Fortunately, he perceived that the eyeball itself held no offensive power and managed to restrain the impulse.
"What... is this?" Jiao Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, unable to resist asking.
"This is a memento of my senior brother," Li Fan said, his tone tinged with melancholy. "That man is gone, and this object serves no purpose by my side anymore. Looking upon it only invites sorrow, a painful reminder. Thus, I wish to entrust it to a destined individual. A pity the Tianxuan Mirror lacks discernment, offering a paltry sum. It is truly an insult to my brother's memory.
"Thus, I divined the heavenly mechanisms, seeking one qualified to receive it. That search led me here, to you, Fellow Daoist Jiao," Li Fan explained slowly.
Li Fan was not lying.
Within the ruins of the Heavenly Mechanisms Sect in the Hundred Stones Grotto-Heaven, aside from techniques and ancient texts, Li Fan had gained two other things.
One was the eyeball he now held.
The Tianxuan Mirror had appraised it as a Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye, an existence akin to a Curio of heaven and earth, an aggregation of natural laws.
It was said that if a cultivator absorbed and refined it, they would gain the ability to see through falsehoods and glimpse the future.
Logically, such a treasure should command an astronomical price.
Unfortunately, this particular Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye had already been refined once before by a cultivator.
The pure laws of heaven and earth had been tainted by that cultivator's aura and karma.
Moreover, several millennia had passed since then. The world had undergone cataclysmic changes, and the very laws of the world had shifted dramatically from ancient times.
Under the dual influence of these two factors, the Stone Eye's power of divination was greatly diminished.
Hitting the mark once out of ten attempts would already be cause for celebration.
Hence, the Tianxuan Mirror had offered just sixty thousand contribution points as a buyback price.
This object was of little use to Li Fan, who could already perceive events beforehand, and he also had no pressing need for those sixty thousand contribution points. So, he had kept it on his person all the while.
Now, it served as the perfect item to establish a connection with this Jiao Xiuyuan.
"So, Fellow Daoist Jiao, do you recognize this object?" Li Fan asked pointedly.
Jiao Xiuyuan stood frozen for a moment, then let out a derisive snort. "How could I not know this thing? It's just a Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye."
He pondered for another moment before adding, "I should inform you, Fellow Daoist, the Tianxuan Mirror's low offer is not without reason.
"While the item is rare, if you wish to sell it for a good price, I'm afraid you'd need to find the right buyer."
Li Fan replied, "I understand that perfectly well. That is precisely why I've come to you, Fellow Daoist Jiao."
In one swift motion, he tossed the Delusion-Dispelling Stone Eye over. "I believe you will certainly be able to find a suitable new master for it, Fellow Daoist."
"Please, do me this favor. Half of the proceeds from the sale will be yours. What do you say?"
Jiao Xiuyuan's eyes lit up. "Deal!"