As if he had been slapped in the face by the monk, Li Yao found it hard to believe. "Food, medicine, and warm clothes … Master, are you going to trade the demon cores for those things to provide relief for the disaster victims?"
Master Bitter Cicada was holding a gigantic bull's head in his hands. He was chewing it so hard that oil was dripping out of his mouth. With a vague smile, he said, "Excellent. Excellent."
Li Yao really did not know what to say. He felt that he had all kinds of feelings in his heart. Pondering for a long time, he said solemnly, "Master, I won't waste my time with you. I will give you my demon core. What's wrong with that? However, I do have one condition."
"Okay."
Master Bitter Cicada's eyes glowed. The compassion on his face was gone, as if the clouds had been torn apart to reveal the brilliant sunlight, making him even more handsome. But it only lasted for a moment. In the next moment, vague bitterness was surging out again. "Please feel free to speak, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture."
"I've just broken out of seclusion. I don't have enough magical equipment and materials with me right now."
Li Yao racked his brains for a long time before he finally came up with such an excuse that he could offer the demon core as a gift reasonably. "Gold, silver, copper, iron, agate, jade, and other materials are available in the Purple Pole Sword Sect. But the rarely-seen demon cores and spiritual bones are not so easy to find.
The overwhelming flood has driven countless ferocious beasts to the plateau. It is a great opportunity to hunt the demon beasts and collect their demon cores and spiritual bones. I'll be taking advantage of you this time, master. But next time, if we run into any tricky demon beasts, we'll need your help to hunt them together. "
"Alright."
Master Bitter Cicada clapped his hands and said, "That's what I do. As long as the price is right, not just hunting demon beasts, collecting demon cores, and spiritual bones, even if you have other requests, such as exploring the residence of the previous dynasty, clearing the forests of the Misty Ancient Forest, needing someone to support you when you establish your sect, needing the personal protection of an expert when you run into an enemy, or even helping you in a battle, I will grant all your requests. Also, the price is clear and fair. That's what everybody knows."
With that said, he took out a piece of silk as thin as a cicada's wing from his bosom. He gently blew on it and floated it towards Li Yao.
Li Yao took the silk into his hand and looked at it. It was filled with a list of prices written in small golden letters. They were the prices for hunting demon beasts, raising flags, fighting on behalf of others, and so on.
Li Yao was dumbfounded once again. "Shouldn't monks abstain from meat and pray to Buddha? Why do you take killing demonic beasts and fighting with people as your main occupation?"
Master Bitter Cicada sighed and said, "You can't save half of the disaster victims even if you pray to Buddha and wake him up. In the mortal world, the food in your mouth and the clothes on your body can't be bought with real money. Which one of them doesn't cost real money?"
Li Yao said, "Even so, expiating the souls of the dead and running water and land dojos are all ways to make money."
"In the Ancient Sages Sector," Master Bitter Cicada said, "the Stupa Temple does not exist. It is the world of the Grand Mystery Sect. Expiating the souls of the dead and running water and land dojos are too cheap. Monks do not know how to chant sutras and only know how to fight. Therefore, it is much more convenient to hunt demon beasts and help other people fight."
Li Yao was even more surprised. "Doesn't the Stupa Temple emphasize the equality and mercy of all living beings? Master, your main occupation is hunting demon beasts. Isn't that a bit … a bit …"
The pity on Master Bitter Cicada's face was even more intense. He said casually, "When the country was prosperous and the people were at peace, it was only natural for me to be merciful. But right now, starving people are everywhere. I have no choice but to close my eyes and pray for the Buddha.
Take that Multi-Horned Strange Dragon as an example. Today, this monk's skill was a notch higher, so naturally I killed it, skinned it and ate its meat, broke its bones and sucked its marrow. But if it was even more ferocious and swallowed this monk whole, this monk would not complain at all. Wolves eat sheep, sheep eat grass, you eat me, I eat you, what's the difference? This is the true meaning of 'all living things are equal'. "
"Well …"
Li Yao scratched his head, feeling that something was not right. "The Multi-Horned Bizarre Dragon was almost a hundred meters long, and it had three enormous heads. I'm afraid that it was almost eight hundred years old and had developed intelligence a long time ago. It was still incomparable to plants. Was your mercy not shaken at all when you attacked it, Master?"
"You are too obsessed, Master Spiritual Vulture," Master Bitter Cicada said with a smile.
"Since all living beings are equal, not just seven hundred years, even a great demon that has been lurking for seven thousand years is no different from a weed or a dry tree on the roadside.
Along the way, this monk saw countless displaced people uprooting the weeds and peeling the bark off the withered trees and swallowing them without caring about the consequences. However, they were unable to digest the food and died of bloating. In just a short while, several lives were lost. "
"The disaster victims are lives, the weeds are lives, the dry trees are lives, and the Multi-Horned Bizarre Dragon is lives, too. I did not kill the Multi-Horned Bizarre Dragon because countless creatures perished in places that I could not see. My hands were still stained with blood. What's the difference?"
Li Yao felt that his ears were humming as if he had been hit right in the head. He said solemnly, "That is the Buddhist doctrine."
"Yes."
Master Bitter Cicada nodded solemnly. "That is the Buddhist doctrine. Incense money is required to listen to a monk preaching the Buddhist doctrine. You've seen the price just now, Master Spiritual Vulture. Please."
Master Bitter Cicada extended his greasy hand.
Li Yao was rendered speechless.
When Li Yao returned to the temporary camp of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, there was still shock and astonishment on his face.
Dan Fengzi, leader of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, realized what was going on the moment he saw his face. He smiled and said, "Elder Spiritual Vulture, did Master Bitter Cicada beg for alms from you?"
Li Yao nodded. "Not exactly. I gave the core of the Multi-Horned Bizarre Dragon to Master Bitter Cicada and promised that the two cores would be exchanged for food, medicine, and clothes and delivered to the disaster area as soon as possible. In return, he promised that he would do his best to help me once when I was exploring a residence, relic, or secret warehouse in the future."
"It is quite a fair deal."
Dan Fengzi smiled. "Although Master Bitter Cicada's Cultivation has stagnated for decades and is even dropping, he is still one of the best experts in the world after all. Even Junior Brother Yan might not be able to do anything to him. It is a great deal for you to trade one of his demon cores for one of your help, Elder Spiritual Vulture.
"If the disaster hadn't been so severe, I don't think that Master Bitter Cicada would have agreed so easily. You must cherish the opportunity and not ask him to help you easily, Elder Spiritual Vulture.
"As for the food, medicine, and clothes, there is no need for you to worry about them, Elder Spiritual Vulture. You can count on me. For the sake of Elder Spiritual Vulture and Master Bitter Cicada, the price of your two demon cores can only be higher."
Li Yao nodded and could not help but ask, "How can there be such a monk?"
"Of course," Dan Fengzi remarked.
"He was so talented that he could've entered the Divinity Transformation Stage, but he was burdened by the ordinary people in the mortal world. After decades of wandering, he was further and further away from the Divinity Transformation Stage. It is even impossible for him to reach the Divinity Transformation Stage now. I really don't know why Master Bitter Cicada did all this."
Li Yao rolled his eyes and said, "Master Bitter Cicada also showed me a price list. There were all kinds of missions, such as hunting demon beasts, fighting other people, and cheering. Is this how he always seeks money?"
"Exactly," Dan Fengzi said. "It is not a big secret in the world of Cultivators. As long as the price is right, he is willing to accept any mission.
Dan Fengzi said, "It's not unusual for Cultivators to seek wealth. After all, the wealth, land, cultivation techniques, companions, and resources that we need for our training are all bought with money.
"However, most of the resources that Master Bitter Cicada earned by hunting demon beasts and exploring relics at the risk of his life have been converted into food to provide relief for the disaster victims everywhere.
"The Ancient Sages Sector is a large place with endless natural disasters. Every year, there are countless disaster victims. It is impossible to save them all. What he is doing is no different from a moth darting into a fire trying to extinguish the burning flames. He is most idiotic."
"A moth darting into a fire?"
Li Yao was somewhat in a trance. Then, he suddenly thought of something and narrowed his eyes. "That's odd. If Master Bitter Cicada is so strong and willing to accept any mission for money, why didn't the Purple Pole Sword Sect or the Grand Mystery Sect pay him to cheer for them in the Dragon Spring Meeting three months ago?"
"Who says that he didn't?"
Dan Fengzi frowned and gnashed his teeth. "Master Bitter Cicada came to us and said that the five major sects, including the Grand Mystery Sect and Thunderstorm Valley, were willing to pay as much as they could to invite him to suppress the Hundred Blade Mountain. It was a pity that he was hesitating because he was going to the East Chuan area for disaster relief. If the Purple Pole Sword Sect was willing to pay seventy percent of the price, he would not have come.
What could we have done except to pay the money? "
Li Yao could not help but chuckle. "What an interesting monk."
Right now, on Li Yao's' mercenary watch list ', Master Bitter Cicada had surpassed' Sword Maniac 'Yan Liren and become the most deserving person of the Xing Yao Federation.
While the two of them were talking, Qi Zhongdao finally arrived with the reinforcements of the major sects.
Dan Fengzi was indeed right.
This time, the reinforcements that came with Qi Zhongdao were scattered. Their flags were all over the place. Most of them only had two or three kittens under their flags. Their momentum was quite perfunctory. They were not as majestic as the ones who threatened the Hundred Blade Mountain three months ago.
It appeared that dividing interests and disaster relief were indeed two different things.
Most of the Cultivation sects that were not based in the southeast were not interested in the matter at all. The few Cultivation sects that had come in full force, on the other hand, had come with the purpose of fishing in troubled waters.
Seeing that the leader of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, the Sword Maniac, Master Spiritual Vulture, and the other leaders had all shown up, showing respect to him as the leader of the Great Qian Cultivators, Qi Zhongdao was rather touched. He hurried to land and greet everybody.
After the greetings, Dan Fengzi asked him about the latest situation in the disaster area.
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