noffsinger Chapter 10 Making Money Through Array Cultivation
Chapter 10 Making Money Through Array Cultivation
Fang Shi asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, what's wrong now?"
Zhao Hu said with a bitter face, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I really have no other choice. That Daoist Huang is truly an insatiable greedy fellow!"
Fang Shi asked, "What's going on?"
Zhao Hu said, "Do you know, when Li Daoyuan was around, repairing a Spirit-Locking Array could last at least one or two months, sometimes three to five months without needing to worry about it. But what about this Master Huang? He repairs it once, and it breaks again in ten days or half a month! Tell me, who can stand that? Two or three fragments of spirit energy per repair, and that's two or three repairs a month, that's seven or eight fragments of spirit energy! Plus, the rent has increased by two fragments, and even if everyone's income is used up, it's not enough!"
Fang Shi frowned and asked, "How could this be?"
Zhao Hu smiled wryly and said, "That's exactly how it is."
An orderly organization, once it develops to a certain point, will inevitably descend into chaos.
Exorbitant taxes and levies, and the exploitation of the people, were inevitable.
It's impossible to expect it to follow those rules in everything.
Fang Shi asked, "Did your house break down back then?"
Zhao Hu said, "No, no. Fellow Daoist Fang, the one you cultivated was very solid, and it's still going strong. It was my neighbor whose house broke down recently. I saw him pacing around anxiously, so I thought I'd ask you for him."
Fang Shi said, "So you went to fix it for him again?"
Zhao Hu chuckled and said, "Master Huang's price is too high; even my neighbor can't afford it. We'll just try anything, even if it's broken, it'll only cost three spirit fragments; if it's fixed, there won't be any problems."
Fang Shi said, "Let me think about it."
Zhao Hu said urgently, "What's there to consider? Two fragments of spirit energy, it's not like no fellow Daoist has ever cultivated them privately before, Daoist Huang won't mind."
Fang Shi said, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, if you really want to invite me, then wait for my message. Otherwise, you are free to invite someone else."
Seeing Fang Shi's resolute expression, Zhao Hu knew that he had made up his mind and there was no point in trying to persuade him further: "Then we'll listen to Fellow Daoist Fang. If you have any news, please remember to let me know."
……
After Zhao Hu left.
Fang Shi went to the market to sell protective charms and bought rice.
Halfway there, instead of returning to Qiyuan Town, he changed direction and headed north.
We exited through the north gate of Qiyuan Town.
All that could be seen was a cluster of low, dilapidated shacks, crammed together in a crooked and crooked manner.
A few wooden stakes supporting a tattered cloth, or a frame woven from bamboo strips, plastered with mud, and covered with some thatch—that's all it takes to make a house.
Some doors have straw curtains hanging at the entrance, while others have only a tattered cloth at the door.
The ground was covered in sewage, muddy and filthy, filled with the stench of excrement and rotting vegetation, making people want to vomit.
Fang Shi frowned, feeling that the spiritual energy around him was as filthy as the environment. When it entered his meridians, it was like drinking muddy water, leaving his mouth full of silt.
The concentration was similar to that of Qiyuan Town, but the amount of impurities was astonishing.
Restoring mana also takes extra time; if you want to improve, you'll be as slow as a tortoise.
Fang Shi understood in his heart that this was the edge of the Great Wilderness.
This is still good; we've passed the edge of the Great Wilderness and arrived at the Great Wilderness.
With more impurities, only 80% of the magic power can be used.
Because the process of restoring magical power causes the meridians to become 20% fatigued.
Therefore, most of the rogue cultivators who only want to produce and no longer cultivate live on the edge of this great wilderness.
They had no desire to go into the wilderness.
Entering this area means earning 20% less spirit stones every day.
As a result, there are too many people and too little land, making it extremely crowded.
Fang Shi moved among the shacks, carefully avoiding puddles and mud on the ground, until he reached the innermost shack.
The shack was smaller than the one next to it, made of a few crooked bamboo poles forming a frame, covered with several layers of tattered oilcloth and thatch, and a tattered straw curtain hung at the door, rustling loudly in the wind.
"Wu Tong!"
Fang shouted inside.
The straw curtain was lifted, and a disheveled little head peeked out; it was Wu Tong.
When he saw Fang Shi, he was taken aback for a moment and said, "Brother Fang! Why did you come to see me today? My place... hehe, it's a bit shabby, please don't mind."
Fang swore, "It's nothing."
Wu Tong smiled wryly, "Brother Fang, do you know that Manager Tian raised the rent, even the overnight rates for the outer rooms have gone up? Before, it was only one Soul Shard for a month, but now it's two. I can only come here now, at least it's only half a Soul Shard."
Spending the night in Qiyuan Town, like Wu Tong, naturally costs money.
Those rogue cultivators who only want to produce and don't expect to cultivate naturally won't stay.
Only those like Wu Tong, who still harbored a sliver of hope but couldn't afford to rent a house in Qiyuan Town, gritted their teeth and paid the money.
Fang Shi remained silent for a long while before finally saying, "Since that's the case, do you still know anything about the situation in Qiyuan Town?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Tong patted his chest and said, "I understand, I understand! Brother Fang, I haven't missed a single day of wanting to return to Qiyuan Town. I've been keeping track of everything that's happening there!"
Fang Shi asked, "Are you aware of what happened with that Taoist priest Huang?"
Wu Tong lowered his voice and said, "I understand, I understand. That Master Huang never repairs arrays properly. They look good after he finishes, but the array's key points are either too tight or too loose, and the spiritual energy can't flow smoothly. They'll break down in ten days or half a month. He does this so that people have to come to him again and again. Even if a few manage to repair them by chance, it's not a big deal. Other rogue cultivators will follow suit, and nine out of ten will create huge holes. At that point, it won't be enough to just pay off with three fragments of spiritual energy. Five or six, whatever he asks for. If you're not willing to spend that money, you'll just have to endure the suffering of leaking spiritual energy."
Fang Shi understood immediately upon hearing this.
He didn't trust Zhao Hu, but he trusted Wu Tong more.
Fang Shi asked, "What about Zhao Hu's neighbors? What are their names? What kind of people are they?"
Wu Tong said, "His surname is Qian, his given name is Dazhuang, he's a woodcutter, and he's at the second level of Qi Refining. He's honest and kind, never argues with anyone, but he's always short of money. His wife fell ill two years ago, costing them a lot of spiritual energy, and they haven't recovered yet. Their Spirit Locking Array has been broken for two days, and they haven't been willing to ask Master Huang for help. Half of their spiritual energy leaks out every day, and they're just barely hanging on."
Fang Shi said, "I'll go and fix it for him and earn some spirit fragments. Once it's done, I'll give you half."
Upon hearing this, Wu Tong's eyes lit up immediately, and he repeatedly bowed, saying, "Thank you so much, Brother Fang! You're truly my second father!"
Fang Shi waved his hand, turned around and left.
……
Inside the Qian family's cultivation room.
Fang Shi made a hand seal with his right hand.
A pale blue light burst forth from the fingertip, probing like a wisp of silk into a cracked pattern.
The magical power, as fine as a hair, meandered and swirled through the crack, meticulously mending the broken lines, like a weaver threading a needle.
He then turned to the crooked pivot, gently lifted it to straighten it, and then used his magic to condense an invisible wedge, embedding it under the pivot and fixing it firmly.
In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a soft "hum" was heard, and the patterns of the Spirit Locking Array lit up simultaneously before returning to normal.
The spiritual energy circulated evenly and steadily, with not a trace leaking out.
[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]
【Spirit Locking Array (Proficient): 1/200】
Fang Shi finished the incantation and said, "Alright."
Qian Dazhuang stepped forward, reached out and examined the array patterns. His eyes welled up with joy, and he exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist Fang, your skill is far superior to mine and Zhao Hu's!"
Zhao Hu, standing to the side, chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, we really owe you a debt of gratitude this time. You finally managed to plug the hole. You have no idea, last time I was fixing that array for Fellow Daoist Qian, the more I tried, the worse it got, and I almost broke the array's core. Although Fellow Daoist Qian didn't say anything, I felt incredibly guilty. If I hadn't done it right this time, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to Fellow Daoist Qian."
Fang Shi said, "Fellow Daoist Qian, Fellow Daoist Zhao, you flatter me."
Qian Dazhuang quickly pulled out a cloth bag from his pocket, counted out two fragments of spirit energy, and handed them to Fang Shi, saying, "Fellow Daoist Fang, these are two fragments of spirit energy. Thank you very much! With your cultivation, I won't have to worry for half a year."
Fang Shi accepted the broken spirit and put it into his robes, then cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Qian, you are too kind. I will take my leave now."
Back home, Fang Shi closed the courtyard gate, took out the two fragments of spirit from his bosom, held them in his palm, and looked at them again and again.
Two fragments of spirit, no bigger than a fingernail, were as white as jade.
But even with these two tiny things, he had to draw two whole talismans, which was mentally taxing and strained his meridians.
It takes up two-fifths of the day's cultivation time.
……
A month later, Fang Shi, along with Wu Tong, began secretly making a living by repairing formations in Qiyuan Town.
Wu Tong scouted ahead, finding out clearly which family's spirit-locking array was broken, which family's owner had a good temper, and which family was too short of money to hire Master Huang.
The woman who had told her child to cultivate diligently and not to damage their cultivation by drawing talismans that day also invited Fang Shi today. With a beaming smile, she said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I've been waiting for you! My spirit-locking array is broken again, leaking badly. I really have no choice but to ask you to take a look."
Fang swore, "It's nothing."
He entered the cultivation room and looked around.
This cultivation room was even smaller than Qian Dazhuang's, with peeling paint on the walls and several bundles of herbs piled in the corner, the air filled with a bitter medicinal fragrance.
The patterns on the spirit-locking array on the wall were dim, the array pivots were loose, and spiritual energy was seeping out in wisps from the gaps.
Fang Shi made a hand seal and channeled his magic, sending a pale blue light into the formation.
The magic power slightly turned at the loose array pivot, tightening it.
Then, with a gentle touch, he deepened the blurred lines on the worn surface.
[Spirit Locking Array Proficiency +1]
【Spirit Locking Array (Proficient): 8/200】
Fang Shi said, "Alright."
The woman's face lit up with joy. She took out a fragment of spirit from her sleeve and said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, thank you very much."
Fang Shi took the broken spirit and was about to leave the house when he suddenly saw the curtain of the inner room lifted, revealing a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old.
The girl had bright, dark eyes and asked, "Uncle, you're not drawing talismans anymore? Is it because this kind of work is very profitable?"
Fang Shi asked, "What?"
The girl said, "My mother says she works very hard to earn money. Sometimes she can't even earn a single Soul Shard after a whole day of gathering herbs. Uncle, you only stood there for a short while and already got a Soul Shard. You must be making a lot of money, right?"
Fang Shi glanced at the woman.
The woman's expression changed slightly, and her eyes held a pleading look.
Fang Shi was silent for a moment, then said, "It doesn't make money. Learning formations is very hard and tiring, it's better to cultivate."
Upon hearing this, the girl suddenly understood and turned to the woman, saying, "Indeed, Mother was right. Cultivate diligently and don't draw talismans anymore. Mother, last month I passed the entrance exam for the 'Songyuan Academy' at Sanpan Temple. The teacher said I have good aptitude and can get a 50% tuition reduction!"
Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes reddened slightly, and she replied, "Good, good, my daughter is the most promising."
As she spoke, she gave Fang Shi an apologetic look.
Fang Shi nodded slightly, not paying any attention, and turned to leave.
Walking through the alley, it was already late autumn.
The autumn wind blew in from the alley entrance, carrying a hint of coolness, and made the old locust trees by the roadside rustle.
A few withered leaves twirled down, landing on Fang Shi's shoulder before sliding to the ground.
Fang Shi touched the broken spirit in his arms, feeling a burning sensation in his heart.
In this month, he earned twenty-five spirit fragments after sharing some of his work with Wu Tong while repairing the array.
Twenty-five pills.
It doesn't sound like much, but it's only equivalent to the effort he put into drawing talismans for five whole days.
Drawing talismans can take five days, which is mentally taxing, strains the meridians, and takes up time that would otherwise be spent on cultivation.
Repairing the formation?
Taking it easy and saving time, without delaying cultivation or talisman drawing, I ended up having several extra days of cultivation time over the course of a month.
Look at that panel again—
【Seven Steps to Invoking Spirits (Beginner): 62/100】
[Small Water Cloud Technique (Beginner): 91/100]
[Second Level of Spirit Refinement: 44/200]
The "Little Water Cloud Technique" is not far from a breakthrough.
……
The next day.
Fang Shi was drawing talismans in front of the talisman table.
The spirit wolf dipped its small brush in cinnabar and wrote with great skill on the yellow paper. The upper section was a fan shape, flowing freely, while the middle section had more than thirty strokes that moved smoothly and effortlessly. The brush was now nearing its end.
Suddenly, two loud "thump-thump" sounds came from the courtyard gate.
Fang Shi continued writing, but he knew in his heart that it was Wu Tong who was knocking on the door.
He completed those last few strokes in one go.
[Proficiency in Protective Charm +1]
【Protective Charm (Proficient): 24/200】
He then put down his pen and got up to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, Fang Shi sensed something was wrong.
Wu Tong stood outside the door, but the smug look that had been on his face for the past month was nowhere to be seen.
Its eyes darted left and right, like a mouse that had just been chased by a cat.
Fang Shi said, "Don't panic, explain clearly what happened."
Wu Tong lowered his voice and said, "Brother Fang, that Taoist priest Huang went door-to-door checking the formations early this morning!"
Fang Shi frowned and said, "Investigate the formation?"
Wu Tong said, "Brother Fang, listen to me. Yesterday, I was trying to absorb some spiritual energy at the east end of Qiyuan Town. I found a quiet corner to squat in, but the owner of that house had a terrible temper. He got up to relieve himself in the middle of the night, kicked me out, and cursed me for half the street. Seeing how fierce he was, I didn't dare stay any longer and had to slink away to the Great Wilderness to spend the night. I arrived here a little late this morning, and as soon as I got to the town entrance, Old Liu, who sells spiritual meat, grabbed me and said—Master Huang got up before dawn this morning and started knocking on doors from the east end of town, saying he wanted to check the condition of the spirit-locking arrays. If any array was broken, he would repair it on the spot; if any array was repaired well, he would ask who did it. Old Liu said that Master Huang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot; he clearly didn't come with good intentions!"
Fang Shi remained expressionless and asked, "It's already 8 a.m., how many places has he checked? Where is he now?"
Wu Tong said, "We're one family."
Fang Shi was taken aback and said, "One family?"
Wu Tong nodded, his expression strange, and said, "One family. But just one family, and that Master Huang was killed by a flying sword that fell from the sky."