The Programmer Cultivator

Even Guu Donglin and the other two, now freed from their restraints, didn’t dare to move. They all remained where they were, watching meekly and silently.

As Qu Wenbai channeled more power into his Array, the entire Turtle Shell began to shrink uncontrollably under the sleeve’s tearing force.

It shrank faster and faster, and with a final, twisted expression, Qu Wenbai gritted his teeth.

He slapped his chest, and a black mist surged from his body. He then dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, vanishing on the spot.

The Turtle Shell also shrank rapidly, eventually transforming into a card that flew into Elder Huang’s sleeve.

Elder Huang watched Qu Wenbai disappear, a slight frown on his face. ’Soul Escape? He’s got a few tricks, I see.’

Then, Elder Huang waved his hand again. A dreamlike light appeared in his palm, and he poured the last of the power granted by the red Karma into it.

He then tossed the fantastical light into the empty air.

”Ahhhhhh!”

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the void, and wisps of black smoke emerged from the spot where Qu Wenbai had vanished.

However, Qu Wenbai never reappeared. He had vanished completely.

Elder Huang shook his head. ’It’s only an Incarnation, after all. It lacks true power. Fine, I’ll let you off the hook for today.’

With that, he waved his sleeve again. Faint spatial fluctuations rippled out as a much weaker version of Sleeve Qiankun activated, sucking all the drifting wisps of black smoke into his sleeve.

Once he had finished, Elder Huang clasped his hands behind his back and turned to the trio. ”Now then,” he said, ”you all placed a Dao Mark on my junior so casually. What sort of explanation do you plan to offer me?”

At this, the three who had been meekly watching the show all stiffened.

’Judging by the abilities he just displayed,’ they thought, ’this man might really be one of those old monsters.’

Before, they were merely wary because his Incarnation was at the Peak of Three Talents. Now, all three of them were genuinely terrified.

Even the old Monk Fuyuan, the one with the strongest backing, was intimidated. The three of them exchanged uneasy glances, then all looked to Fuyuan, silently nominating him to speak.

For one, he had the most powerful backer. For another, the whole business with the Dao Mark was his fault to begin with.

The old Monk Fuyuan hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. ”Fuyuan, of the Leiyin Temple’s Martial Monk Hall, greets you, Senior. Might I be so bold as to ask who Senior is...?”

With his hands still behind his back, Elder Huang shot him a cool glance. ”If you’re trying to use your background to pressure me, you should at least bring out Spirit Mountain. Citing a mere Blessed Land isn’t enough. And Leiyin Temple, of all places? It’s only the mid-ranked of Spirit Mountain’s three great Blessed Lands. That’s hardly enough to impress me.

Even if your current abbot, Fuwu, came, or even that group of ’sweeping monks’ from your back courtyards, you would still owe me an explanation for what happened today.”

The pupils of all three men contracted at his words. The old Monk Fuyuan stopped trying to ask about his identity, lowered his head, and said, ”Senior, you’ve misunderstood!”

Elder Huang glanced at him coolly. ”At my age, what haven’t I seen? Little Monk, did you really think I couldn’t see through your petty little schemes? How do you propose to settle this?”

Sensing the growing chill in Elder Huang’s tone, the old Monk Fuyuan stopped arguing and said at once, ”What happened today was indeed my fault for being presumptuous. I apologize.

However, Senior, you may have misunderstood. The Dao Mark I placed on your disciple carried no malicious intent. Strictly speaking...”

”Hmph. If that weren’t the case, do you think I’d be standing here demanding an explanation?” Elder Huang interrupted. ”The Soul Mist I ripped from that other fellow is still in my sleeve.”

The old Monk Fuyuan was left speechless. As he frowned, he noticed the scholar, Guu Donglin, frantically trying to catch his eye.

The old Monk Fuyuan paused. Elder Huang turned his gaze to Guu Donglin. ”What’s the matter, little Scholar’s Attendant? Is there something wrong with your eyes? I can take a look for you, if you’d like.”

Guu Donglin gave an embarrassed laugh. ”Ah, I just got some sand in my eye. It’s a little irritating... My apologies for the unsightly display, Senior.”

He finished with a fawning, apologetic smile plastered on his face.

But after that slight pause caused by Guu Donglin’s signal, the old Monk Fuyuan’s gaze shifted to Zhang Deming, who had been standing quietly with his head lowered behind Elder Huang all this time.

A flicker of understanding crossed his eyes; he now knew what Guu Donglin meant.

The old Monk Fuyuan looked at Zhang Deming and said, ”Young benefactor, what happened today was indeed our mistake. We were being presumptuous. I apologize to you.”

Zhang Deming didn’t put on airs just because Elder Huang was backing him up. He immediately returned the courteous gesture. ”Master, you are too kind.”

Seeing this, the old Monk Fuyuan breathed a small sigh of relief. ”Young benefactor, what can we do to put this matter behind us?”

Zhang Deming looked to Elder Huang, who said with an air of indifference, ”What are you looking at me for? I’m not the one who got a Dao Mark placed on him. With me here to back you up, what are you afraid of? That they’ll eat you alive?”

Zhang Deming just gave Elder Huang a good-natured smile and didn’t reply.

He then turned to the three monks. ”Seniors, I happen to be missing a stalk of Hundred Spirits Heart-Binding Grass for a recipe. How about...?”

The three men were stunned for a moment, then looks of relief washed over their faces. Guu Donglin, the scholar, was the quickest to respond. ”No problem! Little brother, we guarantee we’ll have what you need by tomorrow.”

Only after saying this did he glance toward Elder Huang.

Seeing this, Elder Huang looked at Zhang Deming with utter disappointment. ”You unpromising brat. So shortsighted. I’m standing right here, backing you up, and you were still afraid they’d eat you alive?

You’re so careful not to offend anyone, trying to please everybody. If you’re always this timid, when will you ever amount to anything?”