Chapter 471: Relic

Chapter 471: The Relic

"Esteemed gentleman, you wish to take this garment, yes? This is something quite new and fine that just arrived," said the eunuch with two copper coins on his face, smiling warmly at Li Huowang, his voice half-masculine, half-feminine, as he inquired.

"Yes, I want this item. How many longevity pills do I need to trade for it?"

Upon hearing Li Huowang's words, the eunuch's face lit up with a smile. "Oh my! You're truly discerning, sir. Just thirty years of life force will suffice."

"So expensive?" Li Huowang couldn't help but be startled—he knew well the value of these longevity pills.

"Oh dear, how can one not say you're discerning? After all, such items are rare in our realm. Let me tell you about the use of this garment first—you simply wear it—"

"That's enough. No need for your explanation—I'll take it." Li Huowang reached for the gourd at his waist and poured out thirty longevity pills.

"Such generosity, sir! This coin-covered garment is yours now." The other took the pills respectfully, his eyes gleaming with greed for life force.

Li Huowang picked up the coin-covered mask and placed it over his face. The familiar weight brought him a sense of comfort. Then he turned his gaze toward the eunuch before him. "You have those auspicious symbols of wealth and prosperity on your face. Do you worship the Wealth God? If you're openly worshipping such things, doesn't the palace keep an eye on it?"

"Heh heh heh... Sir, you jest. Who in this world doesn't worship the god of wealth? Who could ever complain about having too much money? Isn't that right? Heh heh heh..."

Seeing that the man wouldn't answer directly, Li Huowang decided not to press further and instead revealed his purpose for coming.

"Oh my! You want someone blind to see again? Well, I'm honestly uncertain about that. Please follow me; I'll have someone look into it for you."

Then Li Huowang followed him through rows of wooden cabinets. When all around were filled with small cubicles, he felt as though he had entered a forest.

Especially as they ventured deeper, the cabinets grew more ancient, and corners were covered in green mold.

Whether it was just his imagination or not, when passing by those moldy areas, Li Huowang felt vaguely like he was being watched.

Under the eunuch’s guidance, Li Huowang walked to a wall on the left side. On the moldy wall were holes of various sizes.

Before Li Huowang could understand what was going on, the eunuch picked up a cinnabar brush from a nearby table and wrote some characters on white paper, rolled it into a ball, stuffed it into a bamboo joint, and finally threw it into a hole in the wall.

"Sir, please wait a moment. There will be news soon. Rest assured, I believe we can restore your sight. The items in this vault have been accumulated by the Celestial Observing Bureau for hundreds of years—they are full of treasures."

"I'm not in a hurry," Li Huowang said, then waited quietly beside the wall.

After a while, seeing the quiet atmosphere, Li Huowang thought for a moment and asked the eunuch beside him, "By the way, Master, do you know anything about the recent heavenly disaster? Are there any other reports within the bureau?"

Hearing this, the eunuch bowed slightly to Li Huowang. "Sir, I can explain matters concerning the inner treasury, but outside affairs... I truly cannot help. I've never left this inner treasury since birth."

These words chilled Li Huowang's body. The Great Li Dynasty truly used people like tools, employing every possible means.

A eunuch who had never seen the outside world naturally posed no risk of theft, yet even more frightening was that there were likely many such eunuchs.

"Whoosh!" A piece of bamboo shot out from the hole in the wall.

The coin-eyed eunuch opened it and, seeming genuinely happy for Li Huowang, exclaimed, "Sir, what did I say? There really is a method! And not just one!"

"Oh? Tell me quickly!" He had guessed correctly after all. A simple blindness shouldn't be beyond the Celestial Observing Bureau's capabilities.

"This one is called the Flowing Pearl Divine Eye. Just bury this fist-sized divine eye into the Hall of the Third Eye, and not only can you see more clearly, but also dispel evil spirits and ward off misfortune."

"Just one? The size of a fist? And it must be buried in the Hall of the Third Eye?" As soon as Li Huowang imagined Bai Lingmiao's blind eyes staring at him from her forehead, he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Sir, isn't one enough? Aren't you missing just one too?" The eunuch stared intently at Li Huowang's blind eye.

"That won't work. My Qi circulation passes through the Hall of the Third Eye. Choose another."

"Oh, then the second one is the Golden Bridge Marvelous Scripture. It's said that once understood, it can bring the dead back to life and mend flesh and bones. However, it requires great wisdom to grasp and long-term recitation. Where sincerity exists, even metal and stone will part."

"Next."

One by one, the eunuch listed options, but each was rejected by Li Huowang. Not because they didn't meet his requirements, but due to unwanted side effects.

After much deliberation, only a few remained. Just as Li Huowang hesitated whether to choose the previous divine eye, something the eunuch said caught his attention.

"The eighth one is a relic of a high monk from the Great Qi era. If you take this relic and swallow it with rootless water, you’ll gain the Heart Eye, which allows you to perceive everything around you without eyes. This is known as the 'blind heart, seeing mind' ability."

"This... sounds interesting."

He realized he had gone down a dead end. Perhaps Bai Lingmiao didn’t necessarily need eyes to see. Whatever the method, she just needed to move freely.

And this so-called Heart Eye, sounding like it could enhance concealment and illusion, would surely boost Bai Lingmiao's strength.

"Master, I'll take this one."

"Sir, please wait. I haven't finished yet. This relic isn't suitable for everyone—it must be used by a kind-hearted person with a spiritual connection. They say the more virtuous one is, the stronger the Heart Eye becomes. But if someone is evil, the relic itself may instantly guide them to enlightenment."

"Kind-hearted? No problem. I'll take this one."

If anyone along this journey had the purest heart, it would undoubtedly be Bai Lingmiao.

The coin-eyed eunuch looked up in surprise, glanced at Li Huowang's blood-red Daoist robe, then at the rows of blood-stained instruments hanging from his hem, and asked doubtfully, "Sir, are you truly kind-hearted?"

Clearly, he mistook Li Huowang for wanting to use it on himself.

"Am I not kind-hearted? What nonsense! I want this one! Hurry and get it for me!" Li Huowang frowned deeply.

Upon hearing this, the eunuch said nothing else and turned, leading Li Huowang into the wooden cabinet forest.

But after taking just a few steps, he turned back to Li Huowang, hesitatingly saying, "Sir, I apologize sincerely. I forgot to ask the most important thing just now. Hmm... don't blame me for being direct, but this relic costs four hundred longevity pills. Can you afford it, sir?"