Chapter 448 - Phenomenal Swordplay 2

Tian Du City.

Sword Card Master Association.

Li Haoran saw the joint research announcement and he went to check with his master right away to understand what was going on with the swordplay.

Well…

As expected.

“Master, are you sure we won’t be beaten up this way?”

Li Haoran asked softly.

“Of course not.”

Lu Ming laughed involuntarily. “Do you think I am Zhang Yang?”

“Huh?”

Li Haoran was doubtful.

“Do you know what China National Knowledge Infrastructure1 is?”

Lu Ming smiled.

“No, I don’t know.”

Li Haoran scratched his head with a naive look.

He was indeed his master. He was knowledgeable and would often use terms that he did not understand. Although he could not understand, the terms sounded very sophisticated.

“There is someone who did not know as well.”

Lu Ming said meaningfully. “But he found out eventually.”

Eh?

Li Haoran was puzzled.

What did this mean?

At this moment…

Swordsman Association.

The phenomenal swordplay was developed.

Someone from the headquarters came to inspect. That kind of swordplay had to go through rigorous study and assessment. Once it passed the assessment, it was likely that it would be widely promoted in the association.

The person who had come was a seven-star senior who was the assistant head of the research and development department.

“Sorry.”

The vice president was apprehensive. “The swordplay is phenomenal, but its power is weak.”

The vice president was frank.

The ability that they developed was indeed phenomenal, however it was too weak. He had no idea what was wrong.

He could only put it that way.

If not, what else could he say?

He could not possibly tell the head of research and development department that he wanted to fool others and was caught?

That was so embarrassing!

“Let me take a look.”

The assistant head of the research and development department looked through the information.

Well…

Phenomenal…

Swordplay…

He focused his attention as the shadows and lights flashed. He used his superb talents to good use and he mastered it in a few minutes.

In that case…

Shush!

He lifted his hand and simulated the release of a five-star realm energy.

Shush!

His figure floated and he slashed with one sword!

While he left his original position, there were many figures in that same location, repeating the path he walked and overlapping with him.

In the end…

It landed on the point of attack.

Bang!

There was a deafening sound.

Data flashed on the testing machine: peak six-star!

Shush!

There was dead silence in the association.

The vice president widened his eyes in disbelief.

The assistant head of the research and development department only used five-star energy, but it actually released the power of a peak six-star! The power of the attack… was too terrifying!

This phenomenal swordplay…

It was actually real!

“It is indeed a phenomenal swordplay.”

The assistant head of the research and development was pleased with the swordplay. But he asked with some skepticism. “There is nothing wrong with the learning process, it is normal!

“Since you don’t understand it, how did you come up with it?”

He was not the slightest bit surprised at the vice president’s stupidity.

It was a phenomenal ability because people who had average talents could not understand it. If everyone could understand, it would not be called phenomenal!

This swordplay had very high attacking powers!

It was a qualified swordplay!

But it seemed to be so complex the vice president did not understand.

“I developed it by pure luck.”

The vice president wiped away his cold sweat.

He did not expect that Lu Ming’s phenomenal swordplay was real! But he remembered that Lu Ming did not really understand it as well.

He had inadvertently created something that was far beyond his own understanding…

This was normal!

Many things happened like that.

The little blue pill 2.Viagra that he had every night was also accidentally developed…

Well…

There was nothing wrong with that.

The assistant head of the research and development department was speechless.

Did it make sense that one could not understand what one developed?

However…

This seemed to be the case.

It was interesting.

“You are lucky.

“This swordplay is more powerful than imagined.

“Your achievement will be remembered.”

The assistant head of the research and development department tried several times. He was very pleased.

After a long while…

He left with satisfaction.

The vice president was excited.

It was too awesome!

This seemingly useless ability of Lu Ming turned out to be real. In this way, it seemed that he was one step closer to becoming a president! Hahaha!

He had no idea why he and Lu Ming had failed in using it!

But it was alright!

The assistant head of the research and development succeeded and it was enough.

It was worth it!

Snort! Snort!

His stupid wife had been making a din at home due to the enrollment slot of his son, saying that he was a fool…

Idiot!

By the time he became president, he would have everything that he could have!

That night.

The vice president looked through the name list of the research and development department of the Swordsman Association, searching for humble disciples who were honest and did not have any powerful supporters.

Well…

Homebodies were the easiest to bluff.

One only needed to give them some benefits, do some hard-selling, and their research results would be theirs!

Of course, some were stubborn like Lu Ming. Anyway, saying that the swordplay was jointly researched and developed by them was a show of generosity from him.

This person by the surname of Wang was a good candidate.

He had top-notch talents. However, he did not have much hope of becoming a seven-star.

He was researching a surmounting ability and his research would be completed very soon. Although it was a level lower than the phenomenal ability, they could focus on the quantity.

The next day.

Early morning.

Just when the vice president was having the sweet dream of becoming a president…

The senior from the Swordsman Association suddenly arrived. The assistant head of the research and development department led a few powerful cultivators with him and captured the vice president.

The vice president was dumbstruck.

“Senior…”

The vice president shouted.

“Shut up!

“You are not fit to call me as your senior.”

The assistant head of the research and development department sneered. “I only have one question for you. Which part of the swordplay did you participate in?”

“I…”

The vice president had prepared the materials. “I have submitted information on the basic research and development. I completed 60% of the basic research.”

“A pack of lies!”

The assistant head of the research and development department screamed.

Pfft!

The Sword Embryo of the vice president shattered on the spot. He spat a mouthful of blood.

“50%?”

The assistant head of the research and development department lifted him with one hand, sneering. “You only saw one sword, therefore you prepared 50% of the materials. However, you didn’t realize that…

“There are a total of seven swords in this phenomenal swordplay.

“The first sword is the basic, the six sword shadows that follow are the core skills!

“So…

“You don’t know anything at all, do you?”

Bang!

There was a loud roar in the vice president’s head.

Right then…

He remembered the sword that he had previously seen. When the assistant head of the research and development department personally used the sword, he had indeed seen six overlapping shadows plunging down.

It turned out that…

That was the core of that swordplay?!

The assistant head of the research and development department sneered. “Do you know what we did yesterday? We looked into all the information about swordplays that you submitted all night!

“Guess what I found?

“Apart from the first advanced swordplay that was developed by you, the rest…

“It’s all someone else’s!

“A total of thirty-two sets of swordplay!

“Most of them are obtained through forced selling and coercion, some of them are gifted children, some of them are your students or disciples…

“And some…

“We couldn’t find them anymore. Perhaps, your assistant knows something?”

The assistant head of the research and development department said calmly.

“No!

“He has no idea.”

The vice president was alarmed.

“Take him away.”

The assistant head of the research and development department sighed.

Click!

A few of them captured him on the spot. The vice president tried to struggle. But unfortunately, given his current abilities, he was not a match for the seniors of the Swordsman Association Headquarter.

“Seniors, please spare my life!

“Spare my life, I…”

The vice president was in a panic.

“Lu Ming…

“Damn it!

“I was scammed by Lu Ming!”

“Do you want to seek revenge?

“You no longer have a chance.”

The assistant head of the research and development department sighed softly. “Rest assured, you won’t live past tonight.”

“I… I can make amends!”

The vice president wailed. “I am not the only one who did this!”

Shush!

The assistant head of the research and development department stiffened, as he looked at the vice president, enunciating his words. “Did you say that many people are like you?!”

“Yes.”

The vice president was in shock. “I… I also learned it from them. This is how things are like in this industry! Th-these are the unwritten rules…

“Everyone’s the same.

“There are at least thousands of people in the same situation,” the vice president said in terror.

He was worried that he would be killed anytime.

He spilled the beans as he knew that there was safety in numbers. The law could not take action against masses… People who engaged in the same activities as him were already peak six-stars now…

He should be given a lighter punishment.

This was what he thought.

However…

The assistant head of the research and development department maintained a calm expression while listening to him. He arranged his collar for him and said, “Live your life well. After you go back home, write down all the names.

“Not one less.

“If so…

“You know the consequences.

“Take him away!”

After a long while…

The Swordsmen from the headquarters left, leaving with most of the people.

At this very moment…

The president who had been in a retreat for a long time and no longer cared about worldly matters sensed that something was not quite right. He came out of his retreat and saw an empty Swordsman Association.

Where did everyone go?!

The president was in a daze.

Swordsman Association.

Headquarters.

The original stubborn conservatives once again suffered a severe blow. The incident with the research and development department caused a huge sensation and thousands and thousands of corrupt members were implicated!

Dirty.

Disgusting.

Unbearable.

They themselves were doubting whether the lineage and legacy were reliable.

Perhaps…

Like what Qiu Shuyi said, they should keep up with the times?

Perhaps, they were really in the wrong…

Right then…

Sword Card Master Association.

Lu Ming was calmly drinking his tea.

They were not implicated by the uproar at the Swordsman Association. After receiving the name list from the vice president, they hurried throughout the night to put everyone under control and to confirm multiple times.

From this, the Swordsmen were shown to be swift and decisive.

Of course.

To outsiders, it was the strife between the two internal factions of the Swordsman.

Rumor had it that the conservatives were in a weak position and countless people had been dismissed from their jobs. The people who had opposing stands said that it was their debts…

They sent rockets and steered internet opinion, making the conservatives surrender.

Did they know what a new era is?!

Did they know what amazing buddies were?!

Everyone was joyous on the internet.

Li Haoran who was a silent onlooker was the only one who knew what had exactly happened.

Initially, he thought that his master was just being mischievous to fool the guy. He did not expect that there would be such serious implications and it would uncover such a huge problem!

Especially something that was so serious!

The research and development department of the Swordsman…

He felt terrified at the thought of it.

Swordsman was the most demanding vocation that required one to fulfill one’s desire when cultivating. If they had such a huge issue, what about other vocations? Would there be all kinds of scandals?

“Really?”

Li Haoran felt somewhat incredulous.

“Definitely.”

Lu Ming was very calm.

There were hidden secrets and problems in all industries.

Academia…

The entertainment industry…

Even the web novel industry…

He remembered in his previous life, there was a web novel class where one was taught how to write web novels. A lesson cost 599 yuan. There were only limited slots.

What he was suspicious of was he had never heard of the instructor. It was an intellectually challenged person by the name of Old Liang.

He even did a background check on him.

Well…

His personal profile was: Senior web novel editor, had years of experience in the writing and research of web novels. Reviewed and analyzed more than thousands of web novels, like Battle Through the Heavens2, Nirvana in Fire3 and more.

What kind of moronic introduction was this?!

What did he mean by review and analyze…

That was merely reading novels? One should ask the readers of Qi Dian 5. Qi Dian is a Chinese platform offering all kinds of web novels of different genres, if they read thousands of novels?! To hell with giving guidance!

He had reviewed thousands of small movies 6. Movies with sexual content but he did not state that he was someone experienced in adult videos?!

Of course, this type of person could only cheat them of a few hundred yuan.

The programming industry was even more scammy.

Ever heard of the training institution?

Well…

After one graduated, one could take a loan for a few years to have classes in installments at the institution. They did not hire any teachers. Instead, the training institution provided them with videos.

One term of training cost twenty thousand yuan.

Students with no money?

It was alright. They could provide loans.

Their main profit was with the loans. After providing students with loans, during lessons, they would give students videos that cost three hundred yuan per set on Taobao4.

It was up to the students’ ability whether they could master it or not.

However…

The students could still be repaying loans three to five years after graduation.

All of them were huge scams.

Lu Ming had a fresh memory of them.

Why did he hate it so much?

This was because he was being scammed! These bastards deceived people at the bottom of the society, especially those children who were already leading a difficult life.

“I am too naive.”

Li Haoran sighed.

His master had a more thorough understanding of things than him.

However…

“What about other vocations…”

Li Haoran asked.

“I can’t help them.”

Lu Ming said unhappily. “Did you really think that I am a savior?

“It just so happened that there is a phenomenal swordplay and hence I made use of the favorable current situation to push matters through with little effort. If not, I would not have joined in on the fun.

“Elementalists, Energy Warriors…

“There are thousands of vocations. I suppose every vocation will have its scandal.

“However…

“We don’t understand what is happening and we don’t have the chance to either. Therefore, we naturally won’t intervene.

“All we can do is discipline ourselves!

“Do you understand?”

Lu Ming asked.

“Understood.”

Li Haoran seemed to be slightly enlightened.

For the first time, he felt that his respected but sometimes childish Master could speak quite profoundly.

Master…

He was far greater than he expected!

“Besides…”

Lu Ming smiled. “Who told you that we did it for free?”

“Huh?”

Li Haoran was puzzled.

After a long while…

The Swordsman Association came to their association to express their gratitude.

They provided a lot of compensation for all the Swordsmen who were involved in the research and development of the swordplay. Lu Ming who helped to put an end to the scandal was no exception.

1. The phenomenal swordplay only belonged to Lu Ming!

Although the phenomenal swordplay was precious, the Swordsman Association had no wish to keep it for themselves. They were willing to provide it for free to all Swordsmen.

The proceeds from the copyright belonged to Lu Ming.

2. He was the honorary Swordsman.

Due to Lu Ming’s great achievements, he was given the title of the honorary Swordsman. He could enjoy all the rights that a Swordsman had and he did not have any obligation to them.

He did not need to do any compulsory tasks required of a Swordsman, or to go for assessment and other responsibilities.

And—

Lu Ming received two slots.

They officially gave them to Lu Ming, and it was transferable.

In that case…

This situation had finally come to an end.

It was very late at night.

Li Haoran opened the editing file that he had put aside for a long while—”The Untold Stories of Sword Card Master”, reading permissions: Sword Card Master first generation disciples.

After a long while…

He began writing with a solemn expression—

One day, the Swordsman Association became chaotic. The disciples were suffering. My master took action to right the wrong, keeping his contribution and fame a secret.

1 China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) is a key national research and information publishing institution in China.

2 Web novel

3 Web novel

4 A Chinese online shopping website