「One month later.」
On this day, Wang Qianru erged from the Cave Mansion. Her face was flushed, her eyes glistening like spring water—the usual aftermath of her "Dao discussions" with Qin Xuan.
Ever since she had advanced to the Star Mansion realm while Qin Xuan had failed to guide his Life Star, the dynamic between her and her Junior Brother Qin had shifted into a delicate new phase.
’Now, the tables have turned...’
Wang Qianru hid her smile behind her hand and giggled, savoring the mory.
Just then, two figures ca bouncing toward her. They were a pair of Ninefold Blood Loan Ghost Children from the Star Mansion realm, brandishing iron chains and shackles with vicious grins.
"Halt! We are Transportation Envoys from the Blood Loan Money Shop! By order of the Hall Master, we are here to apprehend a wanted felon!"
The two Ghost Children shrieked, their Demonic Essence flaring as they flanked Wang Qianru, blocking her path. "Wang Qianru, Mountain Master of Blood Spring Mountain, you have maliciously defaulted on the spirit tax for Withered Marrow Cliff. You will co with us to cooperate with the investigation."
The color drained from Wang Qianru’s face. Her blood ran cold, and she found herself frozen to the spot, unable to move an inch.
"Sirs, there must be so mistake. I have never been late with my spirit tax paynts. I pay the full amount every single year!"
But the two Ghost Child Transportation Envoys paid her no mind. Acting indiscriminately, they moved to clap the shackle-like Magical Artifacts onto her.
"It’s here in black and white. The contract is right here. How dare you try to deny it?"
One of the Ghost Child Demon Cultivators, his face contorted with rage, yanked a blood-red Sheepskin Scroll from his large, red bib and thrust it in front of Wang Qianru.
The scroll clearly recorded the tax amount she owed and the paynt deadline.
[Na: Wang Qianru]
[Spirit Tax Overdue: 1,000,000 low-grade spirit stones!]
BOOM!
Wang Qianru felt as if she’d been struck by lightning, rooted to the spot.
"I didn’t sign this. I’ve never signed this contract..."
As an Incense Master, even if she fell into debt, the Blood Loan Money Shop would typically make automatic deductions. They rarely sent Blood Loan Ghost Children to collect in person.
Realizing sothing was terribly wrong, Wang Qianru sent her Divine Sense into her Identity Jade Order. When she saw her completely empty account, she felt her world collapse.
’What’s going on? Where are my Contribution Points... They’re all gone!’
The Blood Loan Ghost Children were unique Puppets created by the Blood Loan Money Shop. They operated purely on a debt-collection instinct and were exceptionally brutal, especially toward cultivators who resisted repaynt. Their thods were often severe.
The thought of what awaited her made Wang Qianru turn pale with terror. In a panic, she whipped her head around to cry out to Qin Xuan for help.
"Junior Brother Qin, can you lend one million low-grade spirit stones? Please, save ..."
BANG!
Dead silence was her only answer.
The door she had just exited slamd shut with a resounding crash.
Wang Qianru’s vision went black. Her body went limp, and she fainted from the shock.
...
Inside his Cave Mansion, Qin Xuan acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
’A million low-grade spirit stones? What a joke.’
’You think you’re worth that much?’
’These Blood Marrow Essence Dates from Wang Qianru are actually pretty good,’ Qin Xuan mused. ’Even though they’re only a Tier Two High Grade Spiritual Plant, their value is comparable to a Tier Three one. A fine prize indeed.’
Qin Xuan examined the glistening, crimson dates soaking before him, clicking his tongue in admiration.
According to Wang Qianru, she had discovered them in the treasury at Withered Marrow Cliff on Fang Mingshan.
In addition to these, there was also a Tier Two Top Grade Profound Iron Golden Essence, a nine-hundred-year-old Hundred-Eyed Ghost-Faced Vine...
Over the past month, Qin Xuan had endured all sorts of humiliation, using his silver tongue to coax a great many treasures out of Wang Qianru.
’Anything for cultivation,’ he thought. ’There’s no sha in it!’
’That hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones I spent was truly worth it. This new one-million-spirit-stone loan will probably take her a century to pay off.’
’The trap in that handover contract wasn’t for nothing, after all.’
’While a million low-grade spirit stones isn’t an astronomical sum for Star Mansion Cultivators, once the Blood Loan Money Shop formalizes the debt, the interest will start compounding.’
’An Incense Master making that back in a short amount of ti? That’d be a miracle.’
’And Lv Hexsong’s Black Water Abyss yielded quite a few treasures as well.’
Qin Xuan gazed at the dazzling array of Treasures of Heaven and Earth spread before him, grinning so wide he couldn’t close his mouth.
What pleased Qin Xuan most of all was the discovery of two Tier Three Low Grade Spiritual Plants growing in the Black Water Abyss: [Profound Nether Black Water Lotus]!
One of the Black Water Lotuses was already fully mature, a whole thousand years old.
’And this Black Abyss Profound Water Banner, forged from Tier Two Cold Pool teorite Iron, is another rare treasure.’
A faint light pulsed in Qin Xuan’s palm, and a small, exquisite black flag materialized. It was a Tier Two Top Grade Spiritual Artifact, just one step shy of becoming a Tier Three Treasure!
With a re thought, he tried to summon the Artifact Spirit of the Yin Yang Demon Refining Furnace.
However, to his surprise, he failed to awaken the twin-headed Black Flood Dragon. Instead, he accidentally summoned the Artifact Spirit of the Eight Desolates Forging Fire Furnace.
"Brat, you finally rembered your Lord Huang, eh? Spit it out, what do you want?"
The Spirit Body of a little Daoist child with his hair tied in a cyan topknot floated out. He had his hands on his hips and looked utterly adorable.
Back in the Vermilion Bird Star Domain, Qin Xuan had tried to summon this little Daoist child many tis, but never once succeeded!
Qin Xuan asked, "Senior, take a look at these Tier Two Spiritual Plants, and also this Tier Three [Profound Nether Black Water Lotus]. Can the Yin Yang Demon Refining Furnace be used to refine them into a Pill that enhances one’s Cultivation?"
"Let take a look."
The cyan-robed little Daoist child hopped off the Furnace Cauldron and began sifting through the pile of herbs before finally giving his assessnt.
"Of course. The grade of these herbs is a bit low, only Tier Two. However, using the Black Water Lotus as the main ingredient and adding that Thousand-Year Soul Nourishing Wood you had before, you can just barely refine a Tier Three [Control Elent Soul Nourishing Pill]."
When the cyan-robed little Daoist child turned to the Blood Essence Dates, he suddenly pinched his nose and gagged.
"Ugh, it reeks of Gui Shui Powder! Brat, what did you soak these dates in? It’s disgusting!"
"Control Elent Soul Nourishing Pill?" Qin Xuan’s eyes lit up at the na.
"Senior, may I ask what effects this Pill has?"
"At your current Realm, one Pill could probably save you five years of hard cultivation," the cyan-robed little Daoist child said nonchalantly, as if it were nothing special.
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