Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 207 Foundation Establishment Scam: Earth Immortal Slave
Fang Shu stood in front of Tian Jinmao, unsure whether he should wake this acquaintance.

While he hesitated, Tian Jinmao, at least somewhat wary, sensed someone standing in front of it. Its ears twitched, and it immediately woke up from its slumber, muttering:

"Get out of the way, don't block Grandpa's sunlight."

Seeing that the newcomer did not move, Tian Jinmao squinted and looked up to examine Fang Shu.

Its eyes widened immediately, and after examining it for a long time, it hurriedly got up from the straw mat and bowed to Fang Shu, saying, "It's Brother Fang! I'm so sorry for the neglect."

This rat demon hadn't forgotten Fang Shu and recognized him.

"Greetings, Brother Tian. How have you been?" Fang Shu returned the greeting with a cupped hand, but stopped short of saying the polite words, subconsciously glancing around the corner.

Behind Tian Jinmao on the wall, there were obvious yellow stains, and the smell of urine was coming from those stains.

Tian Jinmao noticed Fang Shu's gaze, and its happy rat face immediately turned embarrassed. It cursed, "You damn dog, always peeing on my turf."

So Tian Jinmao bent down, rolled up the straw mat on the ground, moved to a different spot, and said, "Come on, brother, don't be shy, please sit down."

As they spoke, the man poured two bowls of water from the pots and pans beside him, placed them on the straw mat, and offered them to Fang Shu for tea.

Fang Shu glanced at the scene and thought to himself that this was really impolite. However, he didn't show anything, bowed slightly, and sat cross-legged on the straw mat.

After exchanging pleasantries, Tian Jinmao asked Fang Shu in surprise why he had suddenly come down the mountain without giving any prior notice.

He yelled, "If I had known you were coming, I would have rented a big house to live in, so you wouldn't have to see this joke."

Fang Shu did not answer directly, but instead said evasively, "It was an emergency, and I was just passing by on my way down the mountain, so I came to visit Brother Tian."

After speaking, he paused for a few moments, looked around, and finally spoke:

"May I ask, Brother Tian, ​​what has happened to you? I can see that your cultivation is still intact."

If he remembered correctly, although Tian Jinmao had lost his position as a deity in the Western Hills, he was originally a second-generation demon with a family tradition of farming skills. His cultivation had long since passed the sixth tribulation, making him a spiritual immortal who had refined the Qi.

In addition, before leaving, the old mountain lord personally hosted a banquet for him and presented him with his winemaking skills. The other demon drinkers should have also given him some travel expenses.

With such a level of understanding and background, how could they possibly squander their fortune and fall into such a state in just three or four years!
Upon hearing this, Tian Jinmao's expression turned wistful.

Before it could speak, tears welled up in its eyes; its whiskers trembled violently a few times before it finally uttered:
"Brother, the local monsters are truly unethical."

This guy, who had been grinning and joking, couldn't hold back any longer and cried a few times, looking aggrieved.

Through the other party's fragmented words and muttered curses, Fang Shu gradually understood the reason for the matter.

It turns out that when Tian Jinmao first arrived at Fudang Mountain, he was targeted by the monsters in the mountain and fell into the so-called "foundation building trap". Not only was his wealth robbed, but he also incurred a huge debt within a year or two, and he is still paying it back.

Fang Shu asked in surprise, "A Foundation Establishment scam?"

Tian Jinmao nodded: "Exactly! They said that the Lord of Fudang Mountain acted as guarantor, and the five sects of Lushan jointly created it, working together to build a foundation."

So he believed it and invested all his savings. Because the higher-ups said that the more resources he invested, the sooner he could achieve foundation building, and the more people and monsters he recruited, the faster the schedule could be advanced, so he even set up his own scheme.

But who would have thought, who would have thought!!

After shouting for a while, the guy stared blankly and kept repeating, "I should have known, I should have known."

It took Fang Shu a long time to understand what he meant.

Tian Jinmao, standing before him, was still weeping and complaining:
"Brother, in this world, demons are truly despised when they leave their homes."

"You've come to the right place. In this godforsaken place like Fudang Mountain, you need to find someone you know to stay with first, otherwise you never know when you'll fall into a trap."

Fang Shu nodded seriously upon hearing this.

That was his thought, which is why he first sought out Tian Jinmao to guide him. However, he didn't completely believe Tian Jinmao's words and began to subtly inquire about more details regarding the Foundation Establishment scam.

Fang Shu spoke up: "Since you could convince Brother Tian, ​​then there must be someone to vouch for this scam, right? Why didn't you find someone to vouch for you or seek justice from the Floating Market?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Jinmao's expression immediately became even more distressed.

Indeed, as Fang Shu said, this "Foundation Building Mutual Aid Association" was naturally presided over by a master, and the master who deceived Tian Jinmao was no ordinary person, but a genuine Foundation Building Immortal.

However, Tian Jinmao didn't hear any promises from the Foundation Establishment Immortal. He only had a meal with the other party under the arrangement of the mutual aid association's higher-ups, and even received a handwritten scripture as a gift, encouraging him as a potential Foundation Establishment seed demon.

As they were talking, Tian Jinmao took out the scripture from his rattan box. He wiped his hands several times before carefully holding it in his hands for Fang Shu to take a look.

Fang Shu was about to open the book, but when he saw Tian Jinmao's nervous look, he moved his finger and turned the page without touching the book.

After glancing at it a few times, Fang Shu lost interest.

Although the materials used in this book are not bad, and it is obviously made of Qi-refining spiritual materials, and every page can be used to draw talismans, the whole thing is worth at most ten taels of spirit stones.

Moreover, the contents of the book do not involve magic or techniques, but are simply enlightenment scriptures that are widely circulated in the market, which can be used by little demons to learn to read.

As for the handwriting, it was indeed handwritten, but the strokes were ordinary, and it was unknown which of the cultivator's disciples or servants had copied it.

Having understood this, Fang Shu didn't ask Tian Jinmao why he didn't cause trouble for the guarantor.

Even if the Foundation Establishment Immortal only had a meal with Tian Jinmao, and even if he did make some promises, as long as there was no written agreement or contract, it wouldn't matter.

If Tian Jinmao really went to find him, and the Foundation Establishment Immortal didn't skin him alive but instead framed him with a false charge, Tian Jinmao would have to kowtow to the other party and thank them for sparing his life.

Besides, the conversation between the human and the demon...

Fang Shu also discovered that the higher-ups in the scam were very cunning. They didn't tell Tian Jinmao that he had been deceived, but only told him that the immortal cultivators they had recently assisted had failed in their foundation building, and that their funding had gone to waste.

It's perfectly normal to fail in the Foundation Building process!
But don't panic, this is only temporary. When others achieve foundation building, especially once they succeed, Tian Jinmao will be the first to take over.

Furthermore, the more people and monsters Tian Jinmao introduces to the group, the greater Tian Jinmao's contribution will be, and the next one to receive his assistance may be Tian Jinmao himself!
Fang Shu heard this and remained silent for a long while before finally uttering:
"In other words, Brother Tian is not down on his luck, he just hasn't had the chance to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage yet."

Upon hearing this, Tian Jinmao's eyes immediately lit up.

"Yeah!"

But after uttering only a few words, Tian Jinmao noticed Fang Shu's strange gaze, and it dejectedly asked in bewilderment:

"Brother, what you're saying sounds exactly like what the steward of the Four Limbs Temple said."

Could it be... that you've also come into contact with this mutual aid society?

A mocking laugh rang out from Fang Shu's mouth:
"Mutual aid society? I think it's more like a pyramid scheme." "What kind of thing is a pyramid scheme?" Tian Jinmao scratched his head and muttered, "Although I did organize a small society, I was only one of them, and I was also a victim. I can't bear such a crime."

Fang Shu didn't explain further, but just shook his head and sighed.

Having learned the cause and effect, and after some careful consideration, he found that the truth revealed by Tian Jinmao was logical and there was nothing to hide or conceal.

Furthermore, since this demon had exposed such a huge deception to him, Fang Shu trusted Tian Jinmao a little more.

Finally, he stood up, gazing at the bustling, vibrant market, and spoke with a mixture of doubt and encouragement:

"Although you have lost everything, Brother Tian, ​​you are still a great demon with your cultivation intact. Why are you wandering the streets instead of finding a way to make a living and using your skills?!"

Tian Jinmao also got up from the ground.

Upon hearing this, it regained some of its composure, and with a touch of dignified composure, dusted off its long robe, and said:
“Brother Fang, you don’t know this. There are advantages to being homeless on the streets. Come on, let me show you. I’ll be your teacher today.”

After saying that, Tian Jinmao kicked away the pots and jars on the straw mat, but carefully picked up his rattan box and wiped off non-existent dust.

Immediately, the demon strode out from the corner of the wall, stood on the street, and beckoned Fang Shu to accompany him.

And you know what? Once he stepped out of the corner, he looked like a respectable man, not at all like someone who had fallen on hard times.

It just still had a slightly foul smell that wouldn't dissipate anytime soon. But it was a monster, so it was perfectly normal for it to have a bit of a odor. Compared to some of the lesser demons passing by, it was actually quite clean.

When Fang Shu caught up, Tian Jinmao walked with its head held high and its tail darted from behind to the front, helping to carry the rattan box.

With a pained expression, it took out the finest cleansing talisman and the finest floral fragrance talisman from the box, completely removing the slightest trace of odor from its body.

While busy working, it noticed Fang Shu's gaze and continued its introduction:
"This is a near-fifth-level talisman from the Yan family's ancestral hall in the mountains. If you use it, even a sixth-level pig demon or dog demon will not be able to smell the slightest bit of rat on me."

As it spoke, its eyes subtly betrayed envy as it looked at Fang Shu.

Fang Shu asked and learned that, apart from a very few people, all of them, the human immortals, were naturally odorless, at most with a slight body odor. They didn't need talismans; a quick bath was enough to eliminate the odor.

However, the demonic scent on a monster is different. It doesn't simply disappear when you take a bath or stop sweating. It's often related to its inner energy, its fur, and so on, and can only be concealed.

After being properly dressed, Tian Jinmao's long robe was exquisite and his fur was glossy. Apart from his thin and hungry face, he looked nothing like a homeless monster wandering the streets. He seemed more like a pampered household monster raised by a celestial sect.

Soon, Fang Shu understood why Tian Jinmao was so particular about his attire.

Because of the human and the demon, as they walked into various shops and stores, almost all the demon servants looked at them with fawning expressions.

Spiritual tea and pastries were offered free of charge, just so they could take a closer look at the goods in the shop.

After finishing one restaurant, move on to another.

Tian Jinmao mingled easily in the market, occasionally shouting to Fang Shu, "Quick, we've found another free meal!"

During this time, Tian Jinmao also went to a certain family and asked if they wanted to hire a guest elder.

The human and the demon were allowed in, but to hire a guest advisor, they would at least have to question Tian Jinmao's ancestors for three generations, and Tian Jinmao would also need to have a residence in the Floating Market, preferably with permanent property, before they would be willing to take Tian Jinmao in and let him manage the business.

Now, Tian Jinmao could only make excuses that his two brothers had just arrived in Fudang Market and had not yet purchased any property, and left dejectedly.

During this time, Fang Shu also saw other monsters coming to his door begging for a living. There were monsters at the fourth, fifth, and sixth tribulations, but many of them were driven away before they even stepped into the shop.

These monsters all have one thing in common: they are slovenly, vulgar, and lack any semblance of human appearance.

At this point, Fang Shu finally understood completely.

It turns out that in this bustling marketplace, if you don't have human skin, you have to wear human clothes; a proper outfit is essential for getting things done.

Tian Jinmao took Fang Shu on a long trek, ate a lot of spiritual tea and pastries, and ended up with a round belly.

It also boasted smugly: "Back in the day at the foot of Mount Lu, the old mountain lords all laughed at me for pretending to be a scholar and forgetting my human nature."

But if it weren't for that tone, Mr. Tian would be starving nine times in three days.

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu could only bow and clasp his hands repeatedly towards the rat demon.

He hadn't expected that even on a mountain like Fudang Mountain, where monsters roamed, the monsters' situation would be so precarious.

But then again, given the circumstances here, and considering that he is a human being whose skin is far more valuable than a demon's, perhaps he could really consider settling down on this mountain and living in seclusion to cultivate?

This choice aligns perfectly with the principle of "minor seclusion in the wilderness, major seclusion in the city."

However, there's no need to rush into making a decision on this matter.

After eating and drinking their fill, the human and the demon continued to wander the streets of the Floating Market.

Tian Jinmao was very enthusiastic, pointing out the shops around him and saying that the spiritual tea at this shop was delicious, and that the pork at that shop was from dead pigs... He introduced all the shops on the street to Fang Shu.

A day passes by in this way.

As night was about to fall, Fang Shu pondered for a long time before finally asking, "Brother Tian, ​​why don't you rent a small courtyard? Why do you have to hang out on the streets?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Jinmao fell silent for a few moments, then simply said, "Brother Fang, you'll find out in a few days."

But after only uttering that one somber remark, it immediately added reservedly, "The streets have their own advantages."

Seeing this, Fang Shu wondered whether he should invite the other party to stay in a house, so as to repay the other party's hospitality.

As for someone like Tian Jinmao, who lives directly on the street, he wouldn't dare to do so since he's new to the area and there are rules in the market.

But before Fang Shu could speak, Tian Jinmao suddenly said:

"Come on, let me show you the real world, little brother. This is even more amazing than the Immortal Sect."

These words piqued Fang Shu's interest once again.

Soon, the human and the demon arrived at one of the venues. After showing off their cultivation and attire, they successfully blended in once again.

Upon entering the venue, Fang Shu realized that an auction was about to be held.

He was somewhat interested, but didn't find it particularly eye-opening.

Unexpectedly, Tian Jinmao whispered something in his ear:
"Earth Immortal Slave, have you ever seen one, brother?"

(End of this chapter)