This Is My Dao Companion
The shopkeeper's words sounded alarming, but Sang Ying and Jiang Zhuoxue didn't really believe them.
They exchanged a glance, and then Sang Ying asked curiously, "Is the Curse something that everyone in the Hidden Nether Realm will get? What are the signs after getting it?"
She asked cautiously, and the shopkeeper, seeing it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, casually replied, "No, it's not that. I've heard the Curse is quite strange. Some people in the same clan are born with it, some only get Curse when they reach adulthood, and some don't even show up when they die."
The shopkeeper stroked his mustache, also becoming curious about this strange Curse: "There were no signs, just inexplicable red markings that appeared on their bodies. From then on, it was like a sharp sword hanging over their heads, keeping them awake day and night, constantly worrying about when they would die from the Curse."
The two carefully considered these words, trying to find some useful information within them.
Since the shopkeeper had taken the Spirit Stone from the two of them, he continued to tell them everything he knew, without daring to hide anything.
In an instant, he not only forgot about the old stories of Spring Returns City, but he also vomited out all the details about which restaurant in the city had the best food and which shop had the best corpse puppets.
Although this information might not be useful to Sang Ying and her group, it did keep the shopkeeper quiet.
The shopkeeper had no choice but to continue speaking in this dry, monotone manner, until his mouth was almost dry from talking, but they still didn't stop.
The shopkeeper clicked his tongue, sighing inwardly that these few Spirit Stone were hard to earn.
Turning his head, he heard Jiang Zhuoxue finally ask, "It seems the shopkeeper knows quite a lot. Have you heard of any Lineage in the Hidden Nether Realm that possesses any rare treasures?"
The shopkeeper finally understood why these two had come; they were looking for treasure!
The shopkeeper's eyes darted around, but his face remained impassive. "Speaking of treasures, the Hidden Nether Realm quite a few good things, but I wonder what kind of treasures you two are asking about?"
Jiang Zhuoxue understood his meaning, and considering that this person was indeed well-informed, he placed a high-grade Spirit Stone on the table.
High-grade Spirit Stone might not be much in other places, but in the chaotic and mixed Spiritual Qi of the Hidden Nether Realm, they are extremely rare and valuable. Even cultivators who practice the Ghost Dao would want the pure Spiritual Qi in Spirit Stone to remove the bad luck that tainted their bodies, or they would use Spirit Stone to buy talismans, pills, and the like from visiting cultivators.
The innkeeper's business wasn't doing very well. Even after being open for so long, and becoming the only inn in the city, he still didn't get many guests. There were even fewer guests from other small worlds, so he couldn't earn more than a few Spirit Stone throughout the year.
With such a large sum of Spirit Stone laid out before him, the shopkeeper was naturally tempted.
He chuckled and reached out to grab it, but Jiang Zhuoxue pressed down on his hand with one of her fingers, preventing him from pulling it out.
"What are you doing here?" the shopkeeper asked, looking up.
Jiang Zhuoxue easily retrieved the Spirit Stone, playing with them in her hand. "Don't be in such a hurry. You couldn't even answer my question, and you think you can just take the Spirit Stone and leave so easily?"
The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together and chuckled a few more times, "Then ask away, ask away. Ask whatever you want, as long as it's something I know, I'll tell you everything, without daring to lie or deceive you in the slightest."
Seeing that his attitude had finally become proper, Jiang Zhuoxue slowly spoke, "My dao companion is a sword cultivator..."
Sang Ying turned her head and glanced at him. Under Jiang Zhuoxue's feigned expression, she reached out and pinched his waist hard.
Jiang Zhuoxue, with her thick skin, didn't feel any pain, but the corners of her mouth curved up again.
"My lifelong pursuit has been to find the most durable forging materials to forge a unique and unparalleled sword for my dao companion. Therefore, we have traversed many small worlds, constantly searching for the best materials to quickly bring to my dao companion forging the sword." Jiang Zhuoxue paused, "Do you have any clues? If you can provide any useful information, this Spirit Stone is yours."
The shopkeeper's mind was already captivated by that high-grade Spirit Stone, and even his gaze followed Jiang Zhuoxue's hand up and down.
He was obsessed with Spirit Stone, so upon hearing Jiang Zhuoxue's words, he had no reason to hide anything and quickly poured out everything he knew. "In recent years, the Hidden Nether Realm has been in turmoil because of the Curse. Many Aristocratic Clan have abandoned their ancestral lands, trying to escape to the outside world, thinking that this would allow them to avoid the Curse, but in the end, they all met untimely deaths."
"Because of this, many of the more reputable items in the Hidden Nether Realm were sent to medical cultivators, begging them to find a way to break the curse. Fortunately, there were a few treasures known for their durability that didn't leak out."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuoxue's expression softened somewhat.
Since he survived his adult tribulation, everything he had lost has grown back. Therefore, the blood and horns that had been scattered outside no longer have as strong a connection to him as before.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered to question a shopkeeper.
Seeing his serious expression and keen interest, the shopkeeper continued, "Among all such treasures, the ten Mystic Armor from the Yin Mountain Sect of Moonless City and the two pieces of black jade from the Min Household family, a powerful cultivation clan in our Spring Returns City, are particularly noteworthy!"
"Black jade?" The ten black Mystic Armor must be the fingernails that were pulled out back then, but what exactly is this black jade?
The shopkeeper perked up at the mention of this. "There are many legends about this black jade. It seems to have been passed down through the Min Household for generations. Because its shape is so similar to a dragon's horn, and it's exceptionally tough, it can't be broken or refined no matter what. It was even once regarded as a real dragon's horn. Later, it was only when a cultivator who had actually seen Dragon Race came here for training that he accidentally saw it and recognized it as a fake."
Jiang Zhuoxue's expression became even more curious.
"That cultivator had the good fortune to have seen a real dragon in person. Upon arrival, he stated that although the shape of these two black jade pieces resembled dragon horns, their size was vastly different, and they did not retain any of the special aura of Dragon Race. Only then did everyone realize that the so-called dragon horns were merely two pieces of excessively tough black jade."
"The head of the Min Household at the time was a man who cared a lot about his reputation. When he discovered that what he was holding in his hands was nothing more than a useless piece of black jade, he couldn't bear the mocking and pitying looks from others and immediately tried to smash it. However, the black jade was too sturdy, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't damage it in the slightest. In the end, he still kept it as a treasure for his descendants."
Because of the limitations of Spiritual Qi, cultivators in the Hidden Nether Realm can only practice the Ghost Dao, but some still insist on following the orthodox path of Daoism. Although they have successfully entered the Tao, they can never reach a high level because of the impure Spiritual Qi.
Those with lower cultivation levels will have shorter lifespans, but fortunately, they also have more opportunities to have offspring.
Therefore, although the Min Household family did not produce any powerful high-level cultivators later on, they still managed to maintain a place in Spring Returns City and live a fairly good life thanks to the large number of cultivators in their clan, their close ties with other small worlds, and their possession of a cross-border flying boat.
Even though the Hidden Nether Realm now has Teleportation Array, the Min Household, thanks to their past connections, has gained some control over Teleportation Array and continues to live off the tolls they collect.
"It's just a pity that not everything in this world is good. Take their youngest child, for example, who has suffered terribly!"