Chapter 187 : Old Ghost’s Small Shop (1)
Note: Old ghost (gui) here is not necessarily a ghost, just a saying about someone who is strange or sinister (but it could also be a real ghost/devil)
At this moment, the old man slowly lifted his head and looked at Li Qiye. At the same time, his eyes radiated a frightening light akin to the sacred light of the heaven and earth. With an immeasurable sharpness, it was seemingly able to tear apart the world. Even Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao, standing behind Li Qiye, had to take three steps back. They did not receive this fierce glare directly, but they still felt that this flash was able to decapitate gods and devils along with people of their cultivations like insects!
As the cold sweat dripped down their bodies, they realized that this old man calling himself old ghost was a horror outside of their speculations.
“No.” This old man then withdrew his gaze as if he was drowsy and stiffly shook his head.
Li Qiye narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man, then he calmly said: “I know very well that there are three types of hard currencies at this place. One, true or false great sagas. Two, the Early People’s ancient language. Three, corpses! I have true or false great sagas and the Early People’s ancient language! You want to choose Early People’s ancient language then?”
“No, neither will do.” The old ghost still shook his head rigidly as he slowly said: “At least, for you, they will not work! I have a medicine pot and you can put the medicine in for me!”
Li Qiye became serious and stared at the old ghost before finally speaking: “This is not your trading rule! At least, the item that I want is not worth this price!”
Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao, in the back, were confused while listening to this odd conversation. They didn’t know what was going on.
“I know, but you are an exception — the only exception!” The old ghost slowly continued: “I can smell the scent on your body. Thus, your three currencies will not do!”
Li Qiye narrowed his eyes and silently looked at the old ghost. As the Dark Crow with eons of experience, he had seen everything. He naturally knew what this old ghost was, and he knew how difficult it was to deal with him.
“I want to see what you are concocting!” Finally, Li Qiye relented.
The old ghost didn’t look at Li Qiye. He stood up like a corpse and slowly said: “Follow me.” He then walked into the door that was as black as ink in the back.
“Three hard currencies?” Looking at Li Qiye, Li Shuangyan felt that this type of transaction was too weird.
“This place differs from the outside.” Li Qiye smilingly shook his head: “The outside uses Refined Jades, spirit medicines, Fate Pills, and even treasures. All of those are not tradeable in this place!”
“What is a true or false great saga?” Chen Baojiao curiously asked: “Great sagas also have true and false?”
“Of course there are.” Li Qiye smiled and said: “At this place, you can naturally obtain the items you want. First, you have to think about a rare and strange enough item. All of the treasures that aren’t available outside, they will all be here. If you want these items, it is very simple; you can tell the old ghost an old story...”
“... Of course, this old story has to be ridiculous and bizarre. What is even stranger is that this old story can be your own personal experience, or be made up by you. If your old story is true, then you can immediately obtain the item you want. However, if your made-up story is real enough, you can still trade for the item, but you need to be able to fool him!” Li Qiye smiled as he finished his words.
Hearing this, both Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao were surprised. Such a thing was too strange.
“What about corpses?” Chen Baojiao asked once again.
Li Qiye shook his head and said: “Corpses are even harder. Corpses that could catch his eyes are absolutely unimaginable and were definitely capable of becoming existences like Earth Immortals! Of course, you can also trade for the most amazing things out of this place with them!”
“Come, don’t let him wait too long.” Li Qiye then smiled and walked towards a narrow path to the dark door.
Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao glanced at each other once before they busily followed him inside.
They originally thought that this door would lead to a dark place but, after entering, they found that this was not the case. Behind the door was a Heavenly Grotto in the form of a large yard. In this place, rays of sunlight shone down, giving a very comfortable and lazy feeling.
However, once they saw the contents of the yard, the girls’ mouths gaped; they simply could not close them! They stared at all the items ahead in complete astonishment.
The large green yard had medicinal parks, jade pools, small hills... All the necessary things were here and, shockingly, there were even things growing here.
“N-Ni-Nine Transformation Dragon Silkworm soul grass...” Seeing a small grass with the shape of a small dragon inside the medicine park that mysteriously sounded with dragon cries, Li Shuangyan loudly exclaimed.
The Nine Transformation Dragon Silkworm soul grass was the main ingredient for the finest ranked Fate Pills. Not even mentioning grand sects and powerful nations, even an Ancient Kingdom wouldn’t necessarily have such an item!
“Over there, that, isn’t that the Yin Yang Immortal Dragon Turtle from the legends?” Inside the jade pond was an old turtle lazing around. This turtle sucked in and let out Yin and Yang energy, causing Chen Baojiao to lose her colors in bewilderment. She had only seen such a thing in fantasy books as a legend. An Ancient Kingdom would not be able to catch such an existence, but there was one inside this yard!
“That, that is the Pattra Palm Sacred Tree...”
“This, this is the legendary Variable Stone that is said to only appear once every million years...”
“Eight Petal One Sword saint grass. In the legends this was a leaf blade that transcended into the supreme immortal grass. It’s able to nourish the soul, rebel against fate, and change one’s lifespan!”
***
Seeing such worldly-shocking treasures one after another, Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao were stupefied. This yard of spirit medicines and treasures, not to mention an existence like the Nine Saint Demon Gate and the Jewel Pillar Sacred School, but even the Azure Mysterious Ancient Kingdom would not have these.
This greatly shocked them. If any of these items were found outside, there would be an insane bloodbath. There were no Ancient Kingdoms in existence that were able to have such an amazing wealth. However, in this yard, there were all of these coveted treasures. Any of the immortal grass or items here would not be obtainable, even if an army of cultivators aimed for them during their entire lives.
The Nine Saint Demon Gate and the Jewel Pillar Sacred School were both powerful and, as the heavenly proud daughters, Chen Baojiao and Li Shuangyan had seen many treasures. However, compared to what was in front of their eyes, all of the treasures they had seen were piles of scrap metal.
“Come, these items require the three hard currencies to trade for.” Li Qiye smilingly said: “Of course, you two don’t need to think too much, you won’t be able to come up with any old sagas that will move the old ghost.”
At this point, Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao looked at each other and realized something. With so many treasures and immortal grass left like this, yet the old man was not afraid of them being robbed by others. Just how terrifying was this old ghost?
Finally, the three went inside a side room. Even before they entered, Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao smelled an indescribable and nauseating medicinal scent. With a more careful whiff, only an unspeakably soul-shaking scene could be imagined as the source that rendered them speechless.
There were a myriad of bottles containing unknown medicines all over the room. There was an iron wok on top of a dark green ghastly flame. And inside the iron wok was a pitch black item. It seemed to have its own life as its surface appeared to crawl. At times, there were maggots coiling about, or an approaching evil ghost spirit, or the murmuring flow of a stream...
Seeing the strange item being boiled in the iron wok, Chen Baojiao and Li Shuangyan felt shivers running down their bodies.
At this time, Li Qiye closed his eyes and deeply breathed in the medicinal air and murmured: “Iron Ghost Earth Serpent, World Rejection Heart, Evading Immortal Grass, God’s Blood Crystal, Generation Devouring Ghost Brain...”
Li Qiye named the medicinal ingredients one after another as if he had the recipe memorized. Chen Baojiao was dumbfounded seeing Li Qiye reciting the ingredients from just their scent, but Li Shuangyan was already accustomed to Li Qiye’s godly techniques!
As for the old ghost standing next to Li Qiye to listen to his recital, he swayed his head about as if checking for Li Qiye’s mistakes.
After naming all the big ingredients, Li Qiye finally opened his eyes and looked at the old ghost with a shocked expression as he said: “You found that ancient recipe!”
The old ghost slowly replied: “Nothing is impossible with a willing heart. However, this is only an incomplete recipe. This is just the first step, the other ingredients have not been figured out!”
“I am also not likely able to come up with them.” Li Qiye shook his head and sighed softly.
Li Shuangyan, who spent the most time with Li Qiye, was jolted. This was her first time hearing Li Qiye’s unconfident speech! Until now, it seemed that there was nothing that could trouble him but, today, he spoke without any confidence! What kind of thing was this ancient recipe that could cause their supremely self-assured young noble to actually question?
“I smelled the medicines on your body and that frog on your body. You surely know your stuff!” The old ghost slowly spoke.
Li Qiye gazed at the blackened concoction inside the iron wok without saying a word. He looked at the blackened concoction as if wanting to see through it.
It had to be said that the Alchemy God and Li Qiye had mixed countless dan recipes and had found innumerable dan recipes left behind from ancient times. Some of these dan recipes even came from an immemorial period that was otherwise completely traceless. At this time, there was an ancient recipe coming to Li Qiye’s mind.