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Chapter Seventy – The Yin Bead
Zou Mo concentrated as his hands moved according to Pu Yao’s instructions, his hands moved like fluttering butterflies and activated the spell. The benefits of consistently practicing [Art of Flora] was evident in the fluid motions of his fingers. This spell, which Pu Yao, called [Art of Concentrating Yin] was complicated but it wasn’t too difficult for Zuo Mo.
Zuo Mo felt the yin energy in the surroundings stir. The energy was saturated with a dark and cold presence causing all the hair on his body to stand on end, but he gritted his teeth and persisted. The yin energy continued to gather in his hands.
After the last movement was completed, a grey-white bead condensed in Zuo Mo’s hands.
Zuo Mo curiously examined the bead, “Pu, what is this?” The bead was a dirty white color, extremely plain, and felt cool in his hands.
“This is a yin bead, created through concentrating yin energy. It can be used in dan-making or forging. The effect is especially beneficial for yin attribute talismans,” Pu Yao’s expression was smug as he glanced at Zuo Mo disdainfully, “The yin energy in this place is very abundant. As long as you do not slack off, and make a few more each day, jingshi will naturally roll in. What I think is you should change your sect. I have never seen such a poor sect. In your sect, other than that shixiong of yours, everyone is just trash,”
Zuo Mo volleyed back, “You, a so-called Sky Yao that was wounded by my Second Shibo, you have the face to say this?”
Pu Yao snorted icily, ‘If I hadn’t been forged under the tower for three thousand years and my spirit terribly wounded, how could a jindan trash cut me?” He was extremely disgruntled.
Zuo Mo followed with an icy snort, “I finally understand how you became a Sky Yao,”
Pu Yao blanked, “How?”
“You boasted[i] about it,” Zuo Mo couldn’t resist and roared with laughter, pointing first at Pu Yao and then pointing at the sky, “A yao, blowing up into the sky, becomes a Sky Yao! Ha ha ha ha!”
“I’m too lazy to even pay attention to you,” Pu Yao wasn’t angry. He spread his arms, and there wasn’t any movement but the yin energy suddenly started to move. He was like the eye of a horrifying whirlpool, the yin energy in the surroundings to rushed toward him.
“Are you sure that this thing is really worth money?” Not paying attention to Pu Yao, Zuo Mo started at the yin bead on his hand and asked with uncertainty.
Pu Yao, who had been enjoying the experience of absorbing yin energy, felt a vein in his forehead start to throb. His movements suddenly stopped and he almost choked in annoyance.
Since Pu Yao said that the yin bead was very valuable, Zuo Mo held a trustful attitude. He decided to make a few more, but he found that all the yin energy in this area was all pulled towards Pu Yao. He couldn’t manage to form a yin bead and had to move to another location further away.
Luckily, there was only one path in the sword cave. Zuo Mo didn’t need to worry about getting lost. After walking for a while, finding that he wasn’t affected by Pu Yao any longer, he started to make yin beads. It wasn’t too difficult to make yin beads. The finger motions were slightly complicated, but to Zuo Mo it wasn’t a problem. In one go, he made about twenty beads before he stopped.
After making the yin beads, Zuo Mo started to examine the surroundings. What aroused his curiosity the most was the blood river not far away. The river seemed to be composed of a sticky blood. There wasn’t any sound of flowing. For some reason, Zuo Mo felt his heart tremble whenever he saw this silent river of blood.
He picked up a rock from the ground and threw it into the blood river. It was as though the rock had landed in quicksand. It did not make a “splash,” it slowly sunk into the river.
“For your sake, don’t touch it. It’s blood fiends,” Pu Yao’s voice suddenly came from behind. He said with some regret, “Pity I’m not a blood yao, otherwise this would be very beneficial,”
“What are blood fiends?” Zuo Mo couldn’t help asking.
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you,” Pu Yao never let a chance to mock Zuo Mo slip by. He scanned the surroundings and made a sound of surprise, “Rationally, such a cruel place, there would be some malicious spirits like devilings. Why is it so clean?”
“What are devilings?” Zuo Mo asked again.
“Delicious things,” Pu Yao’s bright red tongue couldn’t help run across his lips, while an expression of yearning flashed across his face. After searching for a long time, he was slightly dazed and sighed, “Your shixiong is really too honest of a person. He actually didn’t even spare one of them. It looks like it needs to a while to recover,”
Refreshed, Pu Yao waved his hand at Zuo Mo, “Let’s go,”
Finishing, he threw out four pieces of jingshi!
Zuo Mo’s expression changed dramatically again. This time, he didn’t even need to check his pocket as he wailed grievously, “Pu Yao……”
The white light rose and his voice stopped.
Returning to the Little West Wind yard, Zuo Mo wanted to cry. Eight pieces of third-grade jingshi! Going there and back, so much was gone. Just like that half of all the jingshi he had earned by furiously making dan was gone.
“Don’t look that sad,” Pu Yao unconcernedly said with a face full of disdain, “When you sell the yin beads, you’ll get your costs back with profit. You really are trash. Just eight pieces of jingshi, and you are this distraught. You really are making a profit. Entering the sword cave once, it requires two jindan trash to both be present. Using eight pieces of third-grade jingshi to invite two jindan trash, can you get a better bargain than that?”
Zuo Mo could do nothing. He could only pray that the twenty yin beads he had made would sell for a good price. He knew that the yin beads could not be sold through the sect. The origins of the yin beads wasn’t clear. If he aroused the suspicions of the shibo then no matter how many lives he had, he would still die.
He decided to go sell them himself in Dong Fu.
To not attract attention, he didn’t ride the grey beaked goose; rather, he silently left the mountain. As he arrived at the outskirts of the mountain, he darted into the forest. When he came out, he appeared completely different. He had turned into a weak looking man with a waxy complexion. In Elder Wei Nan’s jade scrolls, there were endless methods of changing appearances and concealing one’s tracks. Zuo Mo had picked a method that wasn’t very difficult.
This was the first time Zuo Mo put on a disguise. He was very curious and found it strange.
Right now, he was regretful that the Spirit Traveling seal had been burnt. If he had the Spirit Traveling seal, he could saved some time. His flying paper crane was too eye-catching so he could only walk.
——
Even though his cultivation had increased greatly, his body was still very weak. Exhausted, he arrived at Dong Fu, after walking over the mountains and rivers. However, his thirst for jingshi and his enthusiasm won over his weariness. Almost crawling, he stumbled into the free market.
With great pain, he rented a mini-room. Zuo Mo set up a shop.
Zuo Mo had been to the Free Market many times but it was the first time that he was selling something. He didn’t think about earning a profit, he would be grateful if he could just earn back the eight pieces of third-grade jingshi. He put out a price of half a third-grade jingshi for each yin bead. He was very worried. He thought about how Pu Yao had boasted how good this thing was, at the very least it must be worth half a third-grade jingshi.
Of course, Pu Yao was full of disdain towards Zuo Mo’s conduct. He snorted coldly, “The honored yin bead……” The meaning was implicit.
After six hours had passed. The last golden rays of sunlight shone on Zuo Mo’s face.
“This is the jingshi rolling in? This is the thing you said was good? This is getting back profits along with cost? Honored yin bead!” Zuo Mo was grieving as he demanded answers from Pu Yao. A whole entire afternoon, no one had even stopped in front of his mini-room. Up until now, Zuo Mo hadn’t even sold one yin bead. He still had to pay the rent for the mini-room as well.
Pu Yao also stared blanky. He muttered for a while, not knowing what to say.
After a long time, his face was full of disbelief. He suddenly threw his hands up in exasperation, “How is that possible? This is the yin bead! Yin bead! After three thousand years, how can people not even want a yin bead?”
Seeing Pu Yao lose his composure, Zuo Mo didn’t feel the heartache as much anymore. He had already started to accept this cruel reality. He snorted coldly, “In the future, stop posturing like a Sky Yao. Look at the era, Sky Yao! Three thousand years, your things, they are relics, they have become obsolete! Understand? You made me excited for nothing. Hmm. After a while, ge will give it to the children to use as marbles,”
Pu Yao’s expression was subdued. It was clear that this incident had dealt a harsh blow to him.
At this time, a little girl passed by Zuo Mo’s mini-room and suddenly stopped. Zuo Mo, who had been preparing to start criticizing Pu Yao again, suddenly stopped talking, and enthusiastically said, “Miss, do you want to buy? This is a good thing, yin bead, completely formed from pure yin energy. Can be taken anywhere. Cool in the summer, and has the effect of beautifying the complexion……”
The little girl looked like a maid. Hearing this, she laughed lightly, “You really know how to advertise,” Her brow suddenly creased, “But these beads are too ugly. If it was rainbow colored, Miss Huang[ii]would definitely like it,”
“Miss, don’t just look at the outward appearance. The quality is very fine, look how round and heavy it is……” In order to make his very first transaction, Zuo Mo completely had no shame.
Seeing Zuo Mo actually promoting the yin beads like marbles, Pu Yao stared with a wide mouth, his gaze dull.
“Ha, since you’ve said so much. I’ll buy one,” The little girl covered her mouth and laughed. She took out the jingshi and bought one. Before she left, she urged him kindly, “I see you are a honest person. In the future, you should sell reliable things. These grey beads, no one would buy them,”
Finishing, she turned and left.
Zuo Mo collapsed to the ground. He had finally sold one, and it wasn’t easy. Compared to him, Pu Yao’s soul had been mortally wounded. His expression was dull, his complexion was grey.
Seeing Pu Yao’s state, Zuo Mo couldn’t help but urge, “It’s nothing. Just business. Next time, we’ll sell something else. At the least, making golden crow pills isn’t bad. Three thousand years have passed, you need to adapt,”
One person and one yao snuck back to the mountain.
——–
In a small yard in Dong Fu Hall.
“Miss, I’m back,” A cheerful voice passed out from the door. Yun Xia xianzi’s little yellow bird flew up and rushed at the door.
Yun Xia xianzi was embroidering a handkerchief and made a sound of acknowledgement, her head not raising from her work, “You brat, we just arrived and you instantly disappeared,”
“Haha,” A figure rushed in. It was the smiling and adorable little girl. The yellow bird flew around the little girl, chirping. The little girl said with a face full of helplessness to the yellow bird, “Okay okay, Miss Yellow (Huang) , I got you something good to eat,”
If Zuo Mo heard this, he would definitely have spat up blood. The “Miss Huang” was really just a bird… …
Finishing, she took out a large pile of things and narrated, “There is the five flower cake from the Food Pavilion, the lotus and lily crisps, thirteen flavored sweets. This is the famous Old Wang liquor. Don’t drink too much, otherwise Miss will discipline you again……,”
The yellow bird’s eyes were gleaming. Suddenly, it saw a grey bead. Like an arrow, it rushed into the pile and picked up the grey bead.
“Huh, you like this bead?” The little girl was very surprised.
The yellow bird picked up the bead with its beak and flew ito Yun Xia xianzi, placing the bead onto her handkerchief.
When Yun Xia xianzi’s eyes spotted on the bead, she exclaimed in surprise and she stopped what she was doing. Picking up the bead for a closer inspection, her expression couldn’t help but change slightly, “Xiao Yuan, where did the bead come from?”
[i]吹: chui is used as boasting, but also means being blown as in blown away by the wind.
[ii]黄:huang also means yellow
Translator Ramblings: Not all of Zuo Mo’s ventures could be successful. The sword cave is also important.