Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Inner Demons' Illusions

CW: mentions of suicide interspersed throughout the next few chapters

Zhongli Qian wanted to refuse. He was a Mahayana cultivator, so with his power and intellect, Yin Hanjiang wouldn't be able to stop him unless he crippled his cultivation. And since Yin Hanjiang wanted Zhongli Qian to work for him, he would have to treat him properly, not like a criminal.

He was about to raise his objections and ask Yin Hanjiang to reconsider, but the red-robed man said, "Zhongli Qian, do you know what the first thing I wanted to do upon returning to the sect was?"

Zhongli Qian's heart stuttered. "I have an idea."

"My plan was to first send Xuanyuan Sect members to gather up wandering cultivators and small sects unaffiliated with the great sects. We could accept those willing to make spirit vows and join the Xuanyuan Sect, while those unwilling would be interrogated for their secret techniques and killed," Yin Hanjiang said heartlessly. "Within three years, all cultivators unaffiliated with the great sects or cultivation clans would belong to us. At that point, we'd take on the weaker sects and make their disciples ours, then overcome the others one by one."

Yin Hanjiang laughed scornfully at himself. "I'm not my lord. I don't mind the lives of the members of Xuanyuan Sect, or the lives of innocent bystanders. I'll do anything in order to achieve my goals.

"Zhongli Qian, your words have held me back, but since you got in the way of my plan, you'll have to make up for it."

"This..." Zhongli Qian used spiritual cognition to sense Yin Hanjiang, and found his words weren't empty.

"I must take my revenge. If you don't want me to bring chaos to the cultivation world, then you had better do your best to stop me. I won't lock you up. It's up to you whether or not you'll be an Altar Master." Yin Hanjiang stood up, turning his back and leaving the main hall, leaving Zhongli Qian to his decision.

Zhongli Qian smiled wryly. He knew Yin Hanjiang was telling him that once he left, Yin Hanjiang would return to his old plan.

Yin Hanjiang hadn't been lying. He really didn't care about Xuanyuan Sect, the cultivation world, or even all lives on Earth. The only person worthy of his concern in this world was Wenren È. In order to avenge Wenren È, Yin Hanjiang could throw away everything else.

"Still want to leave?" Shu Yanyan said, smiling.

Zhongli Qian sighed. "Sect Leader Yin and Sir Wenren both understand people well. Both have been open and upfront, never using underhanded plots so far, but... this is harder to deal with than a plot."

"Well, Yanyan better go prepare a residence for Altar Master Zhongli. It's not ideal to keep staying at Qiu Congxue's place, right?" Shu Yanyan said.

"You don't seem concerned about Sect Leader Yin's current state," Zhongli Qian said. "Aren't you afraid of the world being thrown into chaos?"

"Altar Master Zhongli can worry about it, so why should I stress myself out?" said Shu Yanyan. "Even if the sky falls, there'll be smart people to hold it up. I don't desire much, so I'm happy just to have someone attractive near me to ease my eyes."

Hearing her melodious laughter, Zhongli Qian said, "Protector Shu is wise."

Resignedly, he followed Protector Shu to accept his position as Altar Master. No one was concerned he'd be unable to keep Altar Master Yuan's former subordinates in line. With his capabilities, it wouldn't take him more than a month to sort out the Main Hall.

Shu Yanyan dumped a huge pile of jade slips containing Xuanyuan Sect's history, roster, and regulations on Zhongli Qian. A single jade slip of the cultivation world could hold as much information as a cartload of books, and there were over a hundred of them alone. After piling them all on Zhongli Qian's desk, her face flushed slightly, and she said ruefully, "You don't need to overdo it. Don't stress yourself out too much. The white hair lends you a distinctive air, but if you went bald, there's no way I could like you anymore."