Leaving some things unsaid makes it easier to breed fear of the unknown. This is a demonic sect, not a charity hall.
Seeing Wang Yu walk away from the corner, the two men were both frightened and hesitant. They no longer dared to approach and talk to him.
And so, that day’s lecture ended, and everyone returned to their respective stone huts.
Day 22 of the Spirit Slave Life.
Wang Yu continued using the same method to approach his fellow townsmen from Stone Lake City. For others, he had to change his wording.
Those willing to learn generally fell into three categories:
Those who accept their fate, those who know how to adapt, and those with ambition.
The first group was the largest, the second followed, and the third was the smallest. Yet the third group was the easiest for Wang Yu to convince. With Steward Duan’s declaration that day serving as a public endorsement, Wang Yu’s reputation worked well.
As long as someone wanted to become an outer sect disciple, a brief explanation of the pros and cons, using the Ice Sword Technique as bait and showing them the rewards he’d gained, would quickly sway their hearts.
At this moment, those two “acquaintances” took the initiative to approach and whispered to Wang Yu.
“We both have mixed and wasted spiritual roots. There’s no way we can reach the Qi Refining stage in just two months. Not to mention, we didn’t even know how to read before. You’re lying to us.”
Wang Yu couldn’t help but chuckle.
“This is the Blood Reversal Sect, not a charity! Do you think I have good aptitude? As long as you’re willing to sacrifice your lifespan, entry is simple. You're no exception.”
Such ignorance is common among those at the bottom in any world. But once convinced, they often become the most loyal supporters.
The two fell silent again. After a moment of hesitation, they agreed to Wang Yu’s proposal.
“Good.”
Wang Yu smiled and painted a picture for them.
“If you want to shed your spirit slave identity, raise your monthly tribute of spirit sand to one tael and six coins. Only by being different from the others will you have a chance to catch the eye of the Cold Blood Lineage’s True Disciple.”
“This…”
The two looked at each other in disbelief, too afraid to argue, and could only nod repeatedly.
Seeing this, Wang Yu left again.
In the days that followed, he focused on persuading the “accept your fate” type. These people were the most vulnerable to threats and only needed to see a display of force. But they were also the most likely to defect.
There were three stewards overseeing the spirit slaves. Steward Duan had chosen Wang Yu, but that didn’t mean he was the only one recruiting. The other stewards were also using similar methods.
The commotion caused by moving around and rallying people wasn’t small.
So, he had been targeted.
Day 28 of the Spirit Slave Life.
A group of “old men,” their faces haggard, hair tangled and white, gathered together. All three were at the second layer of Qi Refining. They served under a steward surnamed Liu, one of the three stewards.
“Boss Fang, that kid named Wang Yu has pulled in quite a few newcomers lately. At least fifty or sixty by now. Won’t Steward Liu be displeased?”
Boss Fang stared coldly at Wang Yu, who was still moving about.
“So what if he is? We can’t just kill him. Spirit slaves are property of Cold Blood Peak. Harming them privately means not only paying with your life, but also suffering inhuman torture before death. Even your soul won’t escape.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Start with a verbal warning. If that doesn’t work, break his limbs.”
“And if that still doesn’t work?”
Boss Fang narrowed his eyes at the deputy, who shrank back instinctively, before speaking.
“If ordinary methods fail, then kill a dying old man and dump the body in his room.”
Framing him.
It’s not that they’re stupid, it’s just that options within the spirit slave quarters are limited. Most means easily cross the line and violate the sect rules.
That’s when the stewards behind them have to step in.
Whoever shows more strength will gain more loyalty from the spirit slaves.
…
“If you agree, not only will you be safe, but you might also have the hope of becoming an outer sect disciple like me in the future. Your prospects will be promising.
“One tael and eight qian of spirit sand. That’s the agreed price.”
Having just persuaded a fellow townsman from Stone Lake City, Wang Yu calculated with his fingers and found that he had already completed more than half of his recruitment target. He might finish within ten days.
He didn’t know whether Steward Duan would honor his promise. It was a gamble. The weak had no right to speak. To question was to court death. All he could do was believe for now.
Whether it was a lie or coercion, he firmly remembered the saying: “One tael of spirit sand belongs to Cold Blood Peak, only the extra is Su’s personal reward.”
Whether he could turn his life around hinged on two prerequisites:
Steward Duan was willing to pass on a word for him.
The True Disciple Su was willing to pull him up.
Offering greater benefits was one way he could demonstrate his value. In the demonic path, this was particularly effective.
He could only make his fellow townsmen suffer a little. Just as he was preparing to look for his next target, more than a dozen spirit slaves surrounded him, blocking his way completely.
Three figures stepped out from among them. One of them was a spirit slave surnamed Fang, the one who had planned to teach him a lesson.
“Hey, brat, you’re stepping on someone else’s turf. Don’t you know that?”
Wang Yu frowned. This was the Bluestone Plaza. Not only were twenty outer sect disciples watching, but several stewards were also stationed nearby.
More importantly, there were still townsmen from Stone Lake City whom he had or hadn’t persuaded. If he showed weakness or got beaten black and blue, he was finished.
That group of submissive people would mostly flock to the stronger side.
They were cutting off his path forward.
Perhaps the spirit slave surnamed Fang didn’t think that far ahead and just wanted to scare Wang Yu into giving up recruiting more spirit slaves.
But Wang Yu’s eyes instantly turned red.
A spirit slave had no chance of ever rising. He not only needed to tread carefully like walking on thin ice, but he also needed to be ruthless, ruthless in heart, ruthless in hand, and more ruthless than others—in order to stand firm.
He could not afford to miss this opportunity.
Presumably, Steward Duan taught him this spell with this kind of situation in mind.
“Ice Sword Technique, go.”
With Wang Yu at the center, the temperature within a ten-foot radius plummeted. Three ice swords formed around him and, with a flick of his finger, shot out. The three Qi Refining Layer Two slaves, including the one surnamed Fang, each lost an arm and a leg in a flash.
Some thick, dark blood began to flow.
“Aaaahhh—”
The onlookers quickly retreated in panic, afraid the blood might splatter on them.
There was no conversation. The moment they showed hostile intent, they were struck down.
The spirit slave surnamed Fang was terrified, but could only writhe on the ground. The three ice swords did not disappear after their first strike but returned to Wang Yu’s hand under his incantation gesture.
The blood-burning spiritual energy mixed with blood turned them into crimson ice swords.
“Wang Yu, you can’t kill me. Spirit slaves are forbidden from killing each other. If I die, you’ll have to pay with your life.”
Wang Yu remained unmoved. With a shift in his hand seal, the three blood-soaked ice swords shot forward once again. Just then, a small seal descended from the sky and expanded mid-air.
It crushed all three of Wang Yu’s ice swords into powder.
Steward Duan arrived suddenly, waved his sleeve, and withdrew the magical tool back into it. He looked at Wang Yu with a frown.
“Calm down.”
Seeing his backer, Wang Yu immediately put on a wronged expression. He was pretending to be crazy, not actually mad. He quickly spoke up:
“Steward Duan, you’re finally here. You must seek justice for Wang Yu.
“I don’t even know that person. I was just listening to the outer sect elders’ lecture and had an insight, when they surrounded me without a word and tried to break my arms and legs.
“I’ve given up half my lifespan for the Holy Sect, just to deliver spirit sand faster and make contributions. But these people want to kill someone like me, who is dedicating everything to the sect.”