Chapter 97: Delivering a Gift, The Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle and the “Mystic Dark Eyes”
“This is…” Luo Xue paused slightly. “Your Buddhist artifact?”
Although it looked a bit strange, it seemed to carry a demonic aura.
“Sort of.”
Master Wumu nodded.
“I’m not a Buddhist cultivator, what use do I have for this artifact?” Luo Xue said helplessly. “This kind of artifact, without special techniques or cultivation methods, can’t be used, right?”
“It was like that before, but some changes occurred later, and this artifact has transformed. Now you can use it too.”
Master Wumu held out the Vajra Pestle to Luo Xue. “Take it. Perhaps it can be of some help on your journey.”
“This…”
Luo Xue hesitated. She didn’t dare to casually accept an unknown object offered to her.
Just then, Sha Yiyi came over, saw the artifact in Master Wumu’s hand, and exclaimed,
“Ah, it’s the ‘Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle’! Isn’t it on the auction list… Ah, sorry, sorry.”
Seeing Master Wumu “look” at her, Sha Yiyi shrank back.
The people of the Silent Temple hated it when others changed the names of their artifacts, especially by adding ominous prefixes.
In the Immortal-Demon War, many Buddhist artifacts were tainted with evil and degraded, not just the “Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle.”
“This artifact is called the ‘Vajra Subduing Pestle’,” Master Wumu corrected. “It’s just that my master, with his great power, sealed the Dao technique of a powerful demonic cultivator from the Demonic Ghost City within the pestle, which is why it carries a demonic aura.”
Sha Yiyi muttered inwardly, clearly, the rumors said it was contaminated by a powerful demonic cultivator…
But she wasn’t stupid enough to say that in front of Master Wumu.
“What?” Luo Xue blinked. “So, what’s the deal with this artifact?”
“This Miss Sha seems to know quite a bit, let her explain it to you.”
Master Wumu nodded slightly at Sha Yiyi and said softly.
“Me? I do know a little…”
Facing Master Wumu, a renowned prodigy, Sha Yiyi was a bit timid, but she still explained the situation of the “Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle” to Luo Xue.
Although she mentioned the contamination, with Master Wumu present, she repeatedly explained that it was just a rumor.
However, the fact that many Silent Temple artifacts were contaminated was widely acknowledged.
Almost everyone believed that the Silent Temple’s claim of sealing demonic power within their artifacts was just a pretense.
“So, it was originally a seventh-grade spiritual artifact, now only fourth-grade, but it can still exert the power of a fifth-grade artifact…”
The more Luo Xue listened, the more confused she became. This was clearly a treasure.
But such a treasure, Master Wumu was just giving it to her?
What kind of friendship was this…
“It’s not a spiritual artifact, but a magical artifact—spiritual artifacts can give birth to artifact spirits and are a level higher than magical artifacts. This Evil… Vajra Subduing Pestle is not one of them.” Sha Yiyi corrected.
“Of course, Miss Luo Xue, I’m not without ulterior motives.”
Master Wumu said with a faint smile. “This artifact contains ‘demonic power’ and cannot fall into the hands of demons. I’m just asking Miss Luo Xue to handle this troublesome artifact for me.”
“Is that so…”
Luo Xue took the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle and examined it carefully.
Suddenly, she saw the living beads at both ends of the pestle start to spin.
Then, like eyeballs, they abruptly opened, their blood-red pupils staring directly at Luo Xue, as if trying to devour her.
Luo Xue felt a sharp pain and dizziness in her head, as if her soul was about to fall into an endless abyss.
But with a faint, inaudible phoenix cry, Luo Xue’s consciousness returned to clarity, and when she recovered, the living beads had already closed again.
“What… is this thing?”
Luo Xue was shaken and almost threw the pestle away.
“As expected, Miss Luo Xue is someone worthy of trust.”
Master Wumu bowed respectfully. “This is a responsibility, and also a gift—perhaps, you can use it to change your fate. I hope to see that day come.”
“This is too sinister,” Luo Xue said with a bitter face. “Can I exchange it for something else?”
“I’m a poor monk, I have nothing else.”
Master Wumu replied.
Just then, Sha Yiyi popped up and said,
“That’s not right, Master. This item hasn’t been auctioned yet, has it? I remember it’s going to be at the auction in a few days… And if Master doesn’t have any money, you shouldn’t be able to afford it, right?”
“Buy?” Master Wumu asked with confusion. “Why would I buy it?”
“Why… wouldn’t you buy it?”
Sha Yiyi was dumbfounded.
“The Vajra Subduing Pestle originally belongs to our Silent Temple. I can just take it, there’s no need to buy it.” Master Wumu explained seriously.
“You mean… steal?”
Sha Yiyi’s eyes widened.
“No, no, taking it doesn’t count as stealing.”
“Then did you tell the people at the auction house, Master?”
Sha Keke asked.
“To avoid involving too many people in this matter, I decided to keep it as quiet as possible.” Master Wumu said faintly. “Therefore, I didn’t inform anyone, and I didn’t cause any commotion.”
“…”
Luo Xue was speechless.
This not-yet-bald bald donkey was so full of righteous nonsense.
In the end, he still snuck in and took it. This also counted as stealing, okay!
“I’ll return it to you…”
Luo Xue immediately wanted to give the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle back to Master Wumu, but he had already teleported ten feet away.
“Miss Luo Xue, farewell. Until we meet again.”
Master Wumu bowed, then paused and added,
“By the way, sealed within the ‘Vajra Subduing Pestle’ is the pupil technique of Shangguan Yu, the clan leader of the Evil Ghost lineage of the Demonic Ghost City, the ‘Mystic Dark Eyes’. Perhaps it will be useful to you.”
As his voice fell, the gray-robed figure vanished.
Luo Xue held the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle for a long time, then sighed and put it away.
“This is the first time I’ve seen someone so eager to give away something…”
Luo Xue’s expression was helpless.
“Master Wumu is like that,” Sha Yiyi came over and looked at the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle in Luo Xue’s hand. “He’s a weirdo in the Silent Temple. Other Silent Temple disciples are aloof and indifferent, but he likes to meddle in everything.”
“Oh?” Luo Xue’s ears perked up. It seemed there was more gossip to be heard. “Tell me more.”
“How should I put it… The Silent Temple, as the name suggests, doesn’t like to talk much. Although most of their disciples are skilled in divination, regardless of the results, they don’t like to reveal them, nor do they try to interfere with fate.”
“Most of the time, Silent Temple disciples are just observers. They only intervene when ‘divination’ and ‘fate’ involve their own existence.”
“But Master Wumu is different. He’s very different from other Silent Temple disciples. He’s happy to tell others his divinations and actively helps others change their fate—it’s said that this is Master Wumu’s Dao.”
“Because it goes against the Silent Temple’s principles, Master Wumu is still just a lay disciple, not qualified to call himself a ‘monk,’ nor does he address others as ‘patron’.”
“…I see, no wonder he’s different from the Buddhist cultivators in my impression.”
Luo Xue scratched the back of her head, looking at the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle in her hand, still feeling a bit troubled.
Master Wumu’s last words had indeed moved her.
After upgrading her divine ability aptitude, Luo Xue had gained the new talent “Double Pupils,” which doubled her cultivation speed for pupil-type divine abilities and enhanced their effects. She did lack a powerful pupil technique.
Now, the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle, which had been offered to her, contained a powerful pupil technique. She just didn’t know why Master Wumu wasn’t worried about her cultivating a demonic technique…
It was a pity it was stolen goods.
“Forget it, I’ll keep it for now.” Luo Xue composed herself and put the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle into her storage ring. “It’s not like I stole it. If there’s a problem, they can go find Master Wumu.”
At this moment, Nangong Mengxiang, who was beside them, scratched her head, pondering.
“Speaking of which, Shangguan something… I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before…”
…
In a remote corner of Ghost Demon Pass.
Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan, having finally escaped, hid in the shadows, their auras concealed by a technique.
“I didn’t expect Master Wumu to set up such a grand scheme to retrieve the Evil Ghost… Vajra Subduing Pestle… even involving the Zither Witch, the protector of the Temple!”
Sima Ye was still shaken. Even as the young master of the Sima clan of the Evil Ghost lineage, he didn’t have a protector of the Zither Witch’s level.
After all, the Zither Witch served the Holy Maiden directly, while Sima Ye was just the young master of one of the two clans within the Evil Ghost lineage of the Demonic Ghost City. His status was far inferior to that of the Holy Maiden in the Temple of the Nether Spirit.
However, status and strength were two different things. His cultivation was the same as the Holy Maiden’s, both at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Sima Ye also had decades more experience and had been suppressing his realm to successfully form a Heaven-grade pill in the Heavenly Cluster Sword Tomb.
“I’m sorry…”
Shangguan Lengyan said in a low voice.
Sima Ye wanted to obtain the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle for her.
Because the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle wasn’t just a powerful artifact; it also contained the secret inherited technique of the previous Shangguan Clan Leader.
If she could obtain the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle, her “Mystic Dark Eyes” could also reach a higher level.
The Shangguan and Sima clans had intermarried for generations. Sima Ye and Shangguan Lengyan were childhood sweethearts betrothed since birth, and Sima Ye’s status within the clan was even higher than Shangguan Lengyan’s.
“No, you don’t have to apologize. We advance and retreat together. This was my oversight.” Sima Ye took a deep breath. “After we return, I will ask Old Ancestor to open the Evil Ghost Secret Realm for us, to help us replenish our ghostly Qi.”
“As for the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle… we can’t stay in Ghost Demon Pass for much longer. We probably won’t be able to wait for the auction to begin.”
Sima Ye could afford the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle, no matter the price, but now they had become targets in Ghost Demon Pass. Whether they could even leave safely after obtaining it was a question.
Not to mention Master Wumu’s presence. He definitely wouldn’t let Sima Ye take away the Silent Temple’s artifact so easily.
“…Are we giving up?”
A hint of disappointment flashed through Shangguan Lengyan’s usually indifferent eyes.
Her talent within the clan wasn’t outstanding, and she couldn’t compare to Sima Ye.
Without the “Mystic Dark Eyes” sealed within the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle, after reaching Core Formation, the gap between her and Sima Ye would only widen.
“No, there’s still a way, but it’s risky.” Sima Ye calmed down. “We’ll steal the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle. As far as I know, the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang have been at odds recently, especially after today’s incident.”
“The security at the Tianhai Auction House, where the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle is being kept, must be lax. This is our last chance.”
Shangguan Lengyan was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright, I can use a secret technique to sense the location of the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle. After we obtain it, we’ll use our previous method to forcibly break through Ghost Demon Pass and return to the Demon Abyss.”
Shangguan Lengyan wasn’t indecisive. Since Sima Ye had made up his mind, she wouldn’t waver.
She wanted to replace her own eyes with the sealed “Mystic Dark Eyes” because she knew she couldn’t reach the same level as the previous Clan Leader, her distant aunt, Shangguan Yu.
Even if she reached Nascent Soul, she wouldn’t be able to advance much further, nowhere near the level of her brilliant aunt.
The other prodigies of the Shangguan clan disdained using Shangguan Yu’s pupil technique, so they wouldn’t compete with her for it, but they also wouldn’t help her.
Therefore, this was Shangguan Lengyan’s only chance, her only chance to break through her bottleneck.
“And, before we act… we need to add one final spark to this powder keg that is about to explode in Ghost Demon Pass.”
Sima Ye narrowed his eyes slightly. Although his injuries hadn’t fully healed, his usual shrewdness returned.
“Snatching chestnuts from the fire… is also an option.”
Shangguan Lengyan nodded slightly and immediately used a divine ability to sense the aura of the “Mystic Dark Eyes.”
A moment later, she opened her eyes, her face filled with shock.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Shangguan Lengyan’s expression, Sima Ye quickly asked.
“It’s not there…”
Shangguan Lengyan looked towards the Tianhai Auction House. Her perception in that direction was empty, with no trace of the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle.
“How is that possible,” Sima Ye frowned slightly. “I already inquired about it before. The Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle is in the auction house.”
“Besides us and Master Wumu, no one else would be interested in such a special artifact.”
The Vajra Pestle was originally a Buddhist artifact, only usable by Buddhist cultivators. In the hands of others, it was just a heavy weapon, unable to exert its true power.
But after Shangguan Yu’s divine ability was sealed within it, it was tainted with the aura of the Evil Ghost lineage, allowing them to wield its power as well.
“Right, Master Wumu, it must be Master Wumu!”
Shangguan Lengyan sensed carefully again and finally found the aura of the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle in an inconspicuous direction. Her breathing quickened. “Could it be that he stole the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle? But he… how could he do such a thing…”
Sima Ye was silent for a moment, then shook his head.
“He’s definitely capable of doing such a thing. Master Wumu is completely different from ordinary Buddhist cultivators, that’s what makes him so troublesome…”
But no matter what, they had to retrieve the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle.
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