This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Chapter 211: Hoodwinking Junior Brothers

[Jadewill: Fellow daoists, I need your help. It’s nothing much, but I created this post, and I need all of you to like it.]

Ru Ye’s finger paused over the send button as he read the new message. That’s right, he wasn’t the only one who would want to watch the videos. And not to mention that each one of them might want to watch a different video as well.

[Fairy Firefly: Daoist Jadewill, don’t fight me with this. I need the likes more than you. Fellow daoists, please like my video. You’ll have the gratitude of one of the top three core formation beauties!]

[Future Immortal Lord Southfist: Beauty? What is that, can I eat that? I plan to watch Prince Xi’s video on spiritual cultivation. For those of you who want to watch it, give me the likes and come over to watch with me. This way, we can minimize the cost.]

[Fairy Firefly: Smelly Southfist, you have to fight with this old woman over this matter too? Fellow Daoists, don’t give him likes, he won’t have time to watch it when I’m done with him!]

[Future Immortal Lord Southfist: Firefly, what are you planning to do?! I’m telling you, we are civilized people, don’t do anything drastic!]

However, no matter how many messages Southfist sent, Firefly never replied, making him extremely anxious. The group members who saw this could only shake their heads and sigh.

The relationship between Southfist and Firefly had always been at odds. Whenever Southfist posted something, Firefly would snark at him and vice versa. The only difference was that Firefly was stronger than Southfist, so she would constantly seek him out and teach him a lesson whenever she felt like it.

After that, a few more group members popped up and asked what the fuss was. After finding out, all of them went out to watch the videos to see if it was really worth all the troubles Jadewill, Firefly, and Southfist caused.

Ru Ye stopped himself from posting his message. He could already tell that relying on the group members to give him likes for Xiyicoins was not possible. So, this meant he needed to think of another method.

Crossing his arms, Ru Ye’s effeminate face scrunched up as he pondered on his dilemma. Just as he was thinking, he was brought out by a voice.

“Senior Brother Ye, are you busy?” The speaker was Ru Ye’s new junior brother. As both of them came from the Ru Clan, he was addressed as Senior Brother Ye since addressing him by his surname would be confusing. Plus, the two had a rather good relationship.

“What’s the matter Junior Brother Xuwen?” Ru Ye asked.

Ru Xuwen rubbed the back of his head with slight embarrassment. He appeared to be in his mid-teens, but as a cultivator, his outward appearance was deceiving. Ru Xuwen was actually in his early twenties. “Senior Brother, when will Master come out of his seclusion? I’ve recently hit a roadblock in my cultivation.”

Ru Ye shook his head helplessly, and coupled with his soft features, appeared indulgent. Ru Xuwen was only at the twelfth stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, so it was more likely he was asking Ru Ye for pointers in a roundabout manner.

Just as Ru Ye was about to ask Ru Xuwen what his problem was, his eyes drifted to the Xiyi Talisman still held in his hand. Eyes lighting up, Ru Ye looked at Ru Xuwen again. Only this time, the image of a Xiyicoin was overlayed over Ru Xuwen.

“Have you watched Senior Brother Xi’s videos on cultivating the Qi Gathering Realm?” Ru Ye asked.

Ru Xuwen scrunched his brows with visible and understandable confusion. “Senior Brother Xi, who is that? And what are videos?”

“Senior Brother Xi is the sole son of Grand Elder Xi—” Ru Ye explained with patience.

“You mean that Prince Xi, the youngest unity venerable of the sect?! That one?” Ru Xuwen interjected before Ru Ye had the chance to explain what a video was. Ru Xuwen’s eyes were shining with admiration. “Senior Brother, you know Prince Xi?”

Ru Ye coughed into his fist, he didn’t even know that Tianyi had entered the Unity Realm, but he didn’t show it on his face. In less than a second, a textbook-perfect business smile appeared on his face. “We have some relationship. Are you interested in Senior Brother Xi’s lectures on the Qi Gathering Realm?”

“Interested? Of course I am! But how can a mere inner disciple as me listen to Prince Xi’s lecture?” Ru Xuwen asked with a sigh. In the Buzhou Immortal Sect, he was only considered average, so he didn’t even have the right to speak to Tianyi.

Ru Xuwen looked at Ru Ye with envy. Judging from Ru Ye’s words, it seemed like he might be able to listen to Prince Xi’s lecture? If so, how close must they be to ask the lofty son of a grand elder to give him pointers?

“Of course you can. All you need is this.” Ru Ye showed Ru Xuwen the Xiyi Talisman in his hand. “As long as you have a Xiyi Talisman, you can watch Senior Brother Xi’s lectures on the Qi Gathering Realm and even the Foundation Establishment Realm.”

Ru Xuwen asked many questions in response to that, but Ru Ye just played the first part of Tianyi’s Qi Gathering Realm Tutorial video. In this case, showing was better than telling.

“Prince Xi is so amazing and so virtuous. As long as you get a copy of this so-called video, your cultivation path will have fewer detours even if you don’t get accepted by a master.” Ru Xuwen commented, but he soon moved to the next point. “What about the next part? What does Prince Xi say on the final juncture before summoning the Foundation Establishment Heavenly Tribulation?”

“If you really want to watch the rest, you should buy a Xiyi Talisman yourself. It still has many other uses, so I can’t lend it to you.” Ru Ye said as the corner of his lips curled upward. “But you should be able to purchase too. However, you should do it quickly. I estimate word of Senior Brother Xi’s videos should spread soon. After that, even if you want to purchase a Xiyi Talisman, you wouldn’t be able to.”

“You’re right! Disciples like me who are only nominal disciples won’t have chances to be personally taught by our masters, so Prince Xi’s lectures are a godsend for us!” Ru Xuwen slapped his forehead after he digested Ru Ye’s words. “Senior Brother Ye, how much does one cost?”

Ru Ye’s smile deepened. “300 mid-quality spirit stones.”

Ru Xuwen’s mouth hung agape at the price tag. To core formation masters, 300 mid-quality spirit stones might not be too much as they only needed time to accumulate them, but to a qi gathering pupil like Ru Xuwen, it was an astronomical price. Every month, a Qi Gathering Realm disciple like him would only receive one. If he wanted to accumulate those spirit stones, he would need to wait twenty-five years!

“I can’t gather so much spirit stones.” Ru Xuwen made a bitter smile. The heart was willing, but the wallet was weak.

“Don’t say that, Junior Brother Xuwen.” Ru Ye walked forward and patted Ru Xuwen’s shoulders. “We share the same origins. I don’t mind lending you some spirit stones.”

Three hundred mid-quality spirit stones were a lot to Qi Gathering and Foundation Establishment Realm disciples, but it was inconsequential to a Nascent Soul Realm disciple like Ru Ye.

“You’re really willing?” Ru Xuwen asked. His eyes were filled with emotion as he looked at Ru Ye. He had heard that Ru Ye was distant to the Ru Clan due to his father’s actions, and he spent a lot of effort to deepen the relationship between the two. It seemed that his efforts had paid off.

“Of course, but I can’t just lend it to you without anything in return.” Ru Ye said, but he wasn’t afraid of Ru Xuwen rejecting him.

“It’s only natural. I trust Senior Brother Ye’s character!” Ru Xuwen said.

“You only have to use Xiyi Talisman to give my posts four likes a day until you return the spirit stones.” Ru Ye lightly said as if the price he mentioned was inconsequential.

Although Ru Xuwen didn’t understand what Ru Ye meant by likes, he quickly agreed.

“Good!” Ru Ye said as he flew both of them to the foot of Jade Peak to purchase a Xiyi Talisman. Not just Junior Brother Xuwen, I should try to hoodwink—ah’pei! I mean, help my fellow disciples in discovering Senior Brother Xi’s video.

Not long after, both Ru Ye and Ru Xuwen returned to their own abode. Ru Ye had already moved out of his master’s estate once he became a core formation master, and Ru Xuwen returned to his own room in his master’s estate, intent on watching the rest of Tianyi’s Qi Gathering Realm tutorials.

Only after he entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and tried to watch the Foundation Establishment videos did he understand the motivation behind his senior brother’s actions.

As for Ru Ye, he quickly checked his account for the amount of Xiyicoins he received from Ru Xuwen’s four likes.

Every Xiyi Talisman was paired with its own unique number and account upon creation. If a user wanted to transfer his account from an old Xiyi Talisman, all he needed to do was input his old account and password into the new Xiyi Talisman.

“None?” Ru Ye frowned as he read the zero on his account balance. “Does it mean that one like doesn’t equate to a Xiyicoin? How many likes would it take to get one Xiyicoin?”

After asking Ru Xuwen to give him one more like, Ru Ye’s account balance went up by one. “So five likes equals one Xiyicoin. That means I need fifty likes to have enough coins to watch the Organ Fortification Stage tutorial. What about the Acupoint Opening Realm tutorial? Would I need twenty or maybe even a hundred Xiyicoins?”

Feeling a sense of urgency, Ru Ye left his abode almost as soon as he stepped inside. He had some junior brothers to hoodwink.

-line break-

Another member of the Lovespot Tormentor Chat Group, core formation master Shadowbark, was also pondering on the matter of accumulating Xiyicoins. Unlike Ru Ye, he was the sole disciple of his master, so he didn’t have any junior brothers to hoodwink.

Shadowbark’s master was a failed Brocade Immortal, the Buzhou Immortal Sect’s diehard special force unit. Because he couldn’t completely erase his sense of self, Shadowbark’s master was released from the unit and became an immortal elder of the sect.

It was only a whim that Shadowbark became his disciple. Shadowbark wasn’t anything special. If anything, he was below average, but his master saw a shadow of his former self in the young Shadowbark. Since he was not gifted, Shadowbark could only replace talent with pure effort.

His master was extraordinarily harsh and pursued perfection, so anytime Shadowbark failed, he would severely be punished, but Shadowbark didn’t blame his master. If anything, he would only redouble his efforts. Shadowbark understood that if he hadn’t been picked up by his master, he would’ve likely stayed an outer disciple until he died of old age or was killed.

This was Shadowbark’s greatest and worst encounter. As a former candidate to join the Brocade Immortals, Shadowbark’s master was extremely loyal to the Buzhou Immortal Sect to the point of fanaticism. This included obeying any orders from those of higher positions, no matter what.

So when Lovespot came to find trouble with him and almost broke his immortal path, his master did nothing to get revenge. After helping Shadowbark recover, his master resumed life as usual, but Shadowbark couldn’t swallow this grievance. Now, one of his greatest pleasures was chatting with his fellow disciples in the Lovespot Tormentor Chat Group.

“How should I earn Xiyicoins?” Shadowbark muttered to himself. He had thought about asking the group member to like his post, but he knew that it was unlikely since everyone wanted to get Xiyicoins.

In the end, Shadowbark decided to act in accordance with Tianyi’s plan when he implemented the Xiyicoin system. First, Shadowbark opened up the forums and began to type. The post’s title was ‘Optimum Methods to Torture your Enemies Without Killing for Qi Gathering and Foundation Establishment Realm Disciples.’

Since Tianyi posted those tutorial videos, Shadowbark knew he couldn’t post about cultivation, nor did he want to record a video that would expose him. So he made a post in his most proficient area, making people wish they were dead. Eight of ten plans used to torment Lovespot from the chat group were his ideas, so Shadowbark was highly experienced in this area.

Luckily, most of the Xiyi Talisman users hadn’t posted in the forum, so Shadowbark’s post was eye-catching, drawing in a lot of attention. Shadowbark watched with satisfaction as the number of likes on his post increased at a visible rate. He was surprised to see that his post was even tagged at the highest spot.

It took a while, but he got ten Xiyicoins in a day. With a virtual wallet full of wealth, Shadowbark watched the next portion of Tianyi’s tutorial videos for spiritual cultivation. Unlike Ru Ye, Shadowbark had already embarked on the path of spiritual cultivation, but he wanted to fortify his foundations before entering the Core Formation Realm.