Chapter 385

Chapter 385: Weathering the Storm Together as Strangers

The next day, Zhao the Fatty rushed over to Li Hui, acting all unreasonable. “Brother, this is the third time! You’re quite the merchant, I must say! You capably rob us of business, buying treasures at low prices from the victims, then reselling them to us at several times the cost. We run under the sun, and you do the same. We take risks, dashing into the ghost wave during the dark moon, and yet, you’ve intercepted us three hours in advance again.”

“Quit the whining and go cook.”

“Sure!” Zhao the Fatty squatted down, took out his kitchen knife, and went to prepare food. A while later, he came back shouting, “Little brat, you’ve cast some sort of spell on me!”

“Ah! That’s just you getting used to it; who can you blame?” Li Hui chuckled. Suddenly, he said earnestly, “I’m about to leave. Before I go, I’ll sell you a few treasures to keep you safe. Don’t complain about the price. This treasure comes from the Great Buddha Temple ruins. If it’s set in place, even a ghost king would retreat.”

“Is that true? What’s so powerful?”

“Hahaha.” Li Hui laughed heartily, “Truth is never false, and falsehood can’t be true. Do you think it’s not impressive if revered monks for generations kneel and worship it? Also, I found an ancient sage’s calligraphy scroll in the ancient tomb of Baoyang Mountain. It will certainly be useful against evil spirits and ghosts.”

“Pfft! Stop spinning tales! I’ve been to the Great Virtue Kingdom; if it were truly ancient sage calligraphy, that would be incredibly valuable. Can you really part with it and sell it to me?” The Fatty looked skeptical.

“What’s there to hold back? I still have seventy to eighty sheets left. The ancient sage is buried in Baoyang Mountain. You won’t believe it, but I’ve had good business lately. I’ve sold over five hundred sheets and made quite a profit.”

“Hey! I’ll bite you for wasting precious resources!” Zhao the Fatty yelled.

When Zhao the Fatty finally left Li Hui’s cart, he had foolishly spent all his money. He clutched a tattered scripture in one hand, hugged a calligraphy scroll, and stuffed five residual talismans into his pocket, feeling as though he would return home to kneel on a washboard. He felt a mix of dread!

Not long after, Li Changtian and Song Zining came to see Li Hui.

Both were very polite. After greeting each other, they took their seats and got straight to the point, “We heard you’re leaving the merchant road, Brother Li. We know you have great skills and cultivation, along with a unique perspective, so we’d like to purchase some treasures for protection.”

“Understood. It’s not just for protection; it’s for saving your lives,” Li Hui replied frankly. “I’ll open the treasure room. After you pick your treasures, you can place the Miao Jade and rare items on the balance scale in the treasure room. Once the scales balance, the trade is finalized. Hehe, it seems you’ve noticed that many ghost kings have recently joined forces to clear the surface. The pressure has increased, and business is getting tough!”

“Thank you!” Li Changtian and Song Zining cupped their fists in appreciation, already preparing for a hefty price.

In fact, Li Hui didn’t just charge them a big price; he nearly emptied their pockets. Without doing so, he wouldn’t be able to dispel their suspicions. In business, especially during a great calamity, no one gives out favors for free. Moreover, if the items came too easily, it would foster a sense of carelessness. It’s only when they feel the pinch that they will think twice before using them.

Around sunset, the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s Li Yingjun embarked on his journey. Huo Qiniang, with Zhao the Fatty supporting her, watched the convoy disappear into the distance.

“Qiniang, I’ve noticed you’ve changed. You always seem to view that pretty boy, Li, with admiration. He’s leaving, so what? Yet you run to ask for a protection talisman for the child who hasn’t even been born.”

“Shut up. What’s with your incessant chatter? Nobody thinks you’re mute.” Huo Qiniang leaned against Zhao the Fatty, suddenly touching the corner of her eye, and found a glistening tear. She was crying. Why was she crying?

In the distance, Li Hui sat atop the cart, drinking while looking at the stars, bitterly smiling: “Even if we meet, we don’t know each other. Weathering the storm together as strangers, we’ve encountered each other thrice and defused three crises. I’ve helped as much as I could; what needed support has been supported. Ultimately, the path of cultivation relies on oneself.”

“Father, you still have us!” Yao’er appeared.

“Dare you come out? You’ve been fiddling with alchemy all day. Have you learned the Dry Sun Thunder Talisman?” Li Hui’s face turned stern.

“Jin Feng and Zhong Yuan have excelled in talisman techniques. I, along with a group of younger ones, enjoy alchemy and crafting tools. We really have no talent for talisman methods. You said to teach according to one’s abilities, yet we are forced into this! While it’s true that having many skills doesn’t hold you back, you can’t treat us this way!” Yao’er looked at her father with a bit of fear.

“Hahaha!” Li Hui laughed and nodded: “You have all been too cautious, lowering your heads and subserviently meeting every demand, completely unaware of what freedom is! Today, you’ve finally crossed this threshold. Dao techniques are natural; I don’t want servants. You need to break the shackles and let yourselves soar.”

“Freedom?” Yao’er murmured to herself.

Suddenly, Li Hui drew Yao’er into the Mysterious Pearl, and with a wave of his hand, the convoy vanished without a trace.

“Ha ha ha, Li Yingjun, I didn’t expect you to be so clever. Before we made our move, you already knew.” A Ghost Fox slinked out from the shadows.

“Ghost Fox Sect? You still remember me?” Li Hui was surprised.

“I don’t remember much. Truly, I don’t, but we were told we have a feud. Cheng Yuyan has risen to the rank of Yin Luo King, and the Eight Hundred Ghost Kings are ready to strike. She asked me to deliver a message: today, under our assault, if you manage to survive, and want to save Mu Qianyun’s life, return to Dalong before the same day next year and obtain the head of National Master Qiao Tianxing, sealing his three souls and seven spirits within it.” The Ghost Fox danced lightly, flicking her five tails around.

“Using Mu Qianyun to threaten me? Ignoring whether she remembers me, we’ve known each other for barely over ten days. To run all this way across billions of miles for a woman with no ties to me, and to kill a National Master, are you all out of your minds?” Li Hui looked utterly bored and dismissive.

“Hehe, think what you like, do as you wish!”

The Ghost Fox suddenly whistled, and dozens of fox figures surged forth in a swift attack like lightning. Li Hui had already vanished from his spot. When he turned to look at the horde of foxes, he was filled with shock.

“Since the dark moon appeared, all spirits and ghosts can quickly advance. The Ghost Fox Sect wouldn’t have been capable of this kind of formation before, but now they’ve mobilized dozens of Bosa-stage Ghost Foxes. They’re truly putting on a grand display just to deal with me.” Li Hui hesitated not at all and swiftly darted away.

“Chase! He dares to compete with us in speed.” Dozens of Ghost Foxes pursued him, seemingly teleporting as they emerged from the shadows.

About one stick of incense later, a vast river appeared ahead, stretching a thousand feet wide. Li Hui thought, “I didn’t dare explore the ancient boat at the riverbed before, but now the Ghost Foxes will help share the pressure.”

In the moment, his figure slipped into the river.

“Water escape? Dream on!”

“Boom! Boom! Boom…” Nearly a hundred figures entered the river, but besides the visible ones, many more Ghost Foxes lingered in the darkness. How astounding it was to mobilize so many forces just to kill a Condensed Essence Stage practitioner!

The Ghost Fox Sect had been preparing for this strike for half a year. They knew that Li Hui had survived a hundred tribulations, and such practitioners were called Hundred Tribulation Cultivators. Zhang Daoheng viewed this as an opportunity to prove the Dao, and it wasn’t without reason;

To kill a Hundred Tribulation Cultivator, one must gather forces and have contingencies—one layer of backup isn’t enough; several layers must be prepared.

Li Hui had already submerged to the river bottom, adeptly weaving through a dilapidated sunken ship. Suddenly, green light and purple light erupted, and bronze artifacts rose before his eyes…