Casting immortality in the furnace

Chapter 38 Borrowing Money

"Calm your mind and regulate your breath, close your eyes and focus your spirit, be still and still, clear and clear, vague and profound, in a state of utter chaos. When you reach this stage, it is like winter in the sky, when all things return to their roots. Yet, at this moment of ignorance and non-knowledge, the yang energy returns, just as spring is born from winter..."

Deacon Hu explained the key points of practicing Changchun Gong, shaking his head and swaying his body.

Fan Zhou listened intently, not daring to miss a single word.

These are the culmination of many years of spiritual practice; they are hard to buy even if you have money.

An hour passed, and Fan Zhou finally gained some understanding of the Changchun Gong.

This practice is gentle and moderate, focusing on cultivating "vital energy." Once mastered, one will not only have profound internal energy and inexhaustible vitality, but will also recover quickly from injuries.

After explaining the key points, Deacon Hu rolled up the meridian and acupoint chart, handed it to Fan Zhou, and instructed him:

"This drawing must be carefully preserved, and don't mention it to anyone else."

Fan Zhou stood up and accepted it, saying respectfully, "Don't worry, Steward Hu, I will definitely keep it safe."

Tian Youliang also stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Old Hu, thank you so much for your help today. I'll treat you to drinks another day."

"I'll remember that," Deacon Hu said with a smile.

The rain had stopped by then, and the three of them walked out of the pavilion in the middle of the lake and came to the front of Steward Hu's courtyard.

Before parting, Steward Hu had the servant boy fetch a packet of "Qingfeng Ruhuai" and give it to Fan Zhou.

After thanking Tian Youliang, Fan Zhou left with him.

The two walked along a narrow path in the market.

Tian Youliang walked ahead and suddenly asked Fan Zhou:

"Now that you've broken through to the third level of the Fetal Breathing stage, you'll need to buy some Bone Tempering Pills to aid your cultivation. Also, it's best to take nourishing elixirs regularly while practicing the Everlasting Spring Technique, as this will enhance the cultivation effect."

Fan Zhou knew about the Bone Tempering Pill; it consisted of two grains of spirit sand and was an essential pill for cultivators at the third level of the Fetal Breathing stage.

But he didn't understand health-preserving elixirs.

"Master Tian, ​​what kind of health-preserving elixir are you referring to?"

"It's things like Ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, Polygonatum sibiricum, and Polygonum multiflorum. It would be even better if there were any high-grade spiritual items."

Fan Zhou looked helpless. "These medicines are very expensive. It's okay to take them occasionally, but I can't afford to take them long-term."

Tian Youliang paused, coughed lightly, and finally revealed his thoughts:

"If you don't have enough spirit sand, I can lend you some more."

"Master Tian wants to lend me some spirit sand?"

Fan Zhou looked at Tian Youliang in surprise, never expecting that he would actually lend him his spirit sand, even though he had said he wouldn't lend it last time.

Did the sun rise in the west today?

Fan Zhou glanced at the sun, which was still hanging in the east.

Tian Youliang saw through his thoughts at a glance and said irritably:

"If you don't need it, then forget it."

"It'll be useful, it'll be useful!" Fan Zhou nodded quickly.

He had spent almost all the spiritual sand he had acquired in order to break through to the third level of the embryonic breathing stage, and now he was short of money.

Tian Youliang took out a piece of jade the size of a baby's fist from his storage bag and handed it to Fan Zhou.

This jade stone is brownish-yellow all over, with mixed colors, and it seems as if there is smoke rising and falling inside.

"I'll lend you this spirit stone for now."

"Spirit Stones!"

Fan Zhou was shocked. One spirit stone was equivalent to one hundred grains of spirit sand. He never dared to dream of such a lot of money.

Tian Youliang waved his sleeve and said with his hands behind his back, "This money isn't just a loan; you'll have to pay me back with interest in the future."

"Of course."

Fan Zhou smiled broadly as he put the spirit stone into his pocket. With this spirit stone, he could save a lot of time in his cultivation to the fourth level of the embryonic breathing stage.

Tian Youliang instructed, "This money is for you to buy elixirs, so don't spend it recklessly."

"Don't worry, Master Tian," Fan Zhou replied solemnly.

Tian Youliang nodded in satisfaction and continued walking forward, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"I may not know how to teach cultivation techniques, but surely I can provide spirit stones?"

"I hope this kid will achieve something in the future, so my investment today won't be in vain."

…………

Fan Zhou and Tian Youliang parted ways on the streets of the market.

Now that he has a large sum of money, he naturally wants to buy what he needs for his spiritual practice.

"But before that, let's go check out Yingchun Tower."

Fan Zhou had previously asked Hou Yi to help him acquire blood centipedes, but he didn't know how things were going with them. He had only managed to acquire a few.

He quickly arrived at Yingchun Tower, found Hou Yi in the backyard, and inquired about the acquisition of Blood Centipede.

Hou Yi led him to the warehouse and handed him a package of blood centipedes wrapped in oil paper:

"Luckily you collected them early enough, you managed to get about twenty. If you had collected them now, you wouldn't have been able to get even ten."

Fan Zhou took the oil paper package and was shocked upon hearing this:

"Has the price gone up again?"

"It's not that prices have gone up, but rather that they've all been bought up by the local big villages, and now there's basically no one selling them in the market," Hou Yi said, shaking his head.

Fan Zhou frowned; this was bad news.

The Yin-Yang Four Phases Sword will be completed in half a month. At that time, he will need to invest in a new cultivation technique. Without the Blood Centipede, he will lose a great help.

"Blood centipedes are sold out. How about we buy some blood chickens to have on hand?"

Blood chickens are scarce and have delicious meat, making them more popular among cultivators. Their price has always been higher than that of blood centipedes, so Fan Zhou was reluctant to buy them before, but now he has no choice.

"Master Hou, how much does a pound of three-year-old blood chicken cost now?"

Hou Yi laughed and said, "A three-year-old blood chicken and a spirit cinnabar can buy three catties."

"Why is it so expensive?"

Fan Zhou frowned. A three-year-old blood chicken is fully grown and weighs about four or five pounds. It's simply not worth it.

"Now all the aged blood chickens from the small and medium-sized villages have been bought up by the larger villages, and you can't buy them on the market even if you want to."

Hou Yi looked amused and said, "I only use one-year-old blood chickens in my restaurant now. For blood chickens that are older, I have to order them from those big villages."

Fan Zhou felt helpless. He had underestimated the greed of those people, who not only monopolized the Blood Centipede but also stole the Blood Chicken.

"I'm afraid they've already monopolized anything of value, haven't they?"

Hou Yi looked helpless and spread his hands, saying, "You guessed right."

The two walked from the backyard to the front. Fan Zhou thought for a while and finally decided to buy some blood chickens to keep on hand, just in case they became even more expensive later.

"Master Hou, I need to order ten three-year-old blood chickens. Could you please help me with the purchase?"

Hou Yi exclaimed in surprise, "Ten of them! That's more than a dozen grains of spirit sand! You really want to buy them?"

Fan Zhou nodded and took out the spirit stone that Tian Youliang had given him:

"Could you please exchange this spirit stone for me?"

"You've struck it rich! You even have spirit stones now!"

Hou Yi was greatly shocked. He took the spirit stone and examined it carefully to confirm that there was no problem.

"These spirit stones are of decent quality. I'll exchange them for 105 grains of spirit sand. Is that alright with you?"

"Okay," Fan Zhou agreed immediately.

After explaining everything, Hou Yi gave him the spirit sand and left fifteen grains as a deposit for the blood chicken.

Looking at the ninety grains of spirit sand in his hand, Fan Zhou could only sigh that money doesn't last long.

"Next, I'll go to the East Market to buy some elixirs and medicines."