Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Seeing Zhong Yue’s playful mockery, Pig Old Three scratched his head sheepishly. However, when he noticed Han Yu wasn’t sneering at him, he puffed out his chest—his plump, hairy torso thrust forward in a sight that was truly an assault on the eyes.

“That’s right! I do indeed possess an astonishing secret technique. To this day, not a single soul has been able to take it from me.”

He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Unless fate decrees it so, I absolutely will not sell.”

Han Yu found it bizarre. This fatty was peddling a mountain of junk; what kind of “astonishing secret technique” could he possibly have?

With an air of grave importance, Pig Old Three retrieved an ancient, weathered Jade Slip and offered it to Han Yu.

“Fellow Daoist, why not give it a try?”

Han Yu didn’t reach for it. Instead, he glanced at the girl in crimson, who was currently stifling a laugh.

Seeing his caution, she chuckled. “Go on, take it! It’s actually quite entertaining!”

Han Yu still didn’t move. Joking was one thing, but what if these two turned hostile? They clearly knew each other, while he was a complete stranger in a market full of predators.

“You really are a cautious one. Fine, I’ll demonstrate it for you.”

After commanding her white Spirit Dog to watch over the basket of Moon Gazing Herbs, Zhong Yue stepped out from behind her stall. she walked up to Pig Old Three and grasped the Jade Slip.

Pig Old Three groaned. “Zhong Yue, you…”

“Just for fun! Come on, show us your performance. Let this Fellow Daoist see,” she said with a smirk.

Pig Old Three sighed, his voice turning listless and dramatic. “Ah! Fellow Daoist, you and this secret technique are truly destined!”

As he spoke, a flash of white light erupted from the Jade Slip.

Zhong Yue nodded, grinning. “Not bad, not bad at all. It really does look like destiny. How many Spirit Stones for this supreme technique?”

“Twenty Spirit Stones, not a single one less! This is a supreme secret technique recovered from the cave abode of a great Golden Core master—”

Pig Old Three couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. He let the white light—which was nothing more than a minor illumination spell—flicker out.

“Satisfied, Zhong Yue? At least I didn’t lie! This really did come from a Golden Core master’s abode. Whoever buys it won’t lose out!”

Zhong Yue laughed and turned to Han Yu. “See? He’s not exactly scamming you. It’s just that you are guaranteed to be ‘destined’ for this technique!”

Han Yu finally understood. Pig Old Three had a flair for the dramatic, but his wares were utterly illegitimate.

“Is it a genuine secret technique?” Han Yu asked anyway.

Pig Old Three’s eyes lit up at the scent of a deal. “Of course! And it is immensely useful!”

“In what way? Is it offensive?”

Pig Old Three shook his head.

“Defensive?”

Another shake.

“Does it control water or fire?”

Still no.

Han Yu was speechless. He made it sound earth-shattering, yet it was just more junk.

“Alright, Fellow Daoist. Carry on with your business…”

“Wait! Fellow Daoist, wait! This technique can smooth your path to the heavens! It can turn a mediocre talent into a cultivation genius!” Pig Old Three shouted. “Consider it! For a destined friend, I’m not greedy. Eight or ten Spirit Stones—we can negotiate!”

Zhong Yue chimed in, “Isn’t it just because you haven’t been able to sell it to anyone?”

Pig Old Three scratched his hairy chest awkwardly. “Stop interrupting! I’m in the middle of a business negotiation here!”

Han Yu couldn’t help himself. “May I ask what you mean by ‘turning into a cultivation genius’?”

“Ahem… it means taking a talentless hack and making them a genius,” Pig Old Three said, his eyes shifting guiltily. “You’ll understand once you buy it.”

Han Yu knew there was a catch. However, with his current assets, he couldn’t afford a real spell anyway. He hadn’t had the chance to touch and “copy” anything from the more reputable stalls.

He might as well see what this “genius” technique was about. He extended his hand. “Let’s see if I have destiny with your technique, then.”

Zhong Yue blinked in surprise. “Eh?”

Was this kid a fool? As long as he had Spirit Stones, Pig Old Three would find destiny in a pile of dog dung.

“Ah?” Pig Old Three was equally shocked by the sudden turn. He quickly pressed the Jade Slip into Han Yu’s hand and ignited his light spell.

“Aiyah! Fellow Daoist! Remarkable! Truly remarkable! Look at that spiritual light! You have a profound destiny with this slip! One day, you shall laugh at the Southern Heaven Region and leave your mark on the Five Great Sects!”

Han Yu felt a warmth in his palm. Inside his mind, the Jade Slip had already been perfectly replicated.

He let go of the slip. Pig Old Three continued his fawning flattery, trying to close the sale. Zhong Yue stared at Han Yu as if he were a particularly rare species of idiot.

Han Yu smiled politely. “Your words are moving, Fellow Daoist. Unfortunately, I don’t have any Spirit Stones.”

The flattery stopped instantly. “Uh… then perhaps next time? I’ll save it for you?”

“I probably won’t have any next time, either.”

The warmth vanished from Pig Old Three’s face. “Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Beat it! Don’t block my business!”

Zhong Yue burst into a fit of giggles. “You’re quite the character!”

Han Yu decided it was time to leave. He wandered over to the reed mat area to see what the mortals were selling. It was a bleak contrast: ordinary grain, mundane livestock, and even desperate parents selling their children into servitude.

Suddenly, a figure in a bamboo hat hurried toward him. Han Yu recognized Old Li and was about to greet him.

But the old man’s weathered hand shot out, gripping Han Yu’s arm like a vice.

“We’re leaving!” Li Quan hissed.

He was stumbling, his steps unsteady as if he were being pursued by a demon—or as if he had just fought the battle of his life.

What had the old man been doing?

Once they cleared the gates of the Green Grain Market, Han Yu whispered, “Master Daoist, you just now…”

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t,” Li Quan snapped, cutting him off.

Han Yu looked toward the distant woods. He could feel the two crows he had raised with the Spirit Nurturing Technique waiting in the shadows to cover their retreat. His heart settled.

When they reached the spirit fields, Old Li’s throat bobbed. Without a single word, he bolted into his stone house.

Han Yu stood still for a moment. He had seen the signs. Old Li’s Blood Essence was severely depleted. He was hiding something.

But then, Han Yu had his own secrets, too.