Secret Buyer-Chapter 113 - 104: Slay a God, Ascend a Throne!

The hall was dark and solemn.

Millennia upon millennia...

Zhang Fusheng’s brow twitched violently. A Grandmaster and an Influential Grandmaster, though longer-lived than ordinary people, would only live up to two hundred years!

Millennia upon millennia.

How long has this woman been alive to have lived until now??

No wonder her attire and mannerisms exude an ancient charm...

She is undoubtedly more than just an Influential Grandmaster. No wonder she dares to plot pulling down the God of Plague!

A faint smile curled at the corners of Mingyue’s mouth, suddenly turning cold.

A strand of aura abruptly enveloped Zhang Fusheng, pressing down on him with a force far surpassing that of Shi Zhengyuan from before!

The key is that when he first faced Old Shi, he was merely a Third or Fourth Refinement minor martial artist. Now, he had reached the Thirteenth Refinement, nearing the level of a Martial Arts Master!

This woman is far stronger than Old Shi.

"Let me ask you this."

Mingyue spoke gently:

"I’ve heard that a month ago, Young Master Zhang was still an ordinary person, but now, how is it that you could even defeat Niu Dali, who was endowed with the power to devour gods?"

Though her tone was gentle,

Zhang Fusheng dared not be the slightest bit negligent or relaxed, and almost instantaneously, he responded.

"To speak frankly... Miss Ming Yue, I have decent talent, especially in the White Bone Observation. Back then, after only half a day’s practice, I had already achieved great success, earning my master’s favor."

He continued without changing his expression:

"About half a month ago, when I went to Dragon Boat City, I was still at Second or Third Refinement, yet on my return, I had reached the Twelfth Refinement."

"Oh?" Ming Yue asked lightly, "Might I inquire what enabled such profound changes in you, Young Master Zhang?"

"I encountered someone in Dragon Boat City."

Zhang Fusheng replied calmly:

"Shi Zhengyuan."

"Shi Zhengyuan?" Ming Yue slightly furrowed her brow, glancing at Black Eye, who recalled for a moment and then quickly answered:

"I know him. He was once an Influential Grandmaster of the Ling Mountain faction but vanished along with its decline, some decades ago."

Ming Yue seemed contemplative, once again directing her gaze at Zhang Fusheng:

"Please continue, Young Master Zhang."

Zhang Fusheng blended truth with falsehood:

"Seeing my talent in the White Bone Observation, he believed I was an Arhat or Bodhisattva descended to this world and thus gifted me many treasures."

"Among them was a White Bone Lotus Seed, which added a century of spiritual accumulation for me, enabling me to achieve Minor Perfection in the White Bone Observation instantly."

Black Eye and Old Ghost Chai widened their eyes. Minor... Minor Perfection?

Zhang Fusheng didn’t waste words; at the Minor Perfection level, one couldn’t affect reality but could draw others into their Divine Realm,

Of course, he dared not draw the self-proclaimed millennia-lived Miss Ming Yue, so with a thought, he pulled Black Eye and Old Ghost Chai into his realm.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery before them changed from the hall to a vast wilderness.

Once the divine realm dissipated, they returned to the hall.

There was a moment of silence.

Old Ghost Chai swallowed hard, astonished and envious, sighed:

"It truly is a Divine Realm..."

Miss Ming Yue nodded slightly:

"You indeed conceal deeply. I couldn’t detect a hint of the Divine Realm in you. It seems the credit goes to your cultivation in the White Bone Observation."

She commented:

"This technique is indeed one of the four fundamental Contemplation Techniques of the Ling Mountain faction, possessing profound wonders... Yet, mere Divine Realm wouldn’t have helped you achieve the Twelfth Refinement, correct?"

Zhang Fusheng answered honestly:

"There was more; Shi Zhengyuan possessed a supreme treasure called the ’Nine-Ring Scepter’."

Miss Ming Yue’s hand trembled slightly:

"Nine-Ring Scepter??"

She looked a bit lost, gestured for him to continue.

Zhang Fusheng went from nine parts truth to seven parts truth and three parts fiction:

"Shi Zhengyuan activated the Nine-Ring Scepter to provide protection, claiming it could... prevent me from being poisoned?"

He reminisced about stories from his past life, fairy tales involving the Nine-Ring Scepter,

and even mixed in the Brocade Kasaya, continuing:

"Shi Zhengyuan also said that this Nine-Ring Scepter had absorbed abilities from other supreme treasures,

not only keeping me safe from toxins but also preventing me from suffering the torments of Hell or the hardships of malicious curses."

Miss Ming Yue was slightly moved:

"Do go on."

Zhang Fusheng spoke offhandedly:

"He made me consume some unknown treasures, a vermilion fruit, a peach that was rotting, yet still glimmered with radiant drops, and another fruit resembling a baby’s arm..."

"Afterward, inexplicably, I attained the Twelfth Refinement."

Miss Ming Yue sighed softly:

"Shi Zhengyuan? It seems he is no longer just a grand figure, but has achieved the Innate Realm, excavating many wondrous treasures from different dimensions through that divine realm."

"Speaking of which, where is he now? You must have anchored some vision of a different dimension with the Nine-Ring Scepter, correct?"

"Miss Ming Yue’s insight is remarkable."

Zhang Fusheng spoke with assurance:

"Senior Shi Zhengyuan was on a journey; after meeting me, he ventured off to who knows where."

"He considered me as a Living Buddha or Living Bodhisattva, saying I must endure nine tribulations to return to my rightful place, thus he wouldn’t shield my path."

"As for the anchor, I’ve anchored to a Danxia Divine Mountain."

Miss Ming Yue nodded lightly:

"Impressive. So Young Master Zhang had such fateful encounters; now many things can be explained."

She turned her head, fixing her gaze on the delicate young man:

"I won’t hide my intentions. I sought you out to have you do something — obtain the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron from your grandmaster."

Zhang Fusheng felt relieved, knowing he’d passed this hurdle.

As long as Miss Ming Yue doesn’t meet face-to-face with Old Shi directly, this lie won’t be uncovered for now — and especially since Old Shi treated him well,

Zhang Fusheng hadn’t revealed Old Shi’s true identity, merely saying he was traversing the world and they happened to meet in Dragon Boat City.

He simply nodded:

"To be honest, Miss Ming Yue, I came to the Lower Three Districts with the hope of seizing the opportunity to acquire the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron, to trade with the Western Sect for a way of escape from the Jiangzhou Forbidden Land."

Miss Ming Yue nodded once more:

"Even within our sect, things are not peaceful; there are overt and covert struggles, and many have sought out other disciples and descendants of Yuan Feidao."

"I will fully support you."

Zhang Fusheng cupped his hands in gratitude:

"Thank you, Miss Ming Yue. I am curious, why doesn’t the Western Sect simply defeat my grandmaster and seize the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron directly?"

Miss Ming Yue shook her head:

"No one knows where he’s hidden the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron. We can only quietly wait for him to pass it down."

With that, she slowly stood up:

"Since I asked Young Master Zhang a question, it’s only fair for Young Master Zhang to ask me one. The previous small matter doesn’t count—do you have any other doubts, sir?"

Zhang Fusheng took a big sip of calming tea and thought seriously.

He could sense that no matter the question, this Miss Ming Yue would probably answer him truthfully.

After a moment’s pause,

Zhang Fusheng took a deep breath:

"I do have a big doubt. Isn’t the God of Plague one of the deities revered by the Western Sect?"

"If that’s the case, why does the Western Sect want to...?"

The light silk on Miss Ming Yue fluttered slightly,

she smiled and corrected:

"Young Master Zhang is mistaken. It’s not the Western Sect that wants the God of Plague to fall from position, it’s just me."

Zhang Fusheng swallowed hard.

Miss Ming Yue paid it no mind and continued:

"The Six Great Martial Arts Realms are not the limit; above them lies the domain of the deities."

"But reaching beyond the Six Great Realms doesn’t mean one becomes a deity—divine positions are fixed."

She spoke softly:

"Many divine positions and celestial positions are predetermined; when one falls, another can ascend to the divine position."

Zhang Fusheng’s mind was shaken, yet it suddenly seemed self-evident.

Those Immortals and Buddhas from different dimensions, perhaps as he suspected, are occupying celestial positions illicitly.

Celestial positions are naturally limited.

"So that’s how it is..." Zhang Fusheng sighed.

Miss Ming Yue seemed particularly in the mood to talk, providing a bit more insight:

"Among the Four Major Sects, only the deities revered by Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism occupy the divine and celestial positions." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"As for the Pantheon made up of many small evil cults, do you know what kind of gods they worship?"

Zhang Fusheng sincerely made a gesture of respect:

"I would like to hear more."

Miss Ming Yue smiled faintly and said:

"The Pantheon worships those who have reached the Seventh and Eighth Realms but have not achieved a divine or celestial position. In some sense, they are the true Evil Gods."

Zhang Fusheng expressed his gratitude solemnly once again.

It was not just for show; it was genuinely heartfelt,

for he knew that what Miss Ming Yue casually spoke of were likely earth-shattering secrets.

If not for today’s encounter, who knows how long—how many years—it might take for him to understand.

"Divine position...celestial position..."

Suddenly, Zhang Fusheng was startled.

Since Miss Ming Yue initially intended for Niu Dali to ’devour the god’ to vacate the position of the Plague Emperor...

She must be doing this to benefit someone standing in the domain of deities who lacks a divine or celestial position.

Who could it be?

Could it be,

herself?

Zhang Fusheng felt a wave of coldness explode from his tailbone, sweeping through his entire body in an instant.

"Alright."

Miss Ming Yue’s elegant voice echoed lastly:

"Take Young Master Zhang down to rest. Since Yu Chengzhong and Li Qiuhua seem to be familiar with Young Master Zhang, let them continue as undercover agents for the Investigation Bureau. There’s no need to expose them outright; it could also conveniently leak some false information to the Investigation Bureau."

"Yes!" Old Ghost Chai and Black Eye responded in unison, while a bitter smile appeared on Zhang Fusheng’s face.

He had just been pondering whether Uncle Yu and Aunt Li could truly remain undercover in front of this mysterious existence, and then...

Indeed.

In a daze, guided by Old Ghost Chai, Zhang Fusheng entered a room beside the hall, a room untouched by the strands of flesh and blood,

He closed the door and slowly lay on the bed, letting out a long sigh.

"So terrifying..."

Zhang Fusheng’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. Although promised that after the divine descent in three days, he would be sent out of Jiangzhou,

he felt no relief.

Just as he had predicted, leaving Jiangzhou this way would attract the Western Sect’s attention.

In fact, it wouldn’t just be the Western Sect. This Miss Ming Yue, suspected to be above the Sixth Realm, seemed to be an ancient monster who had lived for countless millennia, just short of a divine or celestial position!

"But...something still feels strange."

He frowned. Earlier, he dared not look too much at Miss Ming Yue, let alone make eye contact, fearing she might detect anything,

Though he sensed something odd now, he couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

Oh well.

"Gate of the Past, I’m counting on you!!"

Zhang Fusheng closed his eyes, as if taking a nap after exhaustion, yet his thoughts had already submerged into the Divine Realm.

In the Divine Realm, as usual, he took a stroll through the Five Mansions Temple, seeing the ink characters on the Tao Scripture had changed again.

[That guy Plague is descending in Jiangzhou, and since he’s there, why not use his flesh and blood to forge my Blood Shrine?]

[If you still refuse...]

[I shall have to seek you out]

Zhang Fusheng’s lips quivered as he stared at every stroke on the Taoist Scripture, suddenly spitting out:

"If you’re so powerful, why not set up your own Blood Shrine? Why do you need me?"

"Idiot!"

Zhang Fusheng chuckled, now certain beyond doubt that this person was just a squatter in Zhen Yuanzi’s celestial position, naturally showing no good will,

What Blood Shrine, what Magic Altar, taking me for a fool?

If I really set up the Blood Shrine and crafted the Magic Altar for you, would my life still be intact? May I ask?

He turned and left, using the Bridge of Heaven and Earth formed by the contract, suddenly stepping into the Eight Sceneries Palace.

Then, he scurried to the Gate of the Past, peeking through the crack.

"High-dimensional perspective, open for me!"

"Let me see what exactly is strange about you?"

Beyond the crack, the dark and chaotic scene was suddenly stained with vibrant colors, revealing moments from earlier in the hall.

Old Ghost Chai, Black Eye, and that Miss Ming Yue,

They all unfolded and presented themselves before Zhang Fusheng in an indescribable form.

"Whoa!!"

(Considering whether to change the update time to noon; midnight feels a bit like the underworld—also, asking for monthly votes, hehe!)