Otherworldly Merchant

“Listen to me and quickly sit here.” Senior Shu grabbed me and made me sit on the bucket, suppressing the struggling Nukekubi once more.

I ignored the disgusting bead in my mouth and urged Senior Shu to go and help the old monk.

Senior Shu didn’t waste time and quickly ran forward. However, after two steps, he stopped and returned to me.

I asked in puzzlement, “What’s wrong? Can’t you see that Zen Master Baimei is in trouble?”

Senior Shu sighed and said, “Sigh, I was worried for nothing earlier. After all, there was no way that Zen Master Baimei couldn't deal with a small spirit like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s using the Myriad Buddha Evil Slaughtering Formation,” Senior Shu smiled and said. “Just wait a bit, Li Mazi is about to step into a trap.”

While I felt puzzled, I saw Li Mazi step into a hole. Immediately after, he couldn’t move anymore. It was as if he was frozen.

What’s going on over there? I couldn’t think of an explanation.

Zen Master Baimei faintly smiled and took off his kasaya, wrapping it around Li Mazi.

Immediately after, Li Mazi started to struggle in an attempt to shake off the kasaya. However, it was too late. Zen Master Baimei put the prayer beads around his neck and pulled hard.

Li Mazi’s body was dragged out of the hole and fell beside Zen Master Baimei.

After Li Mazi left, I saw that a figure still lingered in the big hole!

The figure appeared to be an upper-class lady as she wore imperial robes.

Although I couldn't see her face clearly, the powerful and domineering aura exuding from her body was very intimidating!

Zen Master Baimei put Li Mazi on his shoulder and moved about five meters away. He then thrust his hand into his pocket and grabbed a stack of paper dolls, throwing them into the formation.

“Generous Buddha, please let me borrow five hundred warriors!”

As soon as he said that, dozens of paper dolls seemed to revive. They swirled inside the Myriad Buddha Evil Slaughtering Formation and surrounded the woman.

The royal lady was scared. She screamed and shrieked angrily. “Let me go! I want to see the late Emperor…”

She jumped and wiggled continuously, but she couldn’t get out of the hole.

Eventually, the paper dolls surrounded her, and the strong gusts of wind twirled faster. It felt as though many knives were cutting through her.

The woman faded and gradually turned translucent, becoming a mass of smoke.

Before her soul vanished, she continued to scream, “Let me go! I want to see the late Emperor…”

This ghost seemed to be obsessed with this ‘late emperor.’

I wondered who that person was.

Before I could ask, Zen Master Baimei slowly collapsed to the ground. He continued to look at the formation, then mercifully read his prayer. “Obsession can be really harmful. I didn’t want to take any drastic measures, but you forced my hand… Merciful Buddha…”

Zen Master Baimei’s face turned pale. He looked extremely weak, so I hurried to lift him up and put him on my back.

Before we left, I shot a look at the Nukekubi. She was still struggling and banging under the bucket. However, she looked much weaker now. Senior Shu gave me a vulgar smile and said, “I will keep this Nukekubi. She ain’t bad. After my training, she can become my maid.”

I laughed while cursing Senior Shu inwardly. This old man is really a pervert.

I wasted no more time and hurried to bring Zen Master Baimei to the car. Then, I drove to the hospital.

Since he was old and had a rough fight, I was afraid that his body was badly damaged. Furthermore, he had even used three drops of his essence blood. I felt guilty and didn’t know how to make things up to him.

Later on, I was relieved to learn that his test results were okay; he was merely exhausted. We just needed to properly take care of his body, and he would be fine.

I exhaled in relief and tried to get Zen Master Baimei the best nutritious foods for each of his meals.

Zen Master Baimei’s recovery speed amazed even the doctors.

After he was discharged from the hospital, the first thing he did was ask me about the Night Dragon Bait.

I took out the Night Dragon Bait from the drawer and handed it to him.

The Night Dragon Bait now had a crack. When Zen Master Baimei spat his blood on it earlier, it had absorbed all of it. This gave the Night Dragon Bait a red tint in the middle. The white bead looked quite strange now.

Zen Master Baimei didn’t say anything but hit the bead with his palm and directly halved it.

I was astounded to see a ring in the middle of the bead. Although it had been stored inside the Night Dragon Bait for several thousand years, it looked well-preserved. It was decorated with exquisite carvings and had polished, tender lines; it felt heavy in my hand.

It was hard to imagine that ancient people could put a ring inside a gemstone without breaking it.

Zen Master Baimei smiled faintly. “Do you know the story of the Night Dragon Bait?”

I shook my head. I was very curious about the Night Dragon Bait, though. Why did it hold such a majestic woman inside?

Zen Master Baimei said, “Have you ever heard of the story of the brave woman who cut her wrist?”

I tried to recall but couldn't find any stories related to women who cut their wrists. I guessed it was some idiom about a woman who had cut her wrist to save her dignity. But, how did this relate to the Night Dragon Bait?

I looked at Zen Master Baimei in puzzlement.

Zen Master Baimei sighed. “Dragons are real. But you already know that much, don’t you?”

I nodded. As an otherworldly merchant, my knowledge surpassed that of ordinary people. In my world, the Heavens had a will and could punish people, reincarnation and karma existed, and the same went for ghosts and gods. Of course, I believed in the existence of dragons as well.

In Yingkou, there was a famous story about a dragon falling from the sky that dated back to 1934. Many people had seen a black dragon stranded on a shore.

Also, there was one more piece of evidence to prove this. Our ancestors had come up with twelve animals for the Chinese Zodiacs. Why was the dragon the only imaginary animals among the twelve? It didn’t sound logical. So, dragons did also exist in ancient times.