Chapter 57

After leaving Xu Henshui’s residence, Zhang Sheng parted ways with Ji Liuli and hurried away. He felt guilty about this matter and truly did not wish to stay longer with Ji Liuli.

After parting, Ji Liuli ascended a quiet mountain peak and arrived before a small courtyard, where the gate opened on its own.

Inside the courtyard sat a young Daoist, his face youthful, even younger than Ji Liuli. He held an ancient scroll in his hands; seeing Ji Liuli enter, he set the book down and asked, “Another mess?”

“Of course not!”

The young Daoist looked slightly surprised: “It’s been three months since anyone came to complain to me! Have you run into some cultivation problem?”

Ji Liuli said, “I’ve been refining Wei Yuan’s foundation lately, but the more I refine, the more confused I become. I checked the classics but found no answers, so I came to ask the Ancestor.”

The young Daoist showed a flicker of interest: “Wei Yuan? That golden-devouring beast from Tianqing Hall? What’s wrong with his foundation? Let me see.”

Ji Liuli said, “He cultivates the Jade Toad Gazing at the Moon Diagram. This is his visualization.”

The young Daoist stared at the Jade Toad, towering dozens of zhang high, its single eye large enough to contain the entire courtyard. His smile froze. The Jade Toad stared back—and blinked.

After a moment, the young Daoist said, “You sly Xuan Yue, you’ve hidden this so well!”

The young Daoist carefully examined Wei Yuan’s visualization, then said, “This is indeed tricky. What herbs are you using to refine him now?”

“Here’s the refinement formula,” Ji Liuli recited over a dozen herb names.

The young Daoist shook his head at once: “The medicinal strength is too weak! Your formula is like pouring water with a gourd—how long will it take to irrigate such vast land? You need potent herbs.”

The young Daoist fell silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll give you four formulas—for sinews and flesh, blood fusion, jade bones, and spirit refining. Use my formulas to refine his foundation. When his sinews and flesh are perfected, the Peiyuan Elixir’s power will no longer suffice; Tianqing Hall must switch elixirs. In truth, with Wei Yuan’s foundation, refinement has little effect—but it’s still good to annoy Tianqing Hall.”

Ji Liuli’s face darkened the moment she took the formulas: “Ancestor, how could Tianqing Hall possibly afford these herbs?”

“Let them owe you. As long as Zhang Sheng signs a promissory note—no burning the sea!”

“Even if Zhang Sheng agrees to lend, I don’t have enough silver to cover it myself!”

The young Daoist said coolly, “Only a few million immortal silver taels—mere loose change. I’ll cover it for you. Let’s turn that golden-devouring beast into a golden-devouring giant. I’d like to see how that old fool Xuan Yue survives! Next time he dares mention ‘theory’ to me, I’ll slap the IOU right on his face!”

Ji Liuli beamed: “Thank you, Ancestor! Ancestor, you’re wonderful!”

The young Daoist snorted: “You! With all the skills I’ve mastered, why don’t you learn even a little? Why worry over a few taels? All you ever think about is fighting and killing—don’t you know that the best victory is one without battle?”

Before he could finish his lecture, Ji Liuli had vanished. The young Daoist stamped his foot in frustration, but could do nothing.

Yet as he recalled the visualization, something felt off. He frowned: “Making it so huge—it feels deliberate. Could it be… preparing for something to arrive?”

At the foot of the peak, Ji Liuli slipped away quietly. She knew these immortal silver taels were a colossal burden to others—but to Yan Shi Zhenjun, the Lord of Tianji Hall, they meant nothing. He could shift fortune for any True Person and earn millions in moments; his efficiency in seizing wealth rivaled that of Zao Hua Guan.

Yet she still loved fighting and killing.

Yan Shi Zhenjun said fortune-shifting could even kill the dead—but she still preferred to fight with her own hands.

In the Mission Hall, Zhang Sheng had been pacing for half an hour without spotting any task slips from Tiangong Hall—he was deeply disappointed.

The price of Peiyuan Elixir rose another half percent this month. Those old bastards at Zao Hua Guan are inhuman.

Zhang Sheng calculated the time: Wei Yuan’s elixir supply would run out in two days. He sighed and flew toward Tianqing Hall, heading for Fenhai True Person’s residence. His master might be struggling too, but as a True Person, he must have more options.

The door to Fenhai True Person’s residence stood open; muffled voices rose within, clearly in heated argument. Zhang Sheng instinctively held his breath and waited outside the inner courtyard gate, planning to enter only after the others left.

The two inside had been speaking softly, but something went wrong—they suddenly raised their voices.

A melodious female voice cried: “Wang! Don’t push your luck! You already owe me a fortune—and it’ll only grow. If you make me angry, I’ll hit you with nine out, thirteen back—you’ll never recover!”

Fenhai True Person said, “Yunying, we’re both cultivated beings. Why raise your voice like this?”

“Look at your study—any valuable items left? Where are those firefish in your pond? You’ve sold off every last scrap of your fortune, even nearly dismantled the gate pillars. Oh, and you dare place this broken Jade Toad at the center of your

Burning Sea True Person sighed bitterly: “As an elder, shouldn’t I shelter my juniors? What else am I supposed to do?”

“Juniors, hmph! You only care about juniors! You’re so good at feeling sorry for people—why didn’t you feel sorry for me back then?”

“Back then, I truly had no choice…”

“Nonsense! You broke your word back then—you promised me, then reneged at the last moment and slipped away without a word, leaving me alone on that mountain! Now you dare say you had no choice?”

Burning Sea True Person spoke humbly: “I was wrong back then, I admit it. But so much time has passed—can’t you let go of your anger a little?”

“Fine, then let’s drop the past and talk about now. You’ll need my help plenty more times ahead—why should I help you? Because you’re shameless?”

Burning Sea True Person let out a long sigh. “Then say what you want. If I can do it, I’ll do my best.”

“Good! I won’t make it hard for you. Come back with me now and heat up the pond behind my hall—I need a bath. Your title is Burning Sea; boiling a pond shouldn’t be hard for you. If you come once a month to heat my bathwater, I’ll waive the interest. Otherwise, it’s nine out, thirteen back!”

Burning Sea True Person fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh. “I did wrong by you—let’s go.”

The True Person moved like lightning; two figures rose into the air and vanished instantly.

Both True Persons were too emotionally stirred to notice Zhang Sheng outside the courtyard. Zhang Sheng knew a little of the old history—he knew he had no place interfering.

It seemed even his master was at his wit’s end. Even a True Person couldn’t possibly bear the cost of nurturing five hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators alone.

Zhang Sheng sighed inwardly and turned to leave, then suddenly remembered something the female True Person had said. Jade Toad? What jade toad?

Zhang Sheng pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, heading straight for the study. The treasure shelf facing him was now empty—most of the treasures once kept there were gone. Burning Sea True Person always kept his favorite treasures on this shelf; clearly, he’d sold off nearly all his possessions.

But Zhang Sheng’s gaze sharpened: at the very center of the treasure shelf sat a shoddy jade toad. This slot had once held three small swords, now moved to a side shelf.

Zhang Sheng walked out of the study without expression, slamming the door shut behind him. He’d felt some sympathy for his master’s plight—but now…

The old lecher deserves this tribulation!

(End of Chapter)