Chapter 101: Hard Work Brings Wealth

If a woman becomes happier because of another man, you should reflect on why you cannot make her happier, rather than blaming her—or him.

Don’t you think so, Yuan Shijie?

Zheng Fa stared at Yuan Shijie, trying to convey this life truth through his gaze.

Unfortunately, Yuan Shijie clearly didn’t grasp his deeper meaning; instead, she pointed at the desk piled high with ledgers and groaned in despair: “Three days! I haven’t left this room for three whole days!”

Clearly, for Yuan Shijie, who preferred to be a hands-off boss, being locked in a room to tally accounts was pure torture.

Zheng Fa followed her finger and saw that the ledgers didn’t just occupy the desk—they were stacked haphazardly on the floor, flaunting their sheer volume. The workload was immense.

It made sense: the Jiushan Sect had to tax every transaction in the marketplace, and ledgers were essential.

Unfortunately… the marketplace was extremely bustling. Not counting the shops, even the hundreds of small stalls generated astronomical daily trade volumes.

Seeing Zheng Fa silent, Yuan Shijie reached out, snatched up a ledger, and shoved it into his hands. “Sister says you’re good with numbers. Since you stole Zhang Shijie’s duties, these are all yours now!”

Then…

“If you won’t agree, fine—but why sneak attack me with a Thunder Talisman?” Yuan Shijie pulled her hand back, frowned at Zheng Fa, her face flushed with anger: “If you’re going to ambush me, use a stronger one! That was like scratching an itch—do you think I’m not worth it?”

Wait, are you angry because you got shocked—or because the shock was too weak?

“Sister, forgive me. My Five Thunder Dharma Body is still new—I haven’t mastered control yet,” Zheng Fa explained.

“Five Thunder Dharma Body? You’ve refined your skin? That technique usually takes seven days to show results.” Yuan Shijie blinked, tilted her head, and began counting on her fingers as if recalling something: “Didn’t Sister give you the Black Thunder Stone three days ago? Did I miscount seven days of accounts? Am I really this diligent…? Impossible.”

…You know yourself too well.

Yuan Shijie realized it didn’t make sense. Even if she got lost in accounts, she wouldn’t miscount the days.

“You refined your skin in three days?” She scanned Zheng Fa up and down: “When the Sect Master reached this stage, it took him seven days.”

Yuan Shijie looked at Zheng Fa with astonishment, as if she knew the Sect Master intimately: “Could you really be a genius at cultivating the Five Thunder Dharma Body?”

Behind Zheng Fa, Han Qi and the other two exchanged glances—they’d just heard something monumental.

Spread the word: Zheng Fa’s talent surpasses the Sect Master’s!

Zheng Fa was about to protest modestly when Yuan Shijie’s cold voice cut in: “Even if the Sect Master came today, he’d have to help me tally these accounts!”

“This… these ledgers concern the entire marketplace. I’m just a new disciple—isn’t it inappropriate?”

Zheng Fa wanted to refuse.

He hadn’t wanted to be stuck with Zhang Shijie’s monthly problem sets!

He was the victim here, wasn’t he?

“Don’t want to agree?”

“Disciple is truly unfit for such a task.”

“Five spirit stones per month.”

“To assist Sister, Disciple cannot refuse!”

Zheng Fa gripped the ledgers tightly, using his action to demonstrate his dedication to the sect.

…

Evening. Zheng Fa’s small courtyard.

After a full day of tallying accounts, Zheng Fa held a talisman brush and carefully traced patterns onto talisman paper.

Though he earned five spirit stones monthly helping Yuan Shijie, it clearly wasn’t enough to cover his need for Nianyuan Pills.

More importantly, it was an unstable side job.

Yuan Shijie didn’t seem reliable—she acted on whims. Who knew when she might change her mind?

Or what if Zhang Shijie got the urge again and decided to reclaim the ledgers for fun?

Zheng Fa resolved: he must rely on his own hands—work hard and grow rich!

Tally accounts by day, work by night, cultivate after midnight—as long as you don’t die from overwork, work until you drop.

When he returned, he’d inquired about the price of Xuan-grade talismans in the marketplace.

Though Jiushan Sect had many Xuan-grade talisman masters, Xuan-grade talismans were still far more valuable than the flood of Huang-grade ones.

Depending on the type, prices ranged from five talismans per spirit stone to three talismans per spirit stone.

Zheng Fa estimated his daily spiritual energy could produce three talismans—his monthly income would be roughly twenty to thirty spirit stones.

Once his cultivation deepened, he’d earn even more.

To Foundation Establishment Xuan-grade talisman masters, this might not be much.

But I’m Qi Refining!

A thirty-year-old earning ten thousand a month and a three-year-old earning ten thousand a month—could they be the same?

…

Han Qi, accompanied by his two followers, was walking toward Zheng Fa’s courtyard.

He carried a box half his height, moving slowly—mainly because the two behind him kept stopping and dragging him back.

“Brother Han, aren’t we keeping anything?”

The tall, thin one asked, staring at the box with obvious reluctance.

“If you want to take your own money back, take it now,” Han Qi said after a pause. “I’m giving mine—but you don’t have to join me.”

“We’ve been brothers for decades—haven’t we always done everything together?” The tall one’s face flushed red: “When you said you’d leave Jiushan Sect, we followed without hesitation! When you said you’d stay, we stayed too! But this is our lifetime’s savings—give it all to Zheng Fa? Is it worth it?”

“I don’t know,” Han Qi sighed. “I don’t truly understand what kind of person he is.”

“But I know he’s deeply favored by Zhang Shijie.”

“What’s Zhou Qianyuan’s status? Still, he’s trying to curry favor with Zheng Fa.”

“More importantly, he’s mastered the Five Thunder Dharma Body—something no one has achieved in a thousand years—and he’s doing it faster than the Sect Master!” Han Qi spoke slowly, each word deliberate: “Even Yuan Shijie is rushing to give him spirit stones!”

“Give him spirit stones?” The tall one blinked. “Isn’t that his pay for tallying accounts?”

“Bullshit! How many years have we worked for Yuan Shijie? Did we ever get paid?” Han Qi cursed: “Five spirit stones! I’d eat the ledgers if she asked!”

…

Seeing the two silent, Han Qi added: “We’ve talked about leaving for years—but where would we go? Jiushan Sect is our home. If we can find a patron here, even without great wealth, just peace and safety—I don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave either.”

“I have no family left.”

The other two nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. I thought Zheng Fa would need time to grow, but he entered as an Xuan-grade talisman master and already mastered the Five Thunder Dharma Body. Now is the time—he’s short on funds. If we miss this chance, it’ll be too late.”

The tall one nodded slowly, convinced.

But his gaze lingered on the box with reluctance.

“We saved all this over decades,” he said mournfully. “Brother, open it again—just one last look!”

Han Qi sighed and opened the box.

Inside was nearly an entire chest of gold.

On top lay a dozen spirit stones.

The tall one caressed each of the dozen spirit stones one by one, as if bidding them farewell.

“Come on,” Han Qi gritted his teeth, slamming the lid shut. “You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a child!”

As the three reached Zheng Fa’s courtyard gate, they saw someone they’d rather not meet knocking on the door.

Zhou Qianyuan!

The three exchanged glances—all sensing bad omens.

“Is Zheng Shixiong inside?” Zhou Qianyuan knocked and called out.

Zheng Fa opened the door, first seeing Zhou Qianyuan, then noticing Han Qi and the others farther back.

“What do you want?”

“I heard you’re short on funds right now,” Zhou Qianyuan smiled, unfastening a sleek black storage pouch from his waist. “I happen to have some extra spirit stones—I’m worried I won’t be able to spend them.”

He opened the pouch, and a small box appeared in his hand.

“Here are forty spirit stones. Please don’t refuse.”

Zheng Fa stared, stunned by Zhou Qianyuan’s earnest words.

Is this the value of a Nascent Soul disciple’s favor?

Could spirit stones ever be too plentiful?

The tall one behind Han Qi whispered: “Brother, his kid’s made of spirit stones.”

Hearing this, Han Qi instinctively hid the box of their lifetime savings behind him, feeling suddenly ashamed.

“You three…”

Zheng Fa glanced from the box, which bulged despite Han Qi’s slightly chubby frame, to his awkward expression—and understood their intent.

Wait, we’re working hard to earn our own money, aiming for self-reliance.

And you come here with spirit stones to corrupt me?

He looked between the two groups, frowned, and said: “Please, come in.”

The four entered the room.

Zheng Fa first looked at Han Qi and the others: “What’s in your box?”

Han Qi clenched his teeth and opened it: “This is our lifetime’s savings…”

Zheng Fa looked inside. The spirit stones were one thing—but the gold was scattered in uneven chunks, large and small.

Clearly, it had been painstakingly saved, bit by bit.

“Brother Han, I appreciate your kindness—but I cannot accept this.”

He shook his head at Han Qi and the others.

The three men’s expressions darkened, and they all glanced at Zhou Gan.

From their expressions, it seemed they felt their box of offerings looked too meager beside Zhou Gan’s forty spirit stones, and that Zheng Fa had dismissed them.

“As for Brother Zhou…” Zheng Fa now turned to look at Zhou Gan; “no merit, no reward—take your spirit stones back.”

“Brother Zheng?” Zhou Gan exclaimed urgently.

But Zheng Fa’s expression was resolute.

He certainly wanted the spirit stones.

But these came from these four—he felt he could not accept them.

When someone offers a gift, they always seek something in return.

Han Qi and the other two had brought their entire life savings.

Though Zhou Gan was wealthy, Zheng Fa had never figured out why this man was subtly trying to curry favor with him.

Given his status and talent, such flattery could not be trivial.

Seeing Zheng Fa reject even Zhou Gan’s spirit stones, Han Qi and the others suddenly brightened—they now knew Zheng Fa wasn’t rejecting them for offering too few spirit stones.

Han Qi glanced at the two beside him, then stood up straight and said: “Brother Zheng, we three came here today seeking your protection…”

Zheng Fa blinked, looking at the three.

“We know our talents are humble, but if you’ll accept us, we swear to give our lives, to serve you as loyal dogs and horses!”

Zheng Fa looked at the three; their expressions were earnest.

In truth, the other two had been hesitant at first, but now, under Zhou Gan’s competition, their faces were filled with fear that Zheng Fa might refuse.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then said to the three: “Brothers, you’re too kind—I’d be grateful for any help you’re willing to give.”

He had already been thinking that selling his talismans would be troublesome—especially since he had to go account for Sister Yuan during the day.

Han Qi and the others looked up in shock, as if they couldn’t believe their ears.

Beside them, Zhou Gan stared at Zheng Fa.

“Brother Zheng, you… don’t like clever people or those with high talent, do you?” Zhou Gan’s voice brimmed with grievance: “Is it my fault I’m talented?”

Han Qi and the other two slowly turned their heads toward Zhou Gan.

If it weren’t for your talent, you’d be getting beaten for talking like that.