[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ten-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit-":3,"chapter-ten-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit--ten-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit--chapter-8":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ten Thousand Laws of the Occult, I Am the Spirit Sovereign",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2356191,4609,"Chapter 8: The Fortune Daily and the Mechanical Maid","ten-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit--chapter-8",8,"\u003Cp>The neighbors' replies nearly made Li Yu laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn't indulge the salesman surnamed Meng from the Heavenly Craft Sect either; when they haggled, they cut the price right down to the bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salesman was clearly long accustomed to this; the residents of Fortune City were a difficult bunch, especially in the South District—almost all of them were, and not a single one was easy to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remained unhurried, gave a chuckle, and bowed in a circle, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My good neighbors, please, stop joking with me, Mr. Meng.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Time is tight and the task is heavy; besides this old street, I am also responsible for seven or eight other streets in the Heavenly Mystery Ward, so I cannot delay too long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about this: the old products from before will be another ten percent off, and these new products will all be fifty percent off. This is the maximum discount I, Mr. Meng, can authorize.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you neighbors have no needs today, I shall head to the next street.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once these words were spoken, everyone knew this was the other party's limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without further dragging or stalling, they simply grumbled with dissatisfaction while stepping forward to purchase the items they had their eyes on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Craft Sect was, after all, an outsider sect. Although the influence and changes it brought to Fortune City were increasingly astonishing, it still had not become the city's hegemon and could not openly proselytize or expand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If people wanted to buy Heavenly Craft curios, they truly had no other channels besides these \"salesmen\" who roamed the streets and alleys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very quickly, amidst shouts of \"You really have an eye for quality\" and \"Heavenly Craft curios never disappoint,\" the salesman surnamed Meng finished his sales on the old street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That dazzling array of mobile shops also had much less stock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the crowd was about to disperse, the salesman suddenly seemed to recall something; he slapped his forehead and called out to everyone again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Neighbors, there is one more great piece of news.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My sect will soon be publishing a newspaper. I imagine those of you with keen ears know that the Heavenly Craft Daily, currently the most popular in the Li Kingdom, is hard to come by. Even in the Gan and Jing Kingdoms, though they refused our sect entry, they invited missionaries to their capitals to assist in running their own national newspapers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This new paper is named the *Fortune Daily*, and it will be distributed only within the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It will carry major events from within the city, major events from the three kingdoms outside, as well as news related to major sects, various gods, and high-sequence powerhouses. Later on, we will also open special columns, such as rankings of the city's powerhouses, restaurant reviews, club selections, and so on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It will be published every three days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can subscribe for only eighty taels of silver per month.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The quota is limited; neighbors who are interested can register here with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he was halfway through, everyone's eyes lit up, and they were quite tempted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he finally stated the price, everyone cursed and dispersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sick!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even slaughtering pigs doesn't cost this much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go eat shit, Heavenly Craft Sect!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, the Heavenly Craft Sect hasn't even managed to dominate the South District, and they have the ability to sniff out so many secrets in the city? I'm afraid it's just more hot air to swindle money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single newspaper was sold, and he was met with a round of jeers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salesman surnamed Meng was not annoyed, however; he gave a chuckle, let out a whistle, and turned around, while the mobile shop hissed with steam, following him as he prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it was at this moment that Li Yu's voice called out from behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does this young brother have some advice? Is there something you wish to buy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The salesman turned around and saw the unexpressive, disheveled youth carrying a large pile of canned goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu maintained a cold face, his tone devoid of the slightest fluctuation, and asked directly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hear that Heavenly Craft curios are quite effective and can resolve many trivial matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young brother, drop the 'I hear.' Heavenly Craft curios are so good that even gods use them. You just tell me what kind of curio you want? Your big brother here has everything. Seeing you are full of vigor and look like you've just come of age, are you looking to learn more about the affairs between men and women? This [Wind and Moon Treasure Mirror] is most suitable for you; it contains three hundred chapters...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need a curio that can quickly clean up corpse parts and flesh!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Meng Shenji was well-traveled and quick-witted, he was choked speechless at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was mainly because Li Yu's current appearance was too deceptive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would have thought that a handsome young lad would come up and ask such a horrifying question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clean... clean what kind of corpse parts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Human ones!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, and some other flesh of strange entities; they are all filthy, highly toxic, and have some suspected traces of evil god residue, making it difficult for living people to enter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So this item must be poison-proof, pollution-proof, and needs to clean them up silently without leaving behind large residues. It would be best if not a single trace remained.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you have such goods here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this supplementary information that Li Yu deliberately provided, Meng Shenji finally reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he gave Li Yu a look full of surprise and wariness, then fell into troubled thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself, counting off things like \"Corpse-Dissolving Water,\" \"Fire God Tubes,\" and \"Qi-Transforming Steam Furnaces,\" before rejecting them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a full ten breaths!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he seemed to recall something; his expression shifted, and he said to Li Yu with some excitement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is indeed such a curio!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She is a mechanical body, immune to filth and toxic poison, and she doesn't fear evil god pollution. She is also equipped with simple combat and cleaning functions. I heard my senior brother even installed some other miscellaneous functions on her. She can completely resolve the troubles you mentioned, but as for the price...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How much?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because Meng Shenji described her so well, Li Yu ignored the other keywords and subconsciously asked for the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One thousand taels!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Meng Shenji stated the amount, Li Yu almost suspected that this fellow had been following him or possessed some special ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he accurately state his entire net worth the moment he asked for a price?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu immediately lost the interest to ask another word; his expression grew even colder, and he turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shenji seemed to know this was a big customer and couldn't let him go no matter what, so he reached out and grabbed Li Yu, saying very eagerly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young brother, don't be put off by the price yet!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as you see [Hong Dou], you will know that this price is extremely fair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She is a maid doll that my senior brother spent a full year crafting after he was promoted to a Sequence 7 Puppeteer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Her abilities are not bad, and she has many uses; whoever uses her knows.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it weren't for my senior brother meeting with an accident, he would never have left her with me for consignment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This string of words was spoken like a machine gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Li Yu, because he heard new transcendent knowledge, stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sequence 7 Puppeteer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this the Path of God mastered by the Heavenly Craft Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he didn't move, Meng Shenji immediately turned and shouted into the interior of the mobile shop:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hong Dou, activate, come out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he finished speaking, the clicking sound of gears turning was heard, and a stream of reddish steam containing a faint fragrance gushed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curtain was lifted, and a humanoid machine leaped out from within, standing before the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu had originally thought he had already overestimated the Heavenly Craft Sect, but at this moment, he felt he had underestimated them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before him was a mechanical girl. Her shell looked to be crafted from bronze, brass, refined iron, and some unknown metals; though slender, she was filled with a sense of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the most striking part was her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one didn't look at the extremely complex copper wires, gears, and rivets behind her head, and only looked at the pretty, cold face in front, one would mistake her for a real girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unknown who the creator had modeled her after; her features were lifelike, her skin was snow-white, she had a pair of fox eyes, and a crimson gemstone glowing with fire-colored light was embedded in the center of her brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although one could see the creator had put a lot of thought into her from the various intricate patterns and fine polishing on her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the aging and wear on every detail, as well as the accumulated dust and dirt, also showed that she was not valued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A transcendent mechanical maid crafted by a Sequence 7 powerhouse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would she be sold so cheaply?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could there be a trap?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+Book_Bar\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu, who had just thought it was too expensive, now felt the price was too cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, his suspicion was also quite reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must know that the curio condensed from the corpse of Sun Sanniang, an evil cultivator who hadn't even been promoted to a sequence, could also sell for a thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would a curio painstakingly crafted by a higher-sequence powerhouse cost the same?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Li Yu suspected that the secret medicine formulas and transcendent curios of higher sequences would not be purchasable with money like silver; due to their scarcity, they would likely return to the primitive rule of \"barter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Li Yu could ask, the commotion here attracted some neighbors who hadn't left yet, among whom were a few evil cultivators who happened to know something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was their nature or to get revenge on Meng Shenji for not allowing haggling, they deliberately undermined him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One-Eyed Meng is trying to trick people into buying his mechanical maid again; it's probably the same thousand-tael price, hehe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it were truly a complete transcendent doll, let alone a thousand taels, even ten thousand would be worth it. Unfortunately, that thing is not only incomplete, it can only be called a hollow shell, a mere empty vessel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The [Heavenly Craft Secret Core] that allows the doll to possess transcendent power and extremely high intelligence has been removed, and the various parts have long since aged. Not to mention the trouble of providing power; aside from some useless functions like spitting fire or pouring water, it's practically trash... If you ask me, this thing isn't even as good as the half-body mechanical robots with only two soft little hands in those pleasure clubs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly, exactly, it only costs a dozen taels of silver to go once; it's so much more affordable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few evil cultivators were talking, and their conversation drifted toward lewd topics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu felt suspicious, but he also needed to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, there are no great bargains to be had in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after learning the truth, he was not the least bit annoyed; instead, he truly felt the urge to buy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was not because this mechanical maid was good-looking, but because she was indeed useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Given my current impoverished predicament at the bottom of society, I have no use for a transcendent puppet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All I need is a strange object to clean the storage room and dispose of the corpses of Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this thing is cheap enough, I can buy it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu had made his calculations, but of course, he could not easily reveal his intention to buy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he let out a cold snort and turned to walk away, appearing annoyed by Meng Shenji's deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter glared at those evil cultivators from afar, still clutching Li Yu tightly and refusing to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the most capable salesman in this district, he naturally had his own tricks; although he hadn't realized Li Yu wanted to buy, he had noticed something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This kid has the financial means to buy Hongdou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, I must seize this opportunity to offload her. I thought there was profit to be made back then, so I spent a large sum of money to purchase a batch of discarded maid puppets from my senior brother at two hundred taels each. It has taken so many years to finally sell them all. Although I made a little money, the time and energy spent make it not worth the loss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must hurry and dispose of this last one; it takes up too much space.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the two of them, while pulling at each other, were both harboring their own secret agendas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shenji was anxious, so he spoke first, appearing very sincere:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won't hide anything from you, little brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This Hongdou, indeed, because she lacks that Heavenly Craft Secret Core, has had her grade drop to the lowest level. She can no longer engage in combat, her intelligence cannot compare to a real human girl, and every time she works for a period, she must be provided with spiritual energy, otherwise she will fall into a dead-lock state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, low-grade spiritual energy stones are not expensive; one hundred taels of silver can buy several, and one can last for ten days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But she herself is still worth a thousand taels. She is equipped with a waist sword, arm blades, a chainsaw sword, and other weapons. She can perform simple combat and clean up debris. She is also engraved with secret runes of the Wind God, Fire God, and Rain God. The requirements you mentioned just now, she can complete them all by herself, guaranteed to dispose of the bodies cleanly and leave no trace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In addition, she can engage in simple conversation and can understand her master's commands. She is simply the most perfect maid. If you go to a human trafficker to buy a maid now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eight hundred taels!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, five hundred taels. I find you agreeable, little brother, so I'll let you take Hongdou for fifty percent off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shenji spoke too smoothly and, without paying attention, dug a hole for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Wanfu City, people are the least valuable thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he reacted quickly and skipped over it with his offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Li Yu's face remained expressionless, and he replied stiffly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two hundred taels, I'll buy it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That price is impossible, I would be losing money. Four hundred and eighty taels, that is my bottom line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two hundred and fifty taels!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Four hundred taels, plus one low-grade spiritual energy stone, that is my final bottom price.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them haggled down to this point, and Li Yu had a premonition that he could almost close the deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to make one final offer, he suddenly thought of something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned slightly to the side, making a gesture as if he were about to leave at any moment, paused, and then said quite seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three hundred and eighty taels, three low-grade spiritual energy stones, and you must also gift me two months of the *Wanfu Daily*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is also my final offer; if it doesn't work, then forget it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Yu's offer came out, Meng Shenji subconsciously wanted to nod and agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only twenty taels cheaper, and there was still profit to be made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, he heard the follow-up that gave him a massive headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the other party didn't look like a powerful evil cultivator, Meng Shenji would have almost suspected that this kid had seen through his bottom price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, he had seen through his eagerness to offload the item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, at this price, after deducting the gifts, he would even be losing money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shenji immediately lost the desire to haggle; if it weren't for the sunk cost of having spent so much time, he wouldn't even want to bother with Li Yu anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let go of his hand directly and said irritably:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Four hundred taels flat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll gift you one spiritual energy stone and one month of the *Wanfu Daily*. Take it or leave it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Meng Shenji shoved his hands into his vest and turned around, intending to head to the next street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next moment, he heard two words in his ears that were still stiff, but clearly contained joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deal!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Begging for monthly votes, I need them to climb the rankings, thank you on my knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2822,"2026-06-21T04:11:00.205Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","3ddf2bccf9c5bec06d0d20f4e035fb6c7da4a8622310a8bf625fe881042e5998","ten-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit--chapter-9","ten-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit--chapter-7",427,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ften-thousand-laws-of-the-occult-i-am-the-spirit--cover.jpg"]