Chapter Four Hundred and Fifty Nine Counter-Attack
Reality was stronger than the fortitude of most people.
When all the businesses in Xu Ling City gathered together to restrict students of Turtle Island Cultivation Classes, the attendance rates were heavily affected.
Anyone that was intelligent and could see what was going on. Some students were not afraid and did not care. So what if they could not find a job in Xu Ling City? They could travel to other cities. As long as they cultivated good spells, where couldn’t they find a job?
But not every student had such courage and not every person was willing to run to an unfamiliar city and start a new life.
The number of people in Turtle Island Cultivation Class had instantly lessened.
Having been contemplating on how to expand the classes, Zuo Mo was dumbstruck. It had just been a few days, how come it was like this?
He hurriedly sent Shang Wei Ming to investigate. The businesses thought they were extremely strong and did not disguise anything. Shang Wei Ming quickly came back with news. When Zuo Mo learned it was the Tian Family again, he instantly became angry!
We haven’t even settled the ambush last time, and you come to challenge us again!
How can this be tolerated?
Zuo Mo had planned on letting Pu Yao torment the Tian Family, but now he rolled up his sleeves and decided to act himself!
Zuo Mo was clueless and couldn’t think of good ways to make money, but if he was thinking about doing devious things, Zuo Mo seemed to be shot up with adrenaline and instantly became excited!
Ge really isn’t a good person!
Zuo Mo sighed emotionally and then threw himself into the grand matter of exacting vengeance on the Tian Family. But upon reflection, Zuo Mo felt this was not something bad. With their manpower, expansion of the classes was akin to seeking death. The cultivation classes were much quieter than before but that was only when compared with the explosive in increase in attendance. There were many xiuzhe who did not worry about being blocked out and they were overjoyed at having the free spots in class.
Even more importantly, the excited Zuo Mo thought of a wondrous idea.
———
“Is there something you need?” The person receiving Zuo Mo was a middle-aged man.
“Oh, I want to discuss a partnership with your sect,” Zuo Mo said.
“Partnership?” The middle-aged male’s eyes lit up. Business!
Earth Sound Sect was a small sect. Their most famous product was the large sound tablet formation that could broadcast across the entire city. The male at the front of the store was their sect leader, Yin Ling Zi.
If Yin Ling Zi was not clever and creative the Earth Sound Sect would have died out long ago. Through his efforts the sound tablet program [Earth Sound] was produced in an interesting manner, and had a broad audience in Xu Ling City.
But their present days were not easy. The popularity of their [Earth Sound] program was slowly declining. This caused a great headache for him but he did not have many solutions. Xu Ling City was still a small place, Earth Sound Sect was also a small sect. He could create higher-grade sound tablet formations, but he could not afford it. Also, the expenditure of higher grade sound tablet formations was also astounding.
Yin Ling Zi instantly became warm and had a smile on his face, “Please come in, please come in!”
Zuo Mo’s group walked into Earth Sound Sect, and Yin Ling Zi carefully took out his last bits of ling tea and brewed it.
After sitting down and taking a sip of ling tea, Zuo Mo stated his intentions, “I have come this time in the hope we can use the [Earth Sound] program your sect broadcasts to advertise the products of our island.”
“No problem, no problem!” Yin Ling Zi was overjoyed and still asked out of caution, “What cloud island is your island?”
Zuo Mo smiled. “We are Turtle Island!”
“Turtle Island!” Yin Ling Zi’s expression changed dramatically and thoughts of refusal rose. How could he not know the conflict between Turtle Island and the Tian Family? The Tian Family was the second largest faction in Xu Ling City, ranked under Xu Ling Sect, the depth of its foundation was far bigger than an outsider like Turtle Island!
If they offended the Tian Family, a little sect like Earth Sound Sect’s days would be at an end.
“What? Your sect will not accept this business?” Zuo Mo smiled thinly at Yin Ling Zi.
Yin Ling Zi hadn’t spoke when he saw Zuo Mo casually put something on the table. When he saw what it was, Yin Ling Zi’s eyes could not move away.
Ten pieces of fourth-grade jingshi!
Yin Ling Zi’s eyes instantly became heated as he stared at the ten pieces of fourth-grade jingshi on the table!
For Earth Sound Sect, ten pieces of fourth-grade jingshi was about half of their annual income. Yin Ling Zi knew his sect was in dire straits, it was to the point they were almost destitute, and could barely afford to buy food. If they could not create more revenue, they wouldn’t even have the jingshi to maintain the large sound tablet formation.
Zuo Mo heard the sound of Yin Ling Zi swallowing. Without a second word, he took out another ten pieces of fourth-grade jingshi!
Yin Ling Zi’s breathing became heavy, his eyes instantly filled with blood and his expression slightly vicious.
Twenty pieces of fourth-grade jingshi!
“This will be the thirty percent deposit.”
Zuo Mo’s words were like a fatal dagger that easily pierced Yin Ling Zi’s wavering defenses.
Yin Ling Zi felt his mind suddenly become blank.
He leapt at the jingshi!
What Tian Family! They can go to hell!
———
Zhu Zheng’s mood was strange, he had a particular sense of ennui.
His workmates watched him, each gleeful at his misfortune. Just a few days ago, all of them looked at him with completely different gazes. As one of the members of the first batch of students in the Turtle Island Cultivation Classes, he had had shockingly good luck. When the spot for a cultivation class was being auctioned off at a sky-high prices on the black market. While others could only sit in the alleys and listen, he was sitting in the hall and listening to Teacher Cheng’s husbandry class. That was really a great happiness.
Yet what he had never expected was the shopkeeper had quickly found him and told him if he continued to attend the Turtle Island Cultivation Class, he would be fired.
Helpless, he could only leave the cultivation class to keep his work.
The admiring and jealous gazes of the surrounding people instantly became gleeful.
Yet what Zhu Zheng had not expected was that the spells and formations that Teacher Cheng spoke about in class would unconsciously creep into his thoughts. Zhu Zhen had attended many cultivation classes before and Teacher Cheng’s skill would be ranked first. He held admiration for Teacher Cheng. Just those high level spells that Teacher Cheng spoke about casually filled him with motivation.
He seemed to be daydreaming constantly this days and was inattentive with his work. The shopkeeper had scolded him many times over this.
Why was it like this … … Zhu Zhen really felt bad inside. He felt that the Turtle Island Cultivation Class was very good.
Life had returned to normal. Zhu Zhen knew that the dissatisfaction in in his heart would dissipate with time and be worn down.
Everyone worked in the same place and due to the work being repetitive and boring, they would have a sound tablet to listen to when they worked. The shopkeeper had seen that it did not distract them so he had not forbidden it.
Suddenly, the content broadcasted by the sound tablet caused Zhu Zhen to stop what he was doing.
“… … Due to too many students being unable to enter our island’s cultivation class, we feel great regret and also blame ourselves! Teaching spells is the duty of every one of us xiuzhe. Due to this, we have now produced the Turtle Series jade scrolls, topic ranging from ling plants to animal husbandry, from sword xiu to dhyana xiu, we have made many kinds of detailed and informative jade scrolls. We hope that the students that are unable to attend our cultivation classes due to various reasons can cultivate by themselves through the jade scrolls … …”
Everyone couldn’t help but stop what they were doing and listen closely.
Zhu Zhen’s eyes slowly became bright.
———
Everyone thought that Turtle Island could do nothing when facing such a powerful alliance of local powers, and could only retreat!
It was unexpected that Turtle Island’s counterattack was so quick, so sharp, and so precise!
Xu Ling City that had just quieted down, but now exploded like a bomb had been set off!
The sound tablet advertised the Turtle Island jade scroll series all day, the provocative shouts seemed to throw hot oil onto Xu Ling City.
“What? You did not hear it wrong! Nine ninety eight, only nine ninety eight! Not nine thousand nine hundred and ninety eight, or one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight! Nine ninety eight! Nine ninety eight! Just nine ninety eight! You can move the Turtle Island jade scrolls series to your home! This is a special promotion intended to repay students for supporting our Turtle Island Cultivation Classes! Nine hundred and ninety eight pieces of third-grade jingshi, the entire set of Turtle Island jade scrolls series … …”
“What we are looking at now is the fire spells jade scroll of the Turtle Island series. This jade scroll introduces five kinds of commonly seen second-grade fire spells, and has detailed instructions on every level. The price is one piece of third-grade jingshi. Without a doubt, this is definitely the spell jade scroll with the best value for your money this year! What? You think that second-grade fire spells are too low grade? No problem, here is a third-grade fire spell jade scroll. Heavens, you have not heard it wrong! Third-grade fire spell! Everyone is clear what the price on the market is for this, but for just one hundred pieces of third-grade jingshi and you can possess this … …”
“Turtle Island jade scroll series, made personally by the masters of the Turtle Island, works that cannot be surpassed!
“Turtle Island Fundamental Spell Commentary, the best commentary jade scroll to learn cultivation on your own! One of the most detailed basic spell commentaries on the market! What should you do when you encounter a problem? Don’t be afraid~! We have the Turtle Island Fundamental Spell Commentary! It will list all kinds of problems you may encounter! It is an example of, ‘with one scroll in hand, the world in hand’ … …”
Xu Ling City exploded!
Completely exploded!
No matter what conflict existed between Turtle Island and the business of Xu Ling City, these students only needed what could help them actually learn. The effects of the Turtle Island Cultivation Classes had reached a mythical level, and the students that had personally experienced it were extremely confident.
Any xiuzhe with any ambition would always hope they could learn higher level spells.
When the businesses used the power of an alliance to stop them from attending the Turtle Island Cultivation Classes, they were angry inside.
The perceptive ones knew this was Turtle Island’s counterattack.
Yah, so you won’t hire the students of Turtle Island Cultivation Class, then I will directly sell jade scrolls! You can’t check for this! How can you detect where one learned these low-grade spells from? Many cultivation classes teach the same spells!
The advertising seemed to bombard them without exhaustion.
No business would sell them, no problem! The sword xiu that could be seen everywhere on the street wearing fourth-grade Cold Soul Blue Light Armor were selling them!
Two thousand sword xiu in full armor turned to streams that filled almost every corner of Xu Ling City!
They stepped on their sword lights as they murderously passed by every business as though they did not exist. Beside them were buckets of jade scrolls piled up like lettuce.
The businesses shuddered and no one dared to make a sound.
Arrogant!
Too arrogant!
Domineering!
Too domineering!
Translator Ramblings: We have made it past the halfway point of all the chapters.