Chapter 28: How Do You Know That Was a Monk's Wooden Fish?
When Chu Xingchen returned to the small courtyard of his sect, his two disciples had not yet come back from shopping.
He had no idea where his senior disciple had gone to purchase supplies—it had been quite some time already.
For now, the most pressing issue—the problem with the spirit stones—had been handed over to his old acquaintance, Yaoqin.
That matter being arranged gave him some relief, as it was the primary reason he had come to Yuzhou City.
He believed the chances of resolving it smoothly were quite high.
From his deductions, the Bamboo Jade Pavilion itself was most likely connected to a cultivation sect.
When he had first met Yaoqin, she was already at the Mysterious Dan Realm.
At her level, in any remote region, she would be considered an ancestor or at least a respected elder.
Yet within the Bamboo Jade Pavilion, she merely played the zither for guests.
Such an arrangement could only mean that the pavilion was likely tied to a powerful sect from the Central Continent.
Therefore, Chu Xingchen had considerable faith in Yaoqin's ability to find a solution.
After all, every spirit stone within his spatial ring was now a Blood Qi Spirit Stone.
If he were to take one out as payment, he would surely be executed on the spot by any righteous cultivator.
Moreover, no one but demonic cultivators would accept such tainted stones.
On the surface, Chu Xingchen appeared quite wealthy, but in truth, he didn't have a single usable spirit stone to his name.
He had money, yes—but none he could spend.
He withdrew the concealment formation he had set up before leaving.
Then, entering the main room his disciples had thoughtfully prepared for him, he gave the space a quick glance. It was tidy enough, furnished with tables and chairs.
Sitting down, Chu Xingchen took out one of the Blood Qi Spirit Stones and began to examine it carefully.
At his current level—after all, he was now a flawless Mysterious Dan cultivator—he was qualified to study such things.
But the deeper he looked, the more he realized how unnatural this stone truly was.
The blood energy and spiritual energy within it showed signs of merging.
That alone was astonishing.
Spirit stones were formed as spiritual energy condensed along spirit veins. Under immense density and over long years, the energy would bind and solidify into stone.
In that process, the energy stabilized and could no longer accommodate anything foreign.
Once a spirit stone was formed, this property became even stronger.
Thus, altering a spirit stone in such a way was not impossible—but it required extraordinary skill.
The craftsmanship behind the Blood Qi Spirit Stone before him… was likely beyond what any minor region could achieve.
Just as Chu Xingchen frowned in thought, his senior disciple's voice called out from outside.
"Master!"
He quickly put away the stone and stood, stepping outside—only to pause in surprise.
Li Yingling walked through the gate with a bright smile, carrying a large bundle on her back.
Behind her, Li Xingtian followed, struggling under a package two or three times his own size. Strictly speaking, it was no longer a bundle but something far too massive to fit through the doorway.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Li Xingtian suddenly hurled the enormous bundle over the courtyard wall.
In a flash, he leapt inside to catch it.
Chu Xingchen merely raised his hand slightly, catching the falling bundle with spiritual power and setting it gently onto the ground.
His gaze swept over the oversized load, and he asked curiously, "Has Yuzhou City's market gotten this cheap? You bought all this with just a little silver?"
Li Yingling lifted her chin proudly. Setting down her own bundle, she glanced at her junior brother and arched a brow—urging him to tell their master all about her glorious accomplishment.
"This wasn't bought by Senior Sister," Li Xingtian said, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief. "There's a new street vendor in town. He set up a ring-toss game—hit a ring, get a random prize. Senior Sister spent all the money we had there."
Chu Xingchen froze for a moment. So his disciple's so-called luck had finally manifested?
Proudly, Li Yingling reached into her bundle and pulled out a set of clean, elegant white robes. "Master, this is what I won especially for you. You've been wearing that same tattered outfit for far too long."
As she unfolded the robes, the golden threads along the cuffs shimmered faintly, while light blue embroidery traced the collar in intricate patterns.
"This was the stall owner's top prize! He said it was crafted by a refiner, enchanted to automatically adjust its size and repel dust and stains."
Li Yingling smiled as she neatly folded the robes, pairing them with matching trousers before handing them over to Chu Xingchen.
Accepting the clothes, Chu Xingchen ran his hand over the fabric—it was smooth and soft to the touch.
"Good…" he said with a faint smile, nodding lightly. "Thank you, my diligent disciple."
Meanwhile, Li Xingtian had opened his massive bundle.
Inside was a jumble of assorted objects—so many, in fact, that few could even be called useful.
Thankfully, three proper bedding sets could be seen, proving that Li Yingling hadn't forgotten the essentials.
At least they wouldn't have to sleep on bare wooden boards tonight.
Chu Xingchen walked over curiously, frowning as he examined the pile.
Among the random items were pots and bowls, some oddly shaped, along with ancient copper coins, talismans, a broken longsword, a rattle drum, a large drum, a sword woven entirely from copper coins, and even a monk's wooden fish.
Picking up the mallet used for striking the wooden fish, Chu Xingchen examined it closely but found nothing unusual.
"An… consolation prize?" he muttered skeptically.
"Master! That wooden fish is special!"
Li Yingling stepped forward eagerly. "The vendor said it once belonged to a great monk who attained enlightenment. Before his passing, he infused all his accumulated merit into it—it's a treasure beyond compare!"
Chu Xingchen lifted the mallet and lightly tapped her on the head. "Beyond compare, huh? It doesn't even sound half as clear as your skull when I hit it."
That was clearly just another street vendor's sales pitch!
Hadn't his senior disciple been smarter than this? How could she fall for such nonsense?
Li Yingling pouted, rubbing her head in indignation. "If you don't believe me, ask Junior Brother!"
"…It's true," Li Xingtian said quietly. "That wooden fish really was infused with a monk's merit upon his passing."
His expression was hesitant, as if he wanted to explain further but thought better of it.
Chu Xingchen stared at his second disciple in disbelief. Was this one just as gullible as the first?
"And how exactly do you know that vendor was telling the truth?" Chu Xingchen asked sharply.
"We saw it with our own eyes," Li Xingtian replied, his tone calm but his face still showing traces of shock. "The monk passed away right there on the spot."
Chu Xingchen blinked. "On the spot?"
"Yes," Li Xingtian said, nodding seriously. "He was a Qi Refining monk who practiced ascetic meditation. After Senior Sister won the wooden fish, he ignored all her protests, sat down cross-legged, and entered nirvana right there. He infused all his merit into the wooden fish and told her to use it wisely. Before dying, he even said Senior Sister carried great destiny and would one day shake the cultivation world."
"…Which vendor has the audacity to pull something like that? Take me to see him!"
"No need, Master," Li Xingtian said with a sigh. "Right after Senior Sister won, they packed everything up, cursed about bad luck, and ran straight out of Yuzhou City."
"By now," he added, "they're probably long gone."
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