Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 140 - 45 Investment

Chapter 140: Chapter 45 Investment

Zheng Fa held the talisman for a long time.

This was a seal, blood-red all over, square and upright, and the pattern of the Golden Armor Talisman on it was also somewhat blurred.

"Senior Li, what are you standing there for? Please, have a seat!" Seeing Li Nuo still nervously watching him, Zheng Fa politely said, "Tell me about this talisman."

Li Nuo was stunned, seemingly not expecting Zheng Fa to be so interested in the talisman.

He seemed to have lost his ability to speak, his lips mumbling for a while, unable to utter a single word.

It was actually a misunderstanding by Zheng Fa, he said, "This must be Senior Li’s family secret technique, it was impertinent of me."

"No, no!" Hearing this, Li Nuo repeatedly waved his hands, "What family secret technique, this thing... no one in the Jiushan Sect values it."

He spoke these words with an unmistakable dejection.

Zheng Fa slightly furrowed his brow, looking at the talisman, somewhat puzzled, "Is there something inappropriate about this talisman?"

Senior Li honestly nodded his head and said, "Junior brother, do you see how this talisman was made?"

Zheng Fa looked at the color of the talisman, with some uncertainty in his tone, "Blood?"

"Yes, this talisman is actually made by mixing spirit beast blood." Li Nuo sincerely explained, "But each type of talismanic diagram requires different types and ratios of spirit beast blood, and if there are any discrepancies, it will explode when the talismanic diagram is inscribed on it."

"...Then how many talismanic diagrams and of what grade can this talisman produce?" Zheng Fa pursued the question.

"A cultivator at the Qi Refining First Level can make thirty yellow-grade Golden Armor Talismans in one day with it."

Zheng Fa had a moment of realization.

He had also thought about the issue of talisman imprinting.

But no matter how he thought about it, the act of talisman painting couldn’t be separated from cultivators—Spirit Talismans require Divine Sense to capture the talismanic diagrams in the void and the use of Spiritual Power to inscribe the talismanic diagrams onto the talisman paper.

From Zheng Fa’s own experience, Qi Refinement Realm cultivators often have limited Spiritual Power, and the number of talismanic diagrams they can paint in a day is limited.

For example, when Zheng Fa was at the Qi Refining First Level, he could only paint three talismans a day with his Spiritual Power.

"So, does this talisman utilize the Spiritual Energy in the spirit beast blood to substitute for the Spiritual Power of the cultivator?"

Zheng Fa asked.

Li Nuo nodded, saying, "Junior brother has understood it clearly, exactly like that."

Zheng Fa gently placed the talisman on the table, inevitably showing a bit of disappointment on his face—the talisman was much less effective than he had imagined.

Li Nuo, watching him, was full of trepidation.

"Then I want to ask, how many Spirit Talismans can one talisman produce?" Zheng Fa asked another critical question.

Li Nuo’s expression became even more awkward.

"According to my father’s estimate, one such talisman can imprint about one thousand yellow-grade talismans."

"What’s the cost of this talisman?"

"Six Spirit Stones."

Li Nuo’s voice lowered even more.

Zheng Fa did the math; the Golden Armor Talisman was quite common in the Jiushan Sect.

They were not expensive; a thousand yellow-grade Golden Armor Talismans could sell for around thirty-three Spirit Stones or so, maybe even less.

Considering the consumption of talisman paper and Spirit Ink, about thirty Spirit Stones would also be needed.

The net profit wouldn’t even reach three Spirit Stones...

This thing was purely a loss!

It seemed that Li Nuo, seeing Zheng Fa figure it out, gradually filled with despair on his face.

"Senior Li, what did you come to see me for?"

"I..." Li Nuo’s voice was barely audible, "I was hoping junior brother could lend me some money..."

"For researching talismans?"

"Yes."

Li Nuo, head lowered, seemed to find it hard to broach the subject.

"Junior brother, I don’t ask for much, ten pieces, no, five Spirit Stones a month would suffice."

"If there are new talismans, maybe the cost could be reduced."

"Then junior brother, with the talisman, you could make... make money..."

Li Nuo became unable to continue.

He seemed to suddenly recall Zheng Fa’s status—beloved disciple of Master Zhang, the Sect Leader’s confidante, and a renowned genius Talisman Master within the Sect.

How could he be interested in this trivial matter?

"Senior brother, let me think over this matter for a few days."

Upon hearing this, Li Nuo felt that Zheng Fa was tactfully declining.

"Then I won’t disturb junior brother any longer." He didn’t persist further, simply standing up and saying sadly.

"Senior brother, you might have misunderstood me," Zheng Fa spoke, "I mean, it’s not appropriate for me to give my own money, but it would be better for the Affairs Hall or the Talisman Magic Pavilion to provide the funding."

"Ah?" Li Nuo didn’t fully understand the difference, but he grasped one thing, "Junior brother, you agree to lend the money?"

"I won’t lend money, but investing is possible." Zheng Fa explained, "The Sect provides the funds, you provide the talisman technology, and later if it earns money, we can discuss how to divide it."

These words made Li Nuo both clear and unclear.

What he understood was that some shops in the Workshop operated this way—hiring a skilled cultivator, like an Alchemist, then offering them shares.

What he didn’t understand was that their technologies were definitely profitable.

Regarding his own...

"What if it operates at a loss?" He now felt less confident, asking, "Would the Sect agree?"

"Investing, after all, always involves risks." Zheng Fa smiled, "Ugly words first, if money is made, the Sect will certainly take the vast majority, and the money you get will be relatively minuscule."

Zheng Fa’s words didn’t discourage Li Nuo.

"As long as junior brother can provide me money to research talismans, I don’t need any payment afterward!"

He spoke excitedly, his eyes even reddening.

...

After seeing off Li Nuo, Zheng Fa pondered for a moment before heading towards Master Zhang’s courtyard.

He then recalled that apart from the day he took up the position of lecturer at the Talisman Magic Pavilion, he hadn’t seen Master Zhang for quite a few days now, and he wasn’t quite accustomed to it.

He wondered what the master sister had been up to recently.

Upon arrival at Master Zhang’s house, he learned that she hadn’t been busy at all.

Oh, that wasn’t entirely true—she had been busy enjoying herself.

In the small pavilion in Master Zhang’s backyard.

She and Yuan, leaning crookedly against the railing.

On the stone table in the pavilion were plentiful foods—a succulent looking Spirit Fruit, meat that appeared very hearty, steaming pies, and preserved fruit in small white ceramic jars.

The two of them were eating while whispering and laughing to each other, almost as if they were girlfriends at a casual gathering, relaxed and at ease.

This side of Yuan he had seen.

But this side of Master Zhang... was beyond Zheng Fa’s imagination.

I always felt something was not quite right.

"Senior Sister Zhang... this..."

Seeing Zheng Fa walk in, the two senior sisters weren’t surprised, and Yuan even waved at him.

As soon as Zheng Fa stepped into the pavilion, Senior Sister Yuan stuffed a Spirit Fruit into his hand.

"Is it tasty?"

Watching Zheng Fa swallow the fruit pulp, Senior Sister Yuan asked with a smile.

"Tasty." Zheng Fa sincerely nodded, this Spirit Fruit was not only delicious, but he could even feel that this bite of fruit had transformed into a stream of pure Spiritual Power, significantly enhancing the spiritual power in his Dantian.

"This bite costs five Spirit Stones." Senior Sister Zhang suddenly said: "Remember to pay me back."

"..." Holding the Spirit Fruit, Zheng Fa opened his mouth and looked towards his own stomach.

As if he wanted to spit that bite of fruit back out.

Looking at Senior Sister Zhang again, he realized she was smiling, clearly joking with her previous statement.

But...

Is this the life of a Golden Core real person?

Thinking of how Li Nuo almost knelt down to him for five Spirit Stones each month.

Zheng Fa’s expression became somewhat complicated.

"Thinking about something?"

Zheng Fa didn’t hide it; he came to consult Senior Sister Zhang precisely about Li Nuo’s issue.

His idea was that funding Li Nuo’s research was a minor matter.

But there should be rules set for how to encourage the Jiushan Sect disciples to research, who should pay, and how the benefits should be distributed.

There should be an official regulation.

Unexpectedly, Senior Sister Zhang directly refused him.

"Li Nuo won’t work."

"Ah?" Zheng Fa was startled and asked, "Does he and you, Senior Sister..."

"No, his father was also from our lineage, there’s no old grudges. But the talisman technique doesn’t work."

Zheng Fa fell silent, looking at Senior Sister Zhang, knowing she wouldn’t refuse him for no reason.

"I know about the talismans; they require spirit beast blood." Senior Sister Zhang didn’t beat around the bush and said straight out: "Now the spirit beast blood is getting more expensive... it’s even cheaper to hire ten Qi Refinement Realm disciples."

Wow!

Spirit beast blood is expensive, but our Jiushan Sect disciples’ sweat and blood aren’t expensive...

What a cost advantage over beasts.

But Zheng Fa also knew that Senior Sister Zhang was right.

"This junior has thought about it; if the talisman efficiency remains the same, of course, it won’t work." Zheng Fa pondered: "But technology always progresses, I think this investment is small, it might reduce costs and improve efficiency in the future."

Zheng Fa had a good mindset.

He wanted to fund talisman research, primarily because this kind of productivity-enhancing thinking is too rare in the Xuanwei Realm—as for guaranteeing that this thing would succeed, he was unsure.

But research anyway, who can guarantee it’s 100% successful.

"If it really is as you said, that would be even worse." Unexpectedly, Senior Sister Zhang shook her head and said: "Li Nuo’s popularity in the workshop is very poor, do you know why?"

"I don’t know."

"After this talisman device comes out, wouldn’t those Talisman Masters be out of work?"

"..."

Zheng Fa finally understood why Senior Sister Zhang was not very approving as soon as she heard the name Li Nuo.

Every time new technology emerges, it hurts some people’s interests.

What is most affected by the talisman are these Jiushan Sect Talisman Masters.

Especially since at least half of the Qi Refinement Realm disciples in the sect rely on talisman painting to survive...

The spiritual materials used to make Spirit Talismans are also limited, and demand in the Xuanwei Realm is not endless—this leads to the likelihood of Talisman Masters becoming unemployed with the arrival of this talisman device.

"If it were someone else, you’re saying you want to fund them, I had nothing to say." Senior Sister Zhang said: "If it’s Li Nuo... at least the Affairs Hall will not pay."

Zheng Fa silently nodded.

The Affairs Hall has a close relationship with Talisman Masters, surely taking care of these Talisman Masters’ feelings.

The cultivators of Xuanwei Realm are, after all, either peasants or craftsmen.

Consequently, they inevitably have a mind to defend their own interests.

Towards some new technologies, they do not welcome it as Zheng Fa does.

Especially when... this group not only has the mindset to maintain their own interests but also the combative capability to do so.

It has always been Senior Sister Zhang who came through suppressing her peers and never fearing anyone.

That would advise Zheng Fa to think deeply.

Seeing Zheng Fa understood, Senior Sister Zhang still comforted him: "Your thoughts are good, but this matter..."

"I still want to try this."

Zheng Fa suddenly said.

"Huh?"

"Senior Sister Zhang, just like what Master Pang said... Xuanwei Realm is going to be chaotic."

Zheng Fa explained.

Senior Sister Zhang’s gaze deepened.

"If it was before, having this or not wouldn’t make much difference, but when it truly comes to fighting..." Zheng Fa explained: "Being able to quickly create Spirit Talismans could potentially change the course of battle."

"Just this thing? It can only draw yellow-grade talismans now..."

Senior Sister Yuan muttered.

"Maybe it won’t work, but just like you said, Senior Sister Zhang, the old paths have been exhausted. We always need to switch to another path... trying is acceptable."

Senior Sister Zhang remained silent for a while but still shook her head.

Zheng Fa felt a bit disappointed in his heart; he understood Senior Sister Zhang’s refusal.

Indeed... the issue with talisman now isn’t the cost; it’s that it would offend almost all the Talisman Masters in the Jiushan Sect and might not yield any good results.

"Don’t show yourself, I’ll handle it."

"Ah?"

"You currently have a low cultivation level, offending these disciples is not good." Senior Sister Zhang said softly: "I’ll provide the Spirit Stones, they can only keep quiet."

Senior Sister Yuan looked at Zheng Fa, then at Senior Sister Zhang, her mouth agape.

She suddenly had an idea and said: "Senior Sister, I also have an idea but I’m lacking some Spirit Stones..."

Senior Sister Zhang just looked at her without speaking.

"..." Senior Sister Yuan took a piece of fruit preserve and silently blocked her mouth.

Zheng Fa looked at Senior Sister Zhang, feeling that if this continued— he could only weep and pledge himself to him.