Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 469

The City Lord’s Mansion of Water Cloud Immortal Capital was essentially the same as the prefectural city of Cloud Ridge Prefecture to the Blood Reversal Sect, an affiliated institution born from the sect’s rule over the mortal world.

The City Lord of Water Cloud Immortal Capital was an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. The city guard army, enforcement teams, and the various halls handling cultivation-related affairs were all organizations derived from the City Lord’s authority.

To a certain extent, they did not belong to the Azure Cloud Sect.

Most of their personnel came from local powerful clans and rogue cultivators, with only occasional disciples from the Azure Cloud Sect joining. This so-called Enforcement Elder was someone the entire Dou Family knew very well.

It was none other than Gu Yanping, one of the three peak Core Formation experts of the Gu Family.

Otherwise, Dou Zhao would not have needed to come personally to beg for help. It was precisely because she knew he might have the ability to assist that she was willing to swallow her pride and lower herself to ask.

In the end, not only did he refuse to help, he even actively harmed the Dou Family.

Just thinking about it made one furious.

Dou Zhao’s father felt even more chilled as he said, “Back then, when Gu Yanping was able to secure the position of Enforcement Elder, our Dou Family contributed no small amount of spirit stones to support him.

“Now he won’t help, and on top of that he brings people to kick us while we’re down. This is intolerable! Let’s fight them to the death!!”

From his words and actions, one could see that Dou Zhao’s father was of average intelligence and had an extremely explosive temper. If not for being the eldest and possessing excellent cultivation aptitude, it would have been difficult for him to become the family head.

This was when the wisdom of the previous generation’s Dou Family patriarch in arranging the family structure became apparent. The second and third uncles were the true ones in charge.

The second uncle immediately rejected the idea:

“Calm down. The charges against us have not been finalized yet. Acting rashly will only make things worse and cut off every possible path of survival. We absolutely cannot be impulsive.”

“Then what should we do?”

Dou Zhao’s father spread his hands, already giving up.

Dou Zhao could not stand seeing her father look so pathetic. Her face flushed red as she said, “Even a raised hand does not strike a smiling face. Let’s first probe Gu Yanping for information. We’ll wait for him in the reception hall.”

“Fine.”

“Zhao’er’s words are very reasonable.”

The group hurried toward the Dou Family’s reception hall. Almost the moment they sat down, Gu Yanping arrived with a thirty-man enforcement team.

He waved for his subordinates to wait outside and entered alone. His expression was extremely calm, but upon closer inspection, a hint of smugness could be seen hidden in his eyes.

Inside the hall.

Dou Xiong, as the nominal highest authority of the Dou Family, sat in the main seat below the high platform. An empty seat had been left beside him, specifically prepared for Gu Yanping.

Gu Yanping sat down without any courtesy and spoke bluntly:

“Everyone, I’m sure you already know why this Gu has come today.”

“Gu”?

The Dou Family members exchanged glances, all feeling greatly displeased in their hearts.

In the past, this man had always referred to himself as their son-in-law. His wife was even a direct-line daughter of the Dou Clan. However, his father-in-law and mother-in-law were currently presiding over matters at West Mountain.

Everyone present who was old enough was his elder.

Yet Dou Zhao faintly sensed something was wrong.

Although Gu Yanping was the Enforcement Elder of the City Lord’s Mansion, he was still related to the Dou Family by marriage. When it came to assigning guilt, he should not be the one handling it.

For the sake of legal fairness, he should have recused himself.

The legal system of Taihu was extremely strict and placed great importance on rules. The general principle was: “Below me, all living beings must follow the rules and not overstep them.”

Moreover, the charges themselves were bizarre and lacked any clear motive.

If he still practiced nepotism, the entire process would definitely be questioned.

She suspected Gu Yanping had other intentions.

Sure enough.

After eloquently talking about the close and harmonious relationship between the Dou and Gu Families in the past, and then speaking on the matter itself while expressing righteous indignation at the Dou Family’s unjust accusation.

His attitude was upright and his words fierce.

It far exceeded everyone’s expectations and nearly left them stunned. But then Gu Yanping suddenly changed the subject and began preaching about the supremacy of strength.

“When others are the knife and we are the fish on the chopping board, all you uncles and elders should understand the principle that those who recognize the times are the wise. This matter is not because Gu is heartless. It is simply that those above need someone to take responsibility for this incident.

“Local powerful clans have always liked to bully men and dominate women. Their spoiled young masters emerge in endless succession, constantly tarnishing the family’s reputation and inviting disaster. They are indeed the perfect targets for blame. What do you all think?”

“Absurd!”

Dou Xiong slammed the table so hard it shattered. He stood up and began spitting saliva all over Gu Yanping’s face, making people wonder if he was doing it on purpose.

“According to your logic, our Dou Family should just stretch out our necks and let those beasts chop us? Even ants strive to survive. In this world, things are not decided simply because they say so.

“If the Azure Cloud Sect is unjust, this old man will go appeal to the Sword Sect! The righteous path governs the world with benevolence and morality. Can a few pieces of rat shit really cover the entire sky?!

“If he were a Nascent Soul, a Spirit Transformation Venerable would naturally deal with him. Yet you, a mere junior, rush forward without knowing your place. Do you think the Gu Family has latched onto a big tree? Look how rotten its roots already are.

“—You fool!”

Dou Xiong’s thunderous words were eye-opening. Several uncles looked at him as if seeing him for the first time and secretly sighed that their wise elder brother actually possessed such insight.

Dou Zhao also looked at her father with admiration.

That thin figure actually had such a majestic day.

Gu Yanping was cursed until he was drenched in verbal filth. His face immediately flushed with anger. He also stood up and roared back:

“A bunch of country bumpkins and clay chickens, do you really think you can turn the sky upside down?

“In Water Cloud Immortal Capital, under the rule of the Azure Cloud Sect, whether you are a dragon or a snake, you will all obediently coil up for me! Let me tell you the truth: making your family take the blame is the City Lord’s intention.

“I’ll give you three days. Hand over all the Dou Family’s shops to the Gu Clan. This lord will then protect these few nieces of yours and ensure the Dou Clan still has bloodline left in this world.”

“You beast! How dare you speak to your elders like this!”

“Ridiculous!”

“Utterly shameless!”

“Fuck your mother! You rotten-assed bastard! Did you eat shit?! This old man will shit out some aged cellar wine right now and wash your mouth out for you!”

Even though Gu Yanping was a Core Formation peak cultivator, he still could not win an argument against an entire crowd. If he stayed any longer, even the ancestors in his ancestral graves would end up getting cursed out.

“Hmph. I won’t lower myself to argue with a bunch of people who are about to die. Little Zhao, the young master of the City Lord’s Mansion taking a liking to you is your good fortune. With your seductive and shameless appearance, accepting you as a concubine is already a great favor.”

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Dou Zhao’s eyes turned red as she stared at him without saying a word. After a brief silence, her father Dou Xiong suddenly erupted.

“A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory. This old man will kill you with one palm strike right now!”

Both were Core Formation peak cultivators. If they truly intended to kill each other, it would never be decided in a single move.

But as Dou Xiong struck out, vast mana condensed into a palm seal and slammed toward Gu Yanping’s chest. Just as Gu Yanping was about to retaliate, a terrifying divine sense pressure descended upon him like an endless abyss.

The pressure made his scalp go numb.

His entire body stiffened. Before he could even summon his protective mana barrier, Dou Xiong’s palm strike landed squarely.

He was blasted straight out of the reception hall, screaming as he crashed into the group of law enforcement officers outside.

His chest had caved inward, leaving him severely injured.

Without immediate treatment, he might even die.

The members of the Dou family were even more shocked, staring at Dou Xiong in disbelief.

“Wait… Brother Xiong, when did you become this fierce?”

“Did you secretly condense a Nascent Soul?!”

“No, no.”

Even Dou Xiong himself looked confused. He repeatedly mimicked the palm strike he had just used and muttered quietly.

“Did my anger just unlock some hidden potential?”

Among the Dou family, only Dou Zhao glanced around the hall, trying to find the figure she had been thinking of.

Then a teasing voice sounded beside her.

“No need to look. With me here, no harm will come to you.”

Since Gu Yanping had been blasted outside, everyone had already left their seats and gathered near the doorway to watch.

Hearing the voice, they immediately turned around.

There they saw a figure in white robes as pure as snow.

His handsome features were sharp and elegant. His eyes were deep like the night sky. His temperament was refined, and his posture tall and straight.

Silver-white hair flowed freely down his back, tied loosely with a dark ribbon. He lounged sideways against a chair, the corner of his lips curved in a slightly arrogant smile.

The one who had arrived was Wang Yu.

In this state, he looked completely different from the mortal shopkeeper Wang. Even though their faces were similar, it was difficult to believe they were the same person.

Dou Zhao’s expression shifted from shock to disbelief.

Her heart raced uncontrollably before she finally said, “Thank you, Senior, for remembering past ties.”

“That fellow isn’t dead yet. He just can’t come back.”

The implication was clear. Wang Yu’s help had nothing to do with her.

It was a coded conversation.

Even so, those two short sentences made the rest of the Dou family understand that this was one of the solutions Dou Zhao had mentioned earlier. Although it came a little late, it was far better than nothing.

But who exactly was the “fellow” Wang Yu had mentioned?

That was not the most important issue right now.

Outside the reception hall, Gu Yanping shakily climbed to his feet and looked at Wang Yu with extreme fear.

“Nascent Soul great perfection?!”

A being at that level was far beyond someone like him.

Wang Yu had no intention of revealing his demonic essence, so he simply used the divine sense pressure he had recently gained after breaking through to intimidate him.

Unexpectedly, this man was so weak-willed that he almost got killed by Dou Xiong, who was at the same cultivation level.

It was truly disgraceful.

Gu Yanping’s words shocked everyone present.

Their excitement toward Wang Yu grew even stronger. With someone like him supporting them, the Dou family might truly be saved.

Meanwhile, the law enforcement officers who had originally planned to bully them under the City Lord’s authority suddenly realized the person they were facing was like Wu Song[1] himself.

Even the City Lord would not dare provoke someone like that.

They immediately shrank back like frightened turtles.

Seeing the room fall silent, Wang Yu spoke to Gu Yanping.

“Go back and inform the City Lord of Water Cloud Immortal City. Tomorrow at noon, this lord will personally pay him a visit.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now get lost.”

“Yes…”

Gu Yanping left the Dou residence in disgrace.

With Wang Yu’s usual temperament, this man would have long since been thrown into the Thunder Fiend Coffin to feed the zombies. At worst he could simply relocate to another city afterward.

However, considering the Dou family’s situation, he decided to spare him.

Wang Yu actually knew very little about the past relationship between Yin Gui and the Dou family. Back then, he had left the Dou clan out of stubborn pride.

After turning to demonic cultivation and reaching the Nascent Soul realm, he could no longer return home openly.

The difference between righteous and demonic cultivation fundamentally changed once one reached Nascent Soul.

The characteristics of demonic essence were obvious to any cultivator. It could not be concealed.

There were no secret techniques in this world capable of changing the foundation of one’s mana.

However, once demonic essence advanced another realm further, it gained the ability to corrupt, tempting cultivators of other paths to fall into the demonic path.

That was perhaps the true uniqueness of demonic essence.

After the outsiders left, the Dou family members did not know how to start a conversation.

They all turned their eyes toward Dou Zhao, silently urging her to step forward.

As for their other questions, they could always ask her later after Wang Yu left.

Bearing the responsibility, Dou Zhao approached nervously and bowed.

“Dou Zhao greets Senior…”

Wang Yu immediately laughed.

“It’s rare to see you this polite. Enough nonsense. Prepare a table of spiritual delicacies and fine wine. My mouth is so bland it tastes like bird droppings.”

“Right away.”

Dou Xiong answered quickly.

He secretly signaled to the others and hurried away with the relatives, planning to order a grand meal from the best restaurant in Water Cloud Immortal City and bring it back.

Soon the reception hall was left with only Dou Zhao and Wang Yu.

She remained silent, unsure what to say.

Now that the difference in their status had become clear, it was difficult to return to the carefree relationship they once had.

Seeing this, Wang Yu began speaking about the past.

Most of it concerned the days he had spent with Yin Gui. At the same time, he subtly hinted at his identity as a demonic cultivator so the Dou family would not offend others because of him.

This warning needed to be given early.

If the situation ever escalated to the point where he had to intervene personally, he would also have to leave Water Cloud Immortal City and find another place to cultivate in seclusion.

Their conversation lasted until dusk.

After spending enough time alone, Dou Zhao gradually regained her old lively personality.

Suddenly she asked,

“By the way, where’s Qing Fang? I told her to wait for you.”

“She’s watching the shop. My identity isn’t convenient to reveal to them. It’s enough if you understand it. If you ever reach a dead end in the future, go to the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain. Your ancestors from this branch are there.”

Dou Zhao fell silent.

People often said demonic cultivators were cruel and violent, yet she felt Wang Yu was very different.

What she did not know was that when Wang Yu truly became ruthless, even eggs would have their yolks shaken apart.

As for how to resolve the scapegoat situation, Wang Yu believed that simply displaying his divine sense cultivation and pretending to be a Nascent Soul great perfection cultivator while expressing his protection of the Dou family would be enough.

The rules of Taihu were also the rules of strength.

Justice and fairness only targeted the weak.

Trying to tell the strong they had broken the law was nothing more than a joke.

The only difference was that Taihu still covered everything with a thin veil, while the Crimson Kite displayed it openly.

Aside from demonic essence, this was the greatest difference between the righteous and demonic paths.

After eating and drinking heartily at the Dou residence, Wang Yu left satisfied and returned to playing the role of Shopkeeper Wang.

The next day at noon, he met the two Nascent Soul cultivators of Water Cloud Immortal City at the City Lord’s Mansion.

One was a blue-haired middle-aged man at the third layer of the Nascent Soul realm, cultivating a cloud-based variant of water techniques.

His beard reached his chest, and his appearance looked dignified.

However, a faint sinister aura surrounded him.

As an expert himself, Wang Yu recognized it immediately.

This man had consumed pills refined through the Blood Pill Technique.

The resentment of living beings within those pills had not fully dissipated, and consuming too many of them produced exactly this kind of aura.

It did not affect the cultivator physically.

It merely meant his moral character was deeply flawed.

No wonder he dared to force local noble families to take the blame for crimes.

He clearly was not afraid of causing trouble.

After all, powerful clans often had branches everywhere, with talented descendants serving major factions or even joining the Sword Sect.

If even one of them had strong connections, the truth would eventually explode.

The method he used was simply too crude.

There was no subtlety at all.

Wang Yu immediately judged him to be either mediocre or someone who had done too many disgraceful things in the past and grown accustomed to such crude methods.

[1]:- Wu Song (武松) is a legendary Chinese folk hero and a central character in the classic novel Water Margin (水滸傳). He is most famous for his immense physical strength, particularly for the feat of killing a man-eating tiger with his bare hands after drinking eighteen bowls of wine.