Nine Star Hegemon Body Art c1-2048
Page 912
In another place in the building, Zheng Wenlong was looking at a wall, his eyes unfocused. Behind him was the attendant who Long Chen had given his message to.
“Do I see him? Do I not?” Zheng Wenlong clenched his fists, caught in a struggle.
Chapter 1477 The Business Dao
Zheng Wenlong stared at the wall silently. He was at a huge turning point in his life. What he decided would determine his future.
“Have him wait a bit. I will quickly go to see him,” said Zheng Wenlong finally, seeming to have made his determination.
“Yes.” The attendant left.
Zheng Wenlong slowly stood until he was right in front of the wall. He pressed down on a protrusion on the wall.
The wall slowly opened, revealing a large room. This room had a circular curtain of light constantly revolving.
Zheng Wenlong walked up in front of the curtain of light. He stood there for a long moment before finally reaching out into it.
Fluctuations came from the light, and a figure appeared. Zheng Wenlong respectfully knelt on the ground.
“Disciple Zheng Wenlong greets sect master.”
The figure inside the curtain was an elder sitting cross-legged. He had white hair but a rosy face like a baby. He slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes looked old and a bit turbid. However, they were extremely peaceful, as if he wasn’t the master of a sect, but a kind elder.
This seemingly ordinary elder was the Huayun Sect’s master, one of the top figures of the continent, someone on the same level as Pill Valley’s master. He was the Huayun Sect’s master, Hua Mingxiong.
However, this incredibly powerful figure looked like an ordinary elder and even seemed very friendly.
“Child, have you run into some kind of difficulty?” Hua Mingxiong looked at Zheng Wenlong through the curtain of light encouragingly.
“I’m sorry, sect master. I wish to leave the Huayun Sect.” Zheng Wenlong knelt on the ground, his head to the ground, not daring to look at Hua Mingxiong.
“Oh? Why?” Hua Mingxiong’s voice was still calm.
“I have a friend in trouble. I need to help him, but I don’t want to implicate the sect or its millions and millions of members. Since ancient times, it has always been difficult to choose between loyalty and righteousness. I also have difficulty choosing, but with Long Chen in imminent danger, I have to act regardless. So I hope that you can accept my feelings toward the Huayun Sect. If there is another life, I will definitely become a disciple of the Huayun Sect again and repay your favor.”
Toward the end, Zheng Wenlong’s voice was choked with emotion. The Huayun Sect was his home, and it was also his faith. He truly didn’t want to leave. Deserting the loyal was disloyal, but ignoring a friend in trouble was unjust. Anyone would have difficulty choosing.
The current Zheng Wenlong was not the Zheng Wenlong who Long Chen had met back at the beginning. He was now a large figure with a powerful status. He knew many things that he hadn’t known before, and so he knew just how dangerous Long Chen’s current predicament was.
It was because he knew it that he didn’t want to draw the Huayun Sect into it. He was prepared to help Long Chen on his own. That way, his actions would be unrelated to the Huayun Sect, and he wouldn’t need to worry about implicating the Huayun Sect.
“Child, first of all, you should get up.” Hua Mingxiong smiled faintly.
“Disciple does not have the face to raise his head.” Zheng Wenlong still kept his head to the ground.
“Foolish child, you are a devout follower of the Wealth God, but you still don’t comprehend the true essence of the Huayun Sect. Let me ask you, what is every disciple of the Huayun Sect?”
“A businessman.”
“And what do businessmen exist for?”
“For profit.”
“Then tell me, has your collaboration with Long Chen been profitable?”
“It has.”
“And if you continue your collaboration with Long Chen, will you obtain even more profit?”
“If he lives, the profit will naturally be limitless.”
“Then isn’t that all? Businessmen pursue profit. Helping Long Chen is getting more profit. Why would you need to leave the Huayun Sect for this? Your actions have not infringed on the Huayun Sect’s rules, nor have they gone against our faith. Why would you need to do this?” asked Hua Mingxiong.
“But this time, there’s Pill Valley, the ancient races, the Corrupt path, the ancient family alliance…”
“Forget about them for now. What you need to remember is that you are a businessman, and you must operate your business in good faith. As long as your clients do not break off the collaboration, then as long as there is still profit to be made, you cannot break it off yourself for selfish reasons. That would be a breach of contract and a violation of the doctrines of the Wealth God,” said Hua Mingxiong.
“But…” Zheng Wenlong finally raised his head to look at him.
Hua Mingxiong smiled. “Child, there are no buts. The Business Dao is also one of the Heavenly Daos. We steadily advance by following the Wealth God’s directions and conducting our business honestly. All your misgivings are simply the thoughts of a child. No matter how high your intelligence is, can it surpass a god’s?”
“Disciple wouldn’t dare to compare himself to the Wealth God,” said Zheng Wenlong hastily.
“Then why are you questioning the Wealth God’s intelligence?”
“I wasn’t-... I understand. I know where I was wrong.” Zheng Wenlong was about to quibble when he suddenly came to a realization and became delighted.
“Not bad, your comprehension is truly good. Remember, no matter what you do, as long as you act within the restrictions of what the Wealth God has commanded, you are following the Wealth God’s directions. If you feel doubt, fear, or misgivings, it’s simply because you lack faith in the Wealth God. We are humans, not gods. And a god’s intelligence isn’t something we can reach. In fact, how do you know that Long Chen’s arrival here isn’t thanks to the Wealth God’s guidance?” said Hua Mingxiong with a thought-provoking light in his eyes.
“I understand. Many thanks for your guidance.” Zheng Wenlong was extremely grateful for this.
“Alright, you can go. As long as you act in accordance with the Wealth God’s directions, you are in the right. No matter what happens as a result, I will be there to support you,” said Hua Mingxiong.
“Yes.”
…
Long Chen sat cross-legged. Eventually, he opened his eyes and stood. “It’s been an incense stick’s worth of time. Since Zheng Wenlong has no time, I’ll take my leave.”
“Uh…” The attendant standing beside him became awkward, not knowing what to say.
“It’s not that I have no time. It’s just that I almost made a grave error during this time.” At this moment, Zheng Wenlong walked in. “You can go. I will talk to him alone.” He sent away the attendant.
Long Chen sat back down. Looking at Zheng Wenlong, he said, “To tell you the truth, I’m very happy that you came.”
“Of course, I came. It was just a matter of how quickly I could get here.” Zheng Wenlong’s old confident smile had returned.
“Thank you.” Long Chen finally smiled.
Zheng Wenlong’s arrival meant that Long Chen hadn’t misjudged him. Although he was a businessman, he was a hot-blooded man inside as well.
“No, you shouldn’t act so courteous with me. It would make us seem like strangers. The regular saying is that talking about money will hurt friendship, but to the Huayun Sect’s disciples, talking about friendship is what will hurt money.”
“It seems I was right to come here. You are prepared to stand together with me?”
“No, I’m not standing with you, but on the side of money. You are my precious client, and I need to protect you. That’s the way to get the most profit,” said Zheng Wenlong solemnly.
Long Chen nodded. Although Zheng Wenlong was acting as a busine
ssman, Long Chen could see his sincere emotions.
He was glad he had such a friend. Zheng Wenlong had never disappointed him, not in the past, and not now.
“I want to know everything that happened in the Eastern Xuan Region while I was gone. Of course, the most important thing is the Xuantian Dao Sect. Does it still exist? And who participated?” Long Chen went straight to the point.
“Here. I’ve already prepared the information for you.” Zheng Wenlong handed Long Chen a stack of papers with various things recorded on it. “The Xuantian Dao Sect’s destruction came too suddenly. The Corrupt path announced that it was done by them, but it’s not so simple as that. You can look through this. This is everything that was gathered by our intelligence network.”
Long Chen flipped through the pages one by one. His expression gradually darkened.
Zheng Wenlong explained, “The Corrupt path constituted the main force, but there were several accomplices. The Heaven Suppressing Magic Sect was only one of them. According to the traces left behind on the battlefield, there were at least five divine items that went against the Xuantian Dao Sect’s divine items. Amongst them was the Corrupt path’s Corrupt God Skull, the Heaven Suppressing Magic Sect’s Violet Gold Soul Devouring Staff, and the ancient races’ Heaven Reaching Divine Drum. As for the other two divine items, because the spatial fluctuations were too intense and their auras were somewhat similar to the Xuantian Tower and the Reincarnation Mirror’s auras, it’s temporarily impossible to determine which divine items they are. A battle involving seven divine items is rare, even on the entire continent. At the very least, such a large scale battle hasn’t occurred since the last dark era.”
Long Chen nodded. He went through all the information listed. This information was based on an analysis of the battlefield where the Xuantian Dao Sect had once been.
It also had the information about various sects and what they had been doing around the time that the Xuantian Dao Sect had been destroyed.
The majority of sects had acted completely normal. But after the Xuantian Dao Sect had been destroyed, the vice alliance master of the eastern branch of the Martial Heaven Alliance went to the Heaven Suppressing Magic Sect, and Pill Valley also became lively during this, with quite a few powers sending experts to communicate with them.
Although these things didn’t directly prove anything, Long Chen could see a grand scheme. The Xuantian Dao Sect’s destruction was the result of many powers working together.
Zheng Wenlong said, “This is all I know. Long Chen, now that you are surrounded by enemies, what are you going to do?”
“This much is enough. At the very least, my head is clearer, and I know a few of my enemies now. As for what I’m going to do, I don’t know yet. I want to figure out whether or not anyone from the Xuantian Dao Sect survived first.”
“Based on the evidence, there were too many divine items at that time, and the chances of the Xuantian Tower escaping are low. However, there are also no signs that it was destroyed. That is why some experts have deduced that the Xuantian Tower might very likely have been forced into the chaotic flow of space. Perhaps it’ll never come back again.”
Chapter 1478 Bad News and Good News
“The chaotic flow of space?”
Long Chen’s heart immediately sank. The chaotic flow of space was the space between two worlds, and it was filled with countless spatial blades. Even Life Star experts would be instantly torn to bits.
Even if the Xuantian Tower was present to protect them, once they were lost in the chaotic flow, they might never return.
This was the worst possibility, but Long Chen had to accept reality. Facing the attacks of five divine items that came out of nowhere, there was little that the Xuantian Tower could do.
That kind of power could destroy the world. There was no way it could escape, especially considering that this was something their enemies had been plotting for a long time.
If the Xuantian Tower had really been forced into the chaotic flow of space, then even if it could resist the spatial blades, it would run out of energy eventually.
Killing intent raged within Long Chen. No matter how carefully he acted, he had still ended up implicating the Xuantian Dao Sect.
In the Spirit World, to protect the Forest of Life, he had become mortal enemies with the ancient races, Corrupt path, and ancient family alliance. With his opponents having to pull out after a miserable loss, they had decided to destroy his home.
Without the Xuantian Dao Sect, he was alone, facing a world full of enemies. Like this, they could find a million excuses to kill him. No one would speak up for him.
Long Chen felt himself to be a star of disaster. Wherever he went, disaster would follow. Thinking of Li Tianxuan, Wilde, and the others lost in the chaotic flow of space, his killing intent raged.
“Brother Wenlong, is there any way to find them? I don’t mind paying the price,” asked Long Chen.
Zheng Wenlong shook his head, sighing, “This isn’t something you even needed to ask. You already know the answer.”
The chaotic flow of space was too powerful. Anything that was lost in there would have difficulty ever getting out. Sometimes, you might even accidentally enter a foreign world, never to return.
If the Xuantian Tower had entered on its own, then perhaps there would be some chance of it returning. But at that time, it had been forced in under the sneak attack of five divine items. Even if it was claimed to be number one in defense, it must have been heavily injured by that sneak attack.
In that kind of situation, the best it could do was bitterly endure within the chaotic flow of space. It was powerless to break through into the world, so things did not bode well for the Xuantian Tower.
Long Chen unconsciously clenched his fists so hard that they creaked. He felt powerless. He had no way to find the Xuantian Tower, let alone save them.
He felt like he was going insane. It was his first time feeling like brains were absolutely useless. Brains, intelligence? They didn’t have the slightest use here.
“Long Chen, don’t worry too much. At the very least, according to what I know, the Xuantian Dao Sect’s heaven and earth divine pool has yet to dry up. That means the Xuantian Dao Sect still exists,” comforted Zheng Wenlong.
“How do you know that?” Long Chen was surprised.
“This is actually a very simple law. People have tested it. After condensing a divine pool, when people carve the name of the Xuantian Dao Sect within it, they will find that it’s still possible to carve it down. The name will then slowly fade away, signifying that the Xuantian Dao Sect still exists. If the Xuantian Dao Sect was completely dead, it would be impossible to carve the name. The divine pool simply wouldn’t be acknowledged by heaven and earth. Many sects have used this method to determine the Xuantian Dao Sect still exists,” said Zheng Wenlong.
“It still exists? Good, this is the best possible news for me. I actually didn’t think of such a method.” Long Chen instantly relaxed a great deal.
It had been a week since the Xuantian Dao Sect’s destruction. If the Xuantian Tower was still enduring at this time, it meant there was a good chance it could survive until Long Chen could find some way to save them. This was truly just the news he needed to raise his spirits.
“Brother Long, what are your plans now? If you need any help, just ask. I’m prepared to put a large investment in you,” promised Zheng Wenlong solemnly.
“Hahaha, just the fact that you can see me without worrying about offending all those powers is enough to make me endlessly grateful. I rarely admire anyone, but I admire the way you conduct your business. Hopefully, our business can last a lifetime.” Long Chen smiled. He had obtained a pleasant surprise here. He had been right to come.
“In the eyes of the outside world, businessmen only invest money. But an investment in friendship is actually the most important investment. I’ve already gotten huge returns from my investment in you, which further proves that such an investment is the great
est. The profits only continue to soar thousands and millions of times.” Zheng Wenlong smiled.
Zheng Wenlong was truly a generation’s marvel. He had the courage to invest in someone like Long Chen. He was even willing to leave the Huayun Sect for the investment he had made. That wasn’t something just anyone was capable of.
However, Zheng Wenlong didn’t mention that. This kind of investment didn’t require him to emphasize what he had done. That would simply make it appear fake.
“I’ll remember this. I came here mostly for news, and now I’ve obtained that. If you could help me out to keep track of any movements in the Eastern Xuan Region, that would be helpful. I can see my goal clearly now. Since they want my life, I won’t let them have it so easily.
“For now, I’ll let the ancient races and ancient family alliance act arrogant. The power structure within them is too complicated. They are both large alliances, and I don’t know which particular members within them are the ones who targeted the Xuantian Dao Sect. So, I’m going to start with the Corrupt path. I’ll slowly investigate who directly participated in the attack, and once I’m sure, I’ll start my revenge,” said Long Chen.
The ancient races and the ancient families were both composed of tens of thousands of individual powers. Their internal structure was extremely complicated, and not every power within them was bad. Long Chen wasn’t a slaughterer, and he couldn’t treat them all as one for his vengeance.
Leaving that matter for Zheng Wenlong to determine would be the best, but Long Chen couldn’t wait. He was going to use the bloodiest method to shake the Eastern Xuan region. Anyone who participated in the attack against the Xuantian Dao Sect would have to pay the price in blood.
While Zheng Wenlong investigated this matter, Long Chen couldn’t simply lay there idly. He was preparing to raise his blade toward the Corrupt path. He didn’t need to have any misgivings even if he destroyed the entire Corrupt path.
“Brother Long, I…” Zheng Wenlong hesitated.
Long Chen laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “I know. I won’t make things hard on you.”