World of Cultivation - Volume 01 - Money Grubbing Madman

by Fang Xiang

  In some of the top sects, before each xiuzhe died, they would use their consciousness to leave behind what they had learned in their lives in the jade sticks and pass them on. These were the highest jade sticks. The jade sticks that held the consciousness and understandings of the elders were distributed to the disciples in the sect with the greatest potential.

  These young disciples would change themselves in one night, greatly shortening the time they needed to spend cultivating.

  But for normal xiuzhe, they didn’t even need to think about this kind of things. It was better to walk step by step. Not just that, it was like they were on a dangerous and misty mountain road, carefully climbing up. As to whether they would walk an indirect route, fall and break into pieces, that depended on each individual’s luck.

  Adding on the twenty pieces of second-grade jingshi that Li Ying Feng gave, Zuo Mo’s wealth was the greatest it had ever been, even though Pu Yao had spent a large amount. Zuo Mo couldn’t help but sigh, even though everyone was cultivating, but of those that were outstanding, how many didn’t have anything to their name? Li Ying Feng shijie’s family was wealthy. Giving out tens of second-grade jingshi, her eyes didn’t even blink. This kind of manner, Zuo Mo was deeply envious.

  His pouch was fat, his cultivation was hindered, it was natural that Zuo Mo thought about using jingshi to solve the problem. His goal this time was to buy a jade stick about one spell. There were very few people who could practise all five kinds of spells at the same time. But there should be more people who were skilled in one or two types.

  This kind of spells definitely wouldn’t be cheap. He would probably bleed a lot this time but he had no other choice.

  Riding the creaking Xiao Huang, he slowly made his way to Dong Fu again.

  As one of the most important towns of Tian Yue Jie, the development of Dong Fu was very good and had attracted a wave of pretty good xiuzhe. Basically, all the normal requirements could be satisfied here, especially to the kind of lianqi cultivators such as Zuo Mo.

  In a moderately sized store, Zuo Mo’s body was almost lying on the desk, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the other.

  “Bro, I’m saying, just buy another one, it’s really not expensive. If you want to fix it, and add more ling energy, it wouldn’t be cheaper than buying a new one, and it can’t level up.” The person was holding Zuo Mo’s flying paper crane, Xiao Huang, as he said in a seasoned tone.

  Looking at the visible cracks on the paper crane, Zuo Mo was slightly unwilling. After all, this was his first steed. Gritting his teeth, he said: “Just fix it for me, naturally I wouldn’t give less for the cost.”

  The other shrugged indifferently: “Whatever you say.”

  He took out all kinds of tools. First he cut out several lengths of green thin bamboo to reinforce the skeleton. Then he glued the cracks in the yellow paper, cutting off the frayed edges. He took out a brush, using cinnabar to carefully mend the seal arrangement before adding in ling energy. Only when the red cinnabar had disappeared from the surface of the paper crane did he repeatedly put on a layer of liquid and the seal that had disappeared appeared once again.

  “Alright. I slightly made it stronger. If you’re careful, you can still use it for a while. Three pieces of second-grade jingshi.”

  As expected, the price wasn’t different from buying a new one. Zuo Mo’s heart jerked in pain but he still crisply paid.

  Walking out of the small store, he stared to walk to the free market and found Fu Jin.

  Fu Jin saw Zuo Mo and instantly became alert, yellow: “Hey, Mo ge’s here. What do you want this time?” The wily eyes found the copper ring on Zuo Mo’s hand. Instantly he became even more attentive. His eyes were very experienced. That was a talisman. Even if the grade wasn’t high, but it still meant that Zuo Mo definitely still had some jingshi in his hands.

  Zuo Mo asked: “Do you have anything about [Art of Flora]? Relating to the third level. [Art of Crimson Flame] or [Art of Earth Energy] would also do.”

  “The third level?” Fu Jin grimaced as he shook his head: “Mo ge. You know the market. Whatever spell, once it reaches the third level, it isn’t hard to find. Even if it was available, the price, tsk tsk, at least two pieces of third-grade jingshi.

  Two pieces of third-grade jingshi. Zuo Mo didn’t know what to say about the price. Even though he was much wealthier now, but this price was still out of reach for him. One piece of third-grade jingshi, it needed one hundred pieces of second-grade jingshi. This was only for low-grade jingshi. As the grade increased, the disparity in the exchange rate would become even greater. Like fourth-grade jingshi, at the very least, it would require five hundred pieces of third-grade jingshi.

  Third grade was a dividing line.

  If he could make spellwork jade sticks, Zuo Mo would have already been selling jade sticks. Disregarding everything else, just based on his fourth level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain], if he could make jade sticks, he definitely could sell it for a good price. It was a pity that making a spellwork jade stick wasn’t a simple matter. While Zuo Mo’s [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] might have reached the fourth level, but for the overwhelming majority of the profound parts, he could only grasp, but could not convey.

  Like the jade stick that Wei Sheng shixiong gave him. It only basically recorded some of his experiences and realizations. It couldn’t be considered a spellwork jade stick.

  Those that could make spellwork jade sticks, they were usually those of high cultivation. They could stand at a higher spot and penetrate through to the core of the spells.

  The spellwork jade sticks that a jindan xiuzhe made, and one that a ningmai made, the price was astronomically different. The ling plant jade stick that Zuo Mo brought had been made by a ningmai. Many of the part inside were not adequately described.

  The most common spellwork jade sticks on the marked were for the stage of zhuji. They frequently could get sold for a pretty good price. Since once one entered zhuji, they had some wealth. This was also the reason that why the spellwork jade sticks for lianqi cultivators were so rare.

  The majority of those in the stage of lianqi were poor bastards.

  And Tian Yue Jie, it was a district under the jurisdiction of Kun Lun Jing. The mainstream was sword xiu, so there was much less spells in the other areas.

  Zuo Mo couldn’t help but be disappointed.

  Even though Zuo Mo’s face was paralyzed, but Fu Jin still sensitively detected his disappointed. He thought before suggesting: “Mo ge could try taking a look at the notice altar.”

  Zuo Mo instantly hit his head in frustration. How could he have forgotten that place?

  Each sect would always encounter all sorts of problems. Like the strange disease of the ling fields that Wu Kong Sword Sect had encountered this time. If the sect could not solve it, they would post to the boards in hopes of those with extraordinary talent that could aid them through their difficulties. After that, everyone found the convenience inside and more and more people asked for aid at the boards. Consequently, they created a specialized temple to post notices which was called the notice altar. This also became the place many xiuzhe used to find jobs, especially those with a cultivation of lianqi or zhuji.

  Of course, posting a message required paying a fee, and the post would clearly state the payment.

  Gratefully giving thanks to Fu Jin, Zuo Mo started heading for the notice altar.

  Chapter 25: Fourth Shigu

  The notice altar was in the southern part of Dong Fu, and it was also the most prosperous and busiest part of Dong Fu. Because he had already joined a sect, and taking care of the ling fields and cultivation had taken up almost all of his time, Zuo Mo had never been to the notice altar before. This was why he hadn’t thought of this place at the beginning.

  Stopping at the notice altar, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply!

  Looking out, countless posts made from cloth banners pointed at the sky like a forest, spreading out into the horizon. Under each banner,
people’s heads moved. The stream of people also moved slowly. Zuo Mo was in awe at the scene.

  Dazedly, he followed the stream and entered the notice altar.

  “This sect has a pair of Firey Gold Eyes Beast pups, requires one zookeeper. Requires cultivation above intermediate level of zhuji, five or more years of experience in animal care, salary generous.”

  “This sect is clearing out ling fields, needs large number of body cultivators, above lianqi fifth level. Includes residence and food. Ten pieces of first-grade jingshi each day.

  ……

  In just a quick while, Zuo Mo’s eyes started to blur.

  Just at this time, someone came up: ‘Bro, what, it’s hard to search. I have the complete table of content for the entire notice altar, detailed and accurate. It is updated at the first time. How about it, do you want a copy?”

  “How much?” Zuo Mo asked cautiously.

  “Not expensive, twenty pieces of first-grade jingshi.” The person said: “Bro, at one look, I can see you are one for doing big things. Time is so precious, wasting it like this is not worthy. Just twenty pieces of first-grade jingshi, it’s really worthwhile!”

  “Eight pieces!”

  “Bro, look at all these notices. Just me alone, how can I collect all of them? I have to support an entire bunch of people… …”

  “Adding on two pieces, I’m very sincere.”

  “Bro, we don’t have it easy……”

  Zuo Mo turned to leave. The person hurriedly pulled Zuo Mo: “Okay okay okay, I’ll sell it to you at a loss!”

  Looking at the directory that he spent ten pieces of first-grade jingshi to buy, Zuo Mo was a sorry figure as he escaped from the notice altar. He found a less busy place nearby and sat down.

  That was a really scary place! He looked with trepidation at the bustling notice altar.

  Adding ling energy to the jade stick, there were more than one thousand and five hundred posts in the directory, a huge variety, everything was there. After a long time, Zuo Mo finally found an order and started to look down.

  After a full two hours, he finally raised his head, his eyes full of disappointment. It wasn’t that there weren’t related posts that paid with spells, but not one of them were something that he could accomplish. Thinking about it now, Fu Jing was right. When any spell reached the third level, the price also changed drastically.

  Discontentedly returning on the flying paper crane, Zuo Mo’s expression was blank.

  When he returned home and saw Wei Sheng Shixiong standing outside his door, he couldn’t help but blank.

  Wei Sheng Shixiong didn’t seem to have changed much from before. Still clad in rough cloth. Even though he still gave others the feeling of being as sharp as a sword, but it was much more restrained than before. It could be seen that Wei Sheng Shixiong’s cultivation was much deeper than before. Even when Zuo Mo was still far away, he already detected it.

  “Shidi has really made me wait.” He smiled as he greeted.

  Wei Sheng Shixiong’s warmth that was just like before made Zuo Mo very surprised and slightly moved. The attitudes of inner sect disciples towards outer sect disciples were usually extremely bad, and those of low birth and had an accomplished cultivation, their arrogant manner was the normal state.

  “If Shixiong has something, just send a notice, why wait so long outside the door?” Zuo Mo solemnly replied.

  Wei Sheng took out a small box from his bosom and handed it to Zuo Mo: “The fire dragon grass seed won’t be of any use in my hands, but at least its third-grade so it would be a pity to throw it out. Shidi is skilled in planting, so this is given to Shidi.”

  Zuo Mo was greedy about wealth but facing the little box, he didn’t hold out his hand. The seed of a third-grade fire dragon grass, it wasn’t a question to sell it for a few tens of pieces of second-grade jingshi.

  “Shixiong has successfully zhuji, and there would be many places that would require jingshi in the future……”

  Wei Sheng interrupted his words, shoving the wooden box into Zuo Mo’s chest: “Don’t be chatty. I’m telling you to take it. My heart is for the sword, and doesn’t like other things.”

  Holding the wooden box, Zuo Mo didn’t know what to say.

  “Shidi has outstanding talent and should work hard to not fail to live up to this good vessel.” He urged: “Very soon I will enter the Sword Cave to study. When I come out, Shidi should have successfully zhuji.”

  For some reason, Zuo Mo’s heart warmed and burst out: “I definitely will successfully zhuji!”

  “Then I won’t worry anymore. It’s a pity that Shidi isn’t interested in the sword.” There was a hint of pity in Wei Sheng’s expression.

  Zuo Mo smiled: “It isn’t bad being a ling plant farmer, jingshii is a very dependable thing.”

  “Haha!” Wei Sheng roared with laughter: “That’s so true. I won’t bid farewell. When I come out, us brothers will drink!”

  Finishing, he swept away.

  Even when Wei Sheng Shixiong had walked a long ways off, Zuo Mo’s heart was still slightly excited.

  No matter if Wei Sheng Shixiong was deliberate or not but this bit of solicitude, he would firmly remember.

  From when he opened his eyes, what he faced was a completely unfamiliar world. The sect leader that picked him up had asked a few words before he was never seen again. He was like a newborn baby that started to dumbly learn bit by bit everything in the surroundings. His strange zombie face, and the ignorance about the affairs of the world caused him to receive endless mockery and ridicule.

  The only thing he was glad about was that the heavens had left behind some assets for him – a cultivation of lianqi fifth level. The setbacks he endured everywhere didn’t make him sink but actually stirred up the stubbornness in his bones. He cultivated day and night, used the rain of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] to fill the dry pond drop by drop. After that, the treatment he received gradually changed. Piling on the insincerity and worldliness, deliberately getting close to the other disciples in the sect, and earning a pretty good reputation.

  But that alienation inside, it gradually deepened with time.

  Wei Sheng Shixiong, who he only had met two times before, it was the first time he felt a sincere concern.

  Before this, he wasn’t interested in zhuji. That astounding sword essence in his sea of consciousness, while it had stirred up some interest in power, but quickly, [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] had completely made him lose interest in power. For him, power was undoubtedly very far away.

  But Wei Sheng Shixiong’s exhortions today made him suddenly feel that he needed to zhuji. This feeling was so fierce, from the moment it left his mouth, he felt that, no matter what, he had to complete zhuji!

  Zhuji!

  Zhuji, it was the first barrier in the long journey of cultivation. For those disciples in the large sects, zhuji was so easy that it was like stepping over a doorstep. But for normal xiuzhe, this would decide their status. Those that were in the stage of zhuji basically had left behind the lowest level of work, their income enough for those as greedy as Zuo Mo to have red eyes. But there was a high degree of difficulty in zhuji, especially to someone like Zuo Mo who only had the kind of mainstream street trash like [Ten Principles Scripture]. To finish zhuji, it needed luck and character. Other than that, the success of zhuji depended on whether the wallet was full or not.

  The lingdan and ling herbs that were required for zhuji, not one of them was cheap. And the effects varied greatly.

  Normal zhuji dan, it generally was one hundred pieces of second-grade jingshi. But this kind of zhuji dan could only be considered to barely useable. And if one was willing to spill some blood, two pieces of third-grade jingshi, they could buy the highest grade of zhuji dan, the success rate multiplying. This was also why the disciples of the large sects didn’t care about zhuji. For them, two pieces of third-grade jingshi was really a small amount.

  But for Zuo Mo, one hundred pieces of second-grad
e jingshi was almost his entire wealth. And this was only because his income had been high lately. Before this, did he dare to even think?

  That was also why he would put his efforts on ling plant farmer. In reality, the difficulty of becoming a ling plant farmer was much higher than zhuji. This could be seen from how much the salary of a ling plant farmer surpassed a zhuji cultivator. But the difficulty was based on talent. There wasn’t much of a jingshi investment. What other than this was more perfect for a money-grubbing Zuo Mo?

  But now he wanted to zhuji!

  His brain was occupied with this though as he dumbly walked to Cold Mist Valley.

  “Who are you? How dare you enter this sect’s important lands!” Suddenly a cold shout broke through Zuo Mo’s thoughts.

  A matron, appearing about forty something years old, was standing in the medicine fields, coldly looking at Zuo Mo. Zuo Mo unconsciously raised his head. When he met the other’s eyes, he instantly dropped into ice! The other’s gaze was as sharp as a sword, almost piercing him through.

  Zuo Mo shook, as though waking from a dream, his mind whirling quickly, he hurriedly made the bow of a disciple: “This disciple is Zuo Mo. Received Hao Min shijie’s orders to temporarily care for the medicine fields here.”

  “That girl dares! Dares to be lazy!” The green-clad matron’s face was cold, hinting at the anger.

  Zuo Mo silently grimaced. Right now, he largely knew the identity of this elder in front of him. Wu Kong Sword Sect hadn’t been big to begin with. The only one that fit the description was the fourth shigu, Shi Feng Rong. Shi Feng Rong spent long periods of time travelling abroad, occasionally returning. Zuo Mo had never had the chance to see her before. But supposedly this shigu didn’t have a good temper, was hard to be close with. Looking at it now, it was true.

  His only hope now was that Fourth Shigu wouldn’t blame him.

  Hao Ming Shijie was an inner sect disciple. Even if she was punished, it wouldn’t be heavy. But his status was low. If he was blamed, he wouldn’t have a good ending.

  Shi Feng Rong scanned the medicine fields in the surroundings. Seeing the ling herbs were fine, the coldness on her face retreated slightly. She relaxed her tone to ask: “What are you called?”