vncnus Chapter 208 Equivalent Exchange, What's it to you how much I earn?
Chapter 208 Equivalent Exchange, What's it to you how much I earn?
Just as Granny Liu was feeling somewhat smug, one of the wooden plaques hanging on the stone wall behind her suddenly emitted a red glow.
"Um?"
She turned around as if sensing something, and saw the sign flash twice before fading back to darkness.
The dark characters and bright red bloodstains on the wooden sign also faded away, as if stripped of their vitality, making it quite different from the surrounding wooden signs with black characters and bloodstains.
Granny Liu held a special position within the Quanxing sect, firstly because of her seniority and secondly because of her skillful methods.
She developed the Gu magic of southern Xinjiang in another direction—message transmission in dreams.
Throughout the entire sect, anyone with a certain reputation and prestige left a wooden plaque with her.
The wooden plaques bear their names and birth dates, adding a touch of the essence of these Quanxing members.
Through these specially made wooden plaques, Granny Liu was able to summon the corresponding Quanxing members into her dreams, thus achieving communication within the dream.
Therefore, Granny Liu's place became a communication hub for the Quanxing sect, responsible for contacting Quanxing members from all sides.
"Wu Man is dead?"
Granny Liu stretched out her aged hand and waved it towards the stone wall, her expression somewhat incredulous.
The wooden sign, which had been hanging quietly, seemed to have been blown down by the wind, or as if it had been pulled by an invisible force into Granny Liu's palm.
She held the wooden plaque in one hand and rubbed it twice with the other, as if confirming something.
The faded handwriting and bloodstains rubbed against her rough palms, the rustling sound echoing in the silent cave.
The ancient and difficult incantation came out of Granny Liu's mouth, but the wooden plaque under her hand could never be restored.
A moment later, Granny Liu, with her eyes closed, gave a strange laugh. Nine parts of it seemed to be a sigh of schadenfreude, but the remaining part was somewhat ambiguous.
They're all just shady characters; there's no real affection between them.
There might be some loyalty and genuine affection among these old bastards of the Quanxing Sect, but it's definitely not much.
They're the kind of people who can exchange a few heartfelt words with each other, but that's about it; any more and they'll start stabbing each other in the back.
Ultimately, they were all veterans of the Quanxing sect. Although their reasons for joining varied, they were different from those hooligans who only sought momentary pleasure.
These elderly members of the Quanxing sect were either obsessed with their beliefs or lost souls who had not yet found their way, so they shared a sense of sympathy for each other.
Wu Man, this old Quanxing, who called himself the "Mysterious Layman," was ironically a genuine high-ranking Buddhist monk.
She became a nun three times and returned to secular life three times, all because Wu Man could not comprehend the concept of "emptiness" in Buddhist scriptures.
He was highly perceptive, grasped Buddhist scriptures instantly, could readily recite various Buddhist principles, and was invincible in debates with others.
But Wu Man just couldn't grasp the meaning of the last word "emptiness" in the Buddhist scriptures.
This "emptiness" was something Wu Man was obsessed with his whole life, and it became his greatest desire.
He was persistent throughout his life, violating every single Buddhist precept.
He even joined the Quanxing sect, creating boundless karmic debts, but he became increasingly entangled in his obsession.
Among the four families, the Wang family also had a young master killed by him. When the Wang family members came to seek revenge, they were all killed by him, thus creating a deadly feud with the Wang family.
This is just one of the sins Wu Man incurred on her path of pursuing "emptiness".
But this old man's cultivation was quite remarkable, and his mind was clear, so he continued to live in the world, pursuing his own "emptiness".
But now, Granny Liu has received news of Wu Man's death, which is truly unbelievable to her.
Such a capable fighter and runner as Lao Quanxing is someone that no one can do anything to unless the leaders of a faction intervene.
"Fine, let's find a few brats and ask them how Wu Man died."
Granny Liu casually tossed the discarded wooden plaque into the stove in front of her, her expression returning to normal.
As she spoke, she sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and returned to meditation on the haystack. Several of the signs behind her flickered a few times.
After a long while, Granny Liu opened her eyes again. Her brows were initially somewhat solemn, but then she burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha, interesting, really interesting. I never expected this acting sect leader to have such abilities."
"That old devil Wu Man actually managed to attain the realization of 'emptiness of the five aggregates' before he died."
"And that old ugly bastard Liang Ting actually followed others to resolve his obsession."
"There's definitely something interesting to watch inside now, but it's not quite as exciting as it could be."
Granny Liu smiled as she looked at the wooden plaque in the brazier, which was gradually turning into charcoal ash. The handwriting and bloodstains on it, belonging to Wu Man, had long since become blurred.
"It would be even better if it were a bit more lively, so that it would match the liveliness that I, an old woman, am bringing to Qinghe Village."
"Make this old woman laugh even harder."
Thinking of this, she burst into laughter, her figure appearing somewhat manic against the backdrop of the flames as she covered her mouth.
"Alright, let's make the fire in Qinghe Village burn even brighter first."
The flickering flames intensified as the wooden sign burned. In the firelight, the mad old woman closed her eyes again, and several beams of light appeared from the wooden sign behind her.
The quiet, dimly lit cave returned to silence, with only the occasional crackling sound of burning wooden plaques.
……
In a somewhat dark basement, six people dressed in dark robes gathered.
They sat around a round table, some holding candles, others carrying dim kerosene lamps.
No one spoke. Dark robes completely concealed the figures, creating a solemn atmosphere around the round table.
"Squeak—"
The heavy wooden door creaked as it turned, the jarring sound echoing in the dark basement. Among the people sitting around the round table, two or three figures turned their heads toward the wooden door.
"Our dear Bishop, you are late once again."
A sharp sound, like fingernails scraping paper, rang out, accompanied by a sarcastic tone.
"My arrival marks the beginning."
"Isn't that right?"
A missionary in a red robe walked in unhurriedly. He was not wearing a long robe, nor was he carrying any lighting tools. His aged face was backlit as he walked in.
As soon as he finished speaking, the previously dimly lit room suddenly burst into flames, and the extinguished torches on the walls were instantly rekindled, illuminating the entire basement with their intense, bright light.
"Spending all day in the dark is not a good habit."
The elderly missionary spoke indifferently, and as he walked to his seat, the wooden door behind him closed automatically without any wind.
"Squeak—"
The sound of the door hinges turning rang out again, but against the backdrop of the flames filling the room, it lost its previous eerie and piercing quality.
"His Excellency the Bishop is quite impressive."
Upon seeing this, the group of people wearing dark robes also lifted their hoods, revealing several Western faces.
The missionary, seated at the head of the table, glanced around at everyone at the table, and suddenly frowned.
"Where's Chris?"
"The master went to make contact with the local gangs."
A distinguished middle-aged man replied with a smile, "Does the bishop think that we, the rest, are incapable of making decisions?"
"Don't worry, the master specifically left behind his assistant and disciple."
As he spoke, he pointed to a young man beside him, "Gale is a close confidant of Master Chris."
"Greetings, Bishop."
The young man named Gar nodded to the missionary.
"Is no one from the academy coming?"
"No, you know their temperament. They spend all day guarding a castle and only teaching young mages."
Hearing the expected answer, the missionary nodded. "Now you all should understand what you want."
"Of course I understand."
The middle-aged man continued, "The [Gu] of the East, that is truly a wondrous existence."
"The Medicine Immortal Society provided us with samples of the Primal Gu."
"Through Master Chris's research, if the [Gu Body Holy Child] can be thoroughly understood, it will help the Master make extraordinary progress in the path of forging universal elixirs."
"Azot?"
"Chris hasn't given up yet?"
The missionary frowned slightly. "You alchemists are really a bit crazy. Not satisfied with pursuing the Philosopher's Stone, you also want Azot."
Western alchemy also pursues eternity, but unlike the East, they compare this state to a single thing.
Known as a great miracle, the Philosopher's Stone is imbued with many mysteries.
But besides the Philosopher's Stone, there is something else that alchemists also pursue madly: the panacea, Azot.
Just like his name suggests, alchemists believe that Azot is capable of anything, even bringing the dead back to life.
There is an Eastern saying: "If the mind does not die, the Way will not be born."
The young alchemist named Gar solemnly said, "We are all madmen on the path of alchemy, willing to become raw materials for the flames beneath the cauldron for that ultimate goal."
"A teacher's ability to become an alchemy master is not solely due to talent."
Faced with Garr's almost hymn-like tone, the missionary tilted his head slightly and snorted coldly.
"snort."
"Alright, you guys just need to know your goal. I don't want to know your plans, you bunch of lunatics."
"I will make contact with the official forces that have helped you, but remember not to be too ostentatious. There are legendary figures in this land as well."
The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier nodded and asked in a joking tone.
"May I ask Your Excellency, how much did you gain from this?"
"Equivalent exchange is the fundamental principle of alchemy."
The missionary scratched his beard, and his initial solemn and dignified demeanor was gone.
He rested his chin on his hand, smiling as he looked at the alchemists opposite him, who seemed to be hiding something.
"You want my church to help you?"
"No way."
His words carried a certain air of a local ruffian, "I've made quite a lot of money, but I've also spent a lot of time and effort connecting you with people."
"A bunch of deadbeats who've gone mad from studying alchemy."
"It's an equal exchange. I should earn something for my effort, so what's it to you how much I earn?"
"They really don't know how to be flexible at all."
Just as the missionary was shamelessly mocking them, applause suddenly rang out from outside the door.
"I didn't expect Your Excellency to have such insight into alchemy."
"How about taking off that robe and joining our Alchemist's Association?"
The wooden door opened again, and a tall, thin Western man walked in, clapping his hands as he looked at the cardinal in the main seat.
"Equivalent exchange is both the most reasonable and the most unreasonable treaty."
"Chris, it's been a long time."
The bishop still didn't curb his roguish behavior; in fact, he sat even more casually.
"Sit down, you still have that deadpan face."
……
Two flowers bloom, one branch each.
During this period, the roads were not as well-connected as they would later become, and there were very few people on the roads.
In times of chaos, some villages have moved into the mountains or remote areas to escape the turmoil.
Moreover, along the way, there were no particularly scenic mountains and clear waters, but rather a lot of pristine natural features.
As Lü Qian and Zhang Zhiwei walked along the mountain path, they saw no fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, or bamboo groves along the way.
What they saw more often were ragged refugees, abandoned and messy land and houses, and corpses and bones exposed in the wild.
"During a great famine, people resorted to cannibalism."
Lu Qian straddled the white tiger, looked at the corpse lying by the roadside, closed his eyes, made a hand seal, and began to recite the "Lingbao Tianzun Duren Jing".
"The path of humanity is insignificant, the path of immortals is boundless, but the path of ghosts is joyful..."
"White bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and for a thousand miles there is not a rooster's crow."
Zhang Zhiwei also sighed. He straightened his posture, which had been leaning against the donkey, and began to chant the Taoist incantation.
"High and clear, a mournful song echoes through the vast sky; I only wish to attain immortality, not to be impoverished in the human realm..."
The white tiger and donkey beneath them also slowed their pace, and the two chants of scriptures blended together, their clear and melodious Taoist charm spreading in all directions along the road.
As the Taoist chants began, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the mountains and fields.
The wind was not swift or urgent, but rather gentle and slow, less vibrant than the spring breeze and less fierce than the winter wind.
"Let's go, don't linger."
After reciting the Taoist incantation once, Lü Qian slowly opened his eyes, waved his whisk, and the swirling dust dispersed the lingering breeze that surrounded him.
"call--"
A gentle breeze swirled and scattered across the heavens and earth, stirring up dust that then fell back down, but something seemed to be missing.
"Old Lu, what a mess this world is like."
Zhang Zhiwei, somewhat nonchalantly, leaned back on the donkey's back, rolled up his sleeves, took out paper and pen, and began recording the day's events.
"Old Zhang, you broke your rule."
"If your heart is dirty, swearing it out will cleanse it up."
Zhang Zhiwei scribbled and drew, replying nonchalantly, "And if you want to curse, go ahead and curse too."
"Since when did you, Lü Xuanyang, start putting on airs?"
He brandished his calligraphy brush, the tip spinning without a single drop of ink falling. "Look at me, Zhang Tiantong, how dashing I am after I unleash my curses!"
"To hell with this damn chaotic world."
Lü Qian then expressed his feelings, saying, "But no matter how detailed the vocabulary, it cannot depict the scene of a chaotic world."
"When others read it, they can only appreciate the essence and spirit of the words, but they cannot see it with their own eyes through these words."
"This journey of the heart must be experienced by seeing with the eyes and observing with the heart."
Zhang Zhiwei put the paper and pen back into his sleeve, looked up at the desolate scene by the roadside, and nodded in agreement.
Indeed.
The two walked silently along the road, and after half a day, they arrived at a county town.
Although the area has become more populated, most of the people coming and going are ragged refugees.
"Have you heard? The church over there is distributing porridge."
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
------------
Four thousand chapters!
Updates will resume tomorrow.