First Respect the Clothes

Zhou Yan had spent three years living in hardship; before, seeing one hundred silver dollars had made him think it was a fortune.

However, once he truly began his cultivation, he realized that amount was merely a drop in the ocean.

The Li Family's estate was worth at least a million silver dollars, and the Dong Family also possessed a fortune of several hundred thousand, yet they had offered such a meager reward.

Especially the Li Family—at the time, the situation had been dire, and the entire household was in mortal danger.

Yet, after the matter was settled, Zhou Yan had only received a gift of one hundred silver dollars.

One had to remember, he had even given away a string of Five Emperors Coins.

Whenever Zhou Yan thought back on it later, he felt a lingering sense of resentment.

Especially after he realized how strapped for cash he was, that feeling only intensified.

However, resentment was one thing, but Zhou Yan harbored no malicious intent; he simply chalked it up to a bad business deal, which was common enough.

Ma Yan sighed as well, offering comfort: "It can't be helped. Who told you that you lack fame?"

"True, fame is one of those things you really can't do without," Zhou Yan said, shaking his head with a sigh.

People respect the clothes before they respect the man; everyone knows it isn't entirely right, but how many can truly avoid such prejudices?

"I'll take the job. If I don't, I'll starve to death. I'll treat it as a way to build my reputation," Zhou Yan said, gritting his teeth.

The Li Family's affair had happened too far away, and once word spread, few people knew it was Zhou Yan's doing.

As for San Kuazi, a mere child, aside from someone like Ma Yan who was paying attention, even fewer would believe it; at most, they would be half-skeptical.

Therefore, once he built a reputation, wouldn't future business come rolling in?

Ma Yan shared this sentiment, but since it was Zhou Yan who would be taking action, he needed the other party's confirmation.

Seeing that Zhou Yan was willing to proceed, he smiled and said, "After this matter is settled, I'll promote you properly. Once your fame spreads, you won't have to worry about a lack of business."

Zhou Yan remained clear-headed: "The most important thing for me right now is that my cultivation level is insufficient. If I didn't need money to continue practicing, I would rather go into seclusion for ten years, emerge only after achieving great success, and then be invincible under the heavens."

Hearing this, Ma Yan retorted irritably, "Read fewer of those pulp novels. Stop daydreaming; there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

He managed Zhou Yan's finances, so he understood perfectly well just how massive the consumption required for Zhou Yan's cultivation truly was.

Even a moderately wealthy family would likely be unable to sustain such expenses.

When night fell, Ma Yan brought Zhou Yan to the Dong Family.

The Dong Family could not compare to the Li Family and were considered outsiders, but after more than a decade of hard work, they had managed to build a decent estate.

Most importantly, they had successfully established a foothold in Shen City.

In this regard, they had already surpassed many others who had come to Shen City to make their way.

"The head of the Dong Family is named Dong Lei, and he is most famous for his stinginess..."

"Dong Lei has been in business for over a decade, relying on his habit of haggling over every penny to accumulate his wealth bit by bit..."

"However, Dong Lei and his wife have a very good relationship; the two have always treated each other with the utmost respect..."

"..."

"Wait."

The more Zhou Yan heard, the stranger it sounded, and he called for a halt.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at Ma Yan: "Since Dong Lei and his wife have such a good relationship, how could he only offer a reward of fifty silver dollars? Also, if he truly respects his wife, where did the concubines come from?"

Ma Yan looked at Zhou Yan strangely and said, "It's perfectly normal for a wealthy family to have concubines!"

This statement left Zhou Yan stunned, and it was only after a long moment that he nodded.

Whether in his past life or here, this logic seemed to hold true.

"As for the fifty silver dollars, that is already a significant amount for Dong Lei. You know that a typical shaman only charges five or ten silver dollars, and that's for a wealthy family. As for Dong Lei, although he is a rich merchant, a reward of fifty silver dollars has already shocked quite a few people," Ma Yan continued.

Zhou Yan was dumbfounded; it turned out he was the country bumpkin who knew nothing.

Most of what Ma Yan had said earlier had been to comfort him.

There was a strict hierarchy in the world of exorcism; top-tier cultivators had words worth a thousand gold, and the magical artifacts they used casually were worth thousands or tens of thousands of silver dollars.

Those cultivators belonging to sects were born a cut above, their actions bolstered by the prestige of their famous lineages.

As for the rogue cultivators at the bottom, they were the least valued and suffered the most casualties.

"Damn it!"

Zhou Yan felt a surge of inner anger, though his face remained impassive.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Ma Yan, but seeing the man's matter-of-fact expression, he realized there was a massive generation gap between him and the people of this world in certain respects—what they lacked was ambition and a spirit of resistance.

In the face of oppression and exploitation, they seemed to have become numb.

Zhou Yan said nothing more, and the two quickly arrived at the Dong Family residence.

As soon as they approached, the Profound Yin Essence Blood within his body reacted, indicating that the yin energy inside was extremely heavy.

Given this, it was nine times out of ten that an evil spirit resided within the Dong Mansion.

The main gates of the Dong Mansion were shut tight, so Ma Yan stepped forward and knocked a few times.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Soon enough, the gate opened, and an old man stepped out.

"Who are you people?"

Ma Yan stepped forward and said, "Steward Huang, it's me, Ma Yan!"

Only then did Steward Huang clearly see Ma Yan's face, and he let out a sigh of relief. "So it's Constable Ma. What brings you here?"

Although Ma Yan was only a minor constable, merchants valued harmony as the key to wealth, and Steward Huang had met him a few times before.

"I heard Master Dong was having some trouble, so I specifically sought out an expert to come and help relieve Master Dong of his worries." Ma Yan's words were very well-spoken, causing Steward Huang to nod repeatedly.

He then turned his gaze toward Zhou Yan, whose entire body was shrouded in a cloak, obscuring his features. He wore a black Taoist robe that carried a hint of luxury.

In particular, the cold and mysterious aura emanating from him made it clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

Then there was the figure behind Zhou Yan, a hulking frame nearly twice the size of an average man, radiating a palpable Sha Qi.

As he drew slightly closer, Steward Huang felt as if his breathing were becoming labored.

This Ma Yan actually knows someone formidable!

Steward Huang was secretly startled, and he quickly put on a smile. "So a master has arrived. Please, come inside quickly; my master has been awaiting your presence."

Seeing Steward Huang's fawning expression, Ma Yan felt a secret sense of relief while also admiring Zhou Yan's decision.

Initially, when Zhou Yan spent ten silver dollars on his attire, Ma Yan had clearly expressed his opposition.

But now it seemed that this air of mystery was indeed necessary.

Otherwise, most people would likely see Zhou Yan's youthful appearance and subconsciously choose not to trust him.

"A beardless mouth lacks authority!"

This was a common flaw among the elderly, who always assumed that young people lacked experience and could not handle matters with perfection.

"Mm."

Zhou Yan gave a soft acknowledgment and strode into the Dong Mansion with an unceremonious, swaggering gait, the Zombie following closely behind.

Steward Huang was left trailing behind instead.

Ma Yan was in the same position.

This was exactly what Zhou Yan and Ma Yan had discussed and done on purpose...