Chapter 63: Unethical Taoist Priest

Chapter 63: The Unscrupulous Taoist Priest

Ye Fan’s fingertips emitted a golden thread, cutting open the rock wall. Immediately, specks of green light flowed out, revealing half of a dagger’s hilt. He gripped it with his hand and pulled it out with force. Suddenly, a verdant glow filled the ground, making him squint his eyes.

Clang!

This was a greenish-blue dagger. Once fully drawn, it emitted a crisp metallic resonance. Surrounded by a verdant aura, it was incredibly sharp. It was only about half a foot long, crystal clear like a pool of green water, and radiated a faint chill.

Ye Fan knew this was no ordinary object. A weapon kept by a Demon Emperor was certainly extraordinary.

“Haha…” Just then, a plump, ruddy-faced Taoist priest, riding a divine rainbow, arrived. Although his figure appeared bulky, his movements were incredibly nimble, descending silently like a falling leaf. He chuckled, “What luck! I didn’t expect to actually track down a sentient weapon.” As he spoke, he stretched out a large hand towards the dagger in Ye Fan’s hand, a benevolent smile on his face. “Child,” he said, “this is a cursed weapon. You can’t control it. Come, let this Taoist master subdue it.”

Ye Fan wanted nothing more than to punch that ruddy, plump face. This stout Taoist priest was too dishonest, truly treating him like a gullible child. He dodged backward. The priest, however, was exceptionally agile. With a swift turn of his large hand, he snatched the dagger in a flash, bursting into laughter. “Child, I’ll remember this favor,” he declared. “The mountains may not turn, but roads do. Next time we meet, this Taoist master will properly thank you.”

Having said this, the plump Taoist priest patted his behind and, with a whoosh, rode the divine rainbow skyward.

“Damn fatty, I’ll remember you!” Ye Fan cursed under his breath, vigorously shaking his fist at the sky. To have a sentient weapon he had just obtained snatched away like that left him utterly unwilling to accept it.

“I’m not that fat, am I? Just robust,” the thirty-something plump Taoist priest said. His ears were remarkably sharp; he had already flown over a hundred meters away but still heard Ye Fan’s murmur. Turning back, he flashed a mouthful of pearly white teeth, smiling brightly. “Next time we meet,” he called out, “this Taoist master will bring you good fortune.”

Seeing how perceptive he was, Ye Fan dared not utter another word. He rolled his eyes in that direction, watching the plump Taoist priest saunter away into the distance.

Indeed, many sentient weapons had escaped from the Demon Emperor’s Tomb, radiating iridescent light as they darted in all directions. Numerous cultivators, riding divine rainbows, relentlessly pursued them. The sky above this primeval ruin was filled with streaks of light and shadow.

Whoosh!

Barely fifteen minutes later, another divine rainbow shot towards Ye Fan, startling him greatly, and he quickly dodged. A streak of crimson light, like a fiery cloud condensed, rushed over and embedded itself into the rock wall ahead.

Ye Fan was a little surprised. He felt incredibly lucky and was delighted. He had just been swindled out of a dagger by that plump Taoist priest, and now another weapon appeared before him. Alertly, he scanned his surroundings. Seeing no one nearby, golden threads shimmered from his fingertips, quickly cutting open the rock wall. He dug out a blood-red bead, and immediately, streaks of crimson light radiated from it.

“Hahahaha…” A burst of hearty laughter echoed. In the distant sky, a plump Taoist priest, his mouth stretched almost to his ears, rode a divine rainbow, rushing towards him.

“Damn it!” Ye Fan cursed inwardly. Grabbing the bead wreathed in crimson light, he turned and ran.

“Indeed, this humble Taoist priest has a fated connection with you, young friend. I didn’t expect to meet again so soon,” the plump Taoist priest said, grinning widely. With a swish, he landed in front of Ye Fan, blocking his path. Extending his plump hand, he said with a smile, “This treasure is destined for me, young friend. Allow me to borrow it.”

“Taoist master, you’re going too far!” Ye Fan said, indignant, holding the radiant bead and retreating backward. “You’ve already taken one sentient weapon from me. You can’t have this one too!”

“This bead is formed from a demon, young friend. You cannot suppress it,” the plump Taoist priest said, his face flushed with a smile. “I am doing this for your own good, specifically coming to subdue it.” With a swish of his plump hand, he took the red bead.

Ye Fan’s teeth ached with suppressed rage. “Taoist master,” he said, “didn’t you say that the next time we met, you’d bring me good luck and thank me properly? Why are you taking my things again? You already got a dagger; just give me back this bead.”

“That’s incorrect. Haven’t you understood yet, young friend?” the plump Taoist priest said, his face beaming with a happy, brazen smile, looking entirely like a swindler. “It is precisely because we formed a good connection during our first meeting that we had this second reunion. This led me to rush here to subdue this demonic bead, helping you avoid a misfortune. This is the good fruit born from the good karma you’ve cultivated!”

“I... *cough*...” Ye Fan truly felt the urge to punch him. He desperately wanted to leave a shoe print on that plump face, but considering the Taoist priest’s unfathomable cultivation, he suppressed the impulse.

“Infinite Heavenly Venerate! Young friend, may we meet again if fate allows. This humble Taoist priest departs!” The plump Taoist priest wiggled his behind, rode the divine rainbow, and shot into the sky, vanishing with a whoosh.

“Damn fatty, I hope I never see you again in this life!” Ye Fan said, his face clouding with ill humor. He felt utterly enraged. This unscrupulous Taoist priest was truly devoid of virtue!

Boom!

In the distance, five great figures fiercely attacked again, using their powerful weapons to blast off another corner of the Demon Emperor’s Tomb. Immediately, radiant light scattered, and more sentient weapons surged out. Even with their world-shaking might, the five powerful experts could not block all the soaring divine lights, and many weapons escaped. The surrounding cultivators all showed delight, riding divine rainbows, rushing in all directions to intercept the glowing artifacts.

Ye Fan sat dejectedly on a rocky hill, watching the distant shimmering lights. He felt helpless, muttering to himself, “That damn fatty, that unscrupulous, vile Taoist priest! I curse him to be robbed until he doesn’t even have his Taoist robe left!”

Whoosh!

In the distant sky, a streak of purple light rushed over, like a meteor, quickly embedding itself into the rock wall in front of him. Ye Fan’s eyes widened. He could hardly believe it; a third sentient weapon had shot towards this spot. It was truly odd.

“This place…” He vaguely felt there was something unusual about this section of the rock wall. There must be some peculiarity here; otherwise, such a coincidence couldn’t exist in this world. How could sentient weapons repeatedly embed themselves in the same cliff face?

This time, Ye Fan didn’t act rashly. Instead, he waited for a long time. Seeing no one else passing by, he slowly walked over, muttering to himself, “That damn fatty surely won’t appear this time, right…?”

He carefully dug open the rock wall. Immediately, intoxicating purple light flowed out, making his palm shimmer. Purple qi permeated the air, feeling incredibly comfortable. It was a purple thumb ring, radiating streams of purple aura and thousands of auspicious colors—a truly delightful sight.

“That unscrupulous damn fatty, he swindled two treasures from me! Otherwise, I would have collected three by now,” Ye Fan said indignantly. “At least this time, he didn’t find out.”

“This humble Taoist priest has arrived!” No sooner had Ye Fan finished muttering to himself than the plump figure reappeared, his face beaming with joy, wrinkles creasing his forehead, his wide mouth stretched to his ears, revealing even his molars. He burst into hearty laughter: “As expected, I truly have a fated connection with you, young friend.”

“I... *cough*...” Ye Fan’s face turned green. He never imagined that this plump Taoist priest would stick to him like a plaster. Furious, he retorted, “Only a ghost would have a fated connection with you!”

“You and I truly are fated,” the plump Taoist priest said, his face unblushing, his heart unracing, looking perfectly serious. He counted on his fingers. “Look, in just a short while, we’ve met three times! How can you say there’s no fate? It’s divine will!”

“Divine will my *foot*!” Ye Fan raised his leg, wanting to kick that plump backside twice, but considering the significant power gap between them, he ultimately suppressed his rage. He walked to the side and shouted towards the distant sky, “Sentient weapon…”

He forcefully threw the thumb ring away. He’d rather let someone else snatch it than let this unscrupulous Taoist priest get his hands on it again; otherwise, he’d be so angry he’d vomit blood. The purple light streaked across the sky.

The plump Taoist priest’s reaction speed was utterly inconsistent with his bulky figure. With a whoosh, he shot forward. Before the purple jade thumb ring had flown a hundred meters, he snatched it from the air. Then, with a broad grin, he descended, saying, “Divine will! Such is fate.”

Ye Fan truly felt like spitting blood. This damn fatty was too despicable and shameless, deliberately trying to provoke him.

“Taoist master, don’t you think you’re going too far?” Ye Fan said, veins throbbing on his forehead. “Don’t spiritual practitioners have some integrity? One shouldn’t be so greedy.”

“This humble Taoist priest has always been disciplined,” he replied. “External objects cannot sway my fundamental mind. I diligently brush it clean constantly, and my heart is like the divine moon shining in the sky.”

Seeing his swindler-like demeanor, Ye Fan’s forehead twitched with frustration. “If you’re so self-disciplined,” he retorted, “then give me back my things!”

“Spiritual practitioners are compassionate,” the plump Taoist priest said, a look of profound benevolence on his face, appearing utterly sincere. “It is only because we share a good connection that this humble Taoist priest has gone to such trouble to resolve three misfortunes for you, reluctantly using my own humble body to suppress three great demons.” He then intoned “Infinite Heavenly Venerate,” adopting the air of a reclusive master.

“You swindler… Damn you!” Ye Fan gritted his teeth. “Taoist priest, what’s your esteemed surname?”

“No need for such formality. My surname is Duan, and my given name is De. So, Duan De.”

“No wonder you’re so utterly devoid of virtue,” Ye Fan retorted. “Duan De (段德), sounds exactly like ‘Duan De’ (断德) – clearly ‘severed virtue’!”