zhè xiē mó shí qǐng dào yǒu shǔ shù , kàn shù mù shì fǒu yǒu wù ?“
这些魔石请道友数数,看数目是否有误?“
"These魔 stones, please let Daoist friend count them to see if the number is correct?"
jǐn guǎn míng zhī dào duì fāng zhè me zuò , shí yǒu shì yǒu yīn móu , rán ér lín xuān hái shì bù zài yì de , bīng lái jiāng dǎng , shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn , sòng shàng mén de bǎo wù , zì jǐ gàn má yào wǎng wài tuī jù ne ?
尽管明知道对方这么做,十有是有阴谋,然而林轩还是不在意的,兵来将挡,水来土掩,送上门的宝物,自己干嘛要往外推拒呢?
Although Lin Xuan knew full well that the other party was doing this with ulterior motives, he wasn't bothered. He would handle it as it came—when the bullets came, the generals would fight; when the water came, the earth would block it. Why not accept a gift that had been offered?
yīn móu , jiù suàn yǒu yòu rú hé , yào zhī dào , zì jǐ kě shì yǐn cáng le shí lì lái zhe , rú guǒ duì fāng zhēn jiāng zì jǐ dàng zuò shì qū qū yuán yīng jí bié de mó zú , nà zuì hòu chī kuī de kěn dìng shì tā men zì jǐ le .
阴谋,就算有又如何,要知道,自己可是隐藏了实力来着,如果对方真将自己当做是区区元婴级别的魔族,那最后吃亏的肯定是他们自己了.
Even if there were ulterior motives, what of it? After all, Lin Xuan had concealed his true strength. If the other party really thought he was just an ordinary元婴级别的魔族, they would end up losing in the end.
huàn jù huà shuō , lín xuān bù pà , zhè shí lì yī qiáng , dǐ qì kěn dìng jiù zú a !
换句话说,林轩不怕,这实力一强,底气肯定就足啊!
In other words, Lin Xuan wasn't afraid; with such power, his confidence was bound to be high!
yú shì zhōu yú dǎ huáng gài , yí gè yuàn dǎ yí gè yuàn āi , zuì hòu , jiāo yì jié shù , shuāng fāng gè yǒu suàn jì , kān chēng shì jiē dà huān xǐ .
于是周瑜打黄盖,一个愿打一个愿挨,最后,交易结束,双方各有算计,堪称是皆大欢喜.
Thus, it was a mutual agreement—Lin Xuan and the middle-aged魔族 both got what they wanted. The transaction ended amicably for all parties involved.
“ zài xià zěn huì xìn bù guò dào yǒu , bù yòng chá .“
“在下怎会信不过道友,不用查.“
"Daoist friend, how could I not trust you? No need to check."
shuō wán cǐ huà , nà zhōng nián mó zú xiù páo yī chā , jiù jiāng zhuāng yǒu mó shí de chǔ wù dài shōu qǐ lái le , guǒ rán bù céng jiǎn chá , fǎn zhèng zhè cì jiāo yì , tā dǎ dī jiù shì kuī běn de zhǔ yì , duō kuī yī xiē , shǎo kuī yī xiē , yòu yǒu shén me guān xì , zhǐ yào néng jiāng nà huò hài sòng zǒu , sǔn hào de xiē xǔ mó shí , yǐ tā men diàn pù de shí lì , nà hái shì wú shāng dà yǎ dì .
说完此话,那中年魔族袖袍一插,就将装有魔石的储物袋收起来了,果然不曾检查,反正这次交易,他打的就是亏本的主意,多亏一些,少亏一些,又有什么关系,只要能将那祸害送走,损耗的些许魔石,以他们店铺的实力,那还是无伤大雅地.
After saying this, the middle-aged魔族 inserted his sleeve robe and stowed away the storage bag containing the魔 stones without checking them. As expected, he didn't bother with a check since he was planning to lose money on this transaction anyway. A little more or less loss wouldn't matter as long as he could get rid of that troublemaker.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò , tā wàng xiàng lín xuān de mù guāng yě jiù yǒu xiē qí guài le , yǐn hán lián mǐn yǔ jī cháo zhī sè , zhǐ bù guò shì yī shǎn jí shì bà le .
脑海中念头转过,他望向林轩的目光也就有些奇怪了,隐含怜悯与讥嘲之色,只不过是一闪即逝罢了.
With these thoughts in mind, his gaze towards Lin Xuan became somewhat strange, filled with pity and mockery, though it was only fleeting.
zhōng nián mó zú jiàn lín xuān dī tóu jiàn shǎng bǎo wù , yǐ wéi zhè xì wēi de shén qíng biàn huà lín xuān bìng bù qí , dé .
中年魔族见林轩低头鉴赏宝物,以为这细微的神情变化林轩并不脐,得.
Seeing Lin Xuan admiring the treasures, the middle-aged魔族 assumed that this subtle change in expression would not be noticed by Lin Xuan. However, he was mistaken; with Lin Xuan's powerful spirit sense, even a single ant crawling around wouldn't escape his notice. The middle-aged魔族's expressions were clear to Lin Xuan, though he didn't say anything.
rán ér tā què cuò dé lí pǔ , yǐ lín xuān shén shí zhī qiáng , zhěng gè diàn pù , zhǐ yào bú shì bèi jìn zhì lǒng zhào zhī suǒ , jiù suàn shì yī zhī mǎ yǐ de pá dòng , yě nán táo tā shén shí de bǎ wò , duì fāng shén qíng de biàn huà lín xuān zì rán shì yì qīng èr chǔ , zhǐ bù guò méi yǒu kāi kǒu bà le .
然而他却错得离谱,以林轩神识之强,整个店铺,只要不是被禁制笼罩之所,就算是一只蚂蚁的爬动,也难逃他神识的把握,对方神情的变化林轩自然是一清二楚,只不过没有开口罢了.
Sometimes, it wasn't necessary to lay everything out in the open—better to be vague and let people guess.
yǒu yī xiē dōng xī , méi bì yào bǎi dào míng miàn shàng lái shuō , nán dé hú tú .
有一些东西,没必要摆到明面上来说,难得糊涂.
With that, Lin Xuan stood up and bid farewell.
suí hòu lín xuān jiù qǐ shēn gào cí le .
随后林轩就起身告辞了.
"Daoist friend, have a good journey. I still have business to attend to, so no need for you to see me off."
“ dào yǒu zǒu hǎo , zài xià hái yǒu shēng yì yào zuò , jiù bù yuǎn sòng le “
“道友走好,在下还有生意要做,就不远送了“
"Haha, shopkeeper, you're too polite. Go on with your affairs; I don't need any farewells," said Lin Xuan with a smile as he bowed and left the room.
“ hē hē , zhǎng guì kè qì , nǐ qù máng jiù shì , lín mǒu zhè ér bù yòng zhāo hū “ lín xuān xiào róng kě jū de shuō suí hòu yī gǒng shǒu , jiù cóng fáng jiān lǐ chū qù le .
“呵呵,掌柜客气,你去忙就是,林某这儿不用招呼“林轩笑容可掬的说随后一拱手,就从房间里出去了.
Watching Lin Xuan's back disappear, the middle-aged魔族's face showed a sneer of satisfaction, his excitement evident and uncontrollable.
wàng zhe lín xuān de bèi yǐng xiāo shī , nà zhōng nián mó zú de liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī yīn sǔn zhī sè , qí zhōng de xīng fèn , nà gèng shì yì yú yán biǎo , gēn běn yā zhì bú zhù .
望着林轩的背影消失,那中年魔族的脸上露出一丝阴损之色,其中的兴奋,那更是溢于言表,根本压制不住.
---
suí hòu tā xiù páo yī nán , yí gè hēi hū hū de lìng pái fēi lüè ér chū , zhōng nián mó zú shēn shǒu wò zhù , qīng qīng yī huǎng cóng lǐ miàn fēi chū yī dào wū máng , bù kě sī yì de yí mù chū xiàn le , zài zhè fáng jiān de jiǎo luò , jìng rán chū xiàn le yí gè dòng kǒu .
随后他袖袍一楠,一个黑乎乎的令牌飞掠而出,中年魔族伸手握住,轻轻一晃从里面飞出一道乌芒,不可思议的一幕出现了,在这房间的角落,竟然出现了一个洞口.
Afterwards, he rolled up his sleeve robe, and a black token flew out. The middle-aged魔族 grabbed it and gently shook it; from within, a dark light emerged. Astonishingly, a hole appeared in the corner of the room.
chéng yuán xíng bìng bù kuān kuò , rán ér róng yī rén tōng guò hái shì méi yǒu wèn tí de .
呈圆形并不宽阔,然而容一人通过还是没有问题的.
The circular opening was not spacious enough for more than one person to pass through, but that wasn't an issue.
lǐ miàn tóng yàng shì hēi hū hū de , yī tiáo jiē tī yán shēn dào dì dǐ yuǎn chù .
里面同样是黑乎乎的,一条阶梯延伸到地底远处.
Inside, everything was pitch black, with steps leading down into the distance.
nà zhōng nián mó zú mài bù zǒu xià qù le .
那中年魔族迈步走下去了.
The middle-aged魔族 stepped down the stairs.
zhè jiē tī bìng bú shì hěn zhǎng , bù guò xiǎo bàn zhǎn chá de dà , jiù lái dào le dǐ bù , yí gè yuán xíng de shí wū yìng rù yǎn lián le .
这阶梯并不是很长,不过小半盏茶的大,就来到了底步,一个圆形的石屋映入眼帘了.
The staircase wasn't long; it took only a few minutes to reach the bottom. A round stone house came into view.
lǐ miàn de chén shè fēi cháng jiǎn piáo .
里面的陈设非常简朴.
The interior was very simple—just one table and one chair. In the corner near the stone wall, there was something that looked like a bed, on which an elderly man lay. His appearance resembled that of the middle-aged魔族, so they must be related by blood.
jǐn yǒu yī zhuō , yī yǐ , zài kào jìn shí bì de jiǎo luò , hái yǒu yī zhāng xiàng shì chuáng de dōng xī , shàng miàn tǎng zhe yī míng lǎo zhě róng mào yǔ zhōng nián mó zú pǒ yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì zhī chù , bú yòng shuō , èr zhě kěn dìng shì yǒu xuè yuán guān xì de .
仅有一桌,一椅,在靠近石壁的角落,还有一张像是床的东西,上面躺着一名老者容貌与中年魔族颇有几分相似之处,不用说,二者肯定是有血缘关系的.
"Uncle!"
“ èr shū !.“
“二叔!.“
The middle-aged魔族 bowed to the elder, his face full of respect: "Are you feeling better?"
nà zhōng nián mó zú xiàng nà lǎo zhě xíng le yī lǐ , liǎn shàng mǎn shì gōng shùn zhī yì , sù shǒu ér lì :“ nín lǎo rén jiā hǎo xiē le me ?“
那中年魔族像那老者行了一礼,脸上满是恭顺之意,素手而立:“您老人家好些了么?“
"Has that ghostly牟 been sent away?"
“ nà tiān guǐ móu , kě sòng chū qù le “
“那天鬼牟,可送出去了“
"Yes, it was sent out. To lure the other party, I even gave up three more treasures," said the middle-aged魔族 with a pained expression.
“ sòng chū qù le , wèi le ràng duì fāng shàng gōu , shèn zhì hái dā shàng lìng wài sān jiàn bǎo wù “ nà zhōng nián mó zú yǒu diǎn ròu téng de shuō .
“送出去了,为了让对方上钩,甚至还搭上另外三件宝物“那中年魔族有点肉疼的说.
"Three more treasures?"
“ lìng wài sān jiàn bǎo wù ?.“
“另外三件宝物?.“
"That's right; that guy has an insatiable appetite. He wanted not only the 天鬼斧 but also the 追魂夺命针 and the 失魂鼓. Even the 魔龟盾 was taken," he said, clearly regretting his decision.
“ bù cuò , nà jiā huo wèi kǒu jí dà , yào le tiān guǐ fǔ , zhuī hún duó mìng zhēn , shī hún gǔ hái bù mǎn zú , lián mó guī dùn yě bèi tā yào qù le .“
“不错,那家伙胃口极大,要了天鬼斧,追魂夺命针,失魂鼓还不满足,连魔龟盾也被他要去了.“
"Is that so?" The elder on the stone bed closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, revealing a spark of brilliance in his gaze: "These three treasures are indeed non-trivial, but it's fine. To avoid disaster, we must pay some price. These minor losses can be borne."
“ shì me ?“ nà shí chuáng shàng de lǎo zhě bì shàng shuāng móu , piàn shù hòu zhēng kāi , yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yì yì de guāng cǎi :“ zhè sān jiàn bǎo wù què shí fēi tóng xiǎo kě , bù guò méi yǒu guān xì , xiǎng yào miǎn zāi nà kěn dìng yào pò yì diǎn cái , zhè xiē xǔ dài jià , wǒ men hái fù dé qǐ .“
“是么?“那石床上的老者闭上双眸,片庶后睁开,眼中闪过熠熠的光彩:“这三件宝物确实非同小可,不过没有关系,想要免灾那肯定要破一点财,这些许代价,我们还付得起.“
"The words of my uncle are correct; I share the same thoughts. However, will that ghostly牟 honor his promise and lift the curse from Uncle after finding a new host for the 天鬼斧?" The middle-aged man said with concern.
“ èr shū suǒ yán méi cuò , zhí ér yě shì zhè me xiǎng de , bù guò , wèi tiān guǐ fǔ chóng xīn zhǎo dào jì zhǔ , nà tiān guǐ shàng rén shì fǒu huì zūn shǒu chéng nuò jiě chú nín shēn shàng de zǔ zhòu ne ?.“ zhōng nián rén shuō dào zhè lǐ , liǎn shàng mǎn shì dān xīn zhī yì .
“二叔所言没错,侄儿也是这么想的,不过,为天鬼斧重新找到寄主,那天鬼上人是否会遵守承诺解除您身上的诅咒呢?.“中年人说到这里,脸上满是担心之意.
"Rest assured. Although old man was constrained by that old fellow, he left behind some contingency plans. Since I fulfilled his conditions, that old ghost wouldn't dare break his word; otherwise, would he not fear the heartfire of thought?"
“ nǐ fàng xīn dāng nián lǎo fū suī rán shòu zhì yú nà lǎo jiā huǒ , dàn yě pīn sǐ liú xià le yì diǎn hòu shǒu de wǒ dā yìng tā de tiáo jiàn jì rán bàn dào le , tiān guǐ nà lǎo jiā huǒ , zì rán bù gǎn shuǎng yuē de , fǒu zé , nán dào tā jiù bù pà xīn niàn mó huǒ “
“你放心当年老夫虽然受制于那老家伙,但也拼死留下了一点后手的我答应他的条件既然办到了,天鬼那老家伙,自然不敢爽约的,否则,难道他就不怕心念魔火“
"Heartfire of thought—so Uncle has left such a contingency plan? That's reassuring," said the middle-aged man with obvious relief on his face.
“ xīn niàn mó huǒ , yuán lái èr shū liú xià le zhè yàng de hòu shǒu , nà zhí ér yě jiù fàng xīn le “ zhōng nián rén tīng dào zhè lǐ , míng xiǎn sōng le kǒu qì , liǎn shàng mǎn shì xīn xǐ .
“心念魔火,原来二叔留下了这样的后手,那侄儿也就放心了“中年人听到这里,明显松了口气,脸上满是欣喜.
"Humph! What reason is there for celebration? The ghostly牟 once ruled over the魔族 thousands of years ago. It was said that he killed more than ten魔尊, reaching the 分神 stage. In the end, he somehow angered a saint ancestor and was destroyed by the saint's power."
“ hēng , yǒu shén me zhí de gāo xìng , tiān guǐ shàng rén shù wàn nián qián céng zòng héng mó zú , jù shuō , fēn shén jí bié de mó zūn , sǐ zài tā shǒu zhōng de yě yǒu shí jǐ gè , zuì hòu nà lǎo jiā huǒ , bù zhī zěn me de jī nù le yī wèi shèng zǔ , bèi shèng zǔ dà rén yǐ léi tíng shǒu duàn miè diào le “
“哼,有什么值得高兴,天鬼上人数万年前曾纵横魔族,据说,分神级别的魔尊,死在他手中的也有十几个,最后那老家伙,不知怎么的激怒了一位圣祖,被圣祖大人以雷霆手段灭掉了“
"At that time, many forces rejoiced at his demise, believing him to be gone forever. The old man only saw records of his deeds in ancient texts; who would have thought that even facing the saint's thunderbolt, this madman could use a secret technique to split his元婴 and hide most of it with his soul, attaching the rest to the 天鬼斧."
“ dāng shí , xǔ duō céng bèi tiān guǐ shàng hài guò de shì lì dōu tán guān xiāng qìng , yǐ wéi zhè lǎo jiā huǒ yǔn luò , yǒng shì bù dé chāo shēng le , guān yú tā de shì jì , lǎo dà yě zhǐ zài diǎn jí shàng jiàn guò , shuí huì xiǎo de , jí shǐ miàn duì shèng zǔ dà rén de léi tíng zhī jī , zhè tiān guǐ shàng rén jū rán yě yǒu mán tiān guò hǎi zhī jì , yìng shì shī zhǎn yī zhǒng bù kě sī yì de mì shù , jiāng yuán yīng yī fēn wéi èr , dà bù fèn ｑ, yīng yǔn luò , xiǎo bù fèn zé yǔ hún pò hùn hé , yì qǐ fù zhuó zài tā dāng nián shǐ yòng guò de běn mìng bǎo wù , tiān guǐ fǔ shàng le .“
“当时,许多曾被天鬼上害过的势力都弹冠相庆,以为这老家伙陨落,永世不得超生了,关于他的事迹,老大也只在典籍上见过,谁会晓得,即使面对圣祖大人的雷霆之击,这天鬼上人居然也有瞒天过海之技,硬是施展一种不可思议的秘术,将元婴一分为二,大部分ｑ,婴陨落,小部分则与魂魄混合,一起附着在他当年使用过的本命宝物,天鬼斧上了.“
"Since then, the artifact has remained hidden until three hundred years ago when I discovered an ancient cultivator’s lair and obtained this infamous treasure. At the time, I was overjoyed; its value could rival that of a divine treasure. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
“ ér zhè jiàn bǎo wù , zì cóng tiān guǐ sǐ hòu , yě yì zhí bù céng chū tǔ , suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí , rén men yǐ jiāng zhè lǎo fēng zi wàng jì , shuí xiǎo de , sān bǎi nián qián , lǎo dà fā xiàn yī shàng gǔ xiū shì de dòng fǔ , dé dào le zhè jiàn è míng zhāo zhāng de bǎo wù , dāng shí , lǎo dà hái huān xǐ bù yǐ , zhè jiàn bǎo wù de jià zhí , zú yǐ yǔ tōng tiān líng bǎo xiāng bǐ , nǎ xiǎo de , shì fú bú shì huò , què cóng cǐ yǐn huǒ shāo shēn le “
“而这件宝物,自从天鬼死后,也一直不曾出土,随着时间的推移,人们已将这老疯子忘记,谁晓得,三百年前,老大发现一上古修士的洞府,得到了这件恶名昭彰的宝物,当时,老大还欢喜不已,这件宝物的价值,足以与通天灵宝相比,哪晓得,是福不是祸,却从此引火烧身了“
"Luckily, my situation didn't suit possession by another body. However, that old ghost also cursed me, forcing me to find him a suitable host for his possession," the elder said.
“ hǎo zài lǎo fū yùn qì hái suàn bú cuò , wǒ běn shēn de qíng kuàng bú shì hé bèi duó shě , rán ér nà tiān guǐ shàng rén yě gěi wǒ xià le yī hé è dú zhòu shù , yǐ cǐ yào xiá lǎo fū , ràng wǒ gěi tā zhǎo yī hé shì de ròu qū , yòng yú duó shě .“
“好在老夫运气还算不错,我本身的情况不适合被夺舍,然而那天鬼上人也给我下了一和恶毒咒术,以此要狭老夫,让我给他找一合适的肉躯,用于夺舍.“
"Uncle's words are correct; don't grieve over this matter. The troublemaker has been sent away, and no matter how arrogant or domineering he becomes in the future, it won't affect us much. I just have one curiosity..."
“ èr shū suǒ yán bù cuò , nín lǎo yě bié shāng gǎn le , rú jīn huò hài yǐ jīng sòng chū , yǐ hòu tiān guǐ shàng rén zài rú hé de xiāo zhāng bá hù , yě yǔ wǒ men méi yǒu duō dà de guān xì le , zhí ér zhǐ shì yǒu xiē hào qí ……“
“二叔所言不错,您老也别伤感了,如今祸害已经送出,以后天鬼上人再如何的嚣张跋扈,也与我们没有多大的关系了,侄儿只是有些好奇……“
"What is your curiosity?"
“ hào qí shén me ?“
“好奇什么?“
"Why would that Lin family guy be chosen as a host? His talent isn't particularly impressive; he's merely an ordinary元婴级别的修仙者," said the middle-aged man, rubbing his forehead with confusion.
“ jīn tiān nà xìng lín de jiā huo , zhí ér qiǎo rán yòng líng mù tàn chá guò , tā de zī zhì yě bù rú hé , bù guò shì qū qū yī míng yuán yīng jí bié de xiū xiān zhě , tiān guǐ shàng rén zěn me huì xuǎn zé tā zuò wéi sù zhǔ ne ?“ zhōng nián rén yǐ shǒu fǔ é , mǎn liǎn bù jiě de kāi kǒu le .
“今天那姓林的家伙,侄儿悄然用灵目探查过,他的资质也不如何,不过是区区一名元婴级别的修仙者,天鬼上人怎么会选择他作为宿主呢?“中年人以手抚额,满脸不解的开口了.
"I don't know either, but possession and cultivation level aren't closely related. With the ghostly牟's abilities, he could quickly recover his cultivation if given a suitable body. However, to be honest, that person's cultivation is lacking, but what does it matter? I only hope we never have any further dealings with that old monster."
“ nǐ wèn wǒ , wǒ yòu nǎ lǐ xiǎo de , bù guò duó shě yǔ xiū wèi , běn shēn jiù méi yǒu duō dà de guān xì , yǐ tiān guǐ shàng rén zhī néng , zhǐ yào yǒu hé shì de qū tǐ , hěn kuài jiù néng xiū wèi jǐn fù , bù guò píng xīn lái shuō , nà rén de xiū wèi shì chà le yì diǎn , dàn nà yòu yǔ wǒ men yǒu shén me guān xì ne , lǎo dà zhǐ xī wàng , yǒng yuǎn bú yào zài yǔ nà lǎo guài wù yǒu rèn hé qiān chě .“
“你问我,我又哪里晓得,不过夺舍与修为,本身就没有多大的关系,以天鬼上人之能,只要有合适的躯体,很快就能修为尽复,不过平心来说,那人的修为是差了一点,但那又与我们有什么关系呢,老大只希望,永远不要再与那老怪物有任何牵扯.“
"Uncle speaks truthfully; it was my fault for being overly attached," said the middle-aged man.
"These魔 stones, please let Daoist friend count them to see if the number is correct?"
Although Lin Xuan knew full well that the other party was doing this with ulterior motives, he wasn't bothered. He would handle it as it came—when the bullets came, the generals would fight; when the water came, the earth would block it. Why not accept a gift that had been offered?
Even if there were ulterior motives, what of it? After all, Lin Xuan had concealed his true strength. If the other party really thought he was just an ordinary元婴级别的魔族, they would end up losing in the end.
In other words, Lin Xuan wasn't afraid; with such power, his confidence was bound to be high!
Thus, it was a mutual agreement—Lin Xuan and the middle-aged魔族 both got what they wanted. The transaction ended amicably for all parties involved.
"Daoist friend, how could I not trust you? No need to check."
After saying this, the middle-aged魔族 inserted his sleeve robe and stowed away the storage bag containing the魔 stones without checking them. As expected, he didn't bother with a check since he was planning to lose money on this transaction anyway. A little more or less loss wouldn't matter as long as he could get rid of that troublemaker.
With these thoughts in mind, his gaze towards Lin Xuan became somewhat strange, filled with pity and mockery, though it was only fleeting.
Seeing Lin Xuan admiring the treasures, the middle-aged魔族 assumed that this subtle change in expression would not be noticed by Lin Xuan. However, he was mistaken; with Lin Xuan's powerful spirit sense, even a single ant crawling around wouldn't escape his notice. The middle-aged魔族's expressions were clear to Lin Xuan, though he didn't say anything.
Sometimes, it wasn't necessary to lay everything out in the open—better to be vague and let people guess.
With that, Lin Xuan stood up and bid farewell.
"Daoist friend, have a good journey. I still have business to attend to, so no need for you to see me off."
"Haha, shopkeeper, you're too polite. Go on with your affairs; I don't need any farewells," said Lin Xuan with a smile as he bowed and left the room.
Watching Lin Xuan's back disappear, the middle-aged魔族's face showed a sneer of satisfaction, his excitement evident and uncontrollable.
---
Afterwards, he rolled up his sleeve robe, and a black token flew out. The middle-aged魔族 grabbed it and gently shook it; from within, a dark light emerged. Astonishingly, a hole appeared in the corner of the room.
The circular opening was not spacious enough for more than one person to pass through, but that wasn't an issue.
Inside, everything was pitch black, with steps leading down into the distance.
The middle-aged魔族 stepped down the stairs.
The staircase wasn't long; it took only a few minutes to reach the bottom. A round stone house came into view.
The interior was very simple—just one table and one chair. In the corner near the stone wall, there was something that looked like a bed, on which an elderly man lay. His appearance resembled that of the middle-aged魔族, so they must be related by blood.
"Uncle!"
The middle-aged魔族 bowed to the elder, his face full of respect: "Are you feeling better?"
"Has that ghostly牟 been sent away?"
"Yes, it was sent out. To lure the other party, I even gave up three more treasures," said the middle-aged魔族 with a pained expression.
"Three more treasures?"
"That's right; that guy has an insatiable appetite. He wanted not only the 天鬼斧 but also the 追魂夺命针 and the 失魂鼓. Even the 魔龟盾 was taken," he said, clearly regretting his decision.
"Is that so?" The elder on the stone bed closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, revealing a spark of brilliance in his gaze: "These three treasures are indeed non-trivial, but it's fine. To avoid disaster, we must pay some price. These minor losses can be borne."
"The words of my uncle are correct; I share the same thoughts. However, will that ghostly牟 honor his promise and lift the curse from Uncle after finding a new host for the 天鬼斧?" The middle-aged man said with concern.
"Rest assured. Although old man was constrained by that old fellow, he left behind some contingency plans. Since I fulfilled his conditions, that old ghost wouldn't dare break his word; otherwise, would he not fear the heartfire of thought?"
"Heartfire of thought—so Uncle has left such a contingency plan? That's reassuring," said the middle-aged man with obvious relief on his face.
"Humph! What reason is there for celebration? The ghostly牟 once ruled over the魔族 thousands of years ago. It was said that he killed more than ten魔尊, reaching the 分神 stage. In the end, he somehow angered a saint ancestor and was destroyed by the saint's power."
"At that time, many forces rejoiced at his demise, believing him to be gone forever. The old man only saw records of his deeds in ancient texts; who would have thought that even facing the saint's thunderbolt, this madman could use a secret technique to split his元婴 and hide most of it with his soul, attaching the rest to the 天鬼斧."
"Since then, the artifact has remained hidden until three hundred years ago when I discovered an ancient cultivator’s lair and obtained this infamous treasure. At the time, I was overjoyed; its value could rival that of a divine treasure. But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
"Luckily, my situation didn't suit possession by another body. However, that old ghost also cursed me, forcing me to find him a suitable host for his possession," the elder said.
"Uncle's words are correct; don't grieve over this matter. The troublemaker has been sent away, and no matter how arrogant or domineering he becomes in the future, it won't affect us much. I just have one curiosity..."
"What is your curiosity?"
"Why would that Lin family guy be chosen as a host? His talent isn't particularly impressive; he's merely an ordinary元婴级别的修仙者," said the middle-aged man, rubbing his forehead with confusion.
"I don't know either, but possession and cultivation level aren't closely related. With the ghostly牟's abilities, he could quickly recover his cultivation if given a suitable body. However, to be honest, that person's cultivation is lacking, but what does it matter? I only hope we never have any further dealings with that old monster."
"Uncle speaks truthfully; it was my fault for being overly attached," said the middle-aged man.