Chapter 139: Investment

Zheng Fa held the talisman seal and examined it for a long time.

It was a seal, crimson throughout, square and upright, with the Jin Jiafu pattern on it somewhat blurred.

"Li Shixiong, why are you still standing? Please, sit!" Seeing Li Nuo still looking at him anxiously, Zheng Fa said politely: "Tell me properly about this talisman seal."

Li Nuo was stunned, seemingly not expecting Zheng Fa to be so interested in the talisman seal.

He seemed unable to speak, his lips trembling for a long while without a single word coming out.

Zheng Fa misunderstood instead and spoke: "This must be a family secret technique of Li Shixiong; I was presumptuous."

"No, no!" Hearing this, Li Nuo waved his hands repeatedly: "What family secret technique? No one in the Jiushan Sect values this thing..."

As he spoke these words, he could not hide his despondency.

Zheng Weiwei frowned slightly, looking at the talisman seal, somewhat puzzled: "Is there something wrong with this talisman seal?"

Li Shixiong nodded honestly and spoke: "Junior Brother, how do you think this talisman seal is made?"

Zheng Fa glanced at the color of the talisman seal, his tone somewhat uncertain: "Blood?"

"Yes, this talisman seal is actually made by mixing the blood of spiritual beasts," Li Nuo said frankly. "But for every talisman pattern, the type and proportion of spiritual beast blood required differ; if there is any error, an explosion will occur when the talisman pattern is carved onto it."

"... Then for this talisman seal, what are the quantity and grade of the talisman patterns drawn?" Zheng Fa pressed on.

"A cultivator at the Qi Refining First Layer can draw thirty Yellow Grade Jin Jiafu with it in one day."

Zheng Fa felt somewhat enlightened.

He had also thought about the problem of printing talismans.

But after thinking it over, drawing talismans truly cannot be separated from cultivators—talismans require spiritual sense to capture the talisman patterns in the void, and spiritual power to draw the patterns onto talisman paper.

From Zheng Fa's perspective, Qi Refining cultivators are often limited by their spiritual power, so the number of talisman patterns they can draw in a day is finite.

For example, when Zheng Fa was at the Qi Refining First Layer, his daily spiritual power could only draw three talismans.

"So, this talisman seal borrows the spiritual energy within the spiritual beast blood to replace the cultivator's spiritual power?"

Zheng Fa asked.

Li Nuo nodded and spoke: "Junior Brother speaks clearly; it is exactly so."

Zheng Fa gently placed the talisman seal on the table, his face inevitably showing some disappointment—this talisman seal's effect was far worse than he had imagined.

Li Nuo looked at him, his eyes full of anxiety.

"Then I want to ask, how many talismans can one talisman seal produce?" Zheng Fa asked another key question.

Li Nuo's face became even more grim.

"According to my father's estimate, such a talisman seal can print about one thousand Yellow Grade talismans."

"What is the cost of this talisman seal?"

"Six spirit stones."

Li Nuo's voice was even lower.

Zheng Fa calculated; the Jin Jiafu is considered a very common talisman in the Jiushan Sect.

The price is not high; one thousand Yellow Grade Jin Jiafu can sell for about thirty-three spirit stones, perhaps even less.

If you count the loss of talisman paper and spiritual ink, it would still cost about thirty spirit stones.

The net profit would not even reach three spirit stones...

This thing is a pure loss!

Seeming to see that Zheng Fa had figured it out, Li Nuo's face slowly showed a hint of despair.

"Li Shixiong, what did you come to me to do?"

"I..." Li Nuo's voice was barely audible: "I want Junior Brother you to lend me some money..."

"To research the talisman seal?"

"Yes."

Li Nuo lowered his head, seeming to find it hard to bring himself to speak.

"Junior Brother, I don't want much; ten spirit stones a month, no, five spirit stones will suffice."

"If there is a new talisman seal, perhaps this cost can be lowered."

"By then, Junior Brother you holding the talisman seal will be able to earn... earn money..."

Li Nuo could not continue speaking there.

He suddenly thought of Zheng Fa's current identity—Disciple of the Sect Master, deeply trusted by Shijie Zhang, and also a famous genius talisman artist within the sect.

How could he possibly care about such trifles?

"Senior Brother, this matter... let me think it over carefully for a few days."

Hearing this, Li Nuo only felt that this was Zheng Fa's polite refusal.

"Then I will not disturb Junior Brother." He did not beg bitterly, but simply stood up and said gloomily.

"Senior Brother, you probably misunderstood my meaning," Zheng Fa spoke: "I mean, it is improper for me personally to provide funds, but it would be best if the General Affairs Pavilion or the Talisman Pavilion provided the money."

"Ah?" Li Nuo did not understand the distinction in this, but he understood one thing: "Junior Brother, you agreed to lend the money?"

"Lending money is not lending, but investing is possible," Zheng Fa explained. "The Sect provides the money, you provide the talisman seal technology; if we make money later, we will discuss how to split it."

This made Li Nuo understand yet not understand.

What he understood was that some shops in the market do this—hiring a cultivator with technology, such as an alchemist, and then giving them dry shares.

But what he did not understand was that their technology is definitely profitable.

As for his own...

"What if we lose?" He was not confident, speaking: "Would the Sect be willing?"

"Investment always carries risks," Zheng Fa smiled: "Let me state the ugly truth first; if we make money, the Sect will definitely take the vast majority, and the money you get will be negligible in comparison."

Zheng Fa's words did not discourage Li Nuo at all.

"As long as you, junior brother, can get me the money to research the talisman seals, I won't ask for money ever again!"

He said excitedly, his eye circles turning slightly red.

After seeing Li Nuo and the other two off, Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then walked toward Senior Sister Zhang's small courtyard.

Only now did he remember that except for the day the previous Talisman Law Pavilion lecturer took office, he hadn't seen Senior Sister Zhang for quite a few days these past few days, and he felt a bit unaccustomed to it.

He also didn't know what Senior Sister had been busy with recently.

When he arrived at Senior Sister Zhang's home, he learned that this Senior Sister hadn't been busy with anything at all.

Oh, not exactly; she was busy enjoying herself.

In the small pavilion in Senior Sister Zhang's backyard.

She and Senior Sister Yuan leaned crookedly against the railing.

On the stone table in the small pavilion, there was a full spread of food—vibrant, juice-dripping spiritual fruits, meat jerky that looked very chewy, steaming hot cakes, and preserved fruits in small white ceramic jars.

While eating, the two whispered to each other, talking and laughing, looking just like a gathering of close female friends in the mortal world, free and relaxed.

He had seen Senior Sister Yuan like this before.

But Senior Sister Zhang like this... exceeded Zheng Fa's imagination.

He felt something was wrong somewhere.

"Senior Sister Zhang... you this..."

Seeing Zheng Fa walk in, the two Senior Sisters were not surprised; Senior Sister Yuan even waved at him.

As soon as Zheng Fa stepped into the small pavilion, Senior Sister Yuan stuffed a spiritual fruit into his hand.

"Is it tasty?"

Watching Zheng Fa swallow the fruit flesh in his mouth, Senior Sister Yuan asked with a smile.

"Tasty." Zheng Fa nodded sincerely; this spiritual fruit was not only tasty, he could even feel that as soon as this mouthful of fruit flesh entered his throat, it directly transformed into a stream of pure spiritual power, making the spiritual power in his dantian a notch deeper.

"This mouthful costs five spirit stones." Senior Sister Zhang suddenly spoke: "Remember to pay me back."

"..." Zheng Fa held the spiritual fruit, opened his mouth, and looked at his stomach.

As if he wanted to spit that mouthful of fruit flesh back out.

Looking at Senior Sister Zhang again, he found she had a smile on her face; the previous sentence was obviously a joke.

But...

Is this the life of a Jin Dan True Person?

Thinking of how Li Nuo had almost knelt before him just for five spirit stones a month.

Zheng Fa's expression inevitably became somewhat complex.

"What are you thinking of?"

Zheng Fa didn't hide it; he came to find Senior Sister Zhang to discuss Li Nuo's matter.

His idea was that funding Li Nuo's research was actually a small matter.

But this matter required establishing a rule—how to encourage Jiushan Sect disciples to conduct research, who would provide the funds, and how the final profits would be distributed.

There should be a charter for all of this.

Unexpectedly, Senior Sister Zhang directly refused him.

"Li Nuo won't work."

"Ah?" Zheng Fa was stunned, asking: "He and you, Senior Sister..."

"No, his father was also from our lineage before; there are no old grudges. But talisman seals won't work."

Zheng Fa fell silent; looking at Senior Sister Zhang, he knew the other party would not refuse him without reason.

"I know talisman seals require spiritual beast blood." Senior Sister Zhang didn't beat around the bush, stating directly: "Now spiritual beast blood is getting more and more expensive... it's cheaper to hire ten Foundation Establishment disciples."

Good heavens!

Spiritual beast blood is expensive, but the sweat and blood of our Zanjiushan Sect disciples isn't...

What kind of "people inferior to beasts" low-cost advantage.

But Zheng Fa also knew that Senior Sister Zhang was actually right about this matter.

"This junior brother has also thought about it; if the talisman seals still have this efficiency, of course it won't work." Zheng Fa pondered: "But technology always improves; I was thinking this investment isn't large, and perhaps in the future it can reduce costs and improve efficiency."

Zheng Fa's mindset was actually quite good.

He wanted to fund talisman seal research mainly because this kind of thinking about increasing productivity was too rare in the Xuanwei Realm—as for guaranteeing that this thing would succeed, he wasn't sure either.

But research, who can guarantee one hundred percent success?

"If it really is as you say, then it's even worse." Unexpectedly, Senior Sister Zhang shook her head and said: "Li Nuo has a very bad reputation in the market; do you know why?"

"I don't know."

"Once these talisman seals come out, won't those talisman masters have no work to do?"

"..."

Zheng Fa finally understood why Senior Sister Zhang was not very approving as soon as she heard Li Nuo's name.

Every time new technology appears, it causes a group of people to suffer losses in their interests.

The ones most affected by talisman seals are these Jiushan Sect talisman masters.

Especially since at least half of the Foundation Establishment disciples within the sect rely on drawing talismans to survive...

The spiritual materials for making spiritual talismans are also limited, and the demand in the Xuanwei Realm is not endless—this leads to the fact that after talisman seals appear, they will likely cause talisman masters to lose their jobs.

"If it were someone else, and you said you wanted to fund him, I would have nothing to say." Senior Sister Zhang said: "If it is Li Nuo... at least the General Affairs Pavilion will not provide funds."

Zheng Fa nodded silently.

The General Affairs Pavilion has a close relationship with the talisman masters and must certainly take care of these talisman masters' feelings.

The cultivators of the Xuanwei Realm are, in the final analysis, either farmers or artisans.

Therefore, it is inevitable that they harbor an attitude of treasuring their own brooms.

Regarding some new techniques, they are not as pleased to see them succeed as Zheng Fa is.

Especially when... this group possesses not only the desire to maintain their own interests but also the martial strength to do so.

Even Senior Sister Zhang, who had suppressed her contemporaries all the way without ever fearing anyone,

would advise Zheng Fa to think deeply.

Seeing that Zheng Fa understood, Senior Sister Zhang comforted him, saying, "It is good that you have this idea, but this matter..."

"I still want to give this a try."

Zheng Fa suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

"Senior Sister Zhang, just as Senior Uncle Pang said... the Xuanwei Realm is about to fall into chaos."

Zheng Fa explained.

Senior Sister Zhang's eyes deepened slightly.

"In the past, having this or not made little difference, but if a real fight breaks out..." Zheng Fa explained, "a technique capable of rapidly producing spirit talismans could change the course of the battle."

"Just this thing? It can only draw Yellow-grade talismans right now..."

Senior Sister Yuan muttered.

"Perhaps it cannot, but just as you said, Senior Sister Zhang, the paths of our predecessors have been exhausted. We must try a different route... it is worth a try."

Senior Sister Zhang fell silent for a moment, then still shook her head.

Zheng Fa felt a bit disappointed in his heart; he understood Senior Sister Zhang's refusal.

Indeed... the issue with talisman printing now was no longer cost, but that it would offend nearly every talisman master in the Jiushan Sect, yet might yield no good result.

"You do not need to show your face; I will handle it."

"Ah?"

"Your cultivation is still too low; offending these disciples is not a good thing," Senior Sister Zhang said softly. "I will provide the spirit stones; even if they have complaints, they will have to swallow them."

Senior Sister Yuan looked at Zheng Fa, then at Senior Sister Zhang, her mouth hanging open.

She suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Senior Sister, I also have an idea, but I lack some spirit stones..."

Senior Sister Zhang just looked at her without speaking.

"..." Senior Sister Yuan popped a piece of preserved fruit into her mouth, silently stopping her own words.

Looking at Senior Sister Zhang, Zheng Fa felt that if things continued like this, he would have no choice but to tearfully offer himself in marriage.