Free Web NovelChapter 46: Chapter 30: Blood Contract Golden Lock, Seeing One’s True Nature
"Oh?" Xuzhuang’s eyes lit up, and he said in praise, "If it’s truly that effective, then this item is very much to my liking..."
Before he could finish, a noise suddenly came from outside. A voice was heard shouting, "Where did Du Yuan get to?"
A servant’s voice replied from outside, saying that Steward Du was attending to a distinguished guest. Amid a commotion, the door to the private room suddenly burst open. A man swaggered in and, upon seeing Steward Du, acted as if no one else existed and said brazenly, "Du Yuan!"
"The Six-winged White Pheasant I tasked you with finding, have you located it? Why have I heard nothing?!"
Xuzhuang frowned, his eyes falling on the man. The man was dressed in yellow robes embroidered with dragons and jiaolong, a style reminiscent of the royal families and princes of the mortal world. Xuzhuang knew that in the East Sea, there were several Cultivator Clans that took pride in their Dragon Race bloodline. They were closely allied and wielded considerable power, which explained this man’s arrogance.
But Xuzhuang didn’t care about the man’s background. Seeing the embarrassed look on Steward Du’s face as he was about to reply, Xuzhuang spoke in a low voice, "And who are you? Can’t you see that Steward Du is in the middle of attending to me?"
"Ha?" The man finally seemed to notice Xuzhuang. He shot him a sidelong glance and said disdainfully, "And who might you be?"
Just then, another person entered the private room behind him, saying, "Young Master Zheng, why didn’t you wait for me..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the tense atmosphere. Following Young Master Zheng’s gaze, he suddenly froze and exclaimed, "It’s you!"
Xuzhuang recognized him at a glance. It was the same ’Young Master Lian’ who had blocked his path in front of the Jade Immortal Pavilion just yesterday. A wave of impatience rose in his heart. ’Why am I always bothered by such tiresome people?’
Xuzhuang had lost any and all interest in getting entangled with them. He said coolly, "Young Master Lian and Young Master Zheng, is it? Please wait outside. Whatever important business you have can wait until after Steward Du and I are finished here."
"What?" the young master named Zheng roared. "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea who I am...?"
Young Master Zheng’s anger flared. As he spewed insults, he reached out to jab a finger at Xuzhuang. Young Master Lian saw Xuzhuang’s eyes turn cold and instinctively felt a sharp, frigid aura—like the edge of a blade—gathering and about to erupt. His expression changed instantly. He rushed forward, grabbed Young Master Zheng’s arm, and said, "Young Master Zheng, Young Master Zheng! Calm down! Let’s just wait outside for a bit..." He used all his strength to restrain Young Master Zheng, trying to drag him out.
Young Master Zheng shot Young Master Lian an astonished look. Though a profligate, he wasn’t a complete fool. He blustered, "Young Master Lian, don’t hold me back!" but allowed himself to be pulled away. Once they were far from the private room and Young Master Lian released his arm, he asked in confusion, "Young Master Lian, why did you stop me?"
He suddenly recalled the scene inside. "You know that guy?" he asked. "What’s his background? Is he someone you need to be afraid of?"
Young Master Lian sighed. "Didn’t I tell you yesterday? That fellow Zhang Ji inexplicably arranged for someone to stay in the Jade Immortal Pavilion. Well, that’s the guy."
"What?" Young Master Zheng’s expression darkened at once. "He’s the one staying on Fairy Shuyu’s personal couch? Then why did you stop me? I should have taught him a lesson." Recalling Xuzhuang’s attitude, he grew angrier the more he stewed on it, and a malicious fire ignited in his heart. "What? Are you scared of him just because he’s a guest of Zhang Ji?"
"Sigh, it’s not that," Young Master Lian said sullenly. "I’m obviously not happy about it either. I had my men investigate his background overnight. All they could find out is that he’s from the Dongsheng Continent and is supposedly a True Disciple of the Tai Su Sect. That’s why Zhang Ji values him so highly."
Young Master Zheng frowned. "The Tai Su Sect? I think I’ve heard that name before..."
"You’ve never heard of the Tai Su Sect, Young Master Zheng?" Young Master Lian said. "Rumor has it the Dongsheng Continent has nine great Daoist Sects, each with power no less than our Three Mountains Immortal Sect. Among those nine, the Tai Su Sect is considered one of the foremost. Sigh, who knows if it’s true."
"Nine great Daoist Sects, all on par with the Three Mountains Immortal Sect?" Young Master Zheng sneered. "Those land-dwelling mud monkeys are all full of hot air. Do they really think they can come to the East Sea Territory and intimidate anyone?"
"Oh?" said Young Master Lian. "Don’t tell me you’re planning to... Young Master Zheng?"
"Hmph. Does he think he can offend me, Zheng Zhang, and get away unscathed?" He shot this threat back, waved a dismissive hand at Young Master Lian, then turned and strode away.
Young Master Lian watched Young Master Zheng depart from the Spirit Beast Pavilion with a hateful expression and hurried steps. An inscrutable look crossed his face, and he muttered a single, barely audible word: "Idiot." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
However, the moment Zheng Zhang stepped out of the Spirit Beast Pavilion, his own expression changed. He cursed inwardly, ’That bastard Lian, trying to use me as his weapon. Does he take me for a fool?’
...
Back in the private room, the atmosphere was subdued after the commotion caused by Zheng and Lian. Chief Steward Du Yuan felt terribly awkward. He glanced at Xuzhuang, who was silent and expressionless, his mood seemingly ruined. Du Yuan cursed his own rotten luck.
"Mr. Xu, about..."
"It’s fine, Steward Du. I’ll take this item," Xuzhuang suddenly said. "What is the price?"
"Ah! This Blood Contract Golden Lock was refined by a master from an Immortal Sect..." Du Yuan cut himself off, wanting to give himself a slap. ’Why did I fall back into my old sales habits?’ He forced a smile and said, "Mr. Xu, the Pavilion Master gave special instructions yesterday. Any purchases you make here are to be covered by him. No one is to accept a single Spirit Stone from you. Please, just take the Golden Lock."
Xuzhuang was taken aback. He shook his head and simply said, "I’ll ask Brother Zhang about it later."
He accepted the Blood Contract Golden Lock and gave a slight bow. "In that case, I won’t trouble you any longer."
Steward Du quickly rose and returned the gesture. He watched as Xuzhuang flicked his sleeve and strode out of the room without a backward glance. A wave of misery washed over him. ’This is terrible!’ he thought.
’From the look of it, Mr. Xu was thoroughly displeased. I did my absolute best to serve him, so how did things inexplicably end up like this?!’
In truth, Xuzhuang wasn’t so petty as to be genuinely upset over such a minor incident. However, as he replayed the confrontation in his mind, a question arose that began to trouble him. He was still lost in thought long after he had left the Spirit Beast Pavilion and was walking down the road.
’If those two, Lian and Zheng, hadn’t known when to back down, I was prepared to make a move. But what would that move have been? Would I have merely taught those profligates a lesson, or would I have taken their heads with a single sword stroke just for the satisfaction of it?’
’It wouldn’t have gone that far.’ Xuzhuang came to a conclusion and inwardly sighed in relief. Yet, he knew with perfect clarity that for at least a fleeting moment, he had intended to kill.
’When one carries a sharp weapon, the desire to kill naturally arises. Since successfully forming his Top-grade Golden Core, he had killed on several occasions. While he hadn’t slaughtered the innocent, it was undeniable that his methods had changed since he’d acquired such formidable Magical Power and techniques. Relying on strength to solve problems seemed to have become his first resort.’
’Is this who I am? Yes. Human nature is complex; a person’s thoughts, actions, and style all change with experience, growth, and circumstance. But is this my true self?’
’Cultivation is the path to truth. Its purpose is to cast off the false and embrace the true, to seek the Great Dao. Boundless Magical Power and mystical Divine Techniques are merely byproducts of the journey, not the destination. Power can be a tool to protect one’s path, but it must never be a license to do as one pleases.’
Xuzhuang was glad that he could still, for the most part, claim to have a clear conscience.
At this thought, his slight annoyance with Zheng and Lian vanished. The mortal world was inherently tumultuous. As a seeker of the Dao, why should he care about a little noise along the path? A sense of clarity and peace settled over Xuzhuang, and he felt a weight lift from his entire being.
He then realized he had already returned to the Jade Immortal Pavilion. With a wave of his sleeve, Xuzhuang tossed the jiaolong, Lieyun, onto a table. He set down the Blood Contract Golden Lock and said indifferently, "You heard how this thing is used. Get to it. Don’t try any tricks or slack off. The sooner you finish the refinement, the sooner you’ll get your Jiao Pearl back."
Lieyun scrambled up from the table. The thought of being controlled by this object from now on made its future seem bleak and devoid of freedom. But then it considered that this restraint was also the key to getting its Jiao Pearl back and escaping its current weakness. It felt a mix of sorrow and joy, unsure which emotion was more genuine.
Fortunately, it didn’t have a choice in the matter. The jiaolong drooped its head, dejectedly picked up the golden lock from the table in its mouth, and answered, "Yes, Master."
Xuzhuang paid the little beast no mind, seating himself on a meditation cushion on the daybed. By casting off the false to see the true, he had illuminated his own nature and broken through an ’inner demon’. He could already feel his cultivation beginning to advance. It was no wonder people said that for cultivators, calamities and inner demons were both a curse and a blessing.
Before entering a meditative state, Xuzhuang suddenly recalled that, being troubled by demonic influences, it had been a long time since he’d last formally cultivated. A smile touched his lips.
’When has the path of cultivation ever been smooth sailing? Even one’s own Magical Power and Divine Techniques can become tribulations, so what are mere external demonic influences to be afraid of?’
Suddenly, Xuzhuang felt that the threat of demonic influence was no longer so pressing.
