Buying a Life's Price

The zither music was clear and melodious.

In the Li family home, the tutor who had previously looked pained listening to the disciples play the zither now had a gentle expression. As the young man in the blue shirt began to play, even from the first notes, the music unfurled with a grandeur utterly unlike the mundane world. The expressions of the others in the room shifted. The younger disciples quieted down, while the elders stopped their conversations, either listening with solemnity or closing their eyes, nodding their heads slightly.

The young man in the blue shirt sat upright, playing the zither, his eyes downcast and quiet, the music flowing leisurely.

The younger ones closed their eyes, as if they had already envisioned their success in the imperial examinations, their ambitions fulfilled.

The older ones grew melancholic, as if seeing the myriad forms of the world, recalling their own setbacks.

Li Yixian, meanwhile, recalled his many experiences in the Capital City, lost in a daze.

Inside the house, everyone was immersed in the zither music. Outside, the Daoist priest felt his feet lift, unsure whether to enter or not. His disheveled eyebrows were completely furrowed. He had only intended to 'buy some' lifespan, but he hadn't expected that among the family he chose, there would be such a master.

After a moment's thought, he clapped the back of his head.

He exhaled a gust of black wind, enveloping the entire Li family.

Then, one by one, ghostly figures from the Underworld emerged, all wearing dark yellow robes. Their forms were clear from the waist up, but their faces were completely blurred. From the waist down, they were entirely transparent. In their hands, they held either chains or swords, ready to surge forward, their true natures unleashed.

The Daoist priest pointed forward and said, "Go, seize the souls of those in this house!"

"Whoever captures a soul, I will strike your name from the records and allow you to return to heaven and earth, to seek a lifespan in the Underworld."

"Even if you cannot live on, at least you will no longer be driven like this."

These ghostly figures instantly stirred up an eerie wind and rushed into the courtyard. A chilling wind blew, and any ordinary person entering would have felt their spines freeze, their bodies stiffen, their yang energy suppressed. However, as these ghosts stepped into the courtyard, their movements began to falter.

Ten steps forward, their malevolent aura began to dissipate.

One hundred and twenty steps in.

The zither music reached their ears.

Listening to the music was like reliving one's entire life.

It contained the essence of a fleeting dream, a sense of being both dream and reality. Qi WuHuo unconsciously channeled his Primordial Spirit into it, amplifying its effect on the ghosts. The blurred faces of the ghostly figures gradually revealed features – some like beautiful women, others like imposing, rugged men, and some like elders, and so on. It seemed the spirituality obscured by the magic and supernatural abilities was awakened by the Primordial Spirit and artistic conception contained within the zither music.

The Daoist priest's expression changed drastically, and he quickly swept his sleeve.

His sleeve swirled and twisted, seemingly transforming into a large sack. The black wind reversed, pulling all ten-plus ghosts back. The Daoist priest stroked his goatee, his eyes twitching. "Just by playing the zither, you almost managed to transcend my more than ten ghosts. Is this Buddhist, or Daoist?"

"Such a powerful Primordial Spirit, and such understanding."

"This is someone who has experienced the mortal world!"

"Is there a True Person from some lineage here?"

"Is there a sect with such methods?"

"Is it the Side Gate? Or the Louguan Sect?"

"A Lesser Vehicle Buddhism that first transcends me, then others?"

"It can't be that there are actually ghost messengers and Impermanence here having tea, right? Good heavens—"

The Daoist priest paced back and forth, gritting his teeth. "No matter. If I can't get back my lifespan, I won't be able to live either. It's death either way. No matter whose True Person is here, I have to meet them first." He then formed a hand seal, concealed his body, and took a few steps forward. Glancing back, he saw his hem was still outside, not concealed, hanging in the air.

The Daoist priest shook his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Sigh, one hundred and thirty years old, and still so timid."

"I don't even know if it's a True Person."

"I was so scared I couldn't even use my magic properly."

"Cultivation..."

He reached out his right hand and grabbed the hem of his robe, pulling it forcefully a few times.

To onlookers, it was as if the fabric hanging in the air twitched a few times, then seemed to straighten and was yanked to another spot with a whoosh, disappearing from sight. The Daoist priest had pulled too hard, stumbling forward a few steps. After regaining his balance, he let go of his hem and clapped his hands, laughing triumphantly. "Heh, it worked!"

Then he tidied his robes and adjusted his sleeves.

He truly looked like a wandering Daoist priest.

He swaggered inside.

He crossed the stone screen, the narrow path. People came and went, but no one saw or heard him. He even took a pastry from a chef's table nearby and ate it. He walked to the front of the main hall and only then became nervous. He tidied his robes, and with his right hand, he tapped his sleeve. A point of light flew out from his sleeve, growing larger and larger until it transformed into a calling card, which he held with both hands.

On it, lines of text were written in tadpole-like cloud patterns.

[Your subject, Minor Omen True Person, respectfully presents this to Supreme Dao Lord of the Nine Heavens, Supreme Elder, Great God of the Nine Immortal Cities, Elder of the Nine Qi, True Lords of the Three Sovereigns...]

This was the origin of his lineage. It was impossible for him to have received his teachings directly from these great deities, but he had forcefully traced his lineage back to them. When transmitting a lineage, there would be three such jade slips: one kept by the sect, one carried by oneself, and the third burned into smoke to inform heaven.

Respectfully, he walked forward and said:

"May I know which True Person you are, senior? This humble Daoist..."

His voice and demeanor were extremely respectful and humble.

He looked up and saw Qi WuHuo playing the zither.

The smile that had been plastered on the Daoist priest's face froze. His eyes widened, as if he had been punched hard. His expression contorted, shifting from frozen humility to arrogance. His hunched back straightened instantly, his demeanor changing in a flash. "So..."

He looked at the young man and sneered, "It's just a Side Gate practitioner who cultivates the spirit but not the life!"

"Just a powerful Primordial Spirit, hmph. I thought you really had some skill!"

"You scared me."

With a sweep of his sleeve, he directly broke the invisibility spell.

Li YueLin had been lost in Qi WuHuo's zither music, recalling his youthful ambition and the many twists and turns of his prime. Just as he was feeling sentimental, he suddenly saw a Daoist priest appear in his hall. The priest wore a somewhat tattered Daoist robe, his hair was white, and his wooden hairpin was soaked in oil, making him look disheveled. Li YueLin's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He subconsciously looked at his brother.

Li Yixian had already slumped back onto the ground. Upon seeing the Daoist priest, his face turned ashen. "You, you!"

The Daoist priest smiled and cupped his hands. "You accepted my gold that day."

"I've come to collect my things."

Li Yixian stammered, "I, haven't I already given you that [merchandise]?"

The Daoist priest smiled. "That has already been given."

"But the money I gave you should have belonged to the Underworld."

"You took the ghost messenger's money."

"And spent quite a bit of it yourself."

"Don't you know? Ten taels of gold buy you one year of lifespan. Your lifespan is fifty years, and you are thirty-five this year. This one hundred and fifty taels of gold is the price you paid to buy your life."

A chill ran down Li Yixian's spine, and his limbs turned cold. He couldn't move.

Li YueLin suddenly said, "Wait, the money hasn't been spent. It's still here."

The Daoist priest looked up. "Oh?"

Li YueLin raised his hand and took out a pouch, then stood up and cupped his hands. "Here is your gold."

"I've added thirty taels to it as a congratulatory gift for the Daoist master. I implore you to be merciful and spare my brother."

Li Yixian was stunned. "Brother..."

The Daoist priest laughed heartily. "What deep brotherly affection! Excellent, excellent."

"But first, take a look. What is it you've taken out?"

Li YueLin froze. He suddenly seemed to realize something and quickly opened the pouch. The gold he had prepared inside had inexplicably turned into a pouch of soybeans. He lifted it, and it poured onto the ground with a rustling sound. The Daoist priest reached into his robes, pulled out a pouch of gold, and looked at him with a smile.

Li YueLin blurted out, "This is... my gold."

He immediately stopped himself and forced a smile. "No, it seems Daoist master, you have already accepted it."

The Daoist priest burst into laughter.

"What 'your gold'? This is something this Daoist picked up from the ground. Who said it was yours?"

"You!"

Li YueLin pleaded, "Daoist master... please be merciful. As long as you spare my brother, I will agree to any request."

The Daoist priest stroked his beard. "Spare him, it's not impossible."

Hope flickered across the faces of Li Yixian and Li YueLin.

The Daoist priest raised his hand and pointed directly at the young man who had stopped playing the zither. He said crisply, "Hand over his soul and primordial spirit to me!"

"Not only can I buy your brother's life."

"This Daoist can also grant you immense benefits."

"What do you say?!"

The expressions of Li YueLin and Li Yixian changed drastically.

Li Puyü exclaimed, "This, how is this possible!"

The Daoist priest smiled. "Otherwise, Li Yixian will come with me."

Li Yixian's face fell into despair. His expression showed much struggle, and finally, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"It was my fault for being greedy for wealth. It has nothing to do with that child. Take me with you."

The Daoist priest chuckled, but his gaze remained fixed on Qi WuHuo.

Qi WuHuo, pressing on the zither strings, suddenly said, "I agree."

He looked up at the aged Daoist priest, his eyes dark. "It's just that I'm very curious, how will you take my primordial spirit?"

"I haven't been cultivating for long, and I haven't seen such a method."

"Can you come closer so I can see it with my own eyes?"

The old Daoist priest laughed heartily. "Cunning boy! But your mere spirit nurturing skills are quite good."

"Since it's the plea of a dying man, this old man isn't so petty."

"Let me show you my supernatural ability, so you can die knowing."

With that, he walked closer, arrogant and haughty.

"I'll give you a chance!"

"Come, look!"