Chapter 7: Poverty

"Sigh, Master Chen is still kind-hearted~"

Chen Ci sighed slightly; in the end, he had given away two Soul Fixing Talismans for nothing.

However, Shi Sanniang also gave her word that if fellow Daoists in the vicinity needed Soul Fixing Talismans in the future, she would certainly bridge the connection to look after Sanyin Temple's business.

Not to mention Shi Sanniang's connections within a hundred-mile radius, even just counting her own paramours, it would be enough for Chen Ci to earn a little something.

Just treat it as an investment.

"It can't compare to the high and mighty disciples of the Profound Sects. As an Outer Transmission of a side sect, I'm considered to be doing quite well. Those Miscellaneous Cultivators call themselves practitioners, but in reality, they aren't much better off than mortals; one might even say their seven emotions and six desires are much stronger than ordinary people's."

People, after all, are always defined by comparison.

The "lying flat" behavior of his predecessor when he first came to Changping County would be seen as having no heart for the Dao path within an Immortal Sect, but compared to Miscellaneous Cultivators like Shi Sanniang, it is actually considered the more ambitious sort.

"But I can't compare myself to the bottom of the barrel. In Changping County, I am Master Chen, but let alone looking at the entire Liang Kingdom, even within Xishan Prefecture, my Sanyin Temple doesn't even have a name."

"I cannot afford to relax; I still have to practice."

Chen Ci patted the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag at his waist. He feared he would have to refine this object to the Perfected state and push his cultivation to over ninety apertures before he could be considered to have the power to protect himself among Qi Refining cultivators. At that point, as long as he didn't run into an Inner Sect Disciple from a major Profound Sect, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

If he were to be bewitched by the appearance of a Miscellaneous Cultivator beauty like Shi Sanniang who wanted to harvest his essence, and mistakenly thought he was someone of importance, he would likely not be far from becoming dry bones in a grave.

Two days later.

Chen Ci slowly opened his eyes while in meditation, reaching out to press down on the faintly pulsing Five Yin Evil Qi Bag at his waist.

It must be said that the quality of these wild beasts in the mountains is better than that of pigs. After two days of the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag devouring flesh and blood for refinement, it rarely fed back a sense of satisfaction. That variegated tiger alone was worth two days of effort. After feeding it, the connection between the Evil Qi Bag and Chen Ci's mind became even more intimate.

There is an inexplicable feeling of raising a pet; what should I do?

Actually, Chen Ci had originally wanted to raise that "golden gradient" cat; what man could refuse a big kitty, right?

But unfortunately, that "golden gradient" had no spiritual nature—it was just too stupid. Chen Ci only raised it for half a day before losing his patience. He simply cut off the tiger penis, kept some tiger bones to soak in wine, and fed the rest to the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag.

Ahem, he has a friend who likes this sort of thing and enjoys a little drink. Chen Ci himself deeply despises this behavior of "eating whatever part you want to nourish."

Once the Evil Qi Bag was completely calm, Chen Ci took a look at his Gold Finger panel.

Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method: 29/100

Stone Lock Hunyuan Art: 5/100

Five Yin Evil Qi Bag: Five-fold Prohibition/10/100

Yin Horse Pagoda Lock: Two-fold Prohibition/1/5

Soul Fixing Talisman: Minor Accomplishment/5/100

Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method: Not yet initiated/0/4

His Daoist techniques and cultivation progress were almost at a standstill.

Yet, slight progress was clearly visible.

"Without resources, fundamental techniques can only be ground out slowly with perseverance and willpower. However, this Five Yin Evil Qi Bag and the Soul Fixing Talisman show progress with daily persistence; they are worth heavy investment."

"But the daily flesh and blood is no small amount. Never mind wild beasts, even livestock are hard to keep up with. Plus, the talisman paper and cinnabar ink are almost used up. I've been at Sanyin Temple for nearly half a month and have accomplished nothing."

Oh, I've only transmigrated for half a month; never mind then.

"Pat, pat, pat."

"What is it?"

Chen Ci's eyes narrowed slightly. Why is it that whenever he is slightly sentimental, someone always comes to disturb his mood? It couldn't be that someone is here to beg for talismans again, could it?

"Master, the backyard... it's not enough."

Outside the door was his cheap second Apprentice, GanYang. His first Apprentice, Niu Ji, was escorting offerings to the main altar and wouldn't be back for two or three months.

Hearing the mention of the backyard, Chen Ci stood up. Although GanYang hadn't spoken clearly, he knew roughly what the matter was, and for a moment, he felt a bit hesitant.

For no other reason than that the Corpse Ganoderma in the backyard must be having problems.

Originally, after Chen Ci inherited the Sanyin Temple's estate and learned that his predecessor had been secretly raising spiritual mushrooms in the backyard using corpses, he was very panicked and resistant, fearing he would be branded as a member of the Demonic Path and then have his head cut off by some passing sword immortal one day.

But when he was truly prepared to pull them out, he hesitated again.

Immortal cultivation is truly too difficult. Aside from his extraordinary appearance, Chen Ci is truly penniless. These few stalks of Corpse Ganoderma are his few remaining assets, and the only ones worth a little money.

His predecessor learned the Small Heavens Qi Absorption Pill Method precisely to rely on these Corpse Ganoderma to refine some Nourishing Qi Green Ganoderma Pills to assist his cultivation. As a result, the mushrooms didn't mature, the technique wasn't practiced, and the person was already gone.

To pull, or not to pull—that is the question.

Seeing small profits and forgetting righteousness, or seeking wealth in danger—that is also a question.

"Why does growing a few medicinal herbs feel like licking blood off a blade?"

Chen Ci shook his head and instructed, "The two of you, go to the side hall and wait for me."

"Understood, Master."

Sanyin Temple, side hall.

Chen Ci took a small sip of tiger penis... ahem, tea, before asking indifferently, "Speak, what is it?"

"Master, the corpses in the backyard's Yin cave are almost completely decomposed. However, the Cripple Old Daoist from Baihua Lin says he wants to raise the price. What do you think..."

GanYang reported in a low voice.

Farming requires fertilizer, and growing spiritual herbs naturally does too. As the name suggests, the fertilizer needed for Corpse Ganoderma is corpses. Corpses with cultivation aptitude are best, those of martial artists are acceptable, and ordinary mortals are the worst.

Baihua Lin is the graveyard, Yizhuang, and mass grave north of Changping County. In Changping County, except for a few high-ranking officials and nobles, all corpses are basically buried in Baihua Lin. Over the years, bones have piled up. All the corpse materials used by his predecessor were obtained from there, though they were bought with money.

More than twenty years ago, the Baihua Lin Yizhuang was occupied by a Miscellaneous Cultivator who called himself the Cripple Daoren. He appeared to be doing the good deed of collecting bones, but privately, he did plenty of dirty work. His cultivation is around the tenth aperture of Qi Refining, his Dharma Artifact is unknown, but he is suspected to be of the corpse-raising lineage; otherwise, he wouldn't live in such a place.

His predecessor seemed quite polite to this Cripple Daoren.

A few memories flashed through Chen Ci's mind, and he had a rough idea. He asked, "How much is the Cripple Old Daoist raising the price by?"

"Five taels of gold for ordinary corpses, fifteen taels of gold for the corpses of martial artists, and thirty taels of gold for one high-grade corpse."

Damn it, that...

Why can't he control his hand? Why is he pressing it on the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag again?

"Hoo~"

Chen Ci exhaled a breath of turbid air; a little floating wealth was nothing to worry about: "Buy five high-grade Corpse."

Forget it, since they are already planted, one cannot give up halfway in life.

I won't plant them anymore in the future.

"However, Master, if we do this, there won't be much silver left in the temple's accounts."

"Huh?"

Chen Ci knew he was quite poor, but hearing this suddenly, his eyelids still twitched, feeling it was so abrupt.

"The temple's properties include one thousand mu of Dao fields, with an annual income of two thousand four hundred taels of silver."

"There are four thousand five hundred mu of private fields, with an annual income of nine thousand seven hundred taels of silver after taxes."

"Two manors bring in an annual income of one thousand three hundred taels of silver."

"During festivals, the County Magistrate of Changping County and several wealthy families will send two thousand taels of silver as festival gifts."

"The Black Wind Stronghold on Jinpen Mountain sends five hundred taels of silver every year."

GanYang held a thick ledger and said cautiously: "These are the main incomes of the temple. Currently, there are two thousand seven hundred and thirty-four taels of silver in the account, and after purchasing the Corpse, there will barely be one thousand taels of silver left."

After a pause, GanYang added two more sentences: "Master, the festival gift money from Changping County for this year has not been offered yet, and there is also the Black Wind Stronghold; does the little one need to go..."

"No need."

Chen Ci frowned and interrupted GanYang's suggestion.

Damn it, the autumn harvest had only just finished, and there was still some time before the year-end festival gifts; if he went to ask for the festival money now, wouldn't that be making him, Master Chen, beg on his knees?

He couldn't afford to lose that much face.

One thousand taels of silver in the account would be enough if he spent it sparingly, but Chen Ci refined the Five Yin Evil Qi Bag every day, and the silver flowed out with a whoosh, which simply couldn't be stopped; saving money was equivalent to dragging down his cultivation progress.

No wonder the Apprentices of the He Mountain Sect who walked outside often committed illegal acts.

And the damn He Mountain Sect, swallowing up all his hard-earned money.

"Wait, what is the situation with this Black Wind Stronghold on Jinpen Mountain?"

Chen Ci suddenly discovered a key point in the accounts: "What is their relationship with the temple, and why do they send silver over?"

(End of this chapter)