Chapter 703: Ritual and Gathering

Apple? Salvation?

Confused by the lazy youth's suggestion, Li Ang couldn't help asking:

"Why an apple?"

"It doesn't have to be an apple—four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, clear purple crystal, a coin carried for a long time and produced on a specific date, or any red object symbolizing luck will do.

I chose the apple because it's easiest to get; unlike four-leaf clover, it doesn't wither easily, and unlike lucky coins, it doesn't require long-term carrying, and it's incredibly cheap—one purple crystal can buy dozens of them.

As for why I say it can save your life… it's because eating the apple and discarding the core is the simplest mystical ritual to invoke luck."

"Ritual?"

"Yes, a ritual."

The lazy youth pointed at Li Ang's forehead, then explained slowly:

"For instance, this gesture of pointing at you—in mystical terms—is a simple ritual meaning 'guidance,' 'selection,' or 'locking,' and its effect strengthens when paired with your name.

Eating the apple is much the same: this sweet fruit, typically red-skinned, carries four meanings—luck, safety, temptation, and enlightenment—and is a classic ritual object in mysticism.

You ate the flesh, meaning you consumed temptation; you discarded the apple, meaning you lost safety; you didn't eat or plant the seed, meaning you abandoned enlightenment. With three of its four meanings gone, what remains is pure luck, quadrupled in strength."

After spouting a string of mystic nonsense, the lazy youth traced a wavy line in the air, then continued explaining to the dazed Li Ang:

"I said before that because the World's Will dislikes us, we're far more unlucky than ordinary people—but that doesn't mean we have no luck; it's just been forcibly suppressed.

So if we take something representing luck and proudly throw it at this world, we link with the bastard suppressing our luck, completing a simple luck ritual.

Then, the vast luck it forcibly suppressed will spill out through the opening provided by the ritual, granting us sudden good fortune and reducing the fluctuations of fate, making our 'wavy line' relatively smoother, avoiding dangerous troughs.

Of course, once you learn this ritual, you'd better stop eating apples altogether, because this luck isn't created from nothing—it's traded for the bad luck we've accumulated, so the total is limited.

And unlike me, you don't have an anomaly that lets you directly see fate; tampering with your own destiny too often is extremely dangerous, so use it only when necessary—just enough to avoid dying from misfortune."

…

So that's how it works…

Having roughly understood why discarding an apple core brought luck, Li Ang nodded in sudden comprehension—but then, glancing at the cat-claw badge on his chest, he couldn't help asking again:

"But earlier, I only spat out a bit of flesh—why did that still bring luck and get me the badge to enter the Weighing Gold Sect gathering?"

"Because you bit too hard—you carried out the seed along with the flesh. Barely counts, but it still completed the ritual."

"I see…"

Li Ang nodded in understanding, then asked with concern:

"Senior Tang Mu, are there any other 'simple rituals' I should watch out for? Like eating an orange or black fruit—could that suddenly bring bad luck?"

"No problem. This only fully activates when the user clearly understands the ritual's effect and consciously performs it," replied the lazy youth, striding steadily through the dim underground alley.

"You managed to activate the simple ritual just now because you thought, like me, spitting out apple flesh brings luck—and you unconsciously mimicked my posture. That met the basic activation condition; otherwise, the ritual wouldn't have succeeded so easily.

And our ritual works so powerfully precisely because we're disliked by the World's Will—this qualification isn't something ordinary people have. To someone unaware, no matter what they do, the ritual won't activate.

Even if they somehow met the conditions and accidentally triggered the simple ritual, their soul strength and talent are too weak—they'd barely pick up a few copper wheels… Get ready. Beyond this door is the Weighing Gold Sect's gathering site. Put away all your anomalies!"

After warning Li Ang, the lazy youth stopped before a massive door studded with one hundred eleven copper wheels, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pile of strange objects.

A small bottle of mercury, sulfur powder wrapped in moisture-proof paper, a bag of salt labeled "Charlton Department Store"…

Two sets of pure copper weights, a tin balance with an iron plate, a small silver mirror, two enormous gold teeth of unknown origin…

Amber, matches, cut fingernails, a draft paper stained with blood, curved horns resembling those of cattle or sheep, a tail of unknown origin…

It was deeply strange.

Watching the lazy youth, like a Doraemon, pull out a mountain of junk from his tiny pocket and begin "performing rites" outside the door—even in this urgent moment, Li Ang couldn't help asking:

"What are these things…?"

"The mercury set represents the three sacred elements: spiritual fire, adaptive yin water, and stable material substance—signifying body, soul, and the bridge between them."

As if expecting Li Ang's question, the lazy youth, still busy arranging the ritual site, answered without looking up:

"The next two sets are five symbolic metallic elements and three pairs of opposing materials: amber stands for solidification and eternity; matches for brevity and ash; a child's fingernail signifies growth; an elder's will signifies end; horns and tail imply beginning and conclusion… Enough. I'm ready. Let's go!"

He pulled out an apple, devoured it in three bites, tossed the core into the center of the ritual site, then—face shadowed by dark circles, looking more like a net addict than a "wizard"—Tang Mu pushed open the door and stepped inside the Weighing Gold Sect's gathering hall.

"…"

So what exactly did you prepare?

Looking at the pile of ritual items on the ground—not messy, but resembling a trash heap—Li Ang, utterly baffled, fell silent for a moment, then carefully stepped around the meaningless objects and followed inside the Weighing Gold Sect's gathering hall…

"Ding ding dang dang"

The instant he stepped across the threshold, a sound like clinking precious metal coins rang out. Li Ang's cat-claw badge trembled slightly, then flung a heavy cloth coin purse onto his feet.

What appeared before Li Ang was not a crowd of robed devotees bowing submissively before a shrine—but a bustling, vibrant grand square.

Dozens of elegantly dressed men and women, their faces obscured, moved about the square wearing badges composed of three animals, pausing briefly at various "stalls" to purchase what they desired…

Wait.

Seeing the display shelves beside him—dozens of roaring merfolk sealed in glass tanks, and a miniature estate no bigger than a palm, its banners fluttering, horns blaring, even the texture of its stone walls clearly visible—Li Ang's eyes widened in shock.

Are the goods sold here… a bit off?

(End of Chapter)