Chapitre 48: Getting recruited
"Peng You..." Cheng Yuan's voice trembled with sorrow as he stared at Peng Zhen in disbelief.
"Why didn't you—"
"There's no need for that, Cheng Yuan. I did what I thought was best with what I had. The sect will live on as long as it has you. I, on the other hand… I'm just a cultivation fanatic. I don't have any other worthwhile skills beyond my passion for the Dao—one that always gives me the cold shoulder." Peng Zhen let out a bitter smile as he spoke.
He had never slacked in his cultivation, yet after 460 years, he was still at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Meanwhile, Dong Yanlin—once he had shed his disguise in battle—revealed a face that looked no older than twenty-seven, yet he was already in the third stage of the Core Formation Realm. His senior brother, Cheng Yuan, was only four years older than him and had already reached the fifth stage of Core Formation. And him? He had devoted himself wholly to cultivation, yet he remained stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
"Was I too extreme in my requirements?" Peng Zhen couldn't help but wonder as he shook his head.
"Judge, I knowingly agreed to and supported everything Peng Zhen did. Whatever punishment you deem fit for him, I would like the same treatment."
A sudden voice broke the silence. Gui Bingwen, who had remained quiet all this time, finally spoke.
"Gui, what are you doing?" Peng Zhen asked in surprise.
"Shut it, Peng. You're not going to hog all the glory of being a martyr and have monuments erected in your honor. I want some too—disciples burning incense for me, bawling their eyes out at my heroic sacrifice. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's throwing my life away gloriously. You won't steal this moment from me." Gui Bingwen straightened his posture, exuding unwavering determination. "Cheng Yuan, don't be stingy with the monuments. I want excellent craftsmanship—something that truly captures my heroic demeanor."
"Fine, fine. It's not like I don't know how bullheaded you are," Peng Zhen said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "No wonder you're still a single dog."
Yang Qing chuckled as he observed the exchange. "Sect Master Cheng Yuan, you have some good sect mates. I can see why you fought so hard for them."
Cheng Yuan's eyes were bloodshot, his lips trembling as he struggled to find words. He wanted to plead for leniency, but deep down, he knew it was futile. All he could do was swallow the pain and accept what was coming, carrying their will forward.
"Well then, now that everything's settled, I shall pass my judgment." Yang Qing's voice turned sharp. "But before that, I need to deal with a little parasite."
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his desk and reappeared before Peng Zhen. Before Peng Zhen could even register what had happened, Yang Qing tapped his forehead. A violent reaction followed—Peng Zhen lurched forward, vomiting blood and a black, sticky substance.
"STAY." Yang Qing's voice was calm, but the weight behind it was absolute.
Cheng Yuan, who had already taken a step forward, found himself frozen in place. The moment he saw Peng Zhen vomiting blood, he had instinctively moved to help—but now, it was as if invisible chains had anchored him to the ground. No matter how much he struggled, his body refused to obey. His mind raced, fully aware of what was happening, yet he couldn't so much as twitch a finger.
Gui Bingwen fared no better. Unlike Cheng Yuan, who Yang Qing's words had stopped, he was subdued with nothing more than a gaze. A single glance from Yang Qing had turned his body into dead weight, unable to move or resist.
Meanwhile, Peng Zhen continued to convulse, hacking up more of the vile mixture. Blood and the black, tar-like substance pooled together, thickening unnaturally. Then, with a sickening squelch, something fell from his throat—a palm-sized worm that looked like an overgrown larva.
It had no eyes, only rows of razor-sharp teeth lining its grotesque, squirming body. Its black skin was covered in crimson runic symbols, etched like they had been drawn with fresh blood. The moment it hit the ground, it shrieked—a sound eerily like a vulture's cry, but distorted, as if its vocal cords had been shredded.
Then, the transformation began.
The worm melted, dissolving into the congealed mixture like salt vanishing into water. The combined mass quivered, then shifted, morphing into an eerie, oval shape.
Seconds later, additional features started forming—first ears, then a nose, then eyes. Finally, a mouth took shape.
Cheng Yuan and Gui Bingwen, still unable to move, could only watch in horror as the grotesque thing took on a disturbingly human-like face. The eyes twitched, trying to open, as if something within was struggling to awaken.
Peng Zhen, still bent over and coughing, locked eyes with the emerging face beneath him. His pupils shrank in pure, unfiltered terror.
"How is he alive? And when did he…?" Peng Zhen asked in a shocked, shaky voice.
How could he not be in shock when the face forming below him resembled that of Dong Yanlin? By all accounts, he thought he was dead, yet here he was—a bloody face he had just vomited. It was only his strong willpower that stopped him from passing out in fright.
"W...h...e...r...e am I?" a weak, raspy, parched voice croaked from the bloodied face of Dong Yanlin.
"Nice of you to join us. You know, it's not very polite to hitchhike in someone else's body without their knowledge. You should ask permission first and discuss terms before doing something like this," Yang Qing said, a playful smile on his face.
He pressed something on his golden eagle medallion, and the courtroom suddenly shifted, changing into an exact replica of the battlefield where Feng Xin had found Peng Zhen and the others. Every detail was mimicked to perfection.
"Who are you? Are you the one who forcefully broke my technique and ejected me from Peng Zhen's body?" Dong Yanlin asked coldly. His face had fully formed, making his words clearer than before. His eyes finally opened, revealing completely black sclera with a red pupil.
"I did it because I wanted to ask you a few things," Yang Qing said, as if making casual conversation.
"Good, good, good... I didn't expect to meet a meddlesome kid." Dong Yanlin sneered as his mocking smile deepened. His gaze shifted to Peng Zhen. "So this was your trump card?"
"Kid, seeing how you dispelled my technique, I can tell you have talent. I don't know what Peng Zhen offered you, but I can give you something far better. Meeting me today might just be your greatest fortune."
Dong Yanlin flashed a smug grin. "I'm part of an organization as powerful as any rank-one sect, and we highly value talent. With your abilities, you'd be nurtured and favored. Reaching the Domain realm within a hundred years wouldn't just be a dream—it would be a certainty.
In fact, I'd be even willing to put in a good word for you with my master, who is a Domain-level expert, to take you in as his personal disciple. What do you say, kid?"
Helping one reach the domain realm was a generous offer, that few could refuse. Dong Yanlin had recognized Yang Qing's talent the moment he disrupted his technique. The method he had used to parasitize Peng Zhen was a blue-grade technique—disrupting and dispelling it required exceptional skill.
More importantly, the offer was genuine. With the Blood Ghost Hand's resources, pushing someone like Yang Qing to the Domain level wouldn't be difficult. Bringing in a genius of this caliber would earn him merit within the syndicate, and if his master accepted Yang Qing, it would raise his master's prestige and strengthen his faction's standing. The syndicate was anything but united—it was a viper's nest, each faction vying for dominance.
"A Domain expert in a hundred years?" Yang Qing mused, stroking his chin. "Now that's an intriguing offer. But if I say yes, what exactly do you want in return?" He smirked slightly.
"There's no such thing as a free meal, especially from someone like you—with that fiendish technique you used on this old man, you practically have 'villain' written all over you."
"Don't worry, I won't ask for much," Dong Yanlin said. "I only need your help in recasting my technique on Peng Zhen."
"In my current state, I won't last long—I need to be incubated in a living being. I'll give you the formula for the technique. Once you've successfully cast it, we'll head to Amber Town, which isn't far from here, and have my senior brother fly us back to the organization. He's a Palace Stage expert."
He added the last part as a veiled threat, warning Yang Qing against trying anything reckless.
"I still don't know the name of the organization I'm supposed to join. Care to share some details?"
"I'll reveal it when we reach Amber Town," Dong Yanlin said. "We're a hidden organization, like those secret clans and sects—powerful but largely unknown."
He would only reveal it when he was in his senior brother's presence. If Yang Qing rejected the offer, dealing with him wouldn't be difficult. After all, this was how the syndicate recruited—extend an invitation, and if refused, eliminate the target to ensure secrecy.
"I thought keeping this ruse up would help me glean something, but seeing how secretive you are with even a name, I guess I can't get much from you," Yang Qing said with a sigh before flashing a harmless smile. "Blood Ghost Hands members sure love their secrets and mysteries. Oh well, better to send you off to the higher-ups. They're bound to have more success prying answers out of you with their specialized techniques. After all, you're not the first Blood Ghost Hands member we've gotten our hands on."
"You—who are you?!" Dong Yanlin yelled in fear, his voice trembling at the sudden shift in events.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't introduce myself," Yang Qing said casually. "My name is Yang Qing, a Soft-Life Judge from the Order. I've heard great things about you, Dong Yanlin, and your senior brother too. He disappeared before we could have a chat and left his hand behind. So pitiful. Well, Dong Yanlin, I wish you a pleasant stay in the Order. Don't worry, we have techniques that'll ensure your longevity and safety. Make sure to tell the guys I'm about to send you to about that Domain Master of yours. They love juicy gossip like that. Bye-bye."
Yang Qing cheerily laughed, then waved his medallion. In an instant, a huge white cocoon enveloped Dong Yanlin, and he vanished. The courtroom soon returned to its normal state.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
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