Chapter 197: Everyone Was Satisfied
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Two days later, Fang Ning received word from Zheng Dao that the Truth Department’s Ren Ruofeng, that old man who likes looking like an eighteen-year-old, had a message for him…
The message said, “Brother Dragon, after probing around a little and confirming with Xie Dong, Azure Mountain’s Gu Buwei will temporarily not take action against you for his martial sister’s death. According to my calculations, it might be some time before anyone would say anything after, maybe after her spirit had been punished enough in the Draconic Penitentiary. Hopefully, you’ll be ready for their actions. If you need it, I am willing to be the middleman for you.”
Fang Ning had a frown on his face the entire time. He only knew a little bit about the Azure Mountain. He knew that the master of Azure Mountain, Shang Qingshan, was like a god in his own Azure Mountain realm. Just like his own Draconic Penitentiary, they who enter without permission would be killed.
However, aside from Gu Buwei, Shang Qingshan, and Qi Mei, Fang Ning was not aware of any powerhouses from there. Not even Anderson could fully comprehend their power, only estimate it.
Right at that moment, a system notification popped up.
[The System is evaluating…]
[The System is evaluating…]
[The System has decided to fish at the Land of Heritage.]
Fang Ning had no words to that. “Sir, stop obsessing about that for now. We haven’t settled the problem with the Azure Mountain yet, don’t make new waves. Let’s go and ask the old man Ren.”
The System replied, “Oh, okay. Understood.”
After a while, Fang Ning got in contact with Ren Ruofeng through Zheng Dao, and they made an appointment to meet.
Immediately after, Vigilante A stepped out of the window onto his new flying sword and took to the skies.
The sword-skateboard was really fast. Within three minutes, Vigilante A and Ren Ruofeng met up on the top of a hill near Ji City.
Ren Ruofeng held his fist and saluted. “Brother Dragon, it’s been a while.”
Vigilante A returned the salute by holding his fist as well. “Fellow cultivator Ren, you look better than I’ve last seen you…”
After the pleasantries, they went straight to the main topic.
Hearing Vigilante A ask about the Azure Mountain’s origin, Ren Ruofeng answered without hesitation or concealment. “Azure Mountain’s origin is pretty straightforward. When the tiny planet appeared in the solar system twenty-one years ago, causing the Vitality to recover on earth, a talented man in China, Shang Qingshan, was the first to feel the reappearance of Vitality…”
Fang Ning listened carefully. This was another typical protagonist story. Shang Qingshan’s family background was pretty uncommon in that he was the son of a rich father, but he was also very capable of handling himself. At twenty-three years old, he was the first person to sense the Vitality and found the method to cultivate.
It was only a year later that the Truth Department had been established. Within the one year, he traveled all over China to look for artifacts and cultivation methods, found the entrance to the Azure Mountain realm first, and occupied it. His birth name was not Qingshan, but he changed it because of the name of the arcane realm… 1
To Ren Ruofeng, this man had already treated the arcane realm as his own without the intent to turn it in to the authorities…
With the arcane realm, he managed to rise above everybody else and dominate any negotiations, disciple-recruitment, and resource-pillaging. In addition to that, he had enough foundation to bargain with the Truth Department and maintain the current situation where no one was more powerful than the other.
With a nationwide effort, The Truth Department had located the Land of Heritage twelve years prior, but that was nine whole years of progress between the two parties.
Comparing the vitality concentration between the Azure Mountain and the outside world, it could be postulated that a nine-year progress of cultivation in it would equate to at least a hundred years of cultivation outside.
Ren Ruofeng continued, “According to our many years of spying, the Azure Mountain has a very rich foundation. If we rank them according to the ranking system of your race, there are at least six Lake-level powerhouses, Gu Buwei is one of them being the strongest of the third-generation disciples. Shang Qingshan is probably even stronger than that. However, due to outside world’s thin Vitality Concentration and the upper limit to power levels, they shouldn’t be able to use even a tenth of their strength, so they’d rather stay quietly in the Azure Mountain waiting for the right time while cultivating.”
Hearing that, Fang Ning pretended to scoff. “With only a few Lake-levels and so many restrictions, how dare that Qi Mei behave so pompously, that’s grossly underestimating the vastness of the world… I bet they do not have the noblest of intention as well.”
Ren Ruofeng was stunned hearing that. ‘As expected of the dragon race with their immense power, not even Lake-level powerhouses were able to shake him. He called them “only a few”…
‘I suppose only Sea-level individuals would be strong enough for the dragons to consider as a challenge…’
His face did not betray his emotions as he carried on, “As you said, the Azure Mountain already has three generation of disciples. Shang Qingshan was the founder who accepted four disciples, who also accepted disciples of their own totaling seven-hundred-odd people. It has 365 core disciples, and its strict rules for admittance has encouraged fierce rivalry. They would have a ranking tournament biennially, and all who ranked lower than the 365th would be demoted to fatigue disciples who were in charge of the daily routine of performing menial duties like alchemy, refinement, formations and charms enchantments, and others.”
At this point, Fang Ning asked, “With their kraterocratic system, would there be any chance of the disciples automatically gaining seniority as soon as they advanced to Lake-level?”
Ren Ruofeng looked at him blankly before realizing what Fang Ning was saying. Since the restoration of Vitality, he had read plenty of web novels about cultivation himself and knew about a common story theme — Foundation Establishment disciples would need to refer to Golden Core disciples as martial uncles regardless of their previous status being their martial nephews and nieces or even lower. On some levels, this was a common occurrence as it just pushes the kraterocratic system to its limit.
Ren Ruofeng shook his head and said, “According to the people who were sent in for an exchange, there were no regulations like that. Otherwise, Qi Mei, a Pond-level would be required to call the Lake-level Gu Buwei martial uncle and not senior brother. However, with the current progression of things, that situation might still happen in the future.”
“Those fatigue disciples wouldn’t just be that their whole life, would they?” Fang Ning nodded as he asked, thinking that it was not impossible.
“Fatigue disciples can only be at that level for six years. If they weren’t able to become a core disciple after that period, they would be excommunicated and become an abandoned disciple… If they still wanted to stay within the sect, they would become real laborers and have to wait for opportunities.
“If they choose to leave, they would be required to undo whatever they have learned, nullifying their memory of the cultivation method, sealing their dantian and meridians, and will never be able to cultivate again. It was then that they were allowed to leave.
“That’s even more stringent than the Truth Department. At least we would only seal their dantian and meridians, not wiping their memory of cultivation,” replied Ren Ruofeng.
Fang Ning nodded. “It really is strict. Only a sect like this would culminate into disciples like Qi Mei. Them being tyrannical and condescending is a result of their belief of ‘might makes right’. However, the Azure Mountain was only a frog in a well 2 , what is there to be afraid about? If they were to go around terrorizing people, you can look for me for help.”
Fang Ning thought, ‘I could lure a few more big bosses for Sir System to conquer.’
Ren Ruofeng was really happy with Vigilante A’s promise. He was an insightful man and had already seen through Vigilante A’s behavioral pattern.
With Vigilante A’s arrogance and hatred of evilness, he would never tolerate pompous individuals like the Azure Mountain… Both parties were as if made to clash and were great to keep each other in check for the Truth Department.
It was true that Ren Ruofeng had a very good relationship with Vigilante A, but that was a personal relationship. Other than that, he had his own agenda, and that was to prioritize the Truth Department and China. If he could push Vigilante A to the forefront, shielding them, he would do so without hesitation.
This was why those in the Truth Department were unable to turn green and become the System’s allies on the System Map. Their thoughts were policed by their need to prioritize their organization and not their own.
At this point, Ren Ruofeng said, “That Treasure Trading Convention sounds nice, but it was essentially their way to plunder China’s resources with their technical advantage. Every time they came down here, we had to sacrifice a lot of resources to get some low-grade tools and pills in return. For example, the storage artifacts we get would never exceed three cubic meters in space.
“It’s just like how we started developing our economy, we exchange our manpower with foreign technology and equipment, but they only give us outdated ones. Thank goodness you agreed to build some of the things for us so we don’t have to be exploited by them.”
Fang Ning thought, ‘You’ll only be exploited more by Sir System… It’s even more malicious.’
The System said, “Host, are you talking bad about me? I can feel it, stop denying…”
Fang Ning replied, “Can you even call yourself a hero and eavesdrop on other people?”
Fang Ning continued talking to Ren Ruofeng, saying, “No worries. Keep some materials and money to yourselves. After the first session of the Treasure Trading Convention, I will open up a Dragon Marketplace to sell treasures of the dragon race. It’ll be held on the first day of every Lunar month and hosted by my butler.
Ren Ruofeng was ecstatic, but his expression remained static. As one of the Six Powerhouses of the Truth Department and the leader of its Think Tank Group, he appeared at Vigilante A’s request without hesitation and revealed much of the confidential information. He did all that just to bring in a rival for the Azure Mountain.
After procuring the Face Rejuvenating Pills from Vigilante A, he had been brainstorming for ideas to achieve that. That was why when he had heard Leader Huang’s logistics report that the Venerable Dragon God had the ability to build interspatial equipment, he immediately decided on this strategy.
‘Now that the strategy had worked, it would place us at a tactical advantage… I really am a great planner.’
Fang Ning was even more satisfied with the result. ‘With the cooperation of the Truth Department, I would be able to emulate the Azure Mountain and earn money as well as materials. Disciples? Forget about it, I don’t wanna expose too many of the System’s cultivation methods. Can’t be too careful around people…’
Technically, who else would be able to beat the System who could level up quickly?
Quality-wise, as the System, all of its maneuvers had an inhuman-like accuracy and its productions were of the highest grade among its peers, it could even be described as flawless.
The term Beginner-level only meant that the effects of an item were Beginner-level, its quality was top-notch. It will deliver whatever effects it claimed to have.
Once both parties agreed on the mutually beneficial deal, they left with contentment.
The System rode on the flying sword and asked, “Host, you are over-promising them today. Even one Lake-level is enough for me to be cautious. How are you so confident?”
Fang Ning said nonchalantly, “What do you know? It would definitely help in some way. When they realized Vigilante A had sustained a heavy spiritual injury, they would think Vigilante A was only tooting his own horn. This is an upgraded version of the wolf in sheep’s clothing and we will invert people’s expectation.
“Those people with malicious motives would think they saw through our disguise and will think they have a chance. It will be the Treasure Trading Convention soon, we will be able to meet all the powerhouses from China, and the news of the Venerable Dragon God’s injury would be spread all over the world. We will be one step closer to the Dark Tournament ranking match then.”
The System replied, “I don’t fully comprehend, but it sounded logical… I will do as you wish.”