Chapter 64 Before the Storm

Chapter 64 Before the Storm

The concept of luck may seem ethereal and intangible, but its existence is undeniable.

As for how to determine whether a person possesses fortune, and how much fortune they possess, that remains unknown. We can only glimpse a small part of it from the experiences of powerful cultivators.

Throughout history, cultivators who have reached this level of cultivation have all had some degree of good fortune by their side; otherwise, they might have long since perished in the jaws of demonic beasts or at the hands of enemies.

Above the clouds.

Lingzhu Zhenren, who was originally holding the little monkey with an angry expression, paused when he heard Lou Yuqing's thoughts. He looked at Yuan Shenxing and a thoughtful look flashed across his face.

Has this kid had his luck stolen?

Master Lingzhu asked Shi Hua, "What do you think?"

Shi Hua shook her head, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

To be honest, in all her years, she has never heard of anyone being able to steal one's destiny. Such a thing is too mysterious. If it were true, the cultivation world would have been in chaos long ago.

When people praise certain cultivators as "chosen ones of destiny," it is mostly with the intention of flattery and praise. They say nice things to bring good luck to the person who has become a powerful cultivator.

Ling Yunxiao and the others had relatively low cultivation levels and a shallow understanding of fortune; they didn't usually rely on it for cultivation.

Cultivators are inherently defying the heavens. If they spend all their time thinking about relying on luck, they've put the cart before the horse. What's the point of cultivating immortality then? They might as well just find a block of tofu and smash their head against it.

Upon hearing such horrifying words, I fell silent, unsure how to react.

On the other side, Yuan Shenxing's expression was quite varied. First, she was shocked and confused, then she was a little anxious and uneasy, and finally she became annoyed and angry.

Which scoundrel stole his luck!

If he finds out, I'll make sure that person suffers a terrible death!

Yuan Shenxing stared intently at Lou Yuqing, wanting an answer. The thought of someone stealing his things made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Although the lack of luck didn't affect him much, it was still unpleasant for someone to covet what was originally his.

Yuan Shenxing's gaze was too intense. Lou Yuqing was a normal person and naturally noticed this gaze. She looked up and their eyes met.

"..."

The two fell into an eerie silence.

Lou Yuqing tentatively touched her face, and her inner thoughts began to resonate.

Why is he looking at me like that? Is my face dirty?

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shenxing realized something was wrong.

It seems he's about to be exposed.

At the critical moment, Ruan Qingzhu stepped forward: "Senior Brother Yuan, stop daydreaming. What do you think of the suggestion I just mentioned?"

Oh, so you were just spacing out.

Yuan Shenxing breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she believed him. The next moment, he brought it up again because Lou Yuqing was still looking at him, as if she was curious about how he would respond.

Shut up, just say it!

How exactly should we respond to Junior Sister Ruan's suggestion?

Yuan Shenxing's computer suddenly crashed.

Ling Yunxiao and Steward Xie stopped talking at some point, and no one in the room spoke, making the atmosphere suddenly strange.

A moment of complete silence followed.

Yuan Shenxing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a forced smile, "Uh, Junior Sister Ruan, I think your suggestion..."

His gaze fell on the Silver Moon Wolf, and he quickly came up with a solution: "I still don't think it's right. Zhizhi made a mistake and should be punished, otherwise it won't learn its lesson. It's just a month of keeping it out; you don't need to feel sorry for it."

Silver Moon Wolf: Awoo?

Upon hearing its master's words, its world collapsed.

Ignoring Zhizhi's disapproving look, Yuan Shenxing earnestly advised Ruan Qingzhu, as if it were a real matter: "Junior Sister Ruan must not spoil her spirit pet too much, or it will be too late to make a bitter mistake later."

Ruan Qingzhu: "..."

Senior Brother Yuan, your acting skills are not bad.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother." Ruan Qingzhu finally gave him face and smoothed things over.

"I'm glad you don't mind me talking too much, Junior Sister. Besides that, when we're with spirit beasts..." Yuan Shenxing got excited as he spoke and started exchanging pet-raising tips with Ruan Qingzhu.

If Ling Yunxiao hadn't noticed the stiffness in his body as he spoke, he would have truly thought he was no longer affected.

Lou Yuqing blinked.

Yuan Shenxing's luck is such that she turns misfortune into good fortune; crises are often accompanied by opportunities. Even when she encounters Jin Du and the Charming Maiden, she manages to turn danger into safety and reap great rewards.

[If his luck hadn't been stolen, he would have continued to encounter setbacks, but through these hardships he would have gained cultivation resources. Even if he had encountered the explosion of the Thunderfire Pearl, he wouldn't have died; instead, he would have gained another opportunity.]

Everyone: This luck is incredible.

If things had gone according to the original plan, Yuan Shenxing would have died in the explosion after his luck was stolen. However, in reality, he did not die because a benefactor saved him.

It's clear that his luck in turning misfortune into good fortune still worked; perhaps the other party stole his luck, but not all of it, leaving him with some.

Yuan Shenxing was both amused and exasperated; was this really good news?

He wanted to know the name of that scoundrel so that the other party would return the luck he had stolen.

Who exactly stole his luck?

Lou Yuqing also wanted to know this person's name, but after scrolling through the system panel several times, she found that the person's identity and background were not specified, and were only referred to as a "mysterious person".

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shenxing's eyes drooped slightly. She didn't know either... Then he immediately perked up. The thief who stole his luck must be no ordinary person. If he wanted to take revenge, he would have to plan carefully.

As long as he lives, he will find out someday.

Just then, a huge screen appeared in front of everyone, showing a figure with his back to them.

The person was sitting on a prayer mat, wearing a dark blue robe, with long black hair draped over their back. It was unclear whether they were male or female, but some burn marks could be seen at the ends of their hair.

This is the audio-visual presentation that Lou Yuqing clicked on, hoping to find some clues. She didn't expect that the other person's face wouldn't be shown.

"System, who cuts a melon in half? I order you to deliver this person's information immediately!" Lou Yuqing glared, almost cursing.

[...]

The system begins with an ellipsis.

Then it said: "[The melon you see is the entirety of what's worth 2,000 melon points; there's no situation where the melon is deliberately cut in half and sold to you.]"

[If you want to know more about this mysterious person, please tell the system their name and pay the corresponding "gossip points," and the system will satisfy your curiosity.]

Lou Yuqing was furious.

"If I knew this person's name, would I need to ask you?" Lou Yuqing questioned. "In the past, whoever was who was supposed to be there was who they were. Their names were all written down. I've never seen you hide anything from them. Tell me, are you up to something?"

The system has no comment.

The mechanical sound rang out coldly and indifferently.

Lou Yuqing wanted to use the search function, but it was locked by the system: "..."

She continued to use threats and inducements, but the system remained stubborn, repeating the same pointless phrase over and over again.

"You're ruthless."

Lou Yuqing was determined to teach the system a lesson. Didn't it like to eat melon points? Well, she decided not to eat melons and would see who could sit still longer.

Shi Hua pondered for a moment: "The matter of destiny cannot be ignored. I will go and report to my senior brother, the sect leader." She originally wanted to find out the identity of the mysterious person before making any plans, but who knew that even Yu Qing could not find out.

"What kind of luck?"

As Zao Mo watched Shi Hua's departing figure, he asked in confusion. He was holding a pile of spirit fruits in his arms, all of which had just been picked and were very fresh and juicy.

The little monkey's eyes lit up, and it reached out to grab it.

"You, you insist on eating the spiritual fruit from that place. Even when I don't let you pick it, you still refuse to come back with your mother. You've really spoiled yourself." Zao Mo kept talking, but fearing that it might fall out, he deliberately moved closer.

He was a little late returning to Qishan because he was picking fruit, and he didn't know what had just happened.

Master Lingzhu didn't answer but instead asked, "Can fortune be stolen?"

Zao Mo was startled, and one of the fruits in his arms accidentally fell to the ground, causing the little monkey to cry out unhappily.

Just as he was pondering this matter, Lou Yuqing suddenly felt that the name Ten Thousand Beasts Sect sounded familiar.

This doesn't seem to be the first time I've heard of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

I think I've heard about it before, but where exactly is it?

A white light flashed through Lou Yuqing's mind.

[I remember now, isn't this the beast-taming sect that bought the little monkey?]

[Jin Du, the sect leader's son, was the one who tortured the little monkey to death!]

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sudden gust of wind swept across the sky, and dark, heavy clouds gathered, creating a terrifying scene of impending storm and impending doom.

Everyone knew that Senior Lingzhu must have heard these words. As the mother of the little monkey, how could she tolerate such hurtful words? She probably wanted to tear the murderer to pieces.

Master Lingzhu's eyes were as deep as an abyss, his face was dark and unfathomable, his braids were scattered and flew backwards with a fierce and menacing air, his robes fluttering in the wind, and his whole body was covered with two words.

--murderous look!

Zao Mo didn't hear Lou Yuqing's thoughts. Seeing his Daoist companion suddenly lose his temper, he looked worried and asked, "Lingzhu, what's wrong with you?"

The little monkey squeaked twice and gently patted its mother's body with its two furry paws, its comforting intent overflowing.

Seeing the anxious looks in her lover's and child's eyes, Lingzhu Zhenren's overwhelming killing intent suddenly froze. She closed her eyes and withdrew her leaking pressure.

"We can put aside matters of destiny; we must avenge our grudge against the Myriad Beasts Sect!" A cold voice rang in Zao Mo's ears, and he saw the endless indifference and murderous aura in Ling Zhu's eyes.

The sky returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Everyone patted their chests, still shaken. They had been struggling to breathe and felt like they were about to suffocate, but thankfully the experience didn't last long.

Otherwise, they would doubt whether they could even stand properly now.

...

Far away from the Wendao Sect, there is a place called the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

This sect is famous for its beast taming and governs a territory spanning 100,000 li. This year, it has just opened its gates to recruit a new batch of disciples.

Zhou Pu was one of them. He was of ordinary talent and only became an outer disciple of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. Before entering the sect, he was just a farmer's son. Logically speaking, he should have been secretly happy to have encountered such a great fortune.

In fact, Zhou Pu was in a good mood at first. Ever since he was diagnosed with spiritual roots, people around him and his family have been extremely respectful to him and his family.

Those who had offended his family came over to apologize honestly, fearing he would pursue the past. People from all around knew that the Zhou family had produced a golden egg, and the threshold of their house was almost worn down by the crowds.

Until he was taken away by the people of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Zhou Pu could still see the lively scene at home. His ambition swelled rapidly because of the shock of the past few days. Now that he had obtained the opportunity to become an immortal, he would work hard to cultivate and continue to live such a respected life.

However, Zhou Pu did not stay in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect for long before he was brought back to reality. He discovered that there were many disciples who were more outstanding than him. Those with exceptional talent had already been taken in as personal disciples by the elders, while disciples with similar aptitude to him either had connections or had climbed up to powerful backers.

This disparity left Zhou Pu feeling terrible. He was constantly tormented. If he couldn't make something of himself, wouldn't he have to spend his whole life like this? He was truly unwilling to accept it.

“Zhou Bai, you should be able to understand me. Besides, I’m doing this for your own good. We can both benefit, and the future will be bright for us…”

In the middle of the night, Zhou Pu woke up with a start, as if he had had a nightmare. Cold sweat streamed down his face, and he began to mutter to himself, as if trying to persuade the man named Zhou Bai.

However, Zhou Bai was not in the room at all. To be precise, he was there before today. The two came from the same village and were therefore assigned to the same room. They usually kept each other company and got along quite well.

Why is Zhou Bai no longer here? Because Zhou Pu presented him to the young sect leader, Jin Du, as a surrender gift through the young sect leader's subordinates.

Tonight, Zhou Bai will be in Jin Du's bed.

As Zhou Pu thought of this, a struggle suddenly appeared on his face. He had learned that the young sect leader was a violent person who liked to torture people to the point of exhaustion in bed.

Someone died recently, but it didn't cause a ripple.

It is said that the young sect leader was not like this before. Later, he suffered some kind of shock and started openly looking for handsome male cultivators in the sect, then taking them back and abusing them in various ways.

Few survive; even those who manage to stay alive soon die suddenly.

Zhou Pu gripped the storage bag at his waist, which contained the spirit stones the other party had given him—essentially hush money—an amount he could never earn in his entire life.

If Zhou Bai doesn't make it and dies...

"I'm doing this for your own good."

The midnight wind carried away the barely audible sounds in the room.

A cave somewhere on the main peak.

Seated in the main seat was a man with a slightly pale complexion. Although he was handsome, he had dark circles under his eyes, giving him the appearance of someone who had indulged in excessive sexual activity. This man was none other than Jin Du.

His cultivation has stagnated over the years. The sect leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect tried every means, but still failed to help him break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and his lifespan also failed to increase.

If Jin hadn't taken longevity pills and beauty pills, his face would have aged long ago.

"This humble servant greets the young master. This time, I've found you a male concubine who looks almost exactly like that man. I guarantee you'll be satisfied," the subordinate said with a fawning smile.

Jin Du paused in his tea-drinking, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes: "How much truth is there in what you're saying? The price you pay for deceiving this young master is something you probably can't afford!"

A chill ran down his spine. As an old hand who had served the young sect leader, he knew about the grudge between that person and the young sect leader.

At that time, the young sect leader took the Spirit Shadow Butterfly to chase after that person, but he did not expect that the person had contracted the Silver Moon Azure Wolf and escaped by using illusion magic, giving the young sect leader an invisible slap in the face.

The young sect leader's cultivation has stagnated, all thanks to that person. His temperament has gradually become unpredictable, and he's prone to killing people at the drop of a hat. If he weren't so useful and clever, he would already be a mute corpse.

"I dare not deceive you, young master. This man's eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth are indeed very similar, and his bones are also very hard. Why don't you personally train him, young master?" the subordinate quickly replied.

Jin Du narrowed his eyes slightly and ordered calmly, "Bring him up. I want to see how similar he is. If he can't get me to agree, then you will be held responsible."

Upon hearing this, the subordinate paused in his smile, secretly praying that the young sect leader would be satisfied, or at least not punish him too severely.

He deliberately chose a time when the other person was in a good mood, hoping not to lose his life.

Footsteps approached.

With his hands tied behind his back, Zhou Bai walked up to Jin Du. His expression was icy cold, but upon closer inspection, a look of humiliation and a burning flame of anger flashed in his eyes.

He never imagined that he would be betrayed by his friend and pushed into this huge fire pit. Thinking of Zhou Pu's hypocritical apology, Zhou Bai instinctively wanted to vomit.

Seeing the drooling look on Jin Du's face made him want to vomit even more.