Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 101 - 7 Diligence Leads to Wealth

Chapter 101: Chapter 7 Diligence Leads to Wealth

"If a woman feels happier because of another man, you should reflect on why you can’t make her happier, instead of blaming that woman, and definitely not the man.

Right, Senior Yuan?"

Zheng Fa looked at Senior Yuan, trying to convey this profound life truth through his gaze.

Unfortunately, Senior Yuan obviously didn’t grasp his profound meaning, instead she pointed to the desk piled high with account books, and lamented under the heavy burden, "Three days! I haven’t left this room for a whole three days!"

Clearly, being confined to a room and reviewing account books was nothing short of torture for Senior Yuan, who preferred to be a hands-off manager.

Following her pointed finger, Zheng Fa saw that the account books not only occupied the desk but were also stacked in piles all over the floor, displaying a daunting amount of work.

It made sense; the Jiushan Sect needed these account books to tax the trading within the workshop area.

The unfortunate part was... the workshop area was extremely bustling, not to mention the shops, even the hundreds of small stalls did astronomical volumes of trade every day.

Seeing that Zheng Fa was silent, Senior Yuan took an account book and shoved it into his hands, while shoving it she also said, "Senior Sister said you’re good at math, since you took over for Sister Zhang, it’s your responsibility to handle these!"

Then...

"If you don’t agree, then don’t agree, what’s with secretly attacking me with a Hidden Thunder Talisman in your hand." Senior Yuan took her hand back, frowning at Zheng Fa with a bit of anger on her face, "If you’re going to attack sneakily, at least use something with a bit more power, it’s like tickling, who do you think you’re looking down on!"

No, is it the shock that made you angry, or is it that the shock was too weak?

"Please forgive me, Senior Sister, I have just achieved the Five Thunders Body and have not yet mastered full control," Zheng Fa explained.

"Five Thunders Body? You’ve done Skin Tempering? Isn’t it said that this technique takes seven days to achieve any success?" Senior Yuan blinked her eyes, tilting her head back and counted on her fingers as if reminiscing something: "I remember Senior Sister gave you the Xuanlei Stone three days ago? Did I really account for seven days? That I could be such a diligent person... Impossible, right?"

...You know yourself too well.

Senior Yuan thought it over and felt something was off, even after doing accounts until she was dizzy, she wouldn’t have miscounted the days.

"Skin Tempered in three days?" Her gaze swept over Zheng Fa from top to bottom, "Even the Sect Leader took seven days to reach this step."

Senior Yuan, as if she knew the Sect Leader very well, looked at Zheng Fa with a surprised expression, "Could it be that you really are a cultivation genius of the Five Thunders Body?"

Behind Zheng Fa, the trio led by Han Qi exchanged looks, feeling like they had just heard some incredible news.

Spread the word, Zheng Fa’s talent surpasses the Sect Leader!

Zheng Fa wanted to be modest, but he heard the merciless voice of Senior Yuan, "Even if the Sect Leader comes today, he has to help me with the accounts!"

"...These accounts are related to the workshop area. As a new disciple, it’s not appropriate, right?"

Zheng Fa wanted to refuse.

It wasn’t his idea to submit problems to Sister Zhang every month!

He was the victim here, okay?

"Don’t want to agree?"

"It’s truly a difficult task for Junior Brother."

"...Five Spirit Stones a month."

"If I can be of help to Senior Sister, Junior Brother shall certainly not shirk his duty!"

Zheng Fa clutched the account book tightly, trying to demonstrate his determination to contribute to the Sect through his actions.

...

In the evening, in Zheng Fa’s small courtyard.

After calculating accounts all day, Zheng Fa delicately sketched talismanic diagrams on talisman paper with his brush.

Although he earned five Spirit Stones a month for helping Senior Sister, it was clearly not enough to support his consumption of Yuan Condensing Pills.

More importantly, this was an unstable part-time job.

Senior Yuan did not seem very reliable and might change her mind anytime with her whimsical tendencies.

Or what if Sister Zhang’s addiction to problems re-emerged and she decided to get back into the habit of taking joy in the account books?

Zheng Fa decided that he still needed to rely on his own hands, to work hard and get rich!

Calculating accounts during the day, working at night, and cultivating in the evenings - as long as he couldn’t be rolled flat, he’d roll himself to the limit.

He went back to the workshop area to inquire about the price of Xuan-grade talismans.

Although there were quite a few Xuan-grade Talisman Masters in the Jiushan Sect, compared to the abundance of lower-grade talismans, the Xuan-grade ones were indeed worth a lot more.

Depending on the type of talisman, the price was about five to three talismans per Spirit Stone.

According to Zheng Fa’s estimation, with his daily spiritual power, he could draw three talismans, netting him a monthly income of about twenty to thirty Spirit Stones.

Once his cultivation deepened, he could earn even more.

To those Foundation Establishment Stage Xuan-grade Talisman Masters, it might not be a lot of money.

But we’re talking Qi Cultivation!

Is earning over ten thousand a month at the age of three the same as doing so at the age of thirty?

...

Han Qi, with two sidekicks, was walking towards Zheng’s Courtyard.

He cradled a chest nearly as tall as a person in his arms, walking slowly – mainly because the two behind him took a step and paused every other step, dragging their feet.

"Senior Han, are we not keeping anything for ourselves?"

The tall thin sidekick asked, glancing at the chest, filled with reluctance.

"If you want to take your own money and go back, take it now," Han Qi thought for a moment and said, "I intend to give it away, but you don’t have to join me."

"We three brothers have been together for decades, no matter what we do. Senior Han, you said you wanted to leave the Jiushan Sect, and we followed you without hesitation! You said you wanted to stay, so we stayed as well! But this is a lifetime’s savings, giving it all to Zheng Fa? Is it worth it?"

"I don’t know." Han Qi sighed, "What kind of person he is, I actually haven’t seen through him."

"But I know, he is highly regarded by Sister Zhang."

"That Zhou Qianyuan, what status does he have? Isn’t he just trying to curry favor with Zheng Fa?"

"More importantly, the Five Thunders Dharma Body, a technique that hasn’t been achieved by anyone in a thousand years, he’s mastered it faster that the Sect Leader!" Han Qi said word by word, "Senior Yuan... Sister is even keen on sending Spirit Stones!"

"Sending Spirit Stones?" The tall thin sidekick blinked, "Aren’t those his wages for accounting?"

"Nonsense! How many years have we worked for Senior Yuan? Did we ever get paid?" Han Qi cursed angrily, "Five Spirit Stones! Even if they made me eat the account book, I’d be willing!"

"..."

Seeing the two go silent, Han Qi continued, "We always talk about leaving, we’ve been saying it for years. If we leave, where can we go... Jiushan Sect is our home. If I could have a patron here, without asking for wealth or glory, just to live a stable life, I wouldn’t want to leave."

"I don’t want to, either."

"My home is empty now."

The other two nodded in agreement.

"That’s right, I thought Zheng Fa would take some more time to grow, but to our surprise, he became a Xuan-grade Talisman Master as soon as he joined, and even cultivated the Five Thunders Body," said Han Qi, sharing his thoughts. "Now is the time when he is short of money; if we don’t seize the opportunity, it will be too late."

The tall, thin man nodded slightly, convinced by his argument.

But he still looked at the chest with reluctance in his eyes.

"We’ve only saved this much over the years," he said with a mournful face. "Brother, let me take one more look at it, just one more look!"

Han Qi sighed and opened the chest.

Inside was almost an entire chest of gold.

Covered by a dozen or so Spirit Stones.

The tall thin man touched each of the dozen or so Spirit Stones reluctantly, as if saying his final farewell.

"Let’s go, you can’t trap a wolf if you’re not willing to part with a child!" Han Qi resolved himself and closed the chest.

The three men had just walked to the entrance of Zhengfa’s Courtyard when they saw someone they didn’t really want to meet knocking on the door.

Zhou Qianyuan!

The three of them exchanged glances, each feeling a sense of foreboding.

"Is Brother Zheng at home?" Zhou Qianyuan knocked and called at the same time.

Zheng Fa opened the door and first saw Zhou Qianyuan at the doorstep, then noticed Han Qi and his two companions a little further away.

"What brings you all here?"

"I heard that Brother Zheng is a bit strapped for cash, and just so happens, I have some spare money that I worry I won’t be able to spend," Zhou Qianyuan said with a smile, removing a finely crafted black Storage Bag from his waist.

As the mouth of the bag opened, a small case appeared in Zhou Qianyuan’s hands.

"Here are forty Spirit Stones, I hope Brother Zheng won’t refuse."

Watching the earnest Zhou Qianyuan, Zheng Fa was a bit stunned.

Is this what it’s like to be a favored disciple of a Nascent Soul?

Spirit Stones that can’t be spent elsewhere?

Behind Han Qi, the tall, thin man whispered: "Brother, his child is carved from Spirit Stones."

Hearing this, Han Qi couldn’t help but hide the chest containing their life savings a bit behind him, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"You three..."

Zheng Fa saw the chest that not even Han Qi’s somewhat plump body could conceal, and his awkward expression, and understood the intentions of these men.

No, I am trying to earn money, preparing to be self-sufficient.

Are you bringing Spirit Stones to corrupt me?

He glanced at the two parties and frowned: "Please, come in."

The four men entered the house.

Zheng Fa first looked at Han Qi and his companions: "What’s in this chest?"

Han Qi gritted his teeth and opened the chest: "This is the life savings of us three..."

Zheng Fa looked inside, not even mentioning the Spirit Stones, those pieces of gold were of various sizes, collected little by little.

Clearly saved up bit by bit.

"Brother Han, I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept this."

He shook his head towards Han Qi and his companions.

Their expressions darkened, and they couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Qianyuan.

Looking at their expressions, it seemed that they felt that in the face of Zhou Qianyuan’s forty Spirit Stones, their own chest seemed too humble for Zheng Fa to take interest in.

"As for Junior Zhou..." Zheng Fa turned his head to look at Zhou Qianyuan; "One should not accept rewards without merit, so please take your Spirit Stones back."

"Brother Zheng?" Zhou Qianyuan said anxiously.

But Zheng Fa looked resolute.

Of course, he wanted the Spirit Stones.

But what these four men brought, he felt, he shouldn’t accept.

He who receives a favor will be expected to return it.

Han Qi and his companions had saved up their entire life’s earnings.

Although Zhou Qianyuan was wealthy, Zheng Fa had never understood why this person kept ingratiating himself.

With his status and talent, such flattery wouldn’t be for a simple reason.

Seeing Zheng Fa even refusing Zhou Qianyuan’s Spirit Stones, Han Qi and his companions’ eyes brightened—they at least now knew that Zheng Fa didn’t reject them for the stones being insufficient.

Han Qi looked at his two companions, then stood up and said straightforwardly: "Junior Brother Zheng, the three of us have come to seek refuge..."

Zheng Fa was taken aback and looked at the three men.

"We are aware of our low talents, but if the junior brother is willing to take us, we will spare no effort and labor like dogs and horses!"

Zheng Fa looked at the three men, the expressions on their faces genuine.

Apart from Han Qi, the other two had been somewhat hesitant, but now, under the competition from Zhou Qianyuan, their faces were filled with fear of rejection by Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment and then said to the three men: "Brother, you are too kind. I would be more than grateful for your help."

He had been thinking earlier that even if he painted talismanic diagrams and wanted to sell them, it would be a hassle—especially since he had to do the accounting for Senior Sister Yuan during the day.

Han Qi and his companions looked up in surprise, seemingly unable to believe their own ears.

On the side, Zhou Qianyuan looked at Zheng Fa.

"Brother Zheng, don’t you like smart people or those with high talent?" Zhou Qianyuan’s tone was filled with grievance: "Is it my fault for being a genius?"

Han Qi and his companions slowly turned their heads to look at Zhou Qianyuan.

If it weren’t for the fact that you’re a genius, talking like that would get you beaten, you know?