Chapter 567 - 333: Transaction 2
Taking into account what the Forbidden Calamity had said during that memory and the deal he had subsequently proposed, Yang An was now absolutely certain. The Forbidden Calamity had done all of this just to meet him!
He’d traded the Bow Lady to the Workshop Master so that she would end up by his side.
He’d left a Secret Technique on her to preserve her fragmented soul, all so that Yang An would enter her Consciousness Realm.
It was all an elaborate scheme orchestrated by the Forbidden Calamity!
Once he understood this, Yang An was struck by how terrifying the Forbidden Calamity was. It wasn’t just his Cultivation Level, but his ability to lay out a plan that spanned such a vast amount of time.
It was even possible that the Forbidden Calamity had arranged for him to trigger certain conditions due to the Bow Lady’s plight, leading him into that memory.
’But if the Forbidden Calamity went to all this trouble, what’s his real goal?’
As soon as he figured that out, a new question immediately followed.
In the memory, the Forbidden Calamity had only asked Yang An a single question as the condition for their deal.
He had asked if Yang An had ever seen or heard of his existence in the future.
’His existence...’
Yang An’s thoughts drifted to the Great Virtue Temple of the present day.
He’d certainly never heard of the Forbidden Calamity. In the present, the Great Virtue Temple was ostensibly led by Hai Shu, who directed all its affairs. During his time there, Yang An hadn’t even been able to determine how many Bodhisattvas as powerful as Hai Shu the temple truly had.
In the memory from the past, Hai Shu was merely one of the heads on the Forbidden Calamity’s body, also tasked with suppressing the Eternal Prison. But the one in charge back then had been the Forbidden Calamity.
’Does this mean something happened later that caused a change in leadership at the Great Virtue Temple?’
’Hai Shu betrayed the Forbidden Calamity?!’
With so little information, Yang An could hardly determine what had actually happened at the Great Virtue Temple. He could only speculate.
’But on second thought, the affairs of the Great Virtue Temple don’t really have much to do with me.’
The Great Virtue Temple was his enemy; he had no reason to uncover secrets on their behalf.
From the Bow Lady’s perspective, however, the Forbidden Calamity had been her benefactor. If his goal was simply to meet him via the Bow Lady, then that goal was likely connected to the help he’d given her.
Besides, regarding the deal he’d made with the Forbidden Calamity inside the Great Virtue Temple, the Forbidden Calamity had explicitly told him to just wait for a while after returning to reality.
Perhaps then, he would be able to sort out the truth behind all these events.
Yang An had always possessed a useful trait: if he couldn’t figure something out, he would set it aside for the time being. Otherwise, he would only trap himself in a cycle of anxiety.
Now that he had found the Bow Lady, the next step was to take her away from here and help her recover.
「...」
Above a hazy, mist-covered lake, the Workshop Master manipulated a soul within the Soul-Stabilizing Box. Through thirty-six Magical Artifacts encircling the lake, he continuously scattered dust like starlight into the water.
The thirty-six Magical Artifacts were now covered in cracks. Even with his face hidden behind a mask, the Workshop Master couldn’t conceal his pained expression.
Only an artisan of Magical Artifacts could understand. To their creator, the loss of each artifact was like losing one’s own child.
’My children are about to shatter, and that kid still isn’t out!’
Just as the Workshop Master was thinking this, ripples suddenly began to spread across the lake’s surface, one after another.
SPLASH!
With a spray of water, a figure leaped from the depths of the lake like a fish. Steam radiated from his body, instantly drying his clothes.
Seeing Yang An appear, the Workshop Master didn’t exchange any words with him. Instead, he simply raised a hand and pointed.
"Rise!"
The thirty-six Magical Artifacts began to spin rapidly, churning the lake’s water into a towering, turbulent current that formed a massive pillar.
Black threads began to appear in the once-clear water. Like ink, they bled outwards until the entire pillar of water was dyed black.
The Workshop Master forcibly shattered the soul from the Soul-Stabilizing Box and cast it into the pillar of water.
Every single droplet within the pillar seemed to shimmer with a fluorescent glow, becoming as beautiful as the Milky Way in an instant.
Yang An stood behind the Workshop Master, waiting quietly.
Soon, as the starlight faded and dimmed, a faint, illusory figure fell from the collapsing torrent of water and into a Moon Talisman the Workshop Master produced. Everything gradually returned to calm.
After handing the Moon Talisman back to Yang An, the Workshop Master hurriedly retrieved his Magical Artifacts, which were on the verge of collapse.
’Thankfully, Yang An came out just in time. The artifacts weren’t too badly damaged and could still be repaired. Otherwise, the loss would have killed me.’
"Bow Lady?"
Yang An took the Moon Talisman. Looking at the miniature Longbow within it, he called out her name softly.
"You brought the soul of an Insect Dao practitioner. That’s more than enough to compensate for all her previous losses. In fact, her power will grow significantly. Let her digest it properly first," the Workshop Master explained as he put away his Magical Artifacts.
"Thank you, Workshop Master!"
Sensing that the Bow Lady’s aura was now rapidly strengthening, Yang An immediately expressed his gratitude to the Workshop Master.
"Our business here is concluded. You should go back. Don’t forget our plan. I’m leaving the matter of the Fusheng Domain to you."
The Workshop Master seemed somewhat fatigued as he waved a dismissive hand at Yang An.
They were partners in an equal cooperation. Since he had just made a sacrifice for Yang An, it was only natural for Yang An to show some sincerity in return.
"Of course."
Yang An immediately agreed, but then added,
"However, our previous plan might need to be adjusted."
The Workshop Master looked at him through his mask.