I entered the forest about five meters in and did not continue any further.
Trees are too dense, the forest is too dark, I haven't charged my phone in the past two days, and visibility is too poor.
I slowly searched within this range, luckily, I found a half-foot copper sword, it was not on the ground, but slanted and inserted into the trunk of an old tree.
Easily climbing up, I pulled out the half-foot copper sword.
By some strange coincidence, I looked up and saw it.
Not looking was fine, but this glance made my scalp prickle with fear.
A skeleton thin as a stick hung slanting from a branch, his pale purple robe was tattered, especially around his brow where there were several cracks.
His staring eyes had no vitality, only emptiness.
He... his soul has departed.
"Sigh..." Old Gong drew a deep breath of cold air.
"The stick is really good, turning it into an empty corpse. Master, you're going to be rich soon!" Old Gong licked his lips. Previously, his apprehension and fear had disappeared, replaced by excitement.
I put away the half-foot copper sword and continued to climb upwards.
At the branch where the body was hanging, I stripped the Taoist's body off, and with a clatter, it landed on the ground.
I didn't immediately go down, and I carefully looked around the branch.
Here is the Taoist's body, the copper mallet should be nearby?
Only, I've been searching for about fifteen minutes and still haven't found anything.
Feeling a little disappointed, I finally stepped down from the trunk.
Once I reached the Taoist's body, I stared at it up close.
Old Gong jumped down from my shoulder, continuously licking his lips and asked me to strip off his clothes.
There was indeed a desire in my heart. Even a Taoist master of this level would have something extraordinary if there were any residual magical items on his body.
No match for the copper mallet, nor weaker than the half-foot copper sword and half-a-sweep dust wisp on my body.
But, can I really do this?
After all, I still need to stay in Four Rules Mountain. If I take these things from this Taoist master, it may be difficult to keep it a secret and not be recognized.
And, he is not a ghost who harms others.
He was just doing his duty, selecting disciples for Four Rules Mountain.
I, as an outsider, would be disrespectful to him.
"Master?" Old Gong called me again.
I came to my senses.
"Old Gong, let's leave it at that." I sighed and took a deep breath.
"Isn't it..." Old Gong's head bobbed twice, returning to my shoulder.
"Master... your Taoist cultivation has turned you into an idiot." Old Gong had a face full of grief, his expression was especially exaggerated.
I remained silent.
Have I really become an idiot?
I think it's not necessarily so.
The extra breath in my chest now is the righteousness of the Taoist.
The reason I'm unwilling to gain benefits from the body is because the body itself is not evil.
Using the copper mallet to strike his soul has already been disrespectful.
Rather than saying I have become pedantic, it's better to say that righteousness has suppressed more impurities of mind. I am more like a Taoist...
This subtle change, which I did not notice in my daily life, has unconsciously changed many of my character traits.
Perhaps, Wu Zhongkuan, to some extent, is also kind-hearted and has his own face.
But because of his wife's betrayal and subsequent accidental death, he has become fierce.
And because after eating him, an ordinary person's wisdom has replaced his, Lao Gong would appear so greedy.
"Old Gong, you should think about it," I said, "the 'self' once was a local master, and some things cannot be taken."
Lao Gong swallowed a mouthful of saliva, muttering softly, "It's all over... truly all over..."
I continued to search for a while, but I still didn't find the copper staff.
Looking through the tree shadows at the sky, the night was pitch black, and it was almost dawn.
Reluctantly, I had to give up for now.
Looking one last time at the Taoist's body.
He is without a soul, so I have fewer concerns than before; he won't reveal my secrets.
Therefore, I carried the body away.
I used some cloth to tie him securely to my body.
Then, I prepared to climb the mountain.
I didn't climb up myself; I had Old Gong take the upper part of my body, and he would climb.
It felt like a ghost taking over, I almost didn't feel tired, and the speed was very fast.
The night was pitch black, with the possibility of the sky being pierced by the light of dawn at any moment. Old Gong first reminded me, and after I regained control of my body, he stopped on my shoulder, panting heavily as if exhausted.
Now, with my peripheral vision, I could see some Taoist halls again. I was not far from the Thunder God Cliff.
As the sky began to brighten, I returned to the position where the Taoist's body was hanging. Since the vines had already snapped, I could only hang him on a vine nearby.
Finally, I climbed up to the Thunder God Cliff.
My legs were weak, and my hands trembled uncontrollably.
The sky had already dawned, and the sunlight was directly shining on my body, gradually dispelling the discomfort.
Slowly sitting up straight, I clasped my hands in a hand seal and sat cross-legged on the Thunder God Cliff.
After a while of meditating, my energy was restored, and the fatigue had greatly diminished.
By some strange coincidence, I looked outside.
The sunlight shone directly on the Taoist's body. The cracks on his forehead were silently healing...
It was broad daylight, but his eyes were wide open. His once empty and scattered gaze now had a hint of vitality.
How can this be possible?
His soul has been expelled!
It was expelled by the copper staff!
I haven't found the copper staff, how could it return?
I've hit my own foot with a stone?
The sunlight became more blinding, brighter, and even caused light spots in my eyes.
Even if I closed my eyes, I could still see groups of shadows.
After closing my eyes for a while, the shadows turned into a dry, old Taoist's face staring straight at me.
His mouth was moving as if he were speaking a sentence.
"I hit your heart!"
I suddenly opened my eyes again, my clothes were soaked with sweat...
I turned away, no longer looking at the Taoist...
Retreating two steps, I reached the edge of the Thunder God Cliff.
I retreated again, walked through the path, and returned to the cave.
It took a while for my heart to calm down a bit.
There is still a sense of unease in my heart.
Is it that I, with good intentions, have done a bad deed to myself?
In fact, I even had the thought that since he couldn't reveal my secrets, I would help him return to below the cliff...
In this way, for a short period, as long as no one enters the Thunder God Cliff to practice, no one will discover the problem.
But now, I have made a mistake, and I have no interest in reading.
I ate a little food, satisfied my stomach, and went back to the Thunder God Cliff again.
I stared at the Taoist's corpse hanging from the vines, my face alternating between dark and light, gradually showing a layer of ruthlessness.
The sky is still bright, and I can let him come up, but I can also make him go down!
Is it still in time!?
After hesitating for a few seconds, I was about to climb down.
The Taoist's corpse's eyes stared at me, but the deep gaze in his dead eyes was full of depth.
As I climbed halfway down, suddenly, I noticed something strange...
A copper staff was inserted arbitrarily between the cliff and the vines... about four or five meters below the position where the broken vine was.
What's going on?
The copper staff... wasn't it right in front of me as it fell over the cliff!?
