Three Sins Against Heaven

The young man in purple slumped his head, gently stroking a jade slip in his hand, his eyes full of reluctance. When Douglas Situ took the jade slip away, he winced in pain.

"This detailed alchemy guide cost me two hundred Spirit Stones, and I haven't even finished reading it. Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn't have gambled."

Douglas Situ handed the jade slip to Ghost Guest, who immediately shook his head.

"This item is too valuable. Please, Senior Brother, take it back."

A detailed alchemy guide worth two hundred Spirit Stones would undoubtedly be of great help to him. While the item was indeed good, he wouldn't accept such a precious gift without understanding why Douglas Situ was helping him.

"Are you wondering why I'm helping you?" Douglas Situ asked.

Ghost Guest nodded.

Douglas Situ smiled and said, "To be honest, I also live on Dusk Mountain. Everyone has been talking about you these past few days, but my opinion of you is different from others. To become a personal disciple of our Master, you must have extraordinary qualities. Just the fact that you almost killed Mark Ye shows your determination and patience, which I admire. As fellow cultivators on Dusk Mountain, we should interact more in the future. Take it as a meeting gift."

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I will remember your kindness today and repay it in the future." Ghost Guest no longer declined and accepted the jade slip, cupping his hands in salute.

He knew that from the moment Douglas Situ helped him buy ingredients, he owed him a favor. Rather than refusing, it was better to accept it openly, which would also make Douglas Situ feel more comfortable.

"No need to be so formal." Douglas Situ waved his hand with a smile.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for lending me the pill furnace. I feel guilty for causing you to lose the bet." Ghost Guest looked at the young man in purple and cupped his hands in salute.

"A detailed alchemy guide worth two hundred Spirit Stones, it would be a lie to say I'm not heartbroken." The young man in purple laughed, putting his arm around Ghost Guest's shoulder. "But making a friend like you is worth it. My name is Elijah Shen, and I'm also a pill refiner. We can exchange alchemy techniques in the future. It's just a guide, don't take it to heart. We pill refiners aren't short of Spirit Stones; we can earn them back by refining a few more furnaces of pills."

Douglas Situ said warmly, "That's right, we're all fellow disciples, no need to fuss over these things. We should interact more in the future."

"I will definitely visit and seek advice from both Senior Brothers." Ghost Guest showed a friendly smile.

As they left the Spirit Treasure Platform, Elijah Shen waved goodbye to the two of them and left in a different direction, indicating he didn't live on Dusk Mountain.

On the way back to Dusk Mountain, Douglas Situ chatted and laughed along the way.

Ghost Guest wasn't one to talk much, but Douglas Situ's eloquence made their conversation enjoyable, and they got to know each other better.

Douglas Situ escorted Ghost Guest to the courtyard gate, patting him on the shoulder. "Junior Brother, you stay here and rest well. No need to see me off. My cave is up there, the one with the beast pen outside. Come find me when you have time, and I'll treat you well."@@novelbin@@

"Thank you, Senior Brother. Take care."

Ghost Guest watched Douglas Situ leave before opening the light screen and entering the courtyard.

Little Tiger and Cynthia Jiang were playing marbles on the ground, having a great time. When they saw Ghost Guest, they quickly waved.

"Dylan, come play marbles with us."

"Greetings, Sir." Laura Jiang and Cynthia Jiang quickly bowed in salute.

Even though Ghost Guest had told them not to call him that, the sisters still showed such respect.

Ghost Guest understood. When he was a Spirit Slave, he was also very cautious. He waved his hand, indicating they didn't need to be so formal, picked up a marble, and sat on the ground to play with Little Tiger.

They hadn't played for long when the light screen above the courtyard suddenly fluctuated.

Ghost Guest handed the marble to Cynthia Jiang, opened the light screen, and walked out. It was John Wei, who had come to collect the monthly tribute yesterday.

"What brings you here, Senior Brother?" Ghost Guest asked.

John Wei said indifferently, "I heard Junior Brother earned a lot of Spirit Stones at the Spirit Treasure Platform. Since you have plenty of Spirit Stones, why not pay half a year's tribute now?"

Ghost Guest was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but I've exchanged all my Spirit Stones for ingredients. Please wait a few days, and I'll refine some pills and exchange them for Spirit Stones to pay you."

"I don't make the rules about the tribute; I'm afraid I can't explain it to the Mountain Lord." John Wei rubbed his fingers together.

"I understand. I can't let you speak for me for nothing. How much do you think is appropriate?" Ghost Guest asked calmly.

"How about... two Spirit Stones for each day of delay? I'll put in a good word for you with the Mountain Lord."

"Agreed." Ghost Guest nodded slightly.

"Junior Brother is getting more sensible. I'll give you a few days, but no more than ten." John Wei smiled and left.

Watching John Wei leave, Ghost Guest's brows furrowed.

Tribute is paid monthly, who comes to collect half a year's in advance? This doesn't match what Senior Brother Kenneth Yi told him.

Could it be...

Back in the courtyard, Ghost Guest sat on the ground and continued playing marbles with Little Tiger. As he thought about the previous events, his mind began to drift.

"Dylan, what are you daydreaming about? It's your turn."

Little Tiger's voice brought Ghost Guest back to reality. Just as he was about to flick a marble, he suddenly remembered something and took out three Blood-spotted Grass from his storage bag, handing one to Little Tiger.

"This is Blood-spotted Grass. Eat it whole, roots and all."

"Oh." Little Tiger didn't hesitate at all, stuffing the entire Blood-spotted Grass into his mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing. He then continued to focus on the marbles on the ground. "Hurry up, it's your turn."

Ghost Guest handed the remaining two Blood-spotted Grass to the sisters. They took them but hesitated to swallow, clearly afraid it was poison.

"Huh? The pill in my body is gone. It won't hurt anymore!" Little Tiger suddenly stood up, feeling his body, and then danced with joy. He looked at the sisters in confusion. "This is good stuff, why aren't you eating?"

Seeing the sisters still hesitating, Ghost Guest explained, "This is Blood-spotted Grass. It can dissolve the pill in your bodies, so you won't be controlled anymore. When you first arrived, I used my spiritual sense to probe. Only you two reacted; the other three didn't have this kind of pill, so I knew they were here to kill me."

The sisters, half-believing, half-doubting, finally put the Blood-spotted Grass into their mouths, chewing slowly. When they felt the blood-red pills in their bodies dissolve, their faces lit up with joy.

From now on, they wouldn't have to endure that pain anymore.

"Thank you, Sir." Laura Jiang and Cynthia Jiang bowed in salute, then asked softly, "But why did you dissolve it?"

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Ghost Guest replied calmly, "I don't want to control you, so I dissolved it."

Laura Jiang softly said "Oh," lowered her head, and fiddled with her clothes, seemingly deep in thought.

After Little Tiger flicked a marble into the hole, he excitedly waved his hand. "This is fun, Dylan. When are we going to roast meat? Don't forget, you promised me."

Ghost Guest reassured him, "Wait a bit longer. I've been too busy these days. Once I refine enough pills, I'll take you."

"Alright, I'll wait. But you better not lie to me." Little Tiger grumbled.

"I won't lie to you." Ghost Guest promised with a smile, then turned and walked into the pavilion. "I need to refine pills. Let them play with you."

Laura Jiang looked up at Ghost Guest's back, her expression becoming complicated.

Since coming to the Demonic Extreme Sect, she had given up hope for the future. The way Ghost Guest had treated them these past two days felt like a dream.

Was it real?

...

In his room, Ghost Guest sat cross-legged, recovering his spiritual energy and mental strength. He then took out the pill furnace he had bought and placed it on the ground. Touching the furnace, feeling its heavy texture and the cool touch under his fingers, he smiled in satisfaction.

This was his first pill furnace. For a long time, he would use this furnace to refine enough Spirit Stones for his cultivation.

Ghost Guest then took out the detailed alchemy guide, studying it carefully, his eyes shining with excitement.

No wonder it cost two hundred Spirit Stones; it was indeed a treasure!

Many of his previous alchemy problems were now easily resolved.

In the following days, the furnace fire in his room rarely went out.

He needed to keep refining pills to fully understand the detailed alchemy guide. Moreover, as he refined more pills, his success rate in making Rejuvenation Pills would increase.

Once he earned enough Spirit Stones, he could focus on his cultivation.