The Bat Mage Steps into the Line of Fire

"Anyone who truly wants to get rich should start their own religious sect."

Inside a hillside villa in Busan, the lights were on and the environment was elegant.

A night wind whistled through the courtyard, rustling the flowers and trees.

The two sat facing each other at a table and chairs as white Ruyu, the black tea on the table just warm.

One of them was Takagi, the president of the "One-Character Spiritual Cultivation Society." He wore glasses, had an upright and kind face, graying temples, a slightly protruding belly, and was dressed only in a short-sleeved shirt and suit trousers.

Another elderly man with a chubby face looked at least sixty, but he had thick hair, a cinnabar mole in the center of his forehead, and eyebrows that were thinner near the center and thicker at the ends.

He was dressed in an ancient robe, with a black cloak lined with red brocade on the outside. His hands were slightly chubby, yet remarkably steady, with his wrists off the table as he held a book.

"To be frank, establishing a religion is all about making money, very good. These famous quotes truly deserve the title of 'famous sayings.'"

The old man savored the words he had just read, and he greatly admired the meaning conveyed in some of the sentences.

"But you said these sentences can be easily found online."

"Such invaluable advice can only be shared with trusted confidants; how can it be spread recklessly? If those common people were to find out, wouldn't that unnecessarily add obstacles to our missionary work?"

Takagi laughed and said, "There are always plenty of famous quotes, but how many people actually read them, and even fewer actually listen to them?"

"The contents of this book are the words of world-renowned religious leaders from the last century. After their arrest, people traveled around interviewing them, hoping to warn the general public through the self-confessions of these evil leaders."

"However, very few people will actually read this book."

"On the contrary, we younger colleagues regard the contents of this book as gospel, read it often, and apply what we learn, making it one of the best teaching materials in the industry, a fact we all tacitly agree on."

The old man listened, stroking his beard.

"These past few centuries, while not quite enough to turn the sea into mulberry fields, have seen such dramatic changes in the world that they are truly astonishing."

The old man touched the book in his hand. Just the quality of the paper and the clarity of the printing made it a rare treasure in his time.

But in this day and age, no one will care if you tear something up and use it to wipe your own mess.

"Back then, before my grand plan was fully launched, I was chosen by the Grotto-Heaven. To this day, I still don't know whether it would have succeeded or failed if it had been launched, and I have often regretted it for hundreds of years."

"Now I feel nothing but immense gratitude towards the Seven Po Cave-Heaven, for it is it that brought me to this era."

Takagi agreed, "If it weren't for that miraculous Grotto-Heaven, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet a senior like you, the Sect Leader Yeming, from the Luo Patriarch Sect."

"My Lineage's records document that secret history: at its peak, the Luo Patriarch Sect's influence extended across both banks of the Grand Canal, controlling the manpower and resources of its followers across several provinces."

"Especially you, the Sect Leader Yeming, personally cast spells to assist Prince Lian of the First Rank of the Qing Dynasty in surviving the great calamity he should have faced in the fourth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, thus entangled him with the Yongzheng Emperor for ten years, initiating the Council of Eight Princes to restrain the emperor."

Takagi also recalled the excitement he felt when he read this history in his youth.

"Whether it's wealth, power, or even magical prowess, you've been my idol for decades."

Throughout history, many heretical sects have engaged in the practice of accumulating wealth, and the methods of accumulating wealth by the Luo Patriarch Sect reached their peak during the Yongzheng period. They possessed clear and well-defined systems, and their enforcement was quite strict.

While amassing wealth, they also managed to maintain the unity of their followers, which only fueled their growing hostility towards other groups.

At that time, this force was almost ready to complete the transition from heresy to patronage by the dynasty.

However, after the proposal of the Eight Princes' Council failed, Luo Patriarch Sect was subjected to continuous and relentless suppression by the two emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong. His power was scattered and he was scattered to various places. He could no longer reach the threshold that once seemed so close.

"I knew Prince Lian would be defeated when I was chosen by Grotto-Heaven on the eve of the Eight Princes' Council."

The Sect Leader Yeming recalled, "Back then, Yongzheng single-handedly killed two monks, one civil and one military, from Mount Wutai. His profound and mysterious arts had reached the point where he could conjure illusions to create substitutes and then actually destroy and kill martial arts masters."

"Even with my personal intervention, success or failure is still uncertain. Without me, Prince Lian would undoubtedly perish in his attempt to accomplish this great feat."

Takagi looked surprised; he hadn't seen any records of Emperor Yongzheng being a master.

"In any case, I believe that the Master's current Divine Bat Rebirth Great Art has far surpassed Yongzheng's cultivation level back then."

"Haha, it's because he's been dead for a long time."

The Sect Leader Yeming put down his book. "You don't need to flatter me. I can tell you, I won't use the Bat Demonic Poison to transform you into one of my subordinates."

Upon hearing that he wouldn't be poisoned, Takagi didn't feel relieved; instead, a hint of regret appeared on his face.

"While the Bat Demonic Poison can help you quickly master the Divine Bat Rebirth Great Art, it will also taint you with the aura of the Spirit Realm, causing you to suffer rejection from reality."

The Sect Leader Yeming said, "You are my Incense-Bearing Child. When I need to fight with all my might, I must borrow your karmic connections in the real world. If you yourself are also subject to rejection, the time you can sustain in battle will be even shorter."

Takagi was silent for a moment, then sighed, "When I was young, I wanted to be a billionaire. Now I've long since had enough of wealth. All I want is to live a longer life. I try everything to maintain my youth, but it only makes me look younger."

"My incompetent subordinates are able to become eternally youthful Divine Bat Envoy, which makes me... a little jealous."

First, we were together in my dreams for many years, and now we've spent so much time together in reality.

Takagi has discovered that, in front of this cult leader, appropriately revealing one's own desires is actually more conducive to gaining favor.

The Sect Leader Yeming said with delight, "Maintaining this desire and jealousy is essential for properly initiating the Divine Bat Great Art; this is the mindset one should have."

"Those envoys didn't even lay a solid foundation before trying to quickly cultivate using demonic poison. It's too wasteful of their potential, and they'll never have the chance to refine the demonic poison."

"If we can win, and I become the soul of the Grotto-Heaven, I will have no worries and can naturally help you achieve rapid progress, and even help you achieve great success. In the future, we can work together in this world to make further progress and command the wind and rain. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

He gave Takagi an encouraging smile, then suddenly his expression changed, and he muttered to himself.

"The seventh person has finally completed their union!"

Takagi was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this, but quickly calmed down and analyzed the situation.

"The seventh person has already formed a bond, which means that there were at least five pairs of enemies active within the city before this."

"My men haven't found a single clue; they're utterly useless."

The Sect Leader Yeming waved his hand.

"It's not their fault. A city with over three million people, plus countless tourists, is no easy task to distinguish the enemy from so many different scents."

He stood up, looked at the rising moon, and his black and red cloak billowed and rustled even without wind.

Takagi also looked up.

Looking at the moon from this courtyard, it seems as if the white moon, which was originally as small as a porcelain bowl, has grown a layer of hazy fine hair.

The eerie, chilly moon waxed and waned, as if it were breathing.

Takagi Spirit-Shocking and disoriented, and quickly tried to look away from the Sect Leader Yeming.

That was merely a strange phenomenon caused by the Sect Leader Yeming absorbing the essence of moonlight.

"Within a hundred days, the senses will gradually strengthen, but by the time one can clearly sense the location, the initiative will have been lost."

The Sect Leader Yeming said slowly, "We need to send people to do something more obvious, to test the waters."

Takagi exclaimed in surprise, "It's fine to investigate secretly, but making a fuss would make us the first to stick our necks out!"

"Oh."

The Sect Leader Yeming laughed, "Although the seven of us are rivals, besides the final competition, we also have a greater purpose for distinguishing ourselves."

"This probing is actually a signal of seeking allies."

(End of this chapter)