Deceiving the World and Stealing Fame

Seven Autumn City, Laboratory.

Li Banfeng, holding an experimental report, pointed out one of the errors. "My dear Wife, the wormhole is not completely dark. I can see the road and the people around it."

The record player compared the data with the report, "My dear husband, did you really see it back then, or did you sense it using some technique?"

Li Banfeng recalled the incident, "I'm sure I saw it. I didn't use any techniques, not even my Daoist talent."

We should have brought a projector in to take a look, but his mental state wasn't very stable at the time.

The record player also wanted to go inside and take a look. "I'm not satisfied Little Slave I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but Little Slave soul is not at peace."

If we rashly go in—.

"Don't worry, my Wife. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. You must believe me. There really is light inside the wormhole."

The record player rearranged the equations. "If there were light, the gap between the first and second dark bridges should be visible. If a rope were to extend from this gap, it should be able to pull the person below onto the bridge."

However, figuring out how to make this rope will require some effort, my dear husband. The materials for making the rope might not be easy to find, and the cost won't be low, so we need to plan ahead."

Li Banfeng wasn't worried. "He Jiaqing has basically paid back everything. I helped Shen Jingye so much, so it's time for him to do his part."

Not only did Shen Jingye benefit from the balancing of accounts, but He Jiaqing also profited greatly. With Li Banfeng's coordination, more than 20 of his businesses opened one after another, and his economic situation improved steadily.

If you have money, you should expand your business. Even if someone takes down 30 of your 100 businesses, it won't hurt you much. This is the business principle that He Jiaqing has always adhered to.

However, the prerequisite for implementing this principle is having manpower, and not just ordinary manpower, but capable and valiant individuals.

Fortunately, his old subordinates and new key personnel performed well, and in less than a month, sixteen new shops were opened in various parts of Pro State.

He Jiaqing walked around to each shop, focusing on the newly opened silk shop in Big Head. The silk shop was located on Fu Xiang Avenue in Green Water City, across the street from the Bai Le Men, in the most prosperous area of Green Water City.

It's not easy to open a shop here. Da Tou's silk Big Head isn't small either, with three rooms inside and out, and two floors.

They sell not only fabrics, but also ready-made garments.

He Jiaqing was very satisfied and rewarded Big Head: "Brother, life in Pro State is not as good as in Outer State. There is no TV or cell phone at night. You have suffered under my care."

Big Head didn't feel wronged at all. All the dozens of people in the silk shop had to bow to Big Head: "This kind of dignity can only be earned in Pro State. Jiaqing, I owe everything I have today to you."

"Let's not talk about these things, brothers. I think we can run something else on this estate. The shop is so big..."

It's a waste to only sell fabrics, why not... — What happened to your leg?

As the two were going up the stairs, He Jiaqing noticed that Big Head's steps were not right.

"It's nothing, I just twisted my ankle yesterday because I was walking too fast."

In Outer State, Big Head was registered as a Level 5 Fighter with the Dark Star Bureau.

But Big Head's Entry Medicine is a family heirloom; he is not a fighter, but a proper martial arts practitioner.

When they were in Outer State, Big Head had taken a lot of pills with He Jiaqing, and with his diligent cultivation, his cultivation level had already reached the sixth level.

After arriving in Pro State, He Jiaqing provided him with a large amount of elixirs, and Big Head is now 70% a martial arts practitioner.

A seventh-level martial arts practitioner twisted his ankle while walking? Who would believe that?

"Bro, what's going on? Tell me the truth!"

After repeated questioning, Big Head told the truth.

This silk shop was hard-won. It originally belonged to the Su Family, Su Family were quite influential in Green Water City. However, due to some friction with the Azure Cloud Society, their business was severely affected, so they had to give up the shop.

Anyone with eyes could see that the Azure Cloud Society looking for trouble with the Su Family because they wanted the silk shop. Big Head, Da Tou offered a high price and snatched the shop away, which angered Han Yaomen, the First Boss of the Azure Cloud Society.

He personally led a group to ambush Big Head, Big Head key member of the Dark Star Bureau with exceptional adaptability. Da Tou escaped from Han Yaomen's clutches and survived, but lost a leg.

He Jiaqing stood with his hands behind his back at the top of the stairs on the second floor, bent over, and looked towards the door. "This shop is good; the feng shui looks prosperous. No wonder Han Yaomen has been eyeing it."

"Big Head, just bear with it today. No matter what trouble Azure Cloud Society to cause, just don't get involved."

Big Head felt that this was wrong. If Azure Cloud Society was allowed to bully them, they would end up like the Su Family and would have to give up the shop sooner or later.

He Jiaqing laughed and said, "We are different from the Su Family, and we are different from everyone else. These problems in Pro State need to be corrected."

On that very day, some members of the Azure Cloud Society came to cause trouble. A few thugs came in to select fabrics, examining and touching each one until they were covered in mud and oil stains.

After spending the entire day searching, these thugs didn't buy anything. The customers inside the store were scared away, and the customers outside didn't dare to come in either.

Normally, Big Head would have kicked them out long ago.

But He Jiaqing told him not to do anything, and he held back until closing time that night.

A few thugs successfully disrupted the silk shop's business; they'd done a good job today. They went to the gambling den across the street.

Go find the shopkeeper to claim your reward.

The gambling den owner, a high-ranking member of the Azure Cloud Society, gave these thugs a bounty.

"You few come again tomorrow, and make an even bigger scene. Injure a few of his workers and destroy a batch of his fabric."

Forcing them to fight you

Remember this: the moment they make a move, lie on the ground and let them hit you, let them take what they want. The more seriously you are injured, the more I will reward you!

The thugs happily accepted their reward and went to the silk shop early the next morning.

Big Head gritted his teeth in hatred and asked He Jiaqing, "Are you still going to put up with it?"

He Jiaqing leaned on the stair railing, looking at the scene in the hall. "I can't bear it today, I'll beat them up, but I won't kill them."

One of the thugs pointed at He Jiaqing and cursed, "What the hell are you looking at? Never seen your grandfather before?"

He Jiaqing said to Big Head, "This one needs to be crippled so he can't walk anymore."

The thug shouted from the first floor, "What did you just say? Say it again!"

Big Head jumped down from the second floor, grabbed the thug by the hair, slammed him to the ground, and broke one of his legs. "He just said he'd make sure you can't walk anymore."

The thug cried out, "You hit me? You dare hit me? Do you know who I am—?"

Click!

Big Head broke the thug's other leg as well.

The thug fainted from the pain, and the remaining thugs shouted, "The boss here is beating people up! What kind of business is this? Come and see!"

Before he could finish speaking, all of the thug's teeth flew out of his mouth.

Seeing that Big Head had made a move, the other shop assistants in the silk shop were not idle either; they grabbed the thugs and started beating them up.

None of these thugs had any cultivation, so they couldn't withstand the beating. In less than ten minutes, the group of thugs were covered in bruises and were left on the side of the street.

They lay on the ground, crying and shouting for a long time, but no one paid any attention. They could only talk to each other and then went to the gambling den.

Yesterday, the gambling den owner gave instructions that getting beaten up would be a great achievement, and the more serious the injury, the greater the reward.

They were seriously injured today, and several of them will be left disabled. But thinking about the amount of the reward, these men didn't feel so much pain anymore.

The gambling den was deserted; perhaps we arrived too early and it hadn't opened for business yet.

Upon arriving at the lobby, everyone looked around but still couldn't see anyone. The thug with the broken leg, crawling on the ground with his line of sight lower than the others, was the first to spot someone.

"They're all lying under the table!"

Why are they all under the table?

The thug bent down and called out for a long time. There were indeed quite a few people lying under the table, but no one responded.

The thugs got scared, and the leader dragged a man out from under the table, only to find that the man's head was missing.

Two more were dragged out, but they still had no heads.

The thugs were terrified and scrambled out of the gambling den, shouting as they ran, "Our heads are gone! Where are our heads? Where did they go?!"

Heads were placed at the entrance of the Azure Cloud Society's headquarters, one by one, right in front of Han Yaomen.

Han Yaomen gritted his teeth. "He Jiaqing, if you go for the kill, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Green Water City, in a private residence, He Jiaqing was brewing tea for the thieving patriarch Smiling Thousand Hands.

Smiling Thousand Hands picked up his teacup, took a sip, shook his head, and said, "The brewing is off; this tea is too bitter. You little brat, did you even pay attention to what I asked you to do?"

He Jiaqing boiled another pot of water. "Grandfather, I remember your instructions every day, how could I dare not take them to heart?"

"I asked you to investigate the formula for the medicinal powder, but I haven't heard anything back yet. I've heard you 'Azure Cloud Society?"

He Jiaqing replaced the tea with another box. "It's nothing, you don't need to worry about it. This is a new imported black tea from my tea shop, please try it."

"I don't drink that. I'm not used to Western tea," Smiling Thousand Hands pushed his cup aside and said to He Jiaqing, "Do you think these gangs in Pro State are particularly easy to deal with?"

This topic seemed unavoidable. He Jiaqing nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I didn't take the Azure Cloud Society seriously. Han Yaomen only owns seven stories of land; why should I give way to him?"

"Han Yaomen is indeed only at the seventh level, but the Azure Cloud Society not that simple. This sect has been around for a long time and has deep roots."

Han Yaomen's grandmaster was a voice cultivator from the clouds, and also a Local Earth God. Behind his grandmaster were other powerful backers, layer upon layer, and you don't even know how many people would be involved.

The gangs that can hold their own in Pro State all have impressive backgrounds, and they're all involved in some kind of business deal.

Is it worth it for you to stir up this Wasp Nest?

He Jiaqing nodded repeatedly. "Grandfather, I will remember your words."

Smiling Thousand Hands sighed, "I trusted you back then because I thought you were shrewd, calculating, and capable of keeping your actions discreet."

You're someone who can achieve great things; don't let trivial matters ruin the bigger picture.

"How can this be considered trivial? This is a matter for the He Family." He Jiaqing brought the tea to Smiling Thousand Hands.

Smiling Thousand Hands frowned and said, "Is the He Family's business really that important?"

He Jiaqing laughed and said, "How could it not be important? I am a member of the He Family."

"You brat, are you deliberately trying to provoke me?" Smiling Thousand Hands' face darkened.

He Jiaqing quickly apologized. "Grandpa, how could I dare? I've been busy lately and haven't been very discreet in my speech. Please don't take offense."

After brewing the tea, He Jiaqing said he needed to attend to his business and took the opportunity to leave.

Smiling Thousand Hands placed the teacup on his fingertips and played with it back and forth.

After playing with it for a while, Smiling Thousand Hands suddenly laughed, "You brat, you really think you're something special, do you really think I respect you?"

If I weren't handless, there are some things I wouldn't need you to do at all.

Finding a good first hand is too difficult. Xie Juncong is too old, and the others are no good either. I think you're the most suitable. Since you won't listen to me, let's make the most of you."

The main hall of the Azure Cloud Society is also known as the Dragon Head Hall.

The First Boss of the Azure Cloud Society, also known as the Dragon Head Grandfather.

Han Yaomen, the leader of the gang, gathered thirty elite members from various branches of the Azure Cloud Society. They assembled in the main hall of the gang that night with only one mission: to burn down the silk shop on Fu Xiang Avenue.

"If I can't get this shop, nobody else can interfere. If we succeed tonight, those who want money will get money, those who want land will get land, and those who want wives will get wives. They can choose according to the gang's rules!"

That's the rule of the Azure Cloud Society. They don't specify the reward for doing something; instead, they set a range and let the disciples choose for themselves.

Of course, one must be mindful of what reward to choose. If one has made a great contribution and wants to marry the Song Queen Jiang Mengting, then things will be a different story.

Everything that needed to be said was made clear. The thirty elite soldiers set off for the silk shop and returned in less than ten minutes.

The people at the main hall were still wondering how they got back.

It normally takes more than an hour to walk from the main hall to Fu Xiang Avenue. These people have cultivation, so they can walk faster than ordinary people, but it still takes at least half an hour to go back and forth.

Besides, they didn't go shopping; they went to set fires. How come they came back so quickly?

When Han Yaomen opened the wooden box in the center of the hall, his men understood.

The box contained thirty human heads. He Jiaqing wrote a line on the lid of the box, "I've brought the people back to you."

Enraged, Han Yaomen gathered his men and prepared to fight the He Family to the death, but Yue Hongliang, an elder in the family, stopped him.

"Honey, we can't go. If we go, our gang will be wiped out."

Han Yaomen retorted angrily, "What kind of talk is that? Are you scared out of your wits?"

Yue Hongliang shook his head and said, "My lord, I'm over seventy years old this year. After so many years of bloodshed, I've lived long enough. What am I afraid of? I'm just worried about our gang!"

Han Yaomen sat in his chair without speaking, Yue Hongliang took the opportunity to send the others away. "Boss, we just sent the men out, and He Jiaqing has already taken their heads. Don't you understand the situation?"

Han Yaomen pondered for a moment and said, "Is there a traitor within the sect?"

Yue Hongliang nodded. "There's definitely a mole, but we don't know how many there are."

Han Yaomen stood up and said, "We can't take this lightly. We need to deal with the mole first, and then we'll deal with He Jiaqing."

Yue Hongliang lit his pipe and took a puff. "Honey, if you ask me, it's best to think this over carefully. For the time being, let's not go looking for He Jiaqing again."

"Why should I?" Han Yaomen slammed his fist on the table. "Can you swallow this insult?"

"Master, He Jiaqing is up to no good. How many of our people did he kill for a silk shop?"

Think about what kind of behavior he used to have? He would lie in a hospital in Outer State pretending to be dead, and when he returned to Pro State, he would hide and avoid the light of day. When have you ever seen him act this crazy?

There's something going on here, something we don't know. We can't guess what He Jiaqing is up to. Given the current situation, it's best for us to stay away.

17

"Hiding—" Han Yaomen gritted his teeth, "If I hide, I'll make the Azure Cloud Society lose all face."

"He Jiaqing is He Family has always been a local tyrant in Pro State. It's not shameful for us to avoid him."

"Then our brothers died in vain?"

"Boss, I've been with this gang for so many years. I know how many of our brothers have died. They're dead, so what? How many of them have actually been avenged? We'll just find a pretext to cover it up and that'll be the end of it."

The words were unpleasant to hear, but the reasoning was sound. Han Yaomen found an excuse to gloss over the matter first, and then began to focus his efforts on eliminating the traitors within the gang.

He had just identified a group of people, but before he could take action, they all received advance notice and fled.

Han Yaomen was furious and ordered all the branches to find these families and leave no one alive.

Two days later, Han Yaomen received another box of heads. The traitor's family was not found, and two branches of the Azure Cloud Society were wiped out.

Han Yaomen was dumbfounded, and Yue Hongliang was also taken aback.

I used to think that if I couldn't afford to offend them, I could just avoid them, but now I realize that I can't actually escape them.

The following evening, Han Yaomen received another wooden box, and two more of his gangs were wiped out.

He Jiaqing didn't seem to be here for the silk shop; he was here for the Azure Cloud Society!

Han Yaomen panicked and gathered several key members of his gang to come up with ideas.

Everyone wanted to fight He Jiaqing to the bitter end, but the old man Yue Hongliang offered another suggestion. "Let He Family sister step in and mediate between the two sides. Let's put any grievances out in the open and make things clear. If that can settle things, we'll accept any losses we might suffer."

Han Yaomen retorted, "Haven't we suffered enough losses already?"

Yue Hongliang remained silent. The difference in their methods was obvious. What could you do if you were not convinced?

After hesitating for two days and losing two more branches, Han Yaomen went to Xindi, brought generous gifts, and found He Yuxiu, asking her to mediate.

He Yuxiu looked at her own land, her expression somewhat troubled. "Old Han, you see, I have my own land now, and I can't take care of things at home anymore."

Jiaqing is an adult now; he can't possibly listen to me in everything. I'll try to persuade him sometime, but whether he'll listen to me is another matter entirely.

Han Yaomen felt that He Yuxiu's handling of the matter might be unreliable.

He was wrong. It wasn't that it wasn't reliable; it was that He Yuxiu simply couldn't do it.

The silk shop was originally He Jiaqing's own business, so He Yuxiu shouldn't have interfered.

Han Yaomen took the lead, and He Jiaqing retaliated. He Yuxiu would never side with He Jiaqing; she would definitely side with him.

As for whether this retaliation is too harsh, no one can say for sure. When Han Yaomen turns the tables and takes revenge on He Jiaqing, he certainly won't hold back.

The accountant Sheng Shanzhou, felt that He Jiaqing had done nothing wrong. "Young Master's actions are even more decisive than the Master's back then. Either we don't take action, or we have to clean it up for him."

He Yuxiu and Han Yaomen didn't have a deep relationship to begin with, and He Yuxiu didn't care about where Azure Cloud Society would end up.

She simply didn't understand He Jiaqing's actions. "What's wrong with Jiaqing? He's usually so secretive, afraid of leaving a trace, why is he being so blatant this time?"

The Azure Cloud Society suffered continuous casualties across its various branches, Han Yaomen knew that He Yuxiu had not offered any assistance.

Left with no other choice, they had to resort to their last resort.

"I need to bring out my grandmaster!"

Yue Hongliang was somewhat worried. "The old master hasn't been involved in the affairs of the sect for a long time. When the old master was in trouble, we begged him so much, but the old master didn't help."

The "Old Boss" refers to the previous leader of the Azure Cloud Society, who was also Han Yaomen's master. When Yue Hongliang said "something happened," he meant the internal rigging within the Azure Cloud Society. The Old Boss's plea for help was unsuccessful, and he ultimately died in this internal rigging.

"This time is different from the last one. Last time it was an internal strife within our sect, this time it's a catastrophe. Our master won't stand idly by!"

Han Yaomen ordered the incense hall to be set up. Incense and candles were placed, and the painting of his master was also displayed.

Most people wouldn't recognize this as a portrait of the master, because the painting depicts a camel.

Below the portrait is the name of the grandmaster. This grandmaster's name is quite special; he is called Bei Wushuang.

Han Yaomen prayed in the incense hall for three days and three nights without receiving any response. Yue Hongliang worried that the situation was not good.

He advised Han Yaomen to find another way out.

"Where is the way out?" Han Yaomen had no idea.

"Let's go find Seventh Master. We're friends with Seventh Master, too."

Han Yaomen thought carefully about his relationship with Li Qi. Could they be considered friends?

It definitely counts.

The three major gangs in Pro State are all considered friends of Li Qi, but among friends, there are varying degrees of closeness.

Shen Jinzhong of the Three Heroes Gate is closest to Li Qi, and there are rumors that he was promoted by Li Qi. This relationship is definitely something that Han Yaomen cannot match.

Zhang Xiuling of Hundred Flowers Gate and Li Qi were also very close. Some people say that Li Qi guided Zhang Xiuling in writing "Jade Fragrance Records". This relationship is something that Han Yaomen cannot match.

All things considered, Han Yaomen with Li Qi is probably not as high as Li Haoyun of Hibiscus Studio or Bai Wuchuan of White Crane Gate; they are merely nodding acquaintances.

Now that Azure Cloud Society facing annihilation, is Li Qi willing to lend a helping hand?

If Qiu Zhiheng were in Green Water City, that would be great. He has a deep friendship with Han Yaomen and also with Li Qi. With him making the connection, Li Qi would definitely be able to help.

Yue Hongliang said, "Master, Medicine King Gully isn't that far. Why don't you make the trip yourself?"

Han Yaomen thought it made sense, so he instructed his men to prepare Travel Permit and went to the Train Station that night.

The next morning, Han Yaomen's head was displayed at the entrance of the Azure Cloud Society.

He died.

The death of Han Yaomen, the leader of the second largest gang in Pro State, caused quite a stir.

On the day of the funeral, He Jiaqing went to pay his respects in person and met Ma Wu in the mourning hall. The two chatted for a few minutes.

"How's Li Qi doing lately? I haven't seen him in ages."

"He's been busy with business in Outer State lately and hasn't been back much."

"When he comes back, invite him over for a visit. I have some things I'd like to talk to him about."

"If it's not a private matter, you can talk to me. I'll pass the message on to Seventh Brother."

"There are some private things between him and me."

After the funeral, He Jiaqing didn't forget his main task. The Azure Cloud Society couldn't be without a leader for even a day, so he chose an old man to succeed Han Yaomen as the head of the society.

This old man was Yue Hongliang.

Among the members of the gang, some felt that Yue Hongliang Azure Cloud Society and deserved his position.

But someone else brought up another matter: ever since Han Yaomen listened to Yue Hongliang's advice, his life has never been easy.

After leaving the Azure Cloud Society's main hall, Ma Wu contacted Li Banfeng: "The matter has been verified; Han Yaomen is indeed dead."

He Jiaqing's move was truly ruthless. Han Yaomen had already submitted, practically begging for his life, yet He Jiaqing still took Han Yaomen's life.

Now that Azure Cloud Society completely fallen into He Jiaqing's hands, we need to talk to Sister Xiu another day about who is in charge of the He Family now.

If He Jiaqing is in charge, we really need to be on guard against this; it might come back to haunt us one day.

Li Banfeng glanced at the newspaper in his hand.

The headline in the newspaper was "The First Young Master massacres the Azure Cloud Society, and Young Master He's prestige shakes all directions."

This newspaper was published by Shen Rongqing's newspaper company, which means that He Jiaqing intends to publicize this matter.

Why is that?

Li Banfeng really couldn't understand it.

"Fifth Brother, based on my understanding of He Jiaqing, even if he wanted to kill someone, he would do it in secret, not so openly."

"That's right," Ma Wu, He Jiaqing's childhood friend, also couldn't understand it. "I sent someone to investigate this matter, but I guess they won't find anything."

Zhang Xiuling left the Azure Cloud Society headquarters. A rickshaw was waiting at the door. Just as she was about to get in, Duan Shuqun came over, took off his top hat, and bowed first. "Sect Leader Zhang, I've brought you an invitation."

"What invitation?" Zhang Xiuling took the invitation and looked at it. It was for the opening of a theater in Green Water City, and Zhang Xiuling was invited to attend the ceremony.

This theater originally belonged to the Azure Cloud Society, but now all of the Azure Cloud Society's businesses have been taken over by He Jiaqing.

Zhang Xiuling naturally didn't want to attend the ceremony. She didn't have much of a relationship with Han Yaomen, but He Jiaqing had gone so far as to wipe out an entire gang over a minor dispute and even publicly humiliated them. In Zhang Xiuling's view, this was extremely improper.

"Boss Duan, thank you for your kindness, but unfortunately the timing is bad. I had some urgent business to attend to that day. But don't worry,..."

Even if I can't be there in person, my heart will surely be with you.

Zhang Xiuling wanted to give a gift, so she dismissed the matter.

Duan Shuqun shook his head. "Sect Leader Zhang, if you're not here in person, your sincerity isn't there. Our leader said he has important matters to discuss with you that day."

"What are you discussing?"

"That's hard to say. If you agree, that would be a good thing." Duan Shuqun left the invitation and turned to leave.

Zhang Xiuling felt a chill run down her spine.

Is He Jiaqing planning to take action against the Hundred Flowers Gate?

She guessed right; He Jiaqing's next target was the Hundred Flowers Gate.

Back at Liu's pawnshop, He Jiaqing was discussing with Big Head their plan to deal with the Hundred Flowers Gate when a shop assistant came to deliver a message that a friend surnamed Kong was requesting an audience.

"Brother Kong Fang is here." He Jiaqing raised his eyebrows, gesturing for Big Head to step aside first.

Before long, Master Kong Fang arrived at the courtyard, had two cups of tea with He Jiaqing, and briefly inquired about the Azure Cloud Society.

He Jiaqing told the truth.

Master Kong Fang then asked, "I heard you've set your sights on the Hundred Flowers Gate again?"

He Jiaqing nodded. "We need money to do experiments, so I need to find some quick ways to make money."

Master Kong Fang didn't speak. Just as He Jiaqing was about to refill the teacup, Master Kong Fang covered the cup. "Jiaqing, let's call it a day for our business."

He Jiaqing was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

Master Kong Fang stood up and said, "It means we'll go our separate ways from now on."

After saying that, Master Kong Fang disappeared.

He Jiaqing held the teapot and quietly looked at the teacup in front of him.

Green Water City, on the slopes of Yi Ming Mountain, in a birch forest, Xie Juncong, the leader of the Ghost Hand Gate, knelt on the ground.

He was trembling.

Smiling Thousand Hands stood before him and asked, "Is it really that difficult to get He Jiaqing to come out?"

Xie Juncong said, "He's too conspicuous now. Anyone who gets close to him will be targeted by various sects. Our Ghost Hand Gate is afraid of that. I need to find a suitable opportunity."

Smiling Thousand Hands was also somewhat confused. "What exactly is this brat trying to do? I can't figure him out either. Fine, tell everyone in our sect to stay away from him."

That night, He Jiaqing and Big Head were drinking together. After about half a drink, Big Head asked, "Jiaqing, I remember your ambition is to change Pro State, and even more than just Pro State. You want capable people to live with dignity."

"Have your thoughts changed now?"

"Nothing has changed." He Jiaqing shook his head.

"And what you're doing now—"

"You don't understand, do you?" He Jiaqing lit a cigarette and gave a wry smile. "I went to the bookstore a couple of days ago..."

I saw a book that taught me a lot.

"What book?" Big Head asked curiously.

"I don't remember the book's title, but I remember the words inside. Any one of them could be enough to beat me senseless."

I thought the owner of this bookstore was invincible, and I thought I was going to die inside this book.

Unexpectedly, a friend came and rescued me. He didn't have to do much; he said the owner of the bookstore had given him face.

"Such a big favor?" Big Head didn't understand, so he could only agree.

"Yes, they have so much influence! But how much influence do I, He Jiaqing, have? What abilities do I have? Why should they do business with me? What have I done to deserve this? What am I worth?" He Jiaqing stubbed out his cigarette, looked at Big Head, and said with some agitation.

"Brother, it's been a long time since I've met someone I can speak honestly with. I had one back in college, but now that person doesn't want to talk to me anymore. This is really painful for me. I used to think that cultivation was like this, with the Third Layer Above the Clouds the Third Layer Above the Clouds, with a little more effort, you could reach Above the Clouds."

Above the Clouds, there are no different levels; everyone's combat strength should be roughly equal. Once I reach the Above the Clouds, I'll be among the strongest.

I used every trick in the book to gain popularity in Outer State: delivering food, doing live streams, even crawling through sewers. I just wanted to reach the Above the Clouds. Now I've reached the top, but what's the result?

I'm nowhere near as good as them. I can't even run into the bookstore owner; I can't even beat a few of his books.

There were others of similar ability who claimed they wanted to do business with me, but they were all lying. They hired me as a scapegoat.

I'll put in the money, I'll put in the effort, and I might even lose my life. I'll bear all the risks in this business, but even if it's successful, I definitely won't get any benefit because I have no right to ask for anything. So why even do this business?

Big Head seemed to have figured it out. "You destroyed the Azure Cloud Society to keep them away from you?"

"That's right!" He Jiaqing and Big Head poured themselves a glass of wine. "They're doing shady business, but I'll shine the light on myself. I want the Pro State to be watching me. As long as there's light around me, they'll have to stay away from me."

There's a Cloud Above Skill thieves called "deceiving the world and stealing a reputation," brother. Remember this: what we steal doesn't necessarily have to be a good name.