Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 33 - 31: Secret Demon Fragmented Books, Sacrificing One’s Life with a Sword

Old Fox was intimidated by the brute using the momentum of Joyful Tower, and then got startled by Tao Qian's sudden remark, briefly panicking.

His subconscious reply stumbled slightly.

"Esteemed guest, are you not jesting with me?"

Fortunately, Old Fox regained his usual demeanor after uttering that sentence.

His fluffy paw pushed up the old-fashioned glasses that came from the secular world, carefully examining Tao Qian a few times without waiting for Tao Qian to respond, Old Fox continued:

"Esteemed guest, please do not joke. Although my old bones are failing me now, my memory is still quite good."

"Such an elegant and extraordinary figure as yours, if you truly had bought a book from Old Fox, it's impossible that I would have forgotten it."

Convinced in his assertion, he was sure that this half-dragon demon before him was either joking or attempting extortion.

Regardless of which, he would not accept it.

That brute was able to get his money back because his sister joined Joyful Tower.

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For anyone else, even if they were a cultivator of higher cultivation level, what of it?

Unless they could surpass the protection that Joyful Tower extends over this place, he would never compromise.

Even if his reputation went sour, he could just pack up and scuttle off to the next workshop; he had always done so.

After all, the "scapegoats" of the Cultivation World are never-ending; he never worries about lacking a market.

For years, relying on this operational model, not only had he made a fortune, but he had also supported a sizable tribe of fox demons.

And within his tribe, there were already two who were in the Energy-Introducing Realm.

One of them was his elderly mother.

Another was his grandson.

Cultivators who were not strong enough yet wanted to cause trouble would inevitably face his harsh retaliation.

Old Fox was resolute when suddenly, Tao Qian nodded and straightforwardly admitted, "You are right, I have never bought a book from you, this is my first time at Tengshe Square, and it's even my first time leaving home to travel."

Hearing this, Old Fox was just about to relax.

But instantly, he saw those cursed eyes of the half-dragon demon squinting again. At first glance, they seemed warm, but a sinister smile hidden beneath that look started showing, fixating on him with such a sinister interest while mentioning offhandedly:

"My family just took in an old servant. Knowing I was about to travel, he specifically shared some insights to prevent me from being duped by bad people."

"This old servant is named Wu Ming; he said that years ago, he bought a book called the Wild Fox Zen Scripture from a fox demon here in Tengshe Square. It cost him three years' savings, a total of five hundred Joyful money."

"Who would have thought that the scripture was counterfeit? When he sought accountability from the fox demon, he was brutally beaten and even mocked that he won't have a peaceful death."

"Shopkeeper, can you say whether the actions of this fox demon were reasonable?"

While saying this, Tao Qian casually paced around, his glances skimming through the surroundings.

Soon, he stopped in front of a particular bookshelf.

Seemingly nonchalant, he reached out a hand and then returned with an extra book in hand.

On its cover, four ancient seal characters were inscribed.

Indeed… the Wild Fox Zen Scripture!

Tao Qian turned back only to see Old Fox, typically shameless and flexible, suddenly turning pale.

At the bottom of his heart, a furious roar was surging.

What is going on today?

Could it be that he was cursed?

Why are there two difficult customers in a row, and both of them he can't afford to offend?

At this moment, Old Fox momentarily stopped thinking about tricking others; he just wanted to close up shop and take a moment to calm down.

However, after all these years of scamming, he had encountered all sorts of difficult people; his face was as unshakable as a copper wall and iron barrier.

This half-dragon demon before him seemed formidable.

But his background was still unknown; how could he be sure that this creature wasn't just bluffing?

Old Fox forced up his energy, squeezed out a smile, completely ignoring the Wild Fox Zen Scripture that Tao Qian was holding up, and argued:

"Esteemed guest, when you go out to gain experience, you still need to have some judgment of your own."

"That old servant's words may not all be true."

"And even if it's all true, the only principle that can be discussed here is 'once sold, no returns.' Money paid, goods taken, absolutely no refunds."

"In any workshop that sells books and cultivation techniques, this is the rule. If people could return things after regretting their purchase, who would want to engage in such a business?"

"If you lack perception and knowledge, you better not enter the workshop to trade. Better go home early and find your parents."

"Esteemed guest, isn't that right?"

As he spoke, Old Fox felt justified, and his words flowed smoothly.

Planning that if Tao Qian argued back, he would use his silver-tongued advantage to taunt this "greenhorn," this "little hatchling" until he couldn't fend for himself.

Unexpectedly to him, Tao Qian, upon hearing this, actually nodded again, acknowledging his point.

With the precedent of that brute successfully recovering his debt, how could Tao Qian foolishly make a mistake by engaging in a quarrel with this crafty Old Fox.

Strike the snake at its seven inches; although Tao Qian could not leverage the power of Joyful Tower, he just happened to know Old Fox's Achilles' heel.

Tao Qian turned around, still holding the copy of the Wild Fox Zen Scripture, smilingly gazing at Old Fox, and seemingly pretending to nonchalantly observe the various arrangements in the shop.

Then, he spoke: "O sir, though your shop is small, you have indeed set up all the protective forbidden techniques against water and fire, and against wind and rain."

Before an anxious Old Fox could respond,

Tao Qian's expression suddenly turned solemn, as if turning his face, and blurted out:

"People can't see through your deceptive tricks, that's why you've fooled them so far."

"But I am different, having learned from many teachers, I naturally know more."

"Although I don't know where you found so much 'Confusing God Sand,' it's quite simple to nullify its effects."

"Boom"

As he spoke, a terrifying aura burst forth from Tao Qian's body.

The Bo Dragon Bloodline activated, creating wind, rain, thunder, and lightning in an instant. Dazzling rainbow light danced around Tao Qian.

Yet Tao Qian didn't immediately destroy the Confusing God Sand adhering to the nearby books; instead, he looked at Old Fox with an almost-smiling gaze and asked, "Store owner, speak further—what do you think the consequences would be for you and your fox demon clan if such secrets were to be exposed?"

That statement completely shattered Old Fox's psychological defenses.

The previously complacent old face now showed panic and even fear.

It wasn't just the suppression by the Bo Dragon Bloodline; he could also foresee a tragic future.

He finally realized that this half-dragon demon in front of him was much more difficult to deal with than the brute from before.

The previous one was merely a sister who had joined Joyful Tower, obviously not of high status.

But this half-dragon half-human demon, whether in speech, demeanor, or the now revealed bloodline divine power, all these sent intense danger signals to Old Fox.

He was just a small stall owner in Tengshe Square, a bottom dweller in the Cultivation World—how could he provoke such a being?

What puzzled him more was how that seemingly unfortunate old fellow managed to join the family faction of this half-dragon demon?

It was truly unbelievable!

Yet he had to believe it, as the details spoken could not have been faked.

Old Fox fully realized his situation, gave up any illusion of luck, and immediately bowed deeply, shaking his hands while shouting in panic,

"Respected guest, please restrain your divine power. Old Fox was wrong; Old Fox was blind not to recognize your venerable servant."

"Please, esteemed guest, speak your terms for punishment and compensation. Old Fox will not hesitate."

While pleading for mercy, Old Fox also knew it would not end quickly. He was ready to stoop to any level to resolve the wrath of this terrifyingly enigmatic demon.

But before he could finish speaking, Tao Qian actually withdrew his divine power.

Casually, he tossed the Wild Fox Zen Scripture back to its place, and with those golden dragon eyes, looked at him almost smilingly,

"You said it yourself."

"My relationship with Old Wu is good; naturally, I must stand up for him."

"So, old store owner, try not to be too heartbroken."

Hearing Tao Qian's words, Old Fox opened his mouth, but didn't know how to respond.

His heart seemed to ache—it was the sign of an impending major loss.

...

About thirty minutes later, the store that had hung a "Full" sign for a long time finally opened its curtains from within.

Tao Qian emerged with a pleased expression.

Behind him, Old Fox, leading several charming female foxes, kept bowing deeply, respectfully seeing him off.

Tao Qian waved his hand, signaling Old Fox not to be over-polite.

Then, he leisurely strolled to the next stall, store after that.

Above him, the Green-scaled Demon, very diligently followed; from time to time, when Tao Qian wasn't paying attention, it secretly absorbed something from the void, its dreadful green face immediately showing joy.

Tao Qian himself harbored the same expression.

If not for maintaining his demeanor, Tao Qian would have already reached into his inner pocket and taken out that stack of silver coins to count.

Tao Qian himself hadn't anticipated—his journey of picking up bargains hadn't even started yet.

He had already gotten rich by "extorting."

"What a sensible old man, knowing I was strapped for cash, he immediately offered three thousand Joyful Money."

"It's just a pity that, in the end, I couldn't help Wu Ming retrieve five thousand Joyful Money for a ten-times compensation achievement."

"Fortunately, not everything in Old Fox's inventory was fake; I managed to extract a True Secret Technique."

Muttering to himself, Tao Qian silently felt the thin book in his bosom.

The format information related to it; he had already sensed and triggered it back in the store.

To Tao Qian, this was the real surprise.

Because the secret technique recorded in that book was exactly what he needed at the moment.

[Record Name: Secret Demon Sacrifice Body Sword Technique (fragmented book)]

[Record Type: Alien Species]

[Record Description: This complete book originally came from the Major Sect of the Demon Path, "Secret Demon Sect," which caused great chaos in the Cultivation World hundreds of years ago, fighting against many great Daoist sects and large Buddhist temples. After several suppressions, the Secret Demon Sect suffered great losses and mysteriously vanished, with appearances unrecorded for hundreds of years. Sacrifice Body Sword is one of numerous sword techniques included in the large book "All Heavens Secret Demon Scripture" within the sect. Its power is formidable. If one can cultivate with the complete book, achieving mastery would allow one to roam thousands of miles, slaughtering demons, ghosts, exotic beasts, and immortal gods. This fragmented book unfortunately only contains one sword technique, significantly reducing its power.]

[Note 1: The remaining technique is called "Selfless"; deploying this sword technique allows 선택 extraction of Source Qi, Essence Blood, Spirit, and Soul etc. from the user's body. The more extracted, the greater the power.]

[Note 2: After releasing this sword, no matter what is extracted, it cannot be recovered; hence, cultivators can only perform this sword technique four times in their lives. The fourth sword, called "Selfless Soul," guarantees the user's dissolution and death regardless of whether the opponent dies.]

[Note 3: Once this technique is cultivated, until abolished, the body cannot accommodate a second sword technique, or else irreversible conflicts occur, and the cultivator will surely die violently.]

[Note 4: The irrevocable costs and death consequences can be exempted, but one cannot cultivate another type of sword technique before abolishing this one.]

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