All he needed were the hundreds of thousands of Ming Cult members; the other high-ranking members were dispensable. If they didn't know what was good for them, they shouldn't blame Zhang for being ruthless!
It must be said that after years of tutelage by Xiao Ning, Zhang Cuishan has changed dramatically compared to the original novel, and is no longer pedantic.
Just then, a soft, painful groan rang out. Zhang Cuishan snapped out of his thoughts and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
"Yo! You're awake?"
He raised an eyebrow, chuckled knowingly, and walked over.
However, Cheng Kun, who had been unconscious, had slowly woken up. His face still showed a trace of fear, and his eyes revealed a hint of confusion.
His memory was fragmented; the last image in Cheng Kun's mind was being struck by a tremendous force and thrown backward at high speed. He knew nothing after that.
Just as he was trying to recall, he saw a pair of feet appear in his line of sight. Cheng Kun looked up and saw Zhang Cuishan's figure.
With a quick glance around, Cheng Kun struggled to sit up, looked up at Zhang Cuishan, and said weakly, "Amitabha, may I ask which master you are from? I don't think I have any grudge against you. Why did you treat me so severely?"
"Although my master, the Venerable Monk Kongjian, has passed away, he is not alone. The three great monks of Shaolin are renowned throughout the martial arts world!"
"If you cannot give this old monk a satisfactory answer..."
They invoked their powerful backers, using both threats and inducements, employing a combination of soft and hard tactics.
"Clap clap clap!"
Zhang Cuishan clapped his hands, applauding Cheng Kun's wisdom.
If someone were unaware of the situation, they might actually be frightened by him.
However, Zhang Cuishan was no ordinary person.
He smiled knowingly: "Cheng Kun, you don't recognize me, but I do! You're unlucky to have fallen into my hands today!"
Then, Zhang Cuishan stopped wasting words with him and pointed a finger, striking Cheng Kun's dantian with lightning speed.
A soft "pfft!" sound was heard, followed by Cheng Kun's scream, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted again.
Decades of arduous cultivation vanished in an instant. Unable to accept this reality, Cheng Kun immediately fainted.
The reason he was spared was that he would be needed later.
"Oh!"
Zhang Cuishan chuckled, stood up, and sat back down in his original seat.
His smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression. He said in a deep voice, "What have you decided? I don't have time to waste with you! I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and you must give me a definite answer!"
"this…"
Yang Xiao and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.
The seven people exchanged glances, secretly conveying their thoughts through their eyes.
After a short while, Yang Xiao spoke up and said, "Fifth Master Zhang's words are too shocking. Please forgive us for a few days and allow us to discuss this before we can give you an answer!"
Zhang Cuishan waved his hand: "A little over half of the incense stick's time has passed, you guys figure it out!"
Nonsense, once you've caught your breath, when will you find such a good opportunity again?
Yang Xiao frowned: "Zhang Wuxia's words are far too unreasonable. As the saying goes, a forced melon is not sweet. If we do not agree, what good will it do for Zhang Wuxia to become the leader? He will just be a lonely figure!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
After hearing Yang Xiao's words, Zhang Cuishan laughed uncontrollably, tears welling up in his eyes.
Then, he revealed a cold smile: "You are all a bit too arrogant. The only ones who can catch my eye are your Ming Cult's hundreds of thousands of low-level followers!"
"As for you so-called high-ranking members of the Ming Cult, ha! Use you if you can, but if you dare to disobey, don't blame me for sending you to see the Ming Venerable!"
A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Cuishan's eyes, like a resurrected ancient beast, sending chills down one's spine.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao and the others were filled with rage, their faces turning green with anger.
Zhou Dian cursed loudly, "You bastard, you want to be the leader of my Ming Cult? You should take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror! Bah!"
"We brothers have risked our lives for the Ming Cult for decades, how come in your mouth we've become dispensable characters, blind fools! Bah!"
Zhou Dian had always been short-tempered, and even if Yang Xiao provoked him, he would still curse at him.
Now that Zhang Cuishan has belittled him so much, how could he possibly hold back? He doesn't care whether it's Zhang Cuishan or Li Lushu, he'll just curse them first.
After being verbally attacked, Zhang Cuishan's face turned cold. He suddenly stood up, slightly bent his right hand, and struck out with his palm.
"The dragon that soars too high will regret it!"
A series of soft dragon roars rang out, accompanied by a powerful aura, like Mount Tai pressing down, heading towards Zhou Dian in the crowd.
With a single palm strike, everyone present paled. Zhang Cuishan's palm strike possessed the power to encompass the entire world, making it impossible to dodge or avoid.
Although the palm strike wasn't aimed at them, Yang Xiao and the others still felt a powerful pressure coming from them.
"I beg you, Zhang Wuxia, to show mercy! I, Yang Xiao, am willing to submit and honor you as the thirty-fourth leader of my Ming Cult!"
Yang Xiao's expression changed drastically, and in his haste, he quickly spoke up.
Wei Yixiao, Shuobude, Leng Qian, Peng Heshang, and Zhang Zhong exchanged glances, nodded, and said in unison:
"We are willing to honor Zhang Wuxia as the next leader of our sect. We beg Zhang Wuxia to show mercy and spare Zhou Dian's life!"