This place is fun

Chapter 181 A Deal with the Devil
Beizi Town, post station.

Su Daoshan stood by the window of his second-floor room, watching the carriage below.

It was already afternoon, and the weather, which had been quite nice, suddenly changed, and it started raining again. The rain pattered against the roof of the carriage, splashing into tiny droplets.

Outside, caravans, troops, and small groups of sect disciples continued to pass by in droves. Another group of sect disciples dismounted at the entrance of the post station, pressed down their dripping bamboo hats, and rushed quickly into the post station's main hall.

Su Daoshan put away the wooden window support rods and closed the window, when suddenly a thought inexplicably stirred within him. He walked to the five-drawer chest in the corner of the room and opened the top drawer.

The puppet-shaped card lay quietly inside.

Is it a lingering ghost?
"20 Spirit Essence per use, no guaranteed minimum?" Reading the divine message in his mind, Su Daoshan closed the drawer without hesitation.

Compared to the previous fixed cost of 50 spirit essence per use and 100 spirit essence per month, the discount offered by the puppet hook card is not just a 50% reduction, but a direct cut to the ankle.

But as a modern person who grew up in the information explosion era, and also a law master's degree holder, Su Daoshan has seen far more pitfalls than the most cunning old fox in the world. He understands better than anyone the principle that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

In this perilous world, to survive, one must tread carefully, like walking on thin ice, and learn to make choices. While growing stronger is important, some things are better left unsaid than to be entangled in karma.

As the puppet token disappeared before his eyes with the closing of the drawer, Su Daoshan couldn't help but recall the scene he had witnessed the previous night, a scene that felt like his soul had left his body—the world beyond the star mark. That indescribable existence. And those gazes fixed upon him…

Su Daoshan suddenly became disoriented.

Only then did he realize that these incredibly powerful memories were being recalled for the first time after being awake for so long. Moreover, just thinking about them for a moment had already exhausted his mental energy; his mind was a complete mess, filled with a jumble of chaotic thoughts.

It's as if... some kind of force is shielding and suppressing my memories.

Su Daoshan slowly sat down in the chair, his gaze fixed intently on a certain spot on the floor in front of him. He felt as if he had accidentally spotted an interesting bubble, and then countless other bubbles suddenly appeared, obscuring his vision and trying to hide the first one among them.

If it were someone else, they would probably be suffering from a splitting headache or their thoughts would be in disarray, leading them to give up on thinking and exploring.

However, Su Daoshan remained firmly fixated on this bubble. He couldn't understand anything else yet, but he was certain of one thing:
"If the Puppet Hook Token has some hidden connection with that terrifying extraterrestrial being, then are the other secret artifacts the same? Did their arrival in this world represent some kind of will or intention?"

"Does the deal made with the secret artifact mean that we've formed some kind of connection with those extraterrestrial beings?"

Just then, a sudden exclamation from downstairs interrupted Su Daoshan's thoughts.

Because the buildings were all temporary structures made of wooden planks, even though his room was a corridor away from the lobby, the bustling noise from below could still be heard from time to time.

Especially today.

Now, more and more sect disciples are arriving in Beizi Town, and the entire post station is almost full. With Liu Hua's reappearance alive, news that she and the Snow Fairy of Cold Valley, Fan Caiyi, killed the demon watchman Feng Chao has spread like wildfire and become the hottest topic in the streets and alleys.

Almost every so often, when new disciples from the sect arrived at the post station, similar exclamations would erupt once more.

This wasn't because the sect disciples were naive; it was simply that Liu Hua and Fan Caiyi's achievements were too dazzling. You must understand, in terms of strength, to deal with the Demon Watchman, one would need at least a sect elder-level expert. And even these experts could easily fall victim to him if they weren't careful.

But now, Liu Hua and Fan Caiyi have joined forces to kill the evil watchman. Putting aside their meritorious deeds that make everyone drool with envy, their fame alone is probably far ahead of the other two of the Four Little Fairies.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Su Daoshan opened the door and saw Song Xier standing in the doorway.

"Here you go." Song Xier slapped an unfolded letter onto Su Daoshan's chest, went inside, picked up the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and sat down to drink it angrily.

Su Daoshan unfolded the letter and immediately understood the reason.

The letter was sent by Fourth Uncle Xie Xunbai via falcon and delivered by Elder Liu of Hongzhao Palace. The letter severely reprimanded Song Xi'er and ordered the two to stay at the Beizi Town post station, forbidding them from going anywhere. It stated that once the two outer sect elders from Hangu arrived the next day, they would be escorted back to Yishan City.

In the letter, Su Daoshan was told about the chaos in the Su family after his disappearance, and he was told not to fool around with Song Xier and to go home immediately.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Su Daoshan said after reading the letter. He poured himself a cup of tea and sat down opposite Song Xi’er. “You were the one who tried to save people last night, but now you’ve been detained by Uncle Liu and Uncle Li. Who’s to blame?”

Song Xier said indignantly, "They are repaying kindness with enmity!"

A few hours earlier, when everyone's attention was focused on Su Daoshan, Liu Xiangyi and Li Yulian discovered that there were actually two Cold Valley disciples in the group.

When they learned from Liu Hua and the others that it was Fan Caiyi and her newly initiated junior brother who had saved them, they were both moved and grateful. So they immediately detained the two of them.

“I heard last night that people in Yishan City were frantically searching for you, but I never expected you to run off here. I’ll write to Senior Brother Xie right away to let him know you’re safe… But now that we’ve run into you, I have to hand you over to Hangu safely. You’re not allowed to run around again. Otherwise, you just saved the lives of our Hongzhao Palace disciples, and then this happens to you. How am I supposed to explain that…”

Li Yulian held Song Xier's hand affectionately, gazing lovingly at Su Daoshan, appearing as a warm elder, but her words chilled Song Xier to the bone.

Su Daoshan looked at Song Xier with an air of nonchalance. At this moment, she possessed a calm and aloof demeanor, as cold as ice. However, the more composed she appeared, the greater the contrast became when she unabashedly expressed her anger. Her usually cool and fair face flushed red with rage.

However, Su Daoshan knew better than anyone that beneath Fan Caiyi's outward appearance, the vixen Song Xier was probably plotting something.

I would never believe she just accepted her fate so readily.

"What are you looking at?" Song Xier rolled her eyes at Su Daoshan, then coldly threatened, "You took my payment."

Su Daoshan said slowly, "But I also saved your life."

Song Xier opened her mouth as if to say something, but for a moment she had nothing to say and could only let out a muffled hum.

It's fair to say that last night was the most dangerous time she'd ever been in her life. And then there was that time with Tu Sen… come to think of it, that guy has saved her twice now.

“By the way, Senior Sister, you have many secret artifacts,” Su Daoshan changed the subject, “I have some questions about secret artifacts that I would like to ask you.”

"Go ahead and ask," Song Xier said absentmindedly.

“The Records of the Strange Martial World says that all secret weapons have weaknesses. If you know these weaknesses, you can control them relatively easily,” Su Daoshan asked. “What are these weaknesses?”

"Well..." Song Xi'er thought for a moment, then simply took off her red hair ribbon. In an instant, the aloof Snow Fairy transformed into a seductive fox-like enchantress.

She took the red ribbon and moved it closer to the small stove on the table where she was brewing tea. As soon as she got close to the flames, Su Daoshan saw the red ribbon curl up like an earthworm, trying its best to avoid the fire while crawling towards Song Xier's wrist in a frightened manner.

“Look,” Song Xi’er smiled and wrinkled her nose, “it’s most afraid of fire.”

The red ribbon twisted and coiled around her hand, one end of it sometimes rising high like a snake's head, swaying up and down and left and right, as if accusing Song Xier of being ruthless. Then it would rub against her skin, as if teasing her.

It was just a red ribbon, but Su Daoshan sensed a combination of persuasion and coercion.

"Then what about your golden abacus..." Su Daoshan asked.

“That guy is ticklish.” Song Xi’er said, flipping her hand to reveal a golden abacus, and then producing a goose feather from somewhere in her other hand.

It appears to be something he carries with him.

A smile played on her lips as she gently brushed the golden abacus back and forth with a goose feather. The abacus immediately began to tremble violently, the beads clattering incessantly, as if desperately trying to escape, or as if gasping for breath.

Su Daoshan stared in disbelief and asked curiously, "But how can we find out the weakness of a secret weapon?"

After obtaining the secret artifact, I can't very well subject myself to all ten of the Qing Dynasty's most brutal tortures one by one, can I?

"That's not necessarily true," Song Xier said, putting away the abacus, which was already so weak that even the beads were barely moving.

"Most of the secret artifacts in the 'Records of Strange Things' were passed down from the old era and have passed through countless owners. Moreover, the courts of various countries, major sects, and the Fengyuan Hall also have people who specialize in studying secret artifacts. Over the years, they have basically figured them out. There is a lot of relevant information."

“After all, these things are from outer space. Although we don’t know what power is hidden behind them, there are two things that are certain…” Song Xi’er held up a finger: “First, these things all crave spiritual energy.”

As she spoke, she raised her second finger: "Secondly, because they don't originally belong here, they not only cannot enter the Spirit Realm, but they will also be rejected and suppressed by the will of the Spirit Realm..."

Su Daoshan listened attentively, when suddenly a thought struck him.

In his understanding, the Spirit Realm is the underlying world of this world, and the will of the Spirit Realm, in a sense, naturally represents the will of this world.

If these secret artifacts are rejected by the will of the spiritual realm, does that mean they are considered intruders?
Just like a healthy body, if a thorn suddenly gets stuck in it, or if bacteria or viruses get in, it will inevitably react.

But Song Xier continued, "...It is precisely because of these two points that these secret artifacts can only choose to cooperate with humans. Otherwise, no matter what purpose these things may have, they are nothing more than inanimate objects, no different from mud and stones on the ground."

"Since we're going to cooperate, it's a two-way selection process. Don't be fooled by how difficult it is for extraordinary martial artists to obtain a powerful secret weapon; conversely, finding a good partner for these secret weapons is no easier either."

"Therefore, for some secret artifacts with relatively low intelligence and limited power, you will naturally know their weaknesses when you obtain them. However, for some with higher intelligence and greater power, it requires a long period of understanding, or even a battle of wits and courage..."

As she spoke, Song Xier took a sip of tea, placed the teacup on the table, and looked intently into Su Daoshan's eyes: "Have you heard this saying before?"

"What did you say?" Su Daoshan asked.

“Possessing secret artifacts is like keeping company with a tiger or making a deal with a demon,” Song Xi’er said. “If you want to borrow their power, you must be prepared to pay a price.”

As she spoke, a mocking smile played on her lips: "Whether they were afraid of fire or ticklish, do you think you can control them forever just by knowing those things? They're your companions now, but things might change at some point..."

Song Xier gazed intently at Su Daoshan, saying slowly and deliberately, "After all, they don't belong here. In that respect, they are no different from the You Clan..."

Su Daoshan remained silent, the scene he had witnessed when his soul left his body resurfacing in his mind.

"If that's the case, why don't we just destroy them and eliminate the hidden dangers?" Su Daoshan asked.

Song Xier shook her head and said, "First, these things cannot be destroyed. Even if you smash them or melt them down, they will slowly recover. Even after their master dies, they will find the next collaborator."

"Secondly, we need to rely on the power of the Nether Clan to fight against them. The difference in strength between a transcendent martial artist who possesses a secret artifact and one who doesn't is enormous. Besides, if you don't use it, do you think you can make everyone control their greed?"

Su Daoshan sighed; he knew that Song Xier was right.

Strength means power.

"So," Song Xier concluded, "when dealing with secret artifacts, the only thing you need to do is learn to protect yourself."

"How can we protect ourselves?" Su Daoshan asked. "Will they attack us?"

Song Xier shook her head and said, "Their power can only be activated by the controller of the secret artifact. This also means that as long as you are still the controller, unless you go crazy, you don't have to worry about it harming you."

“Then what I need to be wary of is…” Su Daoshan asked.

“Dependence!” Song Xier said seriously.

"You can't rely too much on secret artifacts. Many people win by using them, but often they unknowingly become slaves to them. Feng Chao is a typical example. Moreover, these things come from different backgrounds and have different personalities; some of them have a strong tendency to cause mental pollution..."

At this point, Song Xier took out the golden abacus and handed it to Su Daoshan: "You can give it a try."

Su Daoshan took the golden abacus. But the moment he touched it, he was startled and almost dropped it.

At that moment, he felt as if an extra consciousness had suddenly been crammed into his mind. This consciousness had no specific thoughts, but it was filled with endless greed, violence, and chaos. Like a demon, it constantly tempted and incited him…

Gradually, Su Daoshan developed the illusion that by controlling the golden abacus, he could control the entire world. He didn't even want to return the abacus to Song Xier.

Just then, the Dao Seed in his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly trembled, and a pure and spiritual power instantly swept over his entire body, rescuing Su Daoshan from this demonic state.

"I see..." Su Daoshan suddenly understood. "...The Dao Seed is the bridge to the Spirit Realm. This must be the Spirit Realm's will rejecting and suppressing the secret artifact. Extraordinary martial artists use this power to control the secret artifact without losing mental control..."

Otherwise, Su Daoshan couldn't imagine anyone remaining normal under such terrifying mental pollution.

I could barely stand holding the golden abacus for more than a few seconds. If Song Xier carried it with her all the time, wouldn't she have gone crazy long ago?
"How terrifying." Su Daoshan handed the golden abacus back to Song Xier with lingering fear.

Song Xier seemed lost in thought, her expression blank, until the golden abacus was placed in front of her. She then snapped out of her daze, glanced at Su Daoshan with a strange look, and clicked her tongue twice, saying, "It seems your Dao seed is of a high grade."

"Why do you say that?" Su Daoshan was startled, but in a flash he understood. He pointed at the golden abacus and asked, "Because of it?"

Song Xier nodded and said, "The Dao Seed can protect the spirit and prevent extraordinary professions from being contaminated by the secret artifact. The higher the grade of the Dao Seed, the higher its resistance and the less affected it is by contamination. You are the fastest person I have ever seen to get rid of the influence of the Golden Abacus."

"Is that so? Perhaps it's because I'm naturally simple and honest." Su Daoshan chuckled dryly, but inwardly he was on guard.

Be more careful in similar situations in the future. Luckily, it was Song Xier this time. If it were someone else, they wouldn't even realize they'd accidentally revealed their hand.

Song Xier rolled her eyes at Su Daoshan, annoyed. The word "simple and honest" was being used to describe him by this guy, which was practically a desecration.

Song Xi'er said, "The number of secret artifacts each extraordinary martial artist can control is related to the grade of their Dao Seed. The higher the grade of the Dao Seed, the greater the resistance to mental pollution, and the more secret artifacts one can control. Of course, this also depends on the level of the secret artifacts..."

"Some high-level secret artifacts are more than ten times more corrupted than ordinary secret artifacts. Just controlling one can drive a person mad."

She cautioned, "So, if you ever obtain a secret artifact in the future, you must be careful not to overdo it. Secret artifacts are not something you can have more of or make stronger."

Su Daoshan nodded earnestly, as if he had been taught a lesson.

"Alright," Song Xi'er stood up, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room first. I expect the people from Hongzhao Palace will come looking for you later. After all, you saved the life of their sect leader's personal disciple, so they have to show their appreciation. Especially since you killed the Demon Watchman. But you'd better resist the temptation..."

Su Daoshan smiled, but thought to himself, "That depends on what the temptation is."

Song Xier took a couple of steps, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to Su Daoshan, saying, "By the way, are you going into the Spirit Realm tonight?"

Su Daoshan nodded.

With his current spiritual energy in the tens of thousands, he can freely enter the Spirit Realm without having to be stingy like other newbies. Moreover, he has just become a transcendent being and needs to improve himself in the Spirit Realm.

Whether it's refining weapons in the Heart Furnace, arming battle spirits, or collecting more spiritual essence to enhance combat power, all of these require a significant amount of time.

Song Xier reached out and took out a small booklet, handing it to Su Daoshan.

"What is this?" Su Daoshan was taken aback. He opened it and saw that each page contained a symbol, with a corresponding explanation below each symbol. There were about ten in total.

Song Xi'er said, "Tonight I'll introduce you to an organization. This is the organization's secret seal for communication through the message tree in the spiritual realm. Remember it. There happens to be a large gathering today. I'll introduce everyone to you then. Consider it repayment for saving your life."

"After all, you've just entered the Spirit Realm and are very weak in all aspects, which is a dangerous time for you. Joining this organization will be helpful to you."

As she spoke, Song Xier seemed to know what Su Daoshan was worried about, and added, "By contacting the tea room through the Message Tree, no one can use their spiritual sense to detect your Dao Seed, and your identity will not be exposed."

Su Daoshan nodded. The rules of the Spirit Realm strictly forbade anyone to associate their real-world identity with their avatar in the Spirit Realm. And in this respect, even though he and Song Xier were from the same sect, this did not apply.

They could only meet in the spirit world if they both absolutely trusted each other and were willing to reveal their identities.

Su Daoshan flipped through the booklet and asked curiously, "What kind of organization is this?"

"They're just a bunch of remnants sticking together for warmth," Song Xi'er said.

(End of this chapter)