Volume One, Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Art of Gentle Persuasion

Chapter 58: The Art of Gentle Persuasion

Standing atop his father’s chair, Tu Zhe swept his arm grandly, and a mountain-like pile of dual-colored lower-grade Saint Brahma Crystals appeared on the floor.

With utmost seriousness, Tu Zhe declared, “Brothers of the Yaksha, here are ten thousand lower-grade Saint Brahma Crystals for your daily cultivation.”

The Yaksha were nearly stunned into stupefaction.

These are for our daily cultivation? A single lower-grade Saint Brahma Crystal contains the power of a small world, and here are ten thousand?

Are my eyes deceiving me?

After rubbing their eyes and confirming they weren’t dreaming, the Yaksha erupted in thunderous cheers and tears of joy.

Tu Zhe continued, “I have three requests. First, you must swear allegiance to my father and uncle. Second, you must immediately sever ties with the Yaksha Nation and become the private armed force of my family. Third, you must relentlessly and rapidly improve your strength.”

Without hesitation, a forest of Yaksha arms shot up as they shouted, “Swear loyalty to the death! Sever ties to the death! Advance to the death! Defend to the death!”

How could any Yaksha refuse to pledge their lives to such a master—no, such a brother?

Tu Zhe tossed a small Sumeru ring to Head Sudra. “Chief, take these Brahma Crystals. Use them as you see fit.”

With a loud affirmation, Sudra swept the crystals into the ring.

Tu Zhe waved his hand again, and a slightly smaller pile of crystals appeared, radiating a tri-colored sacred light, with Brahmic energy swirling like clouds.

“These are five thousand middle-grade Saint Brahma Crystals, to elevate the cultivation of all Yaksha brothers.” Another ring flew out. “Chief, keep these as well and distribute them according to each brother’s needs.”

Sudra did as instructed.

The Yaksha responded with another round of death-defying vows.

At last, Tu Zhe produced a thousand four-colored upper-grade Saint Brahma Crystals, entrusting them to Sudra once more.

“With these thousand upper-grade Saint Brahma Crystals, I reward the Yaksha brothers who render major service to my family. Chief, can you ensure fairness, justice, and transparency?”

Sudra thumped his chest and shouted, “Should I harbor any treachery, may the heavens strike me down!”

The Yaksha echoed, “Should we harbor any treachery, may the heavens strike us down—”

Tu Zhe nodded in satisfaction and was about to speak when a sigh was heard. Someone stepped forward to face him, bowing respectfully but not kneeling.

Everyone looked and saw that it was the Captain of Security from the Golden Sacrifice Little Heavenly Palace.

Removing his helmet, the captain spoke, “Yaksha Ranya Gala has something to report to the prince. As an undercover agent, I have heard the prince’s words three times and yet failed to heed them. I beg the prince to grant me death!”

He looked calmly at Tu Zhe, prepared to die and utterly unafraid, his demeanor serene and untroubled.

The Yaksha were in an uproar.

There’s still one more? And a leader, at that?

Tu Zhe and Ranya Gala locked eyes for a moment. Without expression, Tu Zhe asked, “Why only confess now?”

“Because, though Ranya Gala is greedy, I am not accustomed to betrayal.”

“Does that mean you have betrayed now?”

Ranya Gala gave a bitter smile. “I’m not sure. It’s just—never before have I met a master who genuinely treats the Yaksha as brothers. I was moved, that’s all…”

Tu Zhe sneered, “And what is your relationship with the one who hired you as a spy? Master and servant? Or employer and employee?”

“Of course, the latter.”

“So you could refuse employment, then?”

“Well… of course…”

“Do you wish to refuse?”

“Is that what the prince means…?”

“Refuse his employment, and become my brother. Are you willing?”

Ranya Gala looked up abruptly. “Prince, you will not kill me?”

Tu Zhe strode forward and punched Ranya Gala on the shoulder. “Damn it, since when does Tu Zhe kill his brothers?”

Tears streamed down Ranya Gala’s face, and he could only sob, unable to speak.

The Yaksha finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

This young prince always acts unpredictably. Can our hearts withstand this?

Tu Zhe then appointed Sudra as Chief Commander of the household guards, with Ranya Gala as Deputy. The Yaksha were divided into teams and assigned roles under Sudra’s unified command.

The Jin brothers watched all this, deeply gratified. With such wisdom and strategy, is this Little Heavenly Palace or even Sumeru Mountain grand enough to hold this young one?

Gougou’s eyes sparkled with adoration as she shrieked and tugged excitedly, her idolization of her rogue brother beyond compare. The three demonesses gazed at Tu Zhe with complicated expressions, as if they had forgotten their own seductive natures.

Only Qin Lei stood quietly to the side, lost in thought.

After the Yaksha scattered to their tasks, Tu Zhe turned to his adoptive father and uncle, sighing softly.

At last, it was time to leave.

The Jin brothers were speechless before this newly reborn Tu Zhe.

This was no newborn prince, but a spirit of ancient cunning. His intellect and daring far exceeded what the two brothers could grasp.

Tu Zhe’s arrangements were meticulous, but it was clear his departure was imminent—and that he would be gone for a long time. The brothers felt a pang of melancholy.

Yet, sorrow is sorrow; they could not hold him back. What left them most regretful and ashamed was that in the mere ten days since this child’s birth, he had already braved storm and stress, running back and forth between Yama Heaven, while as his father and uncle, they hadn’t even prepared diapers for him—though, to be fair, Tu Zhe had no need for them.

Thus, alongside their affection, they felt an unfamiliar distance from Tu Zhe. They dared not show too much warmth, let alone anything else.

At this moment, Tu Zhe smiled at them, his eyes sincere yet tinged with a trace of distance. They understood that his only sense of kinship with them came from being born on Jin Mu’s knee. Aside from that, emotionally and intellectually, there was little connection.

Tu Zhe simply asked, “Do you have any instructions for me? I intend to visit the Three Enclosures, and must see Grandfather.”

At the mention of Tu Zhe’s grandfather, the Jin brothers were moved to tears. So many years had passed since they’d seen their father. They didn’t even know if he was lonely atop Mount Pinggai.

Jin Mu then explained what Tu Zhe ought to know.

The truth was, the Jin brothers’ surname was not originally Jin. Their father was the Second Jin Dog Star among the Three Stars of Lou, one of the twenty-eight stellar deities—a minor god at best. His real surname was Zhu, and his name Yuanlai. He managed the livestock used in the North Polar Three Enclosures’ sacrifices—in short, a herdsman and swineherd.

Tu Zhe almost burst out laughing. So, his grandfather herded pigs, and in his previous life, he slaughtered them—a fated connection with livestock, it seemed.

As for why they used the surname Jin instead of Zhu, Jin Mu explained it was simply for convenience. They were embarrassed about their humble origins, just as a man with a bald patch dreads people mentioning his gleaming scalp—a severe sense of inferiority. Still, they hadn’t forgotten their roots; knowing themselves to be sons of the Jin Dog Star, they took the surname Jin as a reminder of their heritage.

Jin Mu instructed Tu Zhe that, should he visit the North Pole, he must see his grandfather and bring greetings of good fortune. He was not to mention any past grievances, lest the old man grow sorrowful.

Tu Zhe took note of all this.

When Jin Mu finished his rambling instructions, Tu Zhe produced two eight-colored divine Brahma Crystals. “Father, uncle, once I am gone, I know not how many years will pass before I return—at least seven or eight, if not ten. During my absence, try not to meddle in outside affairs; focus on your cultivation. Strive to break through to the peak of the Great Saint or even the Emperor’s realm. Only by strengthening yourselves can you avoid being targeted. Falling behind means getting hurt, and if you’re hurt because you’re weak, there’s no one to blame but yourselves. Remember this well.”

The Jin brothers promised solemnly.

At last, Tu Zhe turned to Xiao Leilei and asked with a smile, “Brother, what are your plans?”

Leilei replied in his terse, decisive manner, “Wherever you go, big brother, I’ll follow!”

So… everyone is leaving?