Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 9: A Streak of Bad Luck

Use a bronze mirror to straighten your clothes; use others as a mirror to understand your gains and losses; use history as a mirror to understand the rise and fall of nations. Reading the insights summarized by these senior Qualifiers—including True Master Xuan Kui, who had completed over twenty missions—Lu Renjia couldn’t help but feel deeply impressed. Everything was explained in detail, from how to use the “Evil God System” to how to conceal one’s identity when one’s power was still weak. This comprehensive information could be considered a beginner’s guide for any “Evil God System” Qualifier—much like a career planning guide for college graduates. Having failed over a hundred job interviews in a row, Lu Renjia skimmed through the guide and distilled it into eight words: “Keep a low profile in life; make money in style.” “Keep a low profile” naturally taught Lu Renjia how to hide his identity; after all, every eligible user in each world is unique. The “Evil God System” acts as a shortcut for eligible users to evolve, and any single item produced by the system would cause a catastrophe if brought into the real world. Looking at the illustrated cautionary tales provided by Xuan Kui Zhenren, Lu Renjia couldn’t help but cringe. “Damn… Does it have to be this bad? Getting captured and dissected? And this one… actually driven insane by someone threatening his family? Ugh… Looks like the ‘Evil God System’ absolutely must not be revealed to anyone…” Lu Renjia exclaimed, staring at the jade slip in his hand that had turned to dust. The eligible candidates featured in these illustrated cautionary tales bore a certain resemblance to Lu Renjia. They all came from humble backgrounds; after completing their first mission, they obtained a substantial amount of Sin Coins and impressive power, instantly transforming from nobodies into rich, handsome, and successful individuals. Unable to control themselves, some of these humble-born eligible candidates used their Sin Coins to purchase items from the “Lifestyle Services” option and resell them in their respective worlds,while others deluded themselves into dreaming of ruling the world. The outcome, naturally, was utterly tragic. Of course, keeping a low profile carries another implication: since the “Evil God System” originates from the Demon Primordial Realm—one of the Four Great Primordial Realms—it is said that the other three Primordial Realms also dispatch apostles to the Great Thousand Worlds in search of successors. Successors from the Buddha Primordial Realm are called “Buddha Affinity Bearers,” those from the Immortal Primordial Realm are called “Immortal Embryos,” and those from the Demon Primordial Realm are called “Beast-Demon Souls.” According to the information transmitted by Immortal Xuan Kui, the cultivation methods of the heirs from the Four Great Primordial Realms differ significantly. Whether they are “Buddhist Affinity Bearers” from the Buddhist Primordial Realm or “Immortal Embryos” from the Immortal Primordial Realm, they all cultivate the techniques of their respective realms to enhance their cultivation. Their progress is slow in the early stages, but by the Mahayana Stage, their strength is said to rival that of qualified candidates with a ten-star gold-bordered Sin Level. Heirs from the Demon Primordial Realm, on the other hand, cultivate the “Beast-Demon Soul”; the closer they resemble the Ancestral Beasts of the Demon Primordial Realm, the stronger they become. As for the Qualified Ones who inherit the legacy of the Demon Realm, they are a veritable melting pot. Those possessing the “Evil God System” experience rapid cultivation progress in the early stages, but by the later stages, it’s like the waves sifting through sand—only the strongest survive. The relationships among the Four Great Realms are also delicate. The Demon Realm has always remained neutral, while the Demon Realm stands alone, confronting the Immortal Realm and the Buddhist Realm with formidable might. According to Master Xuan Kui and others, if Lu Renjia were to encounter an heir from the Demon Realm, he might still have a chance of survival; but if he were to face an heir from the Immortal Realm or the Buddhist Realm, he would be in deep trouble. It is said that in some of the Great Thousand Worlds inhabited by particularly unlucky Qualified Ones, heirs from the other three Primordial Realms are present at the same time. As a result, these Qualified Ones often die at the hands of heirs from other Primordial Realms before they even reach the once-in-a-thousand-years Battle Chronicle group battles. As for making money in the open, it naturally meant earning Sin Coins while simultaneously securing a certain level of status and wealth in their respective worlds. Just like True Immortal Xuan Kui and his companions, who ostensibly held varying degrees of influence in their respective worlds—a situation that not only facilitated the execution of “Evil God System” missions but also allowed them to conceal their true identities. “I hope that on this Earth of ours—a backwater of the universe—there aren’t any other Heirs from the Three Great Primordial Realms. Otherwise, my frail little arms and legs just won’t be able to withstand the ordeal…” Lu Renjia prayed silently. From humble beginnings to the moment they were chosen by a Demon Envoy to become Qualified Ones, Sin Coins were undoubtedly indispensable to every Qualified One. Although Qualified Ones could usually trade with one another via the “Trading Platform,” these items couldn’t compare to those produced by the “Evil God System.” Moreover, due to differences in world tiers, items traded by Qualified Ones from other worlds might sometimes prove unusable. As for Sin Rank, it directly indicates an Eligible’s strength; the three tiers—Three-Star, Five-Star, and Eight-Star—represent massive turning points. The mortality rate for Eligibles below Three-Star is as high as ninety percent. Those who survive the “Three-Star Curse” are virtually guaranteed to advance to Five-Star, though Five-Star itself is a chasm that looms before all Eligibles. Once they overcome Five-Star,their strength surges dramatically. Once they reach the eight-star level, the “Evil God System” ceases to issue missions. The Sin Level increases only as the Qualified One’s strength grows. Whenever the Battle Chronicle Group Battle period arrives every thousand years, all Qualified Ones—regardless of their guild’s rank—are required to participate. Earth, classified by the “Evil God System” as a “Primary World” with a danger level of 0, receives a special compensation from the system for Earth-based Qualifiers. Specifically, before reaching Three-Star status, Lu Renjia could only travel to Minor Thousand Worlds via soul travel. After advancing to Five-Star, not only can he travel to Minor Thousand Worlds on his own, but he can also bring guild members along and even explore Major Thousand Worlds. This is what makes Earth-based Qualifiers unique. “Damn… a Three-Star Bad Luck Phase? Is there even such a thing…?” As he watched the seven Xuan Kui Zhenren each recount, in their respective summaries, how they had successfully completed the first mission issued by the “Sin System,” followed by a string of misfortunes that occurred before their Sin Level exceeded Three Stars, Lu Renjia began to grumble. “Gurgle… gurgle…” The protesting sounds of his stomach churning came again. Overnight, after completing the mission, Lu Renjia had attained the martial prowess of Feng Xifan Wu from the movie adaptation of *The Deer and the Cauldron*, which undoubtedly transformed a “loser” with a combat rating below five into a second-rate martial artist in the early stages. A so-called second-tier martial artist is one who, relying on their own martial power, has opened up the Twelve Regular Meridians within their body. The Twelve Regular Meridians are divided into: the Lung Meridian of the Hand-Taiyin, the Large Intestine Meridian of the Hand-Yangming, the Stomach Meridian of the Foot-Yangming, the Spleen Meridian of the Foot-Taiyin, the Heart Meridian of the Hand-Shaoyin, the Small Intestine Meridian of the Hand-Taiyang, the Bladder Meridian of the Foot-Taiyang, the Kidney Meridian of the Foot-Shaoyin, the Pericardium Meridian of the Hand-Jueyin, the Triple Energizer Meridian of the Hand-Shaoyang, the Gallbladder Meridian of the Foot-Shaoyang, and the Liver Meridian of the Foot-Jueyin. At this point, Lu Renjia—who was at the early stage of the second-tier martial artist realm—had opened three of these twelve regular meridians. In the world of *The Deer and the Cauldron*, those who could be considered first-rate masters were few and far between. They included only Abbess Jiunan, Aobai, Feng Xifan, Hai Dafu, Chen Jinnan, and Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect. As for first-rate masters, they are martial artists who, in addition to having opened all twelve regular meridians, have also opened at least one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. The Eight Extra Meridians are divided into the Governor Vessel, Conception Vessel, Thrust Vessel, Belt Vessel, Yin Linking Vessel, Yang Linking Vessel, Yin Branch Vessel, and Yang Branch Vessel. The number of Extraordinary Vessels one has opened naturally determines the strength of a top-tier martial artist. For example, Abbess Jiunan—who ranks at the very bottom among top-tier martial artists in the world of *The Deer and the Cauldron*—has only opened the Yang Qiao Meridian among the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, barely crossing the threshold into the top tier. Hai Dafu, on the other hand, has opened both the Yin Qiao Meridian and the Yang Qiao Meridian, making him slightly stronger than Abbess Jiunan. As for Long’er, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon Sect—whose cultivation level is on par with Feng Xifan—she has opened four meridians: the Yang Qiao, Yin Qiao, Yang Wei, and Yin Wei. The most powerful of them all is likely Aobai. This fellow has opened all five meridians except for the Ren and Du meridians and the Chong meridian, reaching the late stage of the first-rate martial artist realm. As for martial artists who have opened the Ren and Du meridians to attain the Xiantian realm, there are none in the world of the film adaptation of *The Deer and the Cauldron*. The *Six Harmonies Divine Art* is divided into six levels: “Convergence of the One,” “Condensation of the Two Polarities,” “Refinement of the Three Talents,” “Formlessness of the Four Extremes,” “Annihilation of the Five Directions,” and “Reincarnation of the Six Paths.” In the world of the film adaptation of *The Deer and the Cauldron*, Feng Xifan had cultivated the *Six Harmonies Divine Art* to its highest realm—the “Reincarnation of the Six Paths”—before emerging from seclusion. Lu Renjia currently resides at the third level of the *Six Harmonies Divine Art*: “Refining the Body with the Three Talents.” As the name suggests, the “Refining the Body with the Three Talents” stage involves tempering the body using the Six Harmonies True Qi condensed through the *Six Harmonies Divine Art* and a sufficient supply of meat. When he fused with Feng Xifan’s memories, Lu Renjia clearly saw that, during his youth, Feng Xifan consumed eight to ten jin of meat at every meal while undergoing this stage. Sometimes, to boost his vital energy, he would even venture into the mountains to hunt black bears, tigers, and leopards for food. As for Hai Dafu’s *Bone-Shattering Soft Palm*, it consisted of only a single move from start to finish. The fact that it was rated as an E-class martial art by the “Evil God System”—just like the *Six Harmonies Divine Art*—naturally speaks to its unique merits. Although the strike was slow to execute, anyone struck by it would have every bone in their body shattered. As one’s internal energy increased, the power of the *Bone-Shattering Soft Palm* would grow accordingly. If Lu Renjia were to open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and advance to the level of a top-tier martial artist, he too could, like Hai Dafu, reduce a person to a pool of blood with a single palm strike. “Ah… these days, black bears, tigers, and leopards are protected as endangered wildlife… Looks like I can’t count on the flesh and blood of these fierce beasts after all. This money should be enough for some steamed buns, though…” Lu Renjia sighed as he looked at his meager savings of seventy-seven yuan. As he prepared to change clothes and head out, Lu Renjia looked at the bulging muscles on his body—perfect eight-pack abs, with even his V-line and six-pack lines unusually pronounced. He struck a few flamboyant poses in front of the mirror, just like a bodybuilder. Looking at his reflection in the mirror—his already ordinary features made even more unremarkable by the “performer’s mask”—Lu Renjia muttered to himself, “With this average face that would go unrecognized in a crowd, I shouldn’t get into any trouble, right?” As the lights began to come on, Shendu—this ancient capital of successive dynasties—remained the political and economic center of China. Beneath this dazzling facade, who knew how many bitter experiences of young people from other regions lay buried? As a second-rate martial artist, Lu Renjia now walked beneath these dazzling neon lights, feeling as though everything around him had changed. To his eyes, the hurried passersby moved as if in slow motion, while the clamor of traffic and the din of the city seeped into his ears in faint, scattered threads. With both strength and speed five times that of an ordinary person, and using the Six Extremes Step—which corresponds to the *Six Harmonies Divine Art*—Lu Renjia weaved through the dense crowd like a fish in water. “Fat Guy… thirty yuan’s worth of steamed buns…” The round, chubby shop owner peered out from behind the display window and teased, “Oh? Little Lu… Fifty cents apiece—you’re taking sixty all at once today? Did you change your zodiac sign today—to ‘Glutton’?” “None of your business! My English name is ‘Big Stomach’—is that not good enough? Hurry up… I’m practically buying the whole lot, so throw in an extra one…” Lu Renjia laughed. “Pfft! ‘Big Stomach’? My wife even calls me ‘Strong Kidneys’ at night… Fine… I’ll throw in an extra one. I’m about to close up anyway, so I’ll toss in two liang of pickles too…” The chubby shop owner said as he began packing the steamed buns for Lu Renjia. Carrying two large bags of steamed buns, Lu Renjia—who’d gotten a great deal—skipped happily on his way back, thinking to himself, “This streak of bad luck doesn’t seem as terrible as Master Xuan Kui and the others made it out to be…” Just then, a red BMW sports car zoomed past Lu Renjia at breakneck speed. Having already reached the “Three Talents Body Refinement” realm—the third level of the *Six Harmonies Divine Art*—Lu Renjia was no longer the man he used to be. With a light tap of his toe, he sidestepped half a step backward like an agile raccoon cat. Unfortunately, while he managed to dodge the car, the bag of steamed buns he was carrying didn’t fare so well. “Rip…” With a loud tear, the sleek, modern rearview mirror of the red BMW ripped a hole in the plastic bag Lu Renjia was holding. Lu Renjia felt the weight in his hand suddenly lighten as thirty snow-white steamed buns instantly scattered across the ground. “Damn it!! For God’s sake… Can’t you drive?! Just because you drive a fancy car doesn’t make you anything special!!!” Lu Renjia cursed a couple of times before bending down to pick up the steamed buns from the ground. “Squeal…” The piercing sound of tires screeching against the pavement echoed as the red BMW slammed on its brakes and came to a halt. Lu Renjia, who was crouched on the ground picking up the steamed buns, heard the noise behind him and slowly turned his head. What met his eyes was a pair of legs so stunning they were almost criminal. Although he couldn’t make out the brand of the rhinestone-encrusted high heels, Lu Renjia felt that even his entire fortune might not be enough to buy a single heel from that pair. Just as Lu Renjia thought she had pulled over to apologize, he heard a gasp. “It’s you!!!!” Looking up at a sixty-degree angle, Lu Renjia could now clearly see her face—wasn’t this the ethereally beautiful young woman he’d met at the job fair? Lu Renjia’s mouth twitched, and he instinctively touched his cheek. Feeling the cold texture of the “performer’s mask,” he exclaimed in disbelief, “No way! You recognized me even like this?” “Of course! I’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes. It was you, you vagrant, who stole my wallet today… Catch the thief… Catch the thief…” A high-pitched scream, resembling a dolphin’s cry, rang out. The red BMW sports car, paired with that ethereally beautiful face, easily led the single guys on the street to mistake her for a rich, beautiful woman. Countless single guys—who fantasized about heroic rescues that would win the rich, beautiful woman’s heart—suddenly burst with heroic ambition. Lu Renjia paid no heed to those thirty snow-white buns. “I’ll let you off this once!” he snapped, then took off running as the indignant singles closed in on him. Having already attained fifty percent of Feng Xifan’s martial prowess, Lu Renjia was a world apart from his morning self—his feet treading the Seven Stars, his body as agile as a swimming fish. Striding in the “Six Harmonies” steps of the *Six Harmonies Divine Art*, Lu Renjia moved like a dashing matador, effortlessly evading the pursuit of those fierce “single dogs.” After finally shaking off the single guys’ pursuit, Lu Renjia returned unscathed to his doghouse-like rental apartment. Looking at the thirty steamed buns he had left, he poured himself a cup of hot water and began eating them with some pickles. Thinking of that ethereally beautiful woman, Lu Renjia said self-deprecatingly, “If it weren’t for you, I might never have become a suitable candidate for the ‘Evil God System’…” Just then, the “Evil God System” dialog box popped up in his mind again. In the guild chat room, Xuan Kui Zhenren and the other six seemed to be discussing something. Lu Renjia clicked to take a look and discovered that everyone was planning his future path as a new member.