Chapter 1777: A Deal With The Devil
Chapter 1777: A Deal With The Devil
With just a bit of scattered information, Wang Wei had a general outline of this world. He also already foresaw the path he needed to take forward and the possible benefits. Of course, it wasn’t nearly enough. Someone as wise as he is understands that information is the key to success in any plan, and he is currently severely lacking.
"What’s your name?" Wang Wei asked as he finally took a deep glance at this woman. She wore a blue skirt and a black shirt, but they were all dirty and riddled with holes. Her body emitted a faint stench, a sign of being severely poisoned. However, despite her destitute appearance, her flaming red hair shone brightly, and her demeanor and aura indicated a young lady born into a noble family.
"I am Chenli from the Redcloud Fusan Clan."
’Fusan? I believe that’s the name of the Flame Demon God,’ Wang Wei thought. His shadows have gathered much scattered information about this timeline’s Demon Gods, and he remembered that one. ’Redcloud, is that a location? Do the clans in this realm identify their lineages based on different Chaos Demon Gods?"
"Based on what you said, you’re from an Ancestral Clan. Why are you in such a sorry state?"
Chenli’s eyes immediately dimmed after hearing these words. "My clan... is no more." She glanced at the baby in her arms. "This is the last bloodline of the clan."
"So, even without us, your world still operates under the law of the strong prey on the weak," Wang Wei calmly commented.
Chenli exhaled to calm down, ignoring his veiled taunt. "Do we have a deal?"
"You still haven’t told me what you’re offering and what you want?"
"Ancestral-tier techniques and access to the Primordial Essence Source," she revealed. "In exchange, I need you to marry me and protect the clan’s last bloodline until he can stand on his own."
"A heroine offering herself to the body? This has never happened to me before," Wang Wei mused. "Sadly, it’s more of the heroine sacrificing herself for her weak and noble son."
"Do we have a deal?"
"No," Wang Wei replied. "In all the infinite worlds in existence, only one woman has caught my eye, and you can guess it’s not you."
"I have no problem with being a concubine, as long as you fulfill your end of the bargain," Chenli said while glaring at him. However, the only answer she received was Wang Wei’s cold and indifferent eyes.
"Can you really give up such a benefit just for a woman? Aren’t you more ambitious than that?" she asked with gritted teeth.
"First of all, her value to my life is incalculable," Wang Wei replied. "Second of all, you are not as valuable as you think. The only reason I choose to deal with you is that it’s the easiest and swiftest way to achieve my goal — not the only way."
An unknown rage rushed into Chenli’s mind; she had already lowered her head to be a concubine, but this Otherworldly Demon still refused. As she was about to rage out, she remembered her situation, and the flame of anger was extinguished.
"Fine. In that case, I have three conditions," she stated. "First, I need you to protect and train my son until he opens his first gate. Secondly, once he reached the Infant Fiendgod Realm, I need you to protect him in retrieving the Fusan Clan’s true inheritance. Finally, I need you to escort us to the Heaven-Splitting Holy Land."
"The first two are fine, but you understand that I might not be able to stay for long in this place?" Secret realms have their own rules on how to enter and exit. Although this place was an entire world of its own, the rules might be different. Not to mention Wang Wei has to leave if his superiors, the Tribunal Lords, suddenly order an evacuation.
"I forgot about that," Chenli muttered. "Just do your best in the time available."
"That’s fine by me," Wang Wei nodded. "As for your third condition, I don’t want to get near the holy lands. So, the best I can promise is to escort you to the nearest domain as determined by my discretion."
"Can’t you just lead us there? I doubt the holy land would do anything to you. Anyway, many of your people have worked with countless clans and lineages. The holy lands have probably done the same."
"Do you think I will place my life on someone else’s whim?"
"You, otherworldly demons, are so cowardly. While you’re pretty handsome, most of you do not have a man’s spirit," Chenli shook her head.
Wang Wei did not answer. In his eyes, this woman was both arrogant and stupid beyond words. In their brief conversation, she revealed that the child was the last blood of the Fusan clan; in other words, she revealed her greatest reliance and her greatest weakness.
"Whatever,’ Chenli sighed after seeing Wang Wei’s silence. "You can take me as close as possible. Do we have a deal?"
"Not yet."
"You!" An intense heat spread from her body, but a baby’s cry suddenly awakened her from her madness. She hurriedly calmed him down before glaring at Wang Wei. "What else do you want?"
"You haven’t even told me who your enemy is. How can I know if I can protect you or not, or whether this deal is worth all the trouble?" Wang Wei revealed, trying to control himself not to display any disdain. Controlling stupid people was easy, but dealing with them for long was an annoyance.
"Oh, right," Chenli said. "Our enemy is the Moonwater Shuiwa Clan."
’Shuiwa? The Water Chaos Demon God,’ Wang Wei thought. "Their strength?"
"They have three Ancestral Powerhouses. Master Xunzi was the youngest, most talented, but the weakest, with a strength of 2-star Ancestral Fiendgod. The Second Elder is 3-star, and the First Elder has reached 4-star."
Wang Wei frowned; he did not understand how these correlated to his world. So, he swiftly asked a few questions and understood. One-Star Ancestral Fiendgod corresponds to ordinary Primals, 2-star skipped C and B-Class, going directly to A-Class Primal with mastery of 3 Grand Constructs. Three-Stars equals an A-Class Primal that has mastered 4 constructs but also established 1 Transcendent Foundation. Four-Stars corresponds to 5 constructs and 2 Transcendent Foundations, and finally, Five-Stars is for SSS-Class Primals with 6 Grand Constructs and 3 Transcendent Foundations.
"Well?" Chenli asked.
"We have a deal," Wang Wei nodded.
"Are you that strong?" Chenli asked. Now that Wang Wei reminded her, she had to ask this question. "I know you guys have lost most of your strength, but at your peak, how strong were you?"
"5-Stars, and if you give me a technique and access to the Primordial Essence Source, I can swiftly regain my peak strength."
"You’ve already established 3 Saint Foundations?" Chenli asked, not hiding her surprise. She was from an Ancestral Clan with a 1-star Powerhouse, but everybody died. Luckily, she met the young master of the Redcloud Fusan Cloud and eventually married him. However, their clan only had a 4-star Ancestral Powerhouse. The first two Saint Foundations are fine, but the last requires the cultivator to create one unique to them and their path — a fact that blocks 99% of individuals.
"I don’t need to lie to you," he shrugged.
"In that case, how about I add one more condition?"
"I won’t help you get your revenge."
"You!"
"Take it or leave it."
Chenli glared at him before resigning herself. "Alright. Let’s sign a blood pact."
"I thought you wouldn’t ask for any guarantee or say something as you trust me."
"You think I’m stupid?" Chenli rolled her eyes before she bit her finger. "Wait, you really think I’m stupid?"
"I never said that."
"But your face said everything."
"Since when were you an expert at facial readings?"
She snorted coldly. "I know how cunning and two-faced your people are. How can I not have any guarantees?"
Wang Wei did not comment. If this woman had met someone else more ruthless, they would have long captured that child and used it to blackmail her. He believes in equivalent exchange, and, despite his Karma Dao, he lives by the motto of not owing anyone any debt—even if he can block the karma involved. Chenli’s fate would have been miserable had she met someone else.
Wang Wei observed this bloodline pact. Despite its name, it would be more adequate to call it the Willpower Pact. The backlash for breaking this pact is the negation of the cultivator’s immortality and indestructibility brought upon by their willpower. The interesting aspect of this thing is that the higher their Willpower Manifestation, the more restrictive it is.
’It’s always interesting to see how different cultivation civilizations do things differently,’ Wang Wei thought. This world doesn’t care too much about [Existence], so their civilization has pushed the utilization of Willpower to the limit. Even things like a binding contract involve it.