The examiner ordered everyone to stand still, whether you were Chi Xu Long or Guo Jiang Long, you had to obey.
If you angered the examiner, did you still want to join the Demon Sect?
Don’t be fooled by how well they seem to be doing outside; no matter how well you do, can you compare to the strength of the Demon Sect?
The Demon Sect has a leader with unfathomable skills and many powerful members. What do they have? Only themselves, with the strongest among them being at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
The three examiners looked unfamiliar; no one in the crowd had seen them before. But that made sense, as the Demon Sect is more mysterious than rogue cultivators and rarely shows itself. It’s normal that no one had seen them.
Even though the announcement came an hour early, no one questioned it.
This was likely one of the Demon Sect's tests. Arriving early showed commitment to the sect, while those who arrived just on time didn’t deserve to join.
Lu Yang sat back with his legs crossed, took out a pen and paper, and pointed at the first person, asking, “Tell me, why do you want to join the Demon Sect? What can you bring to us? What are your plans for yourself? What do you expect from the sect?”
“Uh?” The first person was stunned. He was caught off guard by the barrage of questions. Was this really the entrance exam for the Demon Sect?
Shouldn’t they be asking about cultivation levels, skills, or past misdeeds?
Seeing the first person struggling to respond, Lu Yang waved his hand impatiently. “What are you stuttering for? If you can’t handle our questions now, what will you do when the authorities catch you later? You’ll spill all the sect’s secrets!”
“You’re eliminated. Go back.”
The second person was the leader of a small gang. He had spent time in prison multiple times and had found his gang and wife taken over by his subordinates after each release. He had fought to reclaim both several times and had a wealth of experience.
“My name is Niu Mang, leader of the Qinglong Gang. I want to join the Demon Sect for better opportunities. I see many similarities between the philosophy of the Demon Path and our sect, and I believe we will get along well. After joining, I will work hard to commit crimes and help the Demon Sect grow and shine again!”
“My plan is simple: I will do whatever the Demon Sect needs, no complaints. After all, if the sect becomes strong, I become strong!”
“The Demon Sect has given me a place to stand; how can I ask for resources? I should be offering tribute to the sect!”
As Niu Mang spoke passionately, he raised his fists, vowing to overcome difficulties and embrace a bright future.
He was quite skilled in his speech, as this was how he had trained his gang.
“You’re eliminated. Go back.”
“Why?” Niu Mang was indignant; he thought he had answered perfectly.
Lu Yang scolded him sharply, feeling that Niu Mang was not fit to be part of the Demon Path: “What is the Demon Path? It’s about selfishness. How can someone like you, who only wants to serve the Demon Sect without seeking anything in return, be a practitioner of the Demon Path? As a member of the Demon Sect, you should be thinking about how to seize power and rebel. If there’s no infighting, how can it be called the Demon Sect?”
“And didn’t you say you would do whatever the sect needed? Now the sect needs to eliminate you. Get lost!”
Niu Mang left dejectedly. The people behind him were amazed, realizing this was the true philosophy of the Demon Sect. The examiners really understood the Demon Path deeply.
“Next!” Meng Jingzhou called out.
“My name is Chi Xu Long, and I’m at the Foundation Establishment stage.” Chi Xu Long emphasized his cultivation level, hoping to catch the examiner's attention.
“Speak. What bad things have you done?”
When asked this, Chi Xu Long had plenty to say: “I was taken by wolves as a child and raised by them. When I was ten, I killed the wolf that raised me with a bone knife and came down from the mountain. In the mountains, I took whatever I wanted. I continued that habit in the city, stealing whatever I needed, which led to me being chased by the constables. I would rob and run, and no one could catch me. I even took hostages while robbing and killed a few who got in my way.”
Chi Xu Long spoke proudly, thinking that with such a track record, he should surely qualify for the Demon Sect.
Meng Jingzhou shook his head: “The righteous path is strong now; we in the Demon Path must act low-key. Your style is too flamboyant; you’ll eventually get caught. Look around; how many people know you? Now look at us three—who knows us? That’s the difference!”
“This isn’t hiding; it’s planned stealth. It’s the wisdom of great concealment in plain sight!”
Man Gu looked curiously at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, wondering how they seemed so familiar with the Demon Path.
Chi Xu Long was inspired by this and realized he had underestimated the Demon Path, so he left voluntarily.
“I am Shen Jinyi.” The scholarly Shen Jinyi introduced himself with a smile. After watching the previous exchanges, he felt he understood the examiners’ approach.
Man Gu, seeing the scholar’s attire, felt pleased and asked a question that had puzzled him, one that even Elder Si couldn’t answer: “Since ‘niang’ and ‘ma’ mean the same thing, can I call ‘girl’ ‘aunt’?”
Shen Jinyi was stunned for a long time, unsure how to respond based on his forty years of life experience.
He had thought the examiner on his left, who seemed ordinary and had said nothing, would be easy to deal with, but he was hit with a tough question right away.
Instead of directly saying he didn’t know, Shen Jinyi replied, “I’m a killer, not a scholar.”
“A killer? Have you studied criminal law?” Lu Yang asked with interest.
“A little,” Shen Jinyi modestly replied, though in reality, he had studied it thoroughly to avoid getting caught as a killer.
“Then let me ask you: the definition of intentional homicide in criminal law is ‘deliberately taking a life, constituting this crime.’ Does suicide count as intentional homicide?”
Shen Jinyi was hit with another tough question.
Seeing Shen Jinyi unable to answer, Lu Yang waved his hand in disappointment. “If you can’t answer questions in your area of expertise, go back.”
In just five minutes, Shen Jinyi faced the biggest setback of his life.
Was this a question that a normal person could ask?
“Is it only those with unconventional thinking who can join the Demon Sect?”
…
This entrance exam was crucial, so the sect leader wanted to oversee it personally.
The leader arrived half an hour early to prepare.
On the way to the exam site, the leader noticed many fierce-looking people leaving, muttering things like “the interview is really tough,” “it’s hard to join the Demon Sect,” “so this is the true meaning of the Demon Path,” and “I’ll come back in thirty years,” as if they had undergone a transformation and gained new insights.
The leader fell into deep thought.
He hadn’t arrived yet; who was conducting the exam?
Then he saw Lu Yang and the other two, who were confidently commanding the scene.
(The chapter ends here.)