Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The unscrupulous Taoist was quick in action. He picked up all the Essence elixirs in just a matter of moments.
“Kid, these are all yours. I will see you around.” He was all smiles as he pointed at the stall beside him before leaving. After earning a fortune, he could not have bothered about his stall.
Wutian was transfixed, and he could not help but smile.
He bent down and picked up a little plant from the stall. It had only two leaves, just over an inch long. But the plant looked yellowish, as it had almost dehydrated. It was the Phantom Grass. Consuming it could change one’s appearance for three days.
Wutian had laid his eyes on the plant from the beginning. Now that he put it to his nose, and the smell confirmed his suspicion.
Phantom grass was originally green. The Taoist must have not recognized it. Otherwise, he would not have put it under the scorching sun. Phantom grass grew in dim and humid places, and it would turn yellowish in sunlight, losing its efficacy.
“It might have lost most of its efficacy, but it is still good enough to change my appearance from being recognized.” Wutian put the phantom grass into the Mustard Pouch for future use. The pouch he got from the Taoist also went into the Mustard Pouch. He was going to study it later.
“Wutian, let’s go over there!” Shishi brought him and squeezed their ways through and disappeared into the crowd.
“What was going on with that kid? I thought he was joking. Little did I expect he would buy it.”
“Perhaps there really is a treasure in the pouch. Or that teenager is a rich kid. Essence elixir is no issue to such people, you know.”
People looked at him in a strange way. They thought if the teenager was not dumb, then he probably was from some rich and powerful family trying to show off his wealth.
“Who cares who he is? I might as well collect these leftover pig blood and dog meat to feed my pet. As for the demonic skin, I can make cloth for it.”
The crowd scrambled to get whatever they could. These things might not be worth much, but at least there was something. Before long, everything at the stall was gone. Not even an empty jar was left.
The two persons and two beasts strolled around for a while, then feasted themselves at the restaurant they had been at the other day. Little Tian broke into a smile in front of the gourmet and helped itself to the food. It finally forgave Wutian.
After spending some time with Little Tian, Yi, the flying fox, was no longer as reserved as before. The two little creatures exchanged blows with spilled soup, rice, smashed bones, and meat strewn all over the place in the private dining room.
Leaving the restaurant, Wutian could not withstand the pester power of Shishi and accompanied her to meander around for the entire day. It was not until last light that she reluctantly returned to the rear courtyard.
She was back in the house and crashed out on the bed.
Wutian got up to the terrace, sat down cross-legged, took out the small pouch, and curiously studied it for a while.
That Taoist was fat and unscrupulous, utterly lacking the aura of a Taoist. He looked more like an ordinary mortal. But how did he get this thing? Not to mention the phantom grass. Did the fake Taoist just stumble upon them on the ground while strolling down a street? No way Wutian was going to believe this.
Wutian opened the pouch, and an old, rotten smell drifted into his nostrils.
It was just a glove, looking very old as if it had been thousands of years old. There were many marks on the surface. But those were not results of aging but scars left behind by knife and sword.
But one thing surprised Wutian. The glove was soft to the touch. The only parts that felt rough were at the palm and the back. Besides, the color was uniquely strange; it was almost identical to the color of skin. If not looking closely, it would look more like the skin of a hand.
“This is…”
Just then, Han Tian opened the door and walked in. He lunged forward and snatched the glove. His eyes brightened up as he carefully examined it.
It was as if he had found some rare treasure, his eyes burning with fire. “Is this yours, Wutian?”
Wutian nodded and was perplexed. Could Han Tian know about the background of this thing?
“Would you sell it to me for ten thousand Essence elixirs, since we are friends?”
“Ten thousand Essence elixirs?”
Wutian was tempted, but he did not show that on his face. Instead, he shook his head lightly.
“Twenty, if not, then thirty thousand! How about that?”
Han Tian looked at him expectantly, his breathing heavy. Seeing Wutian shaking his head, he gritted his teeth. “How about you tell me your price? I will buy at whatever price you ask. I mean it.”
“First, you have got to tell me what this is, let me know its value, so I can tell you the price. I don’t want to overcharge you and make myself feel bad about it,” said Wutian.
Han Tian was surprised, but he was honest about it. “Let me tell you the truth. This is the glove of Lady Jade, Bodhisattva of a Thousand Hands. Legend has it that her hand was cut off during the battle with her foe. Subsequently, she lived and studied in seclusion for a hundred years. It was during that time that she successfully combined several hundred types of rare elements and made her hand into an ultimate weapon: The God’s Left Hand. It was said that the moment the God’s Left Hand was completed, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. The strange vision in the sky shocked the entire Samsara Continent.”
“So powerful?” Wutian was in awe.
Hantian nodded. “After she made the God’s Left Hand, she battled and effortlessly killed her old foe. She became instantly famous at the time. But later, she disappeared without a trace. Rumor has it that she went against nature by turning her body into a weapon and because of that, she got divine retribution. Her spirit and soul vanished, and her God’s Left Hand disappeared without a trace.”
It shocked Wutian beyond words. He had heard about Lady Jade, Bodhisattva of a Thousand Hands, who was a lot more ancient than the God of War Siking Lie by several thousand years. She was a scourge in the ancient time. Although she was called a fairy lady, she was ruthless. She would massacre an entire town at whim. Her hands were full of blood.
Wutian did not expect to see this frightening weapon here. Let alone in the hand of a fake Taoist. This made him start to suspect the true identity of the Taoist.
“Tell me your piece, Wutian. I will agree to whatever you ask for.” Hantian’s eyes were burning with fire.
“It’s not for sale,” replied Wutian faintly.
He quickly snatched the glove back from Han Tian. He was surprised when he felt a faint power of the lightning on the surface. Could Bodhisattva of a Thousand Hands really have received divine retribution?
“You lie, tricking me into giving you information?” Han Tian was startled.
Wutian rolled his eyes. No way he would sell such a precious item. He had studied the God of War Secret Manual, which basically enabled him to fight with no cold weapon. And now with this feather-weight God’s Left Hand in his hand, it seemed to be custom made for him.
“Fine. I won’t force you into selling it if you are willing. But would you please tell me where you get the God’s Left Hand?” Han Tian did not pester him. But there was a strange look in his eyes.
“Why?”
“Tell me first. I am not going to fall for it again.” Han Tian’s face darkened.
“I bought it from a Taoist while having a stroll in the town in the day.”
“You bought it? What Taoist? How many Essence elixirs have you paid?”
“He was a fat, big-eared Taoist. I paid a thousand Essence elixirs for it. Damn it!” Wutian’s face twitched. He was truthful. No doubt that the God’s Left Hand was very precious. But he still felt the pain from paying a thousand Essence elixirs for it.
“A thousand Essence elixirs?”
Han Tian’s jaw dropped to the ground. He was in disbelief, at the same time kicking himself for not bringing Shishi to the town earlier. Had he tagged along at the time, he would have a fair chance. But now the glove belonged to someone else. He had no more chances.
His face turned from green to pale. He could not have looked worse.
He almost could not control himself when he heard the last sentence from Wutian. How he wished he could beat Wutian up. Did that freaking dude not know that the God’s Left Hand was priceless? The fact that he had bought it for only a thousand Essence elixirs is incredibly lucky. Wutian must have found favor in someone up there. Yet he was complaining about the price. If Wutian was so unhappy about it, why did he not give the glove to him?
“Tell me where the fat Taoist is.” Han Tian sounded as if he was in a hurry.
“He left. I don’t know where he has gone.”
“What is his name?”
“I am not sure.”
Han Tian was furious. “Seriously? How could you not ask for his address, at least his name, when you got such a treasure from him? I am starting to suspect that you have hit your head somewhere. You stupid dumbo!”
“That’s it, that’s it. I have got no chance.” He then sat down on the ground, nerveless. He kept mumbling to himself, looking as if he had lost all hopes.
Wutian was puzzled, though. “Why? Is he someone important?”
“Of course!” Han Tian mumbled, then it became a roar. “He of course is important! Don’t you know that the God’s Left Hand is in a pair? Don’t you know that there is also the God’s Right Hand?”
“What?” Wutian rose to his feet suddenly. His mind was muddled, and he was staggering. “Let us go to the town, looking for him. Who knows, he might still be there!”
“Right, right. Let us go right away. We will surely find him,” said Han Tian hurriedly.
“I will ask Little Tian to go with me. It has got a sharp nose and surely of help.” The two got downstairs and picked up Little Tian as they hurried out in a whirlwind.
“Caw!” Little Tian cawed and fought to get away.
But after Wutian told it the truth, Little Tian no longer made noises. Its slender eyes brightened up in excitement when he promised to give the God’s Right Hand to it when they found the fat Taoist.
A silverish full moon was hanging in the night sky, sprinkling a coat of silverish makeup on the earth.
Soon, the three came to the stall. The street was mostly empty at night, and it was quiet. Little Tian sniffed around for a while and then nodded at the two, meaning “No problem. I can find him.”
Wutian and Han Tian got a boost of confidence. They followed Little Tian from behind as it ran ahead in front.
As they went past a restaurant, Little Tian stopped in its tracks. As it peered into the restaurant, a suspicious look flashed in his eyes. It went around to the back of the restaurant, near to where the town gate was.
“Could it be that he has left the town? This is not looking good.” Han Tian frowned.
“Cae, caw!” Little Tian cawed, patting itself on the chest and pointing at itself, basically telling them not to worry as the Taoist could not evade its nose.
As soon as the three of them went out the town gate, they sped on the endless plain with scenery faded around them on both sides.
Two hours later, they came to a river at the edge of the plain. The water sparkled under the moonlight, and on the other side of the river was a mountain that towered into the sky.