Chapter 34: Internal Strife and the Illusory God of the Red Lotus Devil Sect

Normally, the higher one’s cultivation realm, the longer one’s lifespan.

Every cultivator above the Golden Core Stage was like a living fossil, able to watch dynasties rise and fall, seas turn to mulberry fields, and back again. In and of themselves, they were veritable ancient relics.

In such an environment, Lu Yan truly hadn’t expected that there would still be cultivators peddling fake antiques and selling counterfeit ancient texts.

After thinking it over, Lu Yan immediately realized the truth—He Dongsheng had simply taken him for a low-level rookie, attempting to swindle him under the guise of selling an “ancient” text.

Even that herb-selling stall owner next to him might have already worked out a scheme with He Dongsheng.

A completely non-cultivation-related, artificially aged book wasn’t even worth a single spirit stone, let alone ten. Even selling it for one spirit stone would be pure profit for He Dongsheng.

With encounters like artificial female cultivators and fake antique sellers back-to-back, Lu Yan was beginning to understand that this so-called cultivation world he found himself in wasn’t exactly an “orthodox” one.

He had just been an ordinary person before, operating at such a low tier of contact that he hadn’t been able to perceive any of this.

Still, Lu Yan didn’t immediately expose him. He Dongsheng was, after all, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator. For Lu Yan, who had just arrived at Green Valley Market, it would not be wise to rashly provoke someone this well-connected.

Casually tossing out a Sound-Isolating Talisman to prevent eavesdropping, Lu Yan crouched slightly and took the On the Dao of Heaven from He Dongsheng’s hands, flipping through the pages with a slight chuckle.

“I’d like to make a deal with you, Brother He.”

“Oh?” He Dongsheng discreetly glanced at the talisman, clearly intrigued. “What kind of deal?”

Lu Yan waved the On the Dao of Heaven lightly in his hand and smiled.
“You give me this book, and in exchange, I’ll tell you how to get rid of the tea scent embedded in the pages.”

He Dongsheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, the smile on his face vanishing.

Lu Yan had clearly already figured out that the book had been artificially aged using tea—yet he hadn’t exposed it immediately. This alone was enough to show he wasn’t just a clueless buyer.

After a long moment of scrutiny, He Dongsheng suddenly broke into a smile.
“Deal.”

If no one exposed it, he might’ve been able to sell this book for a spirit stone or two through some flowery sales pitch. But once the truth came out, it would be utterly worthless.

Compared to this now-useless book, He Dongsheng was far more curious about Lu Yan’s proposed method.

Lu Yan lazily flicked the book in his hand.
“Find a sealed room, light a candle, and let the smoke slowly soak into the pages over a few days. This process leaves no distinctive odor. Even if there’s a slight scent of smoke, it’s still far more reasonable than the unmistakable aroma of tea soaked into paper.”

He Dongsheng immediately showed a look of surprise.

Lu Yan continued:
“But simply aging paper is too low-level. If Brother He really wants to earn big, try working with bronze instead.

“Carve some obscure phrases onto a bronze piece, then artificially age it. Mix vinegar with saltwater, soak the bronze in it for three days, then add iron rust to the solution. Once the mixture turns into iron-laced water, soak the bronze again. Afterward, leave it under the scorching sun for three more days before drying it.

“This method will create a convincing patina. If you refine your technique, the profit will easily surpass these shabby books by tenfold.”

If the paper aging method had surprised He Dongsheng, the bronze-aging technique completely shocked him—his mind buzzing as if a whole new world had just opened up.

After a long moment, He Dongsheng bowed with a face full of sincere regret.
“Brother Lu, you’re truly a genius!”

“To think I was trying to show off my petty tricks in front of a real expert. I’ve made a fool of myself.”

Lu Yan responded with a calm smile.

These fake-aging tricks—whether for paper or bronze—were common knowledge in the Urban Version. Anyone could find them with a simple search. Lu Yan had only remembered them from casually scrolling through short videos.

But in the Immortal Cultivation Version, due to strict master-disciple lineages, knowledge was heavily siloed. Even swindlers like He Dongsheng might not have access to these methods.

Lu Yan raised the On the Dao of Heaven and asked,
“By the way, that ‘Heavenly Blessing’ you mentioned earlier—did that idea come from this book?”

He was actually quite curious about the “heavenly blessing” concept. Although it wasn’t entirely accurate, it faintly aligned with the mysterious nature of version updates, which had startled Lu Yan quite a bit.

If that weren’t the case, he would’ve left as soon as he realized He Dongsheng was trying to con him—he certainly wouldn’t have stayed around chatting.

He Dongsheng gave an awkward cough. Now that he’d learned a valuable trick from Lu Yan, he couldn’t just keep lying.

“To be honest, since you already know the truth, I won’t hide it anymore.”

“Whenever a new customer comes by, I deliberately steer the conversation toward grand topics like the Dao of Heaven, using cryptic language to pique their interest. Once they’re hooked, I recommend On the Dao of Heaven.

“Then my friend here pretends to haggle down the price to just two spirit stones, making it seem like a bargain. Nine times out of ten, the customer buys it. That’s how On the Dao of Heaven became a bestseller at my stall.”

“As for the book itself… well, it technically counts as an ancient text. It was written by some madman from a mortal kingdom a few hundred years ago.”

“It looks like it explores profound Daoist principles, but it’s filled with pseudo-philosophy and unprovable nonsense. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator once dismissed it as utter rubbish.”

Lu Yan frowned slightly at that. Most of his interest in On the Dao of Heaven evaporated.

Still, a free book was a free book. He casually tossed it into his storage pouch.

After their brief conversation, He Dongsheng respectfully cupped his hands.
“I have yet to ask for Brother Lu’s esteemed name.”

Lu Yan returned the courtesy.
“Lu Yan.”

“Brother Lu’s guidance today—I’ll never forget it. My cultivation may be shallow, but I do know a thing or two about local gossip and sect matters. If there’s anything you need, feel free to ask—I’ll tell you everything I know!”

He patted his chest as he made his vow.

Lu Yan maintained a pleasant smile on the surface but remained fully aware inside—these were just polite words.

A conman who specialized in forgery wouldn’t suddenly turn sincere after a few words. He’d still try to scam you when the opportunity arose—just with subtler tricks next time.

Even so, He Dongsheng had now become a valuable source of information. With only three months per version update, Lu Yan had far too many things to do. He couldn’t afford to waste a single opportunity.

“Actually, there is something I’d like to ask,” Lu Yan said.

He Dongsheng immediately gestured grandly.
“Please, ask away!”

“I’m looking for a demonic sect that specializes in cultivating karmic power. Do you know of one?”

He Dongsheng froze on the spot, a strange look flashing in his eyes as he stared at Lu Yan.

“Could Brother Lu be referring to the Red Lotus Devil Sect?”

“Please, tell me more.”

He Dongsheng sat back down, rummaging through his miscellaneous books while explaining:

“The Red Lotus Devil Sect is a relatively young sect among the demonic path. It’s only been around for a few thousand years, but it’s already counted among the top-tier demonic sects.”

“However, here in the Southern Border, the Red Lotus Devil Sect’s name isn’t well-known—not just because of distance, but also due to its… reputation.”

“Within the internal struggles of the demonic path, the Red Lotus Devil Sect’s karmic arts are infamous. Most demonic cultivators are drenched in sin, and their arts are particularly vulnerable to karmic backlash. The Red Lotus methods can even allow one to kill enemies above their cultivation level.”

“But when it comes to fighting righteous sects, their karmic arts are far less effective. Worse yet, they’re often countered by righteous sect techniques, or Buddhist divine arts. They end up getting chased around like dogs, relying solely on brute-force cultivation to stay alive.”

“Over time, the Red Lotus Devil Sect became a laughingstock—mocked by both the righteous and demonic paths.”

Lu Yan blinked, nearly blurting something out.

“Even the cultivation world has internal-strife illusion gods?”

(End of Chapter)