Beggar Cultivation System

"No, of course I'm not!" Apollo denied, shaking his head. After calming down from finally getting to use his "Can Deez" joke, he continued, "Whoever that is, he must've used a fake name as a joke."

Elmo turned to the Great Serpent Headmaster. "You know anything about that?"

"No," Axton shook his head.

"I see." Elmo eyed Axton suspiciously, then looked back at the beggar. "He's not really a kid, right?"

"Do you think a kid could reach the 2nd-Step Qi Condensation Stage?" Axton asked, looking around the room, excluding Master Popo, who was still laughing his *ss off.

"If he's really a kid at that cultivation stage, I'll bow down and kiss his feet," Nathan commented.

Apollo considered telling them the truth—that he really was just a kid—but leaving out his mental age. Considering it was one thing; actually doing it was another.

"Anyway, why don't we focus on why we're gathered here?" Axton suggested. They had chosen to meet through long-distance messaging rather than in person to avoid alerting the mayor and spoiling their plan.

"Sure, let's talk about it," Mathias agreed as Master Popo finally calmed down.

"That was a great laugh," Master Popo grinned at the beggar. "I like your humor."

"Only a person with a great mind can understand me," Apollo smirked.

"Let's start with this… there's demon energy in the city," Axton announced, turning the mood serious. "I've already sent a request along with the evidence."

"How long until we get a response?" Mathias asked.

"Four days at the earliest, a week at the latest," Axton replied.

"Now that we know Klown's up to no good, what's our next step?" Nathan sat up straight.

"For now, we need to uncover his full plan. Only then can we take action," Axton explained.

"I suggest we go straight to his mansion and kill him," Elmo said, smirking coldly, momentarily putting the matter of "Can Deez" on hold.

"I second that," Master Popo raised his hand.

"That would break the treaty. We'll need strong support to avoid sparking another war, which is why we're waiting for permission from the main branch," Axton clarified.

"If this region were under the main branch of Sword and Shield, we'd act as soon as demon energy was detected, without needing any request," Elmo muttered.

"I don't make the rules," Axton sighed, then looked to Mathias and Nathan. "Once we know Klown's real plan, the ritual he's using, and its extent, we'll need to rely on you if the approval hasn't come back yet and Klown starts making a move."

"We don't have to wait," Apollo interjected, drawing everyone's attention.

"What do you mean?" Mathias asked.

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"I know their plan," Apollo said casually, though his words left the others staring at him in surprise.

"How did you find out?" Nathan raised an eyebrow. "We sent people to investigate, but they didn't come back with anything useful."

"I used this, of course," Apollo pointed at his head with a confident grin. "So, do you want to hear my brilliant mind's findings or not?"

"Just tell us; don't keep us in suspense," Nathan said, sounding impatient.

"Haha, well, here's the deal..." Apollo began explaining everything he knew about the demons, their rituals, the sacrifices, why Klown publicly shared stolen techniques, and why he expanded the wall.

"So you're saying the entire city is under a ritual?" Master Popo asked, a frown forming on his face.

"Yes," Apollo nodded.

"And Klown wants people to learn cultivation and battle techniques to make the ritual stronger?" Nathan asked.

"Exactly. The stronger the ritual, the better the effects. But if Klown succeeds, well… we're probably dead," Apollo chuckled. "Demons don't like humans—they crave destruction, according to the books I've read."

"Demons only bring catastrophe… Klown must be gaining something from this," Headmaster Axton said.

"Power, strength, longevity… He'll probably even betray the other families eventually. I suggest we try to get them on our side," Apollo advised.

"They're not going to agree. They're scum who only bow to the strong and bully the weak," Nathan scoffed.

"Wow, you sounded almost like a good person there," Apollo quipped, earning a glare in response.

"We can't wait any longer," Mathias said, glancing around the room. At the same time, he thought of his daughter Bel, who had suffered because of Klown's hatred toward his family. His resolve for revenge grew stronger. "We need to start planning our next move."

"Now that we know his plan… we could either disrupt the ritual or go straight to the mansion and kill him," Nathan suggested.

"Removing the ritual is the top priority, but that's going to be difficult," Apollo replied. "The ritual is hidden—even someone at the Core Creation stage wouldn't be able to see it."

"Why?" Mathias asked with a frown. If they couldn't see the ritual, how would they dismantle it?

"Because it's not made of Qi; it's a different kind of energy," Apollo explained. Cultivators relied on Qi, and techniques not requiring it were extremely rare. "I encountered someone spreading a kind of red liquid that soaked into the ground, and even with my senses, I couldn't trace the ritual."

"Maybe it's tied to some kind of artifact," Nathan speculated.

They continued discussing their plans to confront Klown, the mayor of Klown City. Since they faced something beyond their usual experience, they had to create and revise multiple strategies. The meeting lasted for a few hours before finally wrapping up.

"It's getting late," Axton said, turning to his personal disciple. "The people spreading this red liquid… they're still at it, right?"

"That's what I think," Apollo nodded. "The wall expansion isn't finished yet, and they won't risk doing it around people. They only come out at night to spread the red liquid."

"I see. We'll track them down," Axton replied, then turned to Mathias and Nathan. "We'll head out now. Let's regroup once we've finalized our plan."

"Goodbye," Mathias and Nathan stood up.

Before they left, Elmo stared at the beggar first and nod his head. And soon, they disappeared in a puff of smoke.