Chapter 1584: Debt and Repayment

Chapter 1584: Debt and Repayment

"Long time no see, Great Philanthropist Lü..."

As soon as these words were spoken, Pei Tanggong's expression darkened to the extreme.

Lü Jingxiu's countenance changed drastically as well.

Mo Hua's expression remained unchanged, save for a faint flicker in his gaze.

Wen Zhuangzhu looked at Pei Tanggong's face, scrutinizing his demeanor. Half in confirmation and half in disbelief, he muttered:

"So, this Wen guessed correctly after all. You... truly are not dead..."

[Pei Tanggong] spoke slowly, "How did you see through it?"

Wen Zhuangzhu smiled faintly. "Brother Lü, asking this makes this Wen out to be a fool. I have known Pei Tanggong for many years; how he speaks and his mannerisms could not be more familiar to me."

"Had this been an abrupt meeting after being out of touch for years, failing to notice would be excusable. But having traveled alongside Tanggong the entire way, how could I not know the reasons and anomalies in his expressions and words?"

"Tanggong was not merely afflicted by a ghost; he has been parasitized by one."

"And in this entire tomb, considering everyone and everything, the only one possessing such capability is you—the Great Philanthropist Lü, who possessed boundless merit in life and could suppress ghostly creatures."

[Pei Tanggong] said coldly, "After all these years, you are still as sharp as ever."

Wen Zhuangzhu smiled, took a deep look at Pei Tanggong, and slowly continued:

"I always found it strange... Back then, your death was exceedingly bizarre. With the merit accrued from a lifetime of good deeds, it was impossible for you to suffer an unforeseen calamity and perish so abruptly."

"Within this Qingchou City, I could suffer a sudden demise, and Pei Tanggong could suffer a sudden demise. But you alone, Great Philanthropist Lü, could not possibly drop dead before the rest of us."

"Because of this, we local Golden Core cultivators of Qingchou always suspected you weren't dead, but had merely hidden away for some reason."

"Yet we had no proof, and even less did we dare to investigate rashly, dreading that we might offend your taboos and perish by your hand."

"In the eyes of others, you, Great Philanthropist Lü Chongshan, are a great and benevolent man who accumulates merit through virtuous deeds, philanthropic and disinclined to resort to force."

"However, we Golden Core clan elders know only too well how terrifying you, Great Philanthropist Lü, truly are."

"You perform good deeds to accumulate merit; you do not easily resort to violence and avoid breaking the precept against killing simply out of fear that damaging your merit would diminish your cultivation."

"You, Great Philanthropist Lü, walk the Merit Unorthodox Path. Your entire array of abilities depends upon merit. The higher the merit, the greater your strength."

"Over all these years, you accumulated countless virtuous deeds. Utilizing the power of boundless merit, you molded a Golden Body and commanded evil ghosts. Even with our Late Golden Core Stage cultivation, none of us truly dared make an enemy of you."

"Not to mention, you are a philanthropist renowned far and wide. For us to offend the Lü family and make a move against you would defy the hearts of the people and incite public fury."

Wen Zhuangzhu shook his head, his tone tinged with lament:

"Putting aside interests and prejudice, for a cultivator to live to your stature and attain achievements worthy of going down in the provincial annals of Qingchou... It is truly enviable..."

[Pei Tanggong] glanced at his right arm—at the wound bitten by the Emerald Jade Python, from which green blood was oozing—and asked Wen Zhuangzhu:

"Spouting so much nonsense—are you waiting for the snake venom to take effect?"

Wen Zhuangzhu smiled faintly.

He was a handler of snakes; naturally, he knew the trick of using venom.

Furthermore, under the current circumstances, he dared not act rashly.

He had no idea what other cards this Great Philanthropist Lü had yet to play. Thus, waiting for the snake venom to take effect was the safest approach.

At the very least, it would cripple Pei Tanggong's physical body.

"It is not entirely nonsense," Wen Zhuangzhu turned his head toward the distant Mo Hua, cupped his hands respectfully, and said:

"This Wen spoke so much to explain things to the Venerable Great Master, begging for the Venerable Great Master's understanding."

Mo Hua's gaze shifted slightly.

[Pei Tanggong] remarked coldly, "If this old man is not mistaken, the only reason you could enter the bottom of this tomb is that you were also taking advantage of this Esteemed Master Mo, correct?"

Hearing this, Mo Hua looked at Wen Zhuangzhu.

Wen Zhuangzhu silently cursed Lü Chongshan for trying to sow discord. Yet there were some things that could not be openly admitted.

Wen Zhuangzhu bowed to Mo Hua and said respectfully:

"A frank person does not speak covertly. The reason this Wen and the others could enter this tomb is entirely thanks to the Venerable Great Master."

"Without the Venerable Great Master's divine foresight, we would never in our lifetimes have discovered Great Philanthropist Lü's hidden tomb."

"Without the Venerable Great Master acting as the Sole Arbiter of Heaven and Earth, we would never have dared to go against the public will to touch Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb."

"Without the Venerable Great Master's Tongxian Dao Art, we could never have breached the entrance of Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb."

"Without the Venerable Great Master's piercing discernment, we would never in our lifetimes have noticed the flaw in that Golden-Armored Mighty Warrior."

"Without the Venerable Great Master... the few of us would likely never have reached the bottom of this tomb to discover that Great Philanthropist Lü is still alive..."

"Every single thing relies entirely upon the Venerable Great Master's boundless magic power and peerless divine might."

Wen Zhuangzhu's tone was deeply sincere, delivered with the certainty of one speaking of the rising and setting of the sun.

Mo Hua nodded slightly out of habit.

He truly had not expected this Wen Zhuangzhu to be such an adept flatterer.

More crucially, the man flattered quite "sincerely" and pleasantly.

Seeing that Esteemed Master Mo seemed somewhat moved, [Pei Tanggong's] eyelids twitched slightly. He said:

"Wen Zhuangzhu, have you forgotten that just moments ago, you activated your magical treasure wanting to kill this Venerable Great Master?"

Wen Zhuangzhu said coldly, "Cease your nonsense! How could this Wen possibly conspire against the Venerable Great Master?"

"Just now, I was merely temporizing with you, waiting for an opportunity to expose your true face."

"This Wen holds nothing but the deepest admiration for the Venerable Great Master."

Wen Zhuangzhu's expression did not waver, but his mind raced furiously.

Initially, he had indeed intended to kill Esteemed Master Mo to eliminate all future trouble.

This Esteemed Master Mo was exceedingly terrifying in terms of status, background influence, strategy, and divination.

However, during their first clash just now, when the three of them had joined forces in a pincer attack, they hadn't even managed to touch the hem of this Early Golden Core Stage Esteemed Master Mo's clothes. That was when he understood.

He could not be killed.

That feeling of punching empty air was an omen of extreme trouble.

A wise man submits to circumstance.

Striking to kill the Venerable Great Master had naturally offended him.

Yet excavating Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb was equally an unforgivable enmity.

Both sides were effectively the same—both hard choices, and a wrong choice meant death.

However, the Venerable Great Master was at least human.

As for this Great Philanthropist Lü, whether he was human or ghost, alive or dead, was exceedingly blurry.

Choosing the lesser of two evils, from the current perspective, this Esteemed Master Mo was someone who could still be spoken with and reasoned with.

Having thought to this point, Wen Zhuangzhu cupped his hands toward Mo Hua. "Venerable Great Master, you opened Great Philanthropist Lü's tomb undoubtedly with your own intentions."

"This Wen also wishes to see what state Great Philanthropist Lü is in today."

"Why don't the two of us join forces... No..."

Wen Zhuangzhu corrected his phrasing. "This Wen shall follow your commands, so that together we may subdue this half-human, half-ghost Great Philanthropist Lü and unearth his tomb. What does Your Eminence think?"

Mo Hua pondered briefly and gave a slight nod. "Very well."

Wen Zhuangzhu sighed, "The Venerable Great Master is indeed a magnanimous man of great virtue. This Wen is full of admiration."

As he spoke, he had already activated his Emerald Jade Staff, summoning three emerald jade pythons that flicked their crimson tongues and lunged straight toward [Pei Tanggong].

This served as a pledge of allegiance to Mo Hua.

Yet just as the three serpents were about to strike Pei Tanggong, a ray of jade light descended, forming a shield before Pei Tanggong, interspersed with the power of several talismans that blasted the three emerald serpents back half a pace.

Lü Jingxiu steered his Jade Ruyi to protect Pei Tanggong, glaring intently at Wen Zhuangzhu as he spoke with venom:

"Wen Zhuangzhu, I respected you as a senior. Never did I imagine you harbored such wild ambition, actually coveting my father's tomb!"

Wen Zhuangzhu sighed, "Lü Family Patriarch, it is not that this Wen is cruel-hearted, but rather that your Lü family's wealth is too vast, and your esteemed father, Great Philanthropist Lü, harbors far too many secrets."

"In the entire Qingchou City, who doesn't want a bite of the Lü family's flesh?"

"You court death!" Lü Jingxiu raged, once again driving his Jade Ruyi toward Wen Zhuangzhu.

However, in terms of cultivation realm, magical treasures, cunningness of disposition, and combat experience, he was simply no match for Wen Zhuangzhu.

In a mere ten-odd exchanges, he fell completely into a disadvantage.

[Pei Tanggong] looked at Lü Jingxiu's figure with a complicated gaze, filled with both gratification and disappointment.

Afterward, he retrieved several pill medicines from his storage bag and swallowed them, temporarily suppressing the venom. He then drew his Three Origins Spirit Treasure Sword and charged toward Wen Zhuangzhu.

This method of using a ghost to parasitize a living person came with many restrictions, and the physical might he could draw from Pei Tanggong's body was highly unstable.

Therefore, although his host body was at the Late Golden Core Stage, it was significantly inferior to Wen Zhuangzhu's.

Thus, [Pei Tanggong] along with Lü Jingxiu—the "father and son" pair—could only barely fight Wen Zhuangzhu to a draw.

Sword Qi and the radiance of magical treasures intertwined as the emerald jade pythons darted and struck, continuing their fierce battle.

However, having engaged in repeated clashes earlier, and with his magical treasure damaged by the Golden-Armored Mighty Warrior, Wen Zhuangzhu was not in peak condition either.

If this dragged on, unexpected variables might arise again.

Amid the stalemate, Wen Zhuangzhu realized the situation was turning precarious. Seeing Mo Hua still looking on with hands folded, he shouted urgently:

"Venerable Great Master, aid me! Let us end this quickly!"

Mo Hua, who had been leisurely watching the show from the side, finally raised his hand slowly and casually flicked out several Water Prison Techniques and Fireball Techniques.

The previously balanced situation was broken in an instant.

A swift Fireball Technique slammed into Lü Jingxiu's chest. The black-red fireball exploded, unleashing an assault of searing heat and eerie cold that instantly threw his meridians into disarray.

Pei Tanggong was also ensnared by a Water Prison Technique. Although he broke free in just a few breaths, his sword technique was interrupted.

His originally preemptive sword strike slowed by a fraction, allowing Wen Zhuangzhu's emerald jade python to seize the initiative and bite into his shoulder.

Afterward, Mo Hua crossed his hands behind his back and returned to being a bystander. When one could be lazy, one ought to be lazy.

From start to finish, he had merely cast a few minor magic spells, yet like the final touch on a dragon painting, they had utterly broken the deadlock.

Once the balance of battle was shattered, the scales tipped entirely to one side.

Wen Zhuangzhu was greatly invigorated, commanding the three emerald jade pythons with ever-increasing ferocity.

Lü Jingxiu was inept at slaughter, and the light of his Jade Ruyi grew faint. Meanwhile, [Pei Tanggong], borrowing a corpse through ghost parasitism, found his Three Origins Spirit Treasure Sword slowing down as well.

To make matters worse, the fangs of Wen Zhuangzhu's emerald serpents were venomous. The longer the battle raged after the bites, the deeper the venom seeped.

In fewer than a hundred exchanges, Lü Jingxiu could no longer withstand the venom. His meridians grew sluggish, and an emerald jade python whipped him with its tail, sending him flying across the ground coughing blood.

Pei Tanggong was also deeply afflicted by the venom. Two other emerald jade pythons sank their fangs into his shoulders and wrapped themselves tightly around him, rendering him unable to break free.

With that, the curtain fell on this battle.

Wen Zhuangzhu, who had exerted immense effort, won.

Mo Hua, who had merely lifted a finger, also won.

Wen Zhuangzhu took a deep breath, then turned around first, cupping his hands toward Mo Hua:

"Many thanks to the Esteemed Master for lending assistance. The Venerable Great Master's magic power is truly boundless; even one or two minor magic spells were wielded with miraculous perfection, leaving one in awe. This Wen has truly had his eyes opened today..."

Mo Hua said, "A trivial effort..."

Wen Zhuangzhu sighed again, "For the Venerable Great Master to be so modest makes this Wen blush with shame."

Mo Hua also felt that Wen Zhuangzhu was laying it on a bit thick.

These few lines of flattery were clearly lacking something—they were short on sincerity, lacking that warmth that leaves one feeling pleasantly cozy inside.

Just a couple of minor magic spells, and you can blow them out of proportion like this?

How are you going to flatter me later?

Still, one does not slap a smiling face. Mo Hua said nothing, tolerating Wen Zhuangzhu's obsequiousness.

The situation settled down slightly.

Only now did Mo Hua have the leisure to turn back and glance at the Hundred Ghosts Diagram.

Within the scroll, the three "little figures" were locked in a brutally fierce struggle against the hundred ghosts.

Mo Hua looked down toward the final tomb door once more.

The tomb door remained tightly shut, with the Haggling Ghost and the Debt-Lending Ghost still squatting atop it, their gazes shrewd.

Unwilling to delay any longer, Mo Hua looked at Wen Zhuangzhu and asked, "How exactly is this tomb door supposed to be opened?"

Wen Zhuangzhu cupped his hands. "No need for the Venerable Great Master to trouble yourself; this Wen shall handle it."

With that, Wen Zhuangzhu slowly walked up to Pei Tanggong and said, "Great Philanthropist Lü, speak the method to open the Hundred Ghosts Tomb Door."

[Pei Tanggong's] voice was hoarse. "Did I not... already tell you? Incur a ghostly debt of one spirit stone..."

Wen Zhuangzhu sneered. "That is the method to enter the Hundred Ghosts Diagram."

"The Hundred Ghosts Diagram is a heirloom treasure of your Lü family. Pei Tanggong and I researched it for decades before we could unravel even a sliver of its secrets."

"Yet your Hundred Ghosts Tomb Door is another matter entirely..."

"To tell the truth, in regards to the Ghost Dao, this Wen possesses shallow learning and falls far short of Pei Tanggong."

"And though Pei Tanggong painstakingly studied it, he is far inferior to you, Great Philanthropist Lü, who possess extraordinary innate talent, molded a Merit Golden Body, and can suppress ghostly creatures."

"Since I do not understand it, asking you directly is the swiftest way..."

"Otherwise," Wen Zhuangzhu's gaze turned chillingly cold, "do not blame this Wen for disregarding our past camaraderie."

Afflicted with venom and inhabited by a ghost, [Pei Tanggong's] face was deathly pale. He smiled faintly:

"This is merely a host ghost. Even if it dies, what does it matter?"

"Is that so?" Having anticipated this, Wen Zhuangzhu smiled. "Then what about this?"

Reaching out his hand, an emerald jade python slithered forward, bit onto Lü Jingxiu's neck, and suspended him high in the air.

"If you do not speak, you cannot blame this Wen for slaying the only son of you, the Great Philanthropist Lü."

Pei Tanggong looked at Lü Jingxiu, his eyes trembling slightly.

With blood staining the corners of his mouth, his vitality sluggish from the invading serpent venom, Lü Jingxiu merely sneered:

"You dog named Wen, kill or cut as you please... Do whatever you want, but don't dream of threatening my father..."

"We of the Lü family are no cowards."

Wen Zhuangzhu chuckled.

Pei Tanggong also let out a deep sigh, filled with regret.

Had he known this would happen, he wouldn't have taught this only son of his about merit or moral cultivation—the boy's mind couldn't bend in the slightest.

In today's Cultivation World, how could one survive without being treacherous and cunning?

The path of merit was simply not something an ordinary cultivator could touch.

Yet, this was his son after all...

Pei Tanggong said, "Forget it. Release Jingxiu, and I will open the tomb door."

Wen Zhuangzhu did not press his luck further. With a wave of his hand, he recalled the emerald jade python. Lü Jingxiu crashed to the ground with a muffled groan, but paying no heed to the pain, he cried:

"Father, you..."

Pei Tanggong shook his head.

Wen Zhuangzhu said, "Brother Lü, please proceed."

Pei Tanggong said, "It is the same."

Wen Zhuangzhu was slightly taken aback and asked, "What is the same?"

Pei Tanggong said, "The Hundred Ghosts Diagram and the Hundred Ghosts Tomb share the same origin. The method to enter the Hundred Ghosts Diagram and to open the Hundred Ghosts Tomb Door is fundamentally the same—one must incur a ghost debt..."

"These are the rules, the Laws."

"However, the difference lies in the fact that to enter the Hundred Ghosts Diagram, one only needs to owe a spirit stone debt."

"To enter the Hundred Ghosts Tomb, one must repay the debt."

"Repay the debt?" Wen Zhuangzhu was slightly startled.

"Yes," Pei Tanggong said. "These little ghosts were captured by me, suppressed by me, and used by me. They revere me, yet they hate me."

"And I also owe them a debt."

"One must soak a spirit stone completely with my heart's blood as the tomb's master, and then return that bloodstained spirit stone to the debt-lending little ghost."

"The debt-lending little ghost will naturally open the tomb door."

"In terms of cause and effect, this is called... blood for blood."

"Blood for blood..." Wen Zhuangzhu mused, then suddenly frowned. "Yet this is not your physical body. Where are we to obtain your heart's blood?"

Pei Tanggong remained silent.

Wen Zhuangzhu looked around. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as his gaze fell upon Lü Jingxiu.

"Without your heart's blood, wouldn't using your son's be the same?"

Wen Zhuangzhu smiled. "In terms of cause and effect, isn't this called... a son paying the debts of his father?"

(End of Chapter)