Tongtian Square to the north, Lower Courtyard on Jilong Road.
With a total of one hundred and sixteen White Jade Coins in his pocket, Chen Mu strode confidently into the Scripture Transmission Institute.
The courtyard was spacious, surrounded by a long corridor with green tiles, while three sides were adorned with black tiles and white walls, each with its own intricately carved small window.
There was no wall to the west; instead, a towering cliff over ten meters high stood there, right beside the Tongtian River.
A massive three-story octagonal wooden tower was erected in the middle of the courtyard.
Standing beneath the wooden tower, Chen Mu turned his head to gaze upon the endless expanse of the Tongtian River, and he felt an involuntary sense of relief wash over him.
Back in Da Liang, secret techniques could not be bought, regardless of wealth. But on Jilong Road, as long as one was willing to spend money, one could practice any Secret Technique.
Looking up at the three-story wooden tower, feeling the heavy White Jade Coins in his possession, Chen Mu couldn’t help but feel his blood boiling.
At this moment, looking at the wooden tower of the Scripture Transmission Institute, he felt as if he were staring at a giant golden egg shimmering with light!
“If I could learn all the Secrets of the Scripture Transmission Institute…” Chen Mu’s eyes sparkled as he took large strides into the wooden tower.
…
“One White Jade Coin.”
At the entrance counter, a man in his fifties with salt-and-pepper hair but a face as smooth and rosy as a baby’s, spoke softly.
The newly entered Chen Mu was momentarily stunned.
What does that mean?
The older man glanced at Chen Mu, “New here?”
“To browse the scriptures in the Scripture Transmission Institute, one hour, one White Jade Coin.”
“Oh, oh, oh…” Chen Mu hastily took out the coin.
They charge by the hour in the Scripture Transmission Institute? That’s truly befitting of a place dedicated to the transmission of scriptures—meticulous!
Chen Mu’s expectations for the Secret Techniques inside grew.
“Soul and Spirit Unification Secret Method is on the first floor.”
“Perceptive Spirit Light is on the second floor.”
“First pick out the Secret Technique scrolls, then come to me for the True Meaning Jade Slip.”
After taking the White Jade Coin, the old man spoke with a practiced calm.
Chen Mu gave thanks with a cupped fist salute, then hurriedly walked into the first floor’s hall.
…
The hall was octagonal, with a connected corridor circling around it.
The middle was open and airy, with clear sightlines between the floors, allowing one to look up and see all the way to the top of the wooden tower.
Embedded there was a transparent crystal orb, casting down a natural light that resembled heavenly glow at all times.
Chen Mu approached a bookshelf where a brown wooden board was hanging beside it.
“Unity Secret Technique?”
Chen Mu, intrigued, walked over to take a closer look.
He immediately spotted the scripture scroll of the True Sun Scripture.
Next to the scroll hung a thin wooden tag, inscribed with two lines of vertical text — True Sun Scripture, sixty White Jade Coins.
Turning his head to look at the rows of scripture scrolls on the shelf, each adorned with a wooden tag, Chen Mu’s expression was a mixture of amusement and surprise.
“Why does this feel like I’m browsing in a supermarket in my past life?”
He quickly became excited, for these were secret techniques laid out before him, just waiting to be chosen. He couldn’t wait to empty the entire hall!
He put down the True Sun Scripture and picked up another scripture scroll next to it, grabbing the wooden tag to take a look — Three Elements Secret Seal, one hundred and twenty White Jade Coins.
Chen Mu: “…”
That’s so damn expensive!
He looked at several more scrolls in succession, and he found that besides the True Sun Scripture, not a single one of the Soul and Spirit Unification Secret Techniques was priced below eighty White Jade Coins!
“If it wasn’t for the slow cultivation speed of the True Sun Scripture, it probably wouldn’t be just sixty White Jade Coins,” Chen Mu scratched his head, “Lucky for me I can gain experience.”
“The Unity Secret Technique is fundamental, it would be abnormal if they weren’t expensive,” Chen Mu came to understand.
…
He wandered around the hall’s corridor, browsing.
He discovered that, in addition to Secret Techniques, there were a large number of scripture scrolls and books related to planting.
This place, after all, was the Lower Courtyard of Jilong Road, serving as the base for planting Yellow Bud Rice and various medicinal herbs. It was only natural for it to have such books.
Not long into his browsing, Chen Mu went to look at the Jade Seed Secret Techniques.
Pulling out a volume from the outer edge marked Jade Seed Secret Techniques, he first looked at the wooden tag — Sand Containing Technique, sixty White Jade Coins.
Chen Mu: “…”
“Certainly, there will be good and bad among Jade Seed Secret Techniques, and naturally, the better ones will be more expensive.”
Chen Mu put down the Sand Containing Technique and pulled out another scroll — Emerald Silk Thousand Strands Technique, one hundred White Jade Coins.
Defying belief, he took out another scroll — Mechanical Technique, one hundred and sixty White Jade Coins.
Chen Mu: “…”
Why are they so expensive?!
After much back and forth, in the end, he realized that the cheapest was, in fact, the Sand Containing Technique.
Chen Mu helplessly looked at the shelves full of scripture scrolls.
The Secret Techniques were right in front of his eyes, but he couldn’t afford any of the decent ones!
…
After struggling for a long time, Chen Mu could only take a copy of the Sand Containing Technique to the entrance.
“Sand Containing Technique?” The gray-haired elder glanced at Chen Mu and said indifferently, “Sixty White Jade Coins.”
Chen Mu touched the White Jade Coins in his pocket and cautiously said, “Could it be a bit cheaper?”
The gray-haired elder’s eyes rounded with disbelief.
Bargaining in the Scripture Transmission Institute?
He looked at Chen Mu with a face full of emotion, “You’re the first person to haggle here. You’ve got quite the nerve.”
“So could it be a bit cheaper?” Chen Mu brightened up.
“No!” the gray-haired elder glared at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu looked around and, finding no one nearby, edged closer to the counter.
“How about this, you record it as forty White Jade Coins in the account, but I give you fifty,” Chen Mu whispered, “I can save, and you can earn.”
The gray-haired elder looked at Chen Mu in disbelief.
“Get out!”
…
After a good while, Chen Mu left the Scripture Transmission Institute with empty hands and a face full of helplessness.
Even the worst Sand Containing Technique would shrink his assets by half.
To master all the Secret Techniques was simply harder than reaching heaven. He wasn’t afraid of hard practice, but he was afraid of not having money!
He turned back to look at the three-story wooden building. It wasn’t some shining golden egg but a black hole that devoured White Jade Coins, never to be filled!
“And this is only for buying Secret Technique manuals.”
“To ask for lessons afterwards…”
“Just when I manage to save a little money, it all goes to the Lower Courtyard of Jilong Road!”
…
Low Hill Courtyard.
After the daily chores in the Yellow Bud Rice Fields, Chen Mu sat by the well to cultivate.
With curse words quietly recited in his mouth, he practiced for half an hour.
During his tea break, Chen Mu looked at the Calming Pills drying under the shed, calculating how much money he could make.
But as he calculated, his face couldn’t help but turn ugly.
This was the third day since coming back from the Scripture Transmission Institute.
Thinking of each and every expensive Secret Technique scroll, frustration involuntarily welled up in Chen Mu’s heart.
To buy manuals, he had to give money to the Lower Courtyard.
To listen to lectures or ask for guidance, he also had to pay the Lower Courtyard.
All the shops in Tongtian Square belonged to the Lower Courtyard, and every transaction meant the Lower Courtyard profited.
Even if he could sell Calming Pills, no matter how much he earned… all of it would go to the Lower Courtyard of Jilong Road!
“Exploitation at every level, they are trying to bleed us dry!” Chen Mu was filled with sorrow and anger.
Previously, when the Scripture Transmission Institute preached, he thought the Lower Courtyard of Jilong Road wasn’t bad. They even provided free lectures and teachings to their disciples.
Now he understood. It was just a demo class, coated in a tempting sugar shell.
The process of cultivation was explained so clearly, would you not buy Secret Techniques, not seek guidance for cultivation experience?
The Scripture Transmission Institute held the Secret Techniques and controlled the teachers. If Lower Courtyard disciples wanted to advance further, they had no choice but to obediently pay up.
“You’re already making me work for free for twenty years, and yet you still want to bleed me dry?” Chen Mu felt an unspeakable frustration in his heart.
For three days in a row, whatever he did was done listlessly.
“I honestly cultivate. Spend money on Secret Techniques, ask for cultivation guidance.”
“But you guys lay down hurdle after hurdle. Not intending to pass on knowledge or teach, only thinking about raising the price, scamming my money!”
“Fine! Very good! This is you forcing my hand!”
Chen Mu’s face was full of sorrow and rage, his hands enveloped in swirling black smoke.
Puff!
Seven or eight secret scripture scrolls appeared.
These were all supplementary volumes of the Jade Seed Secret Techniques.
They were what he had Shang Huan collect, costing him a total of three White Jade Coins.
He had a proficiency cheat, as long as he had the supplementary volumes, he could cultivate!
Chen Mu glared fiercely in the direction of Tongtian Square.
“Scripture Transmission Institute?”
“Humph!”
“Don’t think you can swindle a single coin from me!”