Chapter 356 177: Hundred Poison Scripture

Xuanyuan One Slash's voice boomed with power, shaking the very air.

It didn't just leave Dao Wuming and the others speechless.

The surviving members of the Blood Saber Hall were also dumbfounded.

How had their quest for vengeance suddenly produced a "Supreme Gang Leader"?

However, Xuanyuan One Slash's word had always been law. Since he had spoken, the disciples of the Blood Saber Hall could only accept it.

One after another, they dropped to one knee.

"We pay our respects to the Supreme Gang Leader!!"

"..."

'I'm suddenly regretting going easy on him,' Jiang Ran thought. 'If I had just killed Xuanyuan One Slash, I wouldn't be in this mess.'

'Now this old man is shamelessly trying to force my hand.'

Besides, after he'd gone this far, killing him now would be unseemly.

Resigned, he could only say:

"Senior Xuanyuan, you are the esteemed Hall Master of the Blood Saber Hall. Your status and reputation are far beyond what a junior like me can compare to.

"If you take me as your master, aren't you afraid your peers in the martial world will laugh at you?"

"Revered Master, you are mistaken,"

Xuanyuan One Slash said.

"As the saying goes, 'In learning, skill takes precedence over age.' Status and reputation are bullshit.

"With a slash like the one you just demonstrated... who in the entire martial world could possibly be your match?

"In my eyes, it's only a matter of time before you become the greatest in the martial world.

"When that day comes, who will dare laugh at what I've done today?"

Hearing this, Scholar Jingtan couldn't help but laugh.

"Xuanyuan One Slash is truly one of a kind. That's actually a brilliant scheme."

Xuanyuan One Slash gave Scholar Jingtan a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

Scholar Jingtan gently shook his head and said to Jiang Ran:

"Young Hero Jiang, this man is a shameless old rogue. If you don't agree, I'm afraid he'll kneel here until he rots.

"And he'll follow you around... begging you to agree.

"If you want any peace and quiet, you might as well just accept him.

"You don't even have to teach him any martial arts, and in return, you'll gain the support of the Blood Saber Hall.

"They're one of the Thirteen Gangs, an extraordinary force. Having them at your beck and call will save you a great deal of trouble."

Xuanyuan One Slash nodded eagerly.

"Well, I'll be damned, sour-faced scholar. So you *can* say something that makes sense."

Scholar Jingtan's face darkened.

"Forget I said anything."

"No, no, no! It's me! I'm the one who doesn't know how to talk,"

Xuanyuan One Slash said quickly. "Sour-faced scholar, put in another good word for me!"

Tang Huayi found the scene amusing and said to Jiang Ran,

"Why don't you just accept him? He's an old man, and it's rather pitiful seeing him kneeling on the ground like that."

'Since when does a witch from the Demon Sect know the meaning of pity?'

'She just wants to watch me make a fool of myself.'

Jiang Ran shot her a glare, then his gaze fell back on Xuanyuan One Slash. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed.

"And if I refuse? What then?"

"If you truly refuse, then so be it. From this day forward, I will simply act as your disciple and serve you with all my heart. I trust that with enough sincerity, I can move even a heart of stone!"

Xuanyuan One Slash declared with a solemn expression.

"...Fine, fine."

Jiang Ran sighed, utterly fed up with being pestered like this.

"Very well. You may kowtow."

Xuanyuan One Slash was overjoyed. Without a second thought, he performed three loud kowtows, his forehead striking the ground. THUD, THUD, THUD.

His forehead was instantly covered in mud and grime.

He wiped it away with a sweep of his hand.

"Disciple Xuanyuan One Slash pays his respects to Revered Master!"

Jiang Ran reached out and helped him to his feet.

"Alright, your wish to become my disciple has been granted. But let me be clear about a few things... I saw how your man, Chen Zixu, acted—he was barbaric, unreasonable, arrogant, and looked down on everyone.

"If that attitude isn't purged, the Blood Saber Hall is doomed.

"I'll leave you to reflect on that...

"Should the Blood Saber Hall stir up trouble in the future, I will not intervene."

"Yes, this disciple understands!"

Xuanyuan One Slash cupped his fist and said,

"From this day forward, this disciple will clean house and rectify our conduct. I will ensure nothing like the incident with Chen Zixu ever happens again. Please rest assured, Revered Master.

"And as for the Blood Saber Hall... if we ever reach a point where we must trouble our Revered Master to step in, then the Blood Saber Hall might as well be disbanded."

Jiang Ran gave Xuanyuan One Slash a long, deep look.

"Good."

And with that, the matter was settled.

Only then did the others gather around, some congratulating Jiang Ran, others congratulating Xuanyuan One Slash.

But when it came to the Hall Master of the Blood Saber Hall, their congratulations were tinged with a great deal of awe and fear.

Ning Jiuyuan and Gu Shengyan, in particular, felt themselves shrink in his presence. This was especially true for Ning Jiuyuan.

She had cursed the man so viciously earlier that now she wished she could hide her head between her legs, terrified that Xuanyuan One Slash would come to settle the score later.

Even Ruan Yuqing lacked her usual confidence when facing him.

But seeing him standing beside Jiang Ran, head bowed and eyes downcast, with none of his former intimidating aura, looking for all the world like a common old man, the crowd didn't quite know what to feel.

They could only marvel at how strange and unpredictable life could be.

Afterward, Jiang Ran ordered everyone to clean up the battlefield, deal with the corpses, and loot them for valuables.

Their owners were dead, after all, so it would be a waste to leave their money behind. It was only natural to collect it all and put it to good use.

In the past, Jiang Ran and his group would have done this work themselves.

But things were different now.

With a wave of his hand, Xuanyuan One Slash declared, "This is work for a disciple." Immediately, the men of the Blood Saber Hall sprang into action. Some dug graves, some searched bodies, and others carried away the dead. Each man had his task, and they proceeded with disciplined efficiency.

Jiang Ran watched in astonishment.

'They really are a tightly-run organization...'

When all the collected loot was brought forward, it covered a large table in the posthouse.

There was silver, weapons, hidden projectiles, and a large pile of Celestial Thunder Pearls.

The Thunderbolt Hall hadn't used many of their Celestial Thunder Pearls this time around.

After their first volley, they were thrown into disarray by Jiang Ran's group before they ever had a chance to launch a second.