I, Tan, Am Only a Porter of Money

"Not seeing him."

Because of his previous battle with that old man who was so good at being someone's dog, Tan Shuchang had no choice but to suppress the urge to capture and refine him.

The injury didn't affect his movements, but it greatly affected his ability to fight.

"But if you do this, General Sophora will surely become dissatisfied with the City Lord. When the time comes, even the ghost officials under his command may no longer obey your orders," Ghost Scholar couldn't help but remind him.

In Langshou Ghost City, General Sophora was undoubtedly the dominant power. He had no City Lord's title, yet possessed all the substance of one. If not for that Ninety-Eight Percent Rule of this ghost city, General Sophora would have long since become Langshou Ghost City's City Lord.

It was precisely because of this that Ghost Scholar, who had some old grudges against General Sophora, immediately expressed his allegiance the moment Tan Shuchang arrived.

Thus, Ghost Scholar was also the ghost least willing to see anything happen to Tan Shuchang right now.

"Disobey? Would they really disobey?" The moment Tan Shuchang heard this, his heart stirred with excitement. Directly taking down the second-in-command of this ghost city was rather risky.

But if he tested the waters step by step, it would undoubtedly be much safer.

Ghost Scholar also caught the change in Tan Shuchang's tone, leaving this dog-headed strategist deeply puzzled.

Although Tan Shuchang's dog-headed strategist was already a powerful fierce ghost, he was ultimately no match for a Yin Spirit. His consciousness and thought processes were still somewhat inferior to those of the living. Unable to make sense of it no matter how he thought, Ghost Scholar simply explained General Sophora's background in detail.

"City Lord, General Sophora is a fierce ghost of many years. There are even rumors that he could have become a Yin Spirit long ago, except his killing pattern has never formed a true name, preventing him from completing his ascension."

"Because of this, General Sophora, who considers himself half a Yin Spirit, has never pledged himself to any Yin Spirit. Yet though he has no Yin Spirit backing him, his strength is enough to make him lord over the fierce ghosts, and so he has gathered a great many fierce ghosts to serve him."

"With General Sophora's influence, he could originally have assumed the position of City Lord directly. It is only because of the rules from above that he remains merely a general."

After hearing this, Tan Shuchang didn't think much of it. After all, he still considered himself born into a scholarly household!

Yet hadn't he still fallen into becoming a demonic cultivator?

So Tan Shuchang merely answered, "I understand," then had Ghost Scholar send General Sophora away.

Before long, Tan Shuchang sensed a surge of viciousness and hatred erupt outside the City Lord's residence. It lingered without dispersing, clearly intending to assault the residence.

"So he's angry already?"

Tan Shuchang smiled faintly. Angry was good—his second Fierce Ghost Lifting Lotus was likely settled now. And if luck favored him, perhaps he could lift it twice this time!

Then Tan Shuchang left the inner world of the Weird Game.

After leaving this time, he would have to wait until he entered a Weird Game instance before he could return. His previous privilege of entering had been revoked by the Weird Game after he paid back the ghosts.

Leaving the Weird Game, Tan Shuchang returned to Blackheart Mountain. By then, the sky had begun to brighten.

After thinking it over, he headed straight down the mountain.

By the time he reached Clear River City, daylight had fully broken. Seeing that some shops had yet to open, Tan Shuchang waited patiently for a while.

He had suffered a similar injury once before, and this time it was even lighter. He knew exactly how to nurse himself back to health, and before long, he had bought all the medicinal herbs he needed.

Clear River City only sold medicinal herbs. Immortal medicines were naturally impossible to find for sale here.

The currency used here was a special item called an Upper Profound Seal. It was a special currency produced by the Zixuan Dynasty, recognized and guaranteed by the Upper Profound Dynasty.

It could be directly exchanged for silver and gold, or for certain other things.

With enough Upper Profound Seals, one could even exchange them for immortal medicine, clues to spirit-linked treasures, and other supreme treasures.

It was money exclusive to cultivators.

Because its exchange value was precise and it had never been involved in any unsavory incidents, Upper Profound Seals could circulate normally even in the several provinces beyond the Upper Profound Dynasty.

Nor were Upper Profound Seals handed out to cultivators for free. They had to be acquired through various means.

Much like ordinary people working for a living.

But Tan Shuchang had no need for that. Whenever he ran low on money, he would write a letter and randomly send it to one of his father's former students or old officials.

The Tan family had once been enormously powerful, with countless former students and old officials. So even though the Emperor of the Upper Profound Dynasty had killed many members of the Tan family, he hadn't touched those former students and old officials. If he did, at least half the people in court would be gone.

The backsides of officials were never clean. Usually, they were only arrested after the tree they leaned on fell.

Thus, when Tan Shuchang sent out a letter, to Chancellor Tan's former students and old officials, it was like a sword suddenly descending upon them—only to halt halfway down.

For while Tan Shuchang didn't know the details of what these people had done, if he wrote the rough outline of those matters to the Emperor of the Upper Profound Dynasty, that emperor would certainly be willing to chop off a few heads.

Tan Shuchang knew this, and his father's former students and old officials knew it too. So no matter how much they cursed inwardly, they still had to send money to this demonic cultivator.

"My money's gone again. I'll write a few more letters this time..."

The medicinal herbs needed to treat his injuries were all rare items, and therefore far more expensive. Tan Shuchang had originally possessed seventy Upper Profound Seals, but after this trip, only two remained.

But it didn't matter. This Tan had never lacked money.

Cultivation was widespread in the Jia Five Realm. Many among the high officials and nobles were cultivators, and disciples from every powerful family could be found in all cultivation sects. Thus, over time, to make traveling easier and handle certain other matters, these cultivators personally took action, greatly increasing society's productive capacity.

The common people still suffered greatly, but many places had indeed become much more convenient.

Take delivering letters, for instance.

There was a special magical artifact modeled after sword cultivators. Though it was far slower than a true sword cultivator and had limited carrying capacity—unable to bear more than a hundred jin—it was just right for delivering letters.

Luo Province, Northern Far Plain, West Isle City.

The greatest family here was none other than the Ning family. The Ning family had risen to prominence by attaching themselves to the Tan family in their early years. Later, when the Tan family fell, they relied on their own handsome, smooth-talking son to seduce an elderly young lady from the Dong Family of Heavenly Sword Manor in Chu Province. Not only did they avoid declining because of the Tan family's downfall, they went a step further and monopolized West Isle City!

"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!" The old master of the Ning family gripped a letter in his hand and cursed three times in a row.

He was simply too enraged.

"Father, who made you this angry? Tell me, and I'll kill him." A young man heard the commotion and strode inside.

"Jiaheng, you're back from cultivation?" The old master of the Ning family immediately softened when he saw the young man. This was his beloved youngest son, and also the son he valued most—Ning Jiaheng!