At this point, the crowd surrounding the square wanted to enter. Shoulders and heads were bumping everywhere.
âMonk, not letting us in canât be the right choice.â The joyous mood has dissipated so one crowd member shouted.
No one else would dare to talk like this to a great master. For example, the four grandmasters.
However, this wasnât the case for Untethered Monk. His cultivation might be unfathomable but people didnât view him as a top master. He was known as a merchant who didnât put up an act, allowing leeway with disrespect. He would turn the other cheek after being slapped.
âHehehe, Amitabha, no one is stopping you from coming in. Everyone will have a turn, donât rush it.â Untethered Monk placed his palms together.
His Buddhist lines sounded holy and magnificent. Alas, people just couldnât take him seriously after seeing his appearance.
âWhen are you letting us in?â One expert shouted.
âOkay, okay, weâre opening it now.â The monk smiled and raised his hand. The members of Wish Ward prepared four separate entrances.
âHowever, thereâs a fee for touching the spring, 30 Yin Yang Coins. As for the wooden door, 50 Yin Yang Coins.â The monk added.
âWhat, thereâs a fee?!â Some shouted.
âOf course.â The monk nodded with a smile.
âWhy is there a fee when the golden spring doesnât belong to you?â One person said.
âAmitabha. Benefactor, youâre mistaken. The golden spring doesnât belong to us but maintaining order is not easy, requiring both resources and manpower. Look, weâre working hard under the harsh sun just so that everyone can have a good experience. Just think about it, without us, the place will be chaotic. People might be fighting already and many will lose their lives. Now, just 30 Yin Yang Coins will keep everyone safe, thereâs no reason to not do it. Is your life not worth 30 Yin Yang Coins?â The monk elaborated.
The crowd exchanged glances after hearing his response. Some actually agreed because the monk was right. This place would be a mess without Wish Ward taking control. Plus, their lives were naturally worth more than the fee.
âThe price is too high, I think using Conqueror Coins is more acceptable.â One vagabond said with indignation.
For the members of powerful sects, 30 Yin Yang Coins werenât much. Unfortunately, the poorer cultivators had a hard time accepting this fee. Some might not be able to pay.
âItâs not high at all.â The monk said: â30 Yin Yang Coins canât buy treasures and manual scrolls but now, it can buy you a chance to soar to the sky, to become rich beyond imagination. Thereâs no better deal than this in the world. As long as youâre the fateful one, youâll become the overlord of this generation.â
The monk had a way with words. Even the poor cultivators became tempted.
âReally?â Some remained skeptical.
âAbsolutely.â The monk placed his palms together and chanted: âOh Merciful Buddha, Buddhists do not lie. Our founder was poor all his life, a defeated man who couldnât afford rice on the table. However, during his old age, he came across the golden spring and took out a key. This key opened the wooden door so he went inside, finding a supreme fortune. He then started Wish Ward, obtaining both longevity and strength. He ate whatever he wanted and lived for so longâ¦â
People enjoyed hearing the tale of the founder.
âIs this true?â Someone asked after the monk finished the story.
âWho knows? But I think the golden spring really played a part in the founding of Wish Ward.â One old cultivator said softly.
While some hesitated, the big shots have come forward and paid the fee.
âMonk, weâre giving it a shot.â One big shot took a group of juniors along. He tossed a coin pouch at the monk, looking quite ostentatious.
All eyes were on this group now. The big shot and his juniors began searching for things in the spring. Alas, they couldn'tâ find anything.
âWhatâs happening?â The spectators outside were awfully curious.
âItâs deep beyond belief.â The big shot used a special technique that could grasp the stars above. Alas, he reached down the spring and didnât find anything.
âMonk, can we use force?â One junior asked while standing in front of the wooden house. He thought that this door could be forced open with a single kick.
âSure, sure. You only have one chance though so make good use of it, do your best.â The monk smiled.
âBreak!â The junior lunged forward like a divine bull. His sprint issued loud explosions.
âBam!â Finally, he slammed into the wooden door but couldnât break it.
In fact, it was completely untouched. Not a single hint of damage could be found.
âHow?!â The junior couldnât believe it.
âWatch me!â His friend took out a hatchet and began swinging.
âBoom!â The same thing happened. No mark could be found on this seemingly feeble door.
Several more juniors gave it a shot but none knew how to force the door open.
âOpen!â Even the big shot wanted to give it a shot. He summoned an energy mass in the form of a true dragon.
Its draconic aura pushed forward, capable of toppling oceans and mountains. The spectators took a deep breath after sensing this.
âBoom!â The newcomers thought that he had a good chance of breaking the door.
Unfortunately, this powerful blast didnât do a thing to the immovable door. The crowd exchanged glances, thinking that others didnât have a chance.
âElder Shi, your Dragonforce Technique is at perfect mastery.â Untethered Monk praised.
âWhat an embarrassment.â The big shot shook his head: âThis wooden door has been empowered by a peerless supreme. Using force is impossible. The only way is to find a key from the golden spring.â
âYouâre completely right.â The monk smiled: âThere are two methods. One being finding the key, two, being the fateful one. Maybe there are some other methods that we donât know about as well.â
âOur turn.â An influential clan master from Metropolis and his members paid the fee and gave it a shot. These people had no problem paying the fees to test their luck.
What if they could actually do it? They would become extremely rich after spending so little.
âWeâll try ten times each.â The clan master was quite generous and bought his juniors ten chances each.
âAmitabha, I wish you the best of luck.â The monk smiled brightly after taking their money.
The clan spent a lot of effort on both the spring and the door. They employed various methods and techniques. In the end, they didnât find anything.
âDeep beyond imagination.â The clan master concluded.