Chapter 556: One Deal Makes You Rich

Li Wenying: "Since you've paid your taxes, shouldn't you also perform corvée labor?"

Pan Yun nodded hesitantly.

Li Wenying snorted: "If you're exhausted from running around like that, how can you possibly make progress in your cultivation?"

Pan Yun: "Zhuangzi labored his whole life, yet he still roamed freely between heaven and earth."

"There's only one Zhuangzi in this world. Open your eyes—how many ordinary people don't spend their entire lives struggling just to survive? How many can break free from the shackles of food, clothing, shelter, and daily needs to cultivate their hearts?"

Pan Yun: "But we can't let the common people support us for free."

"Who said we're supported for free?" Li Wenying said. "Whenever disaster strikes, we never retreat. Our deeds are no less than those of officials drawing salaries."

He sharply tapped her head: "Read less, see more of the world. Don't let reading turn you into a fool."

Pan Yun: …

She rubbed her aching forehead, muttering under her breath: "It's precisely because I read more and see more of the world…"

They found Room Yi-3 and heard two breathing sounds inside—clearly ordinary people, weak-bodied and sleep-deprived.

How could someone who stayed up late possibly be asleep this early?

Pan Yun banged on the door loudly, making Li Wenying jump.

If Li Wenying was startled, how much more so the people inside? They heard several clatters, a startled cry, then hurried footsteps rushing toward the door.

Li Wenying glared at Pan Yun reproachfully.

Pan Yun guiltily rubbed her nose; she hadn't expected the door to be so easily knocked—just a light touch made such a loud noise.

The door swung open with a bang. The servant froze when he saw Pan Yun, his panic instantly fading: "How is it you?"

Pan Yun: "You thought it was your steward? Oh, there are only two people inside—where's your steward?"

The servant: …

He turned involuntarily: "Young Master…"

His young master frantically hid something under his pillow, yanked down the curtain, and came over: "Is it you?"

Pan Yun bowed: "Young Master Li."

The Young Master adjusted his robe, one hand in front, one behind, stepped forward slowly, and offered his standard noble smile: "Revered Daoist, why the late-night visit?"

"It's just past the hour of Xu—what's so late about it?" Pan Yun said bluntly. "I'm here to sell you talismans."

The Young Master was taken aback by her directness. After a pause, he shook his head: "My father forbids me to buy talismans outside. He says their quality is inconsistent. I'm only allowed to buy from Divine Tower."

Pan Yun: "Are Divine Tower's talismans ineffective?"

The Young Master remained silent.

The servant glanced at his master's expression and asked: "How do you know?"

"If Divine Tower's talismans had solved your problem, Young Master Li wouldn't be here again," Pan Yun raised an eyebrow. "So you'd rather step into the same pit twice instead of fixing it once and for all?"

Li Wenying coughed beside her, signaling Pan Yun to be more restrained—Divine Tower was a Tian Shi Fu asset, and he, a Long Hushan disciple, was right here.

The Young Master hesitated, then stepped aside to let them in, and ordered the servant to bring tea: "Do you know what my family's problem is?"

Pan Yun sized him up thoroughly—she saw no evil aura on him, yet Divine Tower's exorcist talismans must have had some effect, or he wouldn't have come back with heavy gold to seek more.

Pan Yun said: "I recommend you invite a senior or junior disciple from Long Hushan to come to your home and inspect it."

The Young Master swallowed hard: "My father thought the same, but… I can't find anyone willing to go with me to Daoji."

He looked distressed: "I don't know why— I've offered a hundred taels, yet still no one will accompany me to Daoji."

Pan Yun was surprised: "Why? Is your family's problem that difficult?"

Li Wenying glanced at her: "No one's free."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow; since this involved classified matters, she whispered directly: 【Is it because of the anti-pirate campaign?】

Li Wenying gave a slight nod, whispering back: 【It's a rare opportunity. Fourth- and fifth-year students all want to seize this chance to gain fame, earn merit, and possibly get their certification without exams. A mere hundred taels isn't enough to make them give up this opportunity.】

【First- and second-year students lack the skill and experience—they can't leave with you.】

Pan Yun's eyes darted as she studied the Young Master again, then again, then again…

Seeing her expression, Li Wenying asked: 【You're short on money, aren't you?】

Pan Yun sighed: 【I don't want to be, but my senior disciple has vanished somewhere, and I've only got a few silver coins left. Going out without money always makes me anxious.】

Before Li Wenying could offer to lend her some, the Young Master couldn't hold back: "Can you two stop exchanging glances right in front of me?"

Both immediately straightened. Pan Yun sized up the Young Master again, visibly unimpressed: "Fine. Give me a token and a deposit."

The Young Master looked bewildered: "What?"

"I'll take your case," Pan Yun said. "Hand me the token. I'll resolve it for you."

The Young Master: "... I don't even know your abilities yet—how can I give you a deposit? And we don't need a token. When I hire someone, I'll just bring them back with me."

Pan Yun looked at him with disdain: "How many days will it take you to get from here to Daoji?"

The Young Master: "One day by carriage…"

Under Pan Yun's gaze, his voice trailed off: "I'm weak, and the road is rough—I'll probably need to stop overnight at a posthouse. One and a half days." Pan Yun finally grunted, calculating with her fingers: "I'll arrive at your door five days from now. So you must return home within four days."

"Your abilities…" With a sudden *peng! * a ball of fire appeared in Pan Yun's palm. The Young Master stared, wide-eyed.

He swallowed hard, whispering: "Is this… a magic trick?"

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, flicked her finger lightly—the fireball drifted away from her palm, hovering before the Young Master's face.

His eyes locked onto it. He cautiously reached out a finger and tapped the flame—just as he touched it, Pan Yun moved her finger. The fire instantly turned to water, *wala! * splashing onto his hand and soaking his sleeve.

The Young Master and the servant both yelled and jumped back, startled and curious.

He was utterly convinced. He yanked the money pouch from under his pillow, counted out fifty taels in silver notes, and handed them to her: "Deposit!"

He patted himself, pulled out a jade pendant, and gave it to her: "Here—token. Five days from now, you must come to my house."

Pan Yun took it, nodded: "Understood. Understood."

She pulled out the exorcist talisman she'd drawn: "Want to buy talismans? I charge two taels less per talisman than Divine Tower—and they're more effective."

Not a single mistake, not a single hair out of place!

Young Master Li was not too keen on buying; he had already invited the person, so why spend the money?

Better to invite the person home first, then if anything was needed, let his father pay for it.

The remaining money would all be his own.

Pan Yun looked at him with a meaningful gaze and said: "Good Man Li, if you don't buy, how will your steward convince him to go back when he returns? I only require you to pay a deposit, and my talismans are also cheaper than those of the Immortal's Restaurant. With this in and that out, won't your deficit be covered?"

Pan Yun's gaze swept toward the bed.

Young Master Li shuddered all over, feeling her words made a lot of sense, and immediately opened his money pouch: "Th-then I'll buy one Super Evil-Repelling Talisman."

Pan Yun took out the gold-powder talisman: "This one?"

"Yes, this one!" Young Master Li carefully haggled: "Thirty-five taels?"

Pan Yun wore an expression of great difficulty, and finally nodded with reluctance: "I originally planned to knock off only two taels for you, but since you and I are fated, I'll knock off five taels for you."

Young Master Li immediately took it.

Pan Yun then took out two ordinary Evil-Dispelling Talismans drawn on common talisman paper and two Peace Talismans: "Evil-Dispelling and Peace Talismans whose effects are no worse than the premium ones from the Immortal's Restaurant — twenty taels each, but for Good Man Li, eighteen taels each."

Young Master Li rolled his eyes: "Fifteen taels."

Pan Yun still wore that look of difficulty, and finally also agreed with great reluctance.

Li Wenying, off to the side, stared at Young Master Li with an expression that said "Are you blind?"

The little servant also wore a face of wanting to speak yet holding back, but perhaps thinking of the deficit the young master could never fill, he silently swallowed his words.

Money in one hand, talismans in the other — Pan Yun instantly gained ninety-five taels, and counting the deposit, one hundred and forty-five taels in all.

If this was just travel funds for her training, she could squander them freely.

And Young Master Li also gained a price difference of twenty-five taels; if he was bolder and inflated the reported price even more, he could easily free up a hundred-and-fifty-tael deficit.

The bolder the heart, the bigger the deficit one could fill.

Their eyes met, and both let out a sheepish grin.

Young Master Li: "In five days, Li will sweep the bed clean and welcome you at Ji'an."

Pan Yun: "In five days — see you there, no excuses."

The moment Pan Yun left, Young Master Li immediately shut the door and held the talismans up to the lamplight, examining them again and again: "Ping'an, come look — are these talismans the same as the ones we bought at the Immortal's Restaurant?"

Ping'an: "Young Master, isn't it a bit late to be telling real from fake at this point?"

"Late? What's late about it? Anyway, when the steward comes back later, you just insist we ran into a true master. These four talismans were twenty-five taels each, and this Super Evil-Repelling Talisman was forty-five taels each."

Ping'an gaped his mouth wide and said hurriedly: "If we quote a price higher than the Immortal's Restaurant's, won't the steward be certain we've been swindled?"

"Who cares? Anyway, this young master's deficit is covered — as long as the talismans work, that's enough. Oh, and when he asks, just say I gave the full hundred-tael deposit to the person."

Ping'an: "... When Daoist Master Pan meets the old steward in five days, won't the deposit give us away?"

"Let's say that for now. When the time comes, we'll just ask her to help cover for us. If the matter gets resolved, I'll definitely persuade Father to give her another hundred taels — isn't that better than her earning another fifty?" Young Master Li said: "This is what you call full cooperation."

"This is what you call full cooperation," Pan Yun said: "A matter of two willing parties — how can you, Senior Brother Li, say I swindled him?"

Li Wenying: "When you go to Ji'an in five days and meet Old Master Li, once the accounts are compared, won't he be exposed?"

Pan Yun: "That depends on how sincere Young Master Li is."

"Helping others deceive a client violates the rules of Long Hushan — even family members are not exempt."

"How can keeping silent count as deceiving anyone?" Pan Yun said: "Besides, I'm doing this to preserve the harmony of his household."

Li Wenying: "... Fine, that young man is still upright at heart; clearly that deficit wasn't racked up through any wicked deeds. But..."

He looked Pan Yun up and down and raised an eyebrow: "Five days from now isn't a rest day — how will you leave the palace?"

Pan Yun: "How did I leave the palace just now?" (End of chapter)