sinovels Chapter 54: The gap between me and the experts is too great. Luckily, I have the skill "Absolut
Chapter 54: The gap between me and the experts is too great. Luckily, I have the skill "Absolut
Zhou Zheng remained calm, took a sip of tea, and slightly raised his head, gesturing for Lan Yutian to sit down and give his instructions.
Kneeling all the time isn't a good thing—he deserves to kneel, but Zhou Zheng doesn't like others kneeling to talk to him.
Lan Yutian pushed away his son Lan Shou's hand, knelt on the ground, and wept as he confessed: "When I received it back then, I only thought I was getting a good deal. The old Taoist in red robes only asked me to paint it with my heart and soul, and I did as he asked. When it was time to deliver it, I saw him produce a box of gold out of thin air... I begged him, saying I didn't want the gold, I wanted my severed hand to grow back. He healed my left hand, stuffed a box of cash into my hand, and told me to keep this secret forever."
I thought I'd encountered a benevolent immortal, but I never imagined... never imagined this painting depicted an immortal worshipped by the Xu family, and never imagined the Xu family would be wiped out. So many people, all killed by me, all killed by me.
Afterwards, Lan Yutian was very curious about who the immortal had asked him to draw. When he finally found out, he learned that it was the ancestor of the Xu family, but by then the Xu family had already been wiped out.
By the time they realized what they had done, it was too late. The other families in the old development zone also collapsed and scattered like monkeys when the tree fell.
Lan Yutian vaguely realized the connection, knowing that he had become an accomplice in the massacre of the Xu family, an accomplice who had killed hundreds of people.
Lan Yutian stretched out his hands, trembling, his eyes brimming with tears: "I got the hands, but I never dared to use them again... Hundreds of people, so many children and young kids, all died. My hands are covered in blood, covered in blood."
Zhou Zheng turned his head: "Xu Fan, do you want to get revenge? Even though he wasn't the main culprit, killing him wouldn't be a bad thing."
Xu Fan sighed and shook his head: "Forget it, the real culprit is the Ninth-Rank Sect. Killing him won't change anything anymore, it will only cause more trouble."
A painting may have an impact, but it can't change anything. The enemy meticulously planned to wipe out the Xu family; if one move fails, they'll come up with a new one. I'm not that close to the Xu family; it's not to the point where I have to get my hands stained with blood for them.
The price the old man gave was only enough for him to retain the surname Xu and to take good care of his younger sister.
Lan Yutian cried uncontrollably, pounding his chest, hating himself for aiding and abetting evil and causing the deaths of so many people.
Zhou Zheng raised his hand and drew a Medicine King talisman, which landed on Lan Yutian's chest to prevent the old man from crying himself to death: "Draw what that person looks like, and this matter will be over. If you have any other clues, feel free to share them. As for you, Xu Fan said forget it, so forget it. I have no interest in killing you."
It was just a scare tactic at first, not a real killing. Zhou Zheng wasn't so obsessed as to kill everyone he saw.
Xu Fan quickly interjected, "The money still needs to be paid! I don't mind having too much money! I'm a survivor of the Xu family, I should take this money!"
Brother Zhou, you're so rich your savings are like your ID number, you sleep with beautiful and wealthy women and live in a mansion, while I'm so poor my underwear has holes from washing it, I can't bear to switch to takeout and only dare to order good food. We're on different levels, so we can't be compared.
Zhou Zheng: "...Whatever, just draw what that person looks like first. Don't try anything funny, and don't force me to interrogate you."
Lan Shou hurriedly comforted his father, helped him catch his breath, and helped him sit down in a chair. He then turned around and ran to get paper, pen, and ink.
Lan Yutian was heartbroken and wept, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, not daring to look at Xu Fan, one of the few survivors.
After Lan Shou brought over the brush, ink, and paper, Lan Yutian tidied himself up, picked up the brush and ink, and stood still. He seemed to be slightly dazed, as if he had returned to the moment more than twenty years ago when he was a spirited master of forgery, and his memory was fixed on that person.
Lan Yutian gritted his teeth, urging and squeezing out the life force within him, and with all his might, he sketched, trying to give his past self a chance to repent and atone for his sins.
Feeling bored, Zhou Zheng took out his phone, turned off the sound, and pulled Xiaoxue to sit in the corner to play games together.
Liu Zhen shook his head and casually erected a semi-transparent barrier to prevent these two living gods from disturbing Lan Yutian's painting.
It took about three hours to finish the drawing.
Lan Yutian was soaked to the bone, his pen was placed aside, and he swayed and fell backward.
Lan Shou hurriedly caught it: "Dad! Dad..."
Liu Zhen lowered the semi-transparent barrier.
Zhou Zheng noticed the change in the health bar and looked up: "It's nothing serious, just let him rest. Painting this picture almost cost him five years of his life."
The Medicine King Talisman could at most prevent him from dying because of painting, but he wouldn't forgive himself and exhausted his dying energy to atone for his sins.
Lan Shou hugged his father and gently laid him flat on the ground, supporting him with his body to prevent him from falling. He sipped softly, "Thank you, sir."
Zhou Zheng ignored the AFK warning, closed the game, stood up, walked to the table, and looked at the portrait of the red-robed Taoist priest.
This was an old Taoist priest in a red robe, with a plaster on his forehead, a black mole at the corner of his mouth, and a goatee that made him look quite cunning. He was stroking his beard with a smug look on his face.
The entire painting is so lifelike, it's as if the real person is there.
No wonder the Nine Streams Sect sought out Lan Yutian to make a replica; his craftsmanship was truly exceptional, with high quality and fast speed—provided you ignore the fact that he risked his life to create it.
Zhou Zheng raised his hand, using his spiritual power to condense a protective talisman: "I'm going to try and find some new clues. Brother Liu, please protect me. By the way, I have a question. Is there any danger to my life if I investigate?"
Liu Zhen shrugged: "At most, you'll vomit blood, unless you forcefully deduce and spy on someone."
Zhou Zheng understood where the line was drawn. Seeing the ten talismans floating in front of him, he decisively grabbed six coins, closed his eyes, and initiated the destiny calculation.
As long as we can find some more reliable clues, that's enough; not being killed by the backlash is a victory.
My mind travels through the boundless river, flying far away in an instant. Mountains, rivers, and plains slide past my mind, and my energy locks onto a figure in a certain place.
[The Dishonest Taoist (Alchemist...)]
"Which thief?!"
A sharp shout in a thick dialect exploded in my mind.
Zhou Zheng groaned and spat out blood. The ten talismans in front of him instantly turned to ashes, and his mind shook as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer.
A powerful shout rang in Zhou Zheng's ear: "Arrogant!"
【The Damaged Daoist (Third-Tier Alchemist, Early Golden Core Stage)】
The old Taoist priest in red robes coughed up blood, and in his horror, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance.
As his mental world gradually stabilized, Zhou Zheng had no choice but to stop.
He opened his eyes, raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, and the blue blood on the back of his hand gradually faded and disappeared. This was the effect of noble spiritual blood; it would dissipate naturally without any conscious effort, so there was no need to worry about the blood being used for other purposes.
Zhou Zheng: "Thanks, Brother Liu. Just looking at him almost killed me."
Liu Zhen laughed: "Although I won't take the initiative, if he dares to lay a hand on you, you'll see if I don't give him a good beating."
My little brother's deduction skills are not high; that's a problem with his skill level.
But if you dare to turn around and provoke my little brother, that's just crooked, blind, and reckless.
Zhou Zheng looked at the portrait and said, "Huh, this portrait isn't damaged?"
The method just now was detected the moment it was seen, yet that wicked Taoist priest didn't take the opportunity to retaliate and destroy the painting.
Liu Zhen: "Heh heh, he thinks he can destroy the portrait in front of me with his meager skills? Here, take it. If you want to divine his fate in the future, just let me know, and I'll protect you. You can divine for as long as you want."
Zhou Zheng laughed and directly used his spiritual power to condense a talisman: "Alright, thank you for your hard work, Brother Liu. I'll go and see where he is today."
One hour later.
Zhou Zheng watched regretfully as the talismans burned out: "No, I can't compete with him. This old man has too much stamina; at most, I can only serve as a distraction."
To think that someone at the first stage of Qi Refining could catch up with someone at the early stage of the third stage Golden Core realm is truly wishful thinking.
After realizing that a master had intervened, the scoundrel decisively shielded himself. After being shocked twice by Brother Liu, he obediently withdrew. However, he was still a Golden Core cultivator, and he was able to evade his deductions simply by relying on his super strong spiritual energy reserves and endurance.
The few gains were: the evil Taoist, the early stage of the Golden Core realm, the red-robed old Taoist, and the fact that he dared not retaliate against himself or shield himself.
Liu Zhen laughed heartily: "The mana you recover in a hundred breaths, others can recover in one breath. It would be strange if you could even do that. With your level, you can check Qi Refining Realm cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators who don't know much about it, but you're definitely not good at checking Golden Core cultivators."
Those in the Qi Refining stage cannot detect the deduction, while those in the Foundation Establishment stage who are unfamiliar with the subject may sense it but do not know how to counter it; at most, they can only interfere. The Golden Core stage is different; their lifespan is terrifyingly long, and their weaknesses are far from insignificant.
The lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is only a little over a hundred years, a Foundation Establishment cultivator two hundred years, and a Golden Core cultivator four or five hundred years.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator, even after a hundred years of arduous cultivation, only has 36500 days. A Golden Core cultivator, however, can dedicate half that time to cultivation and have 91250 days. Not only does this mean 54750 more days of cultivation than a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but it also leaves 91250 extra days for leisure and enjoyment. The gains from 90,000 days of leisure and enjoyment in any field are greater than a Foundation Establishment cultivator's entire lifetime of arduous cultivation.
This gap is not something Zhou Zheng can close in just two days of training based on his talent.
Zhou Zheng was not discouraged: "It's alright. Once I find an opportunity to unleash a few devastating blows on him, the gap will narrow."
Liu Zhen couldn't hold back any longer: "That works too, it's one way. If you're willing to chop him up once a year, it'll be about enough in a few years."
Several years after being struck by lightning, the Taoist priest was not killed by the lightning strike; he most likely couldn't withstand the abuse and committed suicide.
With Zhou Zheng's current cultivation level, the Five Thunder Punishment would only reduce someone's cultivation by 10 to 20 years. Once this wicked Taoist is struck down from the Golden Core realm, he will most likely not want to live anymore.
After enjoying the power to command the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to shake mountains and rivers, ordinary Golden Core cultivators cannot bear the loss of power and ability, and are reduced to the life of "useless people".