Chapter 91: The Dark Side of the Kunxu Realm

Chapter 91: The Dark Side of the Kunxu Realm (Thanks to Patron Jiabaili Shiye)

Hearing the staggering figure mentioned by the Cloth Doll Deity, Zhang Yu felt his heart skip a beat, greed flickering in his eyes. They desperately needed money now.

In the Kunxu Realm, money meant potential, opportunity, and power. Without it, they couldn’t even repay next month’s loan interest. Poverty left them with no security whatsoever.

The Cloth Doll Deity continued persuasively, “The risks aren’t as great as you think.”

“You perceive danger only because the Corporations have spent years implanting ideas like ‘never oppose the Corporations’ and ‘defying them leads to ruin’ into your mind.”

“The Dark Tutoring World has survived for so long because it has its own logic…”

As the Cloth Doll Deity elaborated, Zhang Yu began grasping the situation better.

The Corporations maintained tight control over the Kunxu Realm’s surface layers, even enlisting the Eight Divine Authorities to monitor activities. But not all territories fell under their absolute grip. Some places possessed forces capable of evading the Eight Divine Authorities’ scrutiny.

“The poorer and more destitute a place is—the less cultivation activity it has—the worse its infrastructure and surveillance become. That’s where Corporation oversight slips.”

“As for the Eight Divine Authorities and the municipal government, even the largest Gangs operate legally, paying taxes and showing religious devotion. They’ve got guardian deities watching over them too.”

Zhang Yu replied dryly, “So paying taxes and praying devoutly gives you the right to break laws?”

“Exactly!” the Cloth Doll Deity retorted. “Why else would major Gangs thrive under the patronage of rival Corporations? Gangs are merely night pots for Corporations to use against each other. The Ten Great Sects monopolize the Kunxu Realm, but their subordinate Corporations still compete fiercely.”

“If you were an ordinary freshman, I’d never suggest this. But with your 10th-level martial arts, hiding in plain sight at illegal tutoring sessions is perfect for you!”

“We’re in this together. If you fall, I’ll suffer too. Why would I deceive you?”

While past rumors about Gangs had reached Zhang Yu, this was his first exposure to such insider details. Though convincing, he still hesitated to fully trust the Ebon Deity. They messaged Zhang Pianpian about the Dark Tutoring World instead.

Zhang Pianpian: “Why the sudden interest?”

Zhang Yu: “A friend mentioned it. I need cash, so I’m exploring options.”

Zhang Pianpian: “Winning martial arts first place gives you leverage. Try this address. Take it or build strength first.”

Moments later, Zhang Pianpian video-called them. As her fingers traced talisman shapes on-screen, a Hiding Talisman materialized through the digital connection, settling over their head.

“This talisman will conceal your identity for 12 hours,” she explained. “To disguise appearance, use your Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi.”

Watching her technique, they asked curiously, “What Faith Level lets you draw talismans remotely through networks?”

“Focus on your task first,” she replied, ending the call.

The address lay nearly 70 kilometers from Songyang City’s center—the distant outskirts. Reflecting on her words, they mused, “Sister knows about the Dark Tutoring World but doubts my readiness?”

They trusted Zhang Pianpian far more than the Cloth Doll Deity. Gazing at the neon-lit night, they decided: the Hiding Talisman provided cover.

“Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi for disguise? Could it mean altering muscle structure?”

As they experimented, the Cloth Doll Deity interrupted, “You’ve got such a powerful woman backing you? Drawing talismans through networks? Her Talisman Cultivation Level’s formidable!”

Ignoring the comment, Zhang Yu focused. At 10th-level cultivation, their mastery over musculature reached perfection. Subtle adjustments transformed their appearance: height shrinking, features softening from handsome to forgettable.

---

Half an hour later, infrastructure deteriorated alarmingly as they neared the location. Buses vanished kilometers back, forcing them to run. Their Physical Strength Level made the sprint effortless, though surroundings decayed rapidly—crumbling buildings, pitch-black alleys, and eerie silence.

“This feels like stepping from a sci-fi metropolis into a derelict county town,” they thought. “Even my rented room feels luxurious compared to here.”

The quiet unnerved them. “Residents here sleep early—ordinary folk without late-night cultivation habits.”

Poverty bred neglect. Corporations avoided investing in such areas, leaving surveillance sparse. Perfect for Gang operations.

As perspiration moistened their shirt, they finally reached the destination.

Grand gates, frequent vehicles, a security booth, and the sign Songyang City Bei Yue High-Tech Service Park—nothing resembled a sinister Gang hideout.

“This is a Gang base for illegal tutoring? Seems too legitimate!”

“They pay taxes and pray devoutly,” the Cloth Doll Deity chuckled. “Of course they’re ‘legitimate.’”

Zhang Yu frowned. They’d never imagined Gangs operating openly.

“Aren’t Gangs supposed to be violent and secretive?”

“Those are disposable lowlifes,” they scoffed. “Real power lies in money and backing. Obsessing over violence gets you killed.”

“This industrial park belongs to the Shadow Study Gang—specializing in illegal tutoring, forbidden martial arts decryption, and piracy. Their patron? Deep Sea Education Group.”

Zhang Yu blinked. “Deep Sea? The original body’s tutoring center belonged to them!”

“They’re an education corporation, yes,” they laughed. “But they outsource dirty work—cracking rival martial arts, conducting experiments, and attacking enemy Gangs—to the Shadow Study Gang.”

Inside the park, polite guards and landscaped gardens gave no hint of Gang activity. Following Zhang Pianpian’s address, they entered a modest building.

Approaching the reception desk, they declared, “I’m here to teach.”

A smiling receptionist directed them to Room 105. Passing other rooms, they overheard a heated argument:

“Two brothers bankrupted and one dismembered by Corporations for selling this martial arts manual—and now you slash prices?!”

“Rules are rules. Level 7 teachings fetch this rate.”

“Rules?! When I solo-destroyed Golden Curriculum Gang’s operations—burning sixteen underground schools alone—where were these ‘rules’? Now I’m aging, you lecture me about rules…”

The room fell silent as footsteps approached.

In Room 105, a scholarly middle-aged man entered, closing the door. “How may I assist you?”

The Cloth Doll Deity’s voice echoed mentally: “Tell him you’ve lessons to sell. Let me negotiate—appear seasoned, not naive.”

Zhang Yu cleared their throat. “I’ve lessons to sell. Inspect the goods first.”

Their body trembled. Milky-white Vitality Qi erupted, swirling into a mist around them—displaying their 10th-level Infinite Cloud Hands.

Hearing the staggering figure mentioned by the Cloth Doll Deity, Zhang Yu felt his heart skip a beat, greed flickering in his eyes. He desperately needed money now.

In the Kunxu Realm, money meant potential, opportunity, and power. Without it, he couldn’t even repay next month’s loan interest. Poverty left him with no security whatsoever.

The Cloth Doll Deity continued persuasively, “The risks aren’t as great as you think.”

“You perceive danger only because the Corporations have spent years implanting ideas like ‘never oppose the Corporations’ and ‘defying them leads to ruin’ into your mind.”

“The Dark Tutoring World has survived for so long because it has its own logic…”

As the Cloth Doll Deity elaborated, Zhang Yu began grasping the situation better.

The Corporations maintained tight control over the Kunxu Realm’s surface layers, even enlisting the Eight Divine Authorities to monitor activities. But not all territories fell under their absolute grip. Some places possessed forces capable of evading the Eight Divine Authorities’ scrutiny.

“The poorer and more destitute a place is—the less cultivation activity it has—the worse its infrastructure and surveillance become. That’s where Corporation oversight slips.”

“As for the Eight Divine Authorities and the municipal government, even the largest Gangs operate legally, paying taxes and showing religious devotion. They’ve got guardian deities watching over them too.”

Zhang Yu replied dryly, “So paying taxes and praying devoutly gives you the right to break laws?”

“Exactly!” the Cloth Doll Deity retorted. “Why else would major Gangs thrive under the patronage of rival Corporations? Gangs are merely night pots for Corporations to use against each other. The Ten Great Sects monopolize the Kunxu Realm, but their subordinate Corporations still compete fiercely.”

“If you were an ordinary freshman, I’d never suggest this. But with your 10th-level martial arts, hiding in plain sight at illegal tutoring sessions is perfect for you!”

“We’re in this together. If you fall, I’ll suffer too. Why would I deceive you?”

While past rumors about Gangs had reached Zhang Yu, this was his first exposure to such insider details. Though convincing, he still hesitated to fully trust the Ebon Deity. He messaged Zhang Pianpian about the Dark Tutoring World instead.

Zhang Pianpian: “Why the sudden interest?”

Zhang Yu: “A friend mentioned it. I need cash, so I’m exploring options.”

Zhang Pianpian: “Winning martial arts first place gives you leverage. Try this address. Take it or build strength first.”

Moments later, Zhang Pianpian video-called him. As her fingers traced glowing talisman-shapes on-screen, a Hiding Talisman materialized through the digital connection, settling over his head like a shimmering veil.

“This talisman will conceal your identity for 12 hours,” she explained. “To disguise appearance, use your Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi.”

Watching her technique, he asked curiously, "What Faith Level lets you draw talismans remotely through networks?"

“Focus on your task first,” she replied, ending the call.

The address lay nearly 70 kilometers from Songyang City’s center—the distant outskirts. Reflecting on her words, he mused, “Sister knows about the Dark Tutoring World but doubts my readiness?”

He trusted Zhang Pianpian far more than the Cloth Doll Deity. Gazing at the neon-lit night, he decided: the Hiding Talisman provided cover.

“Crimson Marrow Primordial Qi for disguise? Could it mean altering muscle structure?”

As he experimented, the Cloth Doll Deity interrupted, “You’ve got such a powerful woman backing you? Drawing talismans through networks? Her Talisman Cultivation Level’s formidable!”

Ignoring the comment, Zhang Yu focused. At 10th-level cultivation, his mastery over musculature reached perfection. Subtle adjustments transformed his appearance: height shrinking, features softening from handsome to forgettable.

---

Half an hour later, infrastructure deteriorated alarmingly as he neared the location. Buses vanished kilometers back, forcing him to run. His Physical Strength Level made the sprint effortless, though surroundings decayed rapidly—crumbling buildings, pitch-black alleys, and eerie silence.

“This feels like stepping from a sci-fi metropolis into a derelict county town,” he thought. “Even my rented room feels luxurious compared to here.”

The quiet unnerved him. “Residents here sleep early—ordinary folk without late-night cultivation habits.”

Poverty bred neglect. Corporations avoided investing in such areas, leaving surveillance sparse. Perfect for Gang operations.

As perspiration moistened his shirt, he finally reached the destination.

Grand gates, frequent vehicles, a security booth, and the sign Songyang City Bei Yue High-Tech Service Park—nothing resembled a sinister Gang hideout.

“This is a Gang base for illegal tutoring? Seems too legitimate!”

“They pay taxes and pray devoutly,” the Cloth Doll Deity chuckled. “Of course they’re ‘legitimate.’”

Zhang Yu frowned. He’d never imagined Gangs operating openly.

“Aren’t Gangs supposed to be violent and secretive?”

“Those are disposable lowlifes,” she scoffed. “Real power lies in money and backing. Obsessing over violence gets you killed.”

“This industrial park belongs to the Shadow Study Gang—specializing in illegal tutoring, forbidden martial arts decryption, and piracy. Their patron? Deep Sea Education Group.”

Zhang Yu blinked. “Deep Sea? The original body’s tutoring center belonged to them!”

“They’re an education corporation, yes,” she laughed. “But they outsource dirty work—cracking rival martial arts, conducting experiments, and attacking enemy Gangs—to the Shadow Study Gang.”

Inside the park, polite guards and landscaped gardens gave no hint of Gang activity. Following Zhang Pianpian’s address, he entered a modest building.

Approaching the reception desk, he declared, “I’m here to teach.”

A smiling receptionist directed him to Room 105. Passing other rooms, he overheard a heated argument:

“Two brothers bankrupted and one dismembered by Corporations for selling this martial arts manual—and now you slash prices?!”

“Rules are rules. Level 7 teachings fetch this rate.”

“Rules?! When I solo-destroyed Golden Curriculum Gang’s operations—burning sixteen underground schools alone—where were these ‘rules’? Now I’m aging, you lecture me about rules…”

The room fell silent as footsteps approached.

In Room 105, a scholarly middle-aged man entered, closing the door. “How may I assist you?”

The Cloth Doll Deity’s voice echoed mentally: “Tell him you’ve lessons to sell. Let me negotiate—appear seasoned, not naive.”

Zhang Yu cleared his throat. “I’ve lessons to sell. Inspect the goods first.”

His body trembled. Milky-white Vitality Qi erupted, swirling into a mist around him—displaying his 10th-level Infinite Cloud Hands.

(End of Chapter)(End of Chapter)

Chapter end