Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Origin Point's New Treasure Trove? The Daoist's Art of Language

Yi Chen held the red scissors in his hand, and two streams of information suddenly appeared on his retina."You have successfully killed the white-clothed female ghost Hong Jian and gained forty Deep Red Points." Sёarᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Touched a special item, Deep Red Points +20"

"Hehe, struck it rich, huh?"

At that moment, he was speechless.

The black-robed man and the disembodied spirit of True Person Yan were not of malevolent spirits and did not 'drop Gold Coins,' the only good news was that the red scissors before him, like the cleaver from the Corpse God before, had also contributed twenty Deep Red Points to him.

Yi Chen casually tore off a strip of cloth from his body and wrapped it round and round the almost-exposed white bones of his left palm.

The whole process was done in silence, enduring the severe pain; he was the epitome of toughness.

The motto of his previous life was:

In life, apart from life and death, everything else is just a scratch.

Real men are like lone wolves; when they are injured, they lick their wounds themselves, and you get used to the pain while it hurts.

Showing your weakness not only makes you a sissy, but it also gives others the right to hurt you.

So.

A man has to be strong!

Yi Taoist had a profound understanding of this.

After briefly treating his injuries, Yi Chen looked around.

Just then, a jade box caught his attention.

Under the enhancement of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique's eagle-eye vision, he saw a jade box lying quietly on its side in the pile of catfish near the distant fissure.

Yi Chen walked swiftly to the crevice. The crack no longer emitted black gas, and its edges were full of mud and water stains. A baby's left arm, like a section of lotus root, lay in the muddy water, near which were the overturned jade box and a piece of emerald jade.

Yi Chen drew the Dragon-Slaying Sword, intending to pick out the emerald jade from the muddy water.

Then, he began to bustle about cheerfully.

"Damn, this broken thing is electrified."

He quickly cut off the spasms in his body with his will and broke free.

The Dragon-Slaying Sword was thrown onto the ground.

Just as he was about to curse, he suddenly stopped.

Behind the decimal point on the virtual panel's Origin Point, it had directly increased by 0.001.

"Holy shit, electrotherapy?"

At that moment, a bold idea emerged in his mind.

Perhaps, he didn't need to stew himself in a pot anymore.

Wouldn't electrotherapy be more hardcore?

Touch the electric gate once with your hand, that's 0.001.

Touch the electric gate ten times with your hand, that's 0.01.

Touch the electric gate a hundred times with your hand, that's 0.1.

Touch the electric gate a thousand times with your hand, even King Yama would compliment me on my good health.

At this moment, Yi Chen's eyes shone as he looked at the emerald jade on the ground as if it were a rare treasure.

No, it was like an Origin Point treasure trove.

Suddenly, the depression Yi Chen felt for not harvesting enough Deep Red Points from this battle was swept away.

Deep Red is great, but isn't Origin Point great too?

Although any method of stimulating the body would, in the end, lead to resistance and result in diminishing returns, given the fierce method of electrocution, the upper limit of this resistance was bound to be extremely high.

Based on his previous experience, Yi Chen conservatively estimated that with proper use, he could probably gain forty to fifty Origin Points in a short time.

"Holy shit, it's a blessing in disguise."

Enduring a little more hardship, I won't be human anymore.

Thanks to the gift of nature!

Origin Point, let me see your limit!

After experimenting, Yi Chen found that wrapping the emerald jade with several layers of clothing could insulate it from discharging electricity, so he did not hesitate to cut a large piece from the Daoist robe of Daoist Qingxu and wrapped the emerald jade inside and out before placing it in his bosom.

After all, he did owe a life-saving favor to Daoist Qingxu and the other two, so it seemed reasonable to tear off a few inches of their robe.

This way, they would feel cooler, too.

As for the baby's left arm that was like a lotus segment, Yi Chen had already placed it in the jade box, sealed it with beast skin talismans, and stored it away.

As for how to handle the jade box, he already had a rough idea in his mind.

After giving a brief explanation to the county magistrate, Yi Chen hired four horse-drawn carriages to collectively transport the four people lying like planks back to Hidden Dragon Temple.

...

...

The next day, as the morning sun rose and its way shone brightly.

In front of the Hidden Dragon Temple, the courtyard door was wide open.

Yi Chen and Lin Baihu were sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea, with many fruits and candied snacks laid out on the table.

However, Lin Baihu hadn't touched any, just peeling chestnuts in front of him and eating; from time to time, he looked up at the tall Daoist before him, with a slightly elusive gaze and a hint of embarrassment on his face.

After all, they were all retrieved by Yi Chen yesterday. His cultivation was somewhat deeper than Abbess Shuiyue and the others, so he had already woken up yesterday and sent a secret signal to the Chief Officer of Ping'an County using a secret technique.

Whereas Abbess Shuiyue and the other two were still sound asleep, probably because they were immobilized by the Great Protector's dismembered spirit with his spell, and then were shaken by the violent clash triggered by Yi Chen's group, they received slight concussions and needed some time to recover.

After all, the dismembered spirit of the Great Protector had a myriad of secret techniques at his disposal, and without mana for protection, they were not much stronger than ordinary people.

At this moment, on the distant horizon, a figure appeared, slowly drawing nearer.

This person was also clad in a flying fish robe, yet it seemed far more exquisite than the one Lin Baihu wore, with a different animal pattern on the chest.

His steps were not fast, but in a flash, he had moved more than ten meters away from his original spot, and soon, he drifted into the Hidden Dragon Temple.

This plump man, who resembled a well-off merchant, was none other than the head of Ping'an County's security, as well as Lin Zhengyi's father—Lin Zhenbei.

His cultivation level: the early stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.

It was only in casual conversation yesterday that Yi Chen came to know that Lin Baihu was actually only twenty years old, albeit a bit… precocious?

Who knew how shocked Yi Chen felt upon learning this news, and he immediately gained a deeper understanding of Lin Baihu's initial choices.

After all, youthful vigor, it's normal for young people to be impulsive.

"This towering Taoist must be Taoist Yi Chengzi."

Lin Zhenbei, smiling, was the first to greet Yi Chen with a clasped hand.

"I must also express my gratitude to the Taoist for saving my son."

"May I ask why the Taoist secretly had my son summon me here? Is there something important?"

Yi Chen returned the greeting with a similarly beaming smile.

"I'm here to save you, Excellency."

"Save me? What do you mean by that?"

"The turmoil caused by the Corpse God Cult has thrown the entire Ping'an County into chaos; you, Excellency, bear a heavy responsibility."

"Now, even the left arm of True Monarch Wan Hua has been excavated by the Corpse God Cult. Tell me, if this news reached the ears of your deputy, another prominent official, what kind of storm do you think it will stir up?"

"Dismissal? Investigation?"

"A lifetime of efforts gone to waste?"

Lin Zhenbei's smile faded slightly: "Taoist, please be more direct."

Yi Chen was neither flustered nor hurried as he brewed a cup of fresh tea for Lin Baihu, then slowly began.

"I felt an instant connection with your son and deeply admire Lin Baihu's character."

"'Like father, like son.' Excellency, you also seem to be a man of virtue, and it is not my wish to see such a situation arise."

"Therefore, I would like to propose a trade with you, Excellency."

"Fortune rests on disaster, and disaster lurks within fortune, I am aware that there is another version to this affair."

"The truth remains singular."

"That is, you, Excellency, had long seen through the dark schemes of the Corpse God Cult and, from behind the scenes, formulated a superior strategy, defeating them from afar, deploying your son with a powerful secret treasure deep into Fengyun County, joining forces with several righteous individuals in Fengyun County to smash the enemy's insidious plot and retrieve True Monarch Wan Hua's left arm."

"Excellency, you are of great wisdom."

"Lin Baihu, you have shown great courage."

"Thus, the dilemma is resolved."

"Wouldn't you agree, Excellency?"

Lin Baihu was stunned on the side; having lived for twenty years, this was the first time he'd encountered such an impressive display of verbal artistry.

Such an artistic approach could leave Lin Baihu at a loss; he could never figure out that he could play the game this way.

At that moment, Lin Zhenbei's expression remained unchanged. Having lived for many decades, he naturally understood that there is a price to everything.

"So, what is the price, Taoist?" Lin Zhenbei asked seriously.

"I want an item, a treasure that matches the value of this matter."

"As a parent's love for their child leads to far-sighted plans, "

"You wouldn't want Lin Baihu to stop progressing rapidly, would you?"

"Do you wish Lin Baihu to be a hero, or to be a minor official deposed and investigated because of his father?"

"Should that happen, his future path would indeed be challenging."

Yi Chen said with a smile, taking a gentle sip of the tea.

The fragrance of the tea blossomed in the mouth, a sign of high-quality Longjing tea picked before the rain.

And Yi Chen's purpose in setting up this entire situation today was clear.

The left arm of True Monarch Wan Hua is too hot to handle; Yi Chen cannot secure it, but surely Ping'an County's security can manage it.

Hence, it's more practical to exchange it for treasures that he can utilize.

Don't ask. After all, the members of the Corpse God Cult are all dead. If asked, it was a royal plot, carried out with a few small minions like us. How many people do we have at Hidden Dragon Temple, capable of thwarting the Corpse God Cult's conspiracy?

What? How did Ping'an County's security know about the Corpse God Cult's conspiracy?

I don't know; it's the royal court's grand strategy. I, a mere country Taoist, wouldn't understand such things. I merely lent a hand, but Lin Baihu of the security must carry the beam.

The potential gains and losses in this situation were as clear to Yi Chen as patterns in his palm.

His small Hidden Dragon Temple couldn't bear the revenge of the Corpse God Cult.

Having True Monarch Wan Hua's left arm brings neither food nor clothing nor improved strength, and it would also attract the Corpse God Cult's attention—a fool would treasure it.

It's a hot potato, the kind that, if mishandled, could lead to the destruction of one's clan.

If it is said that the security of Ping'an County masterminded the whole affair, that seems reasonable. If the item ended up their problem, and the Corpse God Cult would have to attack the security forces of the Da Yue Dynasty.

A truly clever person should engage in matters where others take the fall for you, and you still benefit and even offer thanks for it.

Eventually, we'll all be in the same boat. I take the treasures, you make progress, and we both win—it's a beautiful thing.

Furthermore, the development of Hidden Dragon Temple could thus receive support from Ping'an County's security, a little covert aid—hee hee.

Even Yi Chen couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back at this moment.

"My meticulous manipulation is as suave as ever."

"It's just a shame that in my last life, despite being technically successful, I didn't expect those bastards to play dirty, literally bringing in the bulldozers."