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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 2: [Jiuli Insect Valley]
Chapter 17 (44): [Lacking money]
(17th of Volume 2)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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The cabin, with its tightly sealed doors and windows, was dimly lit.
Li Weiyi dumped all his coins onto the table - including those he'd looted from Xing Wanxing, Fang Tong, and Yan Qingqing's corpses - forming a small mountain. He carefully counted them twice.
"Eighty-two Yongquan Coins, one hundred eighty-seven Silver Coins, and eighty Copper Coins."
One Yongquan Coin was equivalent to one hundred Silver Coins, or ten thousand Copper Coins.
Li Weiyi had already gained a basic understanding of this world's purchasing power.
For instance, the nine-to-ten-day voyage from Yaoguan to Jiu Li City cost eight Silver Coins per person. Zhao Meng was an exception, paying sixty-four Silver Coins.
Shipping the Stone Coffin cost an additional sixteen Silver Coins.
Daily food expenses were also a significant drain. Fortunately, when Zhao Meng left the Bronze Ship, he had filled bottles and jars with Golden Crow Blood and Black Dragon Blood for Li Weiyi to consume. Otherwise, Zhao Meng alone would have eaten enough food for dozens of people.
But Li Weiyi was also consuming the Golden Crow Blood and Black Dragon Blood, so they would soon be depleted.
Li Weiyi had asked Zhao Zhizhuo about the prices of residences in Jiu Li City and was shocked. Even in the outer suburbs, a small courtyard suitable for five or six people, located in a good spot close to the main city, would cost tens of thousands of Silver Coins.
Even a less desirable, more remote courtyard would still cost nearly ten thousand Silver Coins.
Adding up all his current coins, he could barely afford such a small courtyard.
As for larger residences, or those within the city itself, he didn't even dare to dream of them.
Of course, he still possessed several spiritual artifacts, including the Otherworld Coffin he had fished up, which could fetch a considerable price.
This was the true foundation of his confidence in temporarily settling in Jiu Li City!
"Selling the Otherworld Coffin privately carries risks. I should wait a bit longer. But I could sell a spiritual artifact first. However, as a rootless Spring Surge Realm Cultivator from outside the city, wouldn't that make me too conspicuous and invite trouble?" Li Weiyi muttered to himself.
The Remnant Corpse in the Stone Coffin said, "You could ask Li Ling for help. She's the Netherlight Guide and the granddaughter of the Cangli Tribe's Clan Chief."
Li Weiyi had already recounted the entire story in detail to everyone, which naturally sparked a wave of laughter and bewilderment.
Everyone agreed that only one aspect seemed illogical.
So, why was Li Ling approaching him?
With all those spiritual artifacts that failed to move her heart, what else could she possibly want?
Senior Spirit Tablet told Li Weiyi that since Li Ling was a Netherlight Guide, she might have activated "Perceptive Wisdom."
Activating "Perceptive Wisdom" meant she had won the competition among the Guides and become the Priest's successor.
A Netherlight Guide could predict the general fortune or misfortune of an event and find the correct path within the Death Mist Domain. But a Netherlight Guide who could activate the "Perceptive Wisdom" possessed a special ability: Once she truly fell in love with a man, she could find him no matter how far apart they are, even if they are separated by thousands of miles.
Senior Spirit Tablet believed this was the only logical explanation; otherwise, Li Ling's behavior would be too bizarre.
Li Weiyi had never dared to be conceited or arrogant, never believed he possessed such charm. But the most troubling part was that Li Ling showed no malice, never took the initiative to attack, and instead grew increasingly sincere.
He just wanted to draw a clear line between them as quickly as possible...
Asking her to help sell the spiritual artifacts would only create another entanglement, wouldn't it?
"Clang! Clang!"
The sound of a Camel Bell echoed in Li Weiyi's mind.
Suddenly, a flood of chaotic thoughts and negative emotions surged through Li Weiyi, as if they were about to devour him. He immediately began practicing the Jade Void Breathing Technique, spending a quarter of an hour to calm his mind. The ringing of the Camel Bell in his mind finally faded.
Ever since he had shaken the Evil Camel Bell at the Blood Sea Coffin Dock, summoning a giant Camel Bell that killed Fang Tong, the bell's sound had been echoing in his mind from time to time, as if some connection had been established.
"It rang again?" the Remnant Corpse in the Stone Coffin asked.
Li Weiyi nodded: "It's becoming more frequent and the influence is growing... Is there really no way to resolve this?"
The Remnant Corpse in the Stone Coffin replied, "Yu Tuonan was not an ordinary figure. Back in the Demon Kingdom's Xiaoyao (Carefree) Capital, only Yu Baxian could truly surpass him. The Evil Camel Bell is even more formidable, once causing an entire realm to erupt in chaos, leading to a massive bloodbath. You could say that all the spiritual artifacts you possess combined wouldn't equal even a fraction of the Evil Camel Bell's power."
"If you can master it, the Evil Camel Bell will become your ultimate trump card. For now, you can only summon a Camel three or four meters tall. But in the future, you might command an entire Camel caravan, and the Camels themselves could transform into Dragon-Headed camel."
"But if you can't suppress it and your mind and consciousness are corrupted by its malice, the consequences will be severe. You could fall into the Demonic Path."
"It should have acknowledged you as its master when you channeled your spiritual power to shake it. However, powerful Demonic Artifacts often turn on their masters. As it continues to absorb the world's negative energy, its Soul Energy will rapidly recover and grow stronger. You must become stronger than it to avoid being controlled by it."
"If you can find a Spiritual Mind Master of Priest-level from the Jiu Li Clan, they could potentially extinguish its Soul Energy and eliminate the hidden danger at this stage. Once it grows too powerful, extinguishing its Soul Energy will become nearly impossible."
It was clearly too late to discard it now.
Senior Spirit Tablet said, "Your Breathing Technique is powerful, but you're just brute-forcing it. You must cultivate Spiritual Light as soon as possible. Spiritual Light can suppress the Soul of a spiritual artifact. Once you have it, you'll be able to control the artifact instead of being constantly influenced by it."
"Additionally, opening the Fifth Spring's Back Heart Meridian will grant martial artists some resistance and taming ability against Soul Energy," added the Remnant Corpse in the Stone Coffin.
Master Guan, Senior Spirit Tablet, and Senior Coffin were clearly much weaker than Zen Hai Guanwu and Yu Tuo Nan.
After all, the latter two could already manifest physical forms and move freely.
"Knock, knock."
A knock sounded at the door.
"Brother Xie, Fourth Miss has regained consciousness," Zhao Zhizhuo's voice called from outside.
After carefully storing all the coins, Li Weiyi pushed open the door and smiled: "Old Zhao, please stop calling me Brother Xie. We're family now, there's no need to hide anything. My real name is Li Weiyi. You can call me Wei Yi or Brother Li."
With his sharp hearing, Li Weiyi had long since noticed Li Ling's subtle movements.
He held Zhao Zhizhuo in high regard. Out of gratitude, he preferred to conceal the truth about the spiritual artifact from both the Young Clan Leader and Li Ling, rather than reveal it.
After all, In this world, the ability to distinguish between gratitude and resentment was rare indeed.
Zhao Zhizhuo feigned surprise and joked for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll call you Brother Li. But you must stop calling me Old Zhao. Just call me Lao Zhao. Haha!"
His respect for Li Weiyi grew even deeper.
He could understand why Li Weiyi had concealed his true name. When one's cultivation is low, extreme caution is essential.
If Li Weiyi had become arrogant and self-important simply for helping the Cangli Tribe, Zhao Zhizhuo would have repaid the favor as quickly as possible and then distanced himself.
The two men followed the corridor outside the cabin. Li Weiyi asked, "Old Zhao, you said earlier that you had to cultivate your Second Spring from starting. Does that mean a Spring can be shattered and then reformed?"
Zhao Zhizhuo's smile faded, replaced by a bitter expression: "Reforming a shattered Spring is incredibly difficult. It requires immense perseverance. After all these years, I've only managed to reconstruct two Springs. Unless one could find the most top-tier spiritual artifacts, whose power might allow for rapid reconstruction."
"But such artifacts..."
"Let's put it this way: the entire Jiu Li Clan only has a legendary, lost artifact with that ability. Otherwise, the clan would have helped me recover my cultivation long ago... Sigh..."
Zhao Zhizhuo sighed deeply, his chest heavy with emotion. Having fallen from the peak of his power to the dust, he had endured countless humiliations, mockery, and insults. His heart had long grown numb, but today, Li Ling and Li Weiyi had once again stirred up those painful memories.
He had once been glorious, once the object of ten thousand people's adoration.
Unwilling to dwell on the past, he said, "We're here!"
Li Weiyi secretly pondered whether he should try to help him once he opened the Fifth Spring Central, or cultivated Spirit Light, and could wield the Evil Camel Bell.
The thought flashed through his mind and was gone.
Exposing a spiritual artifact of this level was not a small matter; he needed to think carefully before acting.
Li Ling, a Half-Immortal Physique, had skin as delicate and white as jade wax. Her long, black hair cascaded like silk on either side of her face, her features sharply defined in the setting sun's glow, her profile flawless.
"Didn't you always want to draw a clear line between us? Why did you save me? Doesn't this blur the boundaries again?" she asked.
Li Weiyi pulled up a stool and sat down: "I think anyone would have tried to help in that situation. It was just a matter of convenience."
Li Ling raised an eyebrow: "Really? I remember Fang Tong was still alive when I was gravely wounded and unconscious. Saving me meant dealing with him first - that's hardly convenient. Such a great debt of gratitude and affection... I must repay it somehow."
Li Weiyi, fearing Li Ling might say something about offering herself in return - Zhao Zhizhuo was still nearby - quickly interjected, "Alright, let's settle the payment!"
Li Ling frowned: "Are you really that short on money?"
"Traveling to Jiu Li City will be expensive. While I have some savings, I can't just sit on them. Besides, you're offering to repay me,"
Li Weiyi thought. No matter how much Li Ling offered, he felt he deserved it.
Li Ling dropped the topic of repayment and asked, "Did Fang Tong escape?"
Li Weiyi thought for a moment: "He fled quickly."
"Did you take the heads of the other two?" She seemed very concerned about this.
"No, that would have been too cruel."
Li Weiyi knew what she wanted.
He took out the Snow Wolf King tooth necklace and said, "I think this should be enough proof!"
Li Ling reached for it.
Li Weiyi put it away, staring into her eyes: "I'm really short on money."
"What do you need so much money for?" Li Ling asked.
Li Weiyi replied, "Buying a mansion in Jiu Li City is a huge expense, and I don't have enough money."
"With this necklace, I can petition the clan to grant you a grand mansion," Li Ling said.
Li Weiyi shook his head: "I don't want to become too deeply entangled with either the Cangli Tribe or the Jiu Li Clan. If the Earthwolf King's Army investigates, they'll trace it back to me. You must tell everyone you obtained this wolf fang yourself. Just give me the money!"
"Alright, I agree," Li Ling said, a radiant smile spreading across her face, "Your caution is wise! Jiu Li City is indeed a bottomless pit for money. Even the most lavish fortunes can be squandered there. Cultivating alone costs ten thousand silver coins for each breakthrough."
As she reached for the wolf fang necklace, Li Weiyi pulled his hand back again: "I also need to see Cai Yutong and Qi Shanshan. They're my companions."
Li Ling's eyes narrowed slightly: "Very well, I'll make the arrangements."
"You have to understand this," Li Weiyi said, "My willingness to negotiate with you is an act of trust. This is your only chance!"
Li Ling replied, "I know! If anything goes wrong, we won't just be unable to be friends in the future - we'll likely become enemies."
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END OF CHAPTER
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