Trash skill!
The first thought that came to Duge’s mind was just that.
After all,
this skill required him to deliberately induce, and the result of induction was merely to make people harbor evil thoughts.
Who knew what kind of evil thoughts it would produce?
However, Duge soon realized, damn, Divine Skill!
Before, when he tricked people, he needed to take various factors into account. If he encountered someone with their own ideas, deviations might occur.
With this skill, he could guide with precision, if he wanted someone to be good, he would not lead them towards ill will, and if he wanted someone to turn bad, like dealing with Niu Sanbao and others, he would just lure them onto the evil path.
As long as they did evil, he could punish the wicked and promote the good, and when he was vicious, he would have no psychological burden, so in the eyes of the world, no matter how cruel he was, he would still be seen as upright.
The Stone Man has but one eye, no, with just one mouth, Duge could stir rebellion.
In this world where the Three Realms were orderly, this skill was truly a Divine Skill.
On a previous trip to the Alien Battlefield, Duge wanted to save more people, but his start on this Alien Battlefield was tough, and looking around, from the natives to the Alien Warriors, everyone was an enemy, so the primary goal became survival, only by living to escape was there a chance to resist.
...
"What are your names?"
asked Duge.
The Carefree Sect indeed did as they pleased, accepting disciples without even asking for their names. Niu Sanbao exclaimed, "Senior, my formal name is Niu Changyi, but you can just call me Sanbao."
"Senior, my name is Liu Chun," said Laowu.
"I am Zhao Sheng."
"I’m Liu Cai."
"My name is Jiao Dawen," said the young man whose belly Duge had sliced open.
"I see you’ve also sorted out a ranking, with titles like Laosi, Laowu, Laoqi?" Duge glanced at them and asked, "So that means there are a few others, right?"
"Replying to Senior, there were nine brothers in total," Niu Sanbao said. "A year ago, I went out with my elder and second elder brothers to earn a living, and we met a tough character. My elder brothers were killed on the spot, and I got a scar on my face, so now only the seven of us brothers are left.
The one driving the carriage just now was Laoliu. He is also watching over those beggars on the street along with Laoba. They will not bring those people back until nightfall."
Duge continued to ask: "How many people are under your control?"
"More than twenty, including adults and children," answered Niu Sanbao. "There are three to four on each street; any more and we won’t get any money."
"More than twenty beggars support the seven of you?" Duge frowned.
An upright Swordsman would never reveal their trade secrets to Niu Sanbao, that would be no different from seeking death.
But before him was a man who committed patricide and matricide, a genuine Demon Head. Compared to him, Niu Sanbao felt that what he did was nothing, and he spilled everything out like pouring beans from a bamboo tube: "The money begged by the beggars is just for everyday expenses. Our main income is from protection money, and sometimes we kidnap lone women to sell to brothels or snatch children to sell to the rich and powerful..."
What a group of scumbags indeed!
Duge cursed inwardly and asked, "How much money do you make a year with these trades?"
Niu Sanbao pondered for a moment: "Replying to Senior, we can scrape together a thousand or eight hundred Silver a year!"
"That little?" Duge sneered, "That’s even less than the Silver I casually give out as rewards..."
Niu Sanbao’s heart trembled again, and he chuckled awkwardly: "We run a small operation; naturally, we can’t compare to Senior."
"More than twenty people, just enough to support this old man," Duge said with a show of age, "You’ve seen my condition, it’s not suitable for me to show my face. If people find out and it reaches the ears of that traitor, it will cause unnecessary trouble. So, Niu Sanbao, the usual affairs will still be managed by you, including the provision for my sustenance."
"Of course," said Niu Sanbao.
"Your two brothers, you know how to talk to them, right?" Duge said.
"I know, I’ll persuade them," Niu Sanbao said.
"If persuasion doesn’t work, when they come back, have them meet this old ancestor, join my Carefree Sect, and not a bit of punishment will be spared," said Duge. "To cultivate our Sect’s Divine Skill, the more broken one is, the more motivated. The heart is concealed by the belly; a normal person could think of fleeing anytime, which would be a disaster for us."
As soon as the words fell,
the expressions of Laosi and Laoqi changed on the spot, their knees went weak, and they knelt down again: "Senior, we will not betray."
"Will not you?" Duge huffed, "Who was it that said he wanted to deceive my Cultivation Technique, to seek vengeance after reaching success?"
The two simultaneously looked at Niu Sanbao.
"Don’t look at him, look at this old ancestor," Duge said. "I was in a worse state than you, but why could I succeed in slaying my master?
Because I was set on healing myself, on revenge. Otherwise, I would be crippled for life. That tenacity sustained me, pushed me, and step by step I was able to cultivate the Divine Skill.
If I had been whole, and at any moment had a change of mind, given up, then the Divine Skill and I would have been strangers for life.
If you’re not broken, where then is the motivation?
Think about it; if you, Niu Sanbao, and Liu Laowu cultivated together, who would be more diligent?"
Laosi and Laoqi paused for a moment.
Laosi licked his dry lips and whispered, "Naturally, it would be Third Brother and Laowu."