Chapter 297: The Swindler
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The mission of searching for the whereabouts of the descendants of the heaven’s cone nails in the ‘Rely on the fate of Ishvara, the land of Caturapramanah’.
That group of intelligent old demons back at home had utterly no idea how to do that, let alone Wen Leyang. The only clue that everyone had was that Qin Zhui was once imprisoned at this place.
Wen Leyang’s group of four had discussed at length what to do on the way here. In the end, they came to the decision that the ‘big plan to solve the case’ was to explore the situation before they discussed it even further…
After they had entered the place of the outer fringe, the fat monk, Shui Jing went to find out information by himself. The old monk Ji Fei led Wen Leyang and Chi Maojiu for a stroll along with the only place of the outer fringe in the mortal world, a place that was most complicated but also the most exciting in the cultivation world.
Ever since both of them entered into this dazzling world with its myriad of temptations, they were high-spirited and joyous, yet after they strolled past a few shops, they were both devoid of spirit. The few shops were mostly selling items like flying swords, talismans, red rocks, and medicinal cauldrons. The items were very ordinary in the sense of its quality, effect, or power, even the old monk Ji Fei’s flying sword could be taken out and be displayed as their shop’s most precious weapon.
Ji Fei realized that the two young masters had lost all interest, and sn.i.g.g.e.red shyly, “This is still considered the outer peripheral area. There’s nothing interesting here. If you really want to broaden your horizon, you’ll still need to head towards the north borderland…”
As he spoke, little Chi Maojiu suddenly stopped walking. He raised his head and looked at an ancient-looking shop, pointed to the signboard, and read, “Shudao’s Linen Suits? There’s also business from our hometown!” he then raised his leg and stepped over the door ledge.
The old monk, Ji Fei, too pulled Wen Leyang to enter with him. He was muttering, “This is a new shop.”
The shop’s four walls were empty and plain. There were some long silks with messy scribbles hanging on the walls. One could not tell if those were words or drawings; it seemed to be done by a drunken man who was covered in ink, who patted his body parts onto the silk and left the random marks behind. Some were stamped with the shape of an arm, some were stamped with the shape of a belly, while the rest were stamped with the shape of one’s b.u.t.tocks…
Just as the three people were looking in curiosity, a sharp and fine voice echoed, “Since you can’t understand it, there is no need to look at it anymore.”
The old monk Ji Fei then saw a big-headed dwarf who was sitting at the corner of the shop.
When the dwarf was done speaking, he stood up lazily as he walked to them, “What do you want to buy?”
In the few shops earlier, even though they did not treat the guests courteously, they welcomed the clients with smiles at least, but the dwarf of this shop was filled with malevolent energy and his gaze was filled with enmity.
The old monk, Ji Fei, too asked him in an uncourteous manner, “What do I want to buy? What are you selling here?”
The dwarf’s face was filled with impatience. He bared his teeth in a contemptuous manner and flashed a hideous smile. He asked in response, “You ought to know what the most famous item is, in the land of the Shu State.”
Sichuan was a rich land that fostered many talents. There were many famous things there. How could Wen Leyang know if the dwarf was asking about Li Yuchin, the pandas, or the boiled fish?
The dwarf realized that they did not know how to answer, so the contempt in between his brows grew even more obvious. He was almost speaking in a tone of giving alms, and explained ever so briefly, “In the land of Shu State, the most famous are none other than ‘Not a single root grows on the Wen. Never befriend a Miao. Die a dog’s death on Crow Ridge’!”
With the admiration of every rogue cultivator in the world, some of the right paths of Five Blessings were treated as trusted followers, while some were defeated. The desperate flattery of the World Sect’s evil devils and the frequent lodging of top demon immortals there… The three Tuo Xie’s sects in the Shu State were genuinely famous in the past few years. Their reputation had since triumphed over the right path of Five Blessings that once looked down at the entire world.
Wen Leyang and Chi Maojiu gazed at one another and laughed. They asked in unison, “What about it?”
The dwarf sneered, “Nothing much; only that this shop is owned by them!” He crossed his short and fat arms in front of his chest and raised his chin as he looked outside. He could not be bothered to look at them anymore.
As expected, the three outsiders widened their mouths in astonishment, completely petrified by the dwarf…
After a long while, the dwarf seemed to be prepared to launch Tuo Xie’s ultimate skill to chase them away, when he ran out of patience. Wen Leyang coughed as he inquired closely, “So are you… selling poison, witchcraft, or corpse-control?”
It was only then the dwarf-sized Wen Leyang up and down in all seriousness. He seemed to be answering the question with slight unwillingness, “I sell poison, witchcraft, and corpse-control. I’ll have to see what all of you want. If you are looking for the Mourning Sect’s preciouses, then you can talk to me, but if you are looking for poison or witchcraft spells, there are other shopkeepers in charge of those…”
Meanwhile, little Chi Maojiu reacted to the situation. He spoke softly, “So are you a disciple of the Crow Ridge? But… you’re speaking with the accent of Henan province…”
The dwarf was suddenly infuriated. Wen Leyang hastily stretched out his hand and stopped him. He chuckled as he spoke, “There’s no need to trouble the rest of the shopkeepers for now. Will you please bring us along and broaden our horizon?”
With great effort, the old monk, Ji Fei, was refraining himself from laughing. He played along and joined the fun, “To have the honor of witnessing the ultimate skills of the Shu State’s three families, I am willing to lose my family’s fortune over it!”
The dwarf’s expression became more relaxed as he spoke, “Follow me then!” He then turned around and walked towards the back room.
The three of them hastily followed the dwarf. After they pa.s.sed through the side yard, huge rooms that were arranged three in a row appeared. The dwarf led them to walk towards the room on the extreme right. He was still speaking dully, “The three families of Wen, Miao, and Luo have been a.s.sociated with each other for thousands of years. Their supernatural powers and abilities too are famous in each field, but if one were to use the skill to fight desperately, it is still us the disciples of Crow Ridge who are more incisive than the others.”
Whether it was a direct line or a peripheral line, any disciples who were related to Wen, Miao and Luo would never have spoken of such words. Chi Maojiu was only less than fifteen or sixteen years old right now, so he still had the mischievous temperament of youth. He chuckled as he asked, “Why are all of you the most incisive amongst all?”
“Everyone’s abilities are supposedly almost equal, but we have help from the zombies, so we are naturally more incisive than the others.” As he was saying that, the dwarf had already pushed open the door and walked into the room. Chi Maojiu finally understood the dwarf’s theory. It was when two people were fighting as a team, one would win eventually. He laughed so hard that his body trembled.
This huge room was a little cold, and the most conspicuous characteristic of it was five coffins with different sizes. On the other hand, there were a few peculiar-looking magic tools used to calm corpses that were hanging on the wall. The dwarf’s mouth cracked into a smile, “The preciouses of our Crow Ridge are naturally different from the profound sects!” Upon saying that, he had a piteous expression on his face as his hand gently swept past a coffin. The sound of fingernails scratching against the door immediately echoed from within the coffin as if the zombie inside was responding to its master.
The dwarf’s mannerism was as cold as before. It was afraid that he was not as enthusiastic as a real zombie, but he still let the cat out of the bag after they conversed for a while. He was mainly showing off the superiority of the zombies he refined. Due to his incisiveness of his Mourning Sect’s treasured weapons, he was planning to sell everything, including the coffins, to Wen Leyang.
This dwarf truly possessed a little ability to control corpses, but he absolutely did not inherit Tuo Xie’s ultimate skill. At most, he was cultivating in some folk magic. Even though Wen Leyang lacked a good understanding of the Luo family’s cultivation method, his wife was the number 1 master cultivator from Crow Ridge. How could he be so easily cheated by the dwarf’s little tricks?
The corpses that were lying in the coffins were not produced from the process of refinement, but the corpses were spiritualized zombies that had been suppressed.
Wen Leyang was feeling steadier in his heart. Even though he knew that the possibility was low, he was truly a little worried earlier. He was afraid that this shop was indeed related to the grand master, Tuo Xie. The old monk, Ji Fei occasionally feigned foolishness and interrupted, just for Wen Leyang’s entertainment. The four people pestered for a little while more, before the old monk quietly gave an inquisitive gaze to Wen Leyang.
Wen Leyang understood his intention. Each family from Tuo Xie’s three lineages of descendants would never allow the others to commit lies and treacheries under the cover of their families. Of course, this shop should be destroyed, but it was definitely not now, so he shook his head gently.
Ji Fei understood. He chatted with the dwarf for a little longer before coming up with an excuse to leave.
The dwarf had been acting like he was the leader of the cultivation world all along. He did not have the nerve to pester continuously now, but his gaze was filled with disappointment that could not be concealed. So, he feigned an irreconcilable sneer, “Based on all of your cultivation bases, it is truly difficult beyond your reach to control corpses, however… the witchcraft spell or the Art of Poison could still work.”
Wen Leyang laughed as he shook his head. He had witnessed the excitement and knew that everything was a bluff. He had no interest in witnessing the other two actors’ acting skills anymore.
Meanwhile, a whiff of a faint, peculiar smell floated into the room from the outside. It smelled like a rotten egg splashed with perfume, and finally soaked into a decayed animal’s corpse. The scent was pungent, but the stench was even more suffocating.
The dwarf failed to strike a business deal and was in an extremely bad mood. He exclaimed softly, “The witchcraft sect’s Ma Zi is doing it again!”
Little Chi Maojiu’s expression changed obviously. He smelled the pungency in the air attentively and suddenly spoke, “I want to take a look at your shop’s witchcraft spell!”
The dwarf was stunned; his dead fish-like eyes suddenly brightened up again. He was trying hard to hold back the hope that was arising in his heart and did not utter a word, but stood up and guided them as they walked toward the next room.
Chi Maojiu seized the opportunity when they were walking. He spoke to Wen Leyang in an extremely soft voice, “The smell is very orthodox. It is the Art of Spell Refinement left behind by the grand master grandfather.”
Wen Leyang was greatly startled and nodded to Chi Maojiu, before striding quickly as he followed the dwarf. As they walked towards the huge room in the middle, a series of raging curses echoed the moment they arrived in front of the entrance,, “Scram, scram, scram! The old father is not doing business right now! If you want anything, you can come for a discussion after three hours!”
The dwarf’s expression was a combination of surprised rage and helplessness. He turned around and looked towards the old monk, “The witchcraft spell’s disciple is a Miao clansman. His temperament is very stubborn.”
Ji Fei burst out laughing, “Any erudite person is as such. We are sincerely here to look for precious things. It’s for us to wait for a while.”
The dwarf revealed a very rare smile. He stretched out his hand and pointed to the huge room on the extreme left once again, “Or, all of you can take a look at the blind man’s poison. Whether you can or cannot gain something useful there depends on all of your creation then.” As he was saying that, he no longer acknowledged Wen Leyang and the rest. He turned around and went back to keep an eye on the shop again.
Gentle laughter soon echoed from the room. An aged blind man walked to the door with a bamboo cane in his hand, “Come in and take a seat. The old man wants to talk to all of you.” At the same time, a soft, sc.r.a.ping sound of metal echoed in a clanging manner from within.
This time, not only little Chi Maojiu, but even Wen Leyang became high-spirited, for he was no stranger to the sound of metal sc.r.a.ping and rubbing against one another. It was the sound that was made continuously by that pair of bronze ants, Mo Ya, which he brought out of the Gold-consuming Lair back in the day.
Of course, that pair of Mo Ya of Wen Leyang was a rare species. Their sizes were as large as birds and the sc.r.a.ping noise they made was much louder as compared to the ones in the blind man’s room. Wen Leyang gifted the two ants to Fourth Elder Wen after he returned to the mountain back then. In the beginning, the old man was elated, yet not even two days had pa.s.sed when he grew restless, for that pair of beasts was loud as drums and gongs regardless of day or night. The entire Red Leaves Forest did not have a moment of peace ever since…
Whether he was a swindler or not, the blind man was capable of growing Mo Ya, and would certainly be skilled in some ways. Wen Leyang took a stride forward gladly and walked into his room.
The blind man’s room was full of items. Large racks filled the room, and in each compartment were some ghastly poisonous vermin of all colors. Wen Leyang laughed the moment he saw that. He could recognize all these poisonous creatures even though they could not compare to the Sickness Trademark’s in terms of size and quality, but its quality was considered not too shabby.
At one corner of the room was an old-fas.h.i.+oned square table for eight people made of pure bronze. There was a pair of bronze air Mo Ya the size of a matchstick’s tip that was continuously rubbing against one another intimately, dispersing a piece of tofu-sized metal element strong poison together on the surface of the table.
The blind man used his bamboo cane to knock onto the chairs placed next to the entrance. He spoke in a rather courteous manner, “Take a seat! Even though there are many poisonous creatures in this room, as long as everyone does not make reckless moves, I can guarantee that no harm will befall you.”
The two Mo Ya realized that someone had come in, and seemingly wanted to attempt jumping onto the floor to sting the people, yet it was unknown why the Mo Ya could not dash past the edge of the table anymore. They ululated anxiously. The old monk Ji Fei was not afraid of them, but he was feeling revolted by these creatures from the bottom of his heart. He could not help but s.h.i.+ft his body outwards.
The blind man shook his head, “Do not worry, they can never dash out. This pair of preciouses have been caught only for half a year. They have yet to mature…”
Wen Leyang too revealed a smile, wondering that the Mo Ya had yet to be fully grown in half a year, while his pair of Mo Ya only needed forty days before they were subdued by the Fourth Elder Wen.
Even though the blind man could not see, he was a cultivator too. His telegnosis ability had since provided feedback of everything in the surroundings to him. He realized that Wen Leyang was only smiling but not speaking. He thought that Wen Leyang was despising the creatures, “The bronze ant Mo Ya, is the G.o.d of all rare poison. There are only two pairs in the entire world – a pair on the Nine Peaks Mountain of the western Sichuan, while the other pair is right before your eyes!”
Wen Leyang frowned slightly, even though it was not considered a secret that he owned a pair of bronze ants, this was not a matter that anyone should know.
The old monk, Ji Fei, immediately continued the blind man’s conversation, “What’s the difference between the two pairs of bronze ants? Which pair is more incisive?” Upon saying that, he was afraid that he might reveal his tracks. He then added, “If the bronze ants are truly so incisive, we will purchase a pair and make them our mountain-guarding divine beasts.”
The blind man flashed a peculiar expression and laughed aloud, “Purchase? Do all of you want to purchase the Mo Ya? Can you afford it then?”
Before his voice died away, a series of messy clanging sounds were heard. Little Chi Maojiu removed his backpack conveniently and tossed it in front of the blind man. A piercing golden light s.h.i.+mmered and filled the room. His habit of bringing gold as a Miao Bujiao’s disciple had never changed. This time, he still brought fifteen kilograms as he did before.
The blind man seemed to be startled. The dried and withered skin on his face twitched twice, “The worldly money… is not enough to purchase them.”
The old monk, Ji Fei, waved his hand impatiently, “We still have more if it’s not enough!” He then stretched out his hand and patted Wen Leyang’s backpack that was filled with carrots.
Even though gold was a worldly item, it was rather popular in the cultivation world. The best materials like the aurin, the Taiyi aurin, or amethyst gold used to forge the treasured weapons, were refined from a large amount of gold.
The old monk, Ji Fei, aimed to converse politely. He was afraid that they would become suspicious regardless of whether he asked the question or not, “These ants here… are truly that incisive?”
The blind man was weighing the fifteen kilograms of gold in his hands. He chuckled as he explained about this species of metal element poisonous creatures. He had a knack of doing business, and when he was explaining, he did not sound like he was blindly promoting the creatures, but he explained meticulously about its habit, toxicity, spiritual temperament, and so on. He allowed the old monk to determine the greater benefits of the creatures.
Wen Leyang was the expert in using poison. He was beyond familiar with the Mo Ya and listened to the explanation as he could not refrain himself from nodding. Even though the blind man was exaggerating, he did not fail to mention the crucial points at all. Wen Leyang understood in his heart, that even though this blind man was not the descendant of Tuo Xie’s lineage, he was also a master cultivator in using poison.
The grand master Tuo Xie was unpopular back in the days. He disappeared again after a battle that shocked the entire world. Before Wen Leyang came out of nowhere, the cultivation world had always despised the rare art of witchcraft spell and strong poison, but there are as many sects in the cultivation world as there was cow’s hair. Even though the use of poison was despised by the others, there were still many small sects that were still pa.s.sing down the Art of Poison to its disciples.
Wen Leyang was not aware of that himself, but because he became famous and reputable all these years, the cultivators in the world capable of using poison too followed along and walked in pride.
The old monk, Ji Fei, was beaming with joy from listening to the explanation. He inquired closely once again, “So between the ants on the Nine Peaks Mountain and the ones on your table, which ones are more incisive? We shall purchase the more incisive one!”
Wen Leyang laughed forcefully in his heart and peered at Ji Fei once. As the blind man was planning to strike a business deal, he would surely boast that his ants were the number one in the world. He was afraid that Ji Fei would not get anything from this conversation, yet unexpectedly, the blind man shook his head, “Of course the Mo Ya on Nine Peaks Mountain are more incisive; that pair of poisonous creatures have already cultivated into spirits and are bigger than sparrows. If they were to be released, there are not many sects in the world capable of dealing with them! However, don’t even think about that pair of preciouses, it’s an impossible matter.”
Wen Leyang grew more and more vigilant. The old monk, Ji Fei’s gaze was proud; he was an old and conniving person who had since predicted the blind man’s knack of doing business. He was pretending to be a disciple of Wen Bucao, so he would certainly never degrade his own family’s preciouses.
The old monk continued to feign foolishness. Upon hearing about Mo Ya the size of a sparrow, he looked towards the ants on the table filled with contempt, “The bugs are so small. It is very limited despite being incisive.”
The blind man grew infuriated, “Very limited, you say? If you were to be injured by it, you can only end up with shattered bones and ashes just by depending on your cultivation base! Not even your corpse will remain afterward!” As he exclaimed, he suddenly opened his eyes that had been shut tight all along.
Wen Leyang and little Chi Maojiu did not react much to the situation, but it was Ji Fei who made a big fuss and gasped in surprise.
The blind man’s eye sockets were completely devoid of eyeb.a.l.l.s. There were only two pitch-black holes, a vein entangled in green and red was crawling out from his eye sockets in a grotesque manner, while the muscles around the eyes were shriveled and charred as if someone had burnt it.
The blind man laughed in an indifferent manner. He stretched out a finger to everyone’s surprise, and scratched around his eye sockets, “I was taking care of a Buddha’s Light Bug that was coc.o.o.ned in my younger days. I wasn’t familiar with the temperament of a fire element poisonous creature, so when it broke out of its coc.o.o.n, my eyes were accidentally damaged by the Poison of Fire!”
Wen Leyang’s heart thudded loudly. He could not refrain himself from inquiring closely, “How about the bug then? What happened to the bug after it broke out of the coc.o.o.n?”
The old monk, Ji Fei, hastily helped him to smooth things over. He chuckled as he spoke, “I heard that Wen Bucao’s disciple kept a Buddha’s Light Bug as a pet; that is one remarkable poisonous creature he has there!”
The blind man was not suspicious, now that Wen Leyang was famous. The reputation of ‘You’ve Got Me’ was not less inferior than his, “After it broke out of the coc.o.o.n? Naturally, it transformed into the Buddha’s Light Guide, and turned into the fire element King of bugs!” He then retrieved a gla.s.s box carefully from his chest pocket and rubbed the box in a treasured manner, “The Buddha’s Light Guide followed me for forty years, but in the end, it still pa.s.sed away before me. I was unwilling to let go of it, so I brought it along with me all the time.”
In the box, was a b.u.t.terfly with a crystal clear body in the color of red that was purest to the greatest extent, as if it would catch fire at any time. It lay quietly in the box with its wings outspread.
Wen Leyang was surprised, joyful, and worried that the blind man was bluffing. He was so excited that it rendered him speechless, but Ji Fei was still much calmer. He inquired closely with a curious expression, “I have heard that the Buddha’s Light Bug on the Nine Peaks Mountain has been in a coc.o.o.n for a few years, it has yet to transform into a fiery b.u.t.terfly.”
The blind man sneered abruptly, “In the entire world, it is only I, who is capable of breaking a Buddha’s Light Bug out of the coc.o.o.n and turning it into a b.u.t.terfly. The Nine Peaks Mountain is still lacking in…” Before he could finish his sentence, the blind man realized that he had almost divulged a secret unintentionally, so he hastily refocused the topic of conversation once again, “When I’m back, I will naturally help that bug break out of its coc.o.o.n.”
Wen Leyang laughed from the bottom of his heart. He did not expect that he had only arrived in the place of the outer fringe for less than a day when he was blessed with accidental bliss. He no longer inquired closely on how to turn ‘You’ve Got Me’ into a b.u.t.terfly.
Whether it was him, little Chi Maojiu or the old monk, Ji Fei, the three of them made the same decision in their hearts, that they would ‘invite’ the blind man back to the Nine Peaks Mountain with them, regardless.
Without realizing, the three people had already talked for a long while, when a thick voice suddenly echoed from the next door, “Who wants to strike a business deal with Ma Zi earlier? If you are still chatting there, do come over now!”
The blind man remarked impolitely, “Wait for a moment. They are still chatting with me joyfully here…” But before he could finish his sentence, little Chi Maojiu had already picked up his fifteen kilograms of gold and walked in great strides towards the next door.
The other two people too stood up together. Wen Leyang’s telegnosis ability had since covered the entire courtyard. He was not afraid that the blind man would run away. Ji Fei on the other hand chuckled and spoke, “That wife of mine is an impatient person. We will come back here in a while, so it’s best if you stay!”
A sense of helplessness flowed out from the blind man’s pitch-black and empty eye sockets…