Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 64 - 62 Life-Saving Money

Chapter 64: Chapter 62 Life-Saving Money

Luoyang Royal Mansion, the sleeping quarters of Prince Zhou Wenye.

It was laid with patterned stone, delicate, smooth, warmer than jade, more precious than the "golden bricks" used in the Imperial Palace. With merely a layer of clear lacquer, Phoebe zhennan wood formed the upright columns...

Famed calligraphy and paintings, curios and antiques dazzled the eyes. Gold and silver treasures seemed to be the basest of vulgarities here.

In the center of the chamber, the rosewood bed was draped with spotless white canopies.

Amid the rich aroma of wine, two figures—one portly, one dainty—lay drunkenly atop the bed, at times overlapping, emerging and vanishing subtly, obscuring clarity of vision.

Suddenly, a majestic voice tinged with slight drunkenness issued from behind the curtains:

"General Wei, how is the situation in the mountains?"

Thud!

Up until now, there was still someone else in the chamber. Only after the Yi King spoke did he heavily knock his head against the floor.

Although many of the lower clerks and government officials outside treated the Yi King as nothing more than a scapegoat, and aside from their envy of his good ’reincarnation skills,’ they mocked and gossiped without a shred of respect.

But Wei Anning, a Marshal of the third realm of martial arts, lay prostrate on the ground like a dog. He did not dare lift his head to glance at the bed.

Upon hearing the question, he immediately responded respectfully:

"Prince, I took the opportunity to hunt game and personally inspected all nine accompanying tombs.

I also took the excuse of preparing defenses for the upcoming centennial ritual half a month later, as well as rewarding the tomb guardians, to visit Daling Village at the foot of the mountain.

Despite the Earth Scholars’ great efforts at concealment, I can confirm that only the last three tombs remain intact.

That includes the [Construction Director’s] tomb which houses the abandoned ’elixir head’ from fifteen years ago."

The figure behind the curtains slowed their movements:

"Such a precious life chart as [Vermilion Bird Riding the Wind] is indeed hard to come by in this world.

We also learned of its existence by coincidence fifteen years ago and paid a huge price to abduct it.

In the end, our efforts fell short.

For fifteen years since, we have not been able to find another suitable life chart with the strange pattern of six beasts.

It’s already the fifteenth year of Jianming, how much longer can Great Yan hold on? The [Dragon Qi Prohibition] that blocks the evil demons and heretics is weakening day by day; I can’t wait for the next opportunity.

Find a way to bring it back!"

"Yes!"

After sighing, the Yi King moved on from the subject and continued to inquire:

"Have the treasure banknotes all been distributed?"

Upon hearing the words "treasure banknotes," Wei Anning shuddered, his head drooping fully to the ground:

"Yes, I informed the Wang Family that, on this centennial ritual, you specifically reward those tomb guardians who have been loyal to their duties.

I watched with my own eyes as the treasure banknotes were distributed per capita. Men, women, the old, and the young from the Wang Clan each received ten Great Yan treasure notes, a total of one hundred taels of silver in face value.

Even now, with the continuous depreciation of the banknotes, they can still be exchanged for fifty taels of silver."

The Yi King seemed highly concerned about the matter and confirmed repeatedly:

"Were those the banknotes I stamped with the ’Life Trading Coin’ seal?"

"Exactly! The banknotes you entrusted to me, after being distributed, left an excess of six hundred taels, which I now return."

Wei Anning swiftly took out the remaining banknotes from his bosom and offered them up high above his head.

He did not embezzle like those lower clerks outside; he was, on the contrary, eager to get rid of the hot potato as soon as possible.

The moment his hands touched the banknotes,

Wei Anning felt a slight pain on his tongue where the imprint of "Life Trading Coin" was, but a complex sense of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.

’Once you’ve taken life-saving money, your fate is no longer your own!

If it’s returned to its owner within three days, or if it’s thrown away after being handled, or even given away without compensation, that would be the end of it.

But if you choose to keep it or spend it directly, then you’ll be just like me.

—A dog that can only sell its life to others!

No, I’m a [Dao General] of the third realm, I still have value to utilize, whereas the only value you have is your lives!"’

Only after confirming his plans were successful did the Yi King respond casually:

"Hmm, place the banknotes on the ground and leave."

Wei Anning then cautiously backed away while still on his knees.

His eyes accidentally swept over a clothes rack in the chamber, where a shiny copper coin dangled from a red string with the "Life Trading Coin" engraved in seal script.

But just one inadvertent glance, and the mark on Wei Anning’s tongue seared like a branding iron, causing him pain that penetrated his marrow and almost made him let out a scream.

He also heard, seemingly made up of the clinking of countless coins, a scripture ringing in his ears:

"....Those with supreme wisdom are the first to adapt, thus they mine the copper mountain, looking down and observing, casting it into coins. Making the inside square to represent the Earth, and the outside round to resemble the heavens. How grand!

...Cherishing it as one does a brother, its name is ’Kong Fang’. Lose it and you’ll be poor and weak, gain it and you’ll be rich and strong. Flying without wings, moving without feet..."

Wei Anning hurriedly lowered his head and quickened his pace, and only then did the ’Money God Scripture’ that he had heard countless times before gradually fade away.

Without a doubt, this was a living "Deceit Object".

It was also the dog leash tied tight around his neck.

Just as he was tiptoeing to open the palace door and preparing to leave with a bow, a delicate cry from a woman suddenly came from the hall:

"Prince..."

Wei Anning’s body, as if made of iron cavalry, trembled involuntarily.

Because he realized then that the woman who had shared a bed with the Yi King was not any of the concubines from the mansion, but the... Princess Consort of the second prince, Prince Dechang, Zhou Jingxiang!

’Prince Dechang, even willing to share his Princess Consort, truly lives up to the name Dechang.

You deserve to be the first to be granted a prince’s title.’

This Dao General, now on the third level, felt his heart trembling non-stop.

He could no longer tell if this prince, who could grasp his life and death at any moment, was debasing himself to save his life or if his true nature was so wildly perverse and against natural order.

If the Emperor found out, his title would likely be stripped immediately!

But he had long been thoroughly pulled onto the war chariot, and whether facing a cliff, a sea of fire, or a mountain of swords, he couldn’t take even half a step back now.

’Actually, from the moment I helped the prince steal the ’Elixir’ fifteen years ago, I already had no way out.’

Wei Anning dared not stay any longer and hurried away with staggered steps.

...

In "Wangren Town".

Boom!

A loud explosion, followed by a burst of flames, sent a terrifying shockwave with sharp fragments that tore the meticulously tended garden to shreds.

Huang Wu covered her ears in front of the mirror, while the big black dog hugged its head in the corner, both shivering.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuan seriously recorded on paper with a piece of charcoal:

"The ’Thunderclap’ crafted from various alchemy residues has a considerable power.

The killing range for a ’Daoist Soldier’ can reach about ten meters, but even at fifty meters, the power remains enough to penetrate an ordinary person’s body."

After mastering the Daoist Skills, Wang Yuan did not rush back to Daling Village.

Last night at Midnight there was an incident with the ’Sacrificial Dance’, and this morning Zhou Jingyuan and his group had gone into the mountains, so it was unlikely that Wang Yunhu and his group would continue to excavate the accompanying tomb.

He chose to stay in "Wangren Town".

He turned the ’Ghost Repelling Pills’, ’Beast-Shaped Pills’, ’Human Face Beast Heart Pills’, and the most mysterious ’Wolf Heart Dog Lung Pills’ he had seized from the Wild Dog Taoist into ’Mixed Element Thunderbolt’.

These could not be seen by Lady Peach Fairy; he had to ponder on his own.

The Yellow and White Refining Technique was undoubtedly profuse and profound, but the pursuit of destruction was much simpler than the pursuit of healing and saving lives. According to the ’Thunderclap Pill Combination Technique’, he actually managed to create some products.

Although it took a whole day and much was wasted, he finally refined about a dozen black pills the size of apricots.

Now.

With the ’Transformation into Tiger Technique’ mastered and a pocket full of ’Mixed Element Thunderbolt’, Wang Yuan felt truly at ease.

As evening approached, everything was ready.

With the Five Ghosts temporarily impaired and having to be carried back in a sedan chair, Wang Yuan bid farewell to his departing cousin, and was about to step into the palanquin.

Huang Wu seemed to instinctively sense something and suddenly called out to him.

"Xiao Yuan!"

Wang Yuan paused and turned back.

"What’s wrong?"

The girl in the mirror, dressed in a Luan Robe bridal dress, reminiscent of a phoenix, had a bright gaze as if she had thousands of words to say, but in the end, she only said to the boy:

"You must come back safely, I... only have you."

Wang Yuan didn’t make any grand promises and certainly didn’t dare to jinx it by making a vow. He gave her a thumbs up and once again left "Wangren Town" in the palanquin.

By this time, the three forces had converged on the outside world, and a storm was ready to break.

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