Chapter 442: Telling A Story
“You… are Imp?” A person asked with uncertainty after seeing this person who had just arrived.
The man replied with a wide smile: “I guarantee that I am Imp and Imp is me.”
The young cultivators looked around at each other after seeing this man and felt quite confused. After hearing about the Coffin-tapping Imp’s auction, many of them thought that the auctioneer would be a ghost inhabitant from Necropolis.
This person did not match their imagination at all! This was an old man with a stout stature. His hair was completely white and he had a very long beard. His face was kind like that of a benevolent grandfather.
No one would be able to put this old man and Imp together. He was clearly just an ordinary kind old man.
Many of them opened their Heavenly Gaze in order to see if this old man was a living being or a ghost, but no one could see through him.
“Are you a man or a ghost?” Someone curiously asked.
“That’s a secret!” Imp smiled in response. His mysterious nature caused the young cultivators present to be even more curious.
Although the Heavenly Gaze couldn’t discern whether he was alive or dead, no matter how you looked at it, he didn’t seem to be a ghost. However, what was he if not a ghost? Cultivators from the previous generations would absolutely not enter Necropolis no matter how powerful they were unless they were tired of living.
If the old man was alive, then why did he come to Necropolis? Anyone could tell that Necropolis was not affecting him. Those with dried up blood energy would be affected, especially older cultivators, but not Imp.
This made a lot of people have questions. Qiurong Wanxue, who was seated next to Li Qiye, quietly whispered: “Is he really a ghost?”
In the beginning, she thought that Imp would be a tiny, young ghost; she didn’t expect for Imp to be a kind, old man.
“Him?” Li Qiye looked at Imp and smiled, then he shook his head and said: “This… I’m afraid no one knows.”
However, Qiurong Wanxue believed that Li Qiye had to know something more than he let out.
“Very well, no more talking, the auction begins now! The rule is very simple. There is no need for weapons or refined jades, and there is no need for Yang Nightfish either. I will take out one item and anyone can trade with me as long as it is something that I like. Then, I will trade with that person.”
Everyone glanced at each other — what kind of auction was this? This was more like a simple trading post.
Imp then took out a small coffin about the size of a box. It seemed to be carved from a piece of jade that exuded a cold air, something that was naturally formed by the heavens.
Imp then gently opened the little coffin. A jade-light illuminated the premises while a clear sound rang out as if a golden jewel was rolling around on a jade plate.
Everyone then noticed that the little coffin contained a cocoon around the size of a fist. It was green like jade — very magical-looking.
Imp then spoke with a smile: “This is the cocoon of a Heavenly Jade Cicada! When it hatches, the Heavenly Jade Cicada will come out.” He then closed the little coffin and said: “Now, take out your treasures.”
Many people were quite perplexed. Some of them had never heard of a Heavenly Jade Cicada so there was no way they would take out their treasures to trade for it.
However, a young cultivator that hailed from an ancient clan emotionally blurted: “Heavenly Jade Cicada — a legendary creature that lives in the Ancient Immortal Ground!”
Upon hearing this, many people were instantly moved. Anyone who could enter an Ancient Immortal Ground would obtain a miracle, a great fortune. Regardless of which of the six Ancient Immortal Grounds it was, those who could enter one would surely benefit greatly.
This Heavenly Jade Cicada grew up in an Ancient Immortal Ground, so how could it not shock the present spectators?
A young cultivator took out a bell and said: “I have a foreign dao treasure named the Fallen Star Bell—”
However, before this youth could finish his sentence, Imp already grabbed him and threw him out of Midtown.
“I said I don’t need weapons.” Him effortlessly throwing that young cultivator out of Midtown caused many people to tremble for they knew that he was unfathomable.
Another youth took out a treasure box and said: “I have a gem to trade.” The box exuded waves of divine lights. The youth showed it to Imp and then immediately closed the lid so that others would not see the gem inside.
Imp took a glance before shaking his head and saying: “No need.”
“I have an ancient bone.” Golden Child from the Hundred Bones Sacred Tribe took out a bone around the size of a palm. It was a skull that was entirely black. The moment he took it out, shrill ghostly screams resounded, sending chills to the listeners.
“A bit interesting.” Imp looked at the old bone and nodded his head approvingly.
Golden Child couldn’t help but become happy. He had a chance of exchanging this for the Heavenly Jade Cicada from Imp.
“How about I tell you a story?” At this time, Li Qiye slowly spoke.
Qiurong Wanxue was startled and felt that this was a bit too much. Others were using treasures to barter, but Li Qiye was going to tell a story?
After seeing that Li Qiye was part of the human race, Golden Child snorted and said: “Hmph! If you don’t have any treasures, then don’t cause trouble. Stand to the side.”
“Sure.” Imp quickly nodded his head and said: “But you have to be careful. If you tell a randomly made-up story, then I’ll throw you out. Of course, if I like the story, then the Heavenly Jade Cicada will belong to you.”
Everyone was in disbelief. Telling a story to trade for a treasure — this was too outrageous. They had never seen such a thing before.
Li Qiye smiled and said: “You can rest assured that this is a good story.” He then cleared his throat and spoke: “A very long time ago, there was a crow that could speak. An even longer time before then, there was a person named Gongyang from the underworld. One day, the crow met Gongyang and said: ‘There is a place named the Immortal Grotto with an immortal presiding within. This immortal had everlasting life. Moreover, this immortal was growing an immortal grass. If one ate this immortal grass, then they would also have everlasting life…’ ”
Having listened to this point, the Divine Spark Prince sneered: “What kind of story is this? Nonsense…”
“Shut up!” Imp, who was lost in the story, interrupted the Divine Spark Prince. The prince obediently kept his mouth shut.
“However, it was very difficult to obtain this immortal grass from the immortal. The crow told Gongyang that it had come up with a method for him to take this grass, as long as Gongyang followed its instructions. Gongyang truly believed the crow’s words…”
Li Qiye slowly told this very boring tale. Many people started to fall asleep and had no desire to listen any further. This was such a silly tale, not even children would want to hear it. To cultivators like them, magical things happened every day so such an absurd and boring story like this was a waste of time.
Qiurong Wanxue also felt that this tale was not good. Any legend about an Immortal Emperor would have been much better. A story like this could only coax the children of the mortal worlds, not cultivators like them.
“... Gongyang followed the crow’s proposal and went to meet the immortal to find the immortal grass root. Gongyang then asked the immortal for the immortal grass, but the immortal…” Li Qiye temporarily paused at this point.
“And then what?” Compared to the other bored listeners, Imp excitedly listened. Many people were quite confused as to why he was enjoying such a silly tale.
“And then Gongyang’s clan faced genocide.” Li Qiye smiled and finished.
The first to be speechless was Qiurong Wanxue who was sitting next to Li Qiye. What kind of story was this? A completely incoherent story suddenly ended with clan extermination — how silly was this?
“Bullshit ramblings, completely disjointed.” Some people thought that Li Qiye’s story was too abrupt. Although the beginning was very boring and dull, at least it was still organized. The sudden blurt at the end ruined the story completely with Gongyang’s clan getting exterminated. It was just a complete mess of a story.
However, Imp closed his eyes and mumbled while nodding his head. No one knew what he was murmuring.
“Good story, good story, amazing, truly amazing, a miracle across the ages, unique in this world...” After a while, Imp praised and emotionally clapped.
Everyone became dumbfounded at such praises, including Qiurong Wanxue. This had gone too far! How could such a cluttered and disjointed story that was told in a completely incoherent manner be praised like this?
“This little coffin is yours.” Imp seemed to be very excited and threw the jade coffin that contained the Heavenly Jade Cicada to Li Qiye.