Chapter 157: Rules of the 6 Paths Palace
Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Rules of the 6 Paths Palace
After receiving Zhu Ge’s go-ahead, Liu Jianjian practically skipped out of White Bone Cave.
But halfway there, she stopped. ’Just walking back and forth like this is so undignified.’
’I’m the Master’s number one maid and the Head of the Six Paths Palace’s Demon Palace. I have to have some prestige, just like Sword Hero and the others said.’
’After all, I’m representing Master Zhu Ge’s honor now.’
’I can’t be expected to drive people away myself, can I?’
She had refined Demon Beasts into dozens of her hair strands.
Most were First Realm, with a few at the Second Realm.
The First Realm Demon Beasts were all exotic variants or possessed special talents. Zhu Ge and Hua Liusha had specifically kept them because they were useful.
As for the Second Realm beasts, their high Cultivation alone made them valuable.
Her strange expression earlier, when she faced the arrogant young man, was because she had been communicating with these Demon Beasts.
Some of the Demon Beasts urged her to attack and devour the young man.
Others suggested she kindly persuade him to become a disciple of the Six Paths Palace; after all, talented individuals were always in demand.
That was why she had ultimately gone to Zhu Ge for a final decision.
In truth, she had once been quite simple-minded. But after taking in so many Demon Beasts, their thoughts had started to influence her.
Now, Zhu Ge’s words had acted as a balm to her anxieties, giving her the reassurance she needed.
And so, she formed her own resolution.
"Come out."
Demon Qi surged around Liu Jianjian. Her individual strands of hair floated into the air, their tips glowing.
The next moment, sixteen Second Realm Transformed Demon Beasts and thirty-seven First Realm Spiritual Demon Beasts appeared behind her.
"Master, we’re here to back you up!"
"Hahaha, I’m going to gnaw that man’s hands and feet off bit by bit!"
"OOOOOHHHHHH!"
"Quiet, quiet! You aren’t Demon Beasts anymore. According to the Grand Master, you are all Spirit Beasts now!"
"Hey, you! Yes, you! Rein in your Demon Qi! It’s billowing with black smoke. The people outside will think we’re villains!"
"Form a line! Small ones in the front, big ones in the back! Yeah, you, that old bear baring its fangs! You’re hideous, get to the back!"
For a moment, the demons were a chaotic mess, their Demon Qi surging.
But Sword Hero quickly stepped forward to restore order.
As a Second Realm being—and an ancient, exotic Bamboo Stick Insect at that—he possessed the innate ability to control metal and fuse it with his body for reinforcement.
Coupled with the Martial Dao inheritance he had received from Zhu Ge, Sword Hero was far from weak.
Most importantly, Sword Hero was the very first to follow Liu Jianjian, granting him a special status among the horde of demons.
He stepped forward to maintain order, and soon enough, the demons had formed ranks behind Liu Jianjian.
Once they were arranged by height and size, Liu Jianjian, standing at the very center, suddenly projected an impressive aura.
Standing amidst her demonic entourage, Liu Jianjian felt her own presence and confidence swell. She secretly regretted not thinking of this sooner.
"Let’s go. We’ll go out and meet those who wish to join our Six Paths Palace."
With a grand wave of her hand, Liu Jianjian led the demons, who filed out in an orderly procession behind her.
Outside, the crowd of two hundred or so people was still waiting right where they were.
When they saw Liu Jianjian emerge, everyone’s expression tensed.
A fierce, blazing Demon Qi erupted from the mouth of the valley as a woman, surrounded by an entourage of Demon Beasts of all shapes and sizes, walked out.
The Head of the Demon Palace, Liu Jianjian!
Compared to just moments before, Liu Jianjian now looked majestic and solemn, even though her expression, appearance, and attire were unchanged.
Such was the atmosphere created by her demonic retinue.
Liu Jianjian emerged and fixed her gaze on the young man from before.
The young man’s legs had gone a bit weak, and the arrogance had vanished from his face.
Dozens of Demon Beasts!
There were over a dozen Second Realm Transformed Demon Beasts alone. As for the First Realm Demon Beasts, they were a dense, overlapping mass of various shapes and sizes, too numerous to count.
"This is the Demon Palace?!"
someone exclaimed in horror.
Six Paths Palace!
Humans, Demons, Ghosts, Sprites, Monsters, and Gods—six palaces in total.
If the Demon Palace alone was this powerful, how strong would the other palaces be combined?
After all, even Jianshui City didn’t have so many powerful Cultivators.
Across all of Red River Prefecture, only Yuan Yang City had a slightly higher number of Third and Second Realm experts.
Other cities had far fewer. Jianshui City, for instance, probably had fewer than twenty Second Realm experts combined, and its only Third Realm master was the Jianshui City Lord himself.
But the Six Paths Palace?
The Demon Palace alone had a whole host of Second and First Realm beings. And rumor had it the Sword and Axe Mantis was part of the Demon Palace too. How could anyone possibly compete?
Liu Jianjian walked right up to the young man and said coolly,
"The master of the Six Paths Palace is unavailable. If you don’t wish to face... erm, interview with us, then you are free to leave."
"In-in-in-interview?" The young man’s voice trembled. He gulped, then instantly grasped the meaning of this new word, "interview."
"So... I’ll just be going then?"
He felt as if every single one of the Demon Beasts behind Liu Jianjian was glaring at him malevolently, looking like they wanted to eat him alive.
"Mm," Liu Jianjian nodded slightly.
Permission granted, the young man turned and fled in the direction of Jianshui City.
Liu Jianjian paid him no mind. Instead, she turned to the remaining crowd and announced in a clear voice:
"The master of the Six Paths Palace is named Zhu Ge. He has said that joining the Six Paths Palace is a matter of mutual consent."
"If you think another Sect or power is a better fit, you are free to join them. But once you have committed to joining us, do not complain about this and that."
"He has said that we are like a... ’company.’ A company is like a merchant house. You will not receive resources from the company itself, but from ’customers.’ The Six Paths Palace is merely a platform."
Liu Jianjian paused for a moment before continuing:
"Therefore, before you join, do not think about what you can get *from* us. Instead, think about what you can obtain *from the outside world* with our help."
"Whether it be Cultivation Techniques, gold and silver coins, weapons, equipment, or Spirit Elixirs and Medicines, the Six Paths Palace will not grant them for free. Everything is based on equivalent exchange."
"If you join with nothing to your name, the Six Paths Palace may provide you with assets of a certain value, such as a stipend. In return, you must prove that you can create equivalent value to repay it."
"If the Six Paths Palace gives you three thousand coins to help you through a difficult time, then later, when you use our platform to earn money, the Six Paths Palace will take a commission. It is a win-win for both parties."
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Liu Jianjian looked at the crowd, awaiting their reactions.
The people present exchanged glances, struggling to digest Liu Jianjian’s words.
"’Company’? As in, a public administrative office? What a novel term."
"Do you mean we don’t have to serve the Six Paths Palace for life? At Martial Arts Halls, academies, and other places, the moment you join, you become one with the Sect, sharing in its life and death."
"’Equivalent exchange’? ’Create value’? ’A win-win for both parties’? This Six Paths Palace sounds surprisingly grand and forthright."
"That’s right! When you think about it, with landlords and tenant farmers in the countryside, it’s like the landlord gives them just enough to survive, and they’re expected to work for nothing!"
The crowd burst into a flurry of discussion. Soon, people started asking Liu Jianjian questions directly, and she answered each one.
「This continued until dusk.」