21 – Chapter
Having taken a great advantage from the Ghost King and obtained a fine treasure
The marketplace bustled with noise and activity—in this regard, the markets of mortals and cultivators were quite similar.
Both were filled with haggling and onlookers.
Not far away, some were loudly arguing over just ten Spirit Stones, while others gathered at the outer edges to watch the commotion.
Amidst such chaos, the handsome monk calmly revealed Mu Lingyan’s origins.
Mu Lingyan raised an eyebrow, her attitude neither warm nor cold.
“And who might you be, Great Master? I’ve never heard of such a figure among the Buddhist sects.”
She deliberately made things difficult, curious to see how this Ghost King would respond.
Moga clasped his hands together, his smile gentle, like a saintly monk bathed in Buddha’s Radiance.
Nothing like the most malevolent ghost in the Ghost Realm.
“This humble monk is unremarkable and naturally not as renowned as the senior disciple of Worry-Free Peak. It is only fitting that the benefactor does not know of me. I am a disciple of the Chanting Sect and have only recently entered the order.”
Mu Lingyan offered no comment on Moga’s reply.
The other party wanted to trade Star-Moon Profound Iron for her spirit fruit—whether she agreed or not, he likely wouldn’t let the matter rest easily.
But she intended to maximize her gains within the limited scope available.
The System, aware of its host’s thoughts in the Sea of Consciousness, couldn’t help but marvel at what an extraordinary woman she was.
She actually dared to dance on the Ghost King’s head.
As a perpetually underestimated and looked-down-upon combat-weakling System from the higher plane, it strived to play its part.
Upon understanding Mu Lingyan’s intentions, it spoke within the Sea of Consciousness.
System: “Host, do you see that pitch-black round bead on the left side of the stall?”
Mu Lingyan: I see it. What about it, little weakling?
System: “That bead is extraordinary. Trade for it! I’ll explain the rest later.”
After the System finished speaking, Mu Lingyan looked directly at Moga, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“I can give you the spirit fruit.”
A flicker of delight passed through Moga’s eyes. He had just clasped his hands and uttered “Amitabha” when the woman opposite him added with a light laugh.
“However, besides this so-called Star-Moon Profound Iron, I also want to take one more item from your stall.”
“After all, your Star-Moon Profound Iron isn’t as precious as the spirit fruit.”
Moga turned around, his brow slightly furrowed. He quickly scanned the junk on the ground—aside from the Profound Iron, nothing else seemed worth taking.
Then why did she want more?
Could there be a treasure among them that he hadn’t noticed?
Mu Lingyan knew this Ghost King’s temperament well—deceitful, highly skilled at disguise, stingy, petty, and averse to losses.
So, as Moga’s gaze swept over, she deliberately pointed to a bottle of top-grade Myriad Spirit Pills placed above the bead and declared with righteous confidence, “Then I’ll just take an extra bottle of top-grade Myriad Spirit Pills!”
Moga immediately felt he was getting the short end of the stick.
“Benefactor, this is hardly appropriate. Trading goods for goods has always been one for one since ancient times. For the benefactor to demand an extra bottle of Myriad Spirit Pills right away—this humble monk would be at a disadvantage.”
Tsk tsk, just look at this…
A Ghost King who ruled over the Ghost Realm, yet so miserly—truly unmatched.
Mu Lingyan deliberately acted arrogantly. “You, this great monk, are truly long-winded! Your Star-Moon Profound Iron is just a tad less valuable, and I already feel somewhat unbalanced!”
“Since you’re unwilling to give the Myriad Spirit Pills, then I’ll just take that bead instead. I’ll bring it back for my junior sister to play with!”
“I’m not one to suffer losses!” Mu Lingyan crossed her arms, putting on a show.
Moga glanced back, his expression tinged with hesitation.
Mu Lingyan didn’t wait for his reaction. Just like those salespeople in her past life who used marketing tactics to deceive others, she never gave anyone time to think.
“Are you going to trade or not? If not, I’m leaving. My Master is waiting for me!”
She deliberately mentioned He Xuan’s presence here to make this Ghost King weigh his options, preventing him from secretly snatching back the Star-Moon Profound Iron later.
Although Moga was puzzled as to why she wanted that seemingly useless black bead, he saw that it emitted no spiritual energy fluctuations and said, “Then let’s trade.”
“Please give the Wood Spirit Fruit to this humble monk, Benefactor Mu.”
Mu Lingyan suppressed the corners of her mouth that were trying to curl upward, forcing them downward instead.
Her expression clearly showed that she thought this monk was the one getting the better deal.
After handing the Wood Spirit Fruit to Moga, she walked straight to the stall.
Bending down, she tossed the black Profound Iron and the bead into her Storage Ring.
Turning around, she saw Moga examining the Wood Spirit Fruit in his hands. She smiled and said, “The Wood Spirit Fruit is a holy medicine for healing. I have some knowledge of medicine. Is there any help you might need?” She tried to find out what Moga intended to use the Wood Spirit Fruit for.
“Thank you for your kindness, Benefactor. I have already consulted the Medicine Sage and obtained a prescription.”
“Oh, I see. Then, Master, you may carry on. I’ll take my leave.”
Mu Lingyan turned around briskly, without any hesitation.
Moga looked up, but the other party had already disappeared.
He felt quite pleased with himself, thinking Mu Lingyan was foolish, as the value of the Wood Spirit Fruit far exceeded that of the Star-Moon Profound Iron.
Believing he had gained an advantage, the Ghost King happily packed up his stall and vanished on the spot.
After leaving, Mu Lingyan found a secluded spot and drew a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Magic Array.
In an instant, she was transported back to the Hu residence.
She leisurely walked to the garden pavilion, took out the Star-Moon Profound Iron and the black bead from her Storage Ring, and examined them.
“Tsk, if I didn’t know these were treasures, who could tell? They’re pitch black and look more like junk!”
System: “The host is right. Both of these items require a blacksmith to refine the sealed iron coating on their surfaces before they can be used normally.”
Mu Lingyan: “I think I need to learn blacksmithing. Otherwise, it’s just too inconvenient.”
She placed the Star-Moon Profound Iron back into her Storage Ring, rubbed the bead in her hand, and asked, “Little Weakling, you said this is a treasure. What does it do?”
Mentioning this bead, the System clearly became excited.
“Host, this bead is called Illusion Dream. It’s a genuine treasure!”
Mu Lingyan suddenly became interested. There was actually something rare and unusual that she, as the author, didn’t know about.
She asked the System, “Illusion Dream? Is it a Magical Artifact?”
The System fell silent for a moment before replying, “It’s not exactly a Magical Artifact. It’s actually a small world. Inside this small world, there are real environments and illusions. It can even store images.”
Mu Lingyan’s eyes lit up as she listened: “I understand the first two meanings. Storing images means it has a recording function, just like a modern phone, right?”
“Yes, host. For example, if you say something now, activating the bead can record your current appearance and words inside.”
Incredible!
This is truly a treasure.
She had hit the jackpot!
That Ghost King lost big time, hahaha!
The System felt a bit uneasy, as its host was laughing like a villain.
After Mu Lingyan finished laughing, the System said, “However, this bead is passive. It requires a blacksmith to integrate it into a Magical Artifact or a magical tool before it can be activated.”
Mu Lingyan froze, her mouth still hanging open.
“What do you mean?”
System: “It means, in simple terms, it’s just a raw material, no different from this piece of Star-Moon Profound Iron.”
“Hiss, I understand. But such a fine treasure absolutely must not be entrusted to any other artifact smith. Once I return to the sect, I will go into seclusion.”
She would cultivate while studying artifact forging.
Mu Lingyan suddenly had an idea—the prototype for the sword tassel with the white crane soaring through the sky had already been found.
All she needed to do was fuse the Star-Moon Profound Iron with the Dream Fantasy Pearl, then refine them together with the sword tassel.
Then this sword tassel would become the most formidable magical treasure on the Boundless Continent.
When Master steps into the Divine Transformation Realm,
she would give it to him as a gift.