Gou in the world of comprehension

Chapter 1425 He's a heretical cultivator after all; he has no ambition whatsoever.
Su Fan lightly touched his storage ring with his fingertip, and a bright white jade bottle appeared out of thin air in his palm.

He uncorked the bottle and poured out a jade-green pill. As soon as the pill left the bottle, it emitted wisps of cool fragrance, which he then tilted his head back and gently put into his lips.

The elixir melted upon entering the throat, transforming into a warm and gentle current that flowed directly into the sea of ​​consciousness.

He immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and a faint black mist rose around his body as he began to cultivate the "Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs Embryo Origin Inner Nourishing Heart Seal Scripture".

After an unknown amount of time, Su Fan slowly opened his eyes.

Two sharp glints flashed from his eyes, and he exhaled a breath of turbid air, which landed and condensed into a wisp of gray smoke, scorching a shallow pit in the stone ground.

He pondered for a moment, then took out another simple-looking storage ring from his pocket.

These were the spoils seized from the corpse of the Old Demon of the Northern Tomb, as his divine sense surged into the storage ring space like a tidal wave.

A surprised smile suddenly appeared on Su Fan's previously calm face.

Unexpectedly, this evil old devil is actually quite wealthy.

The sheer quantity of spirit jade, which was like a small mountain, surprised Su Fan. Then there were all sorts of pills, magic weapons, talismans, and various rare materials and spiritual herbs, the sheer number of which shocked him.

The sheer quantity of spirit jade piled up like a mountain was enough to leave ordinary cultivators at a loss for words.

The layers of spirit jade piled up inside the ring, almost forming a small mountain.

Not to mention the various elixirs, magical treasures, talismans, and rare materials and spiritual herbs carefully placed in jade boxes.

He was too lazy to sort through all these cultivation supplies. He'd leave them to Sister Zhen and Li Chongxiu to deal with once his soul injury was fully healed.

The spoils he seized from "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" would probably be considered a considerable fortune by other cultivators.

But in Su Fan's eyes, it was nothing. The wealth he casually seized in a major city of the Celestial Race was already an astronomical figure.

The "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" probably didn't even have a fraction of the spiritual jade he had extracted from the market by exploiting its resources.

Moreover, Su Fan slaughtered more than just one main city; he ravaged the entire plane.

However, Su Fan did manage to spot a few things that interested him among the mountain of cultivation supplies.

He took out several withered bones and beast claws with a dark golden luster from his storage ring. They were cold and heavy to the touch, and a faint aura of ferocity lingered between the bones.

Su Fan pondered for a while, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

These are by no means ordinary materials from exotic beasts. Compared to the Iron Claw Bat Claws he had previously obtained, they are worlds apart, clearly treasures from high-level exotic beasts.

The claws of low-level Ironclaw Bats are already incredibly powerful; if the bone claws of these high-level beasts were forged into sharp blades, their power would surely increase several times over.

What caught his attention even more was that there was a bundle of arrows made from the leg bones of strange beasts in the storage ring, along with a top-grade crossbow magic weapon that was entirely black.

Using this crossbow to fire specially made bone arrows would likely be surprisingly effective against strange beasts.

However, these thoughts only flashed through her mind. The most urgent task now is to fully recover from the injuries to her soul.

With that in mind, Su Fan put the animal bones and claws into his storage ring.

Aside from the old demon's storage ring, which was somewhat interesting, the storage rings of the other evil cultivators in the market were not worth his attention.

Just then, soft footsteps sounded outside the cave. Xie Feng bowed and entered, paying homage to Su Fan.

"Junior Xie Feng pays respects to the Heavenly Venerable..."

"What's wrong? Speak..."

Upon hearing Su Fan's words, Xie Feng hurriedly said, "Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, several representatives of the market cultivators have been waiting outside for a long time and humbly request an audience with the Heavenly Venerable..."

This was within Su Fan's expectations. With the Old Demon of the Northern Tomb dead, the market was leaderless.

There needs to be some explanation regarding the future regulations of the market, otherwise the cultivators within it will never feel at ease.

However, he knew nothing about the situation in the market and needed to find out the details first.

"Xie Feng, go find someone familiar with the market and have him come see me..."

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, my master, Cai Songlin, knows the market like the back of his hand..."

After Xie Feng finished speaking, a hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes as he looked up.

This kid is really shameless.

"Didn't your master leave the market?"

"Reporting to the Heavenly Venerable, our Master has just returned to the market and is waiting outside his cave..."

The old man's return is timely.

However, he is a trustworthy person, and he can be considered one of our own.

"Then go and call your master in..."

Xie Feng's face immediately lit up with joy, and he loudly replied, "I will obey the Heavenly Venerable's decree..."

His steps were lighter as he turned and walked away.

Xie Feng knew perfectly well that from now on, he and his father had finally made it through.

A moment later, Cai Songlin walked in slowly and bowed deeply to Su Fan.

"Junior Cai Songlin pays respects to the Heavenly Venerable..."

"There's no need for formalities among family, please sit down..."

Su Fan smiled and raised his hand to signal, and Cai Songlin sat down cross-legged as instructed. Two beautiful female cultivators stepped forward and served them steaming hot spiritual tea.

"You've come back at just the right time..."

Cai Songlin quickly cupped his hands in greeting and said cautiously, "This junior has just returned to the market..."

Su Fan took a sip of tea and looked at the other person.

Xie Feng said you are familiar with the market area...

"I have been stationed here for many years. I dare not say I know everything, but I do know a little bit..."

Cai Songlin then recounted in detail the methods of exploitation employed by the Old Demon of the Northern Tomb.

After establishing this cave market, the "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" began to gather human cultivators who had been scattered throughout the areas controlled by alien beasts.

At first, things were alright, and the various fees he charged weren't too excessive. But as more and more people gathered in the market, he began to exploit them relentlessly.

First, the inns in the market town and the surrounding honeycomb cave dwellings have seen their prices increase almost every year, rising tenfold or even dozens of times in just a few years.

Su Fan was astonished upon hearing this; "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" was indeed ruthless.

The inns and houses throughout the entire cave market, as well as the densely packed honeycomb caves on the surrounding rock walls, are all owned by the Old Demon.

With so many properties and cave dwellings, the amount accumulated over a year is not small.

Moreover, any human cultivator entering the market must pay a hefty head tax.

This poll tax is levied according to the cultivator's rank. It is said that cultivators in the Void Refinement Realm have to pay ten spirit jades per month just for the poll tax.

There are probably more than ten thousand human cultivators who live in the cave market year-round.

Moreover, any human cultivator who managed to escape the pursuit of the strange beasts and venture deep into the mountains to this place must at least be at the Golden Core stage.

According to Cai Songlin's estimate, there must be at least several hundred cultivators at the Nascent Soul and Void Refinement realms who have taken refuge in Dongfu Market.

Besides, 90% of the restaurants, inns and shops in the cave market belong to "Old Demon Beizhong", and the rest belong to his trusted henchmen.

The monks in the market could only set up stalls on both sides of the street, and they had to pay high stall fees.

Not only are the prices in the old demon's properties exorbitant, but they have also been rising frequently over the years, causing many cultivators who have come to the cave market to seek refuge to complain bitterly.

However, in the vast areas controlled by the alien beasts, there are very few shelters like the Cave Market.

Moreover, the distances between them are vast, and the journey involves crossing the control zones of strange beasts, making it extremely dangerous.

Therefore, the cultivators who took refuge here would rather grit their teeth and endure the "Northern Tomb Old Demon's" wanton exploitation than risk going to other refuges.

In truth, everyone knows that at this time, other gathering places of cultivators are no better off; they are all being exploited no matter where they are.

If you think that's the end of it, then you've underestimated the shamelessness of "Old Demon Beizhong."

Over the years, the old devil has devised various pretexts to impose all sorts of exorbitant taxes every year. These include more than ten kinds of taxes such as transaction tax, defense tax, business tax, and clearing tax, which are simply like plucking feathers from a passing goose.

In short, the various forms of exploitation and ruthless exploitation have made the cultivators who have taken refuge in the market suffer greatly.

What if someone can't pay their taxes? So Old Mo started a business selling mortgages, with all sorts of high-interest loans that accrue interest at a compounding rate.

If a desperate cultivator borrows money from "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" at exorbitant interest rates, then he is doomed for life.

The cultivator, burdened by exorbitant interest rates, was ultimately forced by the old demon to sign a master-slave contract with him.

After Su Fan killed the "Northern Tomb Old Demon", there were hundreds of cultivators in the market who were buried with him.

After listening to Cai Songlin's introduction of the market, he already had a plan in mind.

"Old Cai, gather some prestigious high-level cultivators in the market and form an elders council to jointly take charge of the market's defense..."

After Su Fan finished speaking, he glanced at Cai Songlin.

"Find some more trustworthy people; I'll entrust the management of this market town to you from now on..."

Su Fan's main focus right now is to heal his injuries in seclusion; he has no time to concern himself with the trivial matters of this market.

He didn't particularly like this run-down place either; it was not only remote but also lacked spiritual resources.

This is just a temporary stop for Su Fan; he's here primarily to heal his injuries.

Once the great battle between "New Guangtian" and "Shanhai Boundary" is over, he certainly won't linger here any longer.

Upon hearing this, Cai Songlin immediately stood up from the ground.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, this junior will certainly work diligently to help you manage the market well..."

Hearing Lao Cai's confident words, Su Fan smiled and waved at him.

"Old Cai, have a seat. I still trust you..."

After Cai Songlin sat down again, Su Fan thought for a moment.

"Please bring in the market representative who's been waiting outside..."

A moment later, dozens of cultivators dressed in various colored Taoist robes filed in, all of them at the Refinement Void Realm.

Their gazes toward Su Fan were filled with awe; everyone had witnessed the mangled corpse of the Northern Tomb Demon.

Furthermore, he learned that nearly a hundred high-level evil cultivators had been slaughtered single-handedly by this person, a feat that was truly unbelievable.

That's nearly a hundred heretical cultivators at the Void Refinement Realm! Even some small and medium-sized sects only have that many high-end combatants.

Therefore, the cultivators at the Void Refinement Realm inside the cave were all very clear about this.

The person sitting opposite me is an absolute monster, and cannot be viewed with normal eyes.

Since this group of people were all of the same level as him, Su Fan deliberately stood up from the ground and cupped his hands in greeting to everyone.

"Fellow Daoists, I have failed to greet you properly..."

Upon hearing his words, the dozens of cultivators at the Refinement Realm inside the cave quickly returned the greeting with clasped hands.

“I dare not…I dare not…”

Su Fan didn't have time to be polite with them and directly stated his thoughts.

"Starting today, the head tax and all other exorbitant taxes in the market area will be abolished, and rent and stall fees will be halved..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gasp filled the cave.

Not only were the cultivators shocked, but even Cai Songlin's eyes widened.

No one expected that the new owner of this cave market would be so ruthless, cutting off most of the profits right off the bat.

You should know that such a large sum of spirit jade is no small amount.

In truth, Su Fan wasn't concerned about the cultivators seeking refuge in the market; their lives and deaths were none of his business.

The main reason is that Su Fan is not short of money, so there is no need for him to leech off the cultivators in the market.

Furthermore, he is about to go into seclusion to heal his injuries, and he needs a quiet and stable environment. If the market is in chaos, how can he concentrate on his seclusion and healing?

Moreover, even with the abolition of the poll tax and various exorbitant taxes, and the halving of all rent and stall fees, Su Fan still thought they were quite high.

Not to mention the various inns, restaurants, and shops in the market, all of which are his own businesses, generating very considerable profits each year. He could easily maintain the market with just a fraction of those profits.

Next, Su Fan talked about the formation of the elders' council.

Any cultivator at the Refinement Realm who joins the Elders' Council will not only be exempt from rent, but will also receive a share of the market's profits each year.

Su Fan's goal was simply to bind the high-level cultivators in the market together with benefits, so as to prevent them from causing trouble.

With the support of these Void Refinement Realm cultivators, the market will surely prosper and remain stable.

As he expected, the plan to form an elders council received the support of all cultivators at the Void Refinement Realm.

Once this plan is implemented, it means that from now on they will also be a part of this market.

In the past, during the time of "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb", this old demon did not trust them at all, and his confidants and henchmen were all evil cultivators.

After explaining these matters, Su Fan announced that he would be going into seclusion soon.

From now on, the management of the market will be entirely handled by Cai Songlin, and no one is allowed to disturb him unless it is a matter of utmost importance.

Seeing Cai Songlin and a group of Void Refinement Realm cultivators leave the cave in high spirits, Su Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, this mess has been cleared up.

Su Fan will now go into complete seclusion. He will not emerge until his soul injury has healed.

At this moment, several young female cultivators suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

They quickly brewed a pot of spiritual tea for Su Fan, and then carefully poured him a cup.

Su Fan thought for a moment, then asked, "How many maids are there in the cave..."

Upon hearing this, the young female cultivator at the head of the group quickly replied, "Including us, there are more than thirty people in total..."

After hearing what the girl said, Su Fan couldn't help but secretly complain.

"Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" is already a monster in the Integration Realm, yet he is obsessed with these kinds of things every day.

He's a heretical cultivator after all; he has no future whatsoever.

Su Fan looked up and examined these low-level female cultivators. Each of them was beautiful, but they all had fear on their faces.

Their cultivation level is at most Foundation Establishment. If they are driven out, they will probably have difficulty protecting themselves in the market, and even survival will be difficult.

Despite the "Old Demon of the Northern Tomb" being tyrannical and exploitative, if the people in charge of this market were to take charge, they might not be much more merciful than the Old Demon.

Thinking of this, Su Fan said in a deep voice, "From now on, you can continue to stay in the cave..."

Upon hearing Su Fan's words, the girls burst into tears of joy and knelt down in unison.

Although they were ravaged day and night by the old demon in the cave, at least they never lacked cultivation resources.

If this master were to drive them away, a group of beautiful but low-level female cultivators would be left to roam the market and be devoured alive by those cultivators.

The girls immediately knelt down and said in unison, "Thank you for your mercy, Master..."

I feel sorry for Nima.

"Alright, all of you, stand up. From today onwards, I will be in seclusion. You don't need to come in and serve me. Just prepare three meals a day and bring them in..."

After he finished speaking, he took out several storage rings from his pocket, all of which he had taken from those evil cultivators in the market.

Su Fan tossed several storage rings to them, saying, "Take these cultivation supplies and divide them among yourselves..."

The female cultivator at the head of the group took the storage ring, scanned it with her divine sense, and her eyes immediately revealed a look of surprise.

Unexpectedly, this new master was so generous. He glanced at Su Fan's figure, who was meditating with his eyes closed, and then called a few girls to carefully leave the cave.

(End of this chapter)