“You... don't tell me you were tricked by that bald thief too?”
...
Shen Xiuhan's cheek twitched, and he squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying.
Wen Qingye pursed his lips. The bellyful of anger he had felt somehow dissipated by half. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Forget it, forget it!”
“By the way, did you say just now that he traded a few drops of Earth Stalactite Milk for one of your techniques?”
Steeling his resolve, Shen Xiuhan revealed the matter regarding the Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon.
After listening, Wen Qingye immediately hit the nail on the head.
“So that's how it is!”
“If I am not mistaken, while it is true that this Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon is an ancient technique of the Mercy Dao from hundreds of years ago, it is absolutely not part of his Great Sorrow Dharma Realm's heritage.”
“In all likelihood... it must be a closely guarded secret of the Great Mercy Dharma Realm!”
Placing his hands behind his back, Wen Qingye gazed toward the Yan State in the north, speaking in a low, contemplative tone.
“Hundreds of years ago, the supreme Buddhist Lord of the Mercy Dao, a Dharma Aspect-level powerhouse known as the Mercy Deliverance Aspect, fell along with the collapse of the Dayang Dynasty.”
“Since then, the Mercy Dao split into two great dharma realms: the Great Mercy and the Great Sorrow.”
“For over a century, the two sides have been fighting tooth and nail over who is the true orthodox successor of the Mercy Dao.”
Wen Qingye turned around to look at Shen Xiuhan and said,
“That old bald donkey went to such lengths to trick you and bring this ancient technique of the Great Mercy Dharma Realm back to the Dragon-Subduing Temple. He undoubtedly wants to use this ancient technique to make a grand scene, proving to all Buddhist cultivators under heaven that...”
“...his Great Sorrow Dharma Realm is the orthodox successor who received the true inheritance of the Dharma Aspect!”
Hearing this, Shen Xiuhan suddenly understood!
No wonder Shouchong was so lavish with his praise the moment he saw me, first complimenting my extraordinary swordplay and comparing me to Master Wen...
...and then claiming my talent was exceptional, wanting to bring me into the Buddhist fold, promising to nurture me with all his might, and guaranteeing I would achieve the Mahasattva Rank within sixty years...
It was all absolute nonsense!
Realizing this after the fact, Shen Xiuhan felt a chill.
Isn't this just the door-in-the-face technique from my previous life?
First, make an outrageous demand. Once rejected, propose a smaller, actual goal, and the other party's likelihood of accepting will skyrocket.
So...
...from beginning to end, he never expected me to agree to become a monk. Everything was just to make me lower my guard so I would hand over the Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon.
Moreover, even if I had agreed on a whim, he would have had a way to deal with it!
Since he claimed to be the abbot of Ci'en Temple in the Great Mercy Dharma Realm, he could have just dumped me at Ci'en Temple when the time came!
As for whether I could achieve the Mahasattva Rank in sixty years... what would that have to do with the Dragon-Subduing Temple of his Great Sorrow Dharma Realm?
What a cunning, wicked monk!
Shen Xiuhan's face turned dark. Remembering the old monk's appearance of an enlightened master, he cursed inwardly,
What enlightened monk? He's clearly an old fox that has attained human form!
As he gnashed his teeth in silence, he heard Wen Qingye remind him,
“You said he used five drops of Century-Old Earth Stalactite Milk to trade for your technique. Have you checked it? Is it really five drops?”
Shen Xiuhan's face changed instantly upon hearing this!
He quickly retrieved the small celadon bottle, pulled out the cork, and focused his gaze inside.
The moment the cork was pulled, an incredibly dense, refreshing fragrance burst out like a broken dam, instantly filling the entire courtyard.
The fragrance was rich and fragrant. With just a gentle sniff, one could feel the inner force in their body surging restlessly, showing signs of growing on its own.
But the problem was...
...there was only a single, soybean-sized, milky-white drop of stalactite milk resting quietly at the bottom of the bottle, reflecting Shen Xiuhan's livid face.
The next moment!
An enraged roar of gnashing teeth echoed through the courtyard:
“That old bald donkey! He is truly a thief!!”
...
Fallen leaves drifted silently in the cool night wind.
In the empty courtyard, the master and disciple stared at each other in an eerily silent atmosphere.
“Ahem...”
Wen Qingye held his fist to his lips and cleared his throat, holding back the laughter that was about to bubble over. He feigned a sigh and comforted him,
“A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. You don't need to be too discouraged. That old bald donkey has lived for over a century and is as cunning as a ghost. Even I fell for his tricks. If you ever run into someone like him again in the future, just be more vigilant.”
“Yes...”
Seeing his disciple gnashing his teeth with the look of someone who had suffered a massive loss, Wen Qingye finally burst into laughter.
“Is it not just a few drops of Century-Old Earth Stalactite Milk? I obtained more than ten drops this time, which I originally intended to split evenly among your four senior brothers and sisters...”
He paused slightly before continuing,
“However, since you have just joined my lineage, you should also receive a greeting gift...”
“Since He Tunan overstepped his bounds this time, I will make the decision to give the three drops meant for him to you as compensation. You alone will receive six drops. Are you satisfied?”
Swish!
Shen Xiuhan whipped his head up. Gone was any trace of his previous grief and indignation. With a face full of pleasant surprise, he said,
“Thank you, Master Wen! Thank you, Master!”
Seeing how quickly his face changed, Wen Qingye was both amused and exasperated. With a wave of his wide sleeve, he tossed another porcelain bottle to him, laughing as he scolded,
“You rascal! Off with you! Begone!”
“Hehe, rest well, Master. Your disciple shall take his leave!”
...
By the time he returned to his own small courtyard, the night was deep, with only a few cold stars hanging lonely in the sky.
Shen Xiuhan drew some well water and washed up briefly.
Then, blowing out the candle, he sat cross-legged quietly on his bed in the moonlight, closing his eyes slightly as he adjusted his breathing.
About fifteen minutes later, the distant chime of the hour of Zi echoed from afar.
In the darkness!
Shen Xiuhan suddenly opened his eyes and muttered in his heart:
Intelligence!
【Daily Intelligence has been refreshed】!
Several lines of pale gold text materialized out of thin air, cascading down before his eyes like a waterfall.
【Intelligence 1: Wen Qingye, Head of the Tingquan Academy of the Star-Plucking Sect, nicknamed "Flying Waterfall Sword". Sixty-eight years old, cultivation level of three condensed seals out of nine, Outer Gang Great Perfection. His swordplay is fierce, and he commands the 'Flying Waterfall Sword-Yuan'. His actual combat strength is not inferior to the Inner Gang Rank!】
【Cultivated Techniques: 『Tingquan Meditation Scripture』 Great Perfection, 『Thousand-Wave Flying Waterfall Sword』 Great Perfection, 『Heavy Wave Torrential Step』 Great Perfection, 『Yanyang Body-Tempering Art』 Great Accomplishment...】
【Note: Wen Qingye went out this time to hunt high-tier demon beasts in order to refine high-grade grand pills, attempting to break through to the Inner Gang Rank for the second time.】
So Master Wen is already at the Outer Gang Great Perfection...
Shen Xiuhan read through it line by line, a realization gradually dawning on him.
Three techniques at Great Perfection. For each technique cultivated to Great Perfection, one could condense a "divine ability seed" within their acupoints.
Three divine ability seeds precisely corresponded to Wen Qingye's cultivation level of three Outer Gang seals.
And the note in the intelligence made it clear that Master Wen's pill refining this time was to "attempt to break through to the Inner Gang Rank for the second time."
This meant that he had already tried once before but failed.
“『Yanyang Body-Tempering Art』...”
Shen Xiuhan focused his gaze on the final technique:
It seems to be a technique from the Kaiyang Academy... Is Master Wen trying to use this body-tempering technique to condense a fourth divine ability seed?
Plans for breaking through in the Gangjin Rank were ultimately far too distant for him.
After pondering for a moment, Shen Xiuhan set it aside and shifted his focus to the subsequent intelligence.
【Intelligence 2: Shouchong! Chief Monk of the Dragon-Subduing Temple of the Great Sorrow Dharma Realm, Mercy Dao. Nicknamed "Faceless Skin". One hundred and seven years old. Cultivation level of Fifth Heavenly Layer Arhat Rank!】
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