Chapter 164: Hidden Treasure

Wang Ping'an gave the Rabbit Demon a deep glance, his eyes sweeping over the jade tablet the Rabbit Demon extended.

He didn't know whether it was on its own accord or the shop owner's order, but either way it showed that they knew how to do business.

Doing business with such a person might not bring huge profit, but at least it won't be a loss.

Of course.

That's not absolute!

Wang Ping'an hesitated not at all and took the jade tablet handed over by the Rabbit Demon.

Sixty‑eight spirit fruit tree seedlings are only early‑stage planting; later, using spirit stones to expand the area of the World Pearl, he will also plant spirit fruit trees, spirit medicines, and even spirit rice in abundance.

Except for a small portion for personal use, the majority will be sold in exchange for spirit stones.

He has no time to set up a stall to sell spirit fruit, so he naturally needs a partner.

Based on the Rabbit Demon's attitude, one can't say it is definitely the best partner; who knows if it's just acting.

Early investment is merely to lay a trap for later, a practice that is rare but not nonexistent.

In the peaceful era of his past life, fraudsters were not lacking; in this feudal dynasty, demons and monsters are as numerous as cattle hair, so one must be extra cautious.

Nevertheless, whether the Rabbit Demon is acting or not, he can treat the Rabbit Demon—or rather the shop owner—as a subject for assessment.

If suitable, then make them a partner.

"Companion, I am Yu Ruyi; may I ask if you could leave a name?"

The Rabbit Demon Yu Ruyi watched Wang Ping'an's turning back and called out.

Wang Ping'an thought for a moment, halted, and wrote:

Li Fugui!

When traveling the world, one naturally cannot keep a real name.

"Li Fugui?"

Yu Ruyi gave Wang Ping'an a strange look, never expecting that this oddly appearing Evil Cultivator would choose such an ordinary name.

He suspected it might be an alias!

But he said nothing more.

Yu Ruyi warmly said, "Companion Fugui, if you encounter any trouble while planting spirit fruit tree seedlings, feel free to come find me!"

Wang Ping'an nodded, stood up, and left.

"What a strange cultivator!"

Yu Ruyi watched Wang Ping'an's disappearing back from her line of sight and couldn't help shaking her head.

A Daoist who practices evil arts thinking of planting spirit fruit trees is indeed strange!

Even a proper Daoist might not do this; spirit fruit trees bear fruit only once a year, and while the fruit can be sold for spirit stones, unless it's a rare treasure, ordinary spirit fruit fetches little price.

At most it yields a hard‑earned few coins!

Wang Ping'an left the San Sen Spirit Fruit Orchard satisfied, his gaze wandering around; to his disappointment, he did not find the elderly man who had given him the jade tablet not long ago.

He didn't know whether the elder was worried he wouldn't pay, or simply hadn't taken it to heart.

"Could that old fellow be scheming against me out there?"

Wang Ping'an guessed to himself.

If that elder truly intended to scheme him outside, the act of a set‑up would actually be a good thing; he could obtain a cultivation method without guilt and also earn a large amount of Merit.

Wang Ping'an had taken only a few steps when a man came toward him; his eyes lit up with extra enthusiasm and said:

"Companion, I have a Treasure Map here that records the lair of the Paper Demon Daoist who once roamed the five provinces; are you interested?"

Wang Ping'an ignored him, stood up, and headed toward the spirit wood shop he first visited. "Companion, don't you know who the Paper Demon Daoist is?"

Fang Lu frowned slightly; he only mentioned the Paper Demon Daoist because he saw Wang Ping'an was a Paper Person, but didn't expect the guy to be completely unresponsive, so he had to speak again:

"Since you don't know who the Paper Demon Daoist is, let me introduce him..."

After a lengthy explanation, Fang Lu finally finished extolling the Paper Demon Daoist and was about to continue his pitch with the Treasure Map in hand when he saw Wang Ping'an turn and walk into a monster‑run shop.

"Companion, how many catties of spirit wood today?"

At the shop entrance, the waiting monster—a fox—brightened its eyes at Wang Ping'an's arrival, and when he took nine pieces of Low‑grade Spirit Stone from his satchel and handed them over,

the Fox Demon said again, "Companion, follow me; the spirit wood in the warehouse is yours to choose!"

As the Fox Demon led Wang Ping'an into the shop, his peripheral vision caught the man on the street—the same one who had chased Wang Ping'an to sell the Treasure Map—who warned:

"Companion, although this is our first meeting, I somehow feel we are kindred spirits.

So I must remind you, there is no free lunch in this world; someone may try to sell you Treasure Maps or similar treasures.

But they're all fake!

Being duped is a minor matter; the real danger is being lured into a trap where the map harms you...

You have reached this novel.

"Traps, map‑caused harm?"

Wang Ping'an was first stunned, then recovered, his eyes instantly brightened.

He was still worrying about how to obtain Merit.

Although under his black‑hearted capitalist's control, Hei Mao Bu Tou fled to his village, laboriously hunting mice to earn Merit, a single mouse can yield at most two points of Merit.

One point comes from slaying the mouse, the other from Soul Salvation of the mouse.

But now that he has upgraded most skill proficiencies to Mastery, advancing to Cultivation requires a thousand points of Merit, and the next level after Cultivation likely needs at least ten thousand Merit.

Gaining Merit point by point is like a drop in the bucket.

How can slaying an Evil Cultivator instantly grant a thousand Merit points?

Moreover.

He can also use the skill Soul Salvation on an Evil Cultivator to see if he can gain more Merit.

What a pity.

He had slain Evil Cultivators a few times, but had never used the skill Soul Salvation, mainly because it was his first time killing anyone, he was somewhat frightened, and from the moment he first saw the corpse his mind was a chaos.

Where could one even consider using the skill Soul Salvation?

He was indeed eager to meet one or two Evil Cultivators, so that after he slays them, he can see whether the skill Soul Salvation can be used.

Wang Ping'an casually selected nine hundred jin of basic spirit wood, and just as he left the shop, before he had taken a few steps, a man standing outside greeted him.

Wang Ping'an raised a sheet of paper!

"No money?"

Fang Lu's mouth twitched slightly, the words at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, and he changed his tone: "Companion, I sincerely wish to sell you this treasure map!"

Wang Ping'an waved the paper in his hand again!

Fang Lu wasn't foolish, and how could he possibly not grasp his meaning? Suppressing the agitation in his heart, he said:

"Companion, how about this: I can first give you this treasure map on credit for a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, and when you find Zhi Yao Dao Ren's treasure, you give me another hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. How does that sound?"

"Heaven dropping a pie"?

Fang Lu watched Wang Ping'an take out paper, ink, brush, and inkstone, writing and drawing; after a short while he saw the words on the paper and changed his tone:

"Companion, you may not know, I have just crossed the threshold of cultivation, only a Qi Refinement level Daoist cultivator, I have no ability to go into a senior's cave to seek treasure.

Moreover, this cave belongs to Zhi Yao Dao Ren, and the treasures inside are, in ten out of nine cases, related to a Paper Person like you; it can be called an unorthodox path, few people are interested, which makes this treasure map hard to sell."

(End of chapter)