Money in Hand, the Two Submit

"Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin? This Innate Spiritual Treasure is quite interesting."

Kong Xuan toyed with an unusual golden coin in his hand, clicking his tongue in amazement.

The coin was called the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin. It was an exceedingly rare, top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure of the world, round with a square hole in the middle, and wings on either side. Heavenly Dao inscriptions flickered faintly across its surface. It could drop any treasure below the level of an Innate Supreme Treasure, and could also calculate the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao. However, it had one flaw: it could not drop weapons.

Seeing that Kong Xuan was deeply affected by holding the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin, Wen Zhong tactfully refrained from disturbing him. He turned to look at Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao, the two treasure-delivering fools whose cultivation and magic power had been sealed by the Five-Colored Divine Light:

"How dare you two fellow Daoists attack him? Though you have lost your Innate Spiritual Treasure, you have at least kept your lives. That counts as surviving one calamity and escaping one disaster."

Translation: You two attacked first. Now you're paying with your treasure to save your lives. Who agrees? Who objects?

"Wuwuwu!"

"Wuwuwu!"

At Wen Zhong's words, Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao burst into tears and shook their heads frantically. Looking at Wen Zhong's composed face and solemn eyes, they could hardly believe that he, too, was a murderous thief who killed and seized treasures!

The two of them had been playing chess peacefully at home when someone suddenly tore down their front gate. Who could stand that?

They had merely revealed their identities and had not done anything else. To put it more precisely, they had not even walked from the courtyard to the gate before a dazzling five-colored divine light swept over them. By the time they woke up, they could no longer speak or move.

They had obviously run into some vicious characters!

"Alas, it seems the two fellow Daoists refuse to agree. In that case, this old man can do nothing."

Wen Zhong clasped his hands behind his back. A lonely air suddenly radiated from him, as though he were lamenting the decline of morality in the world and how difficult it was for a good person to act.

"This Daoist does not change his name or surname. I am Dragon-Subduing Daoist of the West. Remember my name carefully. Once you descend to the Netherworld, you can explain the cause and effect to the Ten Palace Yama Kings."

"When did you become so interested in this sort of thing, Nephew?"

Kong Xuan walked over with a smile. A top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure was a rare sight even during the era of the Primordial Three Clans. Yet this time, he had merely gone out for a stroll and managed to "pick up" one. It truly seemed that his fortune was flourishing.

"These two little fellows have no bloodshed or resentful energy about them, so they should not be cruel or bloodthirsty people. They also gave me a great treasure today, so I would feel a little embarrassed killing them outright. How about you do it?"

"Wuwuwu!"

"Wuwuwu!"

When Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao heard that, they struggled even harder. They let out muffled cries, but still could not say a single word.

"Senior Uncle, look how badly you've frightened these two fellow Daoists. Do we look like the sort of people who kill others and seize their treasures?"

Seeing that Kong Xuan's expression had grown serious and that a murderous intent seemed to be rising between his brows, Wen Zhong hurriedly spoke up, trying to dispel the thought from Kong Xuan's mind.

There were not many Golden Immortal cultivators in Chaoge. Would it not be a waste to kill them?

"My younger brother is Yu Yi Xian. Do you think I'm a person?"

Kong Xuan turned his head and looked at Wen Zhong with a half-smile. The cold, emotionless depths of his eyes sent an inexplicable chill through Wen Zhong from the bottom of his heart.

Kong Xuan had truly developed murderous intent!

"The cause and effect tied to a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure is too great. I am on the verge of a breakthrough and cannot afford to incur too much cause and effect. So I might as well settle everything at once and make their souls perish."

"Senior Uncle, that would be inappropriate."

Wen Zhong was silent for a moment before rising and stepping between Xiao Sheng, Cao Bao, and Kong Xuan:

"Killing people and seizing their treasures is not the conduct of a gentleman!"

"I am not one of your Human Race. I am not bound by your Human Race's laws and customs, nor do I possess the indecisive mindset of you humans."

Kong Xuan's aura surged. An overbearing pressure burst from his body like an invisible mountain, instantly forcing Wen Zhong's back to bend.

"Remember this: in this world, the strong have always been respected! I am strong, so what I say is reason! Besides, do you think you can stop me today?"

Wen Zhong clenched his teeth. His golden body surged with power, and every bone and muscle in his limbs strained together. Bearing the mountain-like pressure, he rose to his feet bit by bit:

"Kong Xuan! You should know that you are currently in our Human Race's territory! Since you are in our territory, you must follow our Human Race's rules! You may kill and seize treasures, but then kill me too—the Grand Tutor of Yin Shang, Wen Zhong!"

"Wuwuwu!"

Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao had thought their lives had reached their end. They had closed their eyes in despair and resigned themselves to death, never imagining that this cunning old man would actually be as upright as he looked!

As for why he had first called himself Dragon-Subduing and then Wen Zhong, that was insignificant before the "hope of survival."

"Junior, how dare you call me by my name!"

Kong Xuan's expression turned cold, and anger rose from his heart. A red light faintly surged behind him. With a single thought, he could take Wen Zhong's life in an instant.

But he hesitated...

Picking up an Innate Spiritual Treasure while out of the house might have been possible before the Dragon-Han Primordial Calamity, when the Phoenix Race occupied the skies of the Great Desolation. But after the Dragon-Han Primordial Calamity, the Phoenix Race had been burdened with boundless cause and effect and sin. Even cultivation had become as difficult as ascending to heaven, let alone picking up a spiritual treasure.

The reason he had encountered such a treasure now was probably that the surging Human Race Destiny had stirred up the good fortune he had not possessed for countless years. Combined with various coincidences and opportunities, it had led to this outcome.

But if he broke with Di Xin over an Innate Spiritual Treasure at this moment, he would lose the concealment provided by the Human Race Destiny. On top of that, he had suddenly become "wealthy." Under the backlash of fate, what sort of disastrous consequences would arise? Even he had no idea. After all, the fate of the three ancient clans stood before him as a warning.

Wen Zhong held his neck stiff and stared at Kong Xuan without retreating an inch:

"Within the Human Race, even the Great King must show me some respect. Even if he is the Human King, if he makes a mistake, I will beat him and make him listen! How much more so you!"

Kong Xuan laughed in fury. He, Kong Xuan, had actually lived to see the day someone pointed at his nose and cursed him. Did they really take him for some auspicious beast?

"Hahaha! Wen Zhong, do you truly wish to die?"

His overwhelming killing intent shot into the heavens, transforming into an invisible storm that swept in every direction. Wherever it passed, trees of all sizes withered, while exotic flowers and rare grasses rapidly faded.

Wen Zhong circulated his golden body, standing like a golden statue at the heart of the killing-intent storm. Though the cold pierced him to the bone, he did not yield in the slightest!

"Wait! Wait! Great Immortal, the two of us only wish to beg for our lives!"

At the critical moment, Xiao Sheng suddenly spoke:

"We two are willing to swear a Heavenly Dao oath and give the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin to Great Immortal without compensation. We only ask that Great Immortal calm his anger and spare our lives."

"If Great Immortal is still uneasy, we are willing to leave the mountain and voluntarily follow this fellow Daoist, forever serving as his vanguard."

Looking at the resolute expression in Xiao Sheng's eyes, Cao Bao gritted his teeth and sold even himself.

"You two fellow Daoists, this...?"

Kong Xuan's killing intent receded like a tide. Wen Zhong let out a long breath, then twisted his already-stiff neck and turned to look at Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao.

"You fellow Daoist should understand that if we wish to stay alive, this is the only road we can take."

"We have hidden in the mountains for so many years. Now that our treasure is gone, it is time to go out and enjoy the splendor and riches of the mortal world."

The two exchanged bitter smiles and waited for Kong Xuan to speak.

"Swear the oath."

Kong Xuan turned around. His refined and gentle air returned once more, yet it chilled Wen Zhong to the marrow.

It looked as though the two of them were putting on a performance, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop. But Wen Zhong understood that none of this had been scripted...