Otherworldly Merchant

I hurriedly checked all the stuff I could use while keeping track of One-Armed Dragon’s movements. I didn’t want to miss any move of his! 

He raised his arm, and I saw his fist coming right at my face. I hurriedly read the Big Dipper Sirius Spell; red light bloomed from the Holy Mother Scepter. However, One-Armed Dragon’s punch was already in front of my face. 

The red light from the Holy Mother Scepter was pushed backward little by little, causing my chest to vibrate hard. I thought it would explode in the next second. 

One-Armed Dragon grabbed my throat. I screamed and used the last bit of my strength to stab the Invisible Needle right at his glabella.

The man didn’t expect that I would counterattack. After all, it looked like I had nothing else left to use. He couldn’t dodge my attack. Blood immediately streamed down his forehead.

Unexpectedly, he raised his hand and wiped it. His wound closed miraculously. 

Despair shrouded my heart as I landed on my butt. My head was empty as I watched One-Armed Dragon’s hand aim at my throat one more time…

At this moment, a senile hand stopped One-Armed Dragon’s attack. I turned and saw Zen Master Baimei. I didn’t know why, but I suddenly felt that his cultivation base had increased significantly. 

One-Armed Dragon was now pulling back and forth with Zen Master Baimei with their magic powers. The wound on his glabella that had disappeared was now cracked and bleeding. Zen Master Baimei attacked furiously. He put the chain of mala beads around One-Armed Dragon’s neck. The man staggered and stumbled. 

“Brother!” Yin-Yang Tiger shouted when he saw One-Armed Dragon fall. He immediately dashed toward Zen Master Baimei. 

As Yin-Yang Tiger had come to assist his brother, Zen Master Baimei felt he couldn’t put up with both of them. Shortly after, Yin-Yang Tiger had pricked him a few times. Out of energy, the monk slumped. 

I understood that Zen Master Baimei’s strength just now was his final showing before his death. 

Yin-Yang Tiger stepped on Zen Master Baimei’s chest and used the Taiyi Traceless Sword to pat his face. He shouted, “You old donkey, you’re about to be buried under the yellow earth, yet you dare to act tough?” 

Zen Master Baimei still kept his calm and indifferent face. However, it was a stab to my heart. 

He nodded at me. “Run!” 

I closed my eyes. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I grabbed the Holy Mother Scepter and ran. I crossed my heart and pledged that after this trading conference was over, even if I had to pay with my life, I would set things straight with the Longquan Villa! 

When I returned to the inn, I stood by the window and looked at the screen above the market. 

The screen was showing burning flames, but I was able to see through them. I saw Yin-Yang Tiger insulting Zen Master Baimei. 

I clenched my fists and carved Yin-Yang Tiger’s image into my head. He would be the first one I would find after this trade conference was over. 

“You’re back?” 

A feeble voice came from behind me. I turned and found that Chuyi was awake. He asked worriedly, “Why are you here alone? Where is Zen Master Baimei?” 

I didn’t dare to look in his eyes. I had to gather my courage to tell him what had happened. 

“They’re courting death!” 

Chuyi’s eyes turned red. He clenched his fists then spurted blood. He fell back to the bed before blacking out. 

At this moment, I heard the crowd cheering outside. I went to the window to see. The screen now showed that Yin-Yang Tiger was the winner. He had obtained the Taiyi Traceless Sword. 

The result was clear, and I felt as though my heart was emptied out. I wondered if Zen Master Baimei was dead.

I thought I would go crazy soon. I rushed downstairs. I wanted to find him. When I got out of the inn, I saw a few shadows carrying Zen Master Baimei back. 

The ghost leading the team said something, then threw Zen Master Baimei on the bed. They left shortly after. 

I didn’t know what he was saying. But when they left, they smiled. It seemed the Demon King didn’t kill Zen Master Baimei after he lost the match. Looking at the two unconscious people on the bed, I felt strangely pressured! 

I thought that Chuyi and Zen Master Baimei would have easily won. It turned out that after the two matches, both of them were severely injured. 

Chuyi had risked his life to win, but Zen Master Baimei was crushed by Yin-Yang Tiger. The Buddhist mala beads couldn’t subdue the sword. The pressure now hung on my head. If I lost the match, then everything Chuyi and Zen Master Baimei had done would have been in vain. 

However, I didn’t even know the name of my otherworldly item. Right now, it was no different from a broken ring. 

If I faced One-Armed Dragon one on one, I wasn’t his equal opponent. Moreover, he was a first-class expert in the Longquan Villa. Surely, he had many experiences in dealing with otherworldly items. 

As the time drew nearer to the morning, Chuyi woke up while Zen Master Baimei was still in a coma. He sat up and coughed. “Jiulin, you have to trust yourself! No matter what happens, never give up. You have to keep this in your mind. As long as you are patient and put up with it, you will receive the mermaid’s tears!” 

I nodded and poured him a cup of water. Then, I asked him to wait for my good news. I grabbed the Holy Mother Scepter and left the inn. 

On the way to the market, the people made way for me. They knew I would join the next match soon. Some humans and ghosts gave me thumbs-ups. 

I didn’t care about them. Lifting my head, I saw the mermaid’s tears hovering in midair. 

Chuyi was right. I had to be persistent. Before I reached the destination, I shouldn’t let them defeat me. 

After thinking about Yin Xinyue, who was waiting for me at home, I felt full of energy.

Suddenly, the crowd cheered enthusiastically. 

“Finally, the last match is starting!” One-Armed Dragon’s excited voice came from the center of the market.

I saw the crowd parting, making way for him. He was running toward me with a strange saber in his hand. 

He stopped in front of me and assessed me from head to toe. In the end, his eyes stopped at the ring.

After a moment, he burst out laughing and spoke to me in a way he assumed was humorous. “Kid, we don’t even need to fight…” 

As a first-class figure in the Circle of otherworldly merchants, he knew my ring was trash at the first glance. 

I was embarrassed, and my face turned red. “Whether we need to fight or not is something we’ll have to see,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Come, come! It’s started!” 

“My God, it’s the Ghost Claw Saber!” 

After I barked back at him, the crowd had another uproar. Instinctively, I lifted my head to see the screen. It said, “Perpetual Spirit Ring vs Ghost Claw.” 

I took a deep breath. One-Armed Dragon had the Ghost Claw. My mood received another fatal blow. 

The Ghost Claw was one of the most bizarre weapons in this world. I heard that it was made in the fourteenth century by a blacksmith from Italy. That blacksmith liked gambling, but he couldn’t pay his debt at last. In the end, he killed his wife and son and used their bones to create this horrible saber to give to his creditor.  

However, three days later, his creditor’s home was burned down, which killed his entire family. From that day onwards, the Ghost Claw had been in the hands of many people. However, every time, its owner died without a known cause. 

The Ghost Claw disappeared, but the rumors about it had never ceased. It gradually became a symbol of bad luck. I had never expected to see it in this Ghost Market! 

Although the Ghost Claw brought misfortune to its owner, it surely had intimidating power. As One-Armed Dragon had lost an arm, he coincidently shared the same pain as the spirits inside that saber. 

The ghosts around me discussed boisterously. They were asking around if anybody knew about the Perpetual Spirit Ring. 

“Never heard of it. I guess they put it in to get enough items…” 

“That kid is so unlucky. He got this broken item. I don’t think there’s anything to see. The Ghost Claw will win!” 

After listening to their conversation, my head became muddled like a bowl of congee. Everybody thought that I didn’t have a chance of winning. 

However, I wasn’t a person who would accept a loss that easily. The more difficult the challenge, the stronger my will to fight! 

Suddenly, the noise of the crowd disappeared. The images on the flaming screen were gone. I knew the match had started. Immediately, I turned and headed toward the village entrance. 

I knew I couldn’t fight against him face-to-face, so I would wait in the illusional land and ambush him! That was how I could survive.

I could use the Invisible Needle to go anywhere I wanted, but it would be difficult for One-Armed Dragon to do the same. 

It was the only advantage I had now!