Submissive Above, Unrestrained Below

Chapter 5: Selling Myself a Hundred Times Is Not Worth a Single Celestial Crystal

In the blink of an eye, a young monk surrounded by an aura of blue light stepped forward from the side.

The monk intended to use a magical artifact to directly subdue the serpent demon.

However, he discovered that beside the serpent demon was a messy-haired boy, and unable to discern the truth, he hesitated to act.

“Demoness, you shall not escape any longer. I advise you to surrender and return with me to the sect for punishment!”

The young monk clasped his hands together, solemnly shouting.

“It’s you again, Zhi Zhang the monk. I’ve already said that the Linglong fruit was a gift from the heavens to me, and has nothing to do with your Vanyin Sect. Spare me your nonsense!”

As soon as the monk appeared, the serpent demon Qing’er conjured a light silk gown to wear. She hated bald monks deeply; how could she let a bald monk see her!

“Let’s speak politely and refrain from insults,” Chen Ansheng mildly reminded.

“I—I didn’t insult him!”

“Then how can you call him an idiot? Speak properly—misunderstandings can always be resolved.”

The young monk’s face turned green, but seeing that Chen Ansheng was quite amicable, he forced himself to bow and said, “This benefactor, I am called Zhi Zhang, known as ‘Moon’s Longing.’”

Chen Ansheng was taken aback and chuckled, “Your Master must be a wise man appearing foolish.”

Zhi Zhang didn’t want to dwell on the matter of his name, as he had been misunderstood more than once or twice.

He then discreetly examined Chen Ansheng and discovered that he was an ordinary mortal.

Of course, Zhi Zhang knew that in such situations, there was another possibility: the other party could be on a much higher level than himself.

For safety, Zhi Zhang did not dare act rashly.

“This benefactor, this woman is a spirit transformed from a green snake. Have you been taken hostage by her?” Zhi Zhang inquired.

“Taken hostage? Not quite,” Chen Ansheng waved his hand and continued, “I heard that there is a misunderstanding between her and your sect. Don’t you Buddhists always say that enemies should resolve their disputes peacefully? Today, I’ll help you settle this matter. What do you think?”

As Chen Ansheng spoke, his celestial awareness remained focused on the string of Buddhist beads hanging around Zhi Zhang’s neck. If he was not mistaken, they were made of black sandalwood, a material that Li Zhengyang mentioned is rare for crafting celestial artifacts.

Zhi Zhang frowned slightly, “Your words are correct, but I do not know what capabilities you possess that could persuade the serpent demon to return the Linglong fruit?”

Chen Ansheng calmly replied, “Let’s not talk about returning just yet; let’s first see who’s right and who’s wrong.”

Seeing the other party’s confidence, Zhi Zhang felt a bit more intimidated and said, “Alright! The story is quite simple. My sect has endured great hardships, losing several high monks in the Tribulation stage, just to find a seedling of the Linglong fruit, which we nurtured at a specific location at the foot of the mountain. This fruit is meant to extend the life of my ancestor, but unexpectedly, it was stolen and eaten by this serpent demon. Benefactor, do you think she should return it?”

The serpent demon Qing’er secretly glanced at Chen Ansheng, afraid that he would not protect her, and quickly retorted, “The Linglong fruit grows between heaven and earth; just because you say you cultivated it means you did? What evidence do you have? Besides, even if it was yours, I had no prior knowledge; is it justified for you to threaten me?”

“Amitabha, demoness, do not quibble!” Zhi Zhang glared angrily.

Chen Ansheng contemplated for a moment and said, “Isn’t it just a Linglong fruit? If you ate it, then you ate it; can it be pulled back just because you want it?”

“You!” Zhi Zhang was furious and shouted, “Don’t talk nonsense! My ancestor has only two years left to live. If I don’t bring the demoness back to nourish him with her blood, how will I explain to the entire sect!”

“Ha ha.” Chen Ansheng smiled and said, “Zhi Zhang, don’t be hasty; this demon has already become my mount. How could I let you capture her to take blood? Here’s the deal: she will return one Linglong fruit to you, and I will compensate you a hundred times over, and we can be friends.”

Compensate? You can pay with your head!

Linglong fruit only grows in perilous zones, not something as common as cabbage that you can just give away!

Zhi Zhang was just about to explode when he saw Chen Ansheng unfold his palm, revealing a green object floating in his palm, resembling a lotus seed.

“Hiss.”

Both Zhi Zhang and Qing’er instinctively inhaled sharply.

Refreshing!

“This…” Zhi Zhang stuttered, “Benefactor, what is this? It contains pure spiritual energy that is rare in the world!”

“It’s merely a celestial crystal, enough to compensate for your Linglong fruit a hundred or a thousand times over.”

Seeing the monk’s shocked and numb expression, Chen Ansheng felt a wave of satisfaction inside.

He remembered when a coworker ran errands for a higher-up and was rewarded with a piece of purple crystal worth more than celestial crystals. At that time, Chen Ansheng was both shocked and envious, thinking that the higher-up was foolish to give away purple crystals!

Now, he understood that the thrill of being a lowly worker and someone with authority was entirely different.

“Celestial crystal? Why should I believe…”

Before he could finish, Zhi Zhang’s mind trembled, and his body radiated a sudden glow.

“Core Formation stage! I’ve broken through!”

A storm of excitement surged in Zhi Zhang’s heart; he merely wanted to verify its authenticity. Who knew that even absorbing a little bit of that pure spiritual energy would help him break through the barrier of his realm and enter the Core Formation stage?

Previously, as a rare talent in the Vanyin Sect, he had been stuck at the peak of the Tribulation stage for three years without any means of breaking through.

Now, he no longer dared doubt the authenticity of the celestial crystal.

“Amitabha.”

Zhi Zhang felt incredibly relaxed, and his heart also calmed down.

“Benefactor, this celestial crystal is priceless. If it were not to save my ancestor’s life, I would not dare to accept it. Thank you, benefactor.”

“It’s nothing. If you feel indebted, just give me that string of Buddhist beads.”

Zhi Zhang: “…”

This string of Buddhist beads is a treasure of the sect, only bestowed to the most talented disciple within a century. How could he simply give it away?

However…

The other party had taken out a celestial crystal, and if he calculated correctly, the entire wealth and territory of the Vanyin Sect combined probably wouldn’t be worth as much.

Soon, Zhi Zhang no longer felt guilty and took down the beads: “Even so, benefactor, you have still suffered a great loss. I will remember this kindness and repay it in the future.”

Chen Ansheng accepted the beads. “Alright then, shall we consider your grievances resolved?”

Zhi Zhang hurriedly bowed to Qing’er: “Lady benefactor, the misunderstanding has been cleared. I hope to be forgiven for the previous offenses.”

Zhi Zhang was also a clever person. The boy on the other side easily took out a celestial crystal, so he likely had a significant background. If he did not make friends now, it would be a true case of living up to the name of Zhi Zhang, becoming a genuine idiot.

“No wonder when I came here, I felt a surge of celestial aura; it must be connected to this person. Truly remarkable!” Zhi Zhang thought to himself, glad he hadn’t acted recklessly. Otherwise, he would have surely lost his life here.

As for Qing’er, her mind was already a blank page.

This dirty, disheveled guy actually took out a celestial crystal to save her…

Even if she sold herself a hundred times, it wouldn’t be worth this price.

Who exactly is he? What background does he have? Have I struck it rich as his mount? Will he abandon me? How does he prefer to ride…

Countless questions swirled in Qing’er’s mind, to the extent that she didn’t even notice Zhi Zhang’s apology.

To prevent any unexpected events from occurring, Zhi Zhang, after expressing his gratitude multiple times, hurriedly left.

Chen Ansheng carefully inspected the Buddhist beads. They were more than likely made of black sandalwood, with a total of thirty-six beads.

As for their exact value, Chen Ansheng was unsure, but it was definitely worth more than a hundred celestial crystals—a substantial profit.

Of course, Chen Ansheng had considered committing robbery, but that was ultimately not his character, and he abandoned the idea.

Moreover, Chen Ansheng had deeper intentions behind his actions.

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