Chapter 30: Going Too Far

Wang Jingyuan pondered for a moment and replied, "Young people are not only intolerant of any sand in their eyes but also think quite simply. If you want to integrate with them, you just need to work harder than they do during business—or rather, martial arts practice—or demonstrate strength that surpasses theirs. They will naturally accept you."

Thinking of this, Wang Jingyuan couldn't help but recall his colleagues from his previous life before he transmigrated. His department had one manager and four employees. Among those four, one was the boss's son, masquerading as an ordinary person, and another was a wealthy second-generation heir experiencing life.

Ironically, these two "crouching tigers and hidden dragons" thought they were hiding their identities quite well, unaware that the middle-aged aunties in the office had stripped their backgrounds bare within the very first week.

Yet, neither of them ever sought special treatment due to their wealth or influence; they worked just as hard as everyone else every day. The department manager was also fair, treating all employees equally.

Consequently, the people in their department never excluded the two, and they even got along quite well, often hanging out together. Unfortunately, the wealthy heir had recently resigned, and he himself had transmigrated. He feared that in this lifetime, they would never be able to gather again.

As Wang Jingyuan was lost in his nostalgic reverie, Lin Pingzhi suddenly asked, "Senior Brother, I know those things were your doing, and the Senior Sister and I will keep it a secret. But Senior Brother... how do you know so much about those... 'rabbit' affairs?"

Of course, it was because Wang Jingyuan could recite the entirety of a certain scandalous novel by heart. In such narratives, the important parts were the modal particles and verbs; the plot itself was completely irrelevant.

Swap the names, change the anatomy—even the gender of the protagonist didn't matter. Any combination could be seamlessly integrated. When Wang Jingyuan had been writing it down furiously, he hadn't thought about it at all; the words had simply flowed as if by divine inspiration.

As Wang Jingyuan turned his head to explain, he suddenly noticed that Lin Pingzhi had already retreated three or four steps. Wang Jingyuan immediately understood and glared at him. Back in his world, one of the things straight men hated most was being mistaken for being gay.

Who the hell promoted that "City of Rot" reputation?! At first, there weren't actually that many bearded men around; it was just like any other city in the country. But once that reputation spread, his hometown actually became a Jerusalem, a utopia in the minds of those bearded men.

Every year, countless bearded men flooded into Rongcheng. Just like that, the label of the "City of Rot" was firmly nailed to the city’s forehead! The reputation of the local men had been severely affected!

Wang Jingyuan looked at Lin Pingzhi with a sly smile and beckoned for him to come closer. After a moment of hesitation, Lin Pingzhi gritted his teeth and shuffled a few steps toward him.

Wang Jingyuan said, "Actually, if you want to blend into the Huashan Sect family, besides what I just mentioned, there is one more direct and effective way."

By now, Lin Pingzhi had forgotten his fear and hurried closer, asking, "May I ask, Senior Brother, what that way is?"

Wang Jingyuan replied as if it were obvious, "Demonstrate your loyalty. Since we are all eating from the same bowl in the same... sect, we naturally have a sense of belonging to our organization. If you encounter oppression from external forces and can stand up to defend the sect, then all your fellow disciples will share your hatred for the enemy."

Lin Pingzhi’s eyes lit up. This was indeed a good idea, but then he slumped. "But Senior Brother, my martial arts are mediocre. I’m afraid I won't be able to stand up for Huashan if I face a strong enemy."

Wang Jingyuan slapped him on the forehead and scolded, "Are you stupid? Our Huashan Sect is one of the Five Mountain Sword Sects, after all. Who would dare to really start a fight with us for no reason?"

Generally, when clashing with rival factions, everyone just quarrels and makes a show of force. What you need to do is seize the initiative and speak first.

Lin Pingzhi thought this sounded simple enough. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother. I understand."

As he turned to leave, Wang Jingyuan called him back. "Come back! What do you understand? There is a lot of nuance here. Just like when your family’s escort agency passed through the territories of mountain bandits, the guards would always shout 'He Wu' first, right? If an inexperienced guard just shouted something ridiculous, wouldn't he be laughed to death? Seizing the initiative also requires a specific format!"

Lin Pingzhi realized this was true. After all, they were a major sect; how could he argue like some riff-raff? He immediately cupped his fists and said, "Please, Senior Brother, enlighten me!"

Wang Jingyuan suppressed a smile and said solemnly, "I will only do this once. Watch carefully and learn well."

Lin Pingzhi immediately focused all his attention on observing Wang Jingyuan's demonstration.

After sending Lin Pingzhi away, Wang Jingyuan felt he had broken a light sweat from the demonstration and that his clothes were less clean. If it dropped any further, it would affect his cultivation efficiency, so he returned to his room.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the door, a wet garment flew straight at his face. He caught it easily and looked at Qu Feiyan, who was standing in the room, fuming.

"Shinichi, if you're going to do laundry, do it properly. Don't mess with my clothes."

Qu Feiyan gritted her teeth. "Just how many dirty clothes have you been hoarding?! I've been washing all morning, and I'm still not done!"

Wang Jingyuan thought about it. "It’s only seven or eight pieces, right? That’s not much."

"Why don't you wash them yourself?!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Washing clothes is so boring. It's like driving a bus through a desert; I'd rather run naked than wash clothes."

Qu Feiyan stared at him in disbelief. "And you have the nerve to dump all your laundry on me?"

Wang Jingyuan curled his lip. "The beast-tamer's monkey was left in the mountains and didn't come with us. Bringing you along was partly for this exact reason. Why else would I have named you Shinichi?"

Qu Feiyan was on the verge of a breakdown. "What does 'Shinichi' have to do with washing clothes?! Also, don't think I don't know that the rumors about my grandfather... that my grandfather is *that* way. I know it was you!"

"Of course it was me. Didn't I tell your grandfather already? Why are you making such a big fuss now?"

Qu Feiyan was almost crying. "You... you've ruined my grandfather's reputation! You’ve made him lose his integrity in his twilight years!"

Wang Jingyuan laughed. "Don't be so dramatic. Your grandfather is an elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult; his reputation in the martial arts world was already poor. Besides, what I've done is a highly effective and feasible method. Tell me, is there anyone left who would suspect your grandfather and Master Liu of colluding?"

"If the Songshan Sect still wants to cause trouble as they originally planned, heh heh..."

Qu Feiyan was no fool; she knew Wang Jingyuan was right, but she was just angry. "You... you... you are too much!"

...

"Too much! This is too much!!!" Liu Zhengfeng, sitting on his bed, had just taken the antidote secretly delivered by Qu Yang, but he didn't feel any better. Instead, he looked even worse than when he had first been struck by the Black Blood Divine Needle.

He held a thin booklet in his hand, his usually calm and gentle face now distorted, his eyes bloodshot and filled with rage.

"Old Qu, Old Qu! How did you promise him?!"

Qu Yang’s expression was also grim. "I did listen to his plan, but I never imagined he would actually go this far. Sigh! It’s too late for regrets now."

Ignoring his internal injuries, Liu Zhengfeng channeled his inner energy and crushed the small booklet into dust. The strain of using his energy aggravated his injuries, causing him to cough violently, and Qu Yang hurriedly helped him lie back down.

Lying on the bed, Liu Zhengfeng’s tiger-like eyes were red, and tears shimmered at the corners. "Old Qu! I’m over fifty years old, and I’ve always been a man of standing. Who would have thought that right at the moment I was about to wash my hands of the martial arts world... sigh!"

Qu Yang comforted him, "Although his methods were indeed... well, looking at it now, they have been effective."

Liu Zhengfeng remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Old Qu, let's leave the Ming Empire when the time comes."

Qu Yang thought about it. Not to mention Liu Zhengfeng, he himself felt he had no face left to stay here, so he nodded in agreement. He finally understood what Wang Jingyuan meant by the promise he made when they parted.

"I guarantee that Liu Zhengfeng will be able to wash his hands of the martial arts world smoothly. It will be hard for him to regret it and stay in the game even if he wanted to."

Yes, with things turned into this, it would be difficult not to leave the martial arts world.

How could he be a disciple of a righteous sect, yet be even more wicked and bizarre than the members of their Sun Moon Holy Cult?