Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 589 - Shut Up

If only one person had a problem, others could dismiss it as a coincidence. But now, nearly forty people were exhibiting the same symptoms, which wasn’t normal.

Many people had come to purchase pills over the years, which meant even more people had likely fallen victim to the Lesser Blade Association’s pills.

“Liu Wuxie, don’t spout nonsense! How can there be a problem with our pills?” Mu Yongyuan roared, convinced that Liu Wuxie was trying to deceive everyone with another scheme. He knew without a doubt that if Liu Wuxie’s claim took hold, they would lose their pill market.

However, that wasn’t the worst outcome. Most pills produced by the Lesser Blade Association had ended up in the hands of influential figures. If they learned the pills were poisonous, they would surely take revenge against the Lesser Blade Association.

Losing their market was one thing, but becoming a target of public outrage was another. Even if they lost their pill market, they could find another way to make up for the losses. However, if their reputation were tarnished, it would be difficult for them to develop from here on.

The commotion in the stall had spilled out into the streets, drawing more curious onlookers from the vicinity. Some bold individuals even stepped inside to see what was happening.

“Since you say that I’m talking nonsense, so be it. Their life and death have nothing to do with me. I was initially planning to guide them, but as you have dismissed my words as nonsense, so be it,” Liu Wuxie said and turned to leave.

What he said caused an uproar in the surroundings. Those who had consumed the pills produced by the Lesser Blade Association naturally wouldn’t let him leave. If he left, what would happen to the poison in their bodies?

They had privately discussed this among themselves and found that those who consumed the pills for a longer period experienced worse symptoms.

“Young Master Liu, you can’t leave!” Forty-odd people surrounded Liu Wuxie to stop him from leaving.

“On what grounds are you people stopping me from leaving? Didn’t you all accuse me of spouting nonsense when I reminded you earlier?” Liu Wuxie swept his gaze through the crowd. Everyone lowered their heads in guilt, even those with higher cultivation than Liu Wuxie.

Their very lives were in Liu Wuxie’s hands. Liu Wuxie had mentioned that he planned to tell them how to get rid of the poison in their bodies. However, Mu Yongyuan’s words had infuriated Liu Wuxie, prompting him to leave.

“Young Master Liu, I apologize for my behavior earlier. Please tell me how to get rid of the poison in my body,” said the cultivator in the high levels of the Astral River Realm. He had been hostile toward Liu Wuxie earlier.

The sudden shift in his tone stumped everyone who had just arrived. They couldn’t believe someone at the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm would lower his head to a junior who was only in the Heavenly Phase Realm.

“It’s not that I don’t want to help you all, but you’ve heard the Lesser Blade Association’s claims that I’m just spouting nonsense. They’re a powerful faction. I can’t afford to offend them, so it’s best if I leave.” Liu Wuxie shrugged, pretending to look helpless, earning him eye-rolls.

You’re afraid of them now? What about your earlier confidence when you accused and insulted everyone? That was the same thought in everyone’s mind, but no one dared to voice it.

Everyone knew that Liu Wuxie was doing this on purpose to make the Lesser Blade Association a public enemy, and what he said was so reasonable that there was no room for rebuttal.

Mu Yongyuan’s face was terrifyingly grim. Today, he had truly experienced how terrifying Liu Wuxie could be. Whether the claims made by him were true or false, Liu Wuxie had successfully made everyone suspicious of the Lesser Blade Association’s pills.

“Don’t worry about it! With me around, no one can lay a finger on you.” The cultivator in the high levels of the Astral River Realm patted his chest confidently.

Everyone quickly echoed their support to ensure Liu Wuxie’s safety. They weren’t afraid of the Lesser Blade Association, and they only came because the pills here were cheap.

“What’s going on here? Why is the Green Python Gang’s leader courteous to a junior?” The newcomers rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

Surprisingly, the one who had spoken was the leader of the Green Python Gang in Treasure City. It might not be a major gang, but they held some influence and possessed considerable strength in the city.

“I’m not sure. It seems there’s something wrong with the Lesser Blade Association’s pills,” whispered the onlookers. Everyone who came to the black market knew that this shop belonged to the Lesser Blade Association.

“Young Master Liu, please tell us how to cleanse the poison in our bodies,” someone asked again. With this one voice as a signal, everyone started asking the same thing, lowering their pride for the sake of their lives. Their eyes glimmered with hope as they looked at Liu Wuxie, desperate for a cure.

“Everyone, listen to me!” Mu Yongyuan said frantically. “The pills produced by the Lesser Blade Association are absolutely fine. He’s just playing tricks on you, don’t fall for it!”

If what Liu Wuxie said was confirmed as accurate, he would become the Lesser Blade Association’s sinner. After all, their entire pill market would collapse.

“Shut the fuck up!” The Green Python Gang’s leader flew into a sudden rage and slapped Mu Yongyuan so hard that he spun in mid-air before crashing to the ground.

Mu Yongyuan’s face was bruised and swollen. Several people even stepped forward to kick him viciously, leaving Mu Yongyuan in tears and wishing for death at this moment.

Once again, Liu Wuxie claimed victory without drawing his weapon. Not only had he destroyed the Lesser Blade Association’s pill market, but he also taught Mu Yongyuan a brutal lesson.

With everyone kicking Mu Yongyuan viciously, he was left barely alive, hanging on to his last breath. Even if he managed to survive after this incident, he would probably become a cripple.

“Young Master Liu, that should be enough to placate your anger. Please, tell us how to get rid of the poison in our bodies,” said the Green Python Gang’s leader, thoroughly afraid of a maleficent fiend like Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie’s performance today was too terrifying, making everyone willingly do his bidding if they wanted to keep their lives.

Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Liu Wuxie cleared his throat and said, “Before I discuss the issue with the pills, let me share some fundamental knowledge about the cultivation world.”

“Please, enlighten us!” By now, no one dared to belittle Liu Wuxie. More people gathered, and nearly half of the black market was now present here.

It was rare for fights to break out in the black market, and this was the first. However, the black market rules became unenforceable due to mass noncompliance. With so many people in the surroundings, there was nothing the Lesser Blade Association’s members could do even if they were beaten, especially since there was genuinely an issue with the pills they sold.

“Everyone knows where the Lesser Blade Association got their pills from. They came from alchemists who had been embezzling the sect’s resources. It’s theft, plain and simple. Am I wrong?” Liu Wuxie said, his voice soft yet clear enough to reach everyone’s ears.

“That’s right!” Everyone nodded in agreement. Liu Wuxie’s analogy was fitting, and that behavior was indeed one of thievery.

“Everyone here is my elder, and you all know more than I do when it comes to principles. But today, I want to say that as cultivators, we should forge ahead without hesitation and not go against our hearts, which will lead to a flaw in the dao heart. Many people know this saying, but few can truly achieve it,” Liu Wuxie’s voice rang with righteousness, and each word resounded in everyone’s mind loudly and clearly. Their souls stirred as if they had received a sudden enlightenment.

“Well said! As cultivators, we must forge ahead and not go against our hearts!” Applause erupted from the surroundings as Liu Wuxie’s words resonated deeply with the gathered crowd.

“Young Master Liu, we’ve all heard this before. But how is it related to the pills produced by the Lesser Blade Association?” one voice questioned.

“On the contrary, what I explained so far is precisely the biggest problem with the pills,” Liu Wuxie said, shaking his head. He said so much, but most people couldn’t grasp his point, leaving them restless and frustrated.

The crowd began to whisper among themselves, trying to decipher the meaning behind Liu Wuxie’s words. After all, no one wanted to be treated as a fool, and they could be considered wise if they could figure out the crux of Liu Wuxie’s speech first.

After some time, everyone urged, “Young Master Liu, stop beating around the bush and tell us the answer already.” Though they were all cultivators, not everyone had the wisdom to figure out what Liu Wuxie was trying to say.

“The greatest taboos in cultivation are greed, desire, anger, and lust. Those emotions can give birth to the inner demon, and the alchemists who refined these pills have long been poisoned by greed. So the pills refined by them will naturally have a problem,” Liu Wuxie explained. This time, most of the people finally understood his words.

The world of cultivation was a dog-eat-dog world, and even siblings would turn on each other if it came to advancing their cultivation. Many cultivators had even severed their seven emotions and six desires to reach greater heights in their cultivation.

Severing the seven emotions and six desires didn’t mean becoming heartless, but knowing when to give up and when to hold on. This was a concept that everyone misunderstood.

For example, Liu Wuxie felt no empathy for the death of ordinary people because mortals were mere ants to cultivators. It wasn’t that they were cruel, but that was just the reality of this world. This was what it meant to sever the seven emotions and six desires because their emotions were only reserved for those closest to them.

“So that’s the reason—the alchemists are poisoned with greed, and that’s why the pills they refined were flawed!” The cultivators who consumed the Earth Origin Pills finally understood why the pills were poisoned, and no one would dare to buy from the Lesser Blade Association again.

“Liu Wuxie, does it mean that we have to avoid pills refined by the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in the future,” asked someone from the crowd. If what Liu Wuxie said was true, it would cripple the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s business.

“Not at all,” Liu Wuxie replied. He didn’t feel any pressure even if all eyes were on him.

“Young Master Liu, please enlighten us!” everyone begged. If there was indeed an issue with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s pills, they would have to seek alternatives.

“The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has hundreds of alchemists, and not everyone was poisoned by greed. Most of the pills are not only safe to consume, but they’re also of excellent quality,” Liu Wuxie reassured them. Only a select few were poisoned by greed, and most alchemists were fine.

“But how do we tell the difference?” the crowd wondered. After all, they didn’t have the discerning ability of Liu Wuxie.

“That’s simple. The Heavenly Dao Society will soon open a few shops, and the pills are all refined by my disciple. The prices are competitive and will match those of the black market,” Liu Wuxie said with a sly smile. He naturally wouldn’t give up on this opportunity to crush the Lesser Blade Association’s pill trade and advertise for the Heavenly Dao Society.