Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time

Han Yu could vividly remember the pressure he'd felt when he first met Xuan Qing. There had been something untouchable about her presence—light as a breeze but sharp as a blade.

"What about Lightning?" he asked next.

Li Mei folded her arms and leaned back a little against the wall of the corridor. "That one's more rare than Wind. Not too many disciples have it, but it does exist within the sect. From what I've heard, there are two inner court elders known for their Lightning Affinity—one of them is Elder Tian Chao of Formation Peak. He's not a direct combat instructor, more of a craftsman who forges lightning-infused talismans."

Han Yu nodded, committing the name to memory.

"As for disciples," Li Mei continued, "there are a few scattered among the Inner Court, but none too prominent yet. Lightning's powerful, but also difficult to control. Not everyone who awakens it gets to make use of its full potential."

She paused before adding, "Actually, I heard one rumor that there's a new outer court disciple with lightning affinity—but he's been sent to one of the external elders for specialized training. Don't know his name though."

Han Yu raised a brow at that. Even among outer court disciples, talent was being moved around fast. Then again, it was a large sect—such things probably happened all the time.

Li Mei's tone lowered as she came to the final two.

"Now, Darkness and Light…" She trailed off, glancing at Han Yu for a moment before continuing. "Those two are a different matter. Especially in our sect."

Han Yu leaned forward slightly, curious. "What do you mean?"

"Darkness is exceedingly rare," she said. "There hasn't been a known disciple with it in the last few decades. It's not the kind of element that shows up in people from straightforward cultivation paths." Chapter provided via M|V|L@EMPYR.

She lowered her voice a little.

"I heard that once, a long time ago, there was an Elder who had a Darkness Affinity. A man named Elder Yin Fei. But he disappeared during a mission to the Ghostlight Marshes nearly twenty years ago. Some say he died. Others say he turned into a wandering rogue cultivator. There's even a rumor that the sect quietly exiled him."

Han Yu felt a faint chill crawl up his spine.

"What kind of Darkness techqniues did he use?" he asked.

Li Mei shrugged. "Concealment and curse-based arts—things like that. Powerful in the right hands… dangerous in the wrong ones."

"And Light?"

She smiled faintly. "Now that one is even more tightly guarded. The Patriarch himself." She paused. "Sect Patriarch Mo Yunjian, is one of the two known cultivators in our entire sect with Light Affinity."

Han Yu blinked. "Seriously?"

Li Mei nodded. "His Light Qi is said to be so pure that no curse or demonic art can touch him. It's part of what makes him such a revered figure in the eastern regions of our world. He's not just powerful, but untainted."

Han Yu exhaled slowly. "And the other one?"

Li Mei's voice dropped slightly. "One of the Legacy Disciples—Xiao Lanyue. She rarely shows herself, but when she does, it's like watching a heavenly maiden descend. Her Light Affinity is still developing, but she's said to be cultivating a unique path related to illumination and purification."

"So I'm the only one in the sect with Darkness Affinity right now?" Han Yu asked.

Li Mei glanced sideways at him, her eyes half-lidded.

"As far as I know," she said. "You'd better keep that little fact quiet. At least until you're strong enough that it won't matter." Li Mei advised.

"Is there any danger to others knowing about it?" Han Yu asked.

"They won't be oppressive towards you, but the Darkness element doesn't always have the best reputation. Several of the unorthodox sects specialize in it as such, it is seen as evil more often than not. Even though it isn't.

Even if the Elders are fine with it, the disciples might not look on you kindly." She explained.

Han Yu fell silent, her words sinking into him.

It was strange.

Wood and Darkness.

One affinity embraced life and harmony.

The other… shadows and concealment.

And he held both.

"…What do you think it means?" he asked softly.

Li Mei gave him a look, surprisingly thoughtful.

"I think it means your path won't be straightforward. You're going to have to balance opposing forces. Use both light and shadow—not to become one or the other, but to remain yourself." She tilted her head. "The question is… are you ready for that?"

Han Yu gave a slow smile. "I think I've always walked the shadowed path. Maybe it's time I leaned into it."

Li Mei rolled her eyes. "So dramatic. You've spent too long reading those cultivation novels, haven't you?"

But Han Yu was already deep in thought.

The possibilities.

The secrets he could unlock.

The legacies lost to time, buried in forgotten texts and hidden ruins.

Darkness and Wood.

A dangerous, uncommon combination.

But for him?

It was perfect.

"Oh speaking of affinities, what elemental affinity do you have?" Han Yu realized he had never asked her this.

He also hadn't had a chance to see any specific technique that Li Mei used.

"You still don't know? I have the Water Elemental affinity." Li Mei stated.

"Huh? and you still managed to refine a Spirit Flame?" Han Yu was surprised.

"Of course! I'm quite talented you know," Li Mei said with a smug look.

"Yes, yes. Senior Sister Li Mei is the most talented Alchemist in our sect." Han Yu fed her ego.

"Absolutely right!" Li Mei said, feeling quite pleased.

"Come on now, let's head back. Now that we know you have the Wood Elemental Affinity, we can begin training on that aspect of yours further. You might progress faster in alchemy with it." She urged him.

"Yes, can't wait!" Han Yu was also quite excited now.

With that said, the two made their way back to Li Mei's place and began another round of learning and training.