Wei Fan

When He Song, dressed in the attire of a Spirit Plant Farmer, had just entered Lingjian Pavilion,

a voice came from beside him.

Immediately after,

a young man dressed in the Immortal Market's internal attire appeared before He Song.

The man smiled, and there was a hint of warmth in the way he looked at He Song, as though he had seen one of his own. It made people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze.

Yet He Song could sense a dense spiritual pressure emanating from him.

His cultivation was likely far higher than his own.

Seeing this, He Song hurriedly cupped his hands.

"Indeed. I am He Song. I only became a Spirit Plant Farmer yesterday. Greetings, Senior."

He Song did not conceal anything and instead spoke truthfully.

He had only just become a Spirit Plant Farmer and had nothing worth coveting. Judging from this man's manner, he did not seem to be here to cause trouble.

Naturally, He Song had no reason to hide anything.

"I am Wei Fan, a steward of this Lingjian Pavilion. Since Fellow Daoist is a Spirit Plant Farmer, you are one of our own within the Immortal Market. There is no need to be so formal."

A trace of understanding flashed through Wei Fan's eyes.

As a steward of Lingjian Pavilion, he personally received practically every member of the Immortal Market who came to renew their lease.

He had dealt with quite a few Spirit Plant Farmers. It was now the season of spring plowing, and the Spirit Medicine Pavilion had recruited new Spirit Plant Farmers, so this did not surprise him.

"Fellow Daoist He, please follow me. There are rules for internal personnel of the Immortal Market. There is no need for you to stand here among these Rogue Cultivators."

As Wei Fan spoke, his gaze swept over the group of Rogue Cultivators on the other side, already lined up in a long queue. A flicker of disdain flashed through his eyes.

Rogue Cultivators.

There was an enormous gap between them and the Immortal Market's internal personnel.

For cultivation resources, Rogue Cultivators could resort to every possible means, and thus their mortality rate remained high year after year.

The Immortal Market's internal personnel, on the other hand, all possessed a skill and did not need to risk their lives, so their mortality rate was exceedingly low.

Facing a Rogue Cultivator who might die an unnatural death at any moment,

and facing an internal member of the Immortal Market who possessed a skill and whose cultivation would gradually rise,

his attitude would naturally be completely different.

Although Spirit Plant Farmers did not receive many resources each year, they were not likely to die easily.

Given enough time, perhaps one of them might even reach the Qi Refining Middle Stage, or even the Qi Refining Late Stage.

As for Rogue Cultivators?

Perhaps only days after you had befriended one, that person would already have died an unnatural death.

Why the hell would anyone bother making friends with them? It was purely a waste of time.

Following Wei Fan's gaze, He Song immediately saw a group of Rogue Cultivators queuing up to hand over Spirit Stones.

Unlike Spirit Plant Farmers like He Song,

Rogue Cultivators paid their Spirit Stones at a counter.

After handing over ten Spirit Stones, someone from Lingjian Pavilion would take out a ledger and record the location of their rented residence, signifying that they could stay for another month.

As for rooms whose tenants had not come to renew their payment, people from the Law Enforcement Hall would go and reclaim them.

Trying to live there for free?

There was no such door.

Following closely behind Wei Fan, He Song was soon brought into an antique and elegant room.

Exquisite wooden furniture was arranged neatly within, while wisps of smoke curled through the air.

The dense, lingering fragrance filled the room, and the moment He Song entered, he immediately sensed something different.

However, since Lingjian Pavilion was located within Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and was extremely safe, after a brief hesitation, He Song did not hold his breath to avoid inhaling it.

Caution depended on the occasion and one's status.

His status was low at present.

Furthermore, this was inside Lingjian Pavilion.

And Wei Fan's cultivation was far higher than his own.

If he held his breath in these circumstances, he would only make a laughingstock of himself, which would be rather unsightly.

Wei Fan did not notice anything unusual.

After bringing He Song inside and seating them according to rank, he spoke slowly.

"Fellow Daoist has only just become a Spirit Plant Farmer and has no other income. You have likely come here this time because your pockets are empty, correct?"

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist, this situation is quite common, and there is a solution. You need only leave behind a trace of your aura. In the future, there will be no need to make a trip here every month; once a year will suffice."

As he spoke, Wei Fan flicked his hand, and a contract document appeared on the table before He Song.

"Please take a look, Fellow Daoist."

Wei Fan's voice was neither hurried nor slow, and his words flowed smoothly. He had likely handled such matters many times.

It seemed there were quite a few internal members of the Immortal Market like himself, with empty pockets.

He Song steadied himself. After cupping his hands toward Wei Fan, he picked up the contract document before him.

His eyes swept over it.

He immediately understood why Wei Fan was so familiar with dealing with him.

The contract document had long contained provisions stating that once one joined the Immortal Market and became one of its internal personnel, one could use the annual stipend issued by the Immortal Market as collateral for rent.

Spirit Plant Farmers did not have an annual stipend.

But as long as nothing went wrong, after the Immortal Market purchased the spirit rice produced by the five mu of Spirit Fields, there would be an annual income of one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones.

After deducting the annual rent of one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones, only thirty Spirit Stones would remain for He Song.

The contents of this contract document allowed internal personnel of the Immortal Market to reside there first and make up the rent after their annual stipend was issued.

Once a cultivator left behind a trace of their aura on the contract document, even if they wanted to default, the Enforcement Squad would track their aura, capture them, and forcibly settle the account.

By then, even if they did not die, they would lose a layer of skin.

It also cut off any thoughts of trying to default.

Paying on one's own, and being forcibly dragged back by others to pay, were entirely different treatments.

"If Fellow Daoist agrees, simply leave a trace of your aura on the contract document."

Wei Fan seemed certain that He Song would agree. He did not urge him, merely stated it matter-of-factly before raising his hand to begin brewing tea.

When the unknown tea leaves began to tumble in the teapot,

and the first cup of tea was placed before He Song, He Song appropriately left his aura on the contract document in his hand.

There was nothing wrong with the contract.

It merely changed from paying first and using afterward,

to using first and paying afterward.

And it changed from monthly payments to annual payments.

The number of Spirit Stones that needed to be paid remained the same; it merely made things more convenient for the Immortal Market's internal personnel.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist. Fine tea." He Song lifted the teacup, took a light sip, and praised it.

Although he did not know much about tea, since the other party had already placed it before him, it would truly be disrespectful not to take a sip and praise it as fine tea.

Wei Fan was a steward of Lingjian Pavilion. Though He Song did not know which layer of Qi Refining his cultivation had reached, it was certainly higher than his own.

Such a figure had personally brewed tea for him, so He Song naturally could not be discourteous.

Thus, even though he could not taste whether the tea was good or bad at all, He Song praised it as though he truly meant it.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist need not be so formal. Making friends is my lifelong hobby. It is only a pot of inferior tea; I merely hope Fellow Daoist does not dislike it."

Seemingly seeing through He Song's thoughts, Wei Fan laughed.

Then he poured He Song another cup of tea.

But this time,

as he placed the tea before He Song, his voice rang out again.

"Fellow Daoist, do you know Meng Guan of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion?"