"Three?"

Fatty Liu didn't seem surprised at all.

"These Ancient Artifacts are truly about fate. I have an old friend in the Grain Avoidance Realm who accidentally obtained two Ancient Artifacts he couldn't use. He came to exchange them, but couldn't use even one of them."

Zhang Kui raised an eyebrow, "You can exchange Ancient Artifacts?"

Fatty Liu nodded, "That's right, if you find two you can't use, you can exchange them for one after they enter the inventory."

Zhang Kui was speechless, "Trading two for one, that's quite the bargain."

Fatty Liu chuckled, "Otherwise, how could we keep the family business? Besides, exchanging two useless ones for one useful one isn't really a loss."

Zhang Kui nodded and suddenly remembered that he still had a Bloodstained Clay Basin in his Personal Space. It was an Ancient Artifact obtained after dealing with the Snake Demon Chang San. It seemed that he should pay more attention in the future.

"Lord Liu, could you introduce them?"

Zhang Kui looked at the three Ancient Artifacts and said.

Only after completely recognizing ownership would he know their function, inevitably carrying a bit of gambling nature.

Fatty Liu stroked his mustache and smiled:

"This warehouse has been passed down since the beginning of the dynasty, and with a thousand years of accumulation, no one can say for sure how many are inside. Some don't even have known origins, but I happen to know two of them."

"That bronze bell is called the Soul-Loss Bell."

"Five hundred years ago, a Secret Realm was discovered in Lai State. Within it was an ancient Bronze Tower. Though the tower was completely destroyed, the bronze bell and the bells hanging on it still retained their power. When rung, they could destabilize the enemy's Divine Soul, and the weaker ones would directly perish."

"That coffin was discovered by National Guardian True Man Li Xuanji while clearing out a Demon Nest. It was stored in the inventory thirty years ago."

"As for those cloth strips, I don't know their origin. Perhaps someone stored them when exchanging Ancient Artifacts..."

"Thank you, Lord Liu."

Zhang Kui nodded, frowning in thought.

The advantage of the Soul-Loss Bell is that its power is known, though it is damaged. In the Qingzhou inn, when Yin Bai used the Soul-Lowering Bell, it was countered and shattered by the black umbrella.

The remaining coffin and cloth strips have unknown origins.

The coffin's previous occupant is a mystery, and the cloth strips are covered in eerie, blood-red cloud patterns, moving like a burial shroud.

They all seem quite ominous...

At this moment, he suddenly frowned slightly, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise.

As he carefully observed the eerie cloth strips, the "Longevity Umbrella" in his Personal Space began to tremble slightly, emitting an unprecedented desire.

Zhang Kui was very familiar with this feeling.

When next to Lian Chengzi's coffin, the Vine Demon in the Longevity Umbrella devoured ancient molds, becoming even more vigorous in life force.

In the southwestern mountains, after defeating the Evil Cultivator Mo Qiao, the Vine Demon devoured the opponent's strange Iron Hand Artifact, making its vines tougher and sprouting thorns.

Could it really devour Ancient Artifacts?

Zhang Kui was shocked inside, but his face remained calm, "Lord Liu, I feel a connection with these cloth strips..."

As he spoke, he pressed his hand against the door, and the twisted cloth strips passed through the metal door and appeared in his hand. Immediately afterward, the strange metal door quickly returned to normal.

The cloth strips instantly wrapped around his arm and began to frantically draw mana. Without a word, Zhang Kui stored it in his Personal Space.

Fatty Liu watched from the side, seemingly unsurprised, as recognizing ownership of an Ancient Artifact required a lot of mana. Many people, unaware of the key, were drained to exhaustion, leading to rumors of the ominous nature of Ancient Artifacts in the Jianghu.

The informed would always be prepared before officially recognizing ownership.

Having obtained what he needed, Zhang Kui immediately cupped his hands in farewell, "Lord Liu, thank you very much."

"Not at all, Taoist Friend Zhang, you can look for me directly next time."

Fatty Liu smiled and cupped his hands in return.

This time, his sentiment was genuine. After many years at the Astronomical Bureau, his discernment was sharp. Although Zhang Kui was only at the Enlightenment Realm, he was extraordinary, explaining why True Man Yuhua valued him so highly.

After leaving the Astronomical Bureau, Zhang Kui wasted no time and immediately rode his tiger back to Iron Blood Manor, closing the door and instructing no one to disturb him.

In his Personal Space, the twisted cloth strips had already entangled with the Longevity Umbrella. Once taken out, his True Qi and mana surged out like a flood.

This time it lasted exceptionally long, consuming his mana over and over again, leaving him immobilized, much like the first time the black umbrella recognized ownership. It wasn't until close to midnight that it ended.

Zhang Kui looked at the "Longevity" in his hand, frowning slightly.

Now the two had merged, the white cloth strips with blood-red cloud patterns hung down from the top of the umbrella, forming something resembling curtain drapes.

Indeed, it's a "Parasol"!

This thing is an emblem of authority, said to originate in the ancient times of the Yellow Emperor in a past life.

In "Ancient and Modern Notes on Vehicles and Clothing": "Parasol, created by the Yellow Emperor, used when battling Chiyou at Zhuolu, often accompanied by a five-colored cloud aura, with golden branches and jade leaves."

Later, the parasol on the emperor's and officials' chariots was said to be improved by Lu Ban's wife before being introduced to the public as an everyday umbrella.

In astrology, the Parasol Star is a lucky star above the Jade Emperor's head, symbolizing imperial prestige and authority.

If not for a museum guide's introduction, he'd never have known about this.

However, while the "Parasol" symbolized auspice, his "Longevity" with its pitch-black umbrella surface and ghastly blood-colored drapes, exuded a sense of ominousness...

Zhang Kui shook his head and walked out of the courtyard. The long night was moonless, with snow filling the sky.

He flashed to the top of a nearby barren mountain.

"Longevity" was cast effortlessly, instantly rolling black fog appeared, in which the thorned vines twisted, bizarre and sinister.

An exquisite pair of hands suddenly appeared, and the lithe, seductive-faced Vine Demon slowly emerged, standing under the Parasol behind him.

"Even has someone holding an umbrella..."

Zhang Kui chuckled, then turned sharply, staring intently at the Vine Demon, "Do you have consciousness now?"

The Vine Demon smiled enchantingly yet mysteriously, remaining silent.

Zhang Kui shook his head, looked at the Black Fog Space, and with a thought, the black fog instantly dispersed, revealing his towering figure.

"Not bad, not bad!"

Zhang Kui glanced around approvingly.

He could sense that the intensity and range of the Black Fog Space had increased significantly. Now, if an old demon at the Grain Avoidance Realm was trapped inside, escape would be unlikely, and it was also more flexible.

Zhang Kui looked towards the southeast "General's Tomb" direction and muttered to himself: "Ominous or not, let's see who's crueler..."

......

"What, fifty thousand taels?!"

Zhang Kui's eyes widened, "You must be kidding us?"

Once materials were gathered, refining the Eight Trigrams Furnace naturally became a priority, but he hadn't expected ordinary brass to be so expensive, not to mention the need for several dozen pounds of gold.

Old Liu shook his head with a wry smile, "Master Kui, the Qian Dynasty has been around for a thousand years, minting countless copper coins annually. Combined with private hoarding and temple statues, it's becoming increasingly scarce. Besides, do you really need over a thousand pounds?"

Zhang Kui shook his head, "The Pill Furnace is no ordinary censer. It requires seven rounds of refining, with each cycle diminishing the amount. If there are 300 pounds left in the end, that's already not bad; it can't be any less."

Old Liu gritted his teeth, "Why not mortgage this manor first, and find someone to loan it?"

"That's a poorly thought-out idea..."

Zhang Kui shook his head, "Though I've been out of business for a while, I still know the market. Which money lender doesn't charge exorbitant interest? This manor is your retirement fund and shouldn't be lightly touched."

Old Liu sighed, "What should we do then? Should we borrow a bit from the Wu Family?"

Zhang Kui shook his head. He didn't like owing favors; not even Elder Huayan would he prefer to ask.

"Wait a moment..."

Zhang Kui's eyes suddenly lit up as he took out a Treasure Pearl from his Personal Space, filling the room with a soft blue glow, and even the air seemed fresher.

Old Liu's eyes widened, "This is..."

Zhang Kui chuckled, "This is a Treasure Pearl I came upon by chance. Useless for cultivation, it's a treasure for ordinary people—not only is it beautiful, but it can also purify air and water, prolonging life when worn regularly."

"It's a priceless treasure..."

Old Liu swallowed, his eyes showing reluctance, "Master Kui, are you really going to sell it? It could be a family heirloom..."

"I'm cultivating for Longevity; what family am I to pass on?"

Zhang Kui smiled and shook his head,

"Yet, finding a good buyer is crucial..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.