"Dai Gangzi, compared to Dai Daozi, I appreciate you more. At least, you are not as insidious as Dai Daozi. I don't want to kill you, but Dai Daozi offered me a deal I couldn't refuse, so I had to kill you. Otherwise, I would have hoped to work with you," Li Lin said lightly, as a sense of murderous intent began to unfold and spread.
"Master Li... no, Sect Leader Li, please let me go. Whatever Dai Daozi can offer you, I can offer you twice as much, just don't kill me. Whatever Dai Daozi promised, I can promise you the same, otherwise, I would rather die than fall into your hands. I hate that I am not as venomous as Dai Daozi, I hate..." Dai Gangzi roared loudly, trembling all over, his emotions hanging by a thread as if on the brink of a cliff.
Li Lin looked at Dai Gangzi, seemingly pondering something, as the murderous aura around him began to fade.
Feeling the change in Li Lin's aura, Dai Gangzi, in a moment of desperation, seemed to grasp a lifeline and quickly said, "Sect Leader Li, let me go. Once I take over as the sect leader, I will double everything Dai Daozi offered you. If you like, I can even give you the entire Ghost Martial Sect, just don't kill me, I can agree to anything."
"Dai Gangzi, I'm not interested in your Ghost Martial Sect, but, what you just said is somewhat appealing to me. However, how can I trust you?" Li Lin's gaze fell on Dai Gangzi, his direct stare chilling Dai Gangzi to the bone.
"This..." Dai Gangzi hesitated, fearing Li Lin might change his mind, then said in a fluster, "Sect Leader Li, just trust me, and I'll do whatever you ask."
"Here is a poison pill. If you take it, without an antidote within a year, your muscles and bones will decay and you will die. No one can save you without the antidote. If you take this poison pill, I will temporarily trust you." As Li Lin's voice fell, he threw a Blood Devouring Bone Transformation Pill to Dai Gangzi.
Without any hesitation, Dai Gangzi immediately stuffed the poison pill into his mouth and hurriedly said, "Sect Leader Li, you can trust me now."
"Alright, I'll temporarily trust you." Li Lin's lips curled into a smile, a satisfied smile.
In the space behind them, Ghost Shadow Rakshasa, Ye Fei, and others each revealed a smile, deeply admiring the young sect leader in front of them.
Moments later, in the main hall of the sub-sect, a still visibly shaken Dai Gangzi sat trembling slightly.
"Vice Sect Leader Dai, I apologize for the offense a few days ago, we had no choice but to do so," Ouyang Lengji said to Dai Gangzi, his tone as icy as ever.
"I know, it's not your fault. It's just that Dai Daozi is too insidious," Dai Gangzi quickly replied.
"Dai Gangzi, you just said that you would agree to any conditions I have?" Li Lin eyed Dai Gangzi from his position at the head of the hall.
"Yes, I agree to any conditions from Sect Leader Li," Dai Gangzi responded, his expression utterly respectful towards Li Lin.
"But you're just the vice sect leader of Ghost Martial Sect. Even if you go back this time, it's likely Dai Daozi will kill you quickly. What makes you think you can fulfill my conditions?" Li Lin asked.
Dai Gangzi paused, despairing for his life, he hadn't considered these questions at all.
"Sect Leader Li, he is unkind, I am unrighteous. This time I survive and return, I'll kill him directly. Over the years, my strength in Ghost Martial Sect has been no less than Dai Daozi's. It's not impossible to overthrow him," Dai Gangzi said through clenched teeth.
"Last time, a ninth-tier Martial General elder was yours, wasn't he? To weaken your strength, he has already been sent by Dai Daozi to Tianyi Sect to be secretly eliminated. Yesterday, your eighth-tier Martial General, Elder Liu, also died. According to Dai Daozi, I killed them to clear your remaining forces. Now, it seems, your strength must be significantly weaker than Dai Daozi's," Li Lin said, watching Dai Gangzi lightly.
Dai Gangzi's face darkened, with these two elders gone, his power had been reduced by half. These two were among the top elders in the entire Ghost Martial Sect.
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"Moreover, Dai Daozi has said that he accused you in front of your father of forming cliques and seeking to split Ghost Martial Sect. Your father is also extremely disappointed in you. Even if you kill Dai Daozi, it will be difficult for you to take over as the sect leader, as your father will probably not let you off either," Li Lin continued.
Dai Gangzi became even more speechless, realizing that even if he killed Dai Daozi, his father indeed would not let him go.
"Dai Gangzi, I do have a method, but I'm not sure if you dare to use it. My Flying Spirit Gate is willing to take a gamble for the future of both Ghost Martial Sect and Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said, pursing his lips lightly.
"Sect Leader Li, what method? At this point, with Dai Daozi wanting me dead, I dare to do anything," Dai Gangzi urgently asked Li Lin.
"You've seen the strength of my Flying Spirit Gate. With your strength and your influence, it would be extremely difficult to overthrow Dai Daozi," Li Lin said lightly, then paused before continuing, "But we can assist you in killing Dai Daozi, and as for your father, we can also try to help you remove the biggest obstacle to you becoming the sect leader."
"Killing Dai Daozi is no problem, but my father..." Dai Gangzi hesitated, after all, it was his own father.
"Dai Gangzi, does your father even consider you? In terms of strength, wisdom, and prestige within the sect, you are no less than Dai Daozi. If you were the sect leader, these years, Ghost Martial Sect would have probably developed to a certain extent, but you never had the chance, you've always been just the vice sect leader. Your father has never really considered you, which is why Dai Daozi dares to kill you, dares to do whatever he wants," Li Lin said coldly. "A true man should not care about the trivial. 'To achieve great things, a thousand bones rot; to kill one is a sin, to kill thousands a hero. Killing nine million makes you the hero among heroes. With different paths, disregard a thousand years of benevolence and righteousness; rather be hated by thousands, than have no one curse you. Looking at the world over five thousand years, where is the hero who does not kill?' Don't disappoint me."
Hearing Li Lin’s words, Dai Gangzi seemed to have an epiphany. At this moment, even Ghost Shadow Rakshasa, Ye Fei, the Ye sisters, Ouyang Lengji, Huangfu Qisong, Kang Ziyun, and others who heard Li Lin’s words, their faces changed, unconsciously sensing the overwhelming murderous intent in Li Lin's heart.
"They were unrighteous to me first, so don't blame me for being merciless. 'Rather be hated by thousands, than have no one curse you. Looking at the world over five thousand years, where is the hero who does not kill?' Sect Leader Li, I'll listen to you, kill, kill them all," Dai Gangzi said coldly, a fierce murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
"Haha, good, Vice Sect Leader Dai is indeed a wise man, no, from now on, you'll be Sect Leader Dai. I hope our cooperation will bring great benefits to both Ghost Martial Sect and Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin said with satisfaction.
"It all depends on your help, Sect Leader Li. Whatever you ask for, my Ghost Martial Sect will definitely provide," Dai Gangzi said.
At this moment, in the great hall, Ghost Shadow Rakshasa, Ye Fei, and the others all took a deep breath, then revealed knowing smiles.
Several hours later, in the back mountain courtyard of Flying Spirit Gate, Dong WuMing looked at Li Lin and asked, "Have you arranged everything? How confident are you?"
"Nine tenths sure. Dai Gangzi is most likely completely convinced. Even if Dai Gangzi changes his mind at the last minute and turns against us, we don't need to worry. I'm just concerned about some other matters. I've never really considered Ghost Martial Sect important, but this stumbling block must be removed," Li Lin said lightly.
"If Flying Spirit Gate is exposed too early, it indeed wouldn't be good," Dong WuMing said.
"Besides not wanting to expose the current strength of Flying Spirit Gate, I'm also worried about Lingtian Gate. Today, from what Dai Gangzi told me, Dai Daozi's wife and the wife of Lingtian Gate's sect leader Lv Zhengqiang are distant relatives. If Flying Spirit Gate moves against Ghost Martial Sect, I'm also worried about what Lingtian Gate might do," Li Lin said lightly.
"So, you want to secretly control Ghost Martial Sect while also testing Lingtian Gate, even if Lingtian Gate takes action because of Dai Daozi, Flying Spirit Gate can still temporarily retreat?" Dong WuMing looked at Li Lin, his eyes narrowing, then he sighed and said: "Kid, I rarely admire anyone, but you definitely count as one. In terms of cunning and venom, there are probably few who can match you."
"Old Dong, are you praising me or scolding me?" Li Lin said with a wry smile.
"Righteous people see righteousness, wise people see wisdom, you judge for yourself," Dong WuMing said with a half-smile.
"For the sake of Flying Spirit Gate, I have to think more carefully. One wrong step could bring trouble not just to me, but to the entire Flying Spirit Gate," Li Lin then stood with his hands behind his back, looking up into the sky.
"I haven't misjudged you. With your cunning and wisdom, along with the support of Ghost Fairy and Ye Fei, in this Ancient Domain, there are probably only a handful of people who can match you, and none who can outplay you," Dong WuMing said lightly.
"Old Dong, I really can't take your praise," Li Lin said again with a wry smile.
"Just stop playing innocent," Dong WuMing glared at Li Lin, then asked, "When are we leaving? Are you saying I should team up with that woman from yesterday to deal with Old Ghost Dai?"
"With her help, Old Dong, along with Elder Lushan and Green Fire Ghost assisting from the side, I reckon there definitely won’t be any problems. How about we set off soon?" Li Lin said. Old Poisoner, together with Bai Ling, in Li Lin's estimation, among Martial Marshals and Spirit Marshals, there definitely wouldn’t be a match for them; Bai Ling alone could probably kill Old Ghost Dai, as she was, after all, a Nine-tailed Demon Fox.