Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

"I feel like these people are trying to force his hand. If Wu Tian doesn’t tell them what they want, they won’t let him leave..." Meng Xue whispered incredulously, her brow furrowed. She had originally thought the Blood Refiners had no major faults aside from being so obsessed with the Art of Blood Refinement that they neglected to eat or sleep. But now, they seemed to be going too far.

"Unfortunately for them, they’ve picked a fight with the wrong person," Zhou Butong chuckled, standing beside Meng Xue as he watched the scene unfold.

Seeing the looks on the faces of Mr. Ke and the others, Wu Tian couldn’t help but laugh mockingly.

Watching Wu Tian laugh, Mr. Ke and his cohorts frowned slightly. Only now did they have a moment to properly size him up. He wore simple white clothes, yet he had a refined appearance that exuded an inexplicable air of nobility. When they met his pitch-black eyes, they felt an irresistible pressure. A seed of fear began to sprout in their hearts.

"Are you acting for the public good, not for personal gain?" Wu Tian asked, his expression indifferent. He clearly didn’t take them seriously.

"For... for the public good, of course!" Mr. Ke replied instantly, whatever the others might be thinking. But inside, he was panicking. He couldn’t understand why confronting this young man felt like facing an ancient beast or a primordial Divine King, making his legs tremble uncontrollably.

"For the public good?" Wu Tian glanced at Mr. Ke’s face. This man might appear diligent and honest when he has no opportunities, but give him one, and his predatory nature will be laid bare. A person like that, righteously claiming to act for the public good? Who would believe it? The thought was laughable.

"Answer me again. Are you acting for the public good?" As Wu Tian spoke, his eyes flashed, and an invisible pressure filled the space.

"What?" Mr. Ke was horrified. He felt a mighty, imposing force from Wu Tian’s eyes pressing down on him. This inexplicable power struck his very soul, making his body tremble and his face turn pale.

"I... I am... for the public good."

"Really?" Wu Tian asked again. By now, the pressure had forced the man to his knees.

Mr. Ke felt he couldn’t resist the invisible force. "I... I am for the public good." I can’t admit it’s for myself; what would the others think of me? If I can just endure this, I’ll definitely have a place when the Blood Refiners Guild is established. No more impoverished days... a wonderful life awaits me.

"Sir, please believe him! He is acting for the public good!"

"Yes, Mr. Ke is definitely for the public good!" The other Blood Refiners knelt as well, pleading with Wu Tian to spare Mr. Ke. They trusted his character.

"Blind fools," Wu Tian rebuked them. He then turned back to Mr. Ke, his gaze filled with a deadly intent that intensified the pressure crushing down on the man. "If you don’t tell the truth," he said coldly, "you will die."

The killing intent in the pressure finally broke Mr. Ke. He craved wealth and status, but he certainly didn’t want to die.

"I’ll... I’ll tell the truth... just don’t... don’t kill me... It was for myself! I want to be the founder of the Art of Blood Refinement! I want to be the Ancestor of Blood Refinement! I want to take your achievements... I want a high status... Please spare me..." Terrified, Mr. Ke could only confess everything.

"You..."

"How could you do that?"

"I completely misjudged you."

The Blood Refiners who had thought Mr. Ke so selfless began to rebuke him.

"I... I..." Mr. Ke lowered his head, not daring to say another word. All I can hope for now is that Wu Tian will treat everyone equally and still teach me the Art of Blood Refinement. I no longer aspire to be the vice president of the first Blood Refiners Guild. I just pray to be taught the art so I can establish branch guilds elsewhere.

"There is still greed in your eyes," Wu Tian said, shaking his head. It’s not that I’m cruel or fond of killing. But if a person like this is kept around, he’ll seize the first opportunity to bite the hand that fed him. When you strike a snake, you must kill it completely.

"Die." An indifferent voice issued from Wu Tian’s lips.

"No!" Mr. Ke screamed, urinating in terror. He had only been greedy for a moment, thinking it was a harmless, minor transgression. Since he failed, it wasn’t a major crime, was it? He never imagined it would cost him his life. He was filled with regret.

But Wu Tian ignored his cries, swinging a seemingly ordinary fist that instantly blasted Mr. Ke into pieces.

Wu Tian had no desire to linger. He left the underground chamber and stepped outside the ancestral hall, finally breathing in the fresh air.

I learned the Art of Blood Refinement for those jellyfish and crabs. Now that I have created this art, the responsibility of propagating it naturally falls to me. It seems I must establish a Blood Refiners Guild. For thousands of years, countless people have come one after another, sacrificing family, love, and friendship to dedicate all their time to the Art of Blood Refinement. They are worthy of respect. Promoting the Art of Blood Refinement is only right and proper. Besides, I also want to know if my contributions can earn me a second Heavenly Mandate. A group of jellyfish and crabs can’t stay in the river of the Royal Palace’s rear garden forever, and the Blood Refiners Guild also needs a home. It seems the first order of business is to find a grand, impressive building to serve as the headquarters. Such a place must have a large river to conveniently house the jellyfish and crabs.

Having considered it, Wu Tian decided to act immediately. He had always been a man of decisive action.

The attire of Blood Refiners differed from that of Array Masters and others; they all wore Ghost Masks.

Because they studied blood, Blood Refiners gave off a terrifying impression. Before they started wearing masks, a Blood Refiner was once driven out of town simply for trying to buy ingredients. People feared him, believing all Blood Refiners to be malevolent. As a result, they began wearing masks, which became their signature style. This allowed them to appear as ordinary people when they took their masks off to go shopping, with no one knowing their true profession.

The Ghost Mask had become a signature of the Blood Refiners, and Wu Tian decided not to abolish this tradition.

"Where can we have masks made?" Wu Tian asked Bo Gu and Meng Tian, who had accompanied him outside. Zhou Butong had remained in the underground ancestral hall to vet the other Blood Refiners, checking for any unsavory pasts.

"There is a blacksmith shop just ahead," Bo Gu replied respectfully.

Wu Tian was now the Ancestor of Blood Refinement. The art itself had been born from his hands, and Bo Gu knew what kind of attitude to adopt. He told Wu Tian that the old blacksmith was also a Blood Refiner. At night, he studied the Art of Blood Refinement in the underground chamber of the ancestral hall, and by day, he worked as a blacksmith to make a living.

Wu Tian nodded. What kind of mask should I have made? An idea was already forming in his mind.