Chapter 142: The Four Wolves of the Jie Sect

“Shen Gongbao, when you go to Xiqi this time, you must humble the arrogance of the Ji Zhou clan. And listen—my two senior brothers have been making quite a stir lately. You must win some honor for our Jie Sect as well.”

“What? I’m going alone?” Chen Fan still had no idea who he was supposed to be. He pointed at the tip of his nose, lamenting that, through one careless twist of fate, he had once again become the great villain.

“Of course not. I have assigned you three assistants. Your mission will be extremely difficult, so be cautious in all things.”

The Lord of Heaven’s Unfettered Path pointed lightly with one finger. A cloud of mist rose from the open ground beside them, and three figures in the appearance of fellow immortals materialized out of thin air.

Chen Fan was not familiar with the Investiture of the Gods and could not recognize the names of these fellow immortals, but he still bowed and accepted the order.

“Your disciples understand.”

“Remember: stand together against the outside world, survive until the end, and never show mercy.”

With those final words, the Lord of Heaven’s Unfettered Path subtly revealed Chen Fan’s identity. In this Guard setup, he had drawn a wolf.

The four of them left the Jade Void Palace. Since the arena was still some distance away, they began chatting as they walked. Chen Fan was the first to ask, “What are your religious titles?”

“Zhao Gongming. As I recall, my name has something to do with bringing wealth—not that I’m a lucky cat.” One man flicked his sleeve.

Another said helplessly, “Winged Immortal. I seem to be some kind of giant eagle…”

“I’ve got it worse. I’m a fish—Black Cloud Immortal, a fat, whiskered fish at that.”

“You’re lucky, Shen Gongbao. Of the four of us, you’re the most famous,” Zhao Gongming teased.

Chen Fan waved him off. “The bird that sticks its head out gets shot. I’m not going to make a reckless claim later. I don’t have the presence for it.”

“Then I’ll do it. Thirty years of experience making bold claims—watch me leap out as a steady, commanding seer.” Zhao Gongming confidently accepted the heavy responsibility.

Surrounded by curling mist, the four of them strolled into the realm of immortals. As they passed through the mortal dust, their cultivation robes vanished, replaced by identical plain garments.

On the Muye battlefield, the armies of Shang and Zhou were still on the march. The immortals sent by the Human, Chan, and Jie Sects had already arrived ahead of them and were busy erecting altars and arranging formations, beginning their magical contest in advance.

“Before the contest begins, we will first elect someone to preside over the Investiture of the Gods ceremony. The Celestial Emperor is pressing us for an answer, so you have one night to consider it. The competition will officially begin tomorrow.”

Nuwa, one of the Three Sovereigns, floated high above the clouds, visible yet unreachable. After briefly explaining the rules of the contest, she instructed the immortals to disperse and make their preparations.

“I was worried people would identify us immediately because of our clothes. Looks like I was overthinking it.”

Chen Fan glanced at the clothing worn by those around him. All twelve were dressed more or less alike. The only thing that distinguished their identities was their sect: Chen Fan’s Jie Sect was the wolf team, Yuanshi Tianzun’s Chan Sect was the seer faction, and Taishang Laojun’s Human Sect consisted of ordinary villagers.

The only other distinguishing feature was the number badge. There were not even religious titles, so guessing identities from those was impossible as well.

Night descended, and the four disciples of the Jie Sect gathered at the designated cultivation altar.

“What numbers did you draw?” Zhao Gongming revealed his number three badge.

“I’m number six. They’re eight and ten.”

Chen Fan answered for everyone in one breath. The game was thoughtfully designed: before entering the room, players could choose their own seat numbers. If no one else contested the choice, the number became theirs by default. Every time, Chen Fan happily jabbed at the number six button.

Zhao Gongming asked again, “The speaking order this time seems slightly different from the Fool setup. Were you paying attention just now?”

“Yes. In the previous round, we spoke clockwise from the sheriff’s left and right. This time, we speak clockwise from the dead player’s left and right. The sheriff also speaks in regular order, so the badge’s function has been weakened.” Black Cloud Immortal sounded certain.

“I see. Let me think.” Zhao Gongming’s mind spun rapidly as he considered several tactics. Then he confirmed once more, “You two are numbers eight and ten, right?”

“That’s right. Don’t tell me you’re planning to use the sandwich-blade position…” Black Cloud Immortal had already more or less guessed what he intended.

Under the rule of speaking from the dead player’s left and right, if they killed the surviving player sandwiched between the wolves, then no matter which direction the speaking order began from, one wolf would always end up speaking last and be able to swing the vote.

Zhao Gongming hesitated for a moment, his confidence faltering. “Is there a problem? The key is the first night’s investigation result. I haven’t decided on that yet.”

“Investigate number two as a wolf,” Winged Immortal suggested. “I know him. He’s a classmate of mine, and his speeches are terrible. Even if he draws a special role, he can never stand his ground.”

“Fine. That works from a positional perspective too. Then we’ll kill number nine and investigate number two as a wolf.” Together, they settled on their daytime strategy.

“The player speaking last needs to put up a strong fight. If the situation can’t be turned around, don’t force it. When the time comes to sell someone out, do it decisively.” Zhao Gongming gave them a pointed reminder, then sighed. “The Guard setup is a little difficult. We can’t afford to play too aggressively.”

“No problem. I specialize in emotional appeals,” Winged Immortal readily agreed.

Black Cloud Immortal burst out laughing. “Ha! I’m here to muddy the waters. I guarantee I can keep them looking in the wrong direction.”

“Wait—then what am I supposed to do?” Chen Fan finally found an opening to speak. The other three had clear assignments, while his own remained undecided.

“Stay flexible,” Zhao Gongming said. “Counterattack, go deep, play as a hidden wolf—anything works. Just keep an eye on the situation.”

“Oh…”

That was as good as saying nothing. Chen Fan felt like the team’s unstable factor. He had coasted through the previous round; this time, he would try to carry the game.

“All right, the assignments are settled. Good luck, everyone. Hopefully we can make it to the next round,” Zhao Gongming encouraged them.

Though the Investiture of the Gods ceremony was an event of immense importance, being placed on the celestial register was hardly a desirable fate. None of the immortals from the three sects were eager to volunteer. Their only way out was to eliminate the opposition.

They had all been free-spirited immortals who had attained the Dao. Once placed on the register, however, they would be sent to Heaven to serve as minor officials. Who would want that? It was like nearly becoming a multimillionaire through business, only to be forcibly ordered to become a civil servant earning a fixed salary of three thousand a month—with no hope of promotion. Any normal person would resist.

And Shen Gongbao’s famous words, “Fellow Daoist, please stay your step,” sent countless wandering cultivators onto the road to ascension and godhood. In the end, even Shen Gongbao himself received a divine appointment.

The Jie Sect had originally been the most powerful of the three, with disciples in great abundance. Unfortunately, its followers were divided, while the Human and Chan Sects joined forces to suppress it. Yuanshi Tianzun and Taishang Laojun had even personally intervened, bullying the younger generation with their seniority. Now, the Jie Sect had become the most passive of them all.

“This isn’t some war between gods and demons, nor is it the cycle of heavenly fate. It’s a bloody struggle between sects.”

Chen Fan did not understand theology or the mysteries of the Dao, but he had studied the humanities. He knew at least a little about the undercurrents that flowed beneath conflicts fought without blades.

“Very well. I hereby announce that the contest has officially begun. Any fellow Daoist who wishes to preside over the Investiture of the Gods ceremony, please raise your hand.”

Chen Fan thought for a moment. He ought to do something to help shoulder the pressure from his teammates. So he raised his hand and signed up for the sheriff election.

“Damn, so many people are running for sheriff…”

Chen Fan’s gaze swept around the room. Apart from numbers four and eight, all ten of the others had entered the election.

The Muye contest. The struggle among the three sects…