Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 5: Betrayed

On a high, and riding high, having successfully tricked Chen Jinnan—a martial artist straddling the line between the early and mid-stages of the top tier—with the beginner’s gift pack rewarded by the “Evil God System,” Lu Renjia, accompanied by the “Liuhe Boy” clad in black, hurried gleefully toward the Imperial Palace. Over the years, Kangxi had been constantly suppressed by Ao Bai and had long been secretly considering recruiting martial artists capable of standing up to him. However, in the vast martial arts world, there were only a handful of martial artists who had advanced to the top-tier realm. Kangxi had long since heard of Feng Xifan’s reputation from Hai Dafu; he even knew that Feng Xifan and Chen Jinnan, the rebel leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, were disciples of the same master. However, Feng Xifan held the title of chief instructor at the Prince of Pingxi’s Mansion. With Kangxi, the young emperor, currently under severe pressure from Ao Bai, the arrival of such a skilled martial artist was a rare opportunity—so naturally, Kangxi went out personally to welcome him. Kangxi reasoned that if he could use his imperial authority to poach Feng Xifan from Wu Sangui and bring him into his own ranks, he would have a better chance of defeating Ao Bai. The imposing Imperial City was far more majestic and awe-inspiring than the Forbidden City of later generations, which had become a mere tourist attraction. Seeing thousands of imperial guards standing at attention with swords drawn for the first time truly stunned Lu Renjia. As he watched Emperor Kangxi, clad in his imperial robe, walk toward him, Lu Renjia’s fragile little heart pounded wildly. “This is the head of state…” “Your servant Feng Xifan pays his respects to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Emperor!” “Hmm! Rise, my minister…” Observing Feng Xifan—with his snow-white hair, youthful complexion, and the bearing of a master—Kangxi nodded and began pacing around him, taking him in. “Minister Feng, you are indeed imposing and extraordinary… Truly worthy of being the foremost martial artist under the Prince of Pingxi! Hmm! I shall bestow upon you the title of ‘The World’s Foremost Martial Artist’!” Faced with this immense title suddenly bestowed upon him, Lu Renjia—who had taken possession of Feng Xifan’s body—felt not the slightest bit of joy; instead, he had the sensation of being used as a pawn. He cursed under his breath: “Damn it… I’ve been played! Damn it, if I’d known, I would’ve just blurted out some nonsense right from the start… Now look at this—I guess…” Just as Lu Renjia was pondering how to refuse, a domineering and arrogant voice boomed like a clap of thunder. “Hmph! Your Majesty, I’m afraid Feng Xifan isn’t worthy of the title ‘Number One Martial Artist Under Heaven.’ If he wants to be the best, he’d better ask me—Ao Bai, the Number One Warrior of Manchuria—if I agree!” Looking in the direction of the voice, Lu Renjia saw a face that was all too familiar—Xu Dada’s face, that extraordinarily domineering visage that had appeared in countless classic Hong Kong erotic films. At that moment, it was like a ferocious tiger descending the mountain, striding toward him as he knelt on the ground. Now that Lu Renjia’s soul had taken possession of Feng Xifan’s body, through Feng Xifan’s memories, Lu Renjia sensed that the Ao Bai before him had unblocked at least five of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, having already reached the late stage of a first-rate martial artist. Although the difference between the mid-stage and late-stage of a first-rate martial artist might seem to be merely one or two meridians, this dividing line actually represents a gap in all physical attributes. The Ao Bai before him possessed strength and speed at least fifty-five times that of an ordinary person. This was a formidable figure capable of beating Chen Jinnan half to death with his bare hands. Glancing at Uncle Da’s sly grin as he stood behind Kangxi, Lu Renjia thought to himself, “That damn eunuch—it must have been his idea… I never imagined that disrupting the plot would lead to such consequences… I was too careless. It seems not just anyone can take on the role of Zheng Zha…” Looking down from above, Ao Bai cast a glance at Feng Xifan, who was kneeling on the ground. a man he’d heard of—a skilled martial artist in his own right. However, having mastered the *Thirteen Protectors’ Horizontal Refinement of the Golden Bell Shield* to its highest level—where one’s yang energy is drawn into the abdomen—he knew no one in the world could match him. Thus, he didn’t take Feng Xifan seriously at all, and a surge of true qi burst forth from his body, crushing down upon Feng Xifan. “Crack… crack…” The sound of shattering glass echoed. Where Lu Renjia was kneeling, spider-web-like cracks suddenly appeared on the ground. Beads of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Although Lu Renjia could only harness seven or eight layers of this body’s power, his stubborn nature compelled him to grit his teeth and slowly rise to his feet. His childhood memories were filled with more pain than joy, which is why Lu Renjia always put on a cheerful face. Yet beneath that innocent smile lay an indomitable spirit—otherwise, he would never have refused to return to that familiar yet alien home after graduation, no matter what setbacks or humiliations he faced. The moment Feng Xifan stood up, Ao Bai raised an eyebrow, his face flashing with murderous intent. Although he knew the man before him was someone Kangxi had sent to humiliate him, if Feng Xifan had simply knelt obediently on the ground, Ao Bai would never have risked offending the formidable Prince of Pingxi, Wu Sangui, over a mere outlaw—after all, one must always consider the master when beating a dog. Yet who would have thought that Feng Xifan would actually withstand his true qi and stand up? This was clearly a defiant stance against him. “Hmph! His Majesty’s word is law—does Minister Ao perhaps take issue with His Majesty?” Lu Renjia asked coldly. Aobai’s appearance had already terrified Kangxi quite a bit, but when he saw that Feng Xifan was actually standing up to Aobai for the title of “the greatest martial artist under heaven,” the young Kangxi could no longer hide the joy in his heart. A smirk of triumph spread across his face. “Indeed… does Minister Aobai perhaps take issue with my bestowal of honors?” Aobai cast a cold glance at Feng Xifan, a sneer playing on his lips. He bowed slightly to Kangxi and said haughtily, “Not at all… This subject merely believes that if Feng Xifan is to claim the title of ‘the greatest martial artist under heaven,’ he must possess sufficient skill…” Seizing the opportunity, Kangxi quickly interjected, “Oh? Minister Ao, as the foremost warrior of the Manchu people, why not engage in a duel with Minister Feng in three days’ time? If you emerge victorious, you will not only be the foremost warrior of the Manchu people but also the greatest martial artist under heaven… and I shall bestow upon you a most generous reward…” Having said this, without waiting to see if Ao Bai or Feng Xifan agreed, he called out to Hai Dafu standing nearby: “Draft an imperial edict to proclaim to the world that in three days’ time, my Manchu’s Foremost Warrior, Minister Ao, will face off against Feng Xifan, the foremost martial artist of the Prince of Pingxi’s House, in a duel to determine the victor. The winner shall be awarded the title of ‘The World’s Foremost Martial Artist!’ and shall be granted the hereditary title of Prince, to be passed down through the generations without interruption…” “This servant will draft the imperial edict to proclaim this to the world at once…” Hai Dafu said, then scampered off gleefully. For a moment, Lu Renjia had placed Kangxi in the spotlight as the representative of Prince Pingxi, Wu Sangui. If he dared not accept the challenge, the entire Prince Pingxi’s Mansion would be disgraced. And Aobai, confident in his extraordinary martial prowess, would inevitably accept the challenge. Confident, Aobai strode slowly toward Feng Xifan and sneered, “I hear you’ve obtained a fragment of an ancient text and conjured up something called the ‘Six Harmonies Boys’… This old man grants you permission to bring them along as assistants… Hahahahahaha…” Lu Renjia, standing frozen in place, cursed inwardly as he calculated: “I was too careless… A surprise ambush has turned into a duel. Since he’s allowed me to bring the ‘Six Harmonies Boys’ to assist me, does that mean that old bastard Aobai is going to bring reinforcements too? Damn it, looks like I’ll have to save those two ‘off-the-cuff bluffs’ for the Fake Empress Dowager and Hai Dafu…” Before long, Hai Dafu—who had just issued the imperial edict to the realm—appeared before Lu Renjia as if out of nowhere. “This servant would like to wish Mr. Feng a resounding victory in his quest to claim the title of the Empire’s Greatest Master. When that happens, he’ll be granted the rank of Duke, with his descendants enjoying that honor for generations to come…By the way, His Majesty is concerned that the long journey might affect Mr. Feng’s performance in the tournament three days from now, so he’s instructed me to take Mr. Feng to my quarters to rest and recharge… Rest assured, I’ll make sure to attend to you perfectly…” “Have a dead eunuch with a fake beard attend to me? Hmph… You’re really worried I’ll slip away in the dead of night, aren’t you… Very well, I’ll let you taste my silver tongue tonight…” With that, Lu Renjia said with a forced smile: “Then I’ll trouble you, Eunuch…” As the chief eunuch of the Office of Ceremonial Affairs, Hai Dafu’s quarters, though not as grand as the palaces of the imperial consorts, were at least a private courtyard with its own entrance. As soon as he entered, Xiao Guizi had already prepared a table laden with food and drink. Hai Dafu personally poured Lu Renjia a cup of wine and chuckled, “Mr. Feng, please feel free to help yourself. I’ve personally inspected all these dishes and drinks…” Sitting across from Hai Dafu, Lu Renjia could sense that this wretched eunuch’s cultivation had also reached a first-rate level—though it fell considerably short of his own. He had likely only opened the Yin Qiao and Yang Qiao meridians among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. In other words, he was at the early stage of the first-rate level. Feeling somewhat annoyed, Lu Renjia took the wine cup and glanced at the various jars and bottles arranged on the cabinet. He decided to give this dead eunuch a bit of a hard time before unleashing his “off-the-cuff” banter. Pointing deliberately at the jars and bottles, he said, “Eunuch Hai, what a refined taste you have! Even though you’re now in a situation where your mind is full of ideas but your body can’t keep up, you’ve still managed to collect so many whips… Oh…Isn’t that a tiger’s penis? A bull’s penis… a deer’s penis? Wow… that white one—it can’t be an elephant’s penis, can it?” To his surprise, Hai Dafu didn’t get angry at all; instead, he gave a sweet smile. “Mr. Feng, you have a keen eye… but that white one isn’t an elephant’s penis—it’s mine…” “Damn it! You’re pulling my leg… Even mine isn’t that big—do you think I’m Mount Tai?” Although he didn’t know what Mount Tai was, Hai Dafu waved his hand dismissively. “You’re something else… Why won’t you let me finish? That’s the radish I’ve been pickling… for winter…” “Pfft! Putting radishes right next to tiger and bull penises? You really aren’t picky about your mix of meat and veggies, are you…” Lu Renjia said disdainfully. After a meal and some drinks, Lu Renjia took the opportunity to send Xiao Guizi away. A thought struck him, and the “Evil God System” dialog box popped up in his mind; he tapped the “Talk Nonsense” skill. Ten minutes later, Hai Dafu had fallen for it. After a heart-to-heart conversation filled with inspirational advice—as if he were a confidante—Hai Dafu was already calling Lu Renjia “brother.” He even confided in Lu Renjia about the whole business with the fake Empress Dowager. “Don’t worry, big brother. On the day of the martial arts tournament, even if I have to risk my old life, I’ll help you take down that villain Ao Bai!” Hai Dafu declared, pounding his chest. “Good brother! But Ao Bai has many henchmen. To ensure absolute success, we’d best find a few more allies. I have a junior brother in our sect whose martial arts skills are on par with mine. I’ll ask him to come and lend a hand—that will give us a better chance of success. Since Brother Hai suspects the fake Empress Dowager is a member of the Divine Dragon Sect, then…Tonight, I’ll sneak into Cining Palace and try to persuade her, in the name of justice, to join us. That way, we’ll be absolutely certain of success…” With that, under Hai Dafu’s moved gaze, Lu Renjia activated his lightness skills and glided gracefully toward Cining Palace. “Feng Xifan, a retainer of the Prince of Pingxi, has come specifically to seek an audience with the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect… I earnestly request that you grant him an audience…” As the voice traveled a thousand li, the fake Empress Dowager, who had long since gone to sleep, suddenly opened her eyes. The fact that the other party clearly knew her identity truly startled Long’er. But since he had come alone, he likely meant no harm. “Prince of Pingxi?” Before she was ambushed by Feng Xifan and Wu Yingxiong working in tandem, Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect, had considered Wu Sangui a great hero. Today, upon Feng Xifan’s arrival in the capital, he had been tricked by Emperor Kangxi into unwittingly agreeing to a duel with Aobai three days hence—how could Long’er not be aware of such a momentous event? With a wave of her jade-like arm, the twelve sword maids stationed around Cining Palace leapt forward to greet him. “Please wait a moment, Mr. Feng…” the twelve sword maids said in unison. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect, dressed in a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, slowly emerged. She bowed slightly toward Feng Xifan. “May I ask, Mr. Feng, what brings you here so late at night?” “Greetings, Holy Maiden… I came uninvited out of sheer necessity… Alas,I was originally ordered by the Prince of Pingxi to travel to the capital and audience with His Majesty to investigate the movements of Ao Bai’s treacherous faction… Little did I know I’d be outmaneuvered by that brat Kangxi…” As he spoke, Lu Renjia had a sudden thought, and the “Evil God System” dialog box appeared in his mind; he tapped the “Talk Nonsense” skill.