Translator: CinderTL
Fourteen hundred of myself?
Zuoqiu Hui forced a bitter smile. Even all the direct descendants of the Zuoqiu Clan combined wouldn't amount to that many.
The young woman ignored her and continued pulling Xu Sanyan along, introducing other items.
Xu Sanyan stared at the child's corpse before him, listening to the woman's sales pitch. "This is a real treasure—the posthumous son of the Qianliu Sage! Eating it will enhance your innate talent and break through any bottlenecks before Soul Refinement. You can bring home twelve hundred pounds of soul spirit. Cheap, right?"
"Cheap..." Xu Sanyan muttered, his earlier playful demeanor gone. He felt this woman was even more twisted than he was.
A posthumous child was one whose mother died unexpectedly during pregnancy, leaving the child in her womb. Without a living mother to sustain it, the child had little chance of survival. Such children were called posthumous children.
But this was... the posthumous son of a sage.
Xu Sanyan's expression grew dazed as he gazed at the bizarre items on the table. He asked flatly, "Are all these things relics left behind by sages?"
"Exactly," the young woman nodded. "Which one do you fancy?"
Xu Sanyan forced a bitter smile. Which one do I like? I can't afford any of them...
"Which one's the cheapest?"
The young woman saw his embarrassment and covered her mouth, chuckling softly. "The cheapest? Well, the toenails I just clipped are the cheapest. How about a pound of soul spirit?"
Zuoqiu Hui was stunned. Toenails for a pound of soul spirit?
Her entire being was worth only seven taels—meaning she wasn't even as valuable as toenails?
Xu Sanyan looked slightly awkward. Even a pound of soul spirit was beyond his means...
The young woman took his hand. "Didn't I promise you a discount? With an 80% discount, it'll be exactly eight taels."
As if remembering something, Xu Sanyan reached into his storage pouch and pulled out the remaining soul crystal. After buying steamed buns earlier that day, he had exactly eight taels left...
The young woman smiled brightly and waved her hand. A crimson streak shot out from under the counter—her toenails.
"Here you go. Money in one hand, goods in the other."
She gently took the soul crystal from Xu Sanyan's hand and placed the toenails in his palm, reminding him, "Take good care of them, okay?"
"Heh heh heh~" The young woman chuckled, waving her hand lightly as the grand doors swung open. Turning toward the counter, she said, "I look forward to our next meeting."
Xu Sanyan gazed at the toenail in his hand and murmured, "Thank you."
With that, he led the three women out. As he stepped through the doorway, he glanced back and asked softly, "Great Elder, could you tell me where the Sixth Person is?"
"Ten pounds of soul spirits..."
The young woman didn't deny the title, her smile only widening, her eyes now filled with admiration.
"Farewell."
Xu Sanyan exited the pavilion.
Bang! The doors slammed shut.
"Phew... Who was that woman? Why did the Holy Son call her 'Great Elder'?" Junior Sister Zhao asked in a hushed voice.
Xu Sanyan didn't answer, merely shaking his head. He casually tossed the toenail into his storage pouch. It was essentially useless, but throwing it away felt wrong. I'll keep it for now, he thought.
As for Junior Sister Zhao's question...
Xu Sanyan sighed inwardly. His final question had been a test. The young woman's lack of denial confirmed his suspicions:
She was the Great Elder who had created the Hundred Saints Secret Realm—or perhaps more accurately, the Peach Blossom Secret Realm—all those years ago.
No one had ever said the great elder was a man...
According to the old man within the discipline ruler, this secret realm was originally a safe haven crafted by the great elder of the Yaotian Holy Sect under the guise of a trial, its purpose being to evade the heavenly tribulation.
Later, for reasons unknown, the great elder never entered the secret realm and instead perished beneath the heavenly tribulation.
Perhaps... the great elder hadn't truly died that day. Perhaps they had used some method to deceive the heavenly tribulation and were now hiding within the secret realm, clinging to life.
As the saying goes, "Better to live miserably than die gloriously." As long as one survives, all other problems become secondary.
"Sigh..."
Xu Sanyan sighed softly, lifting his gaze to the sky. A faint glimmer of light was already breaking through the horizon, signaling the end of the night.
After toiling all night, he had lost eight taels of soul spirit and gained a "Divine Artifact"—the toenail of the great elder of the Yaotian Holy Sect, an Immortal Realm expert!
Turning around, he found the three-story pavilion had vanished without a trace.
"Huh? Where's the pavilion?" Zuoqiu Zhen exclaimed in surprise. The once-standing structure had disappeared, leaving only an empty patch of ground in its place.
"Let's go," Xu Sanyan said.
Xu Sanyan headed toward Old Ghost's brokerage firm.
Junior Sister Zhao, only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, couldn't resist the Demonic Seed's corruption. She was now completely obedient to him. Sending her to sign the contract would secure some soul spirits.
As for Zuoqiu Zhen and Zuoqiu Hui, their stronger cultivation levels made them highly resistant to the Demonic Seed. Perhaps Zuoqiu Zhen could be swayed, but Zuoqiu Hui was definitely out of the question.
Both sisters were at the Dao Seeking Realm, requiring at least several months for the Demonic Seed to take effect. Time was running out.
Take Fang Xiang, for example. Despite the prolonged exposure, he only felt fear toward Xu Sanyan, far from complete obedience.
The long street gradually came alive as vendors began hawking their wares from shoulder poles. Xu Sanyan remained preoccupied, pondering the great elder's mention of the "Sixth Person."
He suspected the former occupant of the discipline ruler—the old man—might not be completely dead.
Or perhaps the other three women were carrying something?
The possibility of the old man still lurking within the discipline ruler was slim. Even if he could evade Xu Sanyan's senses, the little girl would surely have detected him.
Where could it be hidden?
Xu Sanyan's gaze swept over the three of them.
As he pondered, they arrived at the brokerage firm.
"You two wait outside for me," Xu Sanyan instructed Zuoqiu Hui.
"Alright," Zuoqiu Hui replied, wisely refraining from asking further questions.
Xu Sanyan led Junior Sister Zhao inside. Moments later, he emerged alone, Junior Sister Zhao nowhere in sight.
Zuoqiu Hui's eyes flickered, but she remained silent, silently heightening her vigilance.
Zuoqiu Zhen, ever oblivious, asked, "Hey, where's Junior Sister Zhao?"
Zuoqiu Hui yanked her sister's arm. "Mind your own business."
"Oh..." Zuoqiu Zhen wasn't truly foolish. Her sister's reminder instantly made her realize the situation, and she stopped asking questions.
Xu Sanyan headed west, casually buying three steamed buns—one for each of them—for three soul spirits.
"What's the point of these...?" Zuoqiu Hui asked, staring at the bun, puzzled.
As a Dao Seeking Realm cultivator, she had long since achieved bigu, the state of abstaining from grains. Why would she need to eat steamed buns?
Xu Sanyan explained the situation in broad strokes, withholding nothing. The two women finally understood. Zuoqiu Zhen's eyes filled with gratitude as she held the steamed bun and took small bites.
My brother-in-law is so kind!
Zuoqiu Hui, however, thought more deeply. She glanced at the bun in her hand, then at the crystal Xu Sanyan had used to pay. Her mind inevitably drifted to Junior Sister Zhao, who had vanished just moments ago...
This bun... it's likely a human blood bun.
Food obtained in exchange for Junior Sister Zhao!
A struggle flickered in Zuoqiu Hui's eyes. The teachings she had received since childhood forbade her from doing something like "eating a human blood bun"!
But... she was desperately hungry.
The gnawing hunger constantly eroded her sanity, driving her to the brink of madness. She could have endured it if there were no food, but now that sustenance was within reach, the hunger surged even more fiercely.
With a silent sigh of resignation, she tore the bun into small pieces and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing with a heavy heart.
...It's so delicious.
(End of the Chapter)
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