The Lord of Void and Real

Chapter 271: Chapter 269: Meeting Again (Fifth Update)

Across from the man in a gray robe stood a bull-headed ghost, the two of them glaring at each other fiercely.

Behind the small stall stood an old ghost in a black robe, looking somewhat awkward, but with a hint of greed radiating from the depths of his eyes.

“Stall owner, I bid eight pieces of spirit jade for this item,” the bull-headed ghost turned and addressed the stall owner.

“You… Alright! I bid nine!” There was a brief flash of anger in the eyes of the man in the gray robe, but he quickly suppressed it and retorted in a cold voice.

“Ten!” The bull-headed ghost stood his ground without yielding.

“Twelve Immortal Jade!” The gray-robed figure immediately countered, seeming intent on obtaining the item.

The price escalated rapidly as the two competed, soon reaching over twenty Immortal Jade in an instant.

Upon hearing this, Shen Luo couldn’t help but grow curious about the item they were so fiercely vying for. What could possibly be worth twenty pieces of Immortal Jade? He directed his gaze towards the stall and was taken aback by what he saw.

Placed at the hands of the two was a small grey stone, fist-sized and nondescript, that looked no different from any ordinary rock.

However, given his previous experience with the bamboo tube, he didn’t dare underestimate this stone and began to scrutinize it closely.

Meanwhile, the man in the gray robe and the bull-headed ghost continued their bidding war.

“Twenty-five Immortal Jade!” The man in the gray robe said slowly.

“I bid twenty-six!” The bull-headed ghost lost his previous nonchalance, seeming to have reached his financial limit. After a moment of hesitation, he countered the bid.

“Thirty!” Seeing the bull-headed ghost’s hesitation, the man in the gray robe upped his bid by four jade pieces in an attempt to subjugate his opponent.

“Humph! You dare to cross me? Fine, I bid forty Immortal Jade. If you can surpass that, I’ll leave.” The bull-headed ghost’s eyes bulged, and, seemingly triggered by his bull-headed temper, he retorted.

This time, the man in the gray robe didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he seemed indecisive.

“What’s the matter, can’t come up with the jade? Then this item belongs to me.” The bull-headed ghost jeered at his opponent. Laughing, he took out a small bag and threw it onto the stall before reaching out to take the stone.

“Hold on, who said I don’t have it!” The man in the gray robe exclaimed, raising his hand to stop the bull-headed ghost. He took out a small cloth bag, which also contained Immortal Jade pieces.

“You only have thirty-two pieces of Immortal Jade,” the bull-headed ghost said disdainfully after giving the cloth bag a once-over.

“I may not have enough Immortal Jade, but I have this Shadow Soldier Talisman that I just bought. It hasn’t been used and should more than make up for the deficit of Immortal Jade.” The man in the gray robe said with a huff, producing a gray-black talisman with a soldier’s figure etched on it.

“I’m sorry, but I am not well-versed in identifying artifacts and do not accept bartering.” The old ghost stall owner in black quickly gestured to refuse the offer. Meanwhile, he pointed his shriveled finger at a wooden board beside him. The board had “Only Accept Immortal Jade” written on it.

At this, the man in the gray robe fell silent, anxiously rubbing his hands together.

“Fellow Daoists, I just bought this Shadow Soldier Talisman for twelve pieces of Immortal Jade. Now I’m only asking for nine. Is anyone willing to buy it?” The man in gray promptly turned around, raised his voice, and called out to the bystanders who were enjoying the spectacle.

Unfortunately, the area remained eerily silent with no takers.

“This Blaze Talisman is likewise available for only nine pieces of Immortal Jade,” the gray-robed man tried again, and brought out another talisman.

The surrounding ghosts looked at each other, but no one ventured a response.

“Hey, don’t stall for time here. If you don’t have enough Immortal Jade, you just don’t have it. Are you thinking of spending an hour collecting the money while we all wait for that hour? We’re all quite busy you know,” the bull-headed ghost snorted.

The expression on the gray-robed man’s face darkened, starting to respond, when he suddenly caught sight of Shen Luo standing outside. His eyes instantly lit up.

“Friend Tian, would you be able to assist me with this? I will surely repay you later,” the man finally decided to approach Shen Luo, bowing courteously as he spoke.

“No need for any rewards. We hail from the same place and should naturally help each other,” Shen Luo waved his hand as he spoke. He then took out nine pieces of Immortal Jade and handed them over.

Gratitude flashed in the gray-robed man’s eyes at this gesture. He thanked Shen Luo then placed the Immortal Jades on the stall. The old ghost in the black robe had to suppress the joy that was rising in his wrinkled face when he saw the jade pieces.

“As you said, if I can produce more than forty Immortal Jade, the item belongs to me,” the gray-robed man shot a glance at the bull-headed ghost as he reached out to take the stone.

The bull-headed ghost glared at the man in the gray robe but refrained from stopping him. He snorted, took back his own Immortal Jade, turned on his heel, and strode off.

Seeing the spectacle end, the nearby ghosts gradually dispersed. The old ghost in the black robe, either fearing the man in the gray robe would back out or something else, quickly packed up his stall and disappeared into the crowd.

However, as many ghosts were leaving, they deliberately or casually glanced at the man in the gray robe and the gray stone in his hand. Their expressions were of complexity.

Forty-one pieces of Immortal Jade could already buy a mid-grade magical tool, yet he chose to buy a gray stone. They wondered what its use was.

The man in the gray robe carefully stowed the stone away, gesturing slightly to Shen Luo before he hastily made his way towards the shops.

Shen Luo understood his intentions and hurriedly followed.

Upon blending into the crowd around the shops and ensuring they had lost the attention of anyone who might be watching, they finally stopped in a deserted small alley.

“I am grateful for your assistance just now, Daoist friend. Do you wish to be compensated with talismans, or would you prefer I sell the talismans and repay you with Immortal Jade?” He turned to thank Shen Luo again, while also holding out the two talismans.

“These two talismans are indeed good, but I have no use for them. Sell them first and give me the jade later,” Shen Luo said.

“Alright.” The man in the gray robe nodded.

Through this exchange, their relationship had brought them much closer.

“As for that stone, I wonder what treasure it might be? It’s interesting that you were willing to pay a hefty amount to acquire it,” Shen Luo couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked after some hesitation.

The man in gray looked at Shen Luo, his eyes filled with hesitation.

“I was only asking casually. If it makes you uncomfortable, just treat it as if I didn’t ask,” Shen Luo chuckled and added upon seeing his reaction.

“Actually, it’s not something that can’t be shared. Besides, if not for your help, I wouldn’t have been able to secure this item. It is only natural for me to alleviate your doubts,” the man in gray took a light breath, his gaze relaxed, and he spoke with ease.

“This object is known as Shadowless Jade, a rare and priceless gem produced in the Ghost World. I happen to need it urgently,” he paused briefly before continuing. As he did so, he took out the gray stone, holding it close to the ground.

Shen Luo wore a look of surprise on his face and uttered in astonishment.

Despite the small alley being well lit, the area beneath the stone was devoid of any shadow.

“Indeed, it casts no shadow, but it doesn’t seem to qualify as a rare treasure merely because it’s untouched by the light. This stone must have other extraordinary powers, doesn’t it?” He quickly gathered his surprised expression and asked.

(Dear Daoist friends, I have updated five chapters today. Don’t forget to cast your monthly votes ^^)