Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 142 Meeting an Acquaintance While Competing for a Position in the Furnace Cauldron

As Fang Shu stepped out of the spirit chamber, before he even reached the ground, the servants from the Treasure Hall were already waiting at the steps.

The waiter looked familiar; upon closer inspection, he was the same person who had previously served the siblings.

The other party observed Fang Shu's gait. Although he couldn't tell whether Fang Shu was currently refining essence or qi because Fang Shu had concealed his aura and hadn't made a move, a glint of light still flashed in the servant's eyes.

If you can't see any weather patterns, that's the biggest weather pattern you can see.

The man promptly cupped his hands towards Fang Shu and said, "Congratulations, sir, you have successfully transcended the tribulation and emerged from the Qi Refining stage!"

Faced with the congratulations, Fang Shu showed a reserved smile. He made no attempt to hide his feelings, nodded frankly, and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I am fortunate to have succeeded. Thank you for your assistance this time."

Fang Shu also sized up the newcomer. He could tell from the subtle aura that the servant was also a Qi Refining Immortal.

The waiter at Duobaotang quickly stepped aside and said, "My name is Tong Cou, please follow me, sir."

Then, guided by the other party, Fang Shu returned to the private room.

After the waiter Tong Cou uttered a string of flattering words, he took out the contract he had previously signed with Fang Shu from his sleeve, along with several brand-new blank contracts.

"To be honest, sir, you have now reached the Qi Refining stage and are now an outer disciple of my Five Organs Temple. My Duobao Hall will naturally offer you all the preferential treatment and is willing to continue to build a good relationship with you."

If you, sir, possess any other skills, you can obtain even more generous subsidies from my Duobao Hall.

The waiter, Tong Cou, spoke eloquently and then said, "If you, fellow Daoist, are unwilling to accept the financial assistance of my Jin family, you can also enter into a contract with my Jin family alone."

Whether it's talismans, elixirs, magical artifacts, or even Gu worms and spirit beasts, my Jin family will purchase them at top prices. However, this means the conditions will be rather basic.

Fang Shu listened patiently for a while.

It turned out that this guy was using a strategy of winning him over or even binding him. However, compared to last time, the conditions he was offered this time were completely different.

However, Fang Shu only listened to a few sentences before decisively saying:
"To be honest, I have just come out of seclusion and have not yet taken a master or met with my relatives and friends. Let's talk about these things after I have rested for a few days."

When the waiter Tong Cou heard this, a look of regret immediately appeared on his face.

However, after looking at Fang Shu's young face, he remembered that Fang Shu was suspected of mastering Gu techniques, and was someone who had studied the nine disciplines of immortality before even reaching the Qi Refining stage.

Even if such a Qi Refining disciple only has a pseudo-spiritual root, he still has a small chance of becoming an immortal.

So the man lowered his voice and suddenly reminded him:
"Since you're not in a hurry, I won't say any more, lest I annoy you."

"Now that you've reached the Qi Refining stage, you shouldn't need your sister's guarantee anymore. You can ask me to change the contract, and you can bear the responsibility yourself. Of course, whether or not to change the contract is entirely your decision."

After saying a few words, the waiter Tong Cou fell silent and adopted a detached, indifferent demeanor, as if he had not been the one who had spoken.

Fang Shu seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment of contemplation, he cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Tong to change the contract for me."

“Alright.” Envoy Tong responded, immediately took out the contract, and after giving Fang Shu a few perfunctory instructions, he canceled the old contract and signed a new one with Fang Shu.

Although the terms of the newly signed contract have not changed significantly, the only difference is that the object of the guarantee has shifted from the two siblings to Fang Shu alone. The principal that needs to be repaid is still 120 catties of second-grade spirit stones.

However, the annual interest growth rate suddenly dropped from 70% to 50%.

And although this thing still accrues interest, the maximum amount that can be repaid is limited to 1,200 catties of inferior spirit stones.

This amount is still enormous, ten times the "principal." However, compared to the contract signed during Fang Shu's refinement period, at least there is an upper limit.

It should be noted that old contracts have no upper limit; they can keep going on and on until the debtor can no longer afford to pay, not even the interest.

Fang Shu thought to himself, "It seems that for the Five Organs Temple, a Qi Refining disciple is at least considered a disciple, so there's some guarantee... though not much."

In his view, the Jin family would not give away profits for nothing. The Jin family should have rules regarding the debts owed by their disciples, just like the government in the mortal world.

Without making a sound, Fang Shu immediately cupped his hands and greeted the waiter, Tong Cou:

"Thank you for your understanding, Fellow Daoist Tong."

Although he figured that if he just spent more time in the tummy, he would eventually find out about the contract change. At worst, his senior sister Fang Lu would remind him.

However, the waiter Tong Cou's action was clearly well-intentioned.

When Tong Cou saw that Fang Shu had specifically introduced himself, he smiled and became even more amiable.

After exchanging pleasantries, just as Fang Shu was about to leave, the waiter Tong Cou suddenly pulled out a letter from his sleeve. "Mr. Fang, this is from your esteemed sister, Ms. Fang Lu, who asked me to give it to you."

Fang Shu looked slightly surprised. After thanking him, he put the letter into his sleeve without opening it on the spot.

He waited until he left the Treasure Hall and found a secluded corner before tearing off the seal on the talisman and unfolding the letter.

After reading it carefully, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It turned out that Senior Sister Fang Lu had only said in her letter that she was too busy these past few days to come and welcome Fang Shu, nor could she properly celebrate with him. So she told Fang Shu to go to the hermitage to stay for a few days after he came out of seclusion.

Sister Fanglu has already included the introductory mantra for the hermitage in the letter.

As for what my senior sister has been doing lately, the other party mentioned it briefly between the lines.

It turned out that there was a senior monk in the temple who wanted to comprehend the wonderful method of controlling women and urgently needed various furnaces and vessels, with excellent conditions.

Senior Sister Fang Lu quickly tidied herself up, closed her business, and went to compete for the furnace cauldron spot.

She also said that this would be a huge business opportunity that could sustain them for three years, and it was not to be missed.

Because there were many people who wanted to get close to his master, the competition was quite fierce, and there were many places that needed to be taken care of. Fang Lu estimated that he would not be able to go home for several days, so he left a letter for Fang Shu in advance.

In addition, she also mentioned in the letter that after Fang Shu successfully completed the Qi Refining process, the contract between him and the Jin family could be changed.

And just as Fang Shu guessed, the reason the Jin family lowered their demands was simply because they had their own internal rules, not because they had a change of heart.

After reading the letter, Fang Shu immediately used his true energy to shatter the letter into ashes.

For some reason, even though he had just owed the Jin family a large sum of spirit stones, he was not depressed; his joy remained.

But now that he knew where Fang Lu had gone, his mood suddenly sank, and he felt rather bored.

After a few breaths, Fang Shu thought to himself, "Perhaps it's because there's no one to share this joyous occasion with."

He clapped his hands to shake off the ashes, then turned and walked towards the ground.

The direction they went was not towards Fang Lu's hermitage, but towards Toad Beach.

Since there was no one in the hermitage, he didn't need to rush over. He decided to first take care of all the matters after successfully refining his Qi, such as becoming an apprentice, so that he could get on the right track of cultivation as soon as possible.

As the sky darkened and nightfall was imminent, Fang Shu arrived at Toad Street.

Groups of servants hurried past him, several of them with youthful faces, clearly the young talents who had come up the mountain for this year's spring imperial examinations.

The hundred-day deadline has long passed. Those who could cultivate Qi have already done so, and those who were willing to descend the mountain have already done so. There are very few immortals like Fang Shu who still have no home to return to.

Although everyone went up the mountain in the same batch, each person had their own unique circumstances.

After glancing around a few times, Fang Shu withdrew his gaze from the servants. He had already successfully cultivated his Qi and escaped the quagmire of being a servant, so there was no need for him to think about it anymore.

However, he didn't think about showing off. He continued to blend into the crowd in a low-key manner and arrived at the shop renting out quiet rooms.

As soon as he entered, Fang Shu asked, "May I ask if Steward Sun is here?"

There was someone in the shop, but it wasn't the manager surnamed Sun; it was a female servant waiting there.

Upon hearing the voice, the other person immediately turned around, and when they saw that it was Fang Shu, their face showed even more surprise.

A teasing voice came from the other party: "Oh! It's Fellow Daoist Fang, a rare guest indeed."

Fang Shu raised an eyebrow and immediately looked closely at the other person, discovering that the person behind the counter was an acquaintance of his—his roommate, Hua Xiaqing.

Hua Xiaqing was leaning against the counter with one arm crossed, slowly cracking sunflower seeds, looking leisurely and enjoying a half-day of peace.

Upon seeing this, Fang Shu immediately understood.

Just as she herself said, even without finding an opportunity to cultivate Qi, this woman was able to secure a good menial job by relying on her skillful dancing and elegant attire, and is currently looking after the shop.

Hua Xiaqing was also sizing up Fang Shu.

When she saw that Fang Shu had entered empty-handed and dressed as shabbily as before, the smile on the woman's face immediately faded, leaving only a forced smile.

(End of this chapter)