Chapter 107: Help Me

Yuan Shijie’s expression showed deep emotion.

But Zhang Shijie’s gaze grew slightly colder; she looked at Zheng Fa and remained silent for a long while.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: “Yuan Shimei, I wish to speak alone with Zheng Fa.”

Yuan Shijie nodded, giving Zheng Fa a look of concern and pleading, then quietly descended the stairs.

As she went down, she glanced back at Zheng Fa once more, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

When her figure disappeared around the stair corner, Zhang Shijie traced a golden sealing talisman in the air; the talisman shattered into golden specks that swiftly dissipated into the corners of the room.

Zheng Fa felt the room fall utterly silent; the noisy hawking and footsteps from the market below were now blocked by the sealing talisman beyond the door.

The only sound he could hear now was Zhang Shijie’s long, deep breathing.

“Why refuse?” Zhang Shijie asked.

Both knew that Zheng Fa’s earlier words, though seemingly defending Yuan Shijie, were mostly a rejection of Zhang Shijie.

From the start, Zhang Shijie knew Zheng Fa had organized the ledgers; perhaps her purpose in coming today was to hand the market over to him.

“Yuan Shijie works hard.”

Zheng Fa first spoke up in Yuan Shijie’s defense.

When Han Qi first claimed Yuan Shijie was idle, he had believed it.

But after working alongside Yuan Shijie for a while, he realized that though she wasn’t eager with accounts, she still cared about the market.

“I know,” Zhang Shijie nodded, yet her expression remained cold; she continued: “The Bureau of Affairs has two revenue streams—one is the market. If she didn’t care, I’d never have entrusted it to her.”

“Two?”

“Do you think these few spirit stones can sustain the entire Jiushan Sect?” Zhang Shijie glanced at him: “The bulk of Jiushan Sect’s income comes from the Bureau of Affairs buying disciples’ talismans and selling them to other sects of the Bai Xian Alliance.”

Got it—state enterprise and private enterprise!

“Then… why me?”

“I’m short on people, and there’s trouble outside the sect,” Zhang Shijie admitted frankly. “Some tasks I need her to handle; the market must go to someone else…”

Zheng Fa nodded.

“Someone else… I don’t trust,” Zhang Shijie explained, looking at Zheng Fa. “Everyone’s short on spirit materials now. With this much spirit stone passing through, I fear others will get greedy.”

Zheng Fa fell silent; he finally understood why Zhang Shijie was so eager to place a Qi Refining Level Two like him in charge of the market.

It was like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

And it would surely stir up major unrest.

But he believed her assessment of Jiushan Sect’s others—everyone knew how precious spirit stones were now.

“Among my faction in Jiushan Sect… there are only a few I’d say won’t reach for the money,” Zhang Shijie lifted her gaze to Zheng Fa. “Yuan Shimei is one. You are another.”

Zheng Fa froze.

“Sister trusts me this much?”

“Because you’re talented enough not to ruin your future over petty gains.”

Zheng Fa politely declined: “Sister overestimates me.”

“And you’re also timid—that’s the main reason.”

Zhang Shijie added.

…Too soon to thank her.

Zheng Fa thought a moment, then still refused: “I understand your meaning, Sister, but my cultivation level… simply won’t command respect.”

“You’re a Xuan-grade talisman artist. Aside from lacking spiritual power, you’re essentially equal to a Foundation Establishment cultivator,” Zhang Shijie shook her head. “Even if Foundation Establishment is a bit low, it’s barely enough.”

“….”

Seeing Zheng Fa still silent, Zhang Shijie suddenly said: “Whoever disagrees? Beat them until they submit.”

“?”

“I hold the Bureau of Affairs as a Jin Dan—do you think no one questioned me?”

Zhang Shijie gave Zheng Fa a sidelong glance.

True—the Discipline Hall’s head was True Person Pang, a Nascent Soul.

The Bureau of Affairs, controlling Jiushan Sect’s finances, was managed by a Jin Dan like Zhang Shijie.

That likely stirred even more resentment than Zheng Fa taking over the market.

“Since I joined, the Jiushan Sect’s atmosphere has never been good—people have even died in the rivalries within the Talisman Pavilion.”

Zheng Fa blinked in surprise: “…It’s actually better now?”

“Once I beat down the peers of Jiushan Sect, they accepted my rule: no killing.”

Zhang Shijie continued: “I was the fastest Foundation Establishment in Bai Xian Alliance history. Some in Jiushan Sect claimed I was the Bai Xian Alliance’s greatest talisman genius. Naturally, others in the Alliance disagreed. Once I beat down most of their Foundation Establishment cultivators, they accepted the title.”

“After reaching Jin Dan, I took over the Bureau of Affairs. Those Jin Dan true disciples still resented me—I beat down every Jin Dan of my generation.”

Zheng Fa grimaced.

What kind of world-enemy prodigy path is this?

He couldn’t help praising: “Sister, you’re a natural genius—I’m practically brimming with excitement just listening, wishing I could take your place…”

“You could too.”

“Cough, cough—I lack such talent.”

Zheng Fa quickly denied it. Zhang Shijie’s path was hers—not his. He already had too much on his plate: The Talisman Foundation Method, the Five Thunder Body Technique, the Red Sky Scripture, modern talisman research, and the Gaokao…

When would he have time to fight everyone?

The world-enemy path sounded exhausting.

“I’ll help you.”

“?”

Zheng Fa stared at Zhang Shijie, a slow question mark forming above his head.

“Or rather—you help me,” Zhang Shijie said softly, looking at him.

Meeting Zhang Shijie’s gaze, Zheng Fa clenched his teeth and nodded: “I’m willing—but I have one request.”

“Say it.”

“If it’s not urgent, let me co-manage the market with Yuan Shijie for a while.”

“You’re quite thoughtful of her.”

“I want Yuan Shijie to help me hold the ground,” Zheng Fa smiled.

“Fine—it’s not urgent,” Zhang Shijie nodded. “She wants this market post because she was lonely before. Now she enjoys the bustle, wandering the market aimlessly.”

“Lonely?”

“She’s a Qing Luan. Raised by the Sect Master.”

“….”

Zheng Fa’s pupils widened—he recalled the giant bird that had once blocked the sky.

“So Yuan Shijie is…”

“Jin Dan. The Sect Master raised her on Jiushan until she reached Jin Dan, survived her transformation tribulation, then came down for me to train.”

Zheng Fa nodded.

As he looked at Yuan Shijie’s round face downstairs, he couldn’t help recalling the round, plump bird head from before.

Come to think of it, their face shapes really did resemble each other.

Yuan Shijie watched the two nervously.

“Yuan Shimei, Zheng Fa will now oversee the market’s affairs.”

Yuan Shijie’s expression darkened.

But she nodded silently, clearly obedient to Zhang Shijie.

“But Zheng Shidi hopes you’ll stay on a while longer,” Zhang Shijie changed tone, and Yuan Shijie’s face lit up with joy: “Six months. After six months, the market will be fully under Zheng Shidi’s control.”

Had this been said earlier, Yuan Shijie likely wouldn’t have been happy.

But now, it felt like a surprise gift—she grinned ear to ear, eyes vanished in mirth.

“Use these six months to teach Zheng Shidi well.”

Zhang Shijie instructed.

Yuan Shijie grabbed Zheng Fa’s arm: “I’ll teach him properly!”

…

At Han Qi’s stall, Zheng Fa’s Xuan-grade talismans sold out quickly.

Both beside him beamed with delight.

“Brother, our talismans are selling faster than ever!”

“One Xuan-grade with three Huang-grade as bonus? Much better value than before—sells like hotcakes! Brother’s got brains!”

The tall, thin man even complimented Han Qi.

“I bet the other talisman vendors will copy us soon.”

Han Qi shook his head, his expression far from cheerful—he frowned, clearly troubled.

“True, those guys aren’t fools,” the tall man nodded, seeing Han Qi’s worried face, he reassured: “Brother, don’t worry too much—we still have Zheng Shidi’s name. We’ll still outsell the rest.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

Han Qi sighed.

“Then why are you so gloomy?”

“Do you remember Yuan Shijie this morning?”

“Of course I remember!”

“I’m afraid we’ve offended Sister Yuan,” Han Qi said, deeply worried.

“Huh?” The tall, thin man blinked, his face paling: “How did we offend her?”

“Don’t you know how we behave around Sister Yuan?” Han Qi said. “And now, under Brother Zheng’s command, you’re so diligent—such a drastic change. Sister Yuan sees it all; how could she not think something?”

“True. They say it’s hard to deal with women and petty men… Will she give us trouble?”

Han Qi fell silent for a moment: “Sister Yuan is the market supervisor, and her cultivation is deep. Even if she doesn’t give us trouble, offending her is still no good.”

“But isn’t there Brother Zheng?”

The tall, thin man said uneasily.

“Brother Zheng…” Han Qi’s expression grew even more troubled: “I’m afraid the three of us might drag Brother Zheng down, making Sister Yuan blame him.”

“…”

“He’s still just Qi Refining, and besides, Sister Yuan is Sister Zhang’s confidante.”

Hearing this, the smiles on the other two’s faces slowly faded into worry.

“Then, Brother, what should we do?”

“If all else fails, let’s go to Brother Zheng’s home right away and beg his forgiveness, so he can prepare—and go speak to Sister Zhang first,” Han Qi gritted his teeth. “If Brother Zheng punishes us, we’ll accept it!”

“Brother… I don’t think we need to go to Brother Zheng’s house.”

“?”

“Isn’t that Brother Zheng over there?” The tall, thin man pointed in that direction. “You said Sister Yuan might blame him—is that what you meant?”

Han Qi looked up.

Zheng Fa was strolling through the market.

Beside him was a familiar yet strange figure, pointing at the surrounding shops, her face beaming with enthusiasm, talking nonstop.

The three of them couldn’t hear what Sister Yuan was saying, but it didn’t sound like she was scolding.

“Is that… Sister Yuan?”

Han Qi muttered, stunned.

“Her face looks like hers, but her expression doesn’t,” the tall, thin man beside him hesitated.

“…”

“Then, Brother, do we still go to Brother Zheng’s house to beg forgiveness?”

“Forgive a damn thing!” Han Qi slapped the dumb follower beside him.

“How does she act in front of us? How does she act in front of Brother Zheng?”

“How could she dare blame us?”