Chapter 687 - 687: The Unbelievable Truth

After listening, Zhao Yuan was quite calm. "So, a lot has happened."

"Why aren't you the least bit surprised or excited?" Ying Ji asked, astonished.

Zhao Yuan replied, "What's there to be excited about? I figured flooding the forum with answers would cause a huge commotion."

He silently added in his head, 'I went through the same thing back when I flooded my school's forum with solved problems. You could say I'm experienced at this, okay!'

Ying Ji, unaware he'd had a similar experience, was quite impressed by his composure.

Zhao Yuan added, "Oh, right. You two have to keep this a secret for me. Don't leak the fact that I'm Little Ghost."

"No problem, we'll definitely keep your secret!" Ying Ji agreed at once, without the slightest hesitation.

Hao Li, however, was a bit confused. "Why keep it a secret? This is your chance to make a huge name for yourself in the Cultivation Realm!"

"The problem is, I don't want to be in the limelight," Zhao Yuan said with a wry smile. "If this gets out, best case scenario, I'll be hounded to death by every Cultivator who hears the news. Worst case? My life will be in danger!"

Hao Li wasn't an idiot. Hearing Zhao Yuan's explanation, it immediately clicked.

It was true. The Little Ghost account was now hailed as the "Wan Family's Master." The moment cultivators found out Zhao Yuan was Little Ghost, they would undoubtedly try every trick in the book to track him down, flocking to him from all corners of the globe. At that point, pestering him for guidance would be the polite option. Kidnapping him and torturing him for his Cultivation Techniques and Secret Techniques wasn't out of the question, either!

After all, the Cultivation Realm, just like mundane society, was full of all kinds of people.

Hao Li immediately said, "I get it. Little Brother Zhao, rest assured, I will absolutely not leak this secret. I swear it. If I ever do, may I be plagued by a Heart Demon, suffer Qigong Deviation, and die a horrible death whenever I cultivate!"

This was a solemn oath, and one made as a Spiritual Oath. If broken, the vow would certainly come to pass!

Zhao Yuan realized this and was very touched. "You didn't need to make such a solemn vow."

Hao Li grumbled, "Damn, couldn't have said so earlier? I already made the vow before you said anything."

Then he laughed again. "Just kidding. I've got a big mouth. If I didn't make a serious vow, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep it shut. But Little Brother Zhao, since I'm helping you keep this secret, you'll have to give me some extra pointers on my Tripod Cuisine School cultivation down the line."

Zhao Yuan nodded vigorously and promised, "No problem. If you have any problems with your cultivation in the future, just come to me!"

He was quite confident about this.

With the legacy of Wu Peng, he could provide a near-perfect answer even if Hao Li asked him about Ascension to Immortality.

On the other end of the line, Ying Ji fell silent for a moment before saying, "Zhao Yuan, I can make a Spiritual Oath as well, to guarantee I won't leak this. However, I suggest it would be best to let the Matriarch know, too. After all, you're planning to use our Ying Family's Old Mansion as a receiving address. If she isn't aware, it's bound to cause some misunderstandings and trouble."

"That's what I was thinking, too," Zhao Yuan said. "You can tell the Matriarch, but forget about anyone else. It's not that I don't trust the people of the Ying Family, it's just that the more people who know, the more likely it is for loose lips to reveal the secret."

"Understood." Ying Ji breathed a sigh of relief and immediately made a Spiritual Oath as well.

At this point, Hao Li asked another question. "Oh, by the way, Little Brother Zhao, if you don't want to get famous this early, then why did you do something so shocking that it stunned the entire Cultivation Realm?"

"You think I wanted to?" Zhao Yuan snapped. "If the Cultivator Forum didn't have a rule that you have to be a Spirit Cultivator to contact sellers in the Rakshasa Ghost Market, I never would have gone to the 'Morning Enlightenment, Evening Death' board to grind questions for points."

"You were grinding questions on the 'Morning Enlightenment, Evening Death' board just to earn points?" Hao Li and Ying Ji asked in unison.

Zhao Yuan nodded. "Yeah. Why else?"

His question was met with silence.

Well, this was fucking awkward.

Zhao Yuan scratched his head, not understanding how he had just killed the conversation.

After a long moment, Hao Li let out a slow breath and lamented, "I feel like my entire worldview and values have fucking collapsed..."

Ying Ji said with a wry smile, "You gave away so many True Inheritance Secret Techniques just to earn points... That flex of yours, I have to give it a perfect score! I guarantee that even if the truth got out, no one would ever believe it!"

Hao Li agreed. "No kidding! Who would believe there's such a wastrel in the world!"

Dark lines appeared on Zhao Yuan's face.

'What did I ever do to you two? Why are you dissing me like this?'

"So, are you going to keep answering questions on the 'Morning Enlightenment, Evening Death' board?" Ying Ji asked.

Zhao Yuan thought for a moment. "Hard to say. I'll see how I feel."

In their hearts, Ying Ji and Hao Li simultaneously held a three-second moment of silence for all the Fellow Daoists who had frantically spammed the "Morning Enlightenment, Evening Death" board with questions over the past couple of days...

After exchanging a few more words, Ying Ji hung up and drove to the Ying Family's Old Mansion to see the Matriarch.

When Ying Ji arrived, the Matriarch was sitting on a recliner, sunbathing in the garden in front of the house. Seeing her, the Matriarch smiled and asked, "Jie'Er, you're here. Is something the matter?"

"Matriarch, there is something I need to report to you," Ying Ji said.

The Matriarch nodded slightly. "What is it? Go on."

After confirming no one else was nearby, Ying Ji whispered, "Matriarch, the Wan Family's Master, Little Ghost... is Zhao Yuan!"

"What did you say?" The Matriarch shot to her feet, asking in shock, "Are you certain of this news?"

"I'm certain. Zhao Yuan told me himself." Ying Ji then recounted the whole story to the Matriarch.

After listening, the Matriarch's face was filled with shock. "I never would have guessed... To think that boy, Zhao Yuan, is so knowledgeable, so..."

She couldn't find the right words. After a long pause, she finally managed an assessment: "So monstrously talented!"

Ying Ji nodded, a look of complete agreement on her face. Her expression then turned serious. "Matriarch, about what Zhao Yuan said... about wanting our Ying Family to help him receive his deliveries... what do you think our answer should be?"

The Matriarch glanced at her. "Didn't you already agree? Is the Ying Family going to go back on its word?"

Ying Ji hurriedly said, "I acted on my own authority and have brought trouble to the family. Please punish me, Matriarch!"

"I won't punish you, because you did the right thing," the Matriarch said, her eyes narrowing. "While helping Zhao Yuan with his deliveries will attract some trouble, at the same time, we stand to gain immense benefits!"

"Huh?" Ying Ji was astonished.

'How could there be any benefit to such a thankless task?'