Chapter 172: Reward

Hearing Zheng Fa ask this, Lin Lin Bu Fan's expression grew complex.

But Li Nuo visibly sighed in relief.

"Lin Daoxiong hasn't been cooperating much these days," Li Nuo quietly reported on Lin Lin Bu Fan; Zheng Fa turned to glance at the former Mo Sect disciple, whose facial muscles slowly stiffened, revealing a sense of guilt.

It seemed Li Nuo's words were true.

Once he left Jiushan Sect, Li Nuo could no longer control him.

"Tell me about the talisman seals you've tested," Zheng Fa said to Li Nuo, ignoring Lin Lin Bu Fan.

"Previously, I already tested it—Lin Daoxiong's blood has remarkable efficacy on soul-type talisman seals," Li Nuo said eagerly: "At first I made the Soul-Nourishing Seal, then the Soul-Shaking Seal, the Soul-Stab Seal… now, about eight or nine kinds altogether."

"Soul-type… what about other types of talisman seals?"

Zheng Fa fell into thought; he had always believed Lin Lin Bu Fan's blood could make soul talismans because of the special spirit runes within it.

"Other types don't work—only soul-related talisman seals are extremely smooth."

"How much blood is needed to make one talisman seal?"

"Including losses, one liter of blood per seal is guaranteed," Li Nuo said after thinking.

"Is the blood of a Foundation Establishment cultivator the same as that of a Qi Condensation cultivator?"

"I don't know—Lin Daoxiong is Foundation Establishment, and his blood produced talisman seals that drew mystic-grade talismans," Li Nuo replied honestly: "I speculate that if it were Qi Condensation, the seals would correspond to yellow-grade talismans."

"I recall you told me before that beast blood can produce a thousand spirit talismans?" Zheng Fa asked, recalling the data Li Nuo had given him.

"The talisman seals made from Lin Daoxiong's blood can only print a hundred mystic-grade talismans," Li Nuo said, his expression somewhat dejected.

Less than beast blood—so this Mo Sect disciple's blood isn't all advantage…

"Besides blood, are there other costs?"

"Yes—talisman paper costs money, spirit ink costs money, the rest are minor," Li Nuo replied honestly: "Almost all are mundane items."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Among the talisman seals Lin Lin Bu Fan's blood can produce, the Soul-Nourishing Seal and the Soul-Stab Seal are relatively valuable.

The others are also slightly more expensive than ordinary spirit talismans—because to most cultivators, the soul remains profoundly mysterious.

He glanced at Lin Lin Bu Fan, a thought forming in his mind—could the Great Zizai Demon Ancestor have made special breakthroughs in the soul domain?

Lin Lin Bu Fan, under his gaze, grew even more fearful, bowing his head and confessing: "Young Master, I was wrong!"

Zheng Fa looked at him, saying nothing.

No one willingly gives blood.

But this was Lin Lin Bu Fan's own choice; in a sense, it was a price for his life.

This man came from the Mo Sect—he naturally has more scheming thoughts than others.

"Do you think, now that you're mine, after I left Jiushan Sect… no one dares to punish you? Maybe they even have to treat you with respect?"

He said this to Lin Lin Bu Fan, his tone devoid of emotion.

Though Lin Lin Bu Fan came from the Mo Sect, he is now Zheng Fa's servant.

Yet within Jiushan Sect, his status was somehow subtly special—weren't the several stewards of the Zhao household also servants?

"I…"

Cold sweat broke out on Lin Lin Bu Fan's face; Zheng Fa had struck upon some of his hidden scheming thoughts.

He dropped to his knees with a thud, head bowed, silent for a long while.

Zheng Fa watched him, saying nothing.

The cold sweat on his face increased.

"Get up," Zheng Fa waved his hand, letting him rise, as if lightly letting the matter pass.

Lin Lin Bu Fan stared at Zheng Fa, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"I don't like torturing anyone," Zheng Fa said to him earnestly.

"…"

"Nor do I play games—I'll tell you plainly," Zheng Fa stroked the soul seal in his hand, speaking softly: "If you still harbor these scheming thoughts… hmm, I'm a kind-hearted man…"

One side, Yuan Shijie rolled her eyes.

"I'll give you a quick death."

Yuan Shijie: "?"

"Understood?"

"Yes!" Lin Lin Bu Fan shuddered.

"For this special training of Jiushan Sect disciples, do you know what to do?"

"Understood!" Lin Lin Bu Fan shouted: "I'll give it my all!"

"You may leave now."

…

Watching them slowly walk out of the room, Yuan Shijie asked: "Young brother, are you really planning to kill Lin Lin Bu Fan?"

"Sister, this place has little else—but there are far too many Zizaimo Sect disciples."

"…"

Zheng Fa paid no heed to Yuan Shijie's silence.

He walked toward the hall where Master Pang was.

Behind him, Yuan Shijie asked: "Young brother, where are you going?"

"I have matters to discuss with Master Pang."

"I'm coming too!"

…

In the great hall, after hearing Zheng Fa's method's idea, Uncle Pang stood with his mouth agape, somewhat shocked.

"You mean... using talismans in the market to buy, no, offer a bounty... on the blood of disciples from the Great Zizaimo Sect?"

"Yes."

"Two sheng of blood from Foundation Establishment disciples of the Great Zizaimo Mo Sect can be exchanged for one hundred mystic-grade talismans?"

"We won't lose out. For mystic-grade talismans, one talisman seal can stamp a hundred copies." Zheng Fa calculated for him: "Two sheng means two hundred copies. After deducting the consumption of talisman paper and spiritual ink, there's at least a profit of ten spirit stones."

After hearing this, Uncle Pang slowly closed his mouth.

He pondered for a moment and said, "If there are too many talismans, won't the price drop?"

"At most, we won't make a profit. This bounty... isn't it also controlled by us? We can just stop it when the time comes."

Zheng Fa explained.

Uncle Pang was convinced. He rubbed his chin and spoke: "We don't want Qi Refining stage ones?"

"Uncle, the greatest threat in Lei Chi is still those at the Foundation Establishment stage... As for Qi Refining stage, are our Jiushan Sect disciples so useless?"

Zheng Fa wanted to use the bounty to reduce casualties among Jiushan Sect disciples.

But he wasn't an old hen; could he protect all Jiushan Sect disciples?

"You can understand this point, good." Uncle Pang nodded, his tone quite approving.

"Li Nuo... Li Nuo." Uncle Pang shook his head, looking at Zheng Fa with a strange kind of appreciation: "I heard it was you who wanted to give him spirit stones for research; even Shijie Zhang couldn't stop you."

"Who could have thought he would actually cause such a major incident!"

Uncle Pang sighed: "This Li Nuo and his father have been wandering around our Jiushan Sect for over a hundred years, and we old folks were truly blind and deaf!"

"Uncle, you can't say that..."

"Especially that one with the surname Huang! Li Nuo's father even has some connection with her!"

"..."

Zheng Fa twitched the corner of his mouth and spoke the truth: "Uncle, everyone not valuing Li Nuo before is understandable. If not for the current situation, I wouldn't have brought out this talisman seal technique."

"... Right, whether it's money or life, our Jiushan Sect disciples aren't stupid."

Previously, the talisman seal technique was unpopular because it threatened the livelihood of most Jiushan Sect disciples.

The current situation is different from back then.

On one hand, Zheng Fa's current method is equivalent to hiring mercenaries to fight the Great Zizaimo Mo Sect.

To put it plainly, it is to save their lives.

No one can say anything bad about it.

On the other hand, the Great Zizaimo Mo Sect is already right at their doorstep, and the struggle is intensifying daily.

Most people are busy fighting for their lives against the Mo Sect.

No time to draw talismans.

A not entirely accurate analogy is that usually, playing with automation overturns the workers' rice bowls.

But when a great war starts and the workers go to the front lines, playing with automation makes up for the labor shortage.

"Then why did you come to find me? What do you want to ask?"

"I am afraid of offending the Great Zizaimo Mo Sect too much."

Zheng Fa honestly voiced his concern.

This thing is too unfriendly to the Great Zizaimo Mo Sect.

"Whether we offend them or not, do we have a choice now?" Uncle Pang sighed: "Do you think your master died because he refused to leave Jiushan for no reason?"

"..."

"There's another question: once this bounty is released, will anyone really fight to the death against the Great Zizaimo Mo Sect?"

Uncle Pang looked at him, his expression very strange.

"One hundred mystic-grade talismans are worth dozens of spirit stones; who wouldn't be tempted?"

"..."

"Shixiong Zheng, you don't understand those rogue cultivators." Uncle Pang sighed: "They are so poor it's soul-stirring."

Zheng Fa called Brother Yang and others over, told them the content of the bounty, and asked them to promote it in the market a bit later.

"... Shidi Zheng, this bounty isn't very fair..." Who would have thought Brother Yang, hesitating and unwilling to leave, would actually have some opinions to raise.

"Hmm?"

"This is for outsiders; can our Jiushan Sect disciples... participate too?"

"..."

Zheng Fa looked at Brother Yang.

He came up with this trick precisely to prevent these people from going to their deaths in vain.

But the result...

Brother Yang looked at Zheng Fa, seemingly a bit embarrassed, but his voice was loud: "Slaying demons and eradicating evil has always been my dream..."

"..."

Seeing everyone else nodding, Zheng Fa couldn't help but cover his forehead and say: "Whoever goes to Lei Chi must pass his trial."

He pointed to Lin Lin Bu Fan beside him.

Brother Yang and others looked at him, their eyes bright, rubbing their fists in anticipation.

Lin Lin Bu Fan: "..."

What Zheng Fa didn't expect was that as soon as the bounty was released.

Someone who, by any measure, did not look like a person interested in such a meager amount of spirit stones arrived at the door.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng!"

When he heard from Elder Pang that Yan Wushuang was coming to visit, Zheng Fa felt somewhat puzzled.

"Fellow Daoist Yan." Zheng Fa warmly went forward to greet him; it was largely thanks to this man that he had obtained news about Chen Ting.

"Is the bounty posted in your market town genuine?"

Yan Wushuang asked about the recently posted bounty the moment he entered.

"It is genuine, but Fellow Daoist Yan, you..."

Who is this person?

A true disciple of the Tianhe Sect.

Could he possibly lack this little?

"Fellow Daoist Zheng, you do not know; I travel throughout the four directions, making friends with like-minded individuals, and I must also establish an organization—everywhere requires money," Yan Wushuang sighed. "I am stretched to the breaking point!"

"..."

Zheng Fa suddenly remembered that when this man had stubbornly resisted the heavenly lightning, beneath his crane-feather robe, he truly had not worn a single undergarment.

At that time, he had even thought this was the fashion of the Tianhe Sect.

Now it seemed—was it because he was poor?

Having figured this out, Zheng Fa said to Yan Wushuang, "The bounty is genuine."

"In that case, very well." Yan Wushuang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "If I... were to capture one alive for you, how much would you give?"

Zheng Fa was stunned.

He looked at Yan Wushuang, whose face was square and dignified, radiating an air of righteousness.

Could it be that you are the evil trafficker of demon slaves?