Book 02 Chapter 051: Borrow a Chicken to Lay an Egg
“Adoptive Father, why did we not ask Bodhisattva Lian Sheng for help with the Clear River Sect situation?” Gu Qin frowned as he looked at the speck dwindling into the distance.
“Some favors can be owed, but others cannot!” Gu Hai said while shaking his head.
“Oh?” Gu Qin said, feeling confused.
“Furthermore, we do not need Bodhisattva Lian Sheng to deal with the Clear River Sect’s matter. Why do we need to trouble him?” Gu Hai smiled.
“However, the Clear River Sect has ritual arrays to protect it. While there are spirit stone mines outside the Clear River Sect, Song Pingsheng probably already took the spirit stones away. Only the mines remain. Who knows how long it would take to mine them? Without spirit stones, how is Adoptive Father going to lay formations?” Gu Qin asked with a frown.
“There will be spirit stones!” Gu Hai replied with slightly narrowed eyes.
“Oh?”
“Have you forgotten what our Gu Residence does?” Gu Hai smiled.
“My Gu Residence? We are merchants; we borrow chickens to lay eggs, profiting off others’ properties.” Gu Qin’s expression changed.
“That’s right. Many principles in the world are connected. Since we need spirit stones, why don’t we borrow them? With sufficient interest, it will be fine,” Gu Hai said with certainty.
“However, who are we going to borrow from? We…” Gu Qin showed a complicated expression again in the next moment.
“Adoptive Father, do you mean to borrow from those cultivators monitoring my Gu Residence? Those cultivators seeking to snatch the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach?” Gu Qin looked at Gu Hai in shock.
“Why can’t we do that?” Gu Hai smiled.
“But…alright!” Gu Qin revealed a bitter expression.
“We can treat this as a business deal. If we can take back the Clear River Sect, we will have endless spirit stones. At that time, even if we pay back double the spirit stones, we will still profit, right? Don’t feel conflicted over this. Just see it as a business deal, and it will be fine,” Gu Hai instructed seriously.
“Yes!”
“Quickly, go and do it. Use my name and Elite Hall’s name to borrow. Put the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach up as collateral. I will place the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach in a prominent position!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!”
——
Two hours later:
All the cultivators outside the Gu Residence received a notice from the Gu Residence.
“Hurry! Hurry! Look! Gu Hai is taking out the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach!” a cultivator in the distance shouted.
Cultivators suddenly swarmed over when they heard that voice.
The fog still covered the Gu Residence. However, the Gu Residence’s people erected a tall platform at the edge of the ritual array, and a glistening, golden peach sat on that platform.
The Century Lifespan Immortality Peach was so close. One only needed to jump, and they could obtain it.
However, no one dared to snatch it at this moment. Everyone betrayed mixed feelings as they looked at the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach on display.
“The Century Lifespan Immortality Peach. Is it really the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach?”
“Earlier, someone told me that Gu Hai wanted to borrow spirit stones from us. He would borrow them for one month. After one month, he would return double the amount.”
“You must be joking? Gu Hai wants to borrow spirit stones from us?”
“We will get back double after one month!”
“That Century Lifespan Immortality Peach is the collateral. It is placed there for everyone to see. We can guard it ourselves!”
“With Elite Hall’s prestige, this should be true. However, is it necessary to borrow spirit stones?”
Many cultivators showed suspicious expressions. As they looked at the nearby Century Lifespan Immortality Peach, greed flashed in their eyes; however, no one dared to snatch the fruit.
Right now, everyone knew that they could not snatch the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach just because they wanted to.
Gu Hai was borrowing spirit stones?
“Gu Hai already snatched so many spirit stones in the Great Feng Mafia Family. Are those still insufficient?”
“Indeed. What wishful thinking! I’ll definitely not lend to him!”
Many were unwilling, but some were.
The Gu Residence’s people placed counters on platforms outside the ritual array. The many Gu Residence servants wrote out loan receipts while some of the evil men guarded them.
“Is it true? I can get back double after one month?” one of the cultivators asked when he went to a counter.
“You can go and ask around. Since my master already declared it, he will fulfill it. He has never broken any of his promises!” The person at that counter was an old manager. When he spoke, he raised his eyebrows.
“In that case, I’ll loan him ten inferior-grade spirit stones!” that cultivator said after some thought.
“I’m sorry, my master said to borrow a minimum of ten medial-grade spirit stones and reject anything lower to save the trouble of registering and recording these small amounts,” that old manager said after looking up.
“What?” the cultivator across the counter exclaimed, wide-eyed.
Ten medial-grade spirit stones equated to one thousand inferior-grade spirit stones. This Gu Hai had a big appetite.
“You will get back twenty medial-grade spirit stones one month later. Where else are you going to find such a deal? Only at my master’s. Do you not trust Elite Hall’s prestige? Hurry up! If you are not going to lend the spirit stones, don’t delay the people behind!” the old manager said coldly.
“Indeed. If you are not lending, I’ll do it. With just the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach, I am willing!”
“Indeed. With just Elite Hall’s prestige, I am willing too!”
Some of the people behind started kicking up a fuss. Some of them were actually Gu Hai’s evil men pretending to be ordinary cultivators.
“Who says that I’m not lending? I’m lending one! One superior-grade spirit stone!” that cultivator said while goggling.
“One superior-grade spirit stone. You will get two back next month. Please sign here, then go over to that large cloth banner and sign that!” the old manager said seriously.
That cultivator muddle-headedly signed a pile of documents. Clutching a receipt, he was led to a large cloth banner, which he then signed. After that, no one cared about him anymore.
That cultivator held up his receipt and looked at it with a complicated expression. Can I really get my spirit stone back one month later?
“Senior Brother, did you actually lend them one superior-grade spirit stone?! Will you get it back later?” a cultivator at the side asked, feeling curious.
“What nonsense! While I don’t trust Gu Hai, I still trust Elite Hall. Would Elite Hall renege on its debt? It will become two superior-grade spirit stones in one month. Why are you still not going over? Are you stupid?” that cultivator called out.
In the blink of an eye, the cultivator who lent his spirit stones firmed up his thoughts and started encouraging others to lend theirs.
Now that this started, the next one went much more smoothly.
At the Gu Residence’s Soaring Pagoda, Gu Hai watched the noisy and bustling scene outside.
“Adoptive Father, due to your name and fame, these cultivators are willing to lend the spirit stones.” Gu Qin smiled.
“No, we could borrow the spirit stones, not because of my name, but Elite Hall’s name. Elite Hall’s name is prestigious. However, that is not enough. After that, I used the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach to show my sincerity and displayed the loan banner, letting them monitor it to get them to lower their guard. Finally, the interest rate of one hundred percent—a ridiculously high interest rate—lured them into lending us their spirit stones. I am paying too much; my risk is much greater than theirs. This is taboo for us merchants. However, I do not have any other choice!” Gu Hai sighed while shaking his head.
——
Three days later, the borrowing stopped.
A cloth banner filled with names was displayed openly outside the Gu Residence, placed out there for everyone to see and monitor.
Furthermore, the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach was also placed before everyone’s eyes, used as collateral.
The countless cultivators waited, all of them feeling a load on their minds.
However, Gu Hai silently left the Gu Residence with the three thousand evil men, heading for the Clear River Sect.
——
Clear River Sect:
Smash!
Song Pingsheng smashed a flower vase on the floor. Rage filled his face.
“Gu Hai lied to me? The declaration of war was fake? He went to the First Song Sect?!” Song Pingsheng raged with an unsightly expression.
The group of First Song Sect disciples in front lowered their heads and did not say anything.
“You bunch of trash! If not for Mister Fu coming, I would still be in the dark!” Song Pingsheng barked.
Fu Xue drank some tea while seated on a chair at the side. He coldly watched the scene before him. Then, he said, “Alright, Sect Master Song, this is not the time for this. Has that old fool, the Clear River Sect Master, spilled the beans yet?”
Song Pingsheng suppressed the rage in his heart as he took a deep breath. Then, he shook his head and replied, “Not yet. He is very stubborn!”
“Stubborn? Then I will have to put in some effort!” A sinister look flashed in Fu Xue’s eyes.
“Oh?”
“He is a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator; altering him will significantly drain me. However, we need to clarify this for the sake of the dragon vein. Bring me over. I’ll alter him!” Fu Xue said coldly.
“That’s fine as well!” Song Pingsheng answered.
——
Back in the same hall, two days later:
Fu Xue and Song Pingsheng sat next to each other, both looking sullen.
“He entered the nether realm? That Venerable Liu Nian is really troublesome. There’s that Unborn Man as well!” Fu Xue said with a crestfallen expression.
“He does not even know how Venerable Liu Nian will come back, only that Venerable Liu Nian will definitely return to somewhere in the Clear River Sect. How troublesome! If we knew where Venerable Liu Nian would reappear, we could lay traps beforehand. We might even capture him!” Song Pingsheng frowned.
“Continue searching, then. Search everywhere in the Clear River Sect!” Fu Xue ordered.
Song Pingsheng nodded.
“Bodhisattva Lian Sheng is at Gu Hai’s place. However, his attitude towards me suggests that he does not want to interfere in our matters. That is good. Nevertheless, we cannot barge into the Gu Residence!” Fu Xue frowned.
“Gu Hai went to the First Song Sect once. Might he go again? Given Gu Hai’s deceptive means, the sect disciples would be tricked, right?”
Fu Xue’s expression sank as he said, “That’s right. Hence, I need to return. You should be careful. He might come to the Clear River Sect too!”
“I’m taking command of the Clear River Sect, and you are taking command of the First Song Sect. We have to be careful with our movements. Had I known Gu Hai would be so difficult to deal with, I would have destroyed him long ago!” Song Pingsheng said coldly.
Fu Xue nodded. After stepping out of the hall, he quickly flew towards the First Song Sect.
Song Pingsheng watched as Fu Xue left, narrowing his eyes. “Fu Xue, I have wagered my entire First Song Sect. Don’t let me down. No matter how much I lose, it is all worth it for the dragon vein!”
——
In a forest on a mountain:
Gu Hai quickly led the three thousand evil men through the forest.
“Milord, might the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach go missing if you just leave it there?” Chen Tianshan asked somewhat worriedly.
The evil men just left, but the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach remained where everyone could reach it. Although there was the large number of spirit stones borrowed, that sum would not match the value of the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach.
“There’s no need to worry. Everyone will help me guard it. It will not go missing!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!”
“Furthermore, if I don’t do that, how do I help you save the Clear River Sect Master? I know that the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach is precious. However, how much can I get if I have to sell it at such short notice? Without this many spirit stones, how can we break the Clear River Sect’s ritual array? Let’s hope that the Clear River Sect Master is still alive!” Gu Hai shook his head.
“Yes! Many thanks, Milord!” Chen Tianshan said gratefully.