In the blink of an eye, a young monk surrounded by a green aura soared into the sky from the other side.
The monk initially intended to summon his magical treasure and capture the snake demon directly.
However, upon noticing a disheveled youth beside the snake demon, he hesitated, unsure of the situation.
"Demoness, cease your escape! I advise you to surrender immediately and return with me to the sect for punishment!" The young monk clasped his hands together, shouting solemnly and sternly.
"It's you again, Retarded Zhi! I've told you before, that fruit was a gift from the heavens, it has nothing to do with your Brahma Sound Sect. Stop with this nonsense!"
The moment the monk appeared, the snake demon transformed into a light gauze dress. She despised bald monks the most and couldn't bear to let one see her body!
"Speak properly, no name-calling," Evan Chen reminded her calmly.
"I-I didn't call him names."
"Then why did you call him 'Retarded'? Speak properly, misunderstandings can always be resolved."
The young monk across from them turned green with anger, but seeing that Evan Chen seemed amicable, he bowed slightly and said through gritted teeth, "This benefactor, my Dharma name is Retarded Zhi.'"
Evan Chen was taken aback, stifling a laugh, "Your master must be a wise and profound individual."
Retarded Zhi didn't want to dwell on the matter of his Dharma name, as it wasn't the first or second time he had been misunderstood.
He then quietly probed Evan Chen, only to find that the latter appeared to be an ordinary mortal.
Of course, Retarded Zhi knew that in such situations, there was another possibility: the other person's realm was far higher than his own.
To be safe, Retarded Zhi dared not act rashly.
"This benefactor, this woman is a spirit creature transformed from a green snake. Are you being held captive by her?" Retarded Zhi inquired.
"Captive? Not really," Evan Chen waved his hand and said, "I heard there's a misunderstanding between her and your sect. Doesn't your Buddhist doctrine advocate resolving enmities rather than creating them? How about I help you settle this matter today?"
As Evan Chen spoke, his Immortal Sense remained fixed on the string of Buddhist beads hanging around Retarded Zhi's neck. If he wasn't mistaken, they were made of Heavenly Ebony, one of the rare materials James Li had mentioned for crafting Immortal Artifacts.
Retarded Zhi frowned slightly, "Your words are true, but I wonder what ability you have to convince the snake demon to return the Exquisite Fruit?"
Evan Chen replied calmly, "Let's not talk about returning it yet. Let's first see who's right and who's wrong."
Seeing Evan Chen's confidence, Retarded Zhi's apprehension grew. He said, "Alright! The situation is simple. My sect went through great hardships, losing several Tribulation Crossing stage monks to find a sapling of the Exquisite Fruit. We nurtured it at a specific location at the foot of the mountain to bear fruit, which was meant to extend the life of our founder. But this snake demon stole and ate it. Tell me, should she return it or not?"
The snake demon, Shirley, glanced at Evan Chen nervously, afraid he wouldn't protect her. She quickly argued, "The Exquisite Fruit grows in the world. Just because you say you nurtured it doesn't make it yours. Do you have any proof? Besides, even if it was yours, I didn't know beforehand. Do you have the right to kill me for it?"
"Amitabha, demoness, stop your sophistry!" Retarded Zhi glared angrily.
Evan Chen pondered for a moment and said, "It's just an Exquisite Fruit. She ate it, and it can't be returned, can it?"
"You!" Retarded Zhi was furious, "Stop making sarcastic remarks. Our founder has only two years of lifespan left. If we don't take the demoness back to nourish him with her blood, how can we explain it to the entire sect?"
"Heh," Evan Chen chuckled, "Retarded Zhi, don't be impatient. This demoness is now my mount. How can I let you take her away to bleed her? How about this: she ate one of your Exquisite Fruits, I'll compensate you a hundredfold, and we can become friends."
Compensate? With what?
Exquisite Fruits only grow in Forbidden Zones, they're not like Chinese cabbages that can be easily compensated!
Retarded Zhi was about to retort when he saw Evan Chen open his palm, revealing a green, lotus-like object floating in his hand.
"Hiss."
Both Retarded Zhi and Shirley couldn't help but take a deep breath instinctively.
It was refreshing!
"This…," Retarded Zhi stammered, "Benefactor, what is this? The purity of its spiritual energy is rare in the world!"
"Just an Immortal Crystal, enough to compensate you a hundred or a thousand times over for that Exquisite Fruit."
Seeing the monk's stunned expression, Evan Chen felt a sense of satisfaction.
He recalled a time when a coworker was rewarded with a Violet Immortal Crystal, even more valuable than an Immortal Crystal, for running an errand for a higher-up. Evan Chen had been both shocked and envious, thinking the higher-up was foolish for giving it away for free.
Now he understood that the pleasure derived from being at the top was different from that of being at the bottom.
"An Immortal Crystal? Why should I believe…"
Before he could finish, Retarded Zhi's mind was shaken, and a burst of Buddhist light emanated from him.
"Body Fusion stage, I've broken through!"
Retarded Zhi was overwhelmed with shock. He had only intended to test its authenticity, but just a tiny bit of that pure spiritual energy had helped him break through the barrier and enter the Body Fusion Realm.
Before this, Retarded Zhi, a once-in-a-millennium genius of the Brahma Sound Sect, had been stuck at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing stage for three years, unable to break through.
Now, he no longer doubted the authenticity of the Immortal Crystal.
"Amitabha." Retarded Zhi felt an unparalleled sense of comfort, and his mind calmed down.
"Benefactor, this Immortal Crystal is invaluable. If it weren't for saving our founder's life, I wouldn't dare accept it. Thank you, benefactor."
"No problem. If you feel bad about it, give me that string of Buddhist beads."
Retarded Zhi: "…"
This string of Buddhist beads was a sect treasure, only passed down to the top genius of the sect in a hundred years. How could he give it away so easily?
However… The other party had given him an Immortal Crystal. If he wasn't mistaken, the combined assets of the entire Brahma Sound Sect wouldn't be worth as much.
Immediately, Retarded Zhi felt no more psychological burden. He took off the beads and said, "Even so, the benefactor still suffers a great loss. This generous gift will be remembered, and I will repay it in the future."
Evan Chen accepted the beads, "Alright, alright. Is the enmity between you and her resolved?"
Retarded Zhi quickly bowed to Shirley, "Lady benefactor, the misunderstanding is resolved. I apologize for any offense caused."
Retarded Zhi was shrewd. The youth before him had easily produced an Immortal Crystal, indicating he had a significant background. Not befriending him now would indeed make him a true 'retarded' person.
"No wonder I sensed a divine aura when I arrived. It must be related to this young man. Remarkable, truly remarkable," Retarded Zhi thought, grateful he hadn't acted rashly. Otherwise, his life would have ended here.
As for Shirley, her mind was blank.
This dirty, seemingly deranged guy had produced an Immortal Crystal to save her…
Even if she were sold a hundred times, she wouldn't be worth this much.
Who exactly is he? What background does he have? Have I struck it rich by becoming his mount? Will he abandon me? How does he like to ride…
Countless questions swirled in Shirley's mind, making her oblivious to Retarded Zhi's apology.
To prevent any accidents, Retarded Zhi thanked them repeatedly before hurriedly leaving.
Evan Chen carefully examined the Buddhist beads, confirming they were made of Heavenly Ebony, consisting of thirty-six beads in total.
He wasn't sure of their exact value, but it was definitely worth more than a hundred Immortal Crystals. He had made a huge profit.
Of course, Evan Chen had considered killing and robbing, but that wasn't his nature, so he dismissed the idea.
Moreover, Evan Chen had deeper plans in mind with this move.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan
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