Becoming an immortal and ancestor begins with the golden toad spitting out money.

Chapter 113 A smile worth a hundred gold coins, a question posed to the scholar
"Drawing on paper as a picture, cutting paper into people, conversing freely, leading the way and helping out..."

If you were to ask which business in the Ghost Market was the most bustling, it would undoubtedly be the paper-cutting stall at the entrance of the Ghost Market.

Whether you're a cultivator or a mortal, there's always a first time you come to the Ghost Market. If you want to have a good time exploring the Ghost Market, you'll definitely need the help of paper figures and paper horses.

Even though Su Ji had been to the Ghost Market several times, he still considered himself an ordinary cultivator visiting the Ghost Market for the first time. This was not only to prepare for his journey to the Bright Moon Spirit Realm, but also to take Mo Linglong on a proper tour of the Ghost Market.

"Sir, we have top-quality paper figures and horses available for rent or purchase. Your satisfaction is guaranteed!" The stall owner, with a mustache and a small round hat, looked shrewd.

Su Ji stepped forward, about to ask the price, when Yan Tianchou warned, "This person is not a real person; he is also controlled by a spirit wood book."

Su Ji had seen the paper figures several times in the past two days.

The paper figure is made of spirit wood. It seems to be able to answer questions freely, but in essence it is just a book of spirit wood. It can answer what is in the book, and it cannot tell you what is not in the book.

Unexpectedly, even the stall owner wasn't a real person; the only difference was that the spiritual wood book inside his body contained different information.

Su Ji couldn't help but smile: "So, the paper figures are the artificial intelligence of the cultivation world?"

Yan Tianchou immediately refuted this, saying, "These paper figures are at most equivalent to a search engine with a limited database, and even its limited functions have been crippled..."

Su Ji immediately became interested.

Although search engines may block some keywords, it is impossible for them to be completely without any flaws.

So Su Ji replied directly, "Stadium owner, I'm not satisfied with these paper figures and horses. Do you have any better options?"

As he said this, Su Ji directly took out a high-grade blazing crystal to show off his wealth.

Immediately, the paper doll vendor showed a look of shock. While enthusiastically soliciting business, he also gave the young man in front of him a new label: "Great Wealth".

"Please look, sir. These are top-quality paper figures and horses, capable of holding their own even against ghost generals!"

Su Ji shook his head and said, "He has plenty of strength, but not enough intelligence."

As he said this, Su Ji deliberately revealed more than twenty Earth Yang Stone Galls, which surprised the demons and ghosts nearby.

The paper doll vendor's eyes gleamed, and he once again labeled Su Ji as "extremely wealthy."

"Sir, look at this scholar paper figure. It can not only compose poems and couplets, but also copy articles. It will definitely satisfy you!"

Su Ji shook his head after hearing just one line of poetry from the paper-figure scholar, saying, "Even if you're eloquent, you can't necessarily make people happy."

The paper doll vendor was getting a little anxious: "Sir, you only heard one sentence, how can you say it's no good?"

The paper scholar was already the best living thing on the stall, and the paper figure stall owner didn't want to lose such a big business opportunity.

Su Ji couldn't help but smile: "In that case, as long as the scholar paper figure can make this little girl laugh, I will not haggle and will directly spend four hundred and eighty strands of divine power to buy it!"

Four hundred and eighty strands of divine power, converted into money, amounted to one hundred and twenty taels of silver, which was simply an astronomical price.

The onlookers began to watch the spectacle. Mo Linglong usually appeared as a graceful woman, so no one recognized that the person in front of them was the young lady of Thousand Changes Town.

Not to mention, Mo Linglong seemed not to have expected Su Ji to do such a thing, and was stunned when she suddenly became the focus of the entire audience.

At this moment, even if someone said that the white-haired girl was Mo Linglong, the young lady of Qianbian Town, probably no one would believe it.

Su Ji is known for his high-profile actions but low-profile personal life. Apart from being well-known in Qili Lake and the City God Temple, many cultivators don't really know him.

"Alright, I believe you're a trustworthy person... Scholar, quickly make this young lady happy, and you'll be sold!"

The paper-figure scholar snapped open his fan and showered Mo Linglong with praise from head to toe, employing numerous rhetorical devices and quoting many poems.

"...fingers as slender as scallion roots, lips as red as cinnabar!"

"...Her beauty surpasses that of the past and present, even the lotus flower is ashamed of its fair face!"

"...A skirt made of lotus leaves, with hibiscus blossoms opening on either side of her face!"

"..."

However, Mo Linglong was not only a genius from a young age, but also had a glorious past life. Regardless of whether these praises were just randomly pieced together or not, they could not sway her.

The paper-figure scholar was not discouraged and continued to praise, "The young lady is like a fairy descended from heaven, with white hair like snow and eyebrows like the moon... Her feather robe is always tinged with the color of rosy clouds, and she does not attract the peach and plum blossoms of the mortal world!"

Mo Linglong remained unmoved, even showing some boredom.

Immediately, not only the paper-figure scholar, but even the paper-figure stall owner became somewhat anxious.

"Scholar, your vast knowledge is useless. Why don't you tell some jokes to please this young lady?"

The paper-figure scholar listened to the advice and began to tell some jokes that circulated in the marketplace.

However, even the onlookers were amused, while Mo Linglong remained uninterested.

Mo Linglong even glanced at Su Ji beside her, looking like she couldn't stand it any longer and wanted to leave.

For a moment, the paper-figure scholar froze on the spot, his body unsteady, as if he were about to be blown over by the night wind.

Just when people thought the paper-figure scholar had run out of tricks, he actually took off his hat and the book from his waist.

Then, the paper-figure scholar moved his hands back and forth, performing acrobatics with his hat, books, and fan, occasionally making some funny gestures. Not only the onlookers, but even Su Ji was amused.

The scholar's performance seemed quite amusing, and perhaps influenced by Su Ji, a smile appeared on Mo Linglong's lips.

Immediately, the paper doll vendor clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "...She smiled, this young lady smiled!"

Su Ji kept his word and immediately offered a Blazing Crystal: "Stadium owner, can this Blazing Crystal be exchanged for the Paper Scholar?"

Once formed, a blazing crystal is of superior quality; the only difference is its size and the number of spiritual patterns. This blazing crystal is nine-tenths of an inch in diameter and is worth about five hundred strands of divine power.

However, that was only the internal exchange rate at the City God Temple; the price would only be higher on the market.

"Alright, alright, this blazing crystal is enough!"

The stall owner dared not touch the blazing crystal, but instead put it in a jade box and said, "Sir, not only do you not haggle, but you are also so generous. This paper sword will be given to you as a bonus!"

Both the paper scholar and the paper sword are of medium quality.

However, paper figures are not true magical artifacts. They are not only vulnerable to water and fire, but also very easily damaged. While they can indeed fight ghost generals, they cannot recover once damaged...

Su Ji bought the paper scholar not for fighting, but for another purpose.

First, let the paper-figure scholar lead the way and have a good tour of the ghost market.

After going around the store, Su Ji only bought five sugar figurines.

Su Ji specially added some mid-grade spiritual honey to the sugar figurine, and after tasting it and finding it satisfactory, he made one for Mo Linglong in the same way.

Mo Linglong, however, seemed to be used to this kind of thing. After thanking Su Ji sincerely, she quietly ate the honey-glazed candy figurine.

It wasn't until Mo Linglong saw Su Ji that she gave a neutral evaluation: "The taste is not bad."

Su Ji sighed inwardly, and some thoughts began to form in his mind...

Before long, Su Ji arrived near Zhu Nu's stall.

The Pearl Maiden's Illusionary Dream Pearls were difficult to refine and had sold out a few days ago. She had to personally perform illusions, often only able to serve one customer every fifteen minutes. Su Ji gestured for the paper-figure scholar to give the Pearl Maiden a honey-glazed candy figurine, and further reminded her, "Why don't you take a day off tomorrow? You'll be busy the night after tomorrow!"

The woman quickly and respectfully thanked him, saying, "Thank you so much, benefactor! I've been quite exhausted today, so I'll rest tomorrow to recharge for the auction the day after tomorrow..."

Since Su Ji couldn't do everything himself, he chose Zhu Nu to be the auctioneer.

Immediately, Su Ji seemed to have forgotten about the Bright Moon Spirit Realm and set up a stall nearby with great pleasure.

"Earth Yang Stone Gall, containing Earth Yang Spiritual Liquid!"

The paper-figure scholar was the one soliciting customers: "You can choose to buy Earth Yang Spirit Liquid, or you can buy Earth Yang Stone Gall at a fixed price. Whether you make a profit or a loss depends entirely on your eyesight!"

The Earth Yang Stone Gall has a certain ability to isolate spiritual consciousness. Even Su Ji cannot see how much Earth Yang Spiritual Liquid is inside a mid-grade Earth Yang Stone Gall.

Su Ji was weighing the Earth Yang Spirit Liquid there, and Mo Linglong volunteered to take on a task—splitting the stone.

"We made a profit! This piece of Earth Yang Stone has two more drops of Earth Yang Spirit Liquid than we expected!"

"I've made another profit! This piece of Earth Yang Stone has earned me at least twenty strands of divine power!"

"As expected of Fellow Daoist Golden Toad of the Xuanmen Dao Seed, this stall is truly honest and trustworthy..."

No matter how sturdy the Yang Stone Gallbladder is, it will crack in two instantly once it falls into Mo Linglong's hands.

This scene not only amazed many cultivators who bought the Earth Yang Stone, but even the Paper Scholar couldn't help but glance at it.

"Geum styracifolium..."

Mo Linglong subconsciously wanted to continue opening stones, but found that they were all sold out, and she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Mo Linglong was suddenly taken aback.

After eating Su Ji's honey-glazed candy figurine, she wanted to repay him by helping him open the stone.

But to her surprise, she actually started to enjoy the feeling.

...When I was at the magical artifact shop, was it because I didn't put any effort into those magical artifacts that I didn't feel any sense of accomplishment?

At this moment, Su Ji, who was standing to the side, seemed to have noticed something. He patted the dust off his hands and said, "Today is the sixth day of the third month. We will continue to sell Earth Yang Stone Gallbladders tomorrow night. The day after tomorrow, we will also open a high-grade Earth Yang Stone Gallbladder when we auction the Meat Spirit Mushroom!"

In the evening, Su Ji brought out treasures worth nearly ten thousand strands of divine power from the Great Sun Spirit Realm, the vast majority of which were Earth Yang Stone Galls.

Of course, there are still many treasures that could not be brought out at once. They are currently being guarded by the Earth Yang Serpent Lord, and the Earth Yang Stone Gallbladder among them can be used as treasure hunting spoils in the next two days.

"...Top-grade Earth Yang Stone Gall!"

Mo Linglong had a restless thought. Besides the special enjoyment of opening the stone, she also wanted to challenge herself and see how much effort she would need to open the superior-grade Earth Yang Stone Gallbladder.

Su Ji's heart stirred, and he thought to himself, "Finally, there's a touch of humanity here..."

From the moment she met Mo Linglong until now, Mo Linglong has only one thought in her mind: to find the Seven Aperture Heart Stone.

After Mo Linglong obtained the Seven Aperture Heart Stone, she suddenly lost interest in everything. If Su Ji didn't come to find her, she might even stay at the Mo family's villa.

Because of her vivid dreams, Zhang Xiaolian has been a stubborn and withdrawn person since childhood. Due to her family background, she can quickly receive positive feedback whenever she feels warmth.

Mo Linglong is an aloof and indifferent person who is not only uninterested in many things, but also unwilling to talk to people.

Only Su Ji, who had helped Mo Linglong a lot, was able to invite her out to stroll through the ghost market... and she found some things that interested her.

Yan Tianchou then began to analyze: "Mo Linglong is most affected by the memories of the Xuanxian from her previous life. Even if the humanoid machine project succeeds, she will gradually become a robot without emotions."

"Old Man Qianji has made reviving Mo Linglong an obsession, and he probably doesn't have time to give Mo Linglong any tenderness..."

"Now, Mo Linglong has regained a sense of humanity. As long as she continues to work hard, even if she cannot escape the influence of her past life one day, she can at least live as a person with feelings."

Emotions are a reflection of a person's self.

If a person has no emotions, he is just a machine, not even as good as the Heavenly Will Spirit Lord of the Great Sun Spirit Realm.

Yan Tianchou continued his analysis: "Mo Linglong was probably impacted by the massive memories of her past life. After brain death, her body stopped growing. Although she regained herself by severing her soul, she developed in a ruthless direction due to her upbringing and experiences..."

"After obtaining the Seven Aperture Heart Stone, it may not be long before the Thousand Machines Elder is able to completely transform Mo Linglong's body into a mechanical artifact."

"While Mo Linglong has been reborn, we must guard against the remnants of her soul within her brain from impacting her again. We need to personally examine Mo Linglong's physical body before we can make further analysis..."

Su Ji understood and made a decision.

On the ninth day of the third month, the first thing he did after becoming the Sun Guardian General was to go to Thousand Changes Town to investigate Mo Linglong's physical body. His reason was also very good: "To discuss the forging of a large spiritual artifact that deflects the sunlight..."

Many people arrived late to the stall and were filled with regret.

"Fellow Daoist Jin, is there really no more Earth Yang Stone Gall for sale?" The fact that Earth Yang Stone Gall has been sold out has deprived many people of the opportunity to earn divine power.

However, Su Ji had no intention of making money at all. He was not only trying to boost sales, but also to establish the reputation of Di Yang Stone Gall.

After all, Su Ji had the power to calculate the price based on the internal prices of the City God Temple and average it out on each piece of Di Yang Stone. Those who lost money only suffered small losses, while those who made money actually gained more.

Most cultivators bartered, and a pile of highly marketable treasures appeared in front of the stall, including Yin Qi Pearls, Yin Sha Pearls, Earth Yang Stones, and Earth Yin Stones.

As the paper-figure scholar sorted through the treasures, he offered a suggestion: "Young Master Jin, if you're going to continue selling Earth Yang Stone Gallbladders in the next two days, you'll have to raise the price, otherwise you'll suffer losses..."

It seems that because of Su Ji's "training", the paper-figure scholar not only knows how to perform acrobatics, but also has learned the ways of business.

Su Ji did not answer, but instead addressed the latecomers:

"Please don't be disappointed. We will not only continue to sell Earth Yang Stone Galls at the current price tomorrow night, but we will also bring out a top-grade Earth Yang Stone Gall the day after tomorrow night. If you are interested, please come and bid!"

Immediately, news of the auction of mid-grade and even high-grade Earth Yang Stone Gallbladder on the evening of the eighth day of the third month spread, and soon many people learned about the Golden Toad auctioning off the Flesh Lingzhi.

"A top-grade spiritual herb, the flesh-based Ganoderma lucidum? Let the Ghost King and the high-level cultivators fight over it!"

Cultivators with lower cultivation levels are younger and have no worries about their souls aging.

Furthermore, the news of Su Ji auctioning off the meat spirit mushroom was only told to some of the Ghost King high-level cultivators; most cultivators were hearing this news for the first time.

"In recent decades, even mid-grade Earth Yang Spirit Liquid has become rare in Jinfeng County. The Xuanmen Dao Seed Golden Toad actually found a high-grade Earth Yang Stone Gallbladder. It truly deserves to be the number one on both lists!"

"If I can't afford a whole top-grade Earth Yang Stone, can't I afford a single drop of top-grade Earth Yang Spirit Liquid?"

"Any fellow cultivators willing to chip in? After we jointly bid on the superior-grade Earth Yang Stone Gall, we can then distribute the superior-grade Earth Yang Spiritual Liquid within it..."

While people were discussing it, Su Ji exchanged most of the treasures he had obtained from his stall for divine power at the City God Temple, and then funded the purchase of a token of the Bright Moon Spirit Realm for Mo Linglong.

Not long after, Su Ji and Mo Linglong registered according to the rules, and then arrived at the Bright Moon Spirit Realm together with the paper scholar.

Because of the mechanical spirit beast, Mo Linglong knew of Qian Feng's existence and couldn't help but ask, "Shall we go find them according to the marks left by Yuan Yuan?"

Su Ji bought five sugar figurines at the ghost market. Mo Linglong ate one, Su Ji ate one, and gave one to Zhu Nu... There must have been one left for Qian Feng.

However, Su Ji suddenly looked at the paper scholar beside him and said with a smile, "Scholar, take us to find the Earth Yin Spirit Vein!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Linglong's large eyes were filled with doubt. She tilted her head to look to the side, but suddenly froze in place.

(End of this chapter)