A woman in red strode over aggressively. With a look of disdain, she swept a glance at Gu Tiantian, then rolled up her sleeves and struck her hard across the face.
The slap was deafening.
Gu Tiantian’s previously delicate and fair cheek immediately swelled up, turning a hideous red.
"You—"
Gu Tiantian’s head buzzed. Before she could finish the word, another slap landed on her face.
After several more blows, Gu Tiantian swayed and collapsed to the ground, her mind spinning and stars dancing before her eyes.
"You little bitch, trying to seduce my man, are you? I’ve finally caught you."
It took a long while for Gu Tiantian to recover. Just as she was about to defend herself, a massive surge of pressure pinned her down, leaving her unable to move.
The woman before her was at the Golden Core Stage Perfection.
Quick footsteps approached.
Gu Tiantian strained to look up and saw Yang Jie arriving.
She looked at him with pleading, watery eyes, as if finding her anchor. She had just given herself to him; surely, the man would feel sorry for her.
He surely would.
Yet, Yang Jie didn’t even glance at her. He walked slowly toward the woman in red and apologized with a very submissive attitude, "Mistress, I’m sorry—"
The woman looked at him coldly. "Kneel."
Yang Jie dropped to his knees instantly; the movement was remarkably fluid.
"I pay to keep you, and you use my money to support another woman?"
Both were at the Golden Core Stage, yet the disparity in their power was instantly apparent.
The woman’s overwhelming pressure forced Yang Jie to the ground, where he looked as pathetic as a stray dog.
This pressure also spilled over to Gu Tiantian nearby. It felt as if someone were strangling her; the sensation of suffocation was so intense that she was on the verge of death.
"Send her to a brothel. And you, go to a male brothel and learn to control your lower half."
[Plot Deviation Value is at eighty-five percent.]
[Female protagonist halo effect weakened to five percent.]
[Hero Aura effect weakened to forty percent.]
...
In a dim room, Feng Hanye stood surrounded by a group of people.
"My Lord, everything is ready."
"Tonight, I will take back everything that is mine and make Li Sui realize that the seat of the Demon Sect leader is not a comfortable place to sit."
At the same time, a disguised Li Sui was walking down the street. As the leader of the Demon Sect, he naturally had many guards watching him from the shadows.
A calling echoed in his mind.
"Come here..."
"Come here..."
He followed the call and arrived at a small stall.
The stall owner possessed a somewhat ethereal air and a plain appearance, yet Li Sui felt there was something extraordinary about him.
The voice was coming from an ordinary-looking Jade Thumb Ring.
Li Sui did not immediately pick up the ring. He remained exceptionally cautious.
He pointed at a random, unremarkable Dharma Treasure and asked in a low voice, "How much for this?"
"Ten top-grade spirit stones."
The price was quite reasonable.
"I’ll add five more top-grade spirit stones; throw this in as well. I happen to be lacking a thumb ring to wear." Li Sui gestured toward the Jade Thumb Ring.
The stall owner wore a cryptic smile. "Those destined for it must pay the appropriate price. You are facing a tribulation, and this may determine your fate."
The call became even more intense. Li Sui steeled his heart.
His subordinates had already told him that Feng Hanye was returning. Facing that madman, Li Sui didn’t have much chance of winning.
Li Sui was willing to step down, but Feng Hanye still wanted him dead.
"One hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones."
Li Sui offered the greatest sincerity he could muster.
"Take it."
The stall owner tossed both items to Li Sui, who caught them with the utmost care.
The next instant, the stall owner and all his wares vanished.
Even as someone at the Nascent Soul Stage, Li Sui hadn't sensed a shred of energy fluctuation.
He looked on with admiration: "I’ve encountered a true deity."
Meanwhile, the stall owner stretched leisurely. It was Fei Qingsu in disguise. He wore a look of satisfaction: "I’ve encountered a fool."
Fei Qingsu knew that in the original plot, Feng Hanye would scheme to kill Li Sui and replace him as the new Demon Sect leader.
Thus, Fei Qingsu intended to sabotage this plot.
Of course, the plot had already been mangled beyond recognition by his own hands.
What could help someone turn the tables?
A cheat code.
Among the many potential cheat codes, Fei Qingsu was particularly interested in the one used by the young man who famously said, "Do not look down on a poor youth, for the river flows east for thirty years and west for thirty years."
It was time to play the role of the "Grandpa" mentor.
Li Sui protected the Jade Thumb Ring and hurried to a secluded spot.
"Young man, I observe that your foundation is excellent. You are a talent for cultivation and have the potential to reach the Deity Transformation Stage in the future." Using the System’s special means, Fei Qingsu projected his voice from the Jade Thumb Ring directly into Li Sui’s mind.
Li Sui was startled, but upon hearing those words, he became exceptionally overjoyed.
I knew I was a heaven-sent talent!
"Grandpa, you have a keen eye! Who are you?"
"I am a Human Immortal from the outer realms, but alas, I was ambushed by a powerful foe and forced to descend into this world, residing as an Artifact Spirit within the Jade Thumb Ring you now possess," Fei Qingsu bluffed.
Li Sui gasped, "A Human Immortal?!!"
This was a realm he had never even heard of; it existed only in legends.
"Indeed."
Li Sui asked humbly, "May I ask how I should address you, Immortal?"
Fei Qingsu suppressed a laugh. "My surname is Fei. Since we are fated, you may simply call me Grandpa Fei."
"Grandpa Fei!!"
If it weren’t for the immortal saying otherwise, Li Sui would have called him "Daddy Fei" on the spot.
Fei Qingsu stroked his non-existent beard, his gaze kind. "Yes."
"However, I see you are facing a tribulation—a tribulation that will cost you your life."
Li Sui’s mind immediately went to one person: "Does it have to do with Feng Hanye?"
"It does."
"Grandpa Fei, do I need to buy some immortal-grade defensive Dharma Treasures to protect myself? Or should I hire more people?"
"There is no need. My presence is enough."
Grandpa is so imposing!!
Deeply moved, Li Sui couldn’t help but blurt out, "Dad!"
Fei Qingsu: ...
"I have divined that you are the leader of the Demon Sect."
Once this was mentioned, Li Sui began to spill his heart out: "That’s right, Grandpa Fei! You don’t know—twenty days ago, I was still a disciple of my sect. Who could have imagined that while out on a training mission, I would slip, fall, and wake up to find myself sitting on a massive, gilded throne inlaid with precious gems?
Then, a group of aggressive, masked men arrived and hailed me as the Sect Leader.
That was when I realized they meant the Demon Sect! In the outside world, the Demon Sect is hated by everyone. I wanted to run away, but the people around me were watching. As someone at the Nascent Soul Stage, how could I fight off so many cultivators?
The Demon Sect’s conduct is atrocious, and I’ve been living in fear ever since. Who knew Feng Hanye would come back now and try to behead me?
I don’t want this position at all! I just miss our sect’s sweet and gentle Junior Sister."