Chapter 633: Become a Loan Shark

"Many thanks, Little Martial Uncle."

Li Li Qingyun bowed once more, a hint of marvel stirring in his heart.

Back in their day, that batch of Dragon Phoenix List candidates had, to this very day, produced three Jin Dan cultivators — a truly strange and wondrous thing.

It was only a pity that, apart from himself, Xiang Qiyu Sect had been unable to make full use of them.

"Your master has been doing well these past years; he is currently pursuing his own Great Dao of the Nascent Soul."

Jiang Ding knew exactly what was weighing on his mind and offered comfort: "Although danger is never far, and death could come at any moment, there really is a sliver of a chance to attain the Dao — far better than that ancestor from two thousand years ago.

For us cultivators of immortality to have such an opportunity is a blessing; do not worry on his behalf."

Unlike his own half-collaborative path of growth,

Li Li Qingyun had truly received Bai Mei True Person's wholehearted, devoted cultivation, treated like his own child, and after many years living in Xiang Qiyu Sect, cherished by all above and below, his affection for the sect was naturally different.

"So long as Master is still alive, that is enough."

A stone lifted from Li Li Qingyun's heart; he said joyfully.

"What are your plans from here on?"

Jiang Ding asked casually: "You may take up the post of Xiang Qiyu Sect's Sect Master or Supreme Elder; I will allocate a portion of the industries and spirit veins for the sect's daily needs. From now on, there should be no more outside enemies."

During the process of Gong Gong Caiyu leading the Dao Soldiers to sweep through General General Heishi's State of Yue, rule was re-established and every region brought under control.

"This disciple plans to cultivate in peace."

Li Li Qingyun said respectfully: "Once I have cultivated to Jin Dan Zhong Qi, and raised the next generation of Jin Dan cultivators for the sect, I will leave the Three States and head north to the Northern Plains to follow Master in seeking the Dao. Even in death, I shall not regret it."

"That is fine too; a person must always look forward."

Jiang Ding nodded: "When you have spare time from cultivation, travel about and help me handle the various mundane affairs in each region. Many matters simply cannot be dealt with without a Jin Dan cultivator."

"If you run into any doubts in cultivation, the two of us may discuss them together. It would be best if both sides gained something, but the interval should be no less than three years."

"Yes, Little Martial Uncle!"

Li Li Qingyun was overjoyed.

The two chatted idly for a while, and Li Li Qingyun took his leave respectfully.

Xiang Qiyu Sect had been destroyed and then rebuilt — establishing the sect's grand formation, recruiting and training disciples, building the spirit herb gardens, and so on. The tasks were endless, and everything depended on him, the Jin Dan ancestor, to decide. Lately he had truly been so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

After Li Li Qingyun left,

Jiang Ding thought for a moment, and a flash of spiritual light glimmered from his storage jade pendant.

A ginseng doll, eyes bleary and rubbing itself, appeared before him. Its voice was rough and grumbling: "Why are you waking me up so soon? I only just fell asleep. Don't you know that if a ginseng doesn't sleep well, its lifespan shortens?"

This palm-sized, adorable-looking, gruff-voiced ginseng doll was the Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng that his other avatar, Jin-92, had brought back from Luoxu Sect. Its sap could assist a person in forming a Nascent Soul — enough to drive countless Jin Dan cultivators mad with desire.

"Five whole years, and you've only just lain down… you long-lived races are truly enviable."

Jiang Ding sighed.

"You're only seeing the thief eat meat, never seeing the thief take a beating."

The Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng rolled its eyes: "I've personally seen the spirit ginseng that were planted — surely tens of millions, hundreds of millions of them. Devoured by spirit insects, devoured by spirit beasts, strangled by the roots of weeds, and most of all dug up by you humans to refine into pills… all these years, all these countless ginseng, only I survived and became a Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng. Do you think we have it easy?"

"And on top of that, at my advanced age, I still get caught by you little brat, forced to work, and can't even resist — how wronged I am!"

One could tell that, despite the heavy words, it bore no real sorrow, and did not regard ordinary spirit ginseng as its own kind — much as humans do not regard mammals as their own kind.

"This isn't coercion."

"It's the several thousand years of rent you owe the human race, which I've inherited."

Jiang Ding did not accept its words and said earnestly.

He was righteous, he was kind, and he would never do something like forcibly kidnapping another.

This was beyond doubt.

"Fine, fine, fine, you're stronger than me, so if you say it's rent, then it's rent."

The Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng rolled its eyes again.

"It's good that you see reason."

Jiang Ding smiled slightly and handed it an appointment letter: "You are hereby appointed as Ginseng Counselor of the Agriculture Hall of Tushan Xiancheng, responsible for the planting and tending of the spirit herb gardens of Tushan Xiancheng. You will also occasionally need to inspect the spirit herb gardens in various regions and offer suggestions for improvement. The term is five hundred years."

"Should there be any change in your appointment during this period, you will be notified in advance."

The appointment letter transformed into a streak of flowing light that landed on the ginseng doll's head, becoming a sword-shaped mark before vanishing.

If needed, it could display this mark, and the people within the Tushan Xiancheng system would recognize it, know its identity, and either command it or obey its orders.

A heaven-and-earth spiritual object like the Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng had an extremely strong ability to cultivate and plant spirit herbs. It was expected that within a few years, multiplying the spirit herb output of the Tushan Xiancheng system several times over would be no difficult feat.

"Fine then, I'll go see what subordinates I have."

The Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng, thoroughly bored, vanished in a flash of an earth-dodge technique.

A moment later,

"Oh right,"

a small, adorable head floated up from underground, a touch embarrassed: "Could I get an advance on my salary? The same one you fed me last time."

"That is called Spirit Fertilizer."

"Right, right, right, Spirit Fertilizer."

The Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng rubbed its fingers together: "You said before that I do get a salary, right?"

"You do, but it cannot be advanced."

"Why?"

The Nine-Element Spirit Ginseng was taken aback.

"Because of the rules."

Jiang Ding said coolly: "The regulations of Tushan Xiancheng contain no provision for advancing one's salary. You must wait until the first of January each year to receive it."

"If you want it now, you may borrow it from me — at thirty-six percent interest."

"Three-tenths six?"

"Three-tenths six."

"Why don't you just rob me!"

The Nine Yuan Spirit Ginseng shrieked, bristling with fury: "This is loan-sharking! If you treat your subordinates like this, you'll lose the hearts of the people. I read in the library of the Falling Luo Xu Zong that when you lose the hearts of the people, you lose the realm."

"Interest is not something a great figure like yourself should bring up."

It advised him with earnest, painstaking words: "It's beneath your dignity. Not only should you charge no interest, you should also give me ten years' salary upfront as a gift. The books call this 'buying hearts,' making people willing to die for you. That's what a great figure should do."

"Borrow or not? If not, get out."

Jiang Ding asked again.

"I'll borrow."

The fury vanished from the Nine Yuan Spirit Ginseng's face, and it said in a solemn tone.

"Good. Sign this IOU."

Jiang Ding waved a hand casually, and a great pile of spirit fertilizer rained down from the sky, landing right in front of him.

This had originally been prepared for the Nine Yuan Spirit Ginseng, to replenish the drain from having its juices squeezed out by Han Lin; he had meant to give it to the ginseng after a while.

Still, its willingness to borrow against its wages was naturally for the best.

The Nine Yuan Spirit Ginseng examined the IOU carefully, then scratched out three spirit characters in a signature, the strokes crooked and clumsy.

"This is second-grade spirit fertilizer, suited to ginseng-type spirits."

Jiang Ding took the IOU, glanced at the three characters Chun Chun Sanwa written on it, and smiled: "If you want higher-grade spirit fertilizer, or other types, or even custom-made spirit fertilizer tailored to your liking, that's all negotiable. Only, the price…"

"Bah! Dream on!"

"I won't fall for it."

The Nine Yuan Spirit Ginseng gave a contemptuous laugh, hugged the great pile of spirit fertilizer, burrowed into the ground, and vanished.

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

"You want to lure me in step by step, make me owe you a mountain of money, let the interest compound, and keep me enslaved to you for life. Let me tell you — don't even think about it. Keep on dreaming!"

"Freedom is priceless!"

(End of chapter)