Secret Buyer-Chapter 81: One Offering, One Seat
Celestial Venerate.
Infinite Celestial Venerate.
No matter which one it is, at this moment, Zhang Fusheng can bear this lofty title.
Only because beneath him is a seemingly ordinary meditation mat.
Not long ago,
Zhang Fusheng had just sat down on it and immediately sensed something was amiss.
He...
had been elevated.
His position was violently elevated, yet he couldn’t comprehend the transcendent abilities at that high position,
but this didn’t prevent Zhang Fusheng from appearing as a true deity or Celestial Venerate in the eyes of others.
Only...
Zhang Fusheng looked at the four people before him, listening to their chants of ’Infinite Celestial Venerate,’ and a thought stirred in his heart—why does this scene seem somewhat familiar?
The thought barely arose.
It was at that split second, as the four chanted Infinite Celestial Venerate, that Zhang Fusheng was enveloped in a faint and obscure pall, surrounded by a heavy universe.
He caught a glimpse of a scene, a person, a pair of pitch-black pupils, peering upwards from a boundlessly low place, observing this spot!
This pair of eyes suddenly appearing truly startled Zhang Fusheng, making him react in an instant.
Was it... Black Eye?
No, it was Black Eye from the past.
Could he truly see a corner of the future?
Could he truly see a scene within the Eight Sceneries Palace?
Even if it was merely a projection or a reflection of the actual Eight Sceneries Palace?
Was my future truly visible?
Doesn’t that mean the future is predestined?
Doesn’t that mean everything has already been arranged?
Then what do my efforts signify?
What do my diligence signify?
Is the hard work I endured over these long ten-plus days, relying on astonishing perseverance and extraordinary talents, all for nothing?
Is it worthless?
Is it a joke?
Why is the future predestined!
Zhang Fusheng stared at those pitch-black eyes.
Look and see!
Look at your mother!!
At this moment.
Shi Zhengyuan, while observing this self-proclaimed Celestial Venerate before him,
saw the Celestial Venerate suddenly reach out and poke towards a certain spot.
At that instant of finger poking,
Shi Zhengyuan, in a daze, seemed to see a pair of pitch-black eyes, saw one of them being directly poked by the Celestial Venerate.
’Pop!’
That eye exploded, becoming a void.
The mysterious Celestial Venerate retracted his finger, speaking calmly:
"An offering, a seat at the table."
The four remained bewildered by the eyes that had suddenly appeared and were then poked and burst; upon hearing the Celestial Venerate’s words,
in a daze,
they saw a figure slowly emerge, an elderly man, standing like a servant before the Celestial Venerate.
’Zhong Mountain.’
He spoke:
"Only those who offer can be granted a seat above in High Heaven."
This phantom quietly conjured by Zhang Fusheng scanned around and said mildly:
"I am Zhong Mountain, you may also call me True Man, the executor for the Celestial Venerate beneath High Heaven and in the mortal realm."
Executor?
"Offering?" Shi Zhengyuan, also hidden in the shadows, instinctively spoke, his voice naturally becoming obscure and indistinguishable.
He saw that in front of the mysterious Celestial Venerate stood the servant called Zhong Mountain, self-proclaiming as True Man, who slowly began to explain.
Offering, blessings, Heaven-Interchangeable Tao.....
’Zhong Mountain’ explained; this was also the reason Zhang Fusheng manufactured this illusion—to have the Celestial Venerate personally explain nonstop was somewhat degrading.
While Zhang Fusheng manipulated the illusion for a detailed explanation, he swallowed his saliva.
The past had changed.
The moment that eye was poked and burst, he gained a new, slightly altered memory.
It was from the first time he entered No. 19 Bar, the first time he met the bartender Black Eye.
Black Eye became a one-eyed dragon.
Yes, he directly became one-eyed, rather than blowing up an eye when gazing at him!
The implication behind this was somewhat terrifying.
"So, that poke of mine, wasn’t it during his spying on me, but... poked an earlier moment?"
"No, more accurately, it poked at the ’source,’ making that eye never exist?"
"So, Black Eye only ever had one eye, yet he still observed my ’future’—relying on that single eye."
"In his perspective, he never had intact binocular vision, always just one eye."
"Always like this."
Zhang Fusheng subconsciously glanced at the meditation mat beneath him,
this thing.....
When being spied upon, Zhang Fusheng could clearly feel that the Eight Sceneries Palace and the meditation mat beneath him bestowed upon him some unimaginable might.
Unfortunately, this might beyond imagination was limited to this place, limited to the projection of the Eight Sceneries Palace.
Zhang Fusheng had reason to suspect,
that the Eight Sceneries Palace felt affronted, and thus used that finger to lightly punish a bold and reckless guy.
But the strange thing was, Black Eye’s single eye gave Zhang Fusheng a sense of familiarity, why was it familiar?
What did that eye’s traits originate from in mythological stories?
"So, is the future truly not predetermined?"
Zhang Fusheng mused.
He did not know.
At this time, Shi Zhengyuan, Huang Qiuxian, and Du Mingsheng had roughly understood but still found it unbelievable.
Longevity, root bone, enlightenment, cultivation, and even all tangible and intangible things... could all be exchanged or traded?
How is that possible?
They cautiously looked at this mysterious Celestial Venerate, and Huang Qiuxian was the first to ask:
"Why did you organize this... High Heaven Association?"
The Celestial Venerate glanced up indifferently and said slowly:
"The Heavenly Path deprives the excess to supplement the deficient. I act on behalf of Heaven, allowing beings to exchange their excess for what they lack."
Huang Qiuxian probed further with another question:
"Are you... from a Different Dimension?"
"Different Dimension?"
The Celestial Venerate chuckled lightly and replied casually:
"Are you referring to those little beings who usurp the Celestial Positions?"
The crowd was shocked, what does it mean to usurp the Celestial Positions?
Is it saying that in the Different Dimension, the Divine Positions of deities... are stolen?
"One offering, one seat."
’Zhong Mountain,’ generally standing in front of the Celestial Venerate, spoke gently:
"What you offer is up to you, a technique, a past cultivation experience, or even lifespan, cultivation, treasures... my Master doesn’t care."
He glanced around:
"After obtaining a seat, you may freely {exchange} amongst yourselves: lifespan, root bone, enlightenment, cultivation, destiny..."
"All tangible and intangible matters, all concepts of concrete existence."
"You can also continue to offer, in exchange for more seats, to give to outsiders."
"My Master, the Celestial Venerate, He merely bears witness."
’Zhong Mountain’s voice rose and fell, while the Celestial Venerate sat cross-legged, gazing down upon it all with indifference, like a supreme being overlooking the vast mortal world.
"For each exchange, the ritual should begin with the sacrifice of Star Beast flesh, offering thirty percent of the exchanged items to the High Heaven, it is sufficient."
After a pause, ’Zhong Mountain’ continued hoarsely:
"The darkness upon you can be lifted at any time, you can choose whether to reveal your true identity to others within the High Heaven Association."
’Zhong Mountain’ recited what seemed like ancient rules existing for countless years, concluding:
"One offering, one seat."
In the prolonged silence.
Du Mingsheng stepped forward cautiously to ask:
"Since anything can be offered to gain a seat... then, can some secretive information also count?"
Zhang Fusheng, shrouded in darkness, frowned. Information?
What’s the use of that!
However, he needed to set the stage; these people, except for Chen Nuanyu, were likely still half-believing, half-doubting.
Once the first step was completed, they would naturally trade with each other and bring in more people, and trades would naturally increase in a cycle...
And he needed to do nothing, or rather, just sit by.
The Star Beast flesh was provided by them, and whatever they traded, they owed a ’tax’ of thirty percent.
With this tax, it was enough.
While thoughts churned, the Celestial Venerate remained silent, quietly manipulating the phantom resembling Zhong Mountain to speak:
"Information?"
’Zhong Mountain’ replied indifferently:
"As I said, my Master doesn’t care about your offerings, but sincerity is necessary."
"My Master is all-knowing, so how can information count as an offering? Therefore..."
The Celestial Venerate suddenly spoke, with a voice vast as the wilderness:
"Since it is the first offering in this era made to the High Heaven, it is permitted."
’Zhong Mountain’ bowed:
"Yes, Celestial Venerate."
He then nodded lightly towards Du Mingsheng.
Du Mingsheng pondered, while the other three quietly watched him, observing the situation.
A moment later.
Du Mingsheng took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and revealed what he considered the most important secret information:
"The Western Sect of Taoism is suspected of knowing the whereabouts of the Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needle Iron..."
"Suspected?" ’Zhong Mountain’ interrupted coldly.
Du Mingsheng pondered briefly, then rephrased:
"A Buddha Son of the Mandala Lineage is about to arrive or has already arrived in the Golden Province, in a city called ’Jiangzhou.’"
"His objective is to find the Living Buddha of the Ling Mountain lineage within Jiangzhou City and then kill him."
Sitting on the meditation mat, Zhang Fusheng’s eyelids twitched, and Shi Zhengyuan suddenly lifted his head.
In the dead silence.
’Zhong Mountain’ spoke coldly:
"I grant you one seat."
Du Mingsheng breathed a sigh of relief, trade...
He was quick-witted and wanted to verify its truth, so he straightforwardly said:
"Since anything can be traded, I’d like to trade lifespan for spiritual cultivation, who is willing to exchange with me?"
Huang Qiuxian stepped forward:
"I can, how do you want to exchange?"
Du Mingsheng replied:
"One year of lifespan for one year of spiritual cultivation—I’ll offer up to a hundred years of lifespan."
"Two years of lifespan for one year of spiritual cultivation." Huang Qiuxian, though nearly dying of age, sensed that this guy seemed to have a lot of lifespans?
He offered up a hundred years without hesitation!
Du Mingsheng indeed nodded without hesitation:
"Agreed."
Then, Huang Qiuxian immediately looked at the mysterious Celestial Venerate and the attendant, or acting person, called Zhong Mountain.
It must be a sincere offering.....
"May I offer a technique as an offering in exchange for a seat in High Heaven?"
"Yes."
’Zhong Mountain’ nodded indifferently:
"But it must be a technique you’ve mastered and practiced for over ten years, only then it is considered valuable and can be offered."
Huang Qiuxian pondered, a technique over ten years?
Five Thunders Technique?
No, no, what if I can’t use the Five Thunders Technique after offering it?
Then...
He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and struck a fist that actually stirred the sound of a Yin Snake hissing, unleashing a strand of Yin Snake True Intent!
"I’ll offer my Snake Fist at the Breaking Limit level as an offering."
On the meditation mat, in the darkness where sight could not penetrate, a brilliant smile appeared on Zhang Fusheng’s face.
