The Nanshan Leopard

Upon entering the private room of Taiping Temple, after sitting down for a short while, an old man who looked like an accountant was brought over to appraise Li Fan's magical treasures. He also brought over a catalog of goods from Taiping Temple's storeroom. There were many magical treasures and materials, most of which were probably 'old stock' that had been added in the last month...

After examining the magical artifacts and Cultivation Method that Li Fan had produced, the old man wrote down his valuations on slips of paper.

According to Jianyi's explanation, these old men are usually third-party shopkeepers. The platform will also negotiate with sellers based on their valuations.

If the seller is not satisfied, they can have another person evaluate the product, but the seller will have to pay an extra fee. Incidentally, if the seller is a novice who doesn't know anything about the industry, the person doing the valuation will be someone from the platform's own circle, so you know how that valuation will be.

Li Fan checked the estimate; the Nascent Soul Stage level whip was priced at 800,000 guan, so the market value should be 1.6 million guan. But this was a 'pickup' deal, meaning the actual transaction price was only 240,000 guan, half cash and half banknotes. If it were all converted to cash, something worth 1.6 million guan could only be sold for 180,000 guan in cash...

This is outrageous... Sigh, considering it was something I found, and from a powerful demon at the Divine Transformation, I'd better sell it as soon as possible...

The other five Golden Core Elixir Magic Treasures were valued much lower, around 20,000 guan each, for a total offer of 100,000 guan. However, they were all old. The Taiping Temple newspaper reported a transaction price of 50,000 guan, which would be a little over 37,000 guan in cash.

On the contrary, cultivation Cultivation Method don't have the same ridiculous rules as magic treasures. After all, these are genuine Cultivation Method stored in jade slips. Although they are methods used by the Immortal Palace to tame beasts, Cultivation Method that can lead to the Nascent Soul Stage are extremely rare. They were valued at a high price of 50,000 strings of cash. Moreover, the Taiping Temple also indicated that they would not need to negotiate the price 50/50 and would accept the cash at half price.

So what he got was 170,000 strings of cash and 145,000 strings of Taiping Ship banknotes. If he wasn't satisfied with the price and wanted to ask for a higher price, Li Fan would have to pay someone himself. However, according to Profound Heaven Sword Intent's advice, a pile of junk was only worth about that much, so it was better to sell it sooner rather than later.

So Li Fan was torn between whether or not to cash out the ticket. He really couldn't bear to lose even a 50% discount, which would cost him 72,500 guan—it was all money...

Kun also expressed his opposition.

"Kun said, 'Tofu pudding is only five coins a bowl. You can buy several bowls!'"

... Theoretically, isn't it several bowls? It's fourteen million bowls...

Kun was shocked!!!

Ahem, that's roughly the gist of it. If you see something you like, try to spend some of your ticket money so you don't lose too much... no, you still lose money. Although this store also has a lot of pills and cultivation materials, the prices of the same items are significantly higher than those at Ink Bamboo Mountain. They know that some people will be reluctant to spend the discount on their tickets and shop in the store, so they're just ripping off the money of independent cultivators.

Sigh, being in the underworld is tough... Oh, right!

Li Fan flipped through the booklet and asked the Taiping Temple, "Do you have any special flying magical artifacts or mounts in your inventory?"

The Daoist priest who was guiding us laughed and said, "Friend, you've come to the right place. If you need a flying boat or a floating boat, you can go to Ink Bamboo Mountain to buy something cheaper. However, mounts and spirit pets are the best-selling items at Taiping Temple. Our goods come from the Ten-thousand-mountains and have been specially trained using the secret methods of the Immortal Palace. They are guaranteed to be obedient and sensible."

As for mounts, whether they're old or found, if you get a 'second-hand' one, just bring it to my temple, and I'll give you a good price of 75%."

Upon hearing this, Li Fan narrowed his eyes and asked, "The Suanni also exists?"

The other party chuckled and said, "The Suanni, a renowned ancestral beast, can travel thousands of miles, devour tigers and leopards, and is extremely rare, not even found in the Central Plains. However, if you have the money and the tickets, then of course you can get one."

Li Fan sneered, "Then I've really come to the right place."

That connects things again; that Chen Jinu was probably from the Taiping Temple.

If Li Fan's guess is correct, Taiping Temple has been hiding behind the scenes, maneuvering among various forces such as the Divine Sect, the Nangong Family, Jade Toad Granny, Liqiu Palace, and the Grand Commandant's Mansion, acting as a bridge between them, promoting the alliance of various forces, and suppressing the influence of Ink Bamboo Mountain in Li Country.

If their conspiracy succeeds, the master of Taiping Temple might even lead a portion of the royal family to surrender, join the cult, and seize control of the Li Country.

Even now, they have completely severed ties, lying in wait like venomous snakes, waiting for their next opportunity to strike.

It seems the royal family of Li Country is not without its own power and schemes; it's just that the one in charge isn't the one who died lying in the Liqiu Palace, but rather the one who became a monk in Taiping Temple...

Although Li Fan had seen through yet another mastermind behind the scenes, the master of Taiping Temple was absent today, and he didn't have a sword, so he couldn't eliminate the other party immediately. He would have to wait for another opportunity... Wait a minute! Maybe he could use his good looks! With his handsome appearance, which made many nuns and housewives drool, he could lure the master of Taiping Temple to show himself! Then he could assassinate him in bed! The great plan could succeed!

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao... I must say, you really are a genius sometimes, and you're quite ruthless to yourself...'

Well, to lure Taiping Temple in, we need to play the long game... Alright! Let's become their top customer first!

So, after hesitating about whether to pawn the ticket for cash, Li Fan immediately decided to take it! He'd also buy a mount!

So the Taiping Temple led Li Fan to choose a mount. He was all smiles because he had just gotten a great deal out of nowhere and was probably getting a lot of commission. Little did he know that Li Fan was smiling at him too, but he had already made up his mind to kill the landlady as soon as he got the flying sword back. He was even enthusiastically introducing it to Li Fan.

"The Suanni loves smoke and sitting, eats tigers and leopards, and is extremely majestic, truly the leader of all beasts. It has always been favored by the Immortal Palace, which often purchases it from overseas at great expense to train it as a mount. However, it is relatively rare in Changsi City. I remember there is a golden-haired, blue-eyed one in the temple, which is exceptionally handsome. My friend, you will definitely like it."

Li Fan sneered, "Is that so? Then I'd really like to see for myself."

Sure enough, when the two of them crossed the barrier through the back passage of Taiping Temple and arrived at the adjacent animal pen, the Daoist priest immediately looked embarrassed.

Li Fan still sneered, "What, that Suanni is gone?"

The Daoist priest was embarrassed. "He said it was borrowed a few months ago and hasn't been returned yet. The others are either underage or not properly trained. Friend, would you like to look at some others? Or wait a few days and I'll go find some for you?"

Li Fan didn't make things difficult for him. That beast had probably already been reincarnated; even if they searched the underworld, they wouldn't be able to find it again. "Let's look at something else. Hmm, as long as it's not canine, it'll be fine. My friend is afraid of dogs."

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, 'Who's afraid of dogs!' You tell me, who's afraid of dogs?!"

The Daoist breathed a sigh of relief. "Easy, easy. I've never heard of riding a dog before... Oh, a Nanshan Cloud Leopard recently arrived. Would you like to take a look?"

'The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, Southern Mountain Leopard? Heh, quite a match for you, kid.'

Li Fan didn't understand at first, but he went along to see.

Inside the cage, there was a wisp of misty vapor, resembling a swirling black cloud. Hearing someone approach, two large, round lamps, each the size of a copper bell, suddenly opened, shooting out two beams of golden light. It was a black, mist-shrouded leopard, its body resembling a tiger but shorter, with a mane as black as ink, shrouded in mist and clouds, concealing its form.

Li Fan exchanged a glance with the leopard, then beckoned to the black leopard. The leopard darted over in a flash, splashing raindrops onto the iron cage, and nestled at Li Fan's feet, letting him rub the fur off its collar.

"This one's pretty docile." Li Fan hugged the leopard head and stroked it a couple of times; the feel was alright.

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, 'Heh heh, the female cat has smelled the male cat's scent; how could she not submit?'"

Damn, your sword intent is way too strong...

Seeing that Li Fan and the leopard got along well, the Daoist priest finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Cloud Hidden Leopard are rare indeed. This one is still young, having just formed its core and come out to play on the clouds. Its stripes haven't even grown yet, and we've already caught it. If you like it, friend, you can ride it for 60,000 strings of cash."

Li Fan thought it looked quite appealing. "Okay, uh, does it eat fish?"

Kun is in danger!

The Daoist nodded, "The Cloud Hidden Leopard is a spirit beast; it can eat anything and doesn't necessarily need to be fed fish. You can let it hunt in the mountains on its own. It's very easy to raise."

Li Fan glared at Kun, "Look at him, he can eat anything, but you insist on eating cooked food."

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'You also eat what's already been cooked, don't you?'"

Wow! You guys spoiled it so much that it's become such a picky eater! And you're being way too biased!

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, 'It's different. The Kun is Divine Beast born from the primordial chaos, even surpassing humans in stature. What's wrong with it eating cooked food? The Nanshan Leopard is a spirit beast born of heaven and earth, but humans are the most intelligent of all beings, so they can be kept as pets. In comparison, monsters are merely beasts who have gained enlightenment through chance, vying for the destiny and opportunities of us cultivators. Therefore, we must kill them all, understand?'"

Your division into different classes is really cruel...

However, even in the Human Dao, there are gods and mortals, and among mortals, there are emperors and beggars. Perhaps, in the eyes of such an ancient relic as Profound Heaven Sword Intent, Kun is an emperor-level being, while monsters are just beasts.

Li Fan could only shrug. These natives' values were just like that; they probably couldn't be changed.

So he spent half cash and half Taiping Ship tickets to buy a leopard for transportation. Not bad, since Li Fan also cultivates the Qiongqi Dao Body. Fairy Wangshu used to always tell him to observe cats. Observing leopards might also benefit his cultivation.

And you know what, after Li Fan tried flying around on the Cloud Hidden Leopard a couple of times, he actually experienced an invisibility effect with clouds and mist swirling around him. The rain and mist felt cool and refreshing on his skin, like he had built-in air conditioning. And he wasn't even that much slower than the Ghost-Slaying Warrior...

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Hey, you're going a bit too far with that. Mounts are for long journeys, and besides, if you refine the Ruyi Sword Scripture to a high level, slaying ghosts won't be slow at all!'"

So how can one master the Ruyi Sword Scripture to a high level?

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, just keep slaying people. Your high comprehension isn't all good. Your hand seal movements are too standard, exactly the same as when I taught you the first time. Although you can perform the spell right away, many subtleties are hard to grasp. Since you haven't made any mistakes, you naturally can't feel where the difference lies."

The only way is to kill more people to practice. The same applies to other spells; keep using them, practice makes perfect, strive for excellence—that's how you hone your skills through painstaking, persistent effort.

As expected, even if I am a genius, there is still no shortcut in this world!

So Li Fan acquired a mount, and after some browsing at the Taiping Temple, guided by the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, he bought some herbs Spirit Stones not produced Li Country. In the end, the money and banknotes added together, and he spent about 80,000 strings of cash. He was left with 130,000 strings of cash and 100,000 strings of Taiping banknotes.

Since the owner of Taiping Temple was not present, Li Fan figured there was plenty of time. He would come back to settle scores with the owner after he had mastered his divine skills. So, Li Fan decided not to redeem the remaining Taiping Ship tickets for the time being. Instead, he withdrew the equivalent of 130,000 strings of cash and silk from Taiping Temple.

If you're looking for a bargain, exchanging six magical treasures and a Cultivation Method for so little is definitely not worthwhile. The Taiping Temple pockets the Taiping Temple's share. But Li Fan considers it an investment in reputation for the early stages of the mission. Anyway, 130,000 strings of cash should last him a while; how long would he be able to keep his monthly salary? He can go back to the sect to replenish his talismans and equipment, and then head to the southern mountains to fight monsters and level up.

So Li Fan rode his leopard away from Changsi City and headed south. After leaving the city, he flew up and even circled Xiping Protectorate. He then went to the tavern near the entrance for a drink and inquired about the situation. He learned that the Xiping Protectorate's troops had still been transferred out of the city and were preparing to head north. Huang Hai, it seemed, had colluded with the demonic path to escape and had been dismissed from his post. He was currently being searched by the Discipline Institute, so Xiping Prefecture would probably be safe for a while.

Li Fan was somewhat relieved and rode his mount directly towards Ink Bamboo Mountain.

However, they had only flown far to Lou Guandao Pagoda and had not yet landed on the clouds when suddenly Sword Light appeared, revealing a Daoist priest in a black and white checkered robe, wearing a gold fish crown and with two gourds at his waist.

It was Yuhengzi, the current instructor of the Outer Sect Disciple, from the Seven Star Peak of Bamboo Mountain.

Li Fan felt a little nervous. Yuhengzi seemed to have never liked him. Was he here to cause trouble again...?

Before Li Fan could even bow, Yuhengzi cut to the chase, saying, "Qingting Sou has told me everything about the Yu Family brothers."

I already said it!

Li Fan bowed respectfully, secretly holding a Dragon Fetus Feathering Pill in his sleeve. "That kid has nothing more to say."

Yuhengzi squinted at the Cloud Hidden Leopard beneath Li Fan, "You can keep their things."

Li Fan then took out two Storage Jade and tossed them to Yuhengzi.

The other person took it, glanced at it, and saw that Li Fan had indeed failed to break the seal on the jade pendant and had taken its contents without permission. He then nodded slightly to Li Fan, "Good."

Then he rolled up his sleeve and vanished in a flash.

Li Fan, "...?"

What does this mean? Aren't you going to fight? Are you just going to rob us and run??

Unable to figure out what this guy meant, Li Fan scratched his head and decided to have the leopard land on the cloud and head straight for the Heavenly Clothes.

1,500 strings of cash for a life is indeed cheap.

"Oh, my friend, your cultivation has become even more profound!" The shopkeeper of the Heavenly Clothes was still all smiles and very enthusiastic. "Ten Daoist robes used up so quickly? Oh dear, you are truly blessed. But as you may know, some things have happened recently, and we are temporarily out of stock..."

Li Fan interrupted him, "How much did you pay per piece when you got the goods from Sha Tang?"

The manager of Heavenly Clothes gave him a knowing look, as if to say, "I knew we were in cahoots." He continued, "You should know that this is just a side business done under the guise of Heavenly Clothes, and it's not recorded in the books. If it sells well, we'll ask our friends to bring some back to the village when they return to supplement the village's expenses. At most, we'll give them a few strings of cash for drinks."

Li Fan nodded, took out a Storage Jade, and handed it to the shopkeeper. "There are nine hides and 20,000 strings of cash inside, as a deposit. Please make nine more Daoist robes for me. There's also a lotus lamp inside, which the tailor lost. Please take it to him when you have the chance. But the village should have been moved. Can you find it?"

The shopkeeper smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, the villagers always find their way back... However, my friend was recently injured by his girlfriend and will probably need to stay in bed for another three months, so please wait a little longer."

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat, "... Alright then."

Then the shopkeeper put on a merchant's smile, "Also, if you happen to have any Lei Marsh's Mirage Robe, or materials like silk or warbling feathers that you'd like to exchange for cash, you can bring them directly to our shop. We can accept them, and the price is negotiable. Oh, and we also have the latest miasma-concealing robes and detoxifying sachets. Would you like to consider them?"

"Oh, not now, maybe next time."

Li Fan glanced at the shopkeeper and left the Heavenly Clothes, lest he be swindled out of his hard-earned money again. However, he figured he could probably sell the materials he collected from monsters here for some money later, and who knows, he might even trigger some hidden quests from the Luo Sect —they're common in games, right? Maybe there would even be subsequent outfits unlocked.

Well, the Luo family's mission point and the Ink Bamboo Mountain's mission point are in the same courtyard, which is quite convenient. But is there really nothing fishy going on? The Abbot is so good at calculations, surely he could have foreseen these people right under his nose? What exactly is he planning...?

Li Fan thought about it for a while, but in the end, he gave up on thinking about it.

This trip really wore him out. Changsi City truly lives up to its name, a city of endless scheming and backstabbing among various factions. It's exhausting! He'd rather fight monsters; fighting monsters is so much more fun and mindless! Yes! When he gets tired of mystery games, he can just mindlessly grind through them. When he gets bored after a couple of rounds, he can go through some story missions. That's roughly the rhythm. He needs to balance work and rest and focus on improving his cultivation!

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, your Dao heart, which treats cultivation like a game, is quite impressive. It seems geniuses and madmen do indeed have a lot in common...'

That's... huh? Are you genuinely praising me?

Li Fan returned to Wangshu Residence, but neither Fuling nor the fairy were there. Fortunately, his bedding was still in the quiet room, so he hadn't been kicked out of his nest and had to rent a place on his own. However, his cultivation level had already increased significantly, and it was even faintly comparable to Yuhengzi from before. It was probably only a matter of time before he could go solo and open his own cave.

As for the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, he only Li Fan to repeatedly practice those basic Cultivation Method, and then slipped away to check on the progress of the sword forging.

Seeing that Fuling wasn't there, Kun became even less inclined to stay at Wangshu Residence to drink water. With a single glance, it summoned the Cloud Hidden Leopard as its mount and sent it out. Li Fan didn't bother with them either; Kun was now more powerful than him, having roamed all over the mountains. Li Fan didn't know many people, but he knew Kun. Kun could easily find a lot of food while patrolling the mountains. It would be good to let it take the new leopard out to familiarize itself with the area.

It's unclear why the Cloud Hidden Leopard is so obedient to this fat fish. Could it be that it has some misunderstanding about their status within the team? Perhaps higher-ranking Divine Beast do indeed possess a kind of imposing aura that only certain animals can sense...

Li Fan shrugged and began his own cultivation.