pill, used the Dust-Gathering Technique on herself, and changed into a new set of clothes.

Although her injuries had not yet healed, she looked much more spirited than before.

Ruan Xing inquired about the "Senior Brother Xu" that Xiong Dacheng had mentioned, only then confirming his identity: Xu Sixi, the Personal Disciple of Elder Xu from Elder Peak.

After all, she was the one who had been impolite first by snatching someone else's business without a word. At this critical moment of the Golden Terrace Secret Realm, it was best not to offend people if possible; after all, Elder Xu supervised the Jin Tai Dao Discussion, and it would be easy for Xu Sixi to do something.

A gentleman's revenge is not too late even after ten years; whatever grudges or grievances there were, it wouldn't be too late to settle them after she came out of the Golden Terrace Secret Realm.

After Ruan Xing finished inquiring about Xu Sixi's residence, she headed to Elder Peak.

Most disciples were currently at the plaza watching the matches, as were the Elders, so there should be no one at Elder Peak. After all, giving gifts is all about avoiding prying eyes and acting in secret.

Ruan Xing found a random box in her Storage Bag and filled it with two hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. Just as she was thinking about whether or not to knock on the door to pay a visit, she saw a scene that left her bewildered and dumbfounded.

In the courtyard of the place named as Xu Sixi's residence, a familiar figure stood there, seemingly admiring his own reflection in the courtyard's landscape pond.

Ruan Xing felt as if the blood in her entire body had been frozen, and she stood rooted to the spot as if her feet had taken root.

That was... Wang Zhi? That familiar face was clearly Wang Zhi; Ruan Xing had seen it too many times in the Simulations and would never mistake it.

But why was Wang Zhi in Xu Sixi's courtyard? Looking as swaggering as if he were the master of the house.

She didn't know what Xu Sixi looked like, or rather, a bold hypothesis began to form in her mind.

Wang Zhi was Xu Sixi, the Elder's Personal Disciple was a Demon Cultivator, the Elder was also a Demon Cultivator, and the entire Xuanbing Sect in Nanzhou was a demon's den! Heavens! This is truly disastrous!

No, no, if Wang Zhi was Xu Sixi, then who was Xie Huai? When she first probed Xie Huai, Xie Huai had almost tacitly admitted it.

And if the Xuanbing Sect was the headquarters for Demon Cultivators, what was Xie Huai afraid of regarding his identity being exposed? This was too strange; the information she had obtained today could almost overturn all her previous thoughts.

Her heart was in chaos, her entire mind was a jumbled mess, and she no longer had the heart to go find Xu Sixi to give him the gift; wouldn't that be delivering herself to her death?

Just as she wanted to leave, she was discovered by Wang Zhi in the courtyard.

Wang Zhi was startled, then frowned. He seemed to have been so overjoyed that his vigilance had dropped, but he absolutely could not let anyone ruin his good deeds. No matter who this girl was, she could not be left alive. He struck out ruthlessly, the Spiritual Power of a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator contained within a single blow.

Ruan Xing had just finished a match, her Spiritual Power was nearly exhausted, and she was powerless to resist. Furthermore, she was already injured. She struggled to maintain a thin barrier of Spiritual Power in front of her body, but it was shattered by Wang Zhi in less than a second, destroying her heart meridian.

Her limp body fell backward, and she stopped breathing.

Simulation ended.

Ruan Xing sat up abruptly from her bed, gasping for air. Although rare, death in a Real-scene Simulation did happen.

Thanks to Taolesichen for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to high school student Zhou Yingting for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Qingchengzi for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Xiaokushenshui for the monthly ticket~(End of chapter)