One hundred gold bars, each weighing ten taels, quickly turned into a thick stack of silver notes.
He intended to do a good deed with the first silver note. Although Jin always scoffed at such things, he still tossed it to a beggar. However, six beggars soon ran up and started fighting, resulting in the silver note being torn into pieces. So he counted the number of people and tossed a few more, but the beggars did not cooperate and refused to take the money, fighting until they were bleeding from head wounds.
Watching a bunch of people scramble for money, Jin is getting more and more bored. Damn it, why should I care about other people?
That night, he had his first woman and gave all his money to her and her sisters. If he didn't spend the money quickly, he would be in trouble the next day.
.
Five years. Five years.
Aside from the short time and insufficient internal energy cultivation, he had mastered almost all the skills, especially lightness skills, hidden weapons, and poison. Although he was mainly taught by Jin Yue, he could still be considered to have reached a high level of proficiency and completed his missions excellently time and time again.
Tomorrow, he will become the great and mysterious new leader of the Thousand Hands Cult, the King of Thieves.
"Old man, trying to slack off and become an emperor emeritus," he muttered to himself, then suddenly jumped up from his chair, turned around, and bowed respectfully, "Good morning, Master!"
Jin Yue stood behind the chair, smiling sinisterly: "As expected, it's very early; it's just getting dark."
"Ask for tomorrow morning," Jin replied cautiously, taking two steps back. Who knows what new poison this old guy has invented? I'd better stay away from you.
Jin Yue's smile grew even more sinister: "Come here."
Having received his master's instructions, Jin cautiously stepped forward, his bright eyes fixed on his hands: "What are your instructions, Master?"
Jin Yue raised his hand.
Jin instinctively jumped up, followed by a series of whooshing sounds as countless silver needles struck the opposite wall, each gleaming with a ghastly green light, clearly coated with deadly poison.
The phrase "You're so toxic" has been used so many times that it's become a cliché. So, while repeatedly doing bat flips, Jin shouted, "Hey, hey, don't break the wall! Don't break my precious things!"
"This lightness skill, tsk tsk, it's just that the internal energy is a bit weak." Jin Yue said smugly, raising both hands at the same time, and throwing hidden weapons like rain.
Jin was shocked. He fell from the air but did not land on the ground. When he was less than a foot off the ground, he braced himself with his hands and almost touched the ground, parallel to the ground, and swam away quickly like a fish.
Jin Yue finally stopped: "Not bad!"
This kind of assessment method is all too common. At first, Jin Huanlai would get angry and start cursing. Later, he would just glare. Although he has gotten used to it now, Jin Huanlai is still very angry after each assessment. He turned back, his eyes still filled with anger.
Jin Yue ignored him: "According to the rules of the Thousand Hands Sect, I will transfer half of my internal energy to you tonight, and tomorrow I will pass on the position of sect leader to you."
Jin was not concerned about that: "There will definitely be a lot of things to do in the church in the future. Does that mean I won't have to follow you anymore?"
Jin Yue smiled enigmatically: "To be honest, I'm a little reluctant to part with you. It wouldn't hurt if you stayed by my side."
"You slap me all the time, and you've used me as a poison tester eighty-three times in five years! You're having so much fun, but I'm about to die!" Jin cursed inwardly, but smiled on the surface: "Although I'm busy, I won't forget you, my old master. If you need anything in the future, just send someone to give me an order."
Jin Yue looked at him for a long time and nodded: "I have been pushing you a bit harder these past few years, but the position of sect leader is of great importance and relates to the future of the entire Thousand Hands Sect. You are my only disciple, and I hope you can understand my good intentions."
Upon hearing this, Jin Huanlai was somewhat moved and bowed his head, saying, "This disciple understands."
Next, two slaps.
.
That feeling of being touched was immediately dashed, and Jin was even more furious: "Why the hell did you hit me again!"
Jin Yue coldly said, "Today, the four guardians reported that in the past year, about a dozen people in the city have become mute for no reason. An investigation suggests that they were poisoned. This poison usually resolves on its own within a year, but the Thousand Hands Sect does not seem to have this kind of poison, so they asked me to investigate."
“No need to investigate,” Jin said without changing his expression. “Your idiots are quick to investigate. It was the poison I made.”
“They will all become your subordinates tomorrow,” Jin Yue corrected with a stern face. “What poison? Why have you never mentioned it before?”
Jin smiled wickedly: "Shut up."
Jin Yue was furious and raised his hand to strike again: "How dare you!"
Jin stepped aside: "I didn't tell you to shut up. I said the poison is called 'Shut Up'."
Jin Yue was stunned, then chuckled: "'Shut up'?"
Jin nodded: "If I don't like someone, I'll poison them so they can't hear me."
Jin Yue said solemnly, "The third rule of the Thousand Hands Sect is not to harm ordinary people. They are not martial arts practitioners, so why poison them to make them mute?"
Jin didn't answer: "Can the leader change the sect rules?"
Jin Yue nodded.
Jin replied, "Then I'll add a rule tomorrow so it won't be against the rules."
Jin Yue snorted: "But you are not the leader yet. If you violate the rules, you should be punished."
Jin remained silent.
Jin Yue thought for a moment: "The four of them have never seen you before, and they didn't mean to investigate you. They didn't expect to offend you. Oh well, I just don't like them anyway. You go and beat them up for me as atonement."
"What!" Jin exclaimed in alarm, "You wouldn't be so cruel, would you?!"
Jin Yue added, "Poison is not allowed."
"How can my meager internal strength withstand the four of them!" It's not a problem that he was ordered by the sect leader to beat people up, but the problem is that the four protectors are all top-notch experts, and they don't even know him, Jin Huanlai, or his future sect leader identity. Why would they let him beat them up for no reason?
Being chased by four top-tier experts was exactly the effect Jin Yue wanted, and he laughed happily: "You mean, you're not going?"
Jin stepped back: "No, no!"
Jin Yue nodded: "Let me see some results in an hour, then I'll come back for the antidote."
Jin suddenly realized what had happened and angrily exclaimed, "What kind of poison have you given me this time?!"
Jin Yue said, "My latest formulation only has one hour. Of course, you can also try it and see if you can prepare the antidote within one hour."
Who knew that this old guy used dozens of ingredients in an hour? Jin secretly groaned, "Forget it, I'd better go beat them up."
Jin Yue laughed and emphasized, "Remember, beat them up properly so I can see it."
"I really want to let you taste Grandpa Jin's poison," Jin thought maliciously as he walked out.
.
Contrary to expectations, Jin Huanlai handled the matter quietly and promptly demonstrated the results to Jin Yue. Before him, the four guardians stood in a row with their heads bowed, their faces swollen, yet their expressions were respectful, tinged with fear.
Jin Yue was shocked. You shouldn't hit someone in the face. These four guardians are all first-class martial arts masters. Now that their faces have been slapped like this, they are still obedient. No matter how good that kid's skills are, his internal strength is still shallow. Are these four people afraid of him?
He casually gave a few instructions and sent the four guardians away.
Jin jumped out from inside and held out his hand: "The antidote."
Jin Yue flicked a pill into his mouth and frowned: "You are about to become the leader of the sect, and they are all your subordinates. Now that you have beaten them up like this, aren't you afraid that they will be recognized when we meet tomorrow?"
Jin swallowed the pill: "I'm not afraid."
Jin Yue asked suspiciously, "They all seem to be afraid of you."
Jin replied, "They are afraid of you."
Jin Yue seemed to understand something: "How did you handle this?"
Jin laughed and said, "I told you, don't try to plot against me."
Jin Yue glared: "Enough with the nonsense!"
Jin thought for a moment and said honestly, "It's very simple. I had someone call them all over, then slapped them a few times, and finally let them go."
Jin Yue asked in surprise, "They didn't touch you?"
“They wouldn’t dare move,” Jin said, darting to the window. “Because I’m dressed up as you, they’re all very obedient.”
Jin Yue jumped up in anger: "I knew you were up to no good! Damn, your disguise skills aren't that great. Nobody recognized you when you dressed up as an old man!"
Jin laughed: "They're terrified of you. After being slapped a few times, they didn't dare utter a sound. How could they possibly look up and examine you closely? That's why they didn't notice the fake. You only said no poison was allowed, but you didn't say no disguises were allowed."
Jin Yue roared, "How can I, the dignified leader of the sect, lay a hand on my subordinates without cause? Where will I put my face in the future?!"
Jin didn't care: "From now on? From now on I will be the leader, and you will live a leisurely life. You won't be able to show your face many times."
Jin Yue choked: "You brat!"
Without saying another word, he strode towards the door: "Go to the old house, I will pass on my internal energy to you."
Unbearable to recall those days
Internal energy is unlike anything else; you can't just get as much as someone gives you. It's almost impossible for two people's internal energy to completely merge. If a person has two different internal energies in their body, they're lucky if they can survive. That's why there's usually no concept of passing on internal energy in the martial arts world.
This is generally true, but there are exceptions.
Jin Sihai, the founder of the Thousand Hands Sect, was a learned man. He worried that after his death, the new leader would be young and lack sufficient cultivation to command respect, potentially causing chaos and destroying the sect's hard-earned foundation. Therefore, after three years of contemplation, he devised a unique method of transferring internal energy. This method allowed him to refine and absorb the inner energy of others, using it within his own body. Although it required considerable effort, and the absorption was usually only 40-50%, it was still considered good. Those with exceptionally strong constitutions could even achieve over 50%. Thus, the Thousand Hands Sect established a rule: upon abdicating, each leader would transfer half of their inner energy to the new leader using this unique method. Anyone who disobeyed was considered a traitor, and regardless of their leadership, they would be executed by the sect.
Jin Yue already possessed decades of internal energy, plus what the previous sect leader had passed down. Even though it was only half of what he had, it was still equivalent to that of a top master who had cultivated for over thirty years. It took Jin Yue a whole day, until dusk on the second day, to finally get everything completely under control.
Jin Yue watched from the side, growing angrier with each passing moment. Back then, when I, Jin Yue, received 70%, my master was overjoyed. This kid didn't waste a single bit. God is so unfair in creating people.
Well, he's still my disciple, shouldn't I show some joy? So he walked over and smiled: "Now that you have decades of internal strength, you can be considered a top expert. It's getting dark. I sent out summons to the leaders of the four branch altars the day before yesterday. They will gather at the main altar later, and I will pass on the Thousand Hands Token to you in public. Then they should pay homage to you as the new leader."
Jin sat cross-legged and nodded, looking just like a bat with its wings folded.
This kid isn't bad-looking, he has a nose and eyes, so why can't I stand him? Jin Yue suppressed his anger: "You should also clean up your act. This scoundrel of a man is unacceptable to them."
Jin was displeased and flapped his wings: "What's wrong with me? I'm handsome, rich and good-looking. What's wrong with me that people look down on me?" He added: "If anyone dares to look down on me, I'll poison them until they're blind."
Even more ruthless than me! Jin Yue sneered, knowing his weakness: "Everything else is fine, but don't let people laugh at our Thousand Hands Sect for choosing a poor boy as its leader."
Jin Huanlai jumped up from the ground with a "whoosh," clenched his fist, glared at him coldly for a while, then turned and walked into the inner room: "Don't think that just because you are my master, I won't dare to make a move."
Having achieved his goal, Naoki Kaneshiro was overjoyed.
.
Soon, an old man with a white beard and a cane walked out of the door. He was dressed in a brocade robe and jade belt, covered in gold and silver ornaments, and wore seven rings on his hands. A green cat-ear-shaped ornament was also embedded in the top of his cane. He had a dignified face and bright eyes.
Jin Yue's smile vanished. After a long pause, he jumped up and yelled, "What are you doing dressed like that?!"
Jin shook his beard and said, "This outfit is so impressive, who would dare to laugh at me?"
Jin Yue was so angry that he picked him up and threw him in: "Yes, you're making fun of me, Jin Yue, by finding someone who's about to die to take the throne, aren't you?"
In mid-air, the body swiftly turned a corner, as graceful as a swallow darting into a curtain. Immediately afterward, Jin Huanlai's loud laughter came from inside: "Try it out, this internal energy is indeed useful!"
A short while later, the curtain was lifted again.
A handsome young man walked out slowly, with a beautiful face, a straight nose and delicate eyebrows, and a smile on his lips. He was gentle and refined, yet also had a flirtatious and provocative air about him. He was holding a jade flute in his hand.
"Why does he look so familiar?" Jin Yue paused for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "Why are you dressed up as him?"