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墨書 Inktalez
Shangguan Mingyue told me early in the morning to get ready, as Xuanzong was located atop an extremely steep and towering mountain.
Ordinary people wouldn't be able to make it up without some physical strength. The mountain was almost self-sufficient; aside from some essential supplies, this construction was also meant for the daily training of Xuanzong's disciples.
So before setting off, I packed two large bags, filled with nearly all my belongings and some newly acquired items.
This time, I helped Boss Wang, and since I contributed significantly, we split the money we received fifty-fifty.
Fifty thousand yuan was enough for me to live on for a year.
On the way to our destination, I took a nap and had a strange dream.
The dream was unsettlingly vivid, and I couldn't understand why it had to come to me in that way.
The car journey lasted all night, and we finally reached the foot of the mountain at 7 AM. Then we began our ascent with heavy loads, reaching the top just as darkness fell.
Looking at the small, dilapidated Taoist temple before me, it was hard to imagine this was the grand Xuanzong that Shangguan Mingyue had described.
Just as we stood still, the previously closed mountain gate suddenly opened.
A Taoist apprentice dressed in a robe stepped out, glanced at us, and said, "Are you Master Mingyue?"
Shangguan Mingyue nodded seriously and led me inside alongside the Taoist apprentice.
To my surprise, this Jade Sun True Person of Xuanzong seemed quite capable; he had already guessed our arrival as soon as we arrived.
I leaned closer and whispered, "Master Mingyue, I didn't expect you to have such a high status."
"I am one of the closed-door disciples of my master, who is the head of the Xuan Sect. My status is quite significant. The Taoist Sect places great importance on hierarchy, so you should show me some respect," Shangguan Mingyue replied, looking at me with an air of superiority.
Just as I stepped into the Taoist Sect, the gourd hanging from my waist began to shake violently; it contained treasures.
Worried that something might happen, I quickly pulled Shangguan Mingyue aside to check on it.
"Everyone here is a cultivator, filled with righteous energy. This ghost naturally can't withstand it. Just wait a moment; I'll get something to contain it," she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a Silk Pouch to store the gourd.
Strangely enough, once the gourd was sealed inside, it fell silent.
As we entered the room, we found an old man with a bushy white beard sitting in the center. Despite his age, he appeared quite spirited, sitting upright with a straight back.
As we approached, he kept his eyes closed. Shangguan Mingyue respectfully knelt down and bowed her head, calling out, "Master."
Seeing her kneel, I followed suit but was unsure how to address him, so I waited for the elder to give me a cue.
"Bright Moon, you've returned?"
The deep, aged voice carried an air of seriousness that evoked a sense of authority without anger.
The ever-cheerful Shangguan Mingyue, who had been joking and carefree beside me, now behaved like a docile cat in front of her master.
"Master, your disciple Mingyue has returned, and I’ve brought you a good apprentice."
I understood Shangguan Mingyue's intention; she was introducing me to her master, and I felt a flicker of anticipation in my heart.
"I do not accept disciples."
I had expected the Jade Sun True Person to at least offer some commentary about me, but instead, he dismissed me with just three words. Anger bubbled within me, but recalling Mu Xuanche's instructions from my dream to ensure I became a disciple of the Jade Sun True Person, I swallowed my frustration.
"May I ask, Jade Sun True Person, why you are unwilling to take me as your disciple?"
As soon as my words left my mouth, the room fell into silence. Everyone held their breath as if I had committed some grave offense. Eyes widened in shock, they stared at me while Shangguan Mingyue quietly tugged at my sleeve.
I ignored their reactions and focused solely on the Jade Sun True Person, aware that he was scrutinizing me in return.
Sure enough, after a brief moment, he opened his eyes to look at me. The instant his eyes opened, a cold light shot forth. It startled me so much that I caught my breath and swallowed hard, afraid to make a sound.
"You are unworthy!" The cold light flickered as I realized these words were directed at me by the Jade Sun True Person.
Stung by his words, my respect for him evaporated in an instant, replaced by indignation.
He looked at the one seated above him with a cold smile, furious. "What makes you think I am unworthy?"
"Just the fact that your fate is entirely yin, your destiny is rigid, and you are a Ghost Marriage woman. You are simply unworthy."
The words of the Jade Sun True Person shocked me. How did he know all this? If it was all calculated, then this person was terrifying—almost like he had become an immortal.
I was stunned into silence, and Shangguan Mingyue quietly whispered in my ear, "Close your mouth. My master is known as the Earth Immortal; he knows much more than you can imagine."
So this old man was that impressive; no wonder he had such a temper.
I knelt down again and pleaded, "Please take me as your disciple."
The Jade Sun True Person closed his eyes once more, his expression indifferent. "The mountain gate is wide open, welcoming guests. Sister Gu should just go back for now."
Mu Xuanche approached, determined to become his disciple no matter what. I insisted, "No, I beg you to accept me as your disciple."
The Jade Sun True Person beckoned me with his hand, and I slowly crawled over to him.
He stared at me. "Do you truly wish to join my Mystical Sect and become my disciple?"
I nodded without hesitation.
His expression softened a bit, a smile appearing on his face—a sly smile that made me feel as though I was about to be sold off.
"If you truly wish to become my disciple, help me sell a few items, will you?"
I knew it was a trick, but I had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Jade Sun True Person had Tong bring over four items. I took a look and asked Jade Sun True Person, "Master, are these the four items you mentioned?"
Jade Sun True Person nodded at me. "That's right. As long as you can sell these four items for one million, I will accept you as my disciple."
Is he out of his mind?
He must be joking. These four items together are worth less than ten dollars; selling them for a million is nothing short of a fantasy.
A comb, a White Bowl, a pair of chopsticks, and a Peace Charm. If I try to sell these for a million, I'll probably get arrested for fraud.
"Master, are you sure you're not joking?" I asked, raising my face in hope that Jade Sun True Person would tell me this wasn't true.
To my surprise, his expression turned cold, and he didn't even glance at me.
"I never joke. If you can do it, then so can I. If you can't do it, why should I accept you as my disciple?"
Before I could retort, Jade Sun True Person summoned Tong and said, "See him out," effectively dismissing me from the hall.
Following Shangguan Mingyue back to the dormitory, I stared blankly at the four items laid out on the bed.
Seeing me like this, Shangguan Mingyue comforted me, saying, "Yan Xi, don't be sad. That's just how my master is. That's why he only has three disciples now. How about we don't apprentice under him?"
"No," I replied almost without hesitation.
Avoiding Shangguan Mingyue, I called Liu Qingfeng to briefly explain the situation.
"Are you saying Mu Xuanche wants you to become his disciple?" Liu Qingfeng asked on the other end of the line.
"Yes, Daoist."
"Heh, that Evil Spirit."
I was puzzled by his sudden laughter; it felt strange. I quickly asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just go ahead and apprentice under your Underworld Husband. As for that stinky Daoist from Yuyang, I believe you can meet his conditions. If you complete the task and he still refuses to take you in, just tell him you know Liu Qingfeng."
After Liu Qingfeng finished speaking, he hung up before I could fully grasp his meaning.
Lying on the bed in a daze, Shangguan Mingyue comforted me and suggested taking me down the mountain to see if we could encounter any hidden wealthy individuals here who might be able to help.
Early on the twenty-first day, I dragged Shangguan Mingyue down the mountain and asked her to help me find out the address of the richest person in this area. I wanted to try my luck. I refused to believe that I couldn't do it.
"Did you hear? The Wang family's son is sick. Instead of sleeping in a nice bed, he's chosen to sleep in a coffin."
I sat down with Shangguan Mingyue at a noodle shop to take a break and grab a bite to eat. Behind us, I overheard a conversation that piqued my interest due to its strange content.
A middle-aged woman was speaking, presumably to her husband sitting across from her. After she finished, he replied, "Isn't that right? Sleeping in a coffin, I think they must have encountered a ghost. With the Zhang Family being so wealthy and having only one child, isn't that just asking for trouble?"
Wealthy, strange...
I chuckled; wasn't that exactly what I was looking for?
After paying for the couple's noodles behind us, I casually inquired about the location of the Zhang Family and then pulled Shangguan Mingyue along with me.
Standing at the entrance of the Zhang Family's residence, I saw a three-story villa with classic European-style architecture. It certainly looked quite affluent.
"Yan Xi, I think you should reconsider going in. Something feels off here," Shangguan Mingyue warned.
I could sense something was indeed amiss with the house; the greenery at the entrance was almost dead, indicating a lack of Yang Qi.
Knowing there were tigers in the mountains yet still heading toward them.
In the end, I disregarded Shangguan Mingyue's advice and entered the Zhang Family's home.
As soon as we stepped inside, we were greeted by a black coffin placed in the courtyard garden, covered with a sunshade to protect it from the sunlight.
Seeing us enter, a plump middle-aged woman approached and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
I smiled at her and said, "Hello, we are looking for the owner of the Zhang Family."
The woman looked at me suspiciously and then asked, "Are you looking for my husband?"
"Madam Zhang, hello. We are here to help resolve some issues for the Zhang Family. May we speak inside?"
As soon as I finished speaking, Madam Zhang's expression changed dramatically. She grabbed a broom from the side and swung it at me.
Fortunately, Shangguan Mingyue reacted quickly; otherwise, I would have been in trouble. Angrily, I raised my voice and said, "Madam Zhang, what are you doing? I came here to help you; how can you treat me like this?"
Madam Zhang glared at us with a fierce look and shouted, "You scammers! Instead of being a good girl, you engage in such wicked deeds. Helping me? Just wait until I beat you to death!"
Madam Zhang charged at us with the broom, and Shangguan Mingyue quickly pulled me away to escape.
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