Chapter 75: A Hands-On Lesson in Going Bad

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: A Hands-On Lesson in Going Bad

"I, Li Hao (Shen Weifeng, Mu Xue...), swear on my Dao Heart that I join the Wenda Alliance of my own free will. I guarantee that from the moment I join the Wenda Alliance, I will never reveal its existence to anyone..."

"I swear on my Dao Heart to support every rule and decree issued by the Wenda Alliance..."

"I swear on my Dao Heart to loyally help every disciple who joins the Wenda Alliance and to protect their privacy..."

"I swear on my Dao Heart to use all my strength to overcome the challenge of Ascension and fulfill the mission to change the world..."

...

After Mu Xue and the others agreed, Li Ye led them in a solemn oath-taking.

The light in the Eldest Senior Brother’s cave residence was dim, and everyone’s expression was exceptionally grave.

Li Ye stood ramrod straight, his voice low and his expression solemn.

He recited a line, and the others followed.

Each line of the oath drew them one level deeper into their bond with the Wenda Alliance.

The oath-taking was complete.

Li Ye let out a sigh of relief, a smile returning to his face. "Alright, Senior Brothers and Sister, we are now the founding elders of the Wenda Alliance. I hope you will all remember the contents of the oath you just took. Let us strive for our common goal."

"Mm."

After reciting the oath, the group was somewhat dazed. They were nervous and bewildered, having no idea if joining the Wenda Alliance was the right or wrong decision.

"Senior Sister Mu, see if you can replicate this watch." Li Ye took the watch from his wrist and handed it to Mu Xue. "The members of the Wenda Alliance will need a token to represent their status."

"Alright." Mu Xue took the watch, closed her eyes, and sent her Divine Sense deep inside it to explore its structure. A moment later, she opened her eyes. "The design is indeed exquisite. For a Mortal, replicating it would certainly be difficult, but with my Artifact Refining skills, it’s no problem at all. I can even add Array Patterns inside and turn it into a small Dharma Artifact."

"There’s no need to make it a Dharma Artifact," Li Ye said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Mu Xue asked.

"The token is only meant to represent status; it doesn’t need any other function," Li Ye said. "Once it becomes useful, it becomes more attractive for others to imitate, which would be troublesome. What we want is for it to be stylish but impractical.

However, Senior Sister, you could put some effort into adding some anti-counterfeiting marks that only we can understand to prevent outsiders from impersonating Wenda Alliance members. For example, you could alter the combination of materials and styles, or change the symbols inside."

"No problem." Mu Xue looked at Li Ye and asked, "Leave it to me. Junior Brother Li, if I’m not mistaken, this little thing you call a ’watch’ is used for telling time, right?"

"Mm," Li Ye nodded. "Senior Sister is as perceptive as ever, figuring out its function at a glance. When you’re making the tokens, you can replicate its time-telling function."

"It’s broken. Do you need me to fix it for you?" Mu Xue asked.

’Broken?’

Li Ye froze for a moment. ’Could it be that the Demon Qi corrosion broke it, and that’s what gave it the ability to control time?’

"No need." Li Ye smiled, taking the watch back. "This is a memento left to me by my master. It was already broken when he gave it to me. To me, it’s just a keepsake. Seeing it reminds me of my master, so it’s best to keep it in its original state."

’There was no way he’d let Mu Xue try to fix the watch. Not only are items imbued with Demon Qi nigh-indestructible, but it wouldn’t do for her to discover the object’s unique demonic properties.

And if she actually managed to fix it and its time-control function disappeared, what a huge loss that would be...’

"That makes sense." Mu Xue nodded nonchalantly. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first. I’ll try to forge the Wenda Alliance’s tokens as soon as possible."

"Please wait, Senior Sister. I still have some follow-up arrangements to make. The Wenda Alliance can’t just be the few of us; that’s not enough," Li Ye said, stopping Mu Xue.

"Junior Brother Li, I don’t think we should be too hasty," said Yin Feihuai. "We’re all on the same side here. We won’t betray you, but we can’t say the same for outsiders. Besides, it won’t be easy to persuade them without some benefit to offer."

"Senior Brother Yin is right. Your status is special; who knows how many pairs of eyes are watching you," said Ji Tianwen. "If you interact with too many people and someone finds out, it could easily lead them to some unpleasant conclusions."

"Indeed. We have plenty of time in the future. We can take it slow," Eldest Senior Brother Shen Weifeng added. "We should try to be completely foolproof."

Everyone was subconsciously procrastinating. This was their instinctive resistance to the risk.

’An oath is just an oath. So what if they break it?’

...

’Like hell I have time to "take it slow" with you guys!’

’I only have a year, alright?!’

Li Ye saw through their perfunctory attitudes and cursed inwardly. He said, "Senior Brothers, we can indeed slow our pace in the cultivation world, but our plans in the Mortal World can be pushed forward a little faster. As you know, my status is special. My master won’t let me leave Changding Peak, so matters in the Mortal World can only be promoted by you."

"That could work." The group exchanged glances and nodded.

"Then do you know how to promote it?" Li Ye asked.

"Naturally, we’ll popularize the Wenda Alliance’s ideals and its glorious future, and entice them with benefits," Jiang Yishan said. "Those Mortals are extremely deferential toward Cultivators. It should be very easy."

"So, you plan to go proselytize in the name of the Cyan Sun Sect?" Li Ye’s expression was odd.

"Of course we can’t reveal our identities," said Jiang Yishan.

"Then what identity will you use?" Li Ye asked.

"The identity of a cultivator," Jiang Yishan said with a frown.

"As a Loose Cultivator with no other status, how will you gain people’s trust?" Li Ye pressed. "How will you know they won’t just feign compliance afterward?"

"This..." Jiang Yishan was stumped, stammering and unable to speak.

"Use the identity of the Wenda Alliance directly," Li Ye said, not making things difficult for Jiang Yishan as he provided the answer. "Don’t use the identity of a founding elder of the Wenda Alliance. You can use the identity of a ’bachelor’ or a ’scholar’ to pull them into the alliance."

"Why?" Jiang Yishan asked instinctively.

"No one will trust a newly founded organization," Li Ye said, shaking his head. "But an organization with a clear hierarchy that has been passed down for thousands of years is a different matter."

"Passed down for thousands of years?" several voices asked at once. For a moment, they didn’t grasp the meaning behind Li Ye’s words.

"We’re pulling the tiger’s skin to make a grand banner." Li Ye sighed inwardly. "A founding elder personally recruiting an ordinary Mortal? How demeaning is that? But, if a mere third-rank bachelor in the Wenda Alliance is already a Golden Core heavyweight in the cultivation world, doesn’t that give the impression that the Wenda Alliance is a colossal entity?

If a third-rank bachelor is a Golden Core, then isn’t the next step up, a great scholar, a Nascent Soul? And a step further, a lecturer, a Divinity Transformation cultivator?

Following that logic, wouldn’t a Grandmaster of the Wenda Alliance be the venerable head of an entire sect? This way, won’t the people we recruit be filled with awe for the Wenda Alliance, and thus not dare to act out of line?"

HISS!

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath, looking at Li Ye as if he were a monster. The astonishment in their eyes seemed to say, ’You can do that?’

"When you’re trying to deceive someone, you can’t just lay all your cards on the table. Even if all you have is a block of ice, you must make them believe a massive iceberg supports you from below."

Li Ye sighed to himself.

’These guys before me have their minds entirely on cultivation. Even when they go out to travel, they can solve most of their problems by relying on their strength and status. Basically, no one would dare make things difficult for them. Schemes and plots are just too foreign to them.’

’To prevent them from screwing things up, he had no choice but to break his previous persona and personally teach them, step-by-step, how to preach and proselytize to recruit people for the Wenda Alliance.’

Li Ye continued, "Before you pull them into the fold, you can even tell them that a certain ’so-and-so’ in this world—and this ’so-and-so’ can be anyone, maybe a general holding immense power, or a regional governor who rules over a domain—is also a member of the Wenda Alliance.

You can even tell him that the only reason those people reached their current positions is because the Wenda Alliance was backing them. Using practical examples will strengthen his conviction even more."

"But these examples are fake. They wouldn’t stand up to any investigation," said Yin Feihuai.

"Doesn’t that just prove how formidable the Wenda Alliance is?" Li Ye laughed. "To operate without a trace, to be able to effortlessly push someone into a high position without anyone noticing... and most importantly, this is something a Golden Core Stage cultivator is telling him personally..."