"Do you smoke pipe tobacco?"
"Er... this humble monk does not."
"Then do you have a Snow Leopard friend?"
"Daoist Heir, what might that be? This humble monk has never heard of it."
"..."
Chen Zhuo asked a couple of casual questions and found young Dan Zeng rather disappointing. He did not smoke, had no animal friends, and was an honest young man without anything remarkable about him.
He was not even from Western Mountain. He was a disciple Great Might He Luo Master had taken in at Great Li Mountain, a man of the Southern Wilderness.
Chen Zhuo was disappointed.
Alas, he had only the name and none of the other traits. The Fortune Gu was gone!
For some reason, though, young Dan Zeng was trembling. He had reached Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, yet his state of mind was still this poor.
Young Dan Zeng really needed to work on his nerves.
Dan Zeng might have been at Foundation Establishment Middle Stage while Chen Zhuo was only at Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
But in Chen Zhuo's eyes now, early stage, middle stage, late stage, and even peak Foundation Establishment were all the same!
He would cut through them all!
A prodigy had to have confidence.
"Daoist Heir Chen, this precious vase..."
Dan Zeng breathed out and steadied himself, then explained to Chen Zhuo how to use the vase.
There was not much to explain. It protected its bearer automatically, a Wheelchair Artifact that shattered after use. It was a single-use consumable.
"I understand. Leave it here."
Chen Zhuo spoke evenly. "From here, I shall head west, break Greenstone Market, cross swords with the Qingxu and Yaohua sects, and press on to Great Li Mountain. There I shall return the precious vase and thank Great Might He Luo Master in