Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time
Chapter 74: Uproar

Chapter 74: Uproar

"Of course," Nie Jing nodded respectfully.

"Good." The man turned to Gao Ren, his gaze like a furnace set to "incinerate unworthy souls."

"Good physique. Good talent. You’ll do well," he declared, placing a massive hand on Gao Ren’s shoulder like he was checking the ripeness of a watermelon.

"What do—" Gao Ren began to ask.

But he never got the chance to finish.

The Forge Grandmaster scooped him up like a sack of spiritual potatoes and took off into the sky.

WHOOSH

The hulking "boy" flailed like a toddler being carried out of a candy store by his disappointed parent, legs dangling and eyes bulging with disbelief.

And just like that, the hero of the hour was gone—spirited away by greatness, while everyone else stood around slack-jawed like they’d just witnessed a divine drive-thru abduction.

With Gao Ren and the Peak Head gone, the uproar came crashing back like a wave of gossip-starved aunties. The children and disciples erupted into excited chatter, voices overlapping in a chaotic symphony of disbelief.

"Silence!" Elder Nie Jing bellowed, snapping the noise like a twig.

GULP

The crowd immediately fell silent. Even the birds stopped chirping out of respect—or fear.

"We shall begin the appraisal again," Elder Nie Jing declared, dusting off the air of chaos like it was dandruff on his robes.

"Yes, Elder!" the disciples responded in unison.

Well... most of them.

One disciple, in particular, was nowhere to be seen—the Inner Court disciple who had recruited Gao Ren. But he wasn’t missing because he was scared or distracted.

Oh no.

He was flying toward Armament Peak at top speed, a grin so wide it looked like his face was trying to split in half.

’I’m set! I brought in a Peak Head’s disciple! I won’t have to worry about resources ever again!’ he thought, eyes sparkling with dreams of unlimited cultivation pills and first dibs at the sect cafeteria.

He was already planning how to cozy up to Gao Ren. Gifts? Flattery? Maybe a personalized jade comb for that handsome boulder of a head? He’d figure it out. He also made a mental note to introduce himself to the Forge Grandmaster before the man forgot his face—or crushed it.

After all, networking in the sect was just as crucial as it was in the secular world.

And he, through sheer luck or divine comedic timing, had brought in a boy who might as well have been the long-lost prince of some cultivation kingdom.

"She Ming, come," Elder Nie Jing called, scanning the roster and reading the third-to-last name aloud.

A girl walked forward, her steps hesitant and nervous. Her confidence had taken a substantial hit after what she’d just witnessed. She’d come here thinking she might be a rising star, but after Gao Ren’s dazzling display, she now felt more like a glowworm under a floodlight.

Still, she had to go through with it. Appraisal didn’t wait for anyone—not even people having existential crises.

Step. Step. Step.

Step. Step. Step.

Each step toward the dais sounded louder in her ears than the last. She tried to keep her stride steady, her back straight, her heart from leaping out of her chest.

HUUU

She finally reached the dais and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to ease her tension.

’Even if I’m not like that guy... I’ll still be good,’ She Ming told herself.

"Begin, child," Elder Nie Jing said, his tone far gentler than before.

Maybe it was her polite demeanor, or maybe it was the lingering euphoria of Gao Ren’s result, but the elder seemed unusually kind today. She Ming took comfort in that.

She pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the crystal.

SHUA

The crystal greedily absorbed the blood, glowing with anticipation like it had just been handed its favorite snack.

HUALA

The talent tablet flared to life as two colors appeared instantly.

"Red and orange," muttered the disciple who’d recruited She Ming. "Come on... please get yellow. I don’t want to fall behind the others," he prayed hard enough to cause internal qi tremors.

His entire sect reputation—and likely his next allowance—rested on She Ming’s talent ranking.

SHUA

A third color began to emerge on the tablet.

"Yellow!" the disciple said, eyes gleaming. Hope rekindled.

All eyes were now on the tablet. With Gao Ren having just stolen the show, everyone was wondering if that had been the grand finale—or if the heavens still had more curveballs to throw.

SHUA

Ten seconds later, another color revealed itself.

"Green!" the disciple said, practically bouncing in place.

But not everyone was smiling.

"Come on, don’t be blue, don’t be blue. I can’t have more kids with crazy talent around me," Han Yu mumbled, praying just as hard. Any more freakishly talented recruits, and his cultivation future would look about as promising as a soggy scroll.

HUMM

The heavens, in a rare act of mercy, answered his plea. The tablet slowly dimmed.

"She Ming, Green Ranked Talent! You pass," Elder Nie Jing announced.

She Ming let out a breath she didn’t even realize she’d been holding. Relief washed over her like a warm qi bath.

’Not blue, but still very good,’ she thought, smiling to herself.

She was satisfied—no need for theatrics. No being abducted by Peak Heads, no screaming elders. Just quiet, solid success.

"Go get your reward," Elder Nie Jing said, dismissing her with a small smile.

He then scanned the crowd, his gaze hunting for a particular name—a person he held especially high hopes for. Even with Gao Ren’s mind-blowing result, this individual still had potential that Elder Nie Jing believed in.

’He might not be Indigo, but he should be at least Green,’ Elder Nie Jing thought, eyes narrowing.

If Murong Xie got Blue, that would still be fine—solid, respectable, reliable. But Indigo? That was near impossible. In the last twenty-five years, only one Indigo-ranked talent had shown up... and that was Gao Ren.

As for Violet Rank?

That was practically myth.