Short of Money

Inside the cabin, with its doors and windows tightly shut, the light was dim.

Li Weiyi poured every coin he had onto the table, including those he had looted from Xing Wanxing, Fang Tong, and Yan Qingqing's corpses. They clattered into a small mountain, which he carefully counted twice.

"Eighty-two Spring Coins, one hundred and eighty-seven Silver Coins, and eighty copper coins."

One Spring Coin = one hundred Silver Coins = ten thousand copper coins.

Li Weiyi had already gained some understanding of this world's purchasing power. For example, the voyage from Yao Pass to Jiu Li City took nine or ten days, and one person's fare was eight Silver Coins. Zhao Meng was an exception—his fare was sixty-four Silver Coins.

Shipping the stone coffin cost another sixteen Silver Coins.

The daily food expenses were no small expenditure either. Fortunately, when Zhao Meng had left the Bronze Ship, he had packed a great deal of Golden Crow Blood and Black Flood Dragon Blood in bottles and jars for consumption. Otherwise, he alone could eat as much food as dozens of people.

But Li Weiyi was consuming the Golden Crow Blood and Black Flood Dragon Blood as well. Before long, they would surely be exhausted.

Li Weiyi had asked Zhao Zhizhuo about the price of residences in Jiu Li City and had been startled. Even outside the city, in the suburban outskirts, a small courtyard capable of housing five or six people would cost tens of thousands of Silver Coins if it was well situated and close to the main city.

Even one in a poor, remote location cost nearly ten thousand Silver Coins.

Even if he counted every last coin, all the money he possessed was only enough to buy such a small residence.

As for the larger ones, or even those within the city proper, he did not dare entertain the thought.

Of course, he still had several ritual artifacts, as well as the Otherworldly Coffin he had salvaged. All of them could fetch a considerable price.

That was the confidence that allowed him to dare settle temporarily in Jiu Li City!

"There is risk in privately selling the Otherworldly Coffin. I need to wait a little longer. I could sell a ritual artifact first, but as an outsider at the Spring Realm with no backing, would that draw too much attention and bring disaster upon myself?" Li Weiyi muttered.

The Lingering Corpse in Stone Coffin said, "You can ask Li Ling. She is a Netherlight Guide Envoy and also the granddaughter of the Cangli Tribe's chieftain."

Li Weiyi had already recounted the entire chain of events to everyone in detail, naturally drawing a round of laughter and tears.

Everyone agreed that there was only one unreasonable point.

Why had Li Ling approached him?

So many ritual artifacts had failed to move her heart. What else could she possibly want?

Senior Spirit Tablet told Li Weiyi that since Li Ling was a Netherlight Guide Envoy, she might have awakened "Perceptive Enlightenment." Awakening Perceptive Enlightenment meant prevailing in the competition among guide envoys and becoming a Priest Successor.

A Netherlight Guide Envoy could predict the general fortune or misfortune of an event and find the correct path through the Departed Spirit Mist Domain. But a Netherlight Guide Envoy who had awakened Perceptive Enlightenment possessed another special minor ability: once she truly fell in love with a man, she could find him through perception no matter whether he was a thousand or ten thousand miles away.

Senior Spirit Tablet felt that this was the only reasonable explanation. Otherwise, all of Li Ling's actions were simply too strange.

Li Weiyi had never dared be narcissistic or conceited, and he did not believe he possessed such charm. Yet the headache was that Li Ling did not reveal hostility or take the initiative to attack. Instead, she was becoming increasingly sincere.

He only wanted to draw a clear line as soon as possible...

If he asked her to help sell a ritual artifact, would that not create another bond between them?

Clang! Clang!

A burst of camel-bell chimes rang inside Li Weiyi's mind.

In an instant, tangled thoughts and negative emotions surged forth, as though they wanted to choose someone and devour them. He hurriedly employed the Jade Void Breathing Technique. Only after a quarter of an hour did his thoughts settle, and the bell chimes in his mind fade away.

Ever since he had shaken the Evil Camel Bell at the Blood Sea Coffin Dock, summoned a gigantic camel bell, and killed Fang Tong, the camel-bell chimes would appear in his mind from time to time, as though some kind of connection had been established.

"It rang again?" the Lingering Corpse in Stone Coffin asked.

Li Weiyi nodded. "It is becoming more frequent, and the impact is greater... Is there really no way to solve it?"

The Lingering Corpse in Stone Coffin said, "Yu Tuo Nan was no ordinary figure. Back in the Carefree Capital of the Demon Kingdom, only Yu Baxian could suppress him. The Evil Camel Bell was even more formidable. It once threw an entire living realm into turmoil and stirred up a vast storm of blood and slaughter. It could be said that all the ritual artifacts you possess combined are not worth even half of the Evil Camel Bell."

"If you use the Evil Camel Bell well, it will become an extremely powerful trump card for you. Right now, you can only summon a camel three or four meters tall. In the future, it may become an entire Camel Caravan, and the camels may even transform into dragon-headed Bactrian camels."

"But if you cannot suppress it and allow its malice to affect your heart and mind, the consequences will be severe. You may even fall into the demonic path."

"It should have voluntarily acknowledged you as its master when you circulated your dharma power and shook it. But such powerful demonic artifacts often devour their masters as well. As it continuously absorbs the evil thoughts of heaven and earth, its soul energy will rapidly recover and grow ever stronger. You must become stronger than it, or you will be controlled by it."

"If you can invite a mind master at the priest level of the Jiu Li Tribe, they may be able to erase its soul energy at this stage and cut away the hidden danger. Once it grows powerful enough, trying to erase it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven."

It was clearly too late to throw it away now.

Senior Spirit Tablet said, "Your Breathing Technique is formidable, but you are merely resisting it head-on. You need to cultivate spiritual radiance as soon as possible. Spiritual radiance can suppress the souls of ritual artifacts. At that point, you can control it instead of letting it constantly affect you."

"Also, opening the Fifth Spring central node on your back will grant a martial artist a certain ability to resist and tame soul thoughts," the Lingering Corpse in Stone Coffin said.

Master Urn, Senior Spirit Tablet, and Coffin Senior were clearly far weaker than Zen Sea Observing Mist and Yu Tuo Nan. After all, the latter two could already manifest physical forms and move about freely.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Brother Xie, Fourth Miss has already awakened." Zhao Zhizhuo's voice sounded from outside.

After putting away all the coins, Li Weiyi pushed open the door and walked out with a smile. "Old Zhao, do not call me Brother Xie anymore. We are on the same side now, so there is no need to hide anything. My real name is Li Weiyi. You can call me Weiyi, or Brother Li."

With Li Weiyi's sharp hearing, he had naturally noticed Li Ling's little maneuver long ago.

He had a very favorable impression of Zhao Zhizhuo. Out of gratitude, the man would rather conceal the matter of the ritual artifacts from the Young Tribe Leader and Li Ling than reveal it. In this world, it was already exceedingly rare to distinguish clearly between gratitude and grudges.

Zhao Zhizhuo naturally had to pretend he had only just learned the truth, expressing surprise and making a few jokes before saying, "Fine, I will call you Brother Li. But stop calling me Old Zhao. Just call me Zhao. Hahaha!"

His approval of Li Weiyi deepened.

He could understand why Li Weiyi had concealed his real name. After all, one had to be exceedingly cautious while one's cultivation was low. If Li Weiyi had started strutting about and considered himself some remarkable figure merely because he had helped the Cangli Tribe, Zhao Zhizhuo would instead have repaid the favor as quickly as possible and then kept his distance.

The two proceeded along the corridor outside the cabins. Li Weiyi asked, "Zhao, you said before that you had recultivated Two Springs. Does that mean shattered spring eyes can be reshaped?"

The smile faded from Zhao Zhizhuo's face. Bitterly, he said, "Reshaping shattered springs is very difficult and requires immense perseverance. So many years have passed, yet I have only reshaped two springs. Unless one can find those most supreme ritual artifacts, perhaps their power can rapidly reshape them."

"But such ritual artifacts..."

"Let me put it this way: our entire Jiu Li Tribe possesses only that legendary lost ritual artifact with such an ability. Otherwise, back then, the tribe would have helped me restore my cultivation no matter what... Sigh..."

Zhao Zhizhuo felt a heaviness in his chest and let out a long sigh. Having fallen from the peak into the mud and dust, he had endured who knew how much humiliation, ridicule, and abuse. His heart had long been worn smooth and calm, yet today Li Ling and Li Weiyi had stirred up those painful memories.

He too had once basked in boundless glory. He too had once been admired by thousands.

Unwilling to speak further on the matter, he said, "We are here!"

Li Weiyi silently considered whether, after opening the Fifth Spring central node or cultivating spiritual radiance and gaining the ability to control the Evil Camel Bell, he should try to lend Zhao Zhizhuo a hand.

The thought flashed through his mind only briefly.

Revealing a ritual artifact of that level was no trivial matter. He had to think thrice before acting.

Li Ling possessed a Half-Immortal Body. Her skin was as delicate and pale as jade wax, while her long hair hung like black silk beside her cheeks. Under the evening sunlight outside the door, her facial contours stood sharply defined, and her profile was incomparably perfect.

"Have you not always wanted to draw a clear line with me? Why did you save me? Would that not blur the line again?" she asked.

Li Weiyi found a stool and sat down. "I think anyone in that situation would have tried to save you. It was merely a matter of convenience."

Li Ling said, "Is that so? I remember that Fang Tong was still alive when I was badly wounded and unconscious. To save me, you first had to deal with him. That was no mere matter of convenience. With such a great favor and such deep sentiment, how could I not repay you?"

Afraid that she would say something like offering herself to him again, especially with Zhao Zhizhuo still beside them, Li Weiyi hurriedly said, "Fine. Give me money, then!"

Li Ling frowned. "Are you very short of money?"

"On this trip to Jiu Li City, money is needed everywhere. I have some savings, but I cannot simply sit and eat until the mountain is empty, can I? It so happens that you wish to repay me." Li Weiyi felt that no matter how much Li Ling gave him, he would deserve it without shame.

Li Ling no longer mentioned repaying him and asked, "Did Fang Tong escape?"

Li Weiyi considered it. "He escaped very quickly."

"Did you cut off the heads of the other two?" She cared greatly about this.

"No. That would have been too cruel."

Knowing what she wanted, Li Weiyi took out the Snow Wolf King fang necklace. "I think this is enough evidence!"

Li Ling reached out to take it.

Li Weiyi withdrew it and stared into her eyes. "I am very short of money."

"What do you need so much money for?" Li Ling asked.

Li Weiyi said, "Buying a residence in Jiu Li City is a major expense. I do not have enough money."

"With this necklace, I can apply to the tribe for a large residence for you," Li Ling said.

Li Weiyi shook his head. "I do not want overly deep ties with your Cangli Tribe or the Jiu Li Tribe. If the Earth Wolf King Army investigates, they will trace it back to me. You must tell everyone that you seized this wolf fang yourself. You only need to give me money!"

"Fine, I promise you."

Li Ling revealed a radiant smile. "Your consideration is correct! Jiu Li City truly is a gold-devouring den. No matter how much money one has, it can all be spent. Martial cultivation is even more so—breaking through a single realm consumes tens of thousands of silver."

She reached for the wolf-fang necklace, but Li Weiyi pulled back again. "I also want to see Cai Yutong and Qi Shanshan. They are my companions."

Li Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. "Fine. I will arrange it."

"You should know that by negotiating terms with you, I am actually trying to trust you. You will have only this one chance!" Li Weiyi said.

Li Ling said, "I know! If anything goes wrong, let alone becoming friends in the future, I fear we can only become enemies."