Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 135 Gratitude, Assistance, and Guarantee
Fang Shu looked up upon hearing this.

Fang Lu smiled again: "Immortal, immortal, if you leave the mountain, can you still be called an immortal? You are a human, not an immortal."

She looked around at the various utensils in the room and sighed, "Also, junior brother, everyone who can come up the mountain is, if not all of them are geniuses, but you and I have fought our way up from the crowd."

We're only temporarily stuck in the mud on the mountain. Are you really so heartless to leave after just a few stumbles and completely sink down the mountain? Going downhill is easy, going uphill is hard.

Now it was Fang Shu's turn to answer. Without hesitation, he uttered:
"Of course I don't want to, but I have to endure it and give it a try."

Fang Lu nodded and said, "Among us cultivators, the higher we go, the less likely we are to consider ourselves mediocre. Unless we are truly old and frail and have no further path to immortality, who would want to descend the mountain?"

"Don't even mention me, your senior sister; among you menial servants, do you know what the most popular saying is?"

Fang Shu clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and asked for guidance.

Fang Lu calmly said, "You are not menial servants, but rather prospective disciples who have not yet cultivated Qi."

These words struck Fang Shu as quite interesting and worth pondering repeatedly.

Not only on the mountain, but also at the foot of the mountain, in the mortal world, in front of others and behind their backs, most people in the world seem to think this way.

During the conversation, Senior Sister Fang Lu's eyes flickered again: "In addition, the life you menial servants lead is arduous and unbearable. I've heard that the average lifespan of menial servants on the mountain is only thirty-five. Once they reach that age, they are either kicked off the mountain, succeed in Qi cultivation, or die on the mountain."

But while you suffer, we Qi Refining Immortals don't suffer at all.

More specifically, Senior Sister Fang Lu didn't elaborate, only saying lightly:
"Don't look down on me like this. When you see me in my sect, you can call me senior sister or even lowly servant or pig and dog. But once you leave this sect, you have to call me Immortal Goddess."

Fang Shu was slightly taken aback, but immediately understood what the other person meant. If he hadn't come as an "old friend" or a "guest," he wouldn't even have had a chance to speak to the other person.

"Thank you for your guidance and instruction, senior sister!" He immediately stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Alright, enough with the idle chatter and complaints. You didn't come here today just to catch up with your senior sister."

As Fang Lu spoke, she subtly flicked her fingers, snatching the small box from Fang Shu's hand. Opening it, she looked at the rouge inside and chuckled.
"You even brought something with you. I haven't seen this Rouge Insect Ointment from the Dugu Pavilion for a long time. You're very thoughtful."

The recipient seemed quite pleased with the gift.

Fang Shu hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Senior Sister Fang Lu had taken the initiative to ask, he stopped being coy and bowed again:

"Reporting to Senior Sister, I have come here hoping that you can guide me and give me a way out."

He immediately recounted his situation on the mountain, saying that he would either have to test medicine for others, sell himself into slavery, or be reduced to menial labor, suffering for at least three years.

Upon hearing this, Fang Lu showed no surprise, as if she had anticipated Fang Shu's situation and that this was why she had come today.

After Fang Shu finished speaking, she said:

"The Daoist cultivation method cannot be passed on privately, so there's nothing my senior sister can do about it."

As for having my senior sister help you exchange for the Spirit Root Records directly, that's cumbersome, and unlike your first exchange where you get a discount, I don't have ten if I spend my cultivation points.

Fang Lu looked at Fang Shu with a half-smile: "It's much simpler and more convenient to plant the spiritual root for you directly than to let you do it yourself."

These words made Fang Shu's heart skip a beat.

Fortunately, the woman changed the subject: "However, you wouldn't be willing unless absolutely necessary. Master should have explained the pros and cons of this. Even if I did it out of good intentions, you will never have to think about Foundation Establishment again."

Fang Shu remained silent, but simply made sure to observe all the proper etiquette.

Suddenly, Senior Sister Fang Lu asked abruptly, "How well have you comprehended your Gu techniques?"

Fang Shu pondered for a moment, then, without humility or exaggeration, truthfully replied:
"I have mastered all the three tribulation Gu formulas in the hall, and I can refine them as needed. My master has given me the four tribulation Gu formulas, and I have already comprehended several of them, but I have not yet tried them because the materials are expensive and they require the assistance of divine sense... If I had enough materials, I would definitely be able to figure them out."

Fang Lu nodded: "Not bad, that's good enough. Whether one can cultivate divine sense and true energy is the key to all the skills of the immortals."

"You're skilled at refining Tribulation Gu worms, and your breakthrough to First-Class Divine Sense will make becoming a Gu Master a natural progression. Your future Qi Refining journey won't be as arduous as your senior sister's."

Fang Shu's heart stirred, and he stared intently at the woman.

Senior Sister Fang Lu met his burning gaze, and deliberately showed a shy smile: "Junior Brother, if you are ever feeling down in the future, you must come and support my business often."

She even stroked her lower abdomen and said in a coquettish voice, "Could it be that Junior Brother doesn't want to come in and see the beautiful scenery?"

Elegance, charm, allure, and gentleness—all these qualities blend together in Senior Sister Fang Lu, leaving one utterly mesmerized.

If there hadn't been nothing unusual about him, Fang Shu would have suspected that the other party had secretly applied an aphrodisiac to bewitch him.

Calming himself down, Fang Shu realized that although Senior Sister Fang Lu hadn't explicitly stated it, her words just now were both a joke and an agreement to help him.

He immediately bowed deeply:
"I will remember your kindness today. Thank you for passing on the teachings, Senior Sister. I wish to regard you as my elder sister and will take good care of you in the future."

His formal and stiff response left Fang Lu somewhat bewildered. But it also pleased Fang Lu, and a look of emotion appeared in her eyes. This kind of stubborn and naive flavor could only be seen in a greenhorn like Fang Shu.

Once you've been up in the mountains for a long time, you either become a seasoned veteran or have an eccentric personality; you're unlikely to agree to something so earnestly anymore.

Fang Lu waved her hand: "Let's forget what we just said. Since you call me 'elder sister,' it's better for us siblings to be more polite."

But after she finished speaking, she inexplicably added:
"However, you must not waste your virility if you don't find a good family. If you want to have some fun, come to your older sister. She will even give you a red envelope."

Fang Shu looked up and nodded seriously.

He understood that regardless of gender, the primordial yang and primordial yin in one's body are helpful for cultivation and can even be used in medicine and weapon crafting, especially for immortals who are skilled in bedroom arts.

Perhaps for Fang Lu, the little bit of primordial yang he possessed was the only thing that could be of any use to this woman. And since she was willing to offer help in her time of need, Fang Shu naturally wouldn't be stingy with his own.

If it weren't for the fact that some of his words were too absurd, he would have promised her that once he had mastered Qi Refining, he would definitely come to visit his senior sister and present her with his primordial yang as a congratulatory gift!

Inside the study, the two siblings, who were from the same lineage, chatted for a few more minutes.

A deer cried out.

Fang Lu summoned her own magical white deer, sat down on it, and extended her fair wrist, gesturing for Fang Shu to come up as well.

Fang Shu sat astride the deer's back, as if deliberately embracing his beloved senior sister.

The two rode together on a deer, its hooves clattering as it carried them out of the hermitage. Driven by the deer, the spirit deer galloped towards a certain place in the temple.

On the way, whether they met strangers or acquaintances, the others either envied or teased Fang Lu about where he had found such a handsome young man, saying that he had good taste.

Senior Sister Fang Lu retorted sharply: "This is my junior brother from the Dugu Sect."

The bystanders smiled:
"Hey junior brother, that's exactly what I wanted, let's make our family even closer."

"Sister Lu is really enviable. You can feel more at ease raising her at home than letting her run wild outside."

Fang Shu straddled the deer's back, savoring the enchanting scenery. He kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his mind, but he didn't pretend to keep his distance. He stayed close to his senior sister, after all, she had done him a great favor.

Soon, he came to understand the extent of Fang Lu's kindness.

He saw his senior sister carrying him into a grand building, where people were all engaged in Qi cultivation, chatting and laughing endlessly. Even as a senior sister, she seemed a little awkward about coming here.

The siblings were eventually greeted by a waiter in the building, who politely led them to a private room.

"Welcome to the Jin Family's Treasure Hall."

Senior Sister Fang Lu said directly:
"My junior brother has just arrived at the temple. Although he is a celestial being, he has no Taoist cultivation yet and does not want to be used by others or be schemed against. He needs a spiritual root cultivation method and some materials."

The waiter shifted his gaze from Senior Sister Fang Lu and looked at Fang Shu with surprise in his eyes. He had just thought Fang Shu was merely a plaything, but now it seemed this pretty boy was truly lucky.

The attendant from Duobao Hall immediately brought over an abacus and a stack of papers, and said familiarly:

"The law is not to be given lightly. Although our hall has a long history in the temple, it is not convenient to violate the rules and provoke the wrath of the masses. The method of spiritual roots cannot be bought by the servants with money and food alone."

Fortunately, my Jin family has a program to provide financial assistance, divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower. The upper level promises that the person will become a son-in-law and, after refining their Qi, will definitely enter my Jin family. The man must produce at least three sons and possess a special physique. The middle level promises that the person will enter the Jin family as a guest retainer and will work for at least thirty years, and must possess a skill. The lower level promises that the person will use their body as collateral, and regardless of success or failure within the specified period, if they die, my Jin family has the right to claim their body. Those who fail to repay the debt within the specified period can be sold into slavery..."

The waiter from Duobaotang rattled off a long list of benefits and conditions, finally adding:

"These all need to be carefully examined. We will uncover some of your secrets, and you will need to make a vow of faith."

Furthermore, if the conditions are deemed too stringent, a simplified version is available, which may only provide financial support for the Dharma or only provide financial support for spiritual materials; you can only choose one of the two.

Before Fang Shu could ask, Fang Lu, his senior sister, answered for him:
"No need to simplify. Provide one set each of spiritual root cultivation methods and tribulation-crossing materials, and offer all three levels of assistance, from top to bottom, for my junior brother to choose and combine as he sees fit."

These words attracted the attention of both Fang Shu and the waiter.

The waiter politely asked, "May I ask, sir, what would you like to offer as payment? Does your junior brother possess any extraordinary abilities? If so, adding a little more money and provisions wouldn't be out of the question."

Fang Lu did not mention Gu techniques, and chuckled, "I don't know if my junior brother is good at them or not, but he has me as his older sister. With me as collateral, I will vouch for him."

The waiter paused for a moment, then nodded and silently took out a contract.

Regardless of Fang Shu's own repayment terms, the contract stipulated that he would use Qi Refining as collateral to guarantee the repayment of essence. If the client died or failed to repay the debt, Fang Lu would repay the debt on his behalf.

More specifically, the Kim family may request, but is not limited to:

Fang Lu gave birth to a son for the Jin family, and the conditions were quite broad. He could serve as a furnace for ten months, a maid or dancer, or help refine a four-calamity magic weapon with his own body. Almost every method of employing people that could be thought of was written down, except that life was not involved.

(End of this chapter)