Chapter 141 - 140: Gandalf’s Secret

Chapter 141: Chapter 140: Gandalf’s Secret

The anger ignited by being Drenched in Dog Blood was temporary, but the drop in Luck Value would last for a while.

"After my duel with His Grace Aragon, misfortune plagued me for at least two days.

I kept finding foreign objects like pebbles and hair in my food. The ground would be perfectly flat, but I’d still inexplicably trip. Even the birds flying overhead would crap on my head.

My life only started to return to normal two days later.

His Grace Aragon was right. A sullied Purifying Cloth really does bring people misfortune..."

After Dean Reuben recovered, he appeared in public to smugly share his experience, acting as if contracting misfortune was some glorious honor.

When he appeared in public, he was missing a front tooth and had a bald patch where his hair had been burned away. All these signs became ironclad proof of the Purifying Cloth’s efficacy.

Reuben was the dean of the Magic Academy; he wouldn’t debase himself just to play along with Aragon. Besides, his pants really had mysteriously fallen down on the dueling field.

Following Reuben, a growing number of people who had dueled Aragon began to report similar experiences of being plagued by misfortune.

It wasn’t just them. Others who hadn’t dueled Aragon, but had simply used a Purifying Cloth during their own duels, also came forward to corroborate Reuben’s account.

One claimed he was about to lose to his opponent, but after he threw the Purifying Cloth, his enemy visibly lost all composure, allowing him to achieve a resounding victory.

Another said that after his opponent threw a Purifying Cloth, it felt as if an invisible force had stripped away his luck, making it impossible for him to focus during the fight. After losing the duel, he choked on water several times and even left the house wearing mismatched socks. This state of affairs persisted for a long time before things returned to normal...

...

As all sorts of bizarre stories spread, people became increasingly infatuated with the Purifying Cloth.

On the market, the Purifying Cloth had become nearly impossible to obtain.

A saying had even begun to circulate among the people: "A foot of cloth for ten thousand in gold."

It was even rumored that used Purifying Cloths still possessed the power to curse, and that the more sullied they were, the more potent they became.

And so,

second-hand, third-hand, and even fourth-hand Purifying Cloths began appearing at auction houses...

...

Alchemists everywhere accelerated their research on imitation versions of the Holy Artifact.

The number of genuine Holy Artifacts was limited. Whoever could be the first to release an imitation and capture the market would secure immense wealth for the Alchemy Guild and become the greatest person second only to Gandalf.

Perhaps an imitation Purifying Cloth wouldn’t be as powerful as the actual Holy Artifact.

But aside from its use in combat, the Purifying Cloth was also a daily necessity—the kind you use every single day. The demand was terrifying. Whoever developed a replica first would be the first to cash in...

...

「At this moment.」

Li Ye and his Holy Guard Team were nearing the Capital Cedar City.

That’s right.

His followers now had a name: the Holy Guard Team.

Along their journey, the Holy Guard Team had grown to over three hundred strong. This included more than two hundred young women and a hundred young men, with some elves and Beastmen mixed in.

These youths had all been carefully selected. Every last one was strikingly beautiful, enough to turn every single head on the street.

No one saw anything wrong with offering handsome young men and beautiful young women to Aragon.

His Grace Aragon was from the Ancient Era, a hero who had saved the world.

In the Ancient Era, even Divine Spirits were fond of beautiful faces. They would take on the Illusion Transformation of a Mortal to visit the Mortal World and dally with beautiful women. In fact, Divine Spirits didn’t just like handsome men and lovely women; they wouldn’t even spare beautiful animals...

His Grace Aragon was from the same era as the Divine Spirits, so it was only natural that he would like pretty young men and women. It was a blessing he wasn’t interested in cattle and sheep.

The people hoped His Grace would... interact... with these beautiful young women and leave many of his descendants behind in this world.

After all, the rumor that Aragon would return to his own world after banishing the Undead had also spread far and wide.

Leaving his children behind might be a way to convince him to stay.

The Undead could never be completely wiped out. What if they staged a comeback?

The people wanted a Divine Spirit to protect their world.

Unfortunately, though His Grace Aragon was surrounded by beauties, he remained chaste. There had never been a single rumor about him and any of the young women, not even the Twelve Saintesses who were closest to him.

And that was what worried people the most...

...

"Your Grace, the Purifying Cloth’s power is growing. Even the Warriors on the frontier can feel the misfortune it brings during their duels," Elsa reported.

She was now Li Ye’s Intelligence Officer, responsible for gathering information from across the land.

"Yes. As more and more people use the Purifying Cloth, its power will continue to grow." Li Ye could hardly bear to look at Elsa.

As his first followers, the Twelve Saintesses possessed the largest quantity of the paper rolls.

Right now, Elsa’s belt was made of the rolled paper. A flower crafted from it was pinned to her chest, and she wore a scarf made of it around her neck. The ribbon tying her hair had long been swapped for toilet paper, and even her Magic Staff had two toilet paper streamers dangling from it. From a distance, she looked like a toilet paper spirit that had come to life.

’Li Ye also knew that the small pouch she carried was filled with used Purifying Cloths. It was like she was carrying a bathroom wastebasket around with her...’

It wasn’t just her. The entire Holy Guard Team was dressed this way; they were obsessed with crafting all sorts of decorations from the paper rolls.

At first glance, the group surrounding Li Ye looked like a funeral procession in full mourning attire.

’Surrounded by this troupe of "devoted children," forget feeling any desire; it was a miracle he didn’t burst into tears.’

’Li Ye didn’t dare imagine what kind of hellscape this world would turn into after he was gone.’

’As for why others, who didn’t have the Drenched in Dog Blood skill, could still trigger misfortune, Li Ye had a good idea why. It was nothing more than a psychological effect born from celebrity worship, combined with a few exaggerated coincidences.’

’It was just like those superstitions back on Earth, like the money left on the ground to pass on bad luck, or the herbal dregs left on the roadside for others to step on...’

’Even if you know perfectly well that stuff has no real effect, if you happen to fall into the "trap," you’ll still feel uneasy for days.’

’If someone happened to step on those dregs and then coincidentally fell ill, they’d immediately make the connection and spread the story with their own embellishments.’

Over time, these bizarre customs become firmly established. Their influence grows, subconsciously affecting people’s moods.

Li Ye was more than happy to watch this phenomenon spread.

Once it becomes an established custom, the Purifying Cloth’s power can become real, even if it isn’t.

As the rumors spread, the paper roll’s Demon Qi grew at an insane rate.

It was completely hyped up, constantly screaming in Li Ye’s mind about how it would surpass the Primordial Golden Dipper and become the true king of all demons.

The paper roll’s durability was now so great that even Li Ye could barely tear it. To use a piece, he had to wait for the roll to break it off on its own...

...

Unfortunately, throughout his journey, Li Ye had found no news of the other two sources of Demon Qi.

’Until he figured out what the other two sources of Demon Qi were, Li Ye would never be at ease. The Puppet Silk from the previous world had taught him a harsh enough lesson!’

Whether the other two sources of Demon Qi were in the Undead World or the human world, it was bad news for him.

But Li Ye didn’t dare to keep a low profile, either.

After all, both he and the paper roll needed to grow stronger.

’The Skeleton Monarch was a clear and present danger. If it attacked, how could he possibly defend himself without Derived Skills?’

After finishing her report, Elsa looked at Li Ye and said, "Your Grace, there is one more thing."

"Speak," Li Ye said.

Elsa said, "Among the newer members of the Holy Guard Team, some have been secretly selling the Purifying Cloths you granted them for a high price. Should they be punished?"

"Why would we punish them?" Li Ye chuckled. "Once I give them to you, they’re yours. You have every right to do with them as you please. Whether you want money or treasures, you can trade the Purifying Cloth for whatever you like.

The Purifying Cloth is, at its heart, a consumable and a daily-use item. When you run out, just come and ask me for more."

"We can?" Elsa’s eyes widened.

"Of course." With a wave of Li Ye’s hand, the paper roll went WHOOSH, flying out several hundred meters to circle and loop through the sky. If it weren’t white, it would look just like Nezha’s Chaotic Heaven Silk.

In fact, he could already use the paper roll just like the Chaotic Heaven Silk.

The young men and women of the Holy Guard Team stared at the Purifying Cloth in the sky, completely stunned.

A moment later,

the Purifying Cloth circling overhead tore into pieces, which fluttered down like snowflakes and landed precisely in each person’s hands. Every member of the Holy Guard Team received a strip at least two meters long.

It was a fortune, literally falling from the heavens.

The young men and women cheered, "Thank you for your generosity, Your Grace!"

"So, do you understand now?" Li Ye said to Elsa with a smile. "Gandalf invented the Purifying Cloth to benefit the masses. You can use it for anything. Feel free to discover new uses for it. The more uses it has, the faster the Holy Artifact will grow."

"Simply enshrining it would be a sign of disrespect. Right now, the Holy Artifact’s power isn’t even one-ten-thousandth of what it was in my time."

"In the Ancient Era, the Purifying Cloth I wielded could block out the sun when thrown into the sky."

"Tossed into the Shimen River, it could soak the entire river dry."

"Stirred in the ocean, it could unleash towering tsunamis."

"What is this paltry power compared to that? Furthermore, my teacher hid a secret within the Holy Artifact. Whoever can uncover this secret might just trigger a reward from my teacher..."

Li Ye’s words were directed at Elsa.

His voice wasn’t loud, but through a special technique, it carried clearly into the ears of every member of the Holy Guard Team.

"Your Grace, can we try to comprehend the mysteries of the Purifying Cloth, too?" a boy who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen mustered the courage to ask.

He was a Swordsman with short brown hair and blue eyes. He looked like a porcelain doll, even prettier than most girls. He wore a headband made from the paper roll, with the name "Aragon" written across the front.

"Of course." Li Ye smiled and nodded at him. "Bain, I remember your name. It’s rare to see a Great Swordsman so young. I see great potential in you."

"If you can truly unravel Gandalf’s secret, you might just be the legendary Child of Destiny. Then you can fight by my side when we confront the Skeleton Monarch."

"Yes, I will!" Encouraged by His Grace, Bain’s eyes lit up. He wrapped his new strip of paper around his arm and nodded emphatically. "I will definitely fight alongside Your Grace."

"The same goes for all of you." Li Ye’s gaze moved from Bain to sweep across the entire group. He encouraged them in a gentle voice, "All of you. The fact that you have made it to my side already proves your good fortune. I do not possess my teacher’s sight, so I cannot peer into the river of fate. But you can prove yourselves. I firmly believe that the Child of Destiny is hidden among you..."

...