Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

"No."

"Innately bestowed, a gift from the gods;"

"..."

Zhang Huaiyi was stunned for a moment, then his tightly furrowed brows relaxed: "Then you're really lucky. You're the only one here."

"Alright, you old fox, stop trying to sow discord."

Wugensheng took a few steps forward, passing Zhang Huaiyi.

He faced the crowd, took a deep breath, and spoke frankly: "Gentlemen, let us become sworn brothers!"

"what?!"

"You fiend, you've gone mad! You've put me in a position of being utterly wicked and unjust. If word gets out and the Trinity Sect finds out, how will we possibly keep our heads!"

“Wugensheng, wake up. Some boundaries cannot be crossed.”

The crowd's intense reaction did not surprise Wu Gensheng. Seeing some people panicked while others remained calm, he couldn't help but laugh:

"The Trinity Gate?"

“Feng Yao has already left Quanxing, so where is Wugensheng now? You have sworn brotherhood with Feng Yao, not with the demon of Quanxing.”

"Besides, it's true that I have a grudge against the Sanyi Sect, but those people are still quite ethical in their actions, unlike some evil heretics who would implicate innocent people like you."

An eerie atmosphere quickly spread as the words fell.

What no one noticed was that an invisible and intangible force was constantly influencing their thinking, deepening their understanding of the anchor points of key sentences, and leading them into cognitive biases.

Wugensheng ≠ Feng Yao.

Trinity Gate → preaching morality.

The crowd was defined as 'innocent'.

These three points alone greatly obscure the seriousness of the sworn brotherhood.

Most importantly, Wugensheng didn't give them even half a second to think before dropping a bombshell.

"Gentlemen, what do you think of my 'Divine Spirit'? I can dismantle any method constructed with Qi; it's just a matter of time. In your eyes, does it qualify me to be unparalleled in the world?"

"Especially you, you old Taoist priest, every time you encounter me, you pester me relentlessly, asking for my divine power to hone your golden light and make progress..."

Wugensheng kept a close eye on the subtle expressions of those people, and sighed softly:

"I have invited you all here today."

"The gods cannot give you what you desire, but I can give you the magic that is almost on par with the gods in your respective fields!"

He first looked at Duanmu Ying in the crowd and said:

"Miss Duanmu, you have saved me from danger many times, but there must be times when your medical skills are beyond your reach, right?"

"In these chaotic times, if you could truly achieve the level you aspire to, countless people would be saved by you. Isn't that exactly your wish as a doctor?"

Next, his chosen target was the short, round-eyed Ma Benzai.

"And Brother Ma, you are a disciple of the Heavenly Craft Hall. If you were to establish your own sect in the future, you would be living under someone else's roof right now."

"Creating a new law is not easy. You may spend your whole life trying to take even the most crucial step. Why don't you let me help you?"

Then, he mentioned Gu Qiting, Zhou Sheng, Zhang Huaiyi... everyone present. Wugensheng spoke passionately and dramatically, stirring up the desires in everyone's hearts.

"Brother Xu, Brother Dong, since you two are the last to arrive, let's end with you two."

"Dan Shi is the Tang Clan's ultimate technique. However, if the two of you were to comprehend two more techniques like this, would it be an advantage... or a disadvantage for your Tang Clan?"

"Could it be that your sect leader will blame you for this?"

Xu Xin and Dong Chang's brains went blank. They felt a surge of heat erupt from their brains, flowing down their meridians and bones, following the movement of their hearts, and landing on their hands and feet, instantly filling them with fiery warmth.

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent as everyone weighed their options.

Wugensheng, his lips parched from talking, picked up the nearby wine jar and drank heartily.

He was also waiting, waiting for an answer that was both inevitable and deliberately coy; at the same time, he believed that his consistent attitude towards people and things would definitely amplify and shake the greed in their hearts.

Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer and coldly questioned:

"Let's set aside whether you have the ability to deliver on the generous reward you promised. Even if you do, what is your request?"

"They can't just hand over such a great opportunity to us for no reason. Do they want to use us to compete with the Sanyi Sect?"

Wugensheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He waved his hand and explained the reason:

"It has nothing to do with the Sanyi Sect, but I really need your help. I need to go to a forbidden area in the southern border to retrieve my daughter's remains, which I cannot accomplish on my own..."

"What? You have a daughter?" Everyone was shocked again.

Zhang Huaiyi suddenly remembered the foreign paintings in the cave. Could that be Wugensheng's daughter?!

"Well... as a father, I have failed in my duties, and it is too late to make amends."

"If I could retrieve the remains of that child who died unjustly, I would have no regrets in this life."

"Sworn brotherhood with you is just a common form of coercion. We'll treat each other like brothers, even if we're broken bones. I've fallen to this state, and I only have this one wish: to ask for your help. That shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

Considering that these upright disciples needed to save face, Wugensheng said understandingly:

"Once this is done, if any of you do not wish to have any further dealings with me, you may simply sever all ties. I will not force you."

"These are all my true thoughts. I urge you to carefully consider them and think twice before acting."

"As for the good fortune I promised you, please wait two months and give me some time to prepare. I, Feng Yao, will always keep my word."

Appeal to their emotions and move them with reason.

His eloquent speech gradually lowered the guard of the crowd, and one after another, people stood up to show their tacit approval.

In the end, only Xu Xin and Zhang Huaiyi remained hesitant, looking at the dark mass of people standing in front of them.

At that moment, they were completely unaware that the power of the group was indirectly influencing their choices and leading them toward the abyss.

The gazes cast upon them, fueled by desire and alcohol, became like malevolent demons, threatening, urging, and coercing them. They were unsettled and, after only a brief standoff, succumbed to the temptation.

Soon after, at the bonfire banquet.

"Bang——!"

As one wine bowl after another clattered together, the thirty-six men swore an oath of brotherhood.

Chapter 184 Fatal Suspicion

Rainy.

Countless tiny raindrops fell obliquely, making a pattering sound, shrouding the entire primeval forest in a veil of mist, seeping into the muddy and damp mountainside.

It has been exactly one month since the 19th day of the intercalary fourth month of the lunar calendar, which is the day when Wugensheng and others swore brotherhood.

The group spent a carefree week together in the valley, sharing their experiences and methods. The barriers between them melted away like ice and snow, and their friendship grew stronger quickly.

To facilitate future communication, Dou Ruchang, the second-in-command of the secret painting group, also taught the "Xiqing" technique to everyone.

He generously distributed the specially made ink he carried with him to his thirty-five brothers and sisters of different surnames.

The method of "Qing" is just one of the techniques of the Secret Painting lineage. It consists of the method of using Qi to make the blood ink reveal the characters and the formula of special ink.

The latter is more crucial, involving the secrets of the sect's inheritance. Dou Ruchang was neither qualified nor dared to reveal it without authorization, so he could only pass on the former and some of the ink.

With that, the banquet came to an end, and the thirty-six people went their separate ways. Wu Gensheng hurriedly bid them farewell, promising to meet again in two months.

However, some people have turned back to the Valley of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms ahead of schedule.

The short figure was enveloped in golden light, speeding all the way into the Cave of He Renwei, holding a burning torch, and following the familiar route to the end of the cave.

“The valley outside...and these interconnected caves, and the seemingly plausible ‘Three-Cart Power’ method to aid Qi.”

"Its perfectly natural structure is almost like a skull connected to a complete spine..."

A deep voice echoed in the silent cave. Zhang Huaiyi stood before the ancient gray-brick pavilion, his expression growing increasingly solemn. His intuition was stronger than ever before; perhaps the opportunity of this entire treasure land was right beside him, just a hair's breadth away.

"Something's still missing..."

“Wugensheng... must know the secret of this place... I asked him several times, but he refused each time.”

Zhang Huaiyi pondered deeply, getting closer and closer to the answer. He carefully searched the location of the collection, trying to find the mechanism, and finally made a breakthrough.

When he climbed the ancient pavilion again, he channeled his Qi and carried away all the wooden boxes one by one.

Finally, as the saying goes, heaven rewards those who wait, and a pair of concave footprints in the center came into view.

"There's a show."

Zhang Huaiyi's face lit up with joy. Previously, everyone had focused more on the valley outside, but had no way to descend the mountain to find He Weiren Cave at the end.

Why?

It was so ordinary that it seemed like an accessory, and for several days in a row, no one could discover its wonder.

Later, when Wugensheng made another promise to everyone, bestowing upon them a fortune comparable to that of the gods, everyone's attention had long since vanished, and they no longer cared about the opportunity he had initially mentioned.

Zhang Huaiyi approached to examine the footprints. The golden light on his body was thick and concentrated. He prepared himself for the worst and carefully placed his foot in the depression.

"Huh? No response?!"

Zhang Huaiyi suspected that the golden light was the reason for the obstruction. He was full of doubts and tried several times without success. So he withdrew the golden light and stood on it, but still could not trigger the mystery behind the footprint.

"Where exactly did things go wrong?"

"Don't rush...think it over slowly..."

Zhang Huaiyi calmed his growing anxiety. He paced back and forth, walking around the ancient pavilion, occasionally lying down to examine the dust-covered cracks.

"Wugensheng... should know how this footprint was triggered."

"What would he do?"

"What did he do...?"

Despite racking his brains, Zhang Huaiyi was still unable to deduce the truth, which was close to the objective facts, from an unknown perspective.

Several hours passed, and he had gained nothing. Sighing with hunger, he sat on the stone steps outside the pavilion, took out a flatbread from his bag, and took large bites, muttering to himself:

"This fiend is definitely up to no good. He even needs to go to the Southern Frontier to help, requiring dozens of people to retrieve his daughter's remains. Such a huge undertaking; it seems like a thorny problem..."

Next, Zhang Huaiyi began to recall all the details and conversations he had with Wugensheng when they became sworn brothers.

"I never imagined that Feng Yao would aspire to be a truly upright person..."

"If they had truly been responsible back then, why would they have hidden themselves from the very beginning when they made such a huge mess?"

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Zhang Huaiyi's mind, as if he had grasped some crucial information. He abruptly stopped eating the pancake and repeated:

"Standing tall and upright?"

"Standing tall and upright..."

"The hole here corresponds to the head; I just stood on the footprint, my back naturally straight..."

"In that state, the Baihui acupoint at the top of the head is the point of reaching the heavens. So... could there be some mystery in the location of the Baihui acupoint corresponding to the top of the cave?"

Thinking of this, Zhang Huaiyi swallowed the pancake whole, clapped his hands, stood up, returned to his previous position, stood up straight, and looked up at the dark cave ceiling.

"Sizzle!!!"

A burst of intense lightning shot out from his palm, then soared into the air, sweeping across the rock wall at the top of the cave, blasting away some debris, but ultimately achieving nothing.

"Did I guess wrong?"

Seeing this, a fleeting look of disappointment flashed in Zhang Huaiyi's eyes. This shouldn't be...

"Standing tall...standing firm...standing firm...could it be that the Yongquan acupoint on my feet needs to be triggered together with the Baihui acupoint on the cave ceiling?"

"Let's give it a try."

Zhang Huaiyi left the location of the footprints, circulated his Qi again, and flicked his left finger, shooting out two beams of golden light that struck the Yongquan acupoint.

At the same time, he did not forget to release golden light with his right hand, also applying it to the Baihui acupoint on the top of the cave.

"Kakakaka!!!"

"boom!"

The yin-yang symbol beneath our feet trembled slowly and expanded, revealing a rectangular passage that stretched downwards.