Born to Be Wicked

For half an hour, the system’s notifications echoed continuously, as countless demonic cultivators, driven by a simple command, generously offered Qin Gou precious merit points.

In total, these scattered contributions amounted to an impressive 2000 merit points.

This was double the reward for disciplining Mu Man’er, and Qin Gou’s mood could be summed up in two words: utterly satisfied.

Back at the Mu Residence, Mu Man’er personally returned the Astonishing Immortal Sword to Qin Gou.

Qin Gou, with the sword on his back, smiled mysteriously and said, “It’s about time.”

“Master?” Mu Man’er and her parents were puzzled.

“I must be going,” Qin Gou said, waving his sleeve with a gentle smile. “Man’er, remember to be a good person after I leave, and don’t make any more grave mistakes.”

Mu Man’er, her eyes sparkling, sweetly replied, “Then I’ll go with you, Master.”

“No!” Qin Gou chuckled awkwardly, firmly refusing. “You still have two months left of your family visit. How can you leave with me? It will be a long time before you can leave the mountain again, so cherish this time. When the time comes, you can return to Arc Moon Mountain on your own.”

Take Mu Man’er with him? Ridiculous! In ten minutes, his grand avatar form would deflate like a punctured balloon, and he’d be at the mercy of his youngest and most mischievous disciple. That would be quite the spectacle.

Ultimately, Qin Gou declined Mu Man’er’s offer and politely refused her parents’ invitation to a thank-you banquet, leaving Gu Yue City alone.

At the city gate, Qin Gou took out the “Perfect Disguise Talisman” he had been rewarded with and placed it on his face. His already handsome features became even more alluring and sinister, his smile exuding a deadly charm. He also grew taller, transforming into a completely different person.

As he turned to leave, he noticed a plump young man sprinting out of Gu Yue City, raising a cloud of dust as he fled in a panic.

The moment the young man exited the city gates, he bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. “Thank the heavens! I made it just in time. A moment later, and I’d have been crushed by that avatar.”

Qin Gou, having received no system notification, knew this young man wasn’t a major villain, which puzzled him. He approached and asked, “Why are you in such a panic, my friend?”

Startled by Qin Gou’s sudden voice, the young man fell on his backside. Seeing who it was, he exclaimed, “Whoa, brother, you scared me! I thought Qin Gou himself was after me!”

Qin Gou couldn’t help but laugh. “What happened?”

“You don’t know?” The young man looked at Qin Gou in surprise. “A peerless avatar, Qin Gou, came to Gu Yue City. They call him the ‘Heavenly Master’! He ordered all evildoers to leave the city immediately, or face annihilation! I barely escaped with my life. Another moment, and I’d have been ground to dust by Qin Gou! Brother, you look as suspicious as me, with your weapon out and your sinister looks. I suggest you leave too!”

Hearing himself called “Heavenly Master” put Qin Gou in a good mood, and he was about to praise the young man when he heard himself described as suspicious-looking.

“You… what evil deeds have you done? Tell me, let me see,” Qin Gou asked, feigning anger.

The young man sighed, on the verge of tears. “Yesterday, I peeked at Widow Wang bathing, and today Qin Gou showed up. How am I supposed to live?”

“What?” Qin Gou’s mouth twitched. “That’s it? Anything else?”

The young man glanced around, looking guilty, and whispered, “I robbed a spirit herb shop!”

“Oh? With your peak Gathering Qi Realm cultivation, you robbed a heavily guarded shop? How?” Qin Gou asked, suspicious.

“Three months ago, I was robbed of my spirit stones by some thugs. In a fit of rage, I looted a random herb shop. The guards were weak, crying for mercy in no time!”

The young man laughed, patting his chest proudly.

Qin Gou’s suspicion deepened. “Are you playing me for a fool?”

The young man’s laughter stopped abruptly, his face bitter. “Later, I found out the shop belonged to my uncle! It’s like the saying, ‘justice over family.’ I’m a born villain! Qin Gou spared me, but it’s like letting a tiger loose.”

He gazed into the distance, eyes filled with self-pity, waiting for Qin Gou to express admiration.

“Get lost!”

Qin Gou suddenly kicked the young man, sending him flying.

Meanwhile, 800 miles away, an elderly man with white hair and a black robe flew on a crimson spirit boat.

He held a compass, its needle pointing unwaveringly in a specific direction.

“It can’t be wrong, getting closer!” the old man muttered. “This compass, blessed with a drop of our sect’s founder’s blood, locks onto any cultivator within 3000 miles with the same physique!”

A furry head poked out from the old man’s robe—a white, red-eyed canine spirit beast.

“I smell it too!” the spirit dog spoke, grinning wickedly. “It’s a scent like elegant tulips!”

“It must be the ‘Enlightened Dao Body’!”

The old man’s eyes gleamed with sharpness, his laughter tinged with joy and a hint of emotion.

“Our Seed Demon Holy Sect has hope for revival! Dao Heart Seed Demon, blessing all!”