Chapter 44: Short On Money
In the dimly lit cabin with doors and windows tightly closed.
Li Weiyi poured all the coins onto the desk, including those obtained from looting the bodies of Xing Wanxing, Fang Tong, and Yan Qingqing, piling them into a small mountain with a clatter, and carefully counted them twice.
“Eighty-two Spring Coins, one hundred eighty-seven silver coins, eighty copper coins.”
One Spring Coin = one hundred silver coins = ten thousand copper coins.
Li Weiyi already had some understanding of the purchasing power in this world. For example, the ship fare from Yao Guan to Jiu Li City, a voyage of nine to ten days, was eight silver coins per person. Zhao Meng was the exception, at sixty-four silver coins.
Shipping the stone coffin cost an additional sixteen silver coins.
Daily food and drink expenses were also a considerable outlay. Fortunately, when Zhao Meng left the bronze ship, he had filled bottles and jars with a lot of Golden Crow Blood and Black Flood Dragon Blood for consumption; otherwise, he alone could eat the food of dozens of people.
But Li Weiyi was also consuming Golden Crow Blood and Black Flood Dragon Blood, which would definitely be depleted soon.
Li Weiyi had asked Zhao Zhizhuo about the prices of courtyards in Jiu Li City, and it startled him. Even in the suburbs outside the city, a small courtyard that could house five or six people, in a good location close to the main city, cost tens of thousands of silver coins.
Those in poorer locations, a bit more remote, still cost nearly ten thousand silver coins.
All in all, the total of all his coins now would barely buy such a small courtyard.
The larger ones, or those in the city area, were beyond even dreaming about.
Of course, he still had several magic tools, and the otherworld coffin he had salvaged, all of which could fetch hefty prices.
That was the confidence behind his decision to settle temporarily in Jiu Li City!
“Private sale of an otherworld coffin carries risk; better to wait a bit more. I could sell a magic tool first, but as a rootless Spring Gushing Realm cultivator from outside, wouldn’t that be too conspicuous and invite trouble?” Li Weiyi muttered to himself.
The mummified corpse in the stone coffin said: “You could ask Li Ling; she is a Nether Lantern Guide Envoy and also the granddaughter of the Cang Li Tribe Leader.”
Li Weiyi had already detailed all the causes and effects to everyone, naturally drawing a round of laughter and tears.
Everyone agreed there was only one unreasonable point.
That was, why did Li Ling approach him?
So many magic tools couldn’t move her heart—what else could it be for?
Spirit Tablet Senior told Li Weiyi that since Li Ling was a Nether Lantern Guide Envoy, she might have awakened “Perceptive Wisdom.” Awakening “Perceptive Wisdom” also meant prevailing in the competition among Guide Envoys to become a Priest Successor.
Nether Lantern Guide Envoys could predict the general fortune and misfortune of an event and find the correct path in the Departed Spirit Fog Domain. A Nether Lantern Guide Envoy who had awakened “Perceptive Wisdom” had one special minor ability: once she genuinely fell in love with a man, no matter thousands or tens of thousands of miles away, she could find him through perception.
Spirit Tablet Senior felt this was the only reasonable explanation; otherwise, all of Li Ling’s actions were too strange.
Li Weiyi never dared to be narcissistic or arrogant, not believing he had such charm. But the headache was that Li Ling showed no malice, didn’t take the initiative to act, and instead grew more sincere.
He just wanted to quickly draw a clear line…
Asking her to help sell a magic tool—wouldn’t that create another bond?
“Clang clang!”
A camel bell sound rang in Li Weiyi’s mind.
Immediately, distracting thoughts and negative emotions surged, as if seeking to devour someone. He quickly performed the Jade Void Breathing Technique, spending a quarter of an hour before his thoughts calmed, and the bell sound in his mind dissipated.
Ever since he had rung the Evil Camel Bell in the Blood Sea Coffin Dock, summoning a giant camel bell and killing Fang Tong, the camel bell sound would occasionally appear in his mind, like establishing some kind of connection.
“It’s ringing again?” The mummified corpse in the stone coffin said.
Li Weiyi nodded: “More and more frequent, greater influence… Is there really no way to resolve it?”
The stone coffin corpse said: “Yu Tuo Nan is no ordinary figure; back in the Carefree Capital of the Demon Kingdom, only Yu Baxian could suppress him. The Evil Camel Bell has immense prestige; it once caused turmoil in an entire Living Realm, stirring up tremendous bloodshed and gore. One could say all the magic tools you possess combined wouldn’t match half of the Evil Camel Bell.”
“For you, if used well, the Evil Camel Bell will be an extremely powerful trump card. Right now, you can only summon a three-to-four-meter-tall camel; in the future, it might be an entire camel caravan, and the camels might even turn into dragon-headed tu（o） camels.”
“But if you can’t suppress it and are influenced by malice in your mind and consciousness, the consequences will be severe—you might fall into the demonic path.”
“It probably took you as master when you channeled magic power to shake it, but such powerful demonic tools often devour their master. As it continuously absorbs evil thoughts from heaven and earth, its soul energy will rapidly recover and grow stronger. You must be stronger than it to avoid being controlled by it.”
“If you can invite a Jiu Li Priest-level Mind Master, they could grind away its soul energy in the current stage and eliminate the hidden danger. Once it grows to a certain level, grinding it away will be as hard as ascending to heaven.”
Throwing it away now was obviously too late.
Spirit Tablet Senior said: “Your breathing technique is very powerful, but you’re just hard-resisting it. You need to quickly cultivate spiritual light; spiritual light can suppress a magic tool’s soul. Then, you can master it, instead of it always influencing you.”
“Additionally, opening the Fifth Spring Back Core allows martial artists to exert certain resistance and taming ability against soul thoughts,” the stone coffin corpse said.
Jar Master, Spirit Tablet Senior, and Coffin Senior were evidently far weaker than Zen Sea Observing Mist and Yu Tuo Nan. After all, the latter two could already manifest forms and move freely.
“Knock knock.”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Brother Xie, the fourth young lady has woken up,” Zhao Zhizhuo’s voice came from outside.
After packing away all the coins, Li Weiyi pushed open the door and walked out, smiling: “Old Zhao, no more calling me Brother Xie from now on. We’re our own people; no need to hide anything. My real name is Li Weiyi. Call me Weiyi or Brother Li, either is fine.”
Li Weiyi’s hearing was exceptionally sharp, so he had long detected Li Ling’s little actions.
He had a good impression of Zhao Zhizhuo; the latter, out of gratitude, had chosen to conceal things from the young tribe leader and Li Ling rather than reveal the magic tool matter. In this world, being so clear on grudges and favors was extremely rare.
Zhao Zhizhuo naturally pretended to have just learned it, expressing surprise and joking a couple of times, then said: “Alright, I’ll call you Brother Li, but don’t call me Old Zhao anymore—just Old Zhao is fine. Haha!”
In his heart, he approved of Li Weiyi even more.
He could understand Li Weiyi hiding his real name; after all, one should be extremely cautious with low cultivation. If Li Weiyi, for helping the Cang Li Tribe, started jumping around acting like some big shot, he would instead repay the favor quickly and then distance himself.
The two walked along the corridor outside the cabin. Li Weiyi asked: “Old Zhao, you said before that you recultivated to Two Springs. Can a shattered spring eye be remolded?”
Zhao Zhizhuo’s smile faded, bitterness in his voice: “Remolding a shattered spring is very difficult; it requires immense perseverance. After so many years, I’ve only remolded two springs. Unless I find the top-tier magic tools, using their power, perhaps I can remold quickly.”
“But such magic tools…”
“Put it this way: our entire Jiu Li Tribe has only that one legendary lost magic tool with such ability. Otherwise, the tribe would have helped restore my cultivation back then… Sigh…”
Zhao Zhizhuo felt chest-stuffed and let out a long sigh. Falling from peak to the dust, enduring countless humiliations, mockery, and abuse, his heart had been ground to calm—yet today, Li Ling and Li Weiyi stirred up those painful memories.
He too had once been infinitely glorious, once pursued by thousands.
Unwilling to dwell on it, he said: “We’re here!”
Li Weiyi pondered inwardly: after opening the Fifth Spring Core or cultivating spiritual light to control the Evil Camel Bell, should he try to help him out?
This thought flashed briefly in his mind.
Exposing a magic tool of this level was no small matter; he needed to think thrice.
Li Ling had a Half Immortal Body; her skin was as delicate and pure white as jade wax, her long black hair draped like silk on either side of her cheeks. Under the sunset glow outside the door, her facial contours were distinct, her profile perfectly flawless.
“Didn’t you always want to draw a clear line with me? Why save me? Doesn’t this blur the line again?” she said.
Li Weiyi fetched a stool and sat down, saying: “I think anyone in that situation would save someone— it was just convenient.”
Li Ling said: “Is that so? I remember when I was gravely injured and unconscious, Fang Tong was still alive. To save me, you’d have to deal with him first—that’s not convenient. For such great kindness and favor, I must repay you somehow?”
Li Weiyi feared she might say something like offering herself; Zhao Zhizhuo was still there. He quickly said: “Fine, give me money!”
Li Ling frowned: “Do you really need money that badly?”
“Heading to Jiu Li City, money is needed everywhere. I have some savings, but I can’t just sit and eat them up, right? Conveniently, you want to repay,” Li Weiyi figured that no matter how much Li Ling gave, he deserved it without guilt.
Li Ling dropped the repayment talk and asked: “Did Fang Tong escape?”
Li Weiyi thought: “Escaped very quickly.”
“Did you cut off the heads of the other two?” She cared deeply about this.
“No, that would be too cruel.”
Li Weiyi knew what she wanted and took out the Snow Wolf King Tooth necklace: “I think using this as evidence is enough!”
Li Ling reached to take it.
Li Weiyi put it away, staring into her eyes: “I really need money.”
“What do you need so much money for?” Li Ling said.
Li Weiyi said: “Buying a courtyard in Jiu Li City is a huge expense; I don’t have enough.”
“With this necklace, I can apply to the tribe for a large courtyard for you,” Li Ling said.
Li Weiyi shook his head: “I don’t want too deep ties with your Cang Li Tribe or Jiu Li. If the Earth Wolf King Army investigates, it’ll lead to me. For this wolf tooth, tell everyone you took it yourself. Just give me the money!”
“Alright, I promise.”
Li Ling showed a charming smile: “Your thinking is correct! Jiu Li City is indeed a money pit; no amount is enough. Martial Way cultivation costs ten thousand silver per breakthrough.”
She reached for the wolf tooth necklace; Li Weiyi pulled back again: “I still need to see Cai Yutong and Qi Shanshan; they are my companions.”
Li Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly: “Fine, I’ll arrange it.”
“You should know, negotiating terms with you is me trying to trust you. This chance is only once!” Li Weiyi said.
Li Ling said: “I know! If there’s any mistake, we can’t even be friends in the future—probably only enemies.”
