Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 62 Loot and Uses
As Zhou You climbed out of the pit, the old Taoist priest saw the beating heart in his hand, and his expression instantly became incredibly interesting.

"My disciple, what you summoned was really something else! You even managed to bring out that thing that's supposed to be 'White Dew Sprouting'?"

Wait a minute, it sounds like you're saying something like "beat the shit out of me."
Zhou You silently swallowed his complaints, then handed the heart forward and said.

"Master, have you seen this thing before?"

"I don't have that ability; I've only heard about it briefly."

Despite saying that, the old Taoist still looked eager to try. He cleared his throat and began to tell his story in a low voice, as if he were telling a story.

"Didn't I tell you before? This White Dew Spreading Catkins is a notorious monster in Cangzhou. Other demons and monsters usually don't kill completely, leaving one or two survivors. Some, like the Tai Sui Star Lord, even go so far as to develop it further. But this White Dew Spreading Catkins is different. Wherever it passes, all humans, regardless of age or gender, will die. Such a ruthless act naturally attracts enemies."

"About a year and a half ago, before Cangzhou was hit by disaster, this guy somehow offended a Taoist priest from Tiandang Mountain. He was beaten half to death by the priest's trickery and was almost stripped clean, root and leaf. In the end, he escaped by self-destruction and left behind this thing as well."

The old Taoist priest glanced at Zhou You's expression, then clicked his tongue and continued.

"Then, the Taoist priest from Dangshan thought it was some kind of precious yin material, so he carefully put it away. Who would have thought that just a few days later, the recovered Bailu Tuxu would come knocking on his door. The strange object that the Taoist priest had collected at the cost of hundreds of lives had no effect whatsoever. It was drained of its flesh and blood in its sleep, leaving only a human skin."

"—So that's why."

He chuckled softly as he summarized.

"For most people, this thing is a double-edged sword, something that's neither good to eat nor worth throwing away. Although it's a decent offering for the dead, keeping it around is basically like keeping a scourge, and in the end, you might not even know how you died."

The old Taoist priest spoke very firmly, but Zhou You still noticed one word in his words.

The vast majority.

His smile immediately brightened.

"Master, you are so powerful and knowledgeable, you must be different from that foolish Taoist priest from Tiandang Mountain. So do you have a way to block this thing's perception?"

The old Taoist priest's beard almost stood on end from those few words of flattery, and he said with a smile.

"Of course, but that requires something you have."

"What is it?"

"That jade chime."

Zhou You was stunned for a moment.

But before he could think it over, the old Taoist continued.

"Your thing is inherently sinister, but somehow it has been mixed with a lot of yang energy. After this heart is inserted, it can barely delay Bai Lu Tu Xu's pursuit for the time being."

Zhou You frowned.

"Just temporarily?"

—If it's only temporary, then what use is this thing to me?

“Yes, only temporarily.” Seeing the disappointment on Zhou You’s face, the old Taoist added, “But the problem is, this amount of time is already enough.”

That's how the other party explained it.

“Generally speaking, unless you directly kill Bai Lu Tu Xu, this thing is indeed difficult to use. But our Yun Jing Dao is different. Even if we can’t keep it for a long time, we can still use it in other ways. For example, we can use this thing to upgrade your Yin Ghost Bait Song Technique to another level.”

Hearing this, Zhou You was stunned for a moment, but when he realized what it meant, he rolled his eyes with all his might.

—Just kidding, I lost most of my sense of pain after just one instance of avoiding Yin energy. I didn't feel anything when I was scratched by rocks while climbing out of the pit. Another level? Are you in such a hurry to turn me into a zombie?
However, seemingly sensing Zhou You's concerns, the old Taoist priest, contrary to his previous sharp tone, began to explain gently.

"Kid, I know you're reluctant, but you should also know that the journey ahead will likely be even more difficult than it is now. If you can advance your singing technique to the next level, your ability to survive will be significantly improved. As for the effects of the dyeing, don't worry about it; there will be solutions once you reach the mountain."

Despite the earnest advice, Zhou You remained unconvinced. The old Taoist frowned, but patiently continued.

"—Take me for example, I practice the method of slaying the four demons. By slaying my own delusions, anger, venom, and gluttony, I transfer the corruption from my body to these heads to avoid losing my senses. As for you, as long as you come to the mountain, I can teach you this spell directly. And that's not all; I can also help you detoxify from the poison of the corpse worm blood bait soup on your body."

As if to convince Zhou You, the old Taoist priest revealed everything he had previously concealed, appearing as sincere as could be.
Zhou You looked into the old Taoist's eyes.

Although he was smiling, there was no emotion in his eyes, only a gloomy look like that of a dead fish.

So, to believe or not to believe?

Zhou You stared at the old Taoist's head, seemingly trying to glean some insight from it.

But in the end, he just grinned.

"--Well, never mind."

As the saying goes, the more debts you have, the less you have to worry. I already have two curses on my back, so it doesn't matter if I take on a few more.

Moreover, just as the old Taoist said, if he wants to leave this area safely, he does need to strengthen his own abilities.

"Master, what should I do?"

The old man's lips instantly curled up.

"It's very simple. You just need to squeeze out the ghost blood from the heart and drink it—but don't squeeze out too much. If you drink too much at once, you'll easily turn into another fierce ghost."

Zhou You nodded slightly upon hearing this, then walked to his luggage, took out the bone jade chime, and used it as a temporary container. He then gently applied pressure to his hand—

The next moment, a murmur, like the flapping of insect wings, rang in his ears.

A little viscous black blood plasma was squeezed out of the heart and dripped into the bowl. Zhou You picked it up, took a light sniff, and frowned slightly at the putrid smell, but in the end he pinched his nose and drank it all in one gulp.

The system notification appeared immediately.

"You have drunk the blood of your heart, which is like white dew sprouting from the catkins."

"White Dew Sprouts greatly increases my hatred towards you."

"Your Yin Ghost Bait Spell has been enhanced, and the half-corpse transformation effect has been strengthened."

"Please continue to consume Yin items. Once you accumulate enough, the level of the Yin Ghost Bait Song will be upgraded."

After finishing his drink, Zhou You casually tossed the heart into the chime. Sure enough, the lingering murmur instantly became barely audible, though the jade chime's emerald green exterior was now stained with a touch of blood.

—Just as the old man said, it seems this won't last long.

However, Zhou You didn't say anything, repacked his luggage, and walked back to the caravan.

Now that the influence of the White Dew and the Bodhisattva has been lost, the human skins have fallen down again. Zhou You ignored them and went to the only surviving donkey.

The other person was looking at him with lifeless eyes.

It has lost all its human spirit.

The old Taoist's voice also came at this moment.

"Stop looking. Unlike ordinary creatures, the creatures created by eating the flesh of the Tai Sui are irreversible. Like those 'ripe fruits,' they are just waiting to die—and their lifespans are generally short. They'll probably be gone soon."

Zhou You didn't reply, but stared into those eyes for a while. In the end, he just sighed softly, then picked out some potentially useful items from the caravan's goods, and led the donkey away into the distance.

(End of this chapter)