Chapter 77

Wang Feiyin: "You're just a child—buying herbs in town now is like walking straight into being robbed? I'll have your third senior brother go with you."

Tao Ji stepped forward.

Wang Feiyin praised Pan Yun warmly: "You're far better than your third senior brother and fourth senior sister—once you hit a wall, you turn back. Not like your third senior brother and fourth senior sister—they won't turn back until they've smashed into the southern wall, then they smash it twice more, insisting on three hits before they'll finally turn around. Ruzike Sect material, truly Ruzike Sect material."

Tao Ji's face darkened. "Senior brother!"

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you—hurry off, hurry off, and remember to spend every last coin before you come back."

Miao Zhen and Miao He also wanted to go, sliding off the ox cart and lunging for the mule cart, but Wang Feiyin grabbed each by the back of their robes and yanked them back. "Both of you behave—get back on the cart."

By the time Qian Master caught up past Tian Ye, Pan Yun and Tao Ji had already driven the mule cart far ahead.

Zhou Chao hurried to bow. "Uncle."

Qian Master waved a hand, gazing into the distance, sighing: "Why did the young immortal leave first?"

Wang Feiyin: "They're going to the county town to buy things."

Qian Master: "Then it's the same route—why not travel together?"

Wang Feiyin: "They're in danger right now. Better to separate."

Qian Master, who had originally intended to chase after Pan Yun, immediately changed his mind. "Wang Daochang, I'll travel with you."

Tao Ji took Pan Yun to the Falling Sun Herb Shop before closing and bought body-strengthening herbs.

But they couldn't spend all the money—or rather, they shouldn't spend it all on this.

"If you spend it all on yourself, the Dao won't recognize it. The days ahead, you'll still be unlucky."

Pan Yun didn't understand. "Why must a master's disciple be broke? Why can't we have money?"

Tao Ji: "Because the master is also broke and has no money. I don't know why—it's the Dao's balance against the Sanqing Mountain deity. Senior brother might know."

Pan Yun felt a pang of resentment. She'd earned every coin honestly—legitimate income. Why couldn't she spend it as she pleased?

Tao Ji: "You should be grateful. Senior brother has walked every wrong path you might take—now every step you take comes with a warning."

Pan Yun froze. "So… was senior brother once that miserable?"

Tao Ji nodded solemnly. "Terribly so. He spent five years figuring out the rules. Those five years were unbearable. That's why senior brother never takes disciples—even though he took you on behalf of the master, neither Second Senior Brother, me, nor Fourth Sister ever formally bowed to the deity. The deity never entered our dreams."

We're less the disciples of Sanqing Mountain's deity Pan Gong and more the disciples of Ge Xianweng—or senior brother.

"Of all the people on Sanqing Mountain, only you and the deity have the closest bond. Tonight we'll stay at the county inn—you can cultivate all night and feel the difference."

Pan Yun: "You mean the difference in cultivation speed between mountain and valley? Isn't that just because the mountain has denser spiritual energy?"

Tao Ji smiled faintly. "How many times faster is your cultivation speed on the mountain than in the valley? What's the difference between your speed here versus in Guangxin Prefecture or Kaifeng Prefecture? Do you really think this is just about spiritual energy?"

Pan Yun fell silent. She'd truly thought it was just about spiritual energy. Oh, and her cultivation technique and talent.

Her talent was excellent—before, it was the realm spirit disrupting her, and the technique was incomplete, so her progress was slow.

Now, with dense spiritual energy on the mountain, the correct technique, and no more interference from the realm spirit—given her talent, wasn't it natural for her to swiftly pass through the Ten Thousand Realms and Human Stillness stages and reach Heart Stillness?

But now Tao Ji implied there was also the deity's blessing involved?

Tao Ji: "You've taken the deity as your master and received his grace—naturally, you're bound by his karmic chains."

Hearing this, Pan Yun sat down seriously in the inn that night to meditate and sense the difference.

Yushan County was some distance from Sanqing Mountain, but still within its protection.

This time, as she meditated, she paid close attention—and slowly noticed the difference.

Not to mention her internal qi—when she practiced her technique, the speed at which she drew in spiritual energy was indeed faster than in Guangxin or Kaifeng, which she'd assumed was due to the technique.

But now, watching closely, the spiritual energy here seemed inherently more fond of her; on Sanqing Mountain, the energy felt even more affectionate, even closer…

She decided that once back on the mountain, she'd immediately cultivate again to find the difference.

Pan Yun opened her eyes, thoughtful. So this was why she bore the karmic burden?

Faster cultivation… wasn't that acceptable.

After all, her ultimate goal in earning money was for cultivation.

Pan Yun felt refreshed and clear-headed. She addressed the empty air with deep emotion: "Master, wait—I'm going to buy materials for your temple right now."

After buying body-strengthening herbs and new cinnabar, she still had two hundred and fifty taels left. She decided not to touch her old spare coins—she'd keep them for emergencies.

She withdrew fifty taels in silver notes to send to Datong, and used the remaining two hundred taels to buy materials for her master.

Pan Yun strode boldly out of the inn—and as soon as her foot touched the ground, she slipped and crashed face-first with a loud slap.

"Meow—" Pan Xiaohei, walking behind her, leapt up, planted all four paws on the back of her head, then bounced away. His black face turned back, his amber eyes brimming with mockery.

Pan Yun struggled to lift her head, eyes blazing. "Shut up—" "Meow meow meow, I didn't say anything."

Pan Yun: "Close your eyes!"

Tao Ji yanked her up from the ground. "Arguing with a cat? Hurry up—spend the money."

Pan Yun wiped her mouth—her hand came away bloody. Tears instantly spilled. "Third senior brother, it hurts so much…"

Tao Ji finally noticed her split lip. He frowned, quickly pulling her back into the inn. "I'll needle you to stop the bleeding, then apply medicine."

Tao Ji's face was stern. "Sister, you must spend every single coin today—not a single cash left."

Pan Yun was obedient. She'd planned to keep some for emergencies, but now she decided to spend it all.

Half an hour later, except for the fifty taels she'd set aside to send, Pan Yun had spent every last coin.

Some small change couldn't buy herbs, so she bought rice, flour, oil, and grain instead—planning to take them back to the mountain.

After all, they had to buy food and drink up there too.

After sending the fifty-tael note to the bank and obtaining the receipt to mail through the Minxin Bureau, Pan Yun was truly, utterly penniless—not a single cash left.

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Standing at the Minxin Bureau's entrance, Pan Yun patted her pouch. "Third senior brother, I'm so poor."

Tao Ji ignored her. He glanced around. "Let's go—now to Dazhou Village."

Pan Yun climbed onto the mule cart, patted the old mule's thick rump, and mumbled through her injured lip: "Old Mule, you've suffered unjustly. When I return to Sanqing Mountain, I'll have a serious talk with Master—next time, don't drag the innocent into this."

Tao Ji: "This isn't something the Mountain God can decide. If He could decide, He wouldn't let you and Senior Brother waste your money. It's better for a disciple to have money than to be poor, isn't it?"

"Harming the innocent isn't a one-time or two-time thing. This time it's only old Lu who got dragged in. Back then, with Senior Brother… everyone on the mountain and below who had any connection to him was dragged down." Tao Ji said, "Even a stranger you met on the road would suddenly trip and fall—just so Senior Brother would have to spend money."

Pan Yun frowned, thinking of the Mountain God's old, broken sword. "Could it be that Master once offended the Dao of Heaven?"

No one could answer them.

Pan Yun thought spending all the money would end it, and Tao Ji and the others thought so too—after all, this was Wang Feiyin's five years of blood, sweat, and tears.

But after arriving at Da Zhou Village, Pan Yun first got diarrhea from eating, then sat on a chair whose leg suddenly loosened, sending her toppling backward to the ground. Even though Pan Yun was usually agile, she didn't react in time—her head slammed into the pillar behind her…

Then at night, mosquitoes suddenly loved her, abandoning Miao He—the most mosquito-attractive person there—and targeting her alone. That was bad enough, but the next day, her mosquito bites swelled red and inflamed, shining so brightly they could almost reflect faces, and her skin broke out in an allergic reaction, swelling half her face.

Originally, the entire Zhou family doubted them, thinking Zhou Chao and Sun Xiangniang had been tricked by these Daoist Priests.

And Wang Feiyin could no longer bring Sun the Elder to witness a miracle.

But after witnessing Pan Yun's misfortune, they believed.

"Is it because the young Daoist is changing our family's fate and absorbing the karmic consequence, hence suffering so much?"

Wang Feiyin fell silent.

Xuanmiao fell silent.

But Pan Yun did not stay silent. She asked Wang Feiyin, "Senior Brother, are their guesses true?"

Wang Feiyin: "... No, Little Sister. Your ignorance makes me doubt your ability. Fourth Sister, tell her why."

Xuanmiao said: "Do good deeds without asking about your future. Healing the sick, curing ailments like bi syndrome—no matter the status of those saved, as long as you don't forcibly alter fate, the fruits you gain are righteous."

Wang Feiyin also said: "Foot-binding is an ancient bi syndrome, contrary to nature. The Dao of Heaven will never punish you for it."

Pan Yun pondered, then went straight to her room, opened the medicinal herbs she'd bought, and took out a portion to give to Miao He: "Good nephew, take this portion of herbs."

After thinking again, she gritted her teeth and split half her cinnabar to give to Seeing Miao Zhen: "Good nephew, take half this cinnabar."

Pan Yun's misfortunes instantly halved.

Pan Yun cautiously tested further: today she gave Tao Ji a little, tomorrow Wang Feiyin a little. Wang Feiyin firmly refused, so she gave it to Xuanmiao instead.

Even the little Zhou Meiniang, who was recovering, received a packet of Du Zhong from her.

Du Zhong dispels wind and activates the meridians—perfect for her current condition.

After giving away that packet of Du Zhong, Pan Yun's life finally returned to normal. She wore a grateful expression, squeezing out two tears, but inside she was cold and solemn: "It seems the wealth I now possess is my limit. Write it down." She told Pan Xiaohei.

Today's lucky number ends in 3. Screenshot as proof.

(End of Chapter)