novelraw Chapter 511
Chapter 511
"How about this," Rowan Mercer said calmly, lifting his teacup and taking a slow sip. "I trade you the Heavenly Talisman, and you teach me the Out-of-Body Technique. I also guarantee that, without your sect’s permission, I won’t pass any of your teachings to anyone in this world."
They sat in the inner courtyard of Baiguang Temple.
Across from Rowan was Theodore Fangridge, the current abbot, a frail old mystic with a bent back and sharp, watchful eyes.
After dealing with the Wang family, Rowan had returned straight to Beijing. Everything else had been handed off to the Tianxia Association. He had no interest in wasting time carving up their assets.
After a few days of rest and organizing the techniques he had collected from different sects, he came here to meet Theodore Fangridge in person.
"Mr. Jin," Fangridge said gently, "you’re already a friend of Baiguang Temple. After the Luo Tian Ceremony, both Lucas Sterling and Marcus Hale spoke very highly of you. If you truly want to learn our Taoist arts, I could simply have Lucas teach you. There’s no need to trade away the Heavenly Talisman."
The news had spread like wildfire.
Wang Ai, one of the Ten Elders, had led the Wang family’s experts to seize the Heavenly Talisman from Jin Baobao.
They had all died.
Alone.
Now everyone in the hidden world believed Jin Baobao’s strength rivaled the old Heavenly Master himself.
If Rowan were willing to join Baiguang Temple, even as an informal disciple, that would be worth far more than any manual.
"No," Rowan said, shaking his head lightly. "I prefer clean transactions. I don’t like owing favors."
Letting Lucas Sterling teach him "for free" was just another way of tying him to the temple.
He wasn’t afraid of being dragged into trouble.
With this body, he was already invincible in this world.
He just hated complications.
Right now, he only had personal ties to Lucas Sterling and Marcus Hale. If either of them ran into trouble, he might help if he felt like it.
Baiguang Temple as a whole?
That wasn’t his responsibility.
If he joined, then every future crisis would become his problem.
Help, and he’d waste cultivation time.
Refuse, and his conscience would itch.
Either way, it was a nuisance.
Trading the Heavenly Talisman for the Out-of-Body Technique was cleaner.
A deal was a deal.
"Very well," Fangridge said with a nod. "We’ll do it your way."
He had only been testing Rowan’s character.
If Rowan had accepted immediately, Fangridge would have grown cautious. That would mean Rowan had no intention of taking responsibility at all.
Refusing the free offer, on the other hand, proved he had boundaries.
That meant his promise not to spread Baiguang Temple’s arts was probably trustworthy.
Rowan placed a copied manual on the table.
"The Heavenly Talisman."
Fangridge picked it up and sighed.
"So this is it..."
Then he smiled.
"I’ll teach you personally."
It was well past midnight when Rowan returned home.
He had just stepped inside when the doorbell rang.
"...He forgot his keys again," Rowan muttered.
His psychic sense swept outside.
Julian Bellamy stood at the door, drunk and swaying.
"This body’s cover identity really is expiring," Rowan thought.
He had already mapped this world’s deeper structure. Jin Baobao’s identity had outlived its usefulness.
In a few days, he would erase the family’s memories of him, the same way Hermione once erased her parents’ memories.
He owed them that much.
This body had once belonged to Jin Baobao. Even if it had been a corpse, it was still a debt.
He would strengthen their bodies with magic before leaving, letting them live longer, healthier lives.
Money wasn’t what they lacked.
They lacked purpose.
Rowan opened the door and caught Julian before he fell over.
"Business is business," Rowan said mildly. "But drink less next time."
He slipped a thread of magic into Julian’s body and cleared his alcohol poisoning.
"It wasn’t business," Julian said, suddenly lucid. "College reunion. Evan Ward organized it. Said he saw you at Mount Longhu a few days ago."
Rowan’s eyes sharpened.
"I did see him. Why’d he call a reunion?"
Evan Ward held one of the Eight Miracles.
Wind-Rearranging Divination.
Conveniently, he was also in Beijing.
Julian drained a glass of water and laughed.
"He wants to start a company with us. And he says Wudang expelled him. He’s not a mystic anymore."
"...Expelled from Wudang?" Rowan murmured.
That didn’t add up.
Evan Ward was a once-in-a-generation genius. No major sect would ever kick him out.
Unless...
He had revealed Wind-Rearranging Divination at the Luo Tian Ceremony.
They were protecting Wudang by cutting him loose.
"Interesting," Rowan said softly.
He waved Julian off and returned to his room.
A thought-construct took his place in the house.
Rowan himself vanished.
And reappeared miles away.
Tracking Evan Ward.