Chapter 3285 — Take Me as Your Underling

Of course, it was not that they had been unwilling to recognize him before—they had not dared. After all, the world was full of people who resembled one another, and they did not wish, nor were they willing, to believe that the man before them was that man. For if this man truly was that man, then as the hidden master behind the Bloody Garment Yellow Springs Sect, what revenge was there left for the likes of them to take? They would be fortunate merely to get out whole.

"My young friend, have we met?" Lin Dongfang looked at Zhong Yongliang and asked, somewhat puzzled.

Among those present, apart from Zhong Yongliang, Qian Boguang of the Black Horse Association, and the Pure Yang Heavenly Venerable of the Tomorrow Upon Tomorrow Cult, whom he did not know, he had an impression of every one of the others—he had seen them all more than ten years ago.

"I... I... I..." Zhong Yongliang stammered out three "I"s, then his legs gave way with fright, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, frothing at the mouth and insensible. He had been frightened into a swoon.

Lin Dongfang was taken aback. He had certainly never met this young friend before him, yet the fellow had simply keeled over, which left Lin Dongfang greatly perplexed.

"Let us talk outside," Lin Dongfang said. He did not wish to reveal his identity in the village; that would defeat the purpose of his seclusion. So, without waiting for anyone to speak, he took the lead and stepped out of the grocery store, and the Bloody Garment Ancestor, the Yellow Springs Ancestor, and the Grim Ancestor followed him out.

The Mad Bull Patriarch looked at Zhong Yongliang lying unconscious on the ground and did not mock him. After all, his senior brother, the Mad Dragon Patriarch, had died beneath this man's fists back in the day. Seeing once more the one who had sent him to the Western Paradise, he could not help but feel a lingering dread.

Cradling Zhong Yongliang in his arms, the Mad Bull Patriarch was the first to step out of the grocery store. As for the Pure Yang Heavenly Venerable, though he had never spoken with Lin Dongfang nor dealt with him in those years, he had seen the man's face and his ruthlessness from afar, so he too was badly frightened now. Seeing the Mad Bull Patriarch go out, he hurried after him.

The rest—Dongfang Badao and the Black Horse Association's secluded elder—followed them out of the grocery store as well. Only President Qian Boguang of the Black Horse Association was utterly baffled. What on earth was wrong with all these people?

How was it that the sight of one old peasant from some backwater village had struck them all dumb? Could this old farmer be some kind of expert? But even if the old man were a peak late Heaven-rank grand-master expert, there was still no need for such terror, was there?

Counting this old farmer, the Bloody Garment Yellow Springs Sect had only three peak late Heaven-rank grand-master experts plus one late Heaven-rank peak expert, whereas on their own side they had four peak late Heaven-rank grand-master experts plus one late Heaven-rank peak expert. The advantage was still obvious!

Still, since everyone had gone outside, Qian Boguang could only follow, questions and all, the last to leave the grocery store, leaving behind only Widow Wang, who had sold a bottle of soy sauce at an outrageous price and now watched the departing crowd in utter bewilderment.

A moment ago, the Mad Bull Patriarch had bought a bottle of soy sauce and simply handed over a hundred yuan, which had left Widow Wang stunned for quite a while. By the time she came to her senses, the group had already gone. Widow Wang wondered—were they filming a television show?

Sects, cults—was this some wuxia drama being shot? After all, such things were far, far removed from a country woman like her. It had never even crossed her mind that any of it could be real, so she simply put it out of her head.

In her view, Old Man Wei had probably been playing a bit part too—otherwise, how could a few words from him have shouted these people into a stupefied silence? This must all have been arranged beforehand in the script! How else could a village quack doctor have such tremendous power?

Then she thought of the bottle of soy sauce she had sold—might she get a chance to appear on screen? If her shot really made it onto television, she would be famous! At this thought, Widow Wang instantly grew smug, humming a little tune as she tucked the hundred yuan away.

Of course, she was truly ignorant. There was not even a cameraman here—how could this possibly be a television drama? But she knew no better, so how could she have known such things? She resolved that the next time she saw Old Man Wei, she would ask him when the show would air!

Lin Dongfang strode at the head of the group, his pace swift. Though he was no awakener, his speed was by no means slow, and he soon arrived at West Star Mountain, not far from that spring of spirit water.

Lin Dongfang had his reasons for coming here. With so many people, his current stamina made it impossible for him to awaken them all—two or three at most. But once he had done so, he would have to drink the spirit water at once to replenish himself. Otherwise he would end up like Ergoudan, his body dreadfully weak, and at that point his weakness would likely be exposed. So this spirit spring was his lifeline.

This place was deserted, and here Lin Dongfang would speak plainly. He looked at the people behind him and said, "The three ancestors of the Bloody Garment Yellow Springs Sect are my servants, and what they have done was done with my tacit consent. If you have any objections, you may address them to me."

By now Zhong Yongliang, after being carried a long way by the Mad Bull Patriarch, had finally come to. But upon hearing Lin Dongfang's words, he nearly fainted again. He hurriedly said, "No objections, no objections, haha, how could we possibly have objections? Haha, you should have said so earlier! Bloody Garment, Yellow Springs, Grim—so you are all servants of Mr. Dongfang! Then could you take me on as a servant too, haha? An underling will do..."

"I have no plans to take on underlings yet," Lin Dongfang said, glancing at Zhong Yongliang, his expression growing ever stranger. Who on earth was this man? Where had he come from?

Most of those present, hearing Zhong Yongliang's words, agreed wholeheartedly—and no wonder, for they had all witnessed Lin Dongfang's might back then. Yet there were a few who had no idea who Lin Dongfang was—and one of them was President Qian Boguang of the Black Horse Association.

In those days he had not yet been president of the Black Horse Association but an ordinary elder sent out on missions, so he felt not the slightest fear of Lin Dongfang. Though Zhong Yongliang had been scared witless and begged to become Lin Dongfang's servant, in Qian Boguang's eyes Zhong Yongliang was merely a strategist, an ordinary Earth-rank expert, and it was no wonder he was timid.

"What is the matter with all of you? Who is this old fellow, really? Did we not agree? Are we not going to join forces and kill the Grim Ancestor right now?" Seeing that no one would act, Qian Boguang grew anxious.

"This... President Qian, you may not know, but you do not recognize this great master. However, you might ask the Black Horse Association's secluded supreme elder—he should know him," the Mad Bull Patriarch said, somewhat awkwardly. (To be continued.) RT

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