Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 507 Negotiation
After that, there was a period of calm.

Zhou You's life basically became a routine of going between three points: getting up, listening to lectures, working in the library, and then coming back.

Besides that, he draws talismans.

Although he had a sword at hand, there was nowhere to practice swordsmanship, and the Wanren sword was ultimately not something that could be revealed to others, so he devoted almost all his efforts to drawing talismans.

I must say, it's actually quite interesting.

Unlike swords, which allow for unrestrained use of power, risking one's life for speed, profit, and even death, drawing talismans confines one to rules and regulations, using the talisman as a foundation to communicate with the universe.

Honestly, if you really think about it, this is the proper way to cultivate – he was just taking a completely unorthodox approach before.

But it's not his fault. After all, his master and uncles weren't very serious, so how serious could he be?

He dipped his brush in the ink mixed with cinnabar—personal disciples all had a certain ration, so he didn't have to bleed himself out of it—and filled in the last stroke on the yellow paper. A flash of inspiration appeared in the ink, then returned to its original state, and finally settled into stillness.

Another talisman was completed.

After putting the Pure Yang Talisman back into his Diancang Ring, Zhou You let out a long breath and was about to reach for his waist—but after finding nothing, he remembered that his Wine Immortal Gourd was still sealed tightly. So he could only shake his head, pick up the tea on the table, and take a sip.

The strong tea went straight down his throat, clearing his jumbled thoughts somewhat. He picked up his pen, about to continue drawing the next picture, when suddenly a knock sounded at the door.

The ink dripped straight from the tip of the brush, instantly staining a large sheet of yellow paper.

Seeing that he could no longer continue drawing, he could only say, "Wait a moment," then stuff all the materials under the bed, carefully wiped away the ink stains, and finally opened the door.

There were two strangers standing outside.

Actually, they weren't exactly strangers. The two men who came were none other than the two senior students who worked in the cafeteria, one fat and one thin.

Seeing that Zhou You took so long to open the door, the fat man was clearly very dissatisfied, but before he could say anything, the skinny man pulled him down.

Then, he said with a smile.

"Junior Brother Zhou, how have you been lately?"

Zhou You looked at the two of them with some confusion, but finally nodded.

"Is everything alright? Excuse me, could you two senior brothers please help me with something?"

This time, it was the skinny guy who spoke again.

"Junior brother, look at what you're saying, you're being too distant, aren't you? We're fellow disciples, can't I visit you even when I have time?"

After saying that, he picked up several oil paper packages in his hand.

"I got my hands on some good stuff today, but the two of us can't finish it all. I was just remembering that I, your junior brother, have the day off, so I thought I'd try to get to know you, this newly popular guy. You won't turn us away, will you?"

Showing your courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

Zhou You looked at the smiling face that resembled a chrysanthemum, then at the obese man next to him, and finally stepped aside to make way for him.

These two were quite outgoing. They swaggered in, sat down on a stool, and then looked around.

"Speaking of which, junior brother, you've at least become a direct disciple, so why are you still living in this godforsaken place? Talk to Master, and he might be able to move you to a proper disciple's residence."

Zhou You's answer was very simple.

"I'm used to living here, and I don't really want to go through the trouble of moving around again. Senior brother, would you like some tea?"

The skinny man took the teapot and sniffed it, but immediately looked embarrassed. He then handed it to the fat man, whose response was even more direct—he rolled his eyes and said crisply.

"Can you drink this rotten sawdust?"

"How to talk!"

The skinny man gave him a light kick, then laughed.

"I'm really sorry, the tea supplied by the sect is really not very good. But it's okay, brother, I brought you something good today."

He mysteriously reached into his pocket and pulled out a water pouch—as soon as he opened it, the whole room was filled with a fragrant aroma.

Zhou You couldn't help but sniffle.

"Is it wine?"

The skinny man immediately laughed.

"Junior brother has a good nose. It was this wine that I, your senior brother, managed to get from the pilgrims after going through a lot of trouble."

However, Zhou You frowned slightly.

"Senior brother, I remember the sect leader's strict order forbidding drinking on the mountain. What are you doing?"

The skinny guy clicked his tongue and then shook his finger.

"Rules are rules, and relaxations are relaxations. No matter how strict the rules are, as long as you don't get caught, you'll be fine."

Before Zhou You could speak again, the skinny man unfolded the oil paper on the table—it wasn't the chicken or duck commonly found in the mountains, but rather specially braised donkey meat and beef.

Just as he said, at least in this temple, it is indeed a rare find.

Zhou You didn't refuse any longer and sat down as well. The skinny man first poured him a glass of wine with a smile.

"Come on, junior brother, let me toast you first!"

Zhou You picked up his wine glass, but instead of drinking it, he first sniffed it.

The liquor wasn't very good; it was probably homemade in an ordinary village. Fortunately, it didn't have any strange smell, and there wasn't anything extra added to it.

Drink it all in one gulp.

Seeing his actions, the skinny man clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

"As expected of you, Junior Brother, you're so straightforward!! Tsk, Luo Da Nao, what are you waiting for? Why don't you toast your Junior Brother too?"

The fat man known as Big Head Luo responded in a muffled voice, then reluctantly picked up the wine bag and filled Zhou You's cup again.

However, whether the response was enthusiastic or reluctant, Zhou You accepted it as usual.

He didn't speak until after several rounds of drinks and when his chopsticks had been used up once.

"Brother, you've come all this way to visit me, so just say what you want to say directly. There's no need to beat around the bush."

The skinny man paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

“Junior brother is indeed a straightforward person. Alright, then I won’t dawdle any longer.”

He picked up a piece of donkey meat, casually tossed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then said.

"Junior brother, what do you think of our senior brother?"

Zhou You remained silent for a long while before speaking.

"Senior brother, what do you mean by this?"

The skinny man shook his head, his face still beaming with a smile, revealing nothing else.

"It doesn't mean anything, I just wanted to hear the truth from you."

Zhou You looked into those eyes, seemingly pondering something, but finally shook his head and said.

"Ambitious but incompetent, vindictive and vengeful, fierce in appearance but cowardly in reality, fond of scheming but indecisive, hesitant to undertake great tasks but willing to risk his life for petty gains. He is nothing but a clown."

The skinny man seemed surprised by Zhou You's bluntness, and after a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Junior brother, what you said is quite blunt. We've already made such a deep grudge, so we don't care about these comments anymore. Besides, what you said is all true—speaking of which, junior brother, do you even know how our senior brother rose to the position?"

"I don't know," the skinny man laughed.

"When our sect was vying for the position of Senior Brother, there were twelve people competing. Our Senior Brother Xuancheng was the weakest and most useless one among them. Originally, no one in the entire sect had high hopes for him, and everyone thought he would be eliminated in the first round. But what's that saying again? Dog, dog."

The obese man next to him, who was eating with his mouth full of oil, suddenly interrupted.

"Incredible luck."

"Yes, that's it." The skinny man clapped his hands, confirming. "Luck is unstoppable. Those senior brothers and sisters were so vicious that everyone died together shortly after the fight started. Xuan Cheng was too weak, so no one attacked him. As a result, everyone was dead, and he automatically became the senior brother of the sect."

Zhou You tapped the table with his chopsticks and suddenly spoke.

"Senior brother, why are you telling me this?"

The skinny man laughed again.

"Junior brother, don't be in a hurry. After saying so much, I only want to express one thing."

He spread his hands, smiling, but his eyes were full of disdain.

"He's too useless, so useless that he's completely unsuitable to be the senior disciple of our sect."

"."

Zhou You didn't respond to that question; he just kept picking at his meat and drinking.

The skinny guy froze for a moment, but luckily he was quick-witted and immediately continued on his own.

“Junior brother, you can see it too. We have a lot of grievances against him. After all, our senior brother is a symbol of our sect’s strength. We have suffered countless humiliations because of him over the years, but because of Master’s protection, we can’t do anything about him for the time being.”

"But then, an unexpected event occurred—that is, junior brother, you."

The skinny man stared intently at Zhou You, his smile growing even brighter.

"Junior brother, you are the first in our sect, or even the entire sect, to receive such favor in hundreds of years. No one can match your level of favor. Although Master doesn't say it, everyone can see how much he likes you. You can say that you are now completely on par with Xuan Cheng."

Zhou You suddenly interrupted.

"Senior brother, do you mean you want me to replace Xuancheng?"

The skinny man shook his head and laughed.

"It's not about replacing you, it's about killing you, Junior Brother. Do you know that Xuan Cheng hates you to the extreme and plans to make a move against you soon?"

"What do you mean? Can you explain?"

This time, the skinny guy just smiled and remained silent.

Zhou You sighed, stood up, picked up the wine flask, and toasted him again.

Then, this person slowly began to speak.

"You know, I work in the cafeteria, so I have pretty good access to information. A few days ago, I heard a rumor that Xuan Cheng gathered a few friends from the outer sect and planned to take action against someone. I don't think I need to tell you who this 'someone' is, right?"

Zhou You remained silent, then offered another toast.

"Then how should I deal with this? Please enlighten me, senior brother."

The skinny man laughed.

"I wouldn't call it answering questions, but it's not difficult to solve them either. Junior brother, you can't fight against four hands with one fist, but it's different with helpers, like us."

He pointed to himself and the fat man next to him.

"Back then, when we brothers were vying for the position of senior brother, we didn't participate because of our seniority. But in terms of skill, we were far superior to Xuancheng. Even if he had a magic weapon bestowed by our master, we could still take him down. Even with a few helpers, it would be the same."

Zhou You looked at the skinny man and suddenly laughed.

"Since you've already said so much, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse. But I'd like to ask, is this favor something you did for free?"

The skinny man's expression grew even brighter.

“Junior brother is indeed a smart man—that’s right. As a direct disciple, Master should bestow some things upon you in a few days. We brothers don’t need more than that; just give us 70%, and we can help you deal with that Xuan Cheng guy.”

Zhou You fell silent.

Judging from the situation, this is an excellent deal—the duo seems to have a grudge against Xuan Cheng and don't get along with each other. In addition, before I came, they were the most suspicious contenders for this position, so Xuan Cheng probably caused them a lot of trouble.

With both old and new grudges combined, all he had to do was offer some rewards that he might not even be able to use, and he could get two helpers for free. It was a pretty good deal.

just
However, just as he was deep in thought, another urgent knocking sounded at the door.

The fat and thin men both changed their expressions and pressed their hands on the weapons at their waists, intending to stand up—but Zhou You waved his hand and made them sit down again.

Then, Zhou You walked to the door, looked through the crack first, and then opened the door.

—There's someone standing outside, waiting to bring good luck.

I'm not very familiar with the name, but I vaguely remember that he was one of the people who worked with Lin Yunshao.

Upon seeing the man, Zhou You frowned and then asked.

"What's wrong? Aren't you guys on holiday today? What are you doing here?"

The man, who was supposed to bring good luck, blushed and gesticulated wildly for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word. In the end, Zhou You had to lean close to his mouth to barely make out what he was saying.

Then, Zhou You's brows did not relax; instead, they furrowed even more, and his face even became somewhat somber.

After dismissing the young Taoist priest, Zhou You, with a gloomy expression on his face, went back into the house.

Seeing this, the skinny man asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Junior brother, what happened? Why do you look so pale?"

Zhou You took a deep breath and then exhaled.

"I'm sorry, senior brother, I'm afraid we can't wait a few more days."

"That kid just told me that Lin Yunshao has been kidnapped."

The skinny man was stunned.

"Lin Yunshao, is that the little follower who's always with you? She's been kidnapped?"

Zhou You walked past the two men. Although his face was not very good, he remained relatively calm. He then began searching under the bed.

“That’s right. According to that kid, Lin Yunshao disappeared after noon. They went to the place where he worked to look for him, but they only found a note.”

What does it say on it?

"Old Laundryman, you must arrive at 1:45 PM. For every half hour late, an organ will be removed. For every hour late, a limb will be dismembered."

The skinny man's face also turned ugly.

"...It's like killing someone by breaking their spirit. So, junior brother, are you planning to go?"

"Go, of course I'll go," Zhou You replied calmly. After pulling some materials out from under the bed, he turned to look at the skinny man's face. "By the way, senior brother, does what we said earlier still count?"

Before the skinny guy could speak, the fat guy next to him had already spoken.

"Yes, it counts, but rules are rules. We won't make a move without something substantial to offer."

Just as the skinny guy was about to pull his brother down, Zhou You threw something in front of them.

—It was the golden pill that Yun Zhongzi had bestowed upon me a few days ago.

(End of this chapter)