Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery
Chapter 684 - 665: Became a Usurer

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle."

Li Qingyun once again bowed deeply, his heart also filled with some astonishment.

In their batch of the Dragon and Phoenix List, up to now, there had actually been three Golden Pill Monks, which could be said to be both strange and marvelous.

Unfortunately, apart from himself, the Qiyu Sect was unable to make full use of them.

"Your master has been doing well these years, pursuing his own Nascent Soul path."

Jiang Ding knew what was on his mind and comforted him, "Although it is fraught with dangers and one might perish along the way, there is indeed a slight chance to reach the path, which is much better than the Ancestor Master from two thousand years ago.

We, as Cultivators, are lucky to have such opportunities. Do not worry about him."

It was different from his own semi-cooperative process of growth.

Li Qingyun had indeed been brought up wholeheartedly by Immortal Baimei, treated as dearly as his own child, and after living many years in the Qiyu Sect, beloved by all, his feelings for the Sect were naturally different.

"It's good to know that Master is still alive."

Li Qingyun felt as if a weight had been lifted off his heart and expressed his joy.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Jiang Ding casually asked, "You are capable of assuming the roles of both the Sect Leader and the Supreme Elder of the Qiyu Sect. I will allocate some resources and Spiritual Veins for the consumption of the Qiyu Sect. From now on, there should be no more external enemies."

Gong Caiyu commanded the Taoist Soldiers and re-established rule while sweeping across the Hei Clan and Yue Country, bringing every place under control.

"The disciple intends to devote himself to Cultivation."

Li Qingyun respectfully said, "Once my own Cultivation reaches the Middle Jindan Stage, and after I have nurtured the next generation of Golden Pill Monks for the Sect, I will leave the lands of the Three Kingdoms and head to the Northern Plains to seek the path with my master. I will have no regrets, even in death."

"That's good. One should always look forward."

Jiang Ding nodded, "In your spare time from Cultivation, travel around and help me handle some of the local affairs. There are many things that cannot be resolved without a Golden Pill Monk."

"If you encounter any difficult questions in Cultivation, you and I can discuss them together; it would be best if we can each gain some insight from the other. However, let's not meet more frequently than once every three years."

"Yes, Junior Martial Uncle!"

Li Qingyun was overjoyed at the prospect.

After a casual chat, Li Qingyun respectfully took his leave.

The Qiyu Sect had been destroyed and then re-established — setting up the Sect's protective array, recruiting and training disciples, establishing the Spiritual Medicine Garden, and so forth, all involved numerous tasks. Everything depended on his decisions as the Patriarch Jin Dan, and recently he had indeed been so busy he hardly had time to touch the ground.

After Li Qingyun left,

Jiang Ding pondered for a moment, and the Storage Jade Pendant emitted a flash of Spiritual Light.

A person-sized ginseng baby appeared before him, rubbing its sleepy eyes and complaining in a gruff voice, "Why are you waking me up so soon? I had just fallen asleep. Don't you know ginseng sleeps poorly it won't live long?"

This palm-sized, adorable-looking ginseng baby with a rough voice was another separate entity, a Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng brought back from the Luoxu Clan by Jin-92. Its juices can assist in Infant Formation, which is enough to drive many Golden Pill Monks mad.

"Five years, and I had just gone to sleep... You long-lived races really do elicit envy."

Jiang Ding sighed.

"You only see the thief eating meat, not getting beaten."

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng rolled its eyes, "I've personally witnessed how many millions, even billions, of ginseng plants have been planted. They've been eaten by insects, preyed upon by Spirit Beasts, strangled by the roots of weeds, and a great many more have been dug up by your Human Race for Alchemy... Over so many years, of so many plants, only I have survived to become a Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng. Do you think we have it easy?"

"Moreover, at my age, I'm still caught by a little brat like you, forced to work without the ability to resist. It's so suffocating for me!"

Although its words were weighty, it was clear that it felt no sorrow; it didn't regard other ginsengs as its kin, just as humans don't regard other mammals as their kin.

"This isn't coercion."

"It's the thousands of years of rent you owe the Human Race, which I have inherited,"

Jiang Ding did not agree with its viewpoint and said seriously.

He was righteous and kind, never one to coerce or kidnap others.

Of this, there was no doubt.

"Alright, alright, you're stronger than me. If you say it's rent, then it's rent."

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng rolled its eyes again.

"Good that you understand."

Jiang Ding smiled slightly and handed it a mandate, "You are appointed as an Agricultural Hall Counselor of the Tushan Immortal City. You are responsible for the planting and maintenance of Tushan Immortal City's Spiritual Medicine Garden. Occasionally, you will also need to inspect other Spiritual Medicine Gardens and propose improvements. This is for a period of five hundred years."

"If there is any change in the appointment, you will be notified in advance,"

The appointment letter transformed into a stream of light that fell onto the ginseng baby's head, turning into a sword-shaped mark that disappeared from view.

If necessary, it could reveal this mark; people within the Tushan Immortal City system would recognize it, understand its identity, and therefore command it or obey its orders.

As a Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng, a natural heavenly and earthly spirit substance, it had a very strong ability to cultivate and grow elixirs. It was expected that within a few years, the elixir output within the Tushan Immortal City system would increase by several times without much difficulty.

"Fine, I'll go see what subordinates I have."

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng, bored out of its mind, disappeared into the ground with a swoosh.

A moment later,

"Oh right,"

A small, cute head emerged from the ground, somewhat embarrassedly saying, "Can I get an advance on my salary? It's the same kind you fed me last time."

"That's called Spiritual Fertilizer."

"Right, right, Spiritual Fertilizer."

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng rubbed its fingers together: "You said before that I have a salary, right?"

"You do, but you can't get an advance."

"Why not?"

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng was taken aback.

"Because it's the rule."

Jiang Ding said indifferently, "In the Tushan Immortal City regulations, there is no provision for advancing salary. You have to wait until the first of January every year to get your salary."

"If you want it now, you can borrow from me, with an interest rate of 36 percent."

"Thirty-six percent?"

"Thirty-six percent."

"Why don't you just rob me!"

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng shouted angrily, fuming: "That's usury, treating your subordinates like this will make you lose the people's hearts. I saw in the Book Pavilion of the Luoxu Clan that losing the people's hearts means losing the world."

"Interest isn't something a great person like you should be charging."

It earnestly advised, "It's too beneath you. Not only should you not charge interest, you should give me ten years' salary as a gift all at once. The books say this is called buying people's hearts, and it will earn you unrivaled loyalty. That is what a great person should do."

"Are you borrowing or not? If not, then leave."

Jiang Ding asked again.

"I'll borrow."

The anger vanished from the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng's face as it spoke solemnly.

"All right, sign here on this debt note."

Jiang Ding waved his hand, and a large pile of Spiritual Fertilizer fell from the sky, landing in front of them.

This was actually meant for the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng, to help it recover from the drained essence by Han Lin, and would be given to it after a while.

However, if it was willing to borrow against its salary, that was even better.

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng carefully read the debt note and signed three Spiritual Script characters on it, the handwriting crooked and twisted.

"This is second-order Spiritual Fertilizer, especially suitable for spirit ginseng types."

Jiang Ding took the debt note, glanced at the three characters Chun San Wa, and smiled: "If you want higher-order Spiritual Fertilizer, or other kinds of Spiritual Fertilizer, or even to customize your own preferred kind of Spiritual Fertilizer, we can negotiate the terms. But as for the price..."

"Pah! Keep dreaming!"

"I won't be fooled."

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng laughed scornfully, clutching a large pile of Spiritual Fertilizer as it burrowed into the ground and disappeared from view.

"Don't think I don't know what you're plotting."

"You want to tempt me step by step, to ensnare me in a huge debt, compounding interest upon interest, and enslave me for life. Let me tell you, forget it, keep dreaming!"

"Freedom is priceless!"