A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"Don't leave yet, here you go."

Yuan Zhengze said calmly, then summoned something from his storage bag. Zhou Ping looked closely and saw that it was the hideous dark green puppet.

"Senior Yuan, this item is far too valuable; I dare not accept it."

Upon seeing this object, Zhou Ping's expression hardened, and he said with a hint of helplessness.

Although the other party had confirmed the origin of the war puppet—that it was given to Jin Wanxuan of the Jin Clan by a prominent figure within the sect and should rightfully be inherited by him—the principle that "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime" constantly reminded him that this hot potato was not something he could handle at the moment.

A slight misstep could bring unexpected disaster upon oneself.

Yuan Zhengze seemed to have already seen through his concerns, chuckled softly, and said mysteriously,

"Don't worry, just keep collecting it. Someone will come knocking on your door soon, and then you just need to..."

As Zhou Ping listened to the other person's advice, his eyes widened, and his expression gradually changed from confusion to surprise. Only after the other person finished speaking did he nod heavily, his face full of gratitude.

"Alright, just wait here quietly. I'll step aside for a moment."

After saying that, Yuan Zhengze left the house, piloted the flying boat towards another mountain peak, and soon disappeared from Zhou Ping's sight.

After respectfully seeing Yuan Zhengze off, Zhou Ping turned around and examined the hideous puppet in front of him. This was the first time he had observed it so closely.

Not long after, footsteps sounded outside again, sounding slightly heavier than when Yuan Zhengze had come before.

"I wonder if the person living inside is my young friend Zhou Ping?"

A slightly aged voice came from outside the door. Zhou Ping, who was inside, thought to himself, "Just as I thought," and quickly went upstairs to open the door.

"This young man is Zhou Ping. May I ask what brings you here, senior?"

Upon seeing that the visitor was an elderly man with white hair, Zhou Ping humbly performed a junior's greeting and replied.

When Qin Zhong met Zhou Ping, he first looked him up and down. Seeing that Zhou Ping was indeed ordinary-looking and unremarkable, Qin Zhong felt reassured and more confident in his plan.

"Young friend Zhou, there's no need for such formalities. Since you've come with the Five Profound Tokens, we're family from now on. You can call me Uncle Qin."

"Yes, Uncle Qin."

Upon hearing Qin Zhong's words, Zhou Ping hurriedly responded.

It seems Yuan Zhengze's prediction was correct; this was indeed the elderly man surnamed Qin, Qin Zhong, who had come specifically for the war puppet.

"Young friend Zhou, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I've come here specifically for this item. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it?"

Qin Zhong looked at Zhou Ping with a warm expression, then got straight to the point and spoke to the combat puppet standing quietly to the side, his tone carrying a hint of domineering.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping feigned a change in expression, appearing somewhat at a loss for words, and said...

"Uncle-Master Qin, to be honest, I was only just bestowed this item upon myself, and I haven't even had a chance to touch it yet. I didn't expect you to come looking for it so quickly. This surprises me quite a bit. Is this item really that valuable?"

Seeing Zhou Ping's curious expression and his country bumpkin-like appearance, Qin Zhong couldn't help but look down on him even more.

This kind of person probably hasn't seen much of the world. I can easily get rid of him by just taking out some random things later.

After thinking all this through, Qin Zhong maintained his gentle expression and said slowly,

"This item is a high-grade first-tier puppet, which is indeed extremely valuable to some cultivators, but it may not be so for you, young friend."

"Oh? Please enlighten this disciple, Uncle Qin."

Zhou Ping remained humble and respectfully sought the Dao.

"Since I have come here for this item, I will certainly explain it to you clearly, so as not to give the impression that I am deceiving you."

As Qin Zhong spoke, he circled the puppet several times, his eyes growing increasingly satisfied, before continuing,

"This puppet possesses considerable combat power. It will have unexpected and wonderful uses when fighting against others or exploring secret realms for treasure. It can even block some fatal damage for its master at critical moments, making it truly versatile."

"These are all the advantages of this puppet. As long as it is paired with a suitable cultivator, its combat power and usefulness will be maximized."

"However, if this puppet remains in your hands, its usefulness will be reduced to less than one-tenth, which would undoubtedly be a waste. Don't blame me for speaking harshly, but I'm only saying this from your perspective, and it's not just nonsense."

After saying this, Qin Zhong glanced at the young man beside him and chuckled inwardly. He had plenty of ways to deal with this greenhorn.

"According to Uncle Qin, this item is indeed a rare treasure, but I wonder why it has become useless to me?"

Zhou Ping's face showed deep disappointment, and he asked somewhat unwillingly.

"As I just said, the greatest use of this puppet is in combat and exploration. If you keep it at home all day, what's the difference between it and a clothes rack?"

"It's not that I underestimate you, young friend, but with your current Qi Refining Level 4 cultivation, do you have the courage to go out and compete with others? Do you dare to venture out to explore those secret realms and dangerous places, to seek out treasures?"

"This disciple dares not..."

"Therefore, your biggest problem right now is your cultivation level; this puppet is actually a useless thing to you."

"I've also heard that you have a pseudo-spiritual root with four attributes. I don't think you're particularly wealthy. If you don't start thinking more about your future cultivation, you might only reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining in this lifetime."

Qin Zhong looked regretful, but when he mentioned Zhou Ping's spiritual root attributes, a hint of contempt flashed in his eyes.

He's just a piece of trash with a pseudo-spiritual root. He's incredibly lucky to have obtained the Five Profound Tokens and a high-level battle puppet. Even his own grandson, who is so outstanding, doesn't have such an opportunity. Heaven is truly blind.

Seeing Zhou Ping's gloomy expression, Qin Zhong intensified his tone and continued,

"Nephew Zhou, I'm used to speaking my mind, so I won't beat around the bush with you. This puppet is a bit of a hidden gem left with you. I plan to exchange it for cultivation resources of equal value."

"In this way, we can find a more suitable master for this puppet, and it will also greatly solve your cultivation problem. Only when your cultivation level improves will you be qualified to consider these material possessions. Do you agree with what I'm saying?"

"What Uncle Qin said makes perfect sense, and I have benefited greatly from listening to it."

Zhou Ping's tone became even more humble, as if he were listening attentively to instruction.

Seeing this, Qin Zhong felt that it was about time; the other party was completely under his control.

"In that case, are you willing to proceed with this deal, Junior Nephew Zhou?"

"I am willing."

Zhou Ping agreed without the slightest hesitation.