Chapter 262

Chapter 262: The Evil Monk

The fragments of artifacts were empty, and there was no need to mention the fragments of treasures.

The practitioners became reluctant to part with their items, tightly clutching their artifact and treasure fragments while watching the market trends. The price of blank talisman paper rose fivefold, talisman ink was nearly out of stock, and materials for talisman-making soared in price as well. From port cities to the inland, Huo Qiniang could see no profit; she had to take off her merchant attire and stay on the ship to urge the crew to learn.

The robust Zhong Yuan and the young Jin Feng benefited greatly, honing their talisman-making skills to an impressive level. The two of them created lower-tier spirit talismans to sell and saved up a little fortune, getting excited when no one was around.

Chef Zhao became lazy; he preferred cooking and felt he had no talent for drawing talismans. If it weren’t for Huo Qiniang forcing him every day, kicking him out of bed in the middle of the night, he probably wouldn’t even want to touch the talisman brush.

Su Qing’er continued her secret drinking, and the only progress she made was that when she got drunk, she learned to stagger around and eventually crawl into the Mysterious Water Pearl to sleep.

One day, a delicate pavilion arrived at the port, and a voice with a loud, duck-like tone announced, “Disciples from all sects are invited to temporarily stay at the altar. In fifteen days, the Xuantian Road will open. On the journey, Demons and Specters thrive, which are the impurities of the Grand Xuan’s fortunes. We ask everyone to lend a hand to protect our Grand Xuan Dynasty.”

“This is only right; we will do our best,” someone responded. There were many willing to be loyal supporters, inspired by the majesty of the Grand Xuan.

The port was not only filled with disciples from the Aofeng Sect; flowers lined the path, colorful ribbons whipped in the breeze, and the sound of the zither floated through the air. There were plenty of common folk standing on both sides of the street enviously watching, and practitioners climbed high to get a better view.

The opening of the Xuantian Road was a national celebration, showcasing a grand atmosphere as if ten thousand sects had come to pay their respects. Each sect was sending more than just a pair of disciples; since it was the new emperor’s first ancestral worship, they needed to honor the occasion. The accompanying personnel ranged from dozens to hundreds, creating a magnificent scene, like countless stars surrounding the moon, escorting the golden boy and jade girl prominently towards the pavilion.

Li Hui, clutching the Mysterious Water Pearl, was the first to reach the pavilion. Su Qing’er had drunk too much the previous day and was now sound asleep, while he turned to see the ceremonial procession still far off!

“Which sect’s disciple are you? How could you show up alone? The opening of the Xuantian Road is crucial for the nation’s fortune, and our emperor highly values it!” An elder sat at the side of the pavilion, flanked by a row of eunuchs. The leading eunuch had gray hair, a flickering light at his brow, and gently waved a feather duster, exuding an air of mystery.

“Are you a Condensed Essence Stage practitioner?” Li Hui felt intrigued, noticing this odd situation in which even eunuchs had become Condensed Essence Stage practitioners while he was still struggling in the Spirit Motion stage without a breakthrough. It made sense that there were indeed numerous masters hidden in the imperial palace.

“Senior, please allow us to pass; we have no lack of ceremonial sends with us,” Li Hui maintained his courtesy. He had hurried over for convenience, and not allowing them to break through seemed disrespectful.

“Hmm, are you Li Yingjun from the Aofeng Sect?” The great eunuch pulled out a portrait to compare. “Where is your Senior Sister Su Qing’er?”

“That’s my Junior Sister; she’s quite mischievous and loves to crawl into the pearl to sleep, so I have to carry her with me,” Li Hui continued his charm, looking handsome enough to charm anyone! He could still play young and innocent, easily appealing to both the old and young, while the great eunuch examined him from head to toe and shook the feather duster.

“Boom!” The pavilion began to rotate, and Li Hui performed a deep bow and stepped inside.

After he entered, a small eunuch cautiously asked, “The ancestor is usually harsh; why is it different today…?”

“Shut up! How could one disregard the favored child of heaven?” the great eunuch whispered, “This kid even dared to confront the young prince before; Noble Concubine Wan seems powerless against him. With the opening of the Xuantian Road bringing its own twists and turns, we, the servants, should be careful and vigilant!”

“Yes! You are indeed right, ancestor,” the small eunuch said, trembling in fear.

People in the palace understood the art of observation best. The great eunuch wondered if his eyes deceived him; he sensed an oppressive authority radiating from this young man. It was an indescribable pressure that may not be powerful but still made him uneasy, as if being monitored was not a good sign, so he promptly allowed passage.

Li Hui strolled casually. He had been quite busy these days. Was being a debtor easy? After much difficulty, he finally redeemed the treasures he had borrowed from the bank with Su Qing’er as collateral and was now trying to repay other debts.

The bank was making a killing! Drawing so many talismans was like working for the bank, and the interest compounded rapidly. If he couldn’t repay this month, he would owe even more spiritual shells next month, which made him feel incredibly frustrated.

The problem was that talisman papers, talisman ink, materials for talisman-making, artifact fragments, and treasure fragments were all almost exhausted. Now, he couldn’t think of any way to make money…

The only comfort for his young heart was that the success rate for creating talismans when using the silver snake bracelet had reached ninety-seven percent, almost recovering to a hundred percent, akin to his early days leaving Jade Spring Mountain, where he could start fresh and no longer deal with negatives.

A grand altar stood in the distance, looking magnificent and sizable. He could see heavily armed guards nearby, with dense formations surrounding it, making it inaccessible for those without high rank.

Although they said to let the disciples from all sects temporarily stay at the altar, in reality, it was quite a distance away! There were bamboo buildings hastily constructed, with giant incense candles burning continuously, filling the air with prayers.

Li Hui observed many monks dressed in white monk robes, and although he couldn’t understand a single chant from their “gili gua la,” after using up half an hour of efforts, he finally managed to emit a faint circle of Dharma clouds at his feet, resembling a large bowel movement. He really wanted to kick it aside and give a good thrashing to the evil ones for the Buddha!

“Alas! This fake monk resembles a true monk more than these real monks. The world is going down the drain! What nonsense!”

“Master!” Guang Jin whispered a reminder, “These great monks are chanting the Earth Store Bodhisattva’s Fundamental Vow, even reciting the ancient ghost language. Each one of them has dark ghostly ties within; they can transform into hell at higher levels, depriving life and all things. There must be some formidable evil monks behind them.”

“Oh? I will be careful,” Li Hui replied, growing alert. Ordinary people might not discern their methods, but Guang Jin, born in the Moko Buddhist nation, could immediately spot their essence with one glance.

Along with the several thousand great monks sitting cross-legged, there were countless guards on the periphery, securing their surroundings tightly; anyone who entered wouldn’t even let a fly escape.

The Ideal Body continuously warned Li Hui, signaling that even more ambushes were lurking in the shadows. He soon understood that doing something so disruptive to heaven and earth and chaotic in Yin and Yang would surely bring about great tribulations. Using the blood sacrifice of disciples from all sects was just one element in the plan; who knows what other arrangements might be in place!

“This is good! Calamities are a good thing; coordinated efforts make for better execution.”

Just then, someone approached, palms pressed together in greeting, reciting Buddha’s Name, “Earth Store Buddha, thank you for your hard work, dear disciples!”

The great monks felt awkward, offering forced smiles and nods, watching the young monk pass with the same expression as sending off a plague god. Li Hui was searching for the residence assigned to the Aofeng Sect when he turned and coincidentally met the gaze of the young monk.

The young monk had a cherry-sized lump on his forehead, looking passable as he rated, “Not bad at all!”

What surprised Li Hui was that this young monk arrogantly said, “Good dogs don’t block the road; this is the territory of our Earth Store Sect. Get lost!”