Human Chattel After Transmigration

After that, as the golden halo faded, Wang Ping was finally able to inspect his surroundings—what met his eyes was a storeroom.

Dim lights flickered within the storeroom.

Ten lifelike bronze statues stood in the open space, and Wang Ping stood among them like a husky mixed into a pack of wolves.

"This is bad."

Wang Ping quickly reviewed the memories that had come with this transmigration, and his mood grew increasingly heavy. His current situation might not be much better than in the Great Shun Dynasty.

Strictly speaking, it was even worse.

Because within the Immortal Sect, [Force Servitors] were not permitted to possess consciousness. They only retained necessary knowledge, and every action they took was carried out entirely according to predetermined commands.

"In other words, [Force Servitors] are humanoid dead things. My current state, possessing an independent personality and the ability to think, is undoubtedly a problem. If I am discovered, it will likely mean immediate, catastrophic disaster. Before the [Otherworldly Celestial Demon] recovers, I absolutely cannot expose myself."

This was actually a very difficult thing to do.

The greatest difference between a human and a dead thing was the ability to think. Once one could think and feel emotions, many reactions could not simply be suppressed by force of will.

"I have to find a way."

Wang Ping secretly clenched his teeth and delved deeper into the memories related to [Force Servitors] in his mind, trying to find useful information.

The Immortal Sect truly deserved to be called the Immortal Sect.

"There really is something!"

Even the lowest-ranking Force Servitors were not stiff, rigid puppets. Within the Force Servitor's memories, Wang Ping actually found a complete spell technique!

The spell was called [Qi Suppression].

By circulating this technique through one's body, one could refine a peculiar power known as [True Qi]. It possessed the ability to stop bleeding and regenerate flesh, reconnect broken bones and torn tendons, and render one impervious to blades and spears.

At that thought, Wang Ping's heart immediately began to itch with anticipation.

If his surroundings had been more suitable, and if he had not needed to keep lying low, he would have practiced [Qi Suppression] several times already and savored the feeling of casting a spell.

After all, practicing spell techniques required real combat. Mental simulations were useless.

Still, Wang Ping was in no hurry.

"It is fine. I am a cultivation tool now, and it seems I have already been ordered by someone. When the time comes, I definitely will not lack opportunities to practice spells."

With that thought, Wang Ping waited patiently.

And so, who knew how much time passed before a sudden loud crash sounded from outside the storeroom, pulling him out of his study of [Qi Suppression].

Bang!

It was the sound of the main doors opening.

Immediately afterward, blinding light flooded Wang Ping's vision, revealing the scene outside the warehouse: an ancient, naturally rustic Daoist temple.

The temple seemed to be located deep within a primeval mountain forest. Above was the rising sun, beneath was a verdant fairyland. Everywhere he looked were singing birds, fragrant flowers, drifting auspicious clouds, and flowing light scattered across the ground. At the storeroom entrance within the temple, Wang Ping saw three figures standing opposite one another, one on the left and two on the right.

"Senior Sister You, these are the ten [Force Servitors] you requested."

Of the two people on the right, one was short and fat, with a round face and a mouthful of sharp teeth revealed whenever he smiled. The other was tall and thin, with a horse-like face.

As for the third person standing opposite them—

She was a Daoist nun, dressed in a blue-and-white Daoist robe. Her long hair fell to her waist, and beneath the moonlit night, she looked like a fairy maiden who might ride the wind away at any moment.

"Thank you, Junior Brothers."

Her red lips parted gently, and her voice was crisp and pleasant. At once, the otherworldly air around her diminished by three parts, while adding a touch of worldly warmth.

Wang Ping did not consider himself a lustful man, yet the instant he saw this Daoist nun, a trace of desire inexplicably arose in his heart. Almost instinctively, he began constructing an image in his mind of dragging her down from the clouds, pressing her to the ground, and tearing apart that ethereal temperament as he ravaged her.

"...That is not right!"

The moment that thought arose, Wang Ping realized something was wrong. He focused his mind on the Force Servitor's memories, and every wicked thought immediately calmed and vanished into nothingness.

Almost at the same time—

"Hmm?"

The Daoist nun, who had been speaking with the two disciples delivering the goods, suddenly furrowed her delicate brows. She turned around, her gaze locking onto the storeroom.

Fortunately, there were ten [Force Servitors] in the warehouse.

At that moment, Wang Ping could even clearly sense the "weight" of the Daoist nun's gaze, as though soft little hands were stroking across his body.

Stimulating his senses.

All Wang Ping could do was focus every ounce of his attention on the memories of the [Force Servitor], reading their contents and forcing himself not to think of anything else.

"Senior Sister You?"

Seeing You Daoist Nun staring fixedly at the warehouse, the short, fat Immortal Sect disciple asked curiously, "What is wrong? Are you dissatisfied with this batch of [Force Servitors]?"

"...You misunderstand, Junior Brother."

You Daoist Nun shook her head and said calmly, "The quality of these [Force Servitors] is quite good. They are more than sufficient for cultivating the [True Explanation of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd]."

The moment those words were spoken, Wang Ping's heart skipped a beat.

The [True Explanation of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd] was also recorded in his memories as a [Force Servitor], because this had originally been one of the purposes of a Force Servitor.

"Under the Immortal Sect's rule, there are millions upon millions of methods, yet without exception, all of them are derived from the [Three Paths, Eight Methods, and Seventy-Two Arts]. The [Seventy-Two Arts] have no restrictions and can be learned by anyone, but only True Disciples are qualified to consult the [Three Paths and Eight Methods]."

"And the [True Explanation of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd] is one of the Eight Methods."

Wang Ping knew this because this technique required [Force Servitors] to serve as "whetstones," and their cultivation required the Force Servitors' active cooperation.

"It is a little like dual cultivation."

But even so, he only knew the parts needed by the "tool."

The [Qi Suppression] spell in his memories was also included because "whetstones" inevitably suffered wear and tear, and this spell allowed them to repair themselves afterward.

"Damn it, even the tools have to handle their own daily maintenance?"

At that thought, Wang Ping could not help cursing inwardly. It actually diverted his attention, and for a moment, he forgot that You Daoist Nun was examining him.

Yet it accidentally worked out in his favor.

Not far away, the two Immortal Sect disciples responsible for delivery suddenly let out loud wails. Their straight backs bent ever so slightly.

"Senior Sister... spare us!"

The short, fat disciple was the first to beg for mercy. Bending at the waist, he wailed, "You possess an innate Blissful Immortal Physique and crossed the Human Tribulation long ago. How could the likes of us endure it?"

"You misunderstand, Junior Brothers."

You Daoist Nun shook her head. Her red lips parted, and her tone became increasingly gentle, while her originally ethereal temperament grew increasingly fallen. An extravagant, worldly aura gradually emerged.

"It is only that your Senior Sister has been short of funds lately."

"I truly cannot gather enough Dharma Coins to purchase these Force Servitors, so I had no choice but to resort to this method and see whether we might make accommodations and settle the purchase price another way..."

As she spoke, her blue-and-white Daoist robe quietly slipped down.

Beneath it was a rather tight undergarment, barely wrapping around the Daoist nun's full figure. More than half of her skin, whiter than frost and snow, was exposed.

Her proud breasts propped up the slipping robe, preventing it from falling to the ground.

Yet the Daoist nun's expression remained thoroughly serious, still carrying the cold, distant look of an ethereal fairy maiden.

That stark contrast instantly drained the color from the faces of the two delivery disciples. The blood and qi throughout their bodies surged uncontrollably downward.

For a moment, both Immortal Sect disciples could not help cursing inwardly.

"This damned wicked woman—if we refuse, she probably will not stop. If she truly defiles us, what Immortal path could we possibly have left in this life?"

Yet curse as they might, the two hurriedly said:

"Dis-discount!"

"Senior Sister, withdraw your Divine Ability... cost price! Just ten Dharma Coins! The missing amount will be covered by the two of us. We will sell you this entire batch of [Force Servitors]!"

The two delivery disciples shouted as they wore expressions as if fleeing snakes and scorpions, yet their bodies moved beyond their control, forcing them step by step toward the Daoist nun.

On the other side, You Daoist Nun revealed a relieved expression.

"With my Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivation circulating Dharma Power, ordinary people will inevitably develop wicked thoughts toward me, which I can then sense. Yet I have found no third person."

"It seems I was overthinking it."

"Or perhaps she encountered someone else earlier—someone far beyond the horizon may have still developed wicked thoughts toward me after looking at my portrait, triggering my perception."

Wang Ping's caution had not been without reason.

In truth, You Daoist Nun had really sensed that something was wrong. Though she appeared to be targeting the two delivery disciples, she was actually testing the reactions of the [Force Servitors].

"Ah, I am still too poor."

You Daoist Nun shook her head. After testing again and again, she still could not completely dispel her suspicions.

The best solution would have been to destroy all the [Force Servitors] directly, cutting the grass and removing the roots, then replace them with a new batch. That would resolve the issue whether or not there was truly a problem.

But she had no money.

This batch of [Force Servitors] had already been acquired only after she had smashed pots and sold iron. Her claim of being short of funds was no joke—where could she possibly find the money to replace them with another batch?

With that thought, You Daoist Nun simply stopped dwelling on it. She turned to the two delivery disciples, withdrew the worldly aura around herself, and chuckled softly.

"In that case, let us settle the payment."

After saying that, she withdrew ten gleaming talisman papers from her sleeve. Both sides were inscribed with countless Dharma patterns, and faint blue smoke drifted around them.

"What are those? Dharma Coins?"

At the same time, after sensing that the power that stirred desire had vanished, Wang Ping quietly came back to himself and secretly peeked out, unable to suppress his curiosity.

"Ten Dharma Coins, please!"

The two Immortal Sect disciples stepped forward and greedily stuffed the talisman papers You Daoist Nun offered into their sleeves. Sincere smiles reappeared on their faces.

"We wish Senior Sister an early success in cultivating Divine Abilities and attaining the Dao through Qi Refinement."

"If you lack a handy Dharma Treasure then, you may also come to Heaven and Earth Pavilion to purchase one."

As their words fell, the two delivery disciples formed hand seals and chanted incantations. Riding beams of escaping light, they shot eagerly out of the Daoist temple as if fleeing disaster.

Strangely, the instant they left the temple, they vanished from between heaven and earth.

Not a trace of either person remained.

The next second, You Daoist Nun sneered. "Heaven and Earth Pavilion? Those vermin of the Immortal Sect resell the sect's precious assets. They have truly gone mad from wanting money."

"Everyone knows Heaven and Earth Pavilion is backed by the Divine Weapons Institute. With the [Eight Trigrams Furnace], refining treasures is as easy as taking a shit, and the cost is practically nonexistent."

"Yet when they sell them, every item is more expensive than the last. They even grandly claim it is to protect intellectual property rights. What utter nonsense. They are plainly squeezing ordinary disciples like us dry. Even if I buy secondhand Dharma Treasures at the [Ghost Market], I will never go to Heaven and Earth Pavilion and pay that damned stupidity tax!"

Her words were full of resentment.

Then she clasped her hands behind her back, turned around, and looked toward Wang Ping and the other [Force Servitors]. Her cold voice echoed through the storeroom.

"Enough. Come out, all of you."

—Wang Ping did not move.

Not only that, but at this moment, he did not even dare generate the slightest thought. Once again, he forced himself to completely immerse himself in the memories of that perfectly obedient human chattel tool.

"She did not form a seal!"

According to the memories, every batch of [Force Servitors] possessed a talisman seal used to command them, similar to a startup password. Without it, the [Force Servitors] would not activate.

Yet just now, although You Daoist Nun had issued an order, she had not formed a seal at all. At least, Wang Ping had not sensed any prompt from the talisman seal inside his body. Thus, he did not dare move in the slightest. Otherwise, it would be the same as telling her that something which was not a true [Force Servitor] had infiltrated this place!

"She is testing us!"

"She deliberately said all those things earlier, and now she is testing us with the activation seal... she truly suspects someone has mixed in among the [Force Servitors]!"

Wang Ping did not dare think further.

For a time, the storeroom was deathly silent. You Daoist Nun issued several more commands, some accompanied by seals and some without, testing them several times in succession.

Wang Ping handled them all perfectly.

After all, strictly speaking, he truly was a [Force Servitor], merely one that had gained self-awareness. So long as he deliberately concealed it, these tests could not expose him.

Still, Wang Ping was badly frightened. Why did Immortal Sect disciples have so many tricks up their sleeves? Just a trace of suspicion, and she kept testing them back and forth?

Only after a long while did You Daoist Nun finally stop testing them, seemingly having dispelled her suspicions.

"Come out, all of you."

This time, she used the talisman seal. Wang Ping followed the other Force Servitors out of the storeroom and into the Daoist temple, where they lined up in a row according to her instructions.

"Stand properly."

"Next, all of you will circulate [Qi Suppression] with all your strength and raise it to the level of being impervious to blades and spears. You are not permitted to dodge. You must withstand my attacks head-on."

That suited Wang Ping perfectly.

The instant You Daoist Nun finished speaking, he eagerly began circulating the technique. An invisible, intangible current of heat then surged out from within his body.

This was [True Qi].

True Qi enveloped the entire body, suppressing blades and weapons. That was what it meant to be impervious to blades and spears.

To injure Wang Ping in this state, one either needed power exceeding the defensive limit of [Qi Suppression], or an attack targeting a vital point beyond the coverage of his True Qi.

With that thought, Wang Ping secretly examined the Daoist nun again.

"What does she want to do?"

Not only had she made all the Force Servitors stand in a line, she had even demanded that they use their spells with full strength to protect themselves. It was practically like setting up targets before practicing with a spear...

...Hm?

"Not good!"

Rumble!

At the instant Wang Ping understood, You Daoist Nun, standing directly before the line of Force Servitors, moved. Her red lips parted, and sword light emerged with a clear cry.

That sword was like the moon rising above the treetops, leaping forth in a vast expanse of white. It appeared slow but was in fact swift, like a surging river. Yet midway through its course, it split apart into countless righteous tributaries, scattering turbulent spray before striking all the [Force Servitors] at once, sending them flying backward in sprays of blood.

Wang Ping was among them.

Pfft!

Wang Ping spat out a mouthful of hot blood. Looking down at his waist, he saw that the body protected by True Qi had nearly been cut in half by that single sword strike!

And that had only been one strike.

He had seen clearly that You Daoist Nun's sword light had divided, and its power had already weakened greatly upon striking each [Force Servitor]. If it had been concentrated at a single point...

"I would die for certain!"

What [Qi Suppression]? What imperviousness to blades and spears? Before You Daoist Nun, they were practically made of paper. The gap in power was as vast as heaven and earth.

"This rotten place is even worse than Great Shun!"

Wang Ping laughed bitterly inwardly, keenly feeling that he had only escaped the tiger's den to enter the wolf's lair.

Yet he quickly forced himself to recover. He frantically circulated [Qi Suppression] to mend his wounds, comprehending its mysteries while also encouraging himself.

"Hold on!"

Though the Immortal Sect's human chattel life after transmigration was like treading on thin ice, so long as he endured this wave, he could return to the Great Shun Dynasty with immortal cultivation spells and crush the weak!