Chapter 7: How to Build a Team

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: How to Build a Team

The team was established, but no Derived Skill was triggered.

Li Ye was somewhat disappointed, though he didn’t take it to heart. Monster Derived Skills allowed Demon Hunters to use them independently of the monsters. Their triggering conditions remained unknown and highly random. Currently, the Demon Hunting Bureau had yet to figure out a pattern.

The previous user of the Team Emblem hadn’t triggered a skill either. The idea that unity, progress, hard work, or glory could trigger a skill was merely an expert’s speculation—it wasn’t necessarily accurate. Of course, it could also just be that the time wasn’t right.

Li Ye was in no rush.

Right now, the Demon Qi had been distributed among ten other people. In the future, when he encountered that monster that had entered this world ahead of him, he would have ten meat shields to share the firepower and take hits for him. In theory, his initial goal for choosing the Team Emblem had already been achieved.

Cowering in a corner wasn’t the best way to hide. Hiding oneself among the masses was the perfect cover.

Meanwhile, the cave had descended into absolute revelry.

The ten lucky individuals chosen were excitedly testing the wonders of the Demon Qi. Some sat cross-legged to cultivate, some leaped up and down, and some practiced their martial arts routines, while others flaunted the miraculous bodily modifications brought about by the Demon Qi to the rest of the group.

In just a short moment, everyone seemed entirely reborn. In their own words, their aptitudes had only been average before, but after being modified by Spiritual Power, they might actually be qualified to break through to the Innate realm. To the onlookers, this scene was nothing short of a miracle.

Those who had been injured by Li Ye felt a complex mix of emotions. If only they had held back a little back then, this overwhelming wealth and fortune would have likely fallen into their laps. Alas, such was destiny!

Faced with such massive benefits, the enthusiasm of those who hadn’t clashed with Li Ye soared to unprecedented heights. They surrounded him like Stars Surrounding the Moon.

"Lord Li, do we still have a chance?"

"Lord Li, tell us more about higher civilizations! Is a Level 4 Civilization even more powerful than an Immortal?"

"Can everyone in the Galactic Federation use Spiritual Power?"

"Can Spiritual Power be cultivated?"

He scoffed inwardly, "Heh. What a bunch of idiots. I haven’t lost myself to the Demon Qi, yet you lot have probably already lost your minds."

Sweeping his gaze over the frenzied crowd, a hint of mockery flashed through Li Ye’s eyes. He pressed his hands down, signaling for everyone to quiet down. Gradually, silence fell over the cave as everyone looked at him with eager anticipation, waiting for him to speak.

Fan Jie and the others stood in silent guard by Li Ye’s side. After being modified by the Demon Qi, they had already become his loyal supporters. They would absolutely not allow any accidents to befall their golden ticket.

"Everyone," Li Ye said loudly, glancing around the room. "First of all, you have misunderstood something. I am not an Immortal, but a Star Thief from a higher civilization. To be precise, I’m not even a good person. In the Galactic Federation, I’ve committed every crime imaginable—murder, arson, you name it. I’ve even destroyed several lower-tier civilizations. On the Galactic Federation’s wanted list, I rank sixth. So, don’t expect me to be some benevolent savior who will deliver all living beings from suffering.

"And you guys shouldn’t get too happy yet, either. The Spiritual Power in your bodies wasn’t cultivated by yourselves; it was given by me. Just as I gave this Spiritual Power to you, I can take it back. With so many people here, I can find replacements for you at any given moment." As he spoke, his gaze landed on Fan Jie and his group.

As soon as he finished speaking, Fan Jie and the others stiffened. Having experienced the benefits of the Demon Qi, none of them wanted to lose it. Meanwhile, a glimmer of pleasant surprise flashed in the eyes of the others, as if they had just spotted a golden opportunity.

"Lord Li, that won’t happen! We swore an oath to follow you," Fan Jie hastily declared his loyalty.

"Me too! If I betray Lord Li, may heaven strike me with lightning!" Yu Fei said.

"If anyone dares to betray Lord Li, I, Old Liu, will be the first to teach them a lesson!" Liu Guangsheng said through gritted teeth.

Li Ye raised his hand again to stop the crowd from speaking and continued, "Why did I become a Star Thief? It’s because I love having fun in this life. I love seeking thrills, and all I seek is to do whatever I please.

"Although I arrived on your planet by accident, I can tell you clearly that I am here to throw my weight around. Whether the people on this planet live or die, I don’t care in the slightest.

"If you are willing to follow me and run errands for your Lord Li, I won’t treat you poorly. We’ll split gold and silver by the scale, enjoy the best resources, and play with the most beautiful women. Serve me well, and when my injuries heal in the future, I wouldn’t mind taking you out to see the universe.

"If anyone can’t stand the sight of me and isn’t willing to follow a notorious Star Thief like myself, you are entirely free to leave right now."

As soon as these words were spoken, a few people stirred, tempted to take him up on the offer.

Li Ye took in everyone’s expressions before abruptly changing his tone. "But if I let you walk out of this cave alive, then I lose," he sneered. "I personally don’t like it when people oppose my opinions, especially a bunch of ants."

The guys who had wanted to leave just a moment ago felt their hearts palpitate wildly, nearly choking on their own breath. One by one, they stared at Li Ye with deep resentment. They grumbled inwardly, complaining about how he deliberately paused to mess with them! Yet, no one dared to move a muscle.

Good people were bound by morality and the law, making them relatively easy to deal with. But when encountering an unreasonable villain with overwhelming Martial Force, ordinary people were truly powerless against him.

"Lord Li, you’re even more incredible than an Immortal. Someone would have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to go against you!" Liu Guangsheng looked at the people in the cave and announced loudly, "I’ll make the decision for everyone here. From now on, we follow Lord Li! Does anyone have an objection?"

"No objections!" the people who had wanted to follow Li Ye from the start shouted loudly.

"No objections," echoed the people who resented Li Ye or had been injured by him, forcing themselves to agree against their will.

Li Ye smiled. "The rest of you shouldn’t feel dissatisfied, either. Your Lord Li is heavily injured right now, and the Spiritual Power I have left is limited, so I can’t look after you for the time being. But there will come a day when my strength recovers. Work diligently for me, and sooner or later, you will also receive the Spiritual Power bestowed by Lord Li.

"Those who are injured don’t need to hate me, either. There was no hatred or enmity between us to begin with. Serve Lord Li well, and when I bestow Spiritual Power upon you in the future, any kind of injury can be completely healed."

At this, everyone froze in stunned silence.

"Really?" a man who had been hit by a Groin Kick asked with a trembling voice.

"Why would I lie to a bunch of ants?" Li Ye glanced at him and said disdainfully. "Both Magical Power and Magic Power can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bare bones. There’s no reason why Spiritual Power, which is a level higher than them, can’t do the same."

"If you can heal my injuries, Lord Li, then you will be the Rebirth parents of Qian Yunfei! I am willing to lay down my life for Lord Li!" The man struggled to kneel on the ground, enduring the excruciating pain as he kowtowed heavily to Li Ye.

"I, Hu, am willing to follow Lord Li."

"I, Wang, am willing to follow Lord Li."

A scattered chorus of pledges echoed through the cave.

History told of wars lost simply because a chariot driver was denied a bowl of mutton soup. If such a minor slight could cause a downfall, how much more dangerous were men he had personally injured or rendered sterile? Li Ye cautiously worked to eliminate any potential hidden dangers. Whether they believed him or not didn’t matter; the priority was to stabilize them first.

Establishing a persona, drawing massive empty promises, dangling carrots on a stick... Li Ye took it to the absolute extreme of what he could achieve.

"That’s right. Although Lord Li commits all kinds of evil, I never mistreat my own people," Li Ye laughed heartily. "Since everyone intends to follow Lord Li, you must abide by my rules. We must pull our minds and efforts in the same direction. Lord Li’s word is an imperial decree. If anyone dares to feign compliance while acting in opposition, don’t blame me for showing no mercy."

"Yes, sir!" Fan Jie and the others took the lead in responding.

"The orthodox factions have the Celestial Dao Alliance, and the unorthodox factions have the Red Flame Sect. We need to establish a name for ourselves as well. In the future, once we make a name for ourselves, others will give us a wide berth just at the sound of our name," Li Ye smiled as he looked at the crowd, whose emotions he had fully roused.

"Lord Li is absolutely right," Liu Guangsheng stepped forward and said flatteringly. "We ask Lord Li to bestow a name upon us."

Li Ye smiled, looking around at the crowd. "I am playful by nature and love to seek out fun. Why don’t we call our team the Fun People Club? What does everyone think?"

Fun People Club? What kind of absurd name was that?

The crowd inwardly criticized the name, yet no one dared to voice any opposition. After all, Li Ye had explicitly stated that he disliked it when people opposed his opinions. No one was foolish enough to touch his nerve at a time like this.

"Good, what a good name!" Liu Guangsheng stroked his beard, shaking his head rhythmically as if savoring a profound poem. "The Fun People Club. This name seems humorous on the surface, but secretly, it implies finding joy in making fools of everyone in the world. To achieve such a feat requires heaven-shaking wisdom and capability. Pondering over it carefully, it is truly incredibly majestic. A brilliant name!"

"Old Liu, your comprehension skills are truly not bad. You saw through the profound meaning behind this name at a single glance. From this moment on, you shall serve as the Chief Protector of my Fun People Club, holding the power to dispense rewards and punishments." Li Ye glanced at Liu Guangsheng, the latecomer who had managed to outshine the rest, and unstintingly tossed him a sweet reward.

The club’s name was actually a test of compliance.

With the team newly established, what Li Ye needed were people precisely like Liu Guangsheng—someone who would praise even a terrible name to the high heavens. This way, no matter what he did, having this guy take the lead would make accomplishing his goals much easier.

Li Ye’s monster was a soccer club’s Team Emblem, meaning he would inevitably have to deal with soccer. In the Martial World, such behavior would be considered incredibly bizarre.

There would be no shortage of similar compliance tests in the future. Once everyone could reap benefits from these tests, grew accustomed to his eccentric behavior, and treated his words as absolute law, the team would truly be forged.

Li Ye intended to manage this group of people the same way one would manage a corporation.

Sure enough, seeing Liu Guangsheng promoted so easily, a look of sheer chagrin washed over the faces of Fan Jie and the others. They only hated that they weren’t the ones who had seized the opportunity to lick his boots.

Meanwhile, many others looked thoughtful, already beginning to consider the correct way to get along with Li Ye.