I am a wandering immortal in the mortal realm.

"Taoist Master, what is 'sinful silver'?"

It was Zheng Baozhu who spoke, but everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to Xuan Qingzi.

Despite the Taoist's impressive display of power and invincibility just now, when faced with something they couldn't understand, everyone still preferred to listen to Xuan Qingzi's opinion.

There's a saying that goes, "He's eaten more salt than rice." Xuan Qingzi is quite old, and he seems to have more experience than the Taoist.

Xuan Qingzi didn't keep anyone in suspense, simply asking, "Have any of you ever heard of money for buying one's life?"

"Money to buy... to save your life, what is that?"

Zheng Baozhu stammered for a moment; just hearing the name of the money easily evoked a bad association.

Xuan Qingzi said in a calm voice, "There is a kind of money in this world called 'life-buying money.' Whenever someone in the family is seriously ill or about to die, some people will specifically hire someone to perform a ritual, put a curse on the money, and then throw it by the roadside so that someone else can pick it up and spend it..."

"What will happen if I use it?" Zheng Baozhu swallowed, both scared and curious.

"What else can you do? Buying a life, buying a life—it means spending money to take away the life of the person who paid it!"

"No...it can't be that mysterious, can it?" Zheng Baozhu forced a laugh, but goosebumps rose all over her body, and she shivered despite it being broad daylight.

Xuan Qingzi didn't answer, only glanced at her before giving a cold laugh: "Everyone says that no one can get rich without windfall gains, but they don't even consider whether they have the fortune to handle them. There are plenty of people in this world who come in upright and leave horizontally. Who knows if the 'windfall' of windfall gains won't eventually turn into the 'windfall' of a violent death?"

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone was startled.

"Then what about this ill-gotten money?" Shen Yuan spoke up, steer the conversation back to the crucial point, "What does it have to do with the money for buying one's life?"

Xuan Qingzi didn't put on airs in front of Shen Yuan. Upon hearing this, he said directly, "Strictly speaking, the 'Sinful Deeds Silver' is actually a kind of life-buying money. However, life-buying money only requires a curse to transfer the fortune of the person who spends it to themselves. The latter type is much more difficult to refine, as it involves forcibly refining all kinds of grievances in the world into the gold and silver."

"Every penny spent adds to one's sins, yet people are often unaware of this. Only when their families are ruined, their sins piled high, and they are unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation after death, will the dead realize this. At that moment, resentment arises, and they can instantly transform into evil spirits!"

"This..." Shen Yuan fell into a deep thought, and couldn't help but say, "Fellow Daoist, you previously said that the money for buying life is to transfer the fortune of the person who spends it. Since the refining process of this 'misfortune silver' is even more difficult, it must be more than just transferring fortune, right?"

"Fellow Daoist, your insight is clear!"

Xuan Qingzi smiled and suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you know what the 'Misdeeds Silver' was originally used for?"

Shen Yuan shook his head: "Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist!"

Xuan Qingzi slowly began, "The original 'Sinful Deeds Silver' was concocted by some evil sorcerers of the previous dynasty to increase the karmic debts of wicked people, used to induce the birth of sinful fruits. And sinful fruits... were a precious ingredient they used to refine elixirs!"

"However, the conditions for the formation of karmic fruits are extremely demanding. Not only does it require boundless karmic debt, but it also requires both the right path and good fortune. On the contrary, it is much simpler to produce evil spirits. Those who have spent money on karmic debts cannot be freed after becoming ghosts because of their debts in the mortal world. They can only serve the wicked. Gradually, this money on karmic debts has become a magical tool for those evil sects to forge ghost soldiers."

"At the end of the previous dynasty, war raged everywhere. To stop the imperial army from advancing north, the court colluded with these evil sects to create a batch of monstrous demons. They did not hesitate to harm and kill, committing countless atrocities. In the end, it was our Taoist sect that stepped in and killed those evil sects, thus ending this calamity!"

Shen Yuan's heart sank; he hadn't expected this small coin to have such a significant background. After a pause, he asked, "How did you recognize this as 'Torture Silver' at a glance, fellow Daoist?"

"Hehe..." Xuan Qingzi chuckled lightly, glanced at the Taoist, a hint of arrogance on his face, and slowly said, "Because I was one of the Taoist soldiers who eradicated the evil path back then!"

Shen Yuan stared wide-eyed at Xuan Qingzi, the old Taoist barely suppressing a smile.

After clearing his throat, Xuan Qingzi continued, "Actually, there's another way for ordinary people to distinguish illicit silver..."

As he spoke, he took the official silver from Shen Yuan's hand, pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the side, and said, "Look, sinful deeds are invisible and difficult for ordinary people to control. Therefore, to lock up karmic debts, one must affix a secret stamp. As long as this mark is present, the probability of obtaining the karmic silver is 99%!"

Shen Yuan looked in the direction the man was pointing and saw a faint mark. It was neither a word nor a picture, but rather a totem of some ancient tribe.

At first glance, it doesn't seem like much, but after looking at it for a while, it's as if your entire spirit and energy are being absorbed into it.

Shen Yuan was momentarily dazed, then instantly snapped back to reality. When he looked at the official silver coin again, his expression changed.

It should be noted that the sinister aura on this official silver coin had been cut by his own wooden sword, yet the "yin stamp" on it still revealed its extraordinary nature, demonstrating the remarkable nature of this pattern.

The person who created the "Sinful Silver" must have been a man of extraordinary talent, but unfortunately, he didn't use it for good.

"Strange! Strange!"

As Shen Yuanzheng was deep in thought, Xuan Qingzi, who was staring at the silver, suddenly started muttering to himself.

He raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "Fellow Daoist, have you noticed anything else?"

Xuan Qingzi frowned: "I hadn't thought about it too deeply before. This kind of 'tainted silver' is extremely harmful. When the Great Ancestor seized it, he melted it all down and recast it. Even the 'yin stamping' method was completely sealed and destroyed. How could tainted silver be found in this small town of Linquan?"

Zheng Baozhu interjected, "Perhaps that batch of silver wasn't completely destroyed?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Qingzi muttered, "If that's really the case, it seems I must report this to the Jade Capital and have it investigated."

As he spoke, he stared at the silver in his hand repeatedly, feeling a faint sense of unease, but he couldn't quite grasp the thread of it!

"No, this could never be the silver from the previous dynasty!" Shen Yuan suddenly spoke up, his tone extremely certain.

Xuan Qingzi looked up, and Zheng Baozhu also asked in confusion, "Why is the Daoist so certain?"

Shen Yuan raised his chin slightly and stared at Xuan Qingzi, saying, "Fellow Daoist, have you forgotten that when the founding emperor established the new dynasty, he changed the silver system? The official silver minted today is completely different from that of the previous dynasty, with two additional silver seals added."

Xuan Qingzi was startled. He picked up the silver and saw that the ingot's waist area suddenly contracted, forming two cloud-shaped engraving lines.

Five taels for every quarter of an hour, and exactly ten taels for every two quarters of an hour!

"Oh no! Someone is illegally minting counterfeit silver!" Xuan Qingzi's expression changed, and he exclaimed in horror, realizing that this matter was extremely serious.

He lunged forward, drew his magic sword, pointed it at Chen Cuier, his gaze sharp as a knife, and stared intently at her, asking in a deep voice, "Tell me, where did this silver come from?"

Chen Cuier was just a woman, and had never seen such a scene before. Her face turned pale instantly.

Zheng Baozhu was startled and hurriedly called out, "Taoist Master, wait!"

Shen Yuan also said, "Fellow Daoist, things have come to this point, there's no point in rushing things. I suppose this tragic situation wasn't her wish either. How about I ask Layman Chen a few questions?"

Xuan Qingzi's eyes flickered for a moment, and after a long while, he silently put away his magic sword.

"Layman Chen, you must have understood what Abbot Xuanqingzi just said. For both public and private reasons, I have a few questions for you. If it is convenient for you to answer, please do so truthfully. If not, simply nod or shake your head, shall I?"

Shen Yuan put away his demon-slaying aura and returned to his former gentle demeanor, speaking to Chen Cuier in a mild tone.

Chen Cuier calmed her anxious heart and nodded with a timid expression.

Shen Yuan asked, "Did Master Zhuang bring this silver home?"

Chen Cuier hesitated, her eyes flickering. Suddenly, she caught sight of the female ghost in the Taoist's hand, and shrank back in fright, hurriedly saying, "I...I don't know!"

"How could I not know!" Xuan Qingzi roared, seemingly extremely agitated. "Did this silver just magically appear in your hands?"

Shen Yuan turned to look at him, and Xuan Qingzi snorted coldly before reluctantly shutting up.

"The money in the house is all managed by the head of the household. Now that he's not home, I don't know anything about it..." Chen Cuier cried and cried, pleading her innocence. She had always felt that money might bring trouble, but she never expected this day to come so soon.

So she told everyone in detail about finding the money: "...Ever since I found out that there was such a sum of money in the house, I have been living in fear day and night. Later, my husband kept saying that there were ghosts, which made me start to pay attention. If I had known that this money was evil, I would never have touched it."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but cry, tears streaming down her face.

Why did our once happy family end up like this?

"Go and bring the owner of this house here for questioning!"

"yes!"

Xuan Qingzi gave the order in a deep voice, then suddenly sneered: "This kind of evil object, the 'Sinful Silver,' harms fortune and shortens lifespan. Even we Taoists dare not treat it lightly. Yet you openly place it in your home, resulting in defiling your household, obscuring auspicious stars, and damaging your luck. Now even your household gods have been driven away. Haven't you become a piece of fat meat in the eyes of wandering ghosts?"

Chen Cuier's face paled even more, and she said tremblingly, "Then...what should we do? Daoist Master, you must save my family! My child is so young, he's only six months old!"

"The most urgent matter is to hand over the illicit silver!" Xuan Qingzi said solemnly without further ado, "How much of this silver did you use?"

Chen Cuier felt a little guilty and said weakly, "It didn't use much..."

"What's a little bit of money?" Xuan Qingzi said irritably.

Chen Cuier stammered, "There...there are still one hundred and sixty taels left..."

Xuan Qingzi's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Heavens! You spent forty taels?"

"...Twenty taels were stolen by my cousin, so...it shouldn't count, right? As for the rest of the money, I don't know where the head of the household spent it!"

On the day of Zhuang Da's funeral, she was at home taking care of the children and was unaware that her husband had been extorted for ten taels of silver by a Taoist priest.

Shen Yuan touched his nose. Although he had already removed the evil aura from the official silver and turned it into ordinary silver, for some reason, seeing Xuan Qingzi's anxious and hopping appearance, he still felt inexplicably guilty.

"What about the rest of the silver?"

"I...I'll go get it right away!"

Chen Cuier hurriedly went to the backyard, picked up a hoe, and ran to a camphor tree in the corner to start digging.

A short while later, a wooden box was pulled out. When it was opened, it was found to be full of silver, shining brightly.

"That day, Jun-ge'er stole twenty taels of silver, and the master scolded me. Afterwards, he secretly hid the money. But I've always been in charge of all the affairs of this household, and I can spot anything unusual at a glance. He thinks he's got it all figured out, but to me, he sees right through me and has no secrets at all!" As she spoke, she was moved and even felt a strange sense of pride.

Shen Yuan was speechless. He reached out to take her silver, but the woman dodged him.

"What does 'layman' mean?" Shen Yuan frowned and glanced at her.

Xuan Qingzi also stared intently at him, his gaze sharp and intense.

Chen Cuier hesitated for a moment, but still mustered her courage and said, "Esteemed Taoist priests, I know what's important, and I will hand over the money. But I also have a request, and I would like to ask you two Taoist priests to grant it!"

Xuan Qingzi remained silent, while Shen Yuan withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Tell me!"

Chen Cuier took a deep breath and said, "This humble woman does not seek wealth and glory, but only peace and prosperity for her family. Now that my brother is dead, we must not allow any more misfortune to befall our family. Daoist priest, you have given me money today, please save my family!" After saying this, she bowed and respectfully handed over the money in her hand.

Shen Yuan sighed softly, "Having a virtuous wife is usually a sign of prosperity, but alas, it has been ruined by greed!"

He took the silver and handed it to Xuan Qingzi. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Fellow Daoist, it's not that I want to meddle. It's just that it's the Daoist sect's duty to subdue demons and monsters. Now that we know about this matter, we absolutely cannot pretend to see it and watch your family fall into utter ruin!"

Xuan Qingzi sighed, "Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but if it were just an ordinary curse, we could break it. If that didn't work, we could move. But if you use cursed money, the curse will follow you wherever you go; you can't avoid it, you can't escape it. Unless you can defeat the silver refiner in a righteous battle, you will eventually face death!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the Taoist priest a few more times, then changed his tone, saying meaningfully, "However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly. I will be going to the Jade Capital in person soon. Now that you have asked me, I will shamelessly request that the Master intervene. The Kaixuan True Man possesses boundless magical power; with his intervention, I believe we can ensure the safety of this place!"

"Thank you very much, fellow Daoist!" Shen Yuan bowed deeply and gave a solemn salute.

"You're too kind, fellow Daoist!"

Chen Cuier repeatedly expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, Daoist Master! Thank you so much, Daoist Master!"

Xuan Qingzi glanced at her, sighed softly, shook his head, and then put the official silver he had been holding into the wooden box.

Shen Yuan's eye twitched as he looked at the money. He thought to himself, "That old man is really quick. That's my money!"

However, considering the importance of the stolen silver, he dared not force it and could only swallow his anger, feeling so heartbroken he wanted to vomit blood.

"Geng Jin Hu, are you reliable at all? What about my fortune?"

Shen Yuan shouted in his heart, when suddenly he heard a shout from the alley entrance. He turned around and saw Zheng Baojin and two Taoist priests escorting Zhuang Ping over.

"Brother, what's wrong with you..." Zheng Baozhu went up to him, puzzled.

Zheng Baojin scoffed, pointed at Zhuang Ping, and said irritably, "Where did that beast go? When I found him, he was digging up Uncle Zhuang's grave!"

"what?"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Zhuang Ping, who looked utterly dejected.

Digging up one's own father's grave is a grave act of filial impiety, punishable by exile if caught!

Chen Cuier was also terrified. She rushed forward and grabbed Zhuang Ping, repeatedly saying, "Husband, how could you be so foolish? How could you be so foolish?"

Zhuang Ping, who seemed lost in thought, blinked slightly upon hearing this. When he looked up, he saw the wooden box in Xuan Qingzi's hand.

His eyes widened suddenly, and he screamed as he tried to rush over: "My silver! My silver! Why did you steal my silver?"

The Taoist priests nearby quickly pulled the man back, and Chen Cuier also urgently advised, "Master, don't be impulsive. That money is an evil object; we must hand it over to the Taoist priest..."

"Foolish woman!"

Zhuang Ping roared and turned around, his eyes bloodshot and almost red.

Chen Cuier felt as if she had seen a man-eating beast, and her heart skipped a beat in fright, causing her to retreat repeatedly.

But the moment he moved, Zhuang Ping had already grabbed his neck tightly.

At first, the Taoist priest thought it was a fight between husband and wife and was about to persuade him when he saw Zhuang Ping's head tilted to one side, drool dripping from his mouth, and strange sounds like the roars of beasts coming from the corners of his mouth, which made people's scalps tingle.

He had a bad feeling and quickly grabbed Zhuang Ping's shoulder.

The moment the Taoist touched the other's shoulder with his right hand, the sky suddenly darkened, and the surroundings became completely silent. Only the lips of the crowd could be seen moving, but no sound could be heard, as if the five senses had been forcibly blocked.

Xuan Qingzi also sensed something was wrong and was startled. He quickly raised the bronze mirror and cried out, "Please, treasure, bestow..."

Before the word "light" could be uttered, a sharp, malevolent aura suddenly struck from nowhere, knocking the bronze mirror out of Xuan Qingzi's hand and causing blood to flow freely from the back of his hand.

In an instant, darkness descended upon the surrounding fields, righteousness dissipated, and an ominous atmosphere pervaded the land, stretching to the heavens and earth, almost as if it were swallowing up the entire universe...

Shen Yuan recalled Xuan Qingzi's words that the evil silver had the ability to create evil ghosts. Now, its aura was far beyond that of ordinary evil ghosts, and his heart sank.

Although he had never seen a real evil spirit, he had a strong intuition that the evil spirit was coming!