The Debtor

After finishing his business with Lou Guan, Li Fan was in a daze. Just in case, he had settled the debt for Kun one last time: three hundred tofu coupons for three hundred shi of tofu. The result was that he almost vomited blood.

Although Li Fan isn't short of money now, spending 18,000 gold coins on tofu is a bit too outrageous, isn't it?? He already cleared out a lot of gold coins at Yuntai Peak last time! And it's only been a few months! Wow!!

Well, Real Person had calculated it with him last time. In the two years since he left the mountain, Kun had not only eaten up his 40,000 shi of rice salary, but also owed the temple 20,000 shi. However, at that time, it was settled in grain units, and not long after, he received 100,000 gold coins, worth hundreds of millions of coins, so Li Fan really didn't care.

After all, this is raising a Kun, okay? So what if it eats tens of thousands of shi of your grain? Eat it! I'm not short of money!

But who would have thought that Kun wasn't just eating rice obediently at all! He actually wanted to eat tofu too! And he even managed to create tofu tickets! And they were worth sixty gold coins per ticket! That's outrageous!

Li Fan's rice allowance was emptied last time, so he couldn't exchange it for rice and tofu. Now he could only forcibly buy tickets with cash to settle the debt. So Li Fan was not actually paying for the food Kun was eating, but rather buying tofu tickets from Ink Bamboo Mountain!

The Li Country currently facing a food shortage, an overabundance of money, and severe inflation! Moreover, there are many clever people, even the tea vendors know that major merchants have long since joined the ranks of speculating on tofu coupons! As a result, Lou Guan alone has emptied Li Fan's coffers of another Golden hairpin with his tofu coupons! But it's still not enough!

Yes! Although Li Fan spent 60,000 shi of grain and 18,000 gold coins, it wasn't all of it! The 300 tickets he settled were only the portion recently used to offset taxes for Ink Bamboo Mountain! The majority of the tickets weren't even in Lou Guan's hands!

Many businesses now use these tofu coupons for direct transactions! This is where the bulk of the business is!

Li Fan was in a real bind! Thankfully, the sect was giving him priority in exchanging his debts, offsetting it with his rice salary and clearing the debt at market price. Sixty gold coins for one note—it was actually a bargain for him! It seemed that the last time Li Fan cleared a debt of 60,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), the tofu notes had skyrocketed in value! They were already being sold for a hundred guan (another unit of currency) each on the black market!

The bills Li Country Commercial Bank are not something that can be bought back with money! If he were to actually spend money to settle the debt, he would be ripped off to death!

Back then, Li Fan had no idea that there were such things as tofu coupons. He got a hairpin from this person and a hairpin from that person. Now, he only has one Golden hairpin left, worth 20,000 gold coins. He'll be bankrupt once he runs out of money!

Damn it! This Kun!! We can't let it roam freely anymore!! It's such a rip-off!!

If we go back and retrieve the Golden hairpin we gave to Kun, that should last us a few more days. Now we need to figure out how to increase our income...

Ah... the sunlight is so blinding... is this what bankruptcy feels like...?

Rubbing his temples, Li Fan stood at the entrance of Lou Guan Tower for a while before gradually recovering.

Upon opening my eyes, I saw the Heavenly Clothes across from Lou Guan Tower, and memories flooded back.

By the way, Xu Ziqing, the manager of the Heavenly Clothes, is a hidden remnant of the Luo Sect. It's been so long since I've seen him; he might have new missions or new equipment. Or I could buy some human skin Daoist robes to take their place. Although Li Fan can't use the Golden Core level equipment, it'd be good for protecting Asha and the others. He also got the <Diligence and Enlightenment Scroll>; I wonder if the Heavenly Clothes would be willing to pay for it, to ease some of their financial pressure...

"Manager Xu? Is the manager not here?"

"The innkeeper has gone to visit relatives. What would you like to order, sir?"

There was only one young apprentice in the Heavenly Clothes, who was tailoring clothes. He looked like he had just Foundation Establishment. He had fair skin and slender fingers, and didn't look like someone who had ever worked in the fields.

Visiting relatives? Where are you visiting relatives? Are you a local?

Li Fan didn't sense any Luo Sect aura from the other party; he probably only practiced ordinary Cultivation Method from Ink Bamboo Mountain. He didn't feel comfortable asking where people sold leather clothes.

"I am Xu Quan, a distant relative of the shopkeeper, who came from the Xun Kingdom to seek refuge. Would you like to see the new immortal robes, sir? We only have one Purple Sash Immortal Clothes left in the shop. It's worth 70,000 strings of Divine Astral Coin, but if you pay in full with immortal tickets, it'll only cost 250."

Li Fan gasped, "You're the one who's stupid! Your whole family are stupid!"

"This kind of 'immortal ticket'? I mean, it's one thing for others, but your shopkeeper accepts this worthless paper? Doesn't he know who Qingyue is?"

Li Fan suppressed his anger and pulled out a handful of tofu coupons from his sleeve, demanding an explanation.

Xu Quan looked at the thick stack of assets in Li Fan's hand with envy, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, yes, other merchants usually charge nine gold coins for one bill, or seven gold coins for three bills, but the manager said that our Heavenly Clothes can buy goods with full bills, as much as you have. Even Lou Guan comes here to buy up goods!"

"I! You! Damn it!" Li Fan was so angry his nose was crooked. Fine! He knew there couldn't be no mastermind behind it all! Someone really was plotting against him!

Li Fan suppressed his anger, took a ticket and handed it to Xu Quan, "Did your manager say why he's accepting these immortal tickets?"

Xu Quan was quite honest. "The shopkeeper said that this Master Qingyue has a bright future. Sooner or later, he will establish his own sect and become its founder. Investing in him is a sure thing."

Li Fan rolled his eyes. Wasn't that a good deal? Trading a set of trashy magic robes for 250 autographed immortal tickets was a steal!

He's going to die! He's only at Nascent Soul Stage Divine Transformation stage and he's already inexplicably accumulating a mountain of debt. What will happen when these creditors come knocking on his door once he reaches the Deity Transformation stage and attains enlightenment?

Li Fan's face was grim. After thinking for a moment, he said to Xu Quan, "When your manager returns, have him bring all the tickets he has to Li Family Village in Moshan to see me."

Li Fan didn't believe that Xu Ziqing was simply optimistic about his future. Why would he go to such lengths? It was more likely that the Luo Sect had taken notice of him and wanted him to do something important.

Leaving aside the intricate connections between this organization and 'Qingyue,' and ignoring the Void Star, the Thousand-Faced Immortal, the Heavenly Book, Xuan Tian, Yan Xingyun, and the Luo Sect, the Luo Sect's upheaval alone has influenced the historical process of the entire Taiji Immortal Realm for the past few centuries, making it an unavoidable force.

Whatever, let them come, I'm already drowning in debt anyway...

After leaving the Heavenly Clothes, Li Fan thought for a moment and then went to the mortuary to pay his respects to Real Person Liang.

As the guardian of Lou Guan Tower, Real Person Liang naturally couldn't leave easily, and now he really couldn't leave, because the mortuary had already become like a primary school.

There was a large group of children in the courtyard, most of whom were obviously brought by the refugee group. After all, the mortuary provided food and lodging and offered the opportunity to become a disciple of the Xuanmen Lou Guan, which was the best way out. So, anyone with a bit of talent came to become an apprentice.

The older ones cultivated the Body Domination Technique, while the younger ones practiced boxing and exercises under the guidance of their senior brothers to improve their physical fitness. Real Person Liang no longer had time to lie in his coffin and eat grass; now that he was the principal of an elementary school, he had no one to help him and was extremely busy.

But when he saw Li Fan, he was suddenly stunned. He told his disciples to go practice on their own and pulled Li Fan into the mortuary to talk.

"What happened? What happened to you! How did you 'die'! What did you do to the <Huashu>?! Tell me quickly!"

"Yes, when the disciple's Nascent Soul Stage shattered, the True Essence of Returning to Emptiness was reconstructed during the rebuilding process."

Li Fan had nothing to hide, so he sat down opposite Real Person Liang and introduced his progress in cultivating the Gui Xu Nascent Soul, including the improvement and reconstruction of his True Essence. He then discussed the Tai Su Dao Nascent Soul Stage cultivation method with Real Person Liang. Finally, he expressed his wish to see Nascent Soul Stage Real Person Liang Soul and ask him for some of the ultimate techniques of the Gui Xu Nascent Soul Dao.

Real Person Liang stroked his beard as he listened, shaking his head as he spoke. Only after Li Fan finished did he let out a long sigh.

"I can't learn that. Your skill level has already surpassed mine."

Li Fan was speechless for a moment.

Real Person Liang sighed, "Do you think reconstructing the disassembled True Essence of Returning to Emptiness is such a simple matter? Once the True Essence of Returning to Emptiness is consumed, it cannot be restored. Once the Nascent Soul Stage is on the verge of collapse, even the Dao Body will be disassembled and eliminated. Yet you dare to casually disassemble and reconstruct the True Essence, which is simply courting your own destruction!"

But you have truly crossed the crucial threshold, able to dismantle the scattered True Essence of Returning to Emptiness and generate a new primordial spirit! Whatever you reconstruct and rebuild from the remains of Returning to Emptiness, it is something entirely new, not existing within the Dao. This is the fulfillment of destiny!

I think once you complete the reconstruction and rebirth, you will achieve an unprecedented return to the void and restoration of your primordial spirit!

Li Fan stared in disbelief for a moment, his jaw agape. "... Holy crap? I was this awesome??"

Because his physical body frequently collapsed and had to be repaired, he subconsciously reworked his Nascent Soul Stage in the same way... and that's how he broke through the bottleneck?

Real Person Liang shook his head in disbelief, took out a dark brown bamboo scroll from his robes, and stroked the ancient version of the <Huashu>.

"Back then, when my Gulou Lou Guan was in charge of the Star Gazing Platform, all the abbots also served as the Grand Master of Ceremonies of the Immortal Palace. However, later, one of the sect leaders made a mistake while observing the stars and casting divinations. He angered the Celestial Emperor, had his eyes gouged out, and was imprisoned on the Star Gazing Platform, forbidden from performing astrological divinations again."

Although he could no longer see the stars in the sky, he saw the Abyss of Return to Nothingness and created this Huashu.

I too was taught this method by my predecessor, the Abbot. Having cultivated to this day, I've only reached the realm of transforming the spirit into emptiness. Although I understand the principles of 'end' and 'nothingness,' and can nurture Gui Xu Nascent Soul from nothingness, I've never grasped the true meaning of 'existence' and 'birth,' and cannot truly return from the Void Abyss to be reborn. But you have done it...

I have nothing more to teach you.

As Real Person Liang spoke, he reluctantly handed the ancient "Huashu" to Li Fan.

Li Fan could tell that Real Person Liang was reluctant to part with it, and shook his head repeatedly, "You're welcome, you're welcome, I already have one."

Real Person Liang chuckled and handed the ancient Huashu to Li Fan, saying, "Don't be silly. I'm afraid that even in another thousand years, there won't be another person who has successfully cultivated the Returning to Emptiness and Restoring the Primordial Spirit. The Lou Guan lineage is entrusted to you."

Li Fan was taken aback, momentarily confused, "The Lou Guan lineage? But... Abbot... Yao the Supervisor..."

Real Person Liang waved his hand, "It's alright. The abbot's lineage uses a new method, while mine is the ancient tradition of Lou Guan. I've added some methods that I've come to understand over the years, but compared to your understanding, it's just a little trick. It's naturally not difficult for you."

By the way, the Lou Guan lineage has been passed down to you. Once I die, the property deeds of the Lou Guandao Pagoda will also be registered in your name, considered a loan from the sect. Don't you dare use the Lou Guan Lou Guan Tower deeds to pay off debts, kid. Your Kun is a real spendthrift; don't you dare pawn off my Lou Guan lineage..."

That's right... No, wait a minute!

Li Fan asked curiously, "So, Real Person Liang, you are the ancient direct descendant of the Lou Guan lineage? Then the lineage of the Abbot is a collateral branch from before? And what about the new methods...?"

Real Person Liang shrugged. "The 'Wuji Guidao'? You learned all three of the most outstanding direct transmission techniques from my Ink Bamboo Mountain. I never expected you to master my Cultivation Method first."

Huh?? It's actually <The Wuji Guidao>???

To be honest, Li Fan is now running wildly down the path of Tai Su Dao, going further and further astray. In battle, he either tears people apart with his Tai Su physical body or beheads them with his Tai Sha Sword Embryo. He hasn't cared about the Qiankun Yi Golden Core for a long time, just leaving it to cultivate automatically, mainly for providing Dao Breath to use for escape techniques to travel. I never expected that <Wuji Guidao> would actually be a cultivation Cultivation Method of the Abbot's lineage.

However, Real Person Liang was really busy. After entrusting the ancient Lou Guan lineage to Li Fan, he went off to teach the elementary school students outside how to box and practice martial arts.

Only then did Li Fan realize that while the abbot and Yao Xuanzhou were considered Xuanmen Daoists, possessing flying swords and talismans, Real Person Liang, a Daoist priest, was teaching various battlefield martial arts. These might not necessarily be the Body Domination Technique of the Divine Sect, but rather many of them might be inheritances from the Ancient Immortal Palace...

However, the lineage of Lou Guan is quite strange. Regardless of whether it's the new or old method, the direct or collateral line, logically speaking, the current Guanzhu Feng, who has Enlightenment Stage, should be the direct descendant of Lou Guan, right? Why are the assets like the Lou Guandao Pagoda still considered part of Real Person Liang's lineage, and inexplicably passed down to him? Surely the Abbot didn't want them? That would be too outrageous...

Li Fan was also puzzled for a moment, but since he was going to visit the abbot of Ink Bamboo Mountain Grotto-Heaven to ask about the method to revive the entire Moshan sect, he might as well ask him then.

So he didn't disturb Real Person Liang's training of his disciples. Just as he was about to fly away from the mortuary, he saw an old man with a white beard at the door, smiling and greeting him, holding a tofu ticket in his hand.

"May I ask if you are the Guan Nei Hou Sanyuan Pass, the Guardian of Ink Bamboo Mountain, the Real Person Li Qingyue?"

Upon seeing this man dressed in a brocade robe, adorned with jade and gold ornaments, wearing a tall crown and long boots, with white hair and beard, a ruddy complexion, and a large jade thumb ring, Li Fan figured he was probably either a wealthy merchant or a landlord. He sighed inwardly, thinking, "Just what I feared has come to pass. This guy's here to collect a debt! Kun tricked me!"

"What brings you here, sir? Please speak freely. As long as it's not something against your conscience or the code of honor, I, Qingyue, can lend you a hand."

"Oh, very kind of you! To be honest, I do have something I'd like to ask for your help with," the old man said with a smile, pulling a pebble from his sleeve. "Please, Master, touch this stone."

"..." Li Fan frowned. "If I touch this stone, you'll give me back my ticket?"

"Oh, you want this? Here you go," the old man blinked and handed over the ticket directly, "Just touch it."

Li Fan was speechless for a moment. What the heck? Touching a stone? He thought he was being asked to become the emperor of the Li Country! He was startled... But it's just touching it...

Li Fan raised his hand, but then suddenly froze.

He suddenly noticed a line of text on his retina.

'System offline'

The system had been offline for a long time. This message was there when he arrived at Lou Guan Tower this morning, but Li Fan thought it was because of the abbot. Now he suddenly realized it.

... Isn't the abbot in the Ink Bamboo Mountain Grotto-Heaven?

Li Fan looked at what was in front of him.

The old man held a pebble in his hand, waiting for him with a smile.

Li Fan looked behind him.

Real Person Liang was instructing the new disciples on horse stance not far away, seemingly oblivious to the two people standing at the door.

Li Fan swallowed hard, withdrew his hands, formed a hand seal, and bowed respectfully.

"What should I call you, sir?"

The old man smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, "My name is Qin Baichuan."

Li Fan actually knew who Qin Baichuan was; a certain sword intent had told him.

"... The Cangsong of Mount Emei?"

The old man smiled and nodded. "Indeed, the Cangsong of Mount Emei."