"With this treasure, everything changes. Once the Golden Cymbal sounds, no matter what preparations Shenxiu, the little monk, has made, his Heart Soul will be thrown into daze for a moment. By then, you can take him away with your People Species Bag."
As the words fell, the Golden Cymbal was tossed out by Shipi and landed straight into Tao Qian's hands.
At that moment, however, nobody noticed the strange light deep within Master Tao's eyes, his thoughts churning rapidly.
"Golden Cymbal, People Species Bag..."
For some reason, Tao Qian felt an incredibly strong sense of déjà vu.
This odd sensation even led him to momentarily overlook the origin of the Golden Cymbal.
Female Evil God, a piece of undecayed flesh, the shape of the Golden Cymbal... The answer was on the verge of revelation.
At the same time, Kongchan suddenly offered a bait, saying,
"Elder Brother, your Golden Cymbal seems to match well with Wu Gou's People Species Bag. Perhaps it's the calling of his Karma."
Upon hearing this, Shipi glared sharply at Kongchan, his face reluctant but still pretended generosity, saying,
"It's not that it can't be done. Once Qingjing opens his Magic Veins and joins our Demon Buddha, we will all be one family after all. If your nephew covets my Golden Cymbal treasure, simply ask your Master to exchange it for other fine items, or if your nephew is willing to run errands for me for a few years, I would also be willing to gift it to you for your use."
"The Senior's kindness is too much for Wu Gou to bear."
Despite feeling that it was very strange, Tao Qian still subconsciously showed the manner of the Duobao Lineage.
While swiftly tucking the Golden Cymbal into his treasure bag, he responded courteously.
At that instant, the vast and complicated Record that burst in his mind made Tao Qian even happier.
"Treasure! Such a fine treasure!"
"I must find a way to keep this object for myself."
"Now that it has entered my treasure bag, how could I possibly give it back and tarnish the reputation of the Duobao Lineage's leading disciple?"
In the field, Shipi Arhat was intent on enticing a future powerful Magic Vein with the treasure.
How could he have imagined?
The seemingly honest Buddha's son before him had already begun to contemplate how to keep his prized Buddha Treasure for himself.
Tao Qian hadn't yet figured out how to embezzle, but the plan he had earlier contrived was now conveniently executable.
He stood in his place, pretending to ponder.
Eventually, as if having made a decision, he suddenly bowed again and asked the four before him,
"Three Seniors and Lord Cheng,"
"With all due respect, I wish to inquire about a secret matter. Do you intend to collaborate with the Gao Family of Tiannan Province to facilitate their acquisition of the Devil Concubine and plunder Treasures and provisions?"
"It is indeed so. How did you nephew come to know of this?" Kongchan Arhat replied, revealing a look of surprise.
Tao Qian entered his role and spoke truthfully once more,
"My spouse and I had traveled to Tiannan Province not long ago and happened to meet a female cultivator from the South Sea. By happy coincidence, she became betrothed to a son of the Gao Family. Afterwards, because of that person from the Gao Family, I also met three Elder Ancestors from the Gao Family in Tiannan, where some incidents occurred and I, too, nearly got killed by [Jade Demon True Monarch Gao Zhan]."
"Fortunately, my Master's avatar arrived and after a battle, the Gao family sought to allure my Master and disciple, offering me many benefits. The treasures I previously offered to the Buddha on behalf of others were actually gifts from two Elder Ancestors of the Gao Family."
"The Gao Family Elders knew my spouse and I were heading to Qiantang, so they asked us to casually inquire about the movements of Demon Buddha Temple. Desperate to escape, we made perfunctory promises."
"Such minor troubles are nothing; my spouse and I have no desire to get involved with the conflicts in the Northern Land."
"However, my Master instructed me the day before yesterday that the Qingjing lineage would be joining the Demon Buddha."
"As such, I suppose I will be a monk of the Demon Buddha, and should address the three Seniors as 'Uncle Master.'"
"Given the circumstances, I must reveal the truth: that Gao Family from Tiannan has experienced a great upheaval in their bloodline, resulting in madness engulfing each and every one of them. They not only wish to snatch away the Devil Concubine but also covet the Uncle Masters' Qiantang foundations, planning to invade with a large force on the third day of the decisive battle, inviting their Ancestor God's Divine Skills or Exotic Treasures to arrive and swallow Qiantang whole."
After these words were released,
The Three Arhats sitting at the top showed no surprise on their faces, evidently expecting this.
And Lord Cheng Arhat, who was also the King, showed contempt and was about to respond when Tao Qian abruptly disclosed a secret that brought joy to all four of them.
"I am aware, Uncle Masters, that all three of you are enlightened Arhats; deceit and trickery are useless against you. The Gao Family's delusions will not come to fruition."
"On the contrary, this time the Gao Family is likely to lose both the wife and the soldiers."
"To let the three senior monks know, the young female cultivator that this little monk encountered has completely subdued that Gao family kid due to a sinful fate. She managed to glimpse the greatest secret of the Gao family from the depths of his soul."
Tao Qian said this while waving his hand, displaying the images of Duan Yuhong and Gao Buxi.
At the same time, he revealed:
"The forbear of the Gao family was none other than the alchemist Gao Huan."
"This man was an old monster who underwent a Daoist Transformation, his life's fortune connected to many large provinces; however, due to an accident, his ties were severed with many provinces, leaving only Tiannan Province."
"The scattered bloodline of the Gao family, once spread across seventy-two provinces, gradually converged in Tiannan, around their ancestral land [Gao Ling], using their own blood to strengthen the Big Array therein, sustaining their ancestor Gao Huan from mutating and collapsing... This is also why the Gao family people must seize Qiantang; any further delay, and I fear Gao Huan would be carved up and devoured by other old monsters among the alchemists."
"If the senior monks could employ their schemes and lure both the Gao family's Ultimate Happiness and their army into Qiantang, then divide your forces to invade the Gao family's ancestral land in Tiannan — exterminating their bloodline and destroying the Big Array — it is possible that this clan could be utterly decimated. The treasures and provisions plundered by the Gao family over the years could also be shared amongst yourselves."
"This one, named Gao Buxi, could serve as a guide."
No sooner had Tao Qian finished,
Kongchan, Shipi, and Lian Sha all underwent a change of expression, and Cheng Arhat, even while straining to sit up with his greasy, corpulent body, involuntarily beating his hands down, crushed into mincemeat the Heavenly Girls licking oil off him, exclaimed excitedly:
"Good!"
"This is truly great, a delightful surprise, indeed the biggest of surprises."
"Before, we only thought of keeping the Gao family's armies at bay, or at most adding one of Gao Zhan and Gao Wei. Yet, it seems our vision was too small."
"And those Great Transcendence Bodhisattvas, to refine all eighteen, the Wisdom Mother is indispensable. If we used only the mortals from Qiantang Province, yes, we could refine them, but afterwards, this Earthly Buddha Country would be greatly weakened, which would be rather unsightly."
"This information from Nephew Wu Gou is simply too timely."
"If we could swallow the entire Gao family and Tiannan Province, not only could all eighteen Bodhisattvas be perfectly refined, but our Earthly Buddha Country could rapidly expand, directly swallowing nearby large provinces like New Moon, Wu Yue, and Anqing as well."
"By that time, I, Cheng Arhat, might command immense fortune, and I might just be able to compete with Zhang Jinluan, Hong Fu, and Si Xixin for the position of Human Emperor."
"The three senior brothers can naturally look for more provisions from our temple."
"Such an opportunity must not be missed, senior brothers. Once the great plan succeeds, for the three of you to step into Daoist Transformation will be a breeze."
...
After Cheng Arhat finished speaking, not only were the Three Arhats surprised,
but even Tao Qian glanced over, thinking to himself:
"What a wily double-dealer that fatso is, indeed worthy of being a king. His skill in spinning tall tales is slightly more refined than mine at bamboozling people."
"It's just as well, the bait I laid was appetizing enough, and with Cheng Arhat's meddling, it immediately became even more enticing."
"Anyone with even the slightest bit of ambition would find it hard to resist."
Sure enough, as soon as Tao Qian's thoughts ended,
Kongchan and Lian Sha, the two Demon Buddha Arhats who desperately craved to pass the Daoist Transformation Tribulation, displayed a clear sense of eagerness on their faces.
Contrarily, Shipi was noncommittal, yet he showed signs of activity.
One could see him repeatedly slicing down, over and over, fresh chunks of flesh falling with a plop.
In just a moment or two, the area around his half-reclining Lotus Platform was already a river of blood with a mountain of flesh piled up.
What an Arhat!
He was actually inflicting the torment of a lingering death upon himself, slicing his own body down to a skeleton frame.
This strange behavior caused everyone to look over.
Cheng Arhat, Kongchan, and Lian Sha were all quietly waiting for something.
In Tao Qian's mind, the voice of Yuan Gong said:
"No need for alarm!"
"This commotion, though it looks severe, is but a regular use of the Sacrificial Flesh Skill by the old thief Shipi. This skill can predict fortune and destiny, and diagnose the prospects of success or failure, life or death in advance."
"If someone else were trying to scheme against him, it would be difficult to fool him."
"However, it's Duobao — just watch, he won't be able to predict a thing."
ps: By the way, have you made your cuts?