Chapter 43

Mingkong's reaction was not slow either, as he countered, "The owners of the lost items didn't give you the money willingly. They might even treat you to a tooth-loosening feast if they caught you. The donors who gave us money did so voluntarily. If they see us, they will even bow and thank us. Tell me, are we in the same boat?"

Tang Xiaojiu said, "Oh, you are indeed a smart person, but I am a straightforward man with a clumsy tongue, I can't speak as well as you!"

Mingkong smiled and said, "Are you straightforward?"

Tang Xiaojiu looked sincere, "Do I look straightforward to you?"

Mingkong touched his nose and said, "You? You look straightforward, but if I'm not looking, who knows!"

Xin'er had been listening for a long time but did not laugh as Lu Zheng expected. Instead, she blinked her eyes and asked, "Big brother, what is a donor, and what is a victim?"

Xin'er had always been in the cultivation world and had not grown up in the human world. Explaining this joke to her would be quite troublesome, and Lu Zheng would have to explain his side business as well. Just as he was racking his brains trying to figure out how to explain it, Le Zhongping and Li Yi arrived and told him that the ascetic monk Baku had already left.

After delivering the news, Mr. Le said, "Lu Zheng, just stay here and rest, and get the poison out of your body first. The great monk said he will come to see you again."

Xin'er was surprised and asked, "Uncle Le, what kind of poison did big brother get?" She pulled out a small embroidered bag from her waist, took out a purple bead, and handed it to Lu Zheng, saying, "Big brother, don't be afraid. Xin'er has a purple marrow bead. Mother said that as long as you carry it, you will be immune to all poisons. Take it quickly."

As Xin'er took out the purple marrow bead, a strange fragrance filled the air, refreshing and invigorating. Lu Zheng saw the thumb-sized purple bead in Xin'er's hand, which emitted a purple light and gave off a calming and soothing aura. After Xin'er handed him the bead, he felt a coolness all over his body and a sense of peace.

Lu Zheng knew it was a remarkable treasure, but hearing Xin'er's words, it seemed that her mother had given it to her for protection. He naturally did not want to take it and shook his head at her. The ascetic monk's sudden departure without a word had left him feeling very disappointed, and his face turned gloomy.

Li Yi said, "Xin'er, put your purple marrow bead away. It won't work for Lu Zheng. Besides, how can you lend something your mother gave you so casually? That's not proper etiquette." He was very surprised that these two children had become so close in just a few hours. Xin'er usually cherished the things her mother gave her the most, but for Lu Zheng, she had taken it out without hesitation, which made him marvel.

Lu Zheng was thinking about the ascetic monk and did not dare to speak to Li Yi. He timidly called out to Le Zhongping, "Mr. Le, the great monk said he would take me as a disciple and asked me to think about it. I've thought about it, but why did he leave? Did I do something wrong and make him angry?"

Seeing that Lu Zheng's eyes turned red at the news of the ascetic monk's departure, as if he was about to cry but was holding back, with a look of resentment, it was clear that he had not expected the ascetic monk to leave so suddenly. The ascetic monk had taken care of him all the way, and it was evident that this lonely child had developed a deep bond with him. Le Zhongping patted Lu Zheng's shoulder and said, "Lu Zheng, the great monk didn't leave without a word. He had important matters to return to Baixi Temple immediately. I told you, he will come to see you. By then, the poison in your body will be gone, and even if he doesn't come, I will take you to Baixi Temple to find him."

Le Zhongping spoke kindly and warmly, and Lu Zheng nodded, but his mood remained very low. The ascetic monk had left without a word, leaving him in this unfamiliar place with strangers, making him feel incredibly lonely and wanting to cry out loud. However, with Xin'er and others present, he could only endure it silently. He did not want to stand in front of everyone, so he lowered his head and turned to walk away. Unexpectedly, after just a few steps, he felt a闷痛 in his chest, and the world spun before his eyes, and he fainted to the ground, unconscious.

The moment Lu Zheng fell, Mr. Le's figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared, already holding Lu Zheng. He glanced at Lu Zheng's face and said to Li Yi, "Emotional turmoil has triggered the yin poison. Hurry!" Then, he picked up Lu Zheng and crossed the wooden bridge in a few steps, entering the Tianyuan Difang Pavilion.

The moment Mr. Le entered the pavilion with Lu Zheng, a square bamboo bed appeared in the center of the room, and four bamboo curtains hung down from the four pillars, blocking the wind from all directions. The Tianyuan Difang Pavilion seemed to have some mysterious power, capable of transforming everything at will.

Xin'er, seeing her big brother faint, was so worried that her face turned pale. She hurriedly ran in, but was stopped by Li Yi. Li Yi, with a stern face, said, "Rash actions are impolite. With Uncle Le and the teacher here, you should not disturb them. Go back to your room and practice your calligraphy to calm your mind!"

Xin'er, in a hurry, said, "But, I want to see big brother..." Before she could finish, Li Yi's face darkened, and seeing her teacher angry, she dared not say more.

Li Yi sternly said, "In dealing with matters, one should cultivate respect and not let emotions override reason. Impulsive actions are the worst. Have you forgotten?"

Xin'er, hearing this, felt a lump in her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes, almost spilling over. She bowed with tears in her eyes and returned to her room, constantly looking back at the Tianyuan Difang Pavilion.

Li Yi ignored her, turned his sleeve, and disappeared, already inside the Tianyuan Difang Pavilion, clearly anxious and not even taking the few steps. Upon entering, he saw a golden light enter Lu Zheng's brow and disappear. Le Zhongping, who had just put down Lu Zheng's wrist, was holding the jade pendant.

Li Yi blurted out, "It's indeed the Six Dragons Pendant, just as the Holy Sect described. How is the child?"

Le Zhongping frowned slightly and sighed softly.

Li Yi was startled. Given his understanding of Le Zhongping's abilities, it was rare to see him show such a look. He asked, "What's wrong? Is the situation very bad, even for you?"

Le Zhongping sighed first and said, "The poison he has is not just a simple yin poison from a snake demon! I was wondering, if it were ordinary yin poison from a snake demon, why would it trigger the Six Dragons Pendant to protect its master!"

Li Yi was startled again and said, "Not yin poison from a snake demon, then what kind of poison is it, and even you can't handle it?"

Le Zhongping did not answer but reached out and grabbed a bottle of wine from the air, taking a few large sips.

Li Yi looked displeased and frowned, "At this moment, you shouldn't be drinking."

Le Zhongping, upon hearing this, directly handed the bottle to him, "Do you want a sip?"

Li Yi ignored his frivolous behavior, took Lu Zheng's hand, closed his eyes, and focused. After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of insight in them, and exclaimed, "Six Senses Decay! No, this is not just yin poison, it's him!"

Li Yi, investigating the condition of the poison in Lu Zheng's body, naturally discovered six misty gas clusters in his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and brow, each swirling slowly and connected to the organs. At this moment, the colors of these six gas clusters were different: red in the heart, green in the liver, white in the lungs, black in the kidneys, yellow in the spleen, and the gas cluster in the brow was transparent and colorless, but as it rotated, it continuously changed to red, white, black, green, and yellow.

The ascetic monk did not know what these gas clusters meant, but Li Yi, familiar with the principles of human transformation, knew that the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, collectively known as the five organs, were the key to the body's operation, each with its own spirit and function.

The liver is connected to the eyes, enabling vision; the heart is connected to the ears, enabling hearing; the spleen is connected to the mouth, enabling eating and digestion; the lungs are connected to the nose, enabling breathing; the kidneys are connected to the ears, enabling the perception of sounds; and consciousness resides in the brain, the source of the mind, enabling self-awareness and distinguishing oneself from others. Therefore, these six areas are the six senses, the channels through which one controls oneself and communicates with the world.

The gas clusters in Lu Zheng's six senses were not yin poison from a snake demon but the result of the yin poison entering his body and the battle between yin and yang, which forced the original spirit energy in the five organs to disperse. The five organs, which are the centers of spirit energy, were now experiencing a dispersion of spirit energy, causing the corresponding functions of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind to decline, such as loss of vision and speech. As the dispersion of spirit energy worsened, the six gas clusters would spin faster, leading to the complete dispersion of the spirit energy in the five organs. The worst-case scenario would be the dispersion of consciousness, turning Lu Zheng into a living dead person. This is what Li Yi referred to as the decay of the six senses.

However, the Six Dragons Pendant had emitted a protective energy to stabilize Lu Zheng's heart pulse, creating a balance with the yin poison. In the short term, he had not died from the decay of spirit energy. Instead, due to the weakening of the six senses, his mind had become exceptionally clear, triggering a minor supernatural ability. This was similar to the effects of meditation, spirit cultivation, and visualization in Buddhist and Taoist practices, which aim to cut off the influence of the six senses.

Ordinary yin poison from a snake demon could never cause such a situation. The five organs are the centers of spirit energy, immune to most evils. Typically, yin poison from a snake demon would first invade the meridians, transform the blood, and then slowly invade the organs, causing them to lose function and leading to death. However, it could not cause the dispersion of spirit energy. Given Li Yi's knowledge, the only yin poison that could cause the dispersion of spirit energy was the Six Senses Yin Poison, which reminded him of a face from long ago!

Thinking of that person, Li Yi's mind was flooded with thoughts, and he couldn't help but recall many past events related to that face, momentarily lost in thought. Le Zhongping, who had anticipated his reaction, quietly handed him the wine bottle, and this time, Li Yi took it, took a large sip, and drank it very elegantly, unlike Mr. Le, who let the wine spill down his neck.

Le Zhongping looked at Lu Zheng and said slowly, "It might not be him, but it must be something he left behind. Although he is not skilled in divination, when it comes to deep scheming and long-term planning, who can match him? If he didn't have a backup plan, I wouldn't believe it. You know him better than anyone, and you understand this better than I do."

Li Yi smiled bitterly and said, "He had a magical tool back then, not a divine artifact, but it came from Wushan and was very mysterious. It could house a thread of his life essence and was called the Six Senses Pearl."

Le Zhongping sighed, "Wushan, a place of spiritual energy? That's it! It must be this pearl that fell into the hands of the snake demon and was used by it, causing the yin poison to transform into the Six Senses Yin Poison in Lu Zheng's body. The yin and yang forces are in opposition, and such an extremely yin poison would trigger the extremely yang Six Dragons Pendant in Lu Zheng's body." Saying this, he handed the jade pendant to Li Yi.

Li Yi took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and placed it back on Lu Zheng's body. His face was stern as he said, "If that's the case, the snake demon is likely being controlled by the Six Senses Pearl.