Chapter 127
“Originally, we planned to visit three sects and two markets, but after one sect, this boat is almost full…” Han Qi said with a hint of helplessness, “When we go to other places, there are still people willing to pay for the ride.”
“…”
The boat sent by Jiu Shan Sect had a limited capacity, accommodating at most three hundred cultivators. Before the premiere of "Rescue the Little Cultivator Pang Qian," each transport boat could only bring in about a hundred cultivators. Sometimes, it didn’t even fill half the boat.
But this time, it was bustling.
“Zheng Shidi, what do you think… Should we send a few more transport boats?” Han Qi suggested.
Zheng Fa glanced at Senior Sister Zhang beside him and replied to Han Qi, “Let’s discuss this. You’ve worked hard on the way; go back and rest for now.”
Hearing this, Han Qi cupped his hands in respect to the three and exited the small building.
Senior Sister Zhang said nothing, merely leaning against the window.
The cultivators who disembarked from the transport boat, after buying tickets at the theater, found themselves with nothing to do. To pass the time, they wandered around the market.
As the saying goes—since they’re here, they might as well enjoy it.
Moreover, those willing to pay to watch "Rescue the Little Cultivator Pang Qian" were more inclined to spend than the previous group of outsiders—after all, the earlier cultivators came for the cheap spirit talismans and free transport.
This new group was willing to pay a relatively higher price to watch a play.
Though they were all from the same boat, their spending mindset made a world of difference in the revenue for Jiu Shan Sect’s market.
Watching the lively market below, Senior Sister Zhang gently nodded to Zheng Fa, “Zheng Shidi, you’ve done a great job with the play…”
“Senior Sister, in the future, our Jiu Shan Sect will be wealthier.”
Zheng Fa suddenly said.
“Hmm?”
“In the future, if you want to research anything, you won’t need to rely on the sect’s resources.”
This statement left Senior Sister Zhang in silence for a long time.
Zheng Fa continued, “Jiu Shan Sect lacks resources; we just need to earn from the outside. That way, Uncle Pang won’t mind.”
“...Zheng Shidi, I just realized I have some matters to attend to.”
After a long pause, Senior Sister Zhang finally spoke to Zheng Fa, her expression seemingly unchanged.
“Farewell, Senior Sister.”
Senior Sister Zhang, accompanied by Yuan Shijie, landed in her backyard, seemingly lost in thought as she gazed at the waterfall cascading down the mountain.
“Senior Sister, if you want to laugh, just go ahead,” Yuan Shijie sighed, looking at Senior Sister Zhang, “Your lips are curling up like that.”
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 135: Politeness
“I heard Zheng Shidi is going to give a lecture at the Talisman Hall tomorrow.”
As Han Qi was walking towards the market, a tall, thin figure suddenly spoke up.
“A lecture?” Han Qi was a bit curious; he genuinely didn’t know about this. “Zheng Shidi is giving a lecture?”
“Yeah, I heard he’s now a lecturer at the Talisman Hall,” the tall, thin figure shared the news he had gathered.
“Then we should go support Zheng Shidi tomorrow, just in case something happens.”
Han Qi pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Senior Brother, what do you mean?”
“You know how things are at the Talisman Hall; it’s easy for trouble to brew!” Han Qi said with some concern. “After all, Zheng Shidi is still in the Qi Refining stage. He can handle those new disciples in the same stage, but the previous lecturers were all Foundation Establishment seniors. I’m worried they might ostracize Zheng Shidi.”
The tall, thin figure nodded silently, just as he was about to say something.
A man suddenly walked past them, his head down and his steps hurried, as if he feared lingering too long would draw attention.
He seemed not to notice Han Qi and the others, bumping into the tall, thin figure with a thud.
Caught off guard, the tall figure stumbled forward and looked up, glaring at the man.
“Hey? Li Shixiong?” the tall figure exclaimed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
This Li Shidi was wearing a coarse cloth uniform of Jiu Shan Sect, the cuffs slightly faded—quite rare in Jiu Shan Sect.
Most disciples didn’t wash their clothes much.
On one hand, even if they wanted to wash, most would choose to use cleansing talismans; a yellow-grade talisman could clean them inside and out—like taking a bath while wearing clothes, effectively washing them at the same time.
Of course, in a cleaner version.
But more importantly, while the lower-tier disciples were considered poor in Jiu Shan Sect, they were still much wealthier than the common folk.
Cloth, a product that didn’t require spirit materials for production, was extremely cheap in the market.
It was quite common for Jiu Shan Sect disciples to simply throw away dirty clothes and buy new ones.
Most disciples, aside from those with peculiar habits, actually dressed quite decently.
But Han Qi and the others knew that this Li Shixiong was genuinely poor.
Li Shixiong looked up at the three, pulling his sleeves in slightly, a hint of embarrassment on his face.
“Li Shixiong, where are you off to?” Han Qi asked with a friendly tone, cupping his hands in greeting.
Seeing Han Qi’s spirited demeanor and the uniform of a market enforcement disciple, Li Shixiong felt even more embarrassed. He lowered his eyes and said, “I… I’m going to the market to find some work.”
“Then you’ve picked a good day!” Han Qi chuckled.
“A good day?”
“Today, a lot of outsiders have come to the market, and they’re willing to spend! If you work at the dock all day, you could earn two or three times what you usually do.”
“Really?” Li Shixiong seemed unfamiliar with the current changes in the market. “Then… I’ll be on my way.”
“Take your time, no rush!” Han Qi reminded.
Watching him walk away, the tall figure suddenly sighed, “Senior Brother, how did Li Shixiong end up like this?”
Han Qi was silent for a moment before shaking his head, “Honestly, among the few seniors we followed before, Li Shixiong had the best temperament and was quite understanding… He has decent talent, but he’s always been obsessed with talisman seals.”
“I heard that Li Shixiong’s father was also from our Jiu Shan Sect… and had some connection with Senior Sister Zhang’s master?”
The tall figure pondered aloud.
“Right, Li Shixiong’s father was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and their family has always been aligned with Senior Sister Zhang’s lineage,” Han Qi explained. “But Li Shixiong’s father died due to a talisman explosion, taking several other disciples with him, which led to their downfall… It’s no surprise that Li Shixiong became obsessed with it; he probably invested all his family’s wealth into it.”
Watching Li Shixiong’s figure disappear with his head down in the market, Han Qi couldn’t help but sigh.
When they first followed Li Shixiong, to be honest, life was quite pleasant despite the poverty.
Li Shixiong had a good temper and rarely went out, so he didn’t trouble anyone.
Most of the time, he just had them run errands.
As Li Shixiong’s situation worsened, he naturally couldn’t support the three of them anymore.
But they parted on good terms.
Now that his life seemed to be improving a bit, Han Qi felt a twinge of compassion seeing Li Shixiong’s increasing destitution, a feeling he hadn’t experienced before.
…
Li Shixiong walked through the market, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact with others.
He knew that as soon as he looked up, he would see unfriendly gazes—most of the vendors selling spirit talismans in the market didn’t like him.
Ever since his father passed away, these people had treated him and his father as a joke.
Li Shixiong also knew he wouldn’t find work in the market.
Whether as a helper, a bookkeeper, or even just doing odd jobs, anyone who recognized him from Jiu Shan Sect wouldn’t choose him.
Those who didn’t know him would quickly learn about him from others.
Over time, the disciples of Jiu Shan Sect in the market simply stopped hiring him.
But he did have a way to make money—by going to the dock and finding those unfamiliar with him.
Leading the way or running errands could still earn him a living.
He trudged through the market and reached the dock, only to find that Han Qi and the others were right—there were indeed many more outsiders at the dock.
Soon, a seemingly wealthy middle-aged cultivator hired him, asking him to show him around Jiu Shan Sect.
As they strolled, the middle-aged cultivator asked many questions, clearly curious about various aspects of Jiu Shan Sect.
“Hey, do you know who proposed the free transport boats for Jiu Shan Sect…?” the cultivator inquired.
Li Shixiong was taken aback; he had indeed heard about this—living off the dock, the news about the transport boats was quite the buzz.
“I think it was… Zheng Shidi?”
“Zheng Fa?”
To his surprise, the cultivator immediately named Zheng Fa.
Li Shixiong froze, suddenly feeling a surge of wariness.
He wasn’t foolish; it was clear this person wasn’t just here for fun but was probing for something.
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