Under Qin Hong's verbal artistry, Shen Gongbao felt ten thousand kinds of displeasure welling up inside him.
Seeing Shen Gongbao sink into thought without speaking, Qin Hong knew his words had worked.
"Senior Brother Shen!"
Qin Hong pulled Shen Gongbao back from his thoughts, wearing an expression of patient guidance.
"Have you noticed that Second Uncle has been treating you differently lately? Suddenly taking an interest in your cultivation and treating you kindly?"
"As though he suddenly started caring about you!"
Hearing Qin Hong's words, Shen Gongbao, whose thoughts were already tangled in turmoil, instantly went pale.
"How did you know?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Shen Gongbao realized something was off and hurriedly corrected himself.
"This senior brother was discourteous. Please do not blame me, Junior Brother Qin. How did you know?"
Seeing Shen Gongbao's reaction, Qin Hong did not answer directly, because he had already gotten the answer he wanted.
"Hehe, how I knew is not important. What matters is whether Senior Brother Shen has considered why that is?"
Shen Gongbao pondered for a long time, the furrow between his brows refusing to ease.
After a while, Shen Gongbao finally clasped his fists toward Qin Hong.
"I ask Junior Brother Qin for guidance!"
"There is only one reason: the Investiture of the Gods!"
The Investiture of the Gods?
Shen Gongbao was startled, and his face twitched uncontrollably.
Although Shen Gongbao did not hold much status within the Sect of Enlightenment, that did not mean he was a fool.
After all, if Shen Gongbao truly had been a fool, or some incompetent nobody, how could Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning have arranged him as a pawn?
Naturally, Shen Gongbao knew of the Investiture of the Gods Calamity. Now that Qin Hong had brought it up, he could not help becoming more wary. Yet no matter how he thought about it, he could not figure out what the Investiture of the Gods Calamity had to do with him.
As the most diligent cultivator in the Sect of Enlightenment, he did nothing but cultivate. Besides, he was hardly some pillar of the sect. The Investiture of the Gods Calamity had nothing to do with him.
"Senior Brother Shen, when criminals in the mortal world are about to be executed, they are given a good meal beforehand."
"The reason Second Uncle has been acting so strangely!"
"Is because you are about to do something huge—take the blame for Second Uncle, for the Twelve Golden Immortals, and for the Sect of Enlightenment!"
What?
How could that be?
Shen Gongbao felt as though he had been struck by lightning, frozen where he stood.
"This is..."
Seeing Shen Gongbao's mind descend into chaos, Qin Hong pressed his advantage.
"This is why Second Uncle openly looks down on those covered in fur and born with horns."
"Yet still accepted you as his disciple!"
"You were born a black leopard. To be honest, that is complete bullshit!"
"Your talent is not exceptional. You only possess a heart devoted to the Dao and cultivation. You thought that would make Second Uncle think highly of you, but you were wrong!"
"All your efforts over the years have taught you only one thing: in Second Uncle's heart, you will never be one of the Twelve Golden Immortals!"
"No, you are not even his disciple. Your very existence only makes him..."
"Stop talking! Stop talking!" Under Qin Hong's assault, Shen Gongbao finally could not endure any longer. On the verge of collapse, he shouted loudly.
"It is not like that! It is not like that! All of this is fake, fake!"
For all these years, Shen Gongbao had worked hard because he held hope in his heart. Yet hope was the deadliest weapon of all.
What had all those years of effort earned him? The disdain of everyone in the Sect of Enlightenment. Shen Gongbao knew that perfectly well; he simply had never been willing to admit it!
"No, I must say it!" Qin Hong raised his voice. Serious illness required strong medicine; when two sides fought, attacking the heart came first.
At this moment, Qin Hong was both attacking Shen Gongbao's heart and helping him shatter his illusions.
Illusions were far too terrifying!
"Senior Brother Shen, in his heart, you are merely a pawn to be discarded whenever he wishes."
"Your identity determines your existence. To him, you are a disgrace, a stain!"
"You think hard work can change things, but some matters have their endings decided from the very beginning. This is one of those matters!"
"Ah..."
With a loud roar, Shen Gongbao finally broke down. He collapsed onto the ground and wept bitterly!
"Alas..."
Looking at Shen Gongbao weeping before him, Qin Hong stretched out his small hand and gently patted Shen Gongbao's shoulder, his little lips moving.
"Senior Brother Shen, cry it out. You will feel better once you do. This is the knot in your heart, and something you must face. Otherwise, how will you attain Taiyi, Daluo, or even become a Quasi-Saint in the future?"
The sight was as strange as could be: the adult Shen Gongbao lay on the ground sobbing, while Qin Hong, a child, comforted him.
"Come to think of it, Senior Brother Shen, your will and diligence are both first-rate. Why did you come to the Sect of Enlightenment?"
"The Sect of Enlightenment values origins and heritage above all else. Even innate Spiritual Beasts and powerful races like dragons and phoenixes are beneath its notice. And Second Uncle is famous for hating those covered in fur and born with horns. Why jump into a pit when you know it is there?"
"Your origins are lacking, and you do not even have family backing you. Of course you get bullied."
"Forget the Twelve Golden Immortals, who are also second-generation disciples. Even among the third-generation disciples, how many do not look down on you? Alas!"
"Now look at our Interception Sect. My father believes that all things willing to learn may seek the Dao. As long as someone joins the Interception Sect, aside from those whose character is truly terrible, who are given only basic cultivation methods and sent away, even those with poor talent can at least receive the Interception Sect's protection and gain a good opportunity to cultivate."
"Whether you can become immortal is another matter, but at least you will not have to cultivate in constant fear or endure others' scorn!"
"Besides, which of my father's disciples is inferior? Senior Brother Duobao and the other three chief disciples, along with all the other disciples—which one of them is lacking?"
"And your aptitude is not bad either, and you are willing to work hard. In our Interception Sect, even at worst, you would be my father's disciple. You might even become a personal disciple."
"My father is absolutely impartial when it comes to his disciples. Of course, I am the great treasure of the Interception Sect, so I am an exception."
Qin Hong chuckled and continued.
"I have to say, the Sect of Enlightenment has ruined you. Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning has ruined you..."
Under Qin Hong's words, Shen Gongbao had stopped crying, but his face remained full of sorrow. Clearly, Qin Hong's words had dealt him a tremendous blow.
Moreover, every word Qin Hong spoke made sense. They were all things Shen Gongbao could plainly see.
"To be honest with you, Junior Brother Qin, when I had just transformed from a Leopard Spirit into human form, I was brought directly to the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain and became Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning's disciple!"
"I thought I could become an exception and earn a Saint's favor, but who would have thought... alas!"
Holy shit, that was huge!
Hearing Shen Gongbao's revelation, Qin Hong's gaze instantly turned cold, and his tone became sinister.
"Now Senior Brother Shen knows why Second Uncle broke the Jade Void Palace's usual rules for accepting disciples!"
Qin Hong's heart was ice-cold. So it was not that Shen Gongbao had come to seek entry into the sect—Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning had personally gone to find him?
Damn it, Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning had been plotting against my Interception Sect and my father for a long time!
The grudge of this scheme had deepened by several degrees!
How could Shen Gongbao still fail to understand? Steadying himself, he said:
"Junior Brother Qin, could it be that... Master truly intends to scheme against me and have me killed?"
At this moment, Shen Gongbao still held onto his last sliver of trust in Heavenly Lord of Original Beginning, along with the gratitude he felt for his teachings.
Before you continue