Chapter 178: Uninvited Guest (Part 1)
Chapter 178: Uninvited Guest (Part 1)
Of course, Liam had no idea about what was happening over a hundred kilometers away, but he had a premonition that something bad was about to happen. Naturally, in such a situation, he decided to try a bit harder and use the remaining time to further enhance his strength.
So, after his practice session with Hermione, he spent the rest of the weekend studying the skills he had already mastered, hoping to boost his strength even a little more.
However, improving one's strength is always a slow and steady process. On Saturday night, just as he was feeling a bit anxious, he suddenly received a notification from the Emporium that a new customer had arrived.
Perhaps this is an opportunity, Liam thought, as he made his way to the Multiverse General Store. As soon as he arrived, he noticed that the floor seemed to be covered with a layer of soft, emerald-green material. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the floor was covered with Vines, making it look like a green carpet.
"Little Qing, what are you doing?" Liam asked, looking at a flower pot in the corner. The flower had transformed into a snake's head, and through their soul connection, it told him that it had eaten a bit too much and was now resting.
Indeed, my pet is unique. Most pets, when they're full, either sit there and make noises or lie down motionless. Only my pet can spread out all over the floor when it's resting. Liam shook his head with a sigh and instructed the Multiverse General Store to let the customer in.
The person who entered was a middle-aged man in ancient attire. The moment Liam saw his face, he recognized him. This was a face he had seen many times in short clips on Bilibili in his past life. He clasped his hands together and said:
"Master Yue, welcome. What brings you to my humble store?"
"Where, where is this place? Who are you?" Yue Buqun asked nervously, his voice becoming high-pitched. Upon closer inspection, Liam noticed that some of his beard was glued on. It seemed Master Yue had already undergone the procedure.
Upon discovering this secret, Liam cast an Armor Charm on himself with the wand hidden behind his back. He then used their soul connection to instruct Little Qing, who was disguised as a flowering plant in a pot, to get ready. Once everything was set, Liam cleared his throat and said:
"This is a shop in the Upper Realm, accessible only to those who have deep regrets in their hearts. Here, as long as you are willing to pay the price, any dream can be fulfilled." Since the person in front of him wasn't exactly a good person, Liam felt no guilt about exaggerating a bit.
After saying this, Liam took a closer look at Yue Buqun and continued, "I see that you look tired, your hair and beard are falling out, and your voice has become high-pitched. Could it be that you have a secret you're hiding?"
"How, how did you know? Did you spy on me?" Before Yue Buqun could finish his sentence, he moved with the agility of a ghost, drawing his sword and lunging at Liam. However, he was immediately brought to the ground.
Upon receiving Liam's command, Little Qing had activated the Vines carpet just as Yue Buqun was about to make his move. The Vines suddenly came to life and wrapped around his feet, causing him to fall flat on the ground.
The Vines, a mix of Basilisk and Devil's Snare, reinforced with a large amount of magic, were far beyond Yue Buqun's ability to cut through. Within minutes, he was completely wrapped up, with only his face exposed.
"Trying to sneak attack me, Yue Buqun? You have some nerve." Liam then activated the Thunder Art, creating arcs of electricity between his hands. "It seems you're about to experience a taste of divine retribution."
"Spare me, Exalted Immortal! I was just momentarily confused. Please treat me like a mere fart and let me go." Upon seeing the lightning in Liam's hand, Yue Buqun immediately lost control and began pleading loudly.
Yue Buqun, the Gentleman of the Sword, truly lived up to his reputation as the leader of Huashan Sect. Liam waved his hand, signaling Vines to loosen his grip, and then said, "I may not be an Exalted Immortal, but I do have some cultivation. If you dare to make another move to kill, don't blame me for being merciless." As he spoke, Liam pointed at a stool nearby, and a bolt of lightning flashed, turning the entire stool into a pile of charred ashes.
At this moment, Yue Buqun swallowed hard and then prostrated himself on the ground, "Exalted Immortal, to revitalize Huashan Sect, I had no choice but to practice the Sunflower Manual, which has damaged my body. I beg you to show me a clear path."
"A clear path is not impossible", Liam said casually. Yue Buqun perked up at these words. "But this is the Multiverse Store, where the value of what you give determines what you receive. It's not impossible to regenerate certain missing organs, but it depends on what you can offer in exchange. I accept anything—money, jewelry, martial arts manuals, divine weapons, and more."
"Then, what about our Huashan Sect's sword techniques?" Yue Buqun asked tentatively.
"Are you still trying to be clever at a time like this?" Liam asked sternly. "Organ regeneration is a high-level immortal technique. You're trying to fool me with these common, mediocre martial arts? Since you're being like this, don't blame me for speaking with your ancestor, Guangningzi."
"Th—This—" Yue Buqun's face turned pale. He had just seen this person summon lightning, confirming that he was indeed a true immortal. But he never expected that his sect's patriarch had truly ascended and was acquainted with this person. Now, any attempt to deceive was out of the question, and he couldn't be sure if this person had the ability to see through his lies.
"May I ask, Exalted Immortal, what you might be interested in?" Yue Buqun decided to abandon all hope and lay everything on the line.
At this point, Liam felt he had applied enough pressure. After all, it was often better to force a bad person to spend the rest of their life doing good to atone for their sins rather than to completely destroy them. Besides, while Yue Buqun was a hypocrite, he had also been forced into this position by the circumstances of trying to revitalize Huashan Sect, which had been devastated by internal strife. His nature was not irredeemably evil.
Therefore, Liam said, "To resolve your problem, it depends on both what you can offer and the merit you possess. You've schemed too much and committed too many wrongs. I can't see much merit in you, and the technique to bring the dead back to life and regenerate flesh requires merit. So, even if the value of all your martial arts combined is enough, your lack of merit means I can only help you halfway."
"W—What?" Yue Buqun exclaimed in a shrill voice. "All of Huashan Sect's martial arts combined are only just enough?"
Liam summoned a bolt of lightning with his hand, "The Daoist tradition left by Guangningzi is not bad, but it's still a mortal tradition from his human form. Compared to my divine arts, it falls far short."
"Alright, then. Half will have to do", Yue Buqun said after a moment's thought, resigned. "Please, for the sake of our patriarch's acquaintance with you, show us a path to survival for Huashan Sect."
(End of Chapter)
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