'Everyone praises gold, but they forget cause and effect. Insatiable greed breeds lifelong hatred, ultimately leading to a golden bird trapped in a cage.' The grey mist dissipates and the silence of the desolate village is replaced by a cacophony of voices and the sultry aroma of luxury. This is the capital's most infamous den of iniquity: the 'Jubaoge' (Treasure Pavilion).
The buildings here are entirely covered in gold leaf; even the wind chimes under the eaves are made of pure gold, their crisp clinking carrying with it a suffocating sense of oppression. The pedestrians on the street have ruddy complexions, but their eyes gleam with a strange, almost frenzied desire.
'Can you smell it?' Jinling sniffs hard, scrunching up her chubby face. 'Such a strong "greed" smell! The air here is thick with gold dust — one breath and you'll lose three years of your life!'
A richly dressed merchant, looking utterly dejected, bumps into you, clutching a small pure gold bird tightly in his arms. The bird had no feathers; each 'feather' was a fine, dense golden thread.'Look closely, Source Tracer.' He was still being sarcastic. 'These are the beings you want to save. They are not controlled by demons; they willingly become nourishment for the golden bird. If you want to quell your obsession, will you persuade this greedy ghost to let go, or kill this 'beast' that only knows how to repay kindness?" With that, he pointed his broken jade ruler at a dark window on the top floor of the Treasure Pavilion, where a pair of greedy, resentful eyes were staring coldly at you.
From the moment you stepped into the Treasure Pavilion, the sweet, cloying scent of incense seemed almost tangible. The floor tiles were inlaid with deep-sea pearls, and each step produced a smooth grinding sound.
'Oh! Sir, you look unfamiliar.' An elderly man who appeared to be a steward greeted you with a beaming smile. His narrow eyes swept over your white jade belt before widening like a ruffled flower. "Have you taken a fancy to the common things downstairs, or would you like to broaden your horizons on the third floor?"
Before you could answer, the ghostly figure behind you snorted coldly. He had transformed into a gloomy-faced attendant, and the chill emanating from him made the steward shiver involuntarily. 'My master only looks at "living" things.' The ghostly figure's voice was low yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
You are led to a secret chamber on the third floor.
"Want something 'alive'? Easy." The red-robed man chuckled hoarsely and drew blood from his fingertip, which he then fed to the bird king. 'But the Treasure Pavilion's rules state that to see something alive, you must first stake your "luck".' He pointed to a strange set of scales on the table, with a mountain of gold on the left and an empty right.
'Stake your karma,' the spirit whispered in your ear, with a hint of amusement in its tone. 'If you lose, the golden bell will become a specimen, and you will become the next rusty iron chain in this pavilion.'
The man in red robes scoffed as he prepared to adjust the scales. However, he failed to notice the ghost behind him slowly raising his right hand, a cold, eerie command rune flashing in his dark eyes. To him, the scales of the mortal world were for gambling with gold and silver, but he weighed "sin" on his own scales.
'You've chosen the wrong person to weigh cause and effect here,' thought the ghost coldly. With a slight movement of his fingertips, an invisible aura instantly enveloped the scales.
The man in red robes pressed the mechanism with unwavering certainty. Instead of tilting under the weight of the gold mountain, the left side was suppressed by a thunderbolt, firmly held down by the small fragment on the right.
'Impossible!' the man in the red robes cried out. He frantically piled gold bricks onto the left side, but no matter how many he added, the scales remained unmoved.
Influenced by the aura of the scales, the 'Bird King' in the man's hands suddenly began to struggle violently. Black blood oozed from its crimson-gold eyes.
'Since you've lost, leave your life behind!' Seeing the bet collapse, the red-robed man went mad with rage. He ripped open his chest and the 'Bird King' pierced his heart. His previously emaciated human form instantly swelled and layers of sharp, golden, knife-like feathers sprouted from his skin.
'Tsk, insatiable greed has turned him into a bird-man.' Jinling jumped off your shoulder and reverted to her cub tiger form. She stood in front of you and roared at the mutated red-robed man. 'The Source Tracer! This guy has merged with the spirit — he's the 'Source of Greed' of the Treasure Pavilion now!"
The Yin Spirit crossed her arms and retreated into the shadows. Her tone was laced with amusement. 'You asked me to help you, and I've already helped you win the bet. Now, for the 'dirty work', are you planning to use your gentle compassion to reform this madman or...?"Book of Rebirth – Battle Prompt
Enemy Target Status: Weakness: Greed
Golden Feather Puppet: Berserk/Fusion
Status: The 'Golden Bird' in the heart's original core resonates. The Foolish Young Man's Longevity in the book senses the battle aura and requests a defensive buff through the wooden comb.
You observe the twisted, golden-feathered monster calmly, a mocking smile playing on your lips.
'Golden Bell, return everything it just swallowed to him, along with all the "luck" in this room.'
"Alright! Since he wants it so badly, I'll give him his fill!" Golden Bell lets out a deafening roar like a tiger. It opens its massive mouth, and the fragments of spiritual energy and immense 'luck' that it swallowed earlier transform into a blinding golden torrent and surge madly towards the red-robed man.
At first, the red-robed man's mutated body shuddered, then he revealed a morbid ecstasy and opened his arms greedily to absorb the life-altering fortune.
'More... give me more! I'm the richest man in the capital! I'm a god!' However, the weight of cause and effect is something that mortals can never bear. As the fortune poured in, the 'Bird King' burrowing in his heart sensed the call of its kind. It was no longer a killing blade, but a deadly magnet.
In the attic, the gold foil embedded in the walls, the pearls scattered across the floor and the gold coins that had been dropped by the diners seemed to be drawn by some frenzied force as they surged towards the red-robed man like a tidal wave.
'No... no! Too heavy!
Book of Rebirth – Ending: The greedy have no place to stand. Conclusion of Cause and Effect: The Treasure Pavilion Master fed birds with human flesh and ultimately drowned in gold. One cannot take ten thousand taels of gold with them at birth or at death; only karmic debts remain. The golden bird departs, the Treasure Pavilion collapses and the city's gold dust scatters into a fleeting dream.
[Reward obtained] Card seal: Spirit – Golden Bird (Skill: Luck Perception; often stays with the young Changsheng in the central world of the card album, weaving flower baskets with golden threads.
Karma Value: +20 (Current total: 35/100).
[Bond Resonance Map: Heart World Dynamics]
In the 'Heart World' of the album, the golden bird quietly lands on the shoulder of 'Young Changsheng'. Young Changsheng used the straw that he had originally intended to give to Axiu to weave a small nest for the golden bird. Meanwhile, Jinling slumped in your sea of consciousness, patting her belly and burping. 'Burp... I'm exhausted. But seriously, the moment that guy was buried in gold, I think I saw Yinling smirking. He must be a repressed pervert!'
Yinling ignored Jinling. He stood on the ruins of the collapsed Treasure Pavilion, looking at the devastation, and whispered to you, "
"Ignorance" and "greed" are both recorded, but the most difficult cause and effect to sever in this world is often not these evil things, but the so-called "gods". In the next chapter, we're going to a place where there's a false god who preaches nothing but benevolence and righteousness. Do you still dare to lead the way?"You put away the 'Book of Rebirth', and before you are ruins. Behind you, crowds are gradually awakening, only to discover that they have lost all their wealth, causing them to wail in despair.