I Can Copy the Talents of All Creatures

Di Yunliang finished his explanation and went to open the cigarette case.

What lay ahead was a fight to the death, and survival was far from certain. That meant enjoying life’s pleasures while one still could, which was precisely why this whole bunch was so insane. Besides his pursuit of power, Di Yunliang had no perverted hobbies—with the sole exception of the Black Emperor. If he couldn’t smoke this cigarette, he wouldn’t be able to die in peace.

Just then, Cheng YuanYu grabbed his arm and said earnestly, "Mr. Liang, give it to me straight. How do I survive this?"

Di Yunliang paused, his hand on the cigarette case, and glanced over. "You want to live? There’s a trick to it. When the time comes, be smart. Don’t charge too far ahead, or you’ll just be cannon fodder."

"But don’t hang too far back, either, or Rose might make an example of you and kill you on the spot. When you charge, don’t go leaping ten feet at a time. Take small, quick steps, and shout your lungs out, got it?"

"And the most crucial point: if things look bad, turn and run. Don’t hesitate."

After dispensing this life philosophy, Di Yunliang felt quite pleased with himself. This was wisdom earned through a lifetime of struggle. If Cheng YuanYu hadn’t been smart enough to return the Black Emperor, he wouldn’t have said nearly as much.

Cheng YuanYu looked thoughtful after hearing this advice. He stood up, bowed slightly to Di Yunliang, and said, "I have been enlightened. Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Liang."

With that, he turned and left, seeming to be in a hurry.

Watching his retreating figure, Di Yunliang sighed to himself. ’He was my subordinate for a long time, after all. If I get the chance, I might as well give him a hand.’

He then opened the cigarette case, closed his eyes, and brought it to his nose for a sniff.

"My precious, I’m here... Huh? Why is the smell so faint?"

Di Yunliang opened his eyes. Inside the case, the sky-blue velvet lining was noble and elegant, with a row of exquisite, silver-white clasps.

"Empty?..."

His eyes widened. He looked again, carefully, even tearing out the lining. There was nothing.

He was certain that even with his eyes closed, no one could have stolen anything from right under his nose. Not even Rose.

"So..."

Di Yunliang shot to his feet. He looked out over the square, where a demonic horde was in a frenzy, but he couldn’t see Cheng YuanYu anywhere.

His face contorted with rage as he roared, "Cheng YuanYu, you son of a bitch, get your ass out here!"

The chaotic, unrestrained noise on the square stopped for a moment. Then, someone shouted in displeasure, "You scared the shit out of me! What are you screaming about, you old dog? If you delay the refining of the Life Soul Blood, I’ll shove you into the Array myself!"

Di Yunliang glared furiously at the one who spoke. "Piss off!"

The man flinched and didn’t dare say another word.

As a veteran Inner Qi Realm expert in the cult, Di Yunliang was different from the fakes whose realms had been forcibly boosted. His strength was quite remarkable among the congregation of heretics. Aside from Rose, his words carried considerable weight.

Seeing no one else wanted to cause trouble, Di Yunliang quickly left. He was going to find that old dog who had repeatedly toyed with his emotions, beat the shit out of him, and make him eat it on his knees.

’No one can talk me out of it, not even Rose. I mean what I say. Dammit, there isn’t a single decent person in this whole damn cult.’

A serious Di Yunliang was a force to be reckoned with. In less than half an hour, he had dragged Cheng YuanYu out of a cellar.

"You son of a bitch, what are you running for?"

Cheng YuanYu was trembling. He hadn’t expected the old dog’s nose to be so sharp.

"Mr. Liang, I wasn’t running. I was just a little tired, and it was noisy over there. It’s quiet here..."

Rage surged in Di Yunliang’s heart. He kicked out, sending Cheng YuanYu flying. The kick was clearly infused with Inner Qi; Cheng YuanYu coughed up a mouthful of blood in mid-air.

"You spin me one more bullshit story, do you think I’m a fucking idiot? Where’s the Black Emperor? Try any more tricks and I’ll beat the shit out of you..."

Cheng YuanYu’s face was a mask of misery.

"Mr. Liang, you know me, I’m a chain-smoker! I smoked it the day after I got it. How could an old addict like me possibly have held out until now? Mr. Liang, please forgive me!"

Di Yunliang’s face was ashen.

"You fucking dare to mess with me? Die!"

Cheng YuanYu turned and ran toward the square. It seemed Di Yunliang was truly furious this time. There were more people over there; maybe he could lose him in the crowd.

"Run? You think those little stumps can get you anywhere?"

Di Yunliang sneered, rapidly closing in on Cheng YuanYu. He launched a flying kick, sending him soaring like a soccer ball.

By the time Cheng YuanYu managed to flee to the square, his face was bruised and swollen like a pig’s head.

His "distinguished" appearance made the mob of monsters and fiends pause for a moment. Some even stood up, intending to see if they were under attack. But when they saw Di Yunliang strolling unhurriedly behind him, and recalling how he had stormed off in a rage just moments before, they all understood what had happened and burst into wild, unrestrained laughter.

When Cheng YuanYu could run no more, Di Yunliang pinned him to the ground with his foot and sneered, "Old dog, you’re quite the player, aren’t you? Had fun messing with me?"

Cheng YuanYu was starting to regret provoking this guy. But thinking of his own plans, he gritted his teeth, swallowed his pride, and shamelessly begged, "Mr. Liang, you’re a magnanimous man. Please, spare me."

"Spare you? Alright..."

Di Yunliang’s face twisted into a savage grin. "How about this? You perform ’a dog eating shit’ for us, and I’ll let you go. How’s that sound?"

The onlookers, who loved nothing more than a good show, started hooting and egging him on.

Looking at the silent old dog beneath his foot, Di Yunliang couldn’t contain his fury. Tricked again and again... if he didn’t teach him a lesson, the man would think he could walk all over him.

"Not talking, huh? Alright, you son of a bitch, take this..."

The Illuminati was a bona fide evil cult. A normal person who stayed inside too long would gradually be driven mad by the influence of the Sacrificial Array, their personality turning darker. To say nothing of this pack of lawless, frenzied beasts.

Not a single person stepped forward to stop it. They were all excitedly watching the spectacle of the beating. Some even began to imitate it, deliberately starting fights to beat each other for pleasure.

Before long, the entire square descended into chaos.

At some point, a gaunt old man in black robes with sinister eyes appeared in the sky above the square.

"AHEM, AHEM..."

The old man’s cough wasn’t loud, yet it echoed clearly in every cultist’s ears.

Everyone looked up in unison and, seeing the figure of Dust Sacrifice in the air, involuntarily stopped their violent acts.

"Gyeheheh... everyone is as energetic as ever..."

As he spoke, he looked toward Di Yunliang, his gaze calm but utterly devoid of warmth.

"Ah, Di, you’re still so spirited. I remember when you were just a young brat. In the blink of an eye, you’ve gotten so big. Not bad, not bad at all. Full of vigor!"

"In that case, you shall lead everyone in the charge on the county town. Rose will cover the rear, heh heh..."

The moment his voice fell, Rose, dressed in a red gown, suddenly appeared on a treetop, swaying with the wind.

One of the cultists started it—no one knew who—and with a great RUSTLE, they all fell to their knees.

The moment Di Yunliang saw the red dress, he subconsciously dropped to his knees. His expression was grim. ’Lead the charge on the county town? More like lead the charge to my death.’ But... he didn’t dare resist.

Cheng YuanYu, who was lying on the ground covered in dirt, also rolled over and prostrated himself.

Dust Sacrifice’s laughter stopped abruptly. For a moment, he questioned his own existence. He knew Rose had her quirks, but in a great cult like this, who didn’t? It would be weirder to find a normal person here.

But now...

’Isn’t this a little... odd?’

"Everyone, rise. Within the cult, we are all brothers and sisters. We don’t stand on such empty ceremonies..."

Dust Sacrifice raised his right hand slightly, but the crowd only stared at him pleadingly, not daring to stand.

’Don’t stand in front of Rose unless you have to.’ This had become an unspoken consensus among them, and her authority had been built over a long, long time.

"Ahem, ahem... Rose... would you mind stepping aside for a moment?"

He was getting a little angry. ’Such a fine cult, and she has to fill it with this nonsense...’