Ji An waited quietly for Old Huang's response. He wasn't fully confident the man would be generous, but at least sixty to seventy percent certain.
In his past life, he'd dealt with many people and believed he had some insight into human nature: most are willing to help someone with a promising future.
Now that he had established his image as a "spellcasting prodigy," the odds were in his favor.
Still, since they hadn't known each other for long, he hadn't yet built up the impression of being a man who repaid kindness, which would naturally make the other cautious.
That said, whether someone was willing to lend was their choice, but whether he asked was entirely his.
And Old Huang wasn't even his main target. Ji An intended to approach Zhao Mengyao, Zhang Yuanshan, and Chu He, the three "creditors" he had in mind. He would subtly hint that if they lent him more spirit stones now, the rewards down the road would be plentiful.
In fact, every disciple of the Green Pine Academy who entered the sect alongside him was a "potential customer."
If he couldn't get enough from those three, he planned to swallow his pride and ask everyone he knew.
Couldn't spare a spirit stone? Fine fifty spirit crystals would do.
Still too much? Then, twenty or even ten crystals, surely his "prodigy" label was worth that much!
If he lacked resources for cultivation, then he would simply crowdfund his path to immortality.
Put himself in their shoes: if he had spare crystals and a fellow disciple with great potential asked for a loan, wouldn't he agree?
Rejections were normal in sales; lowering the request afterward often increased the odds of success. He had data to prove it; his past life as an insurance salesman hadn't been for nothing.
"Since my junior brother has such drive, how could I, as your senior, refuse to help?"
Old Huang's eyes flickered, but he quickly nodded, voice firm and decisive.
He reached into his robe and carefully drew out a storage pouch. From within, he pulled a single spirit stone, wiped it with his sleeve, and handed it over.
"The aid of senior brother will be etched into my heart!" Ji An bowed deeply.
An auspicious start!
Securing his first "blood" from Old Huang, Ji An rubbed the cool, glowing stone with satisfaction.
"There's no rush to repay," Old Huang said warmly. "This year is crucial for you. While you don't owe field rent, focus on earning more crystals; that's the true path to success."
His voice paused before continuing more slowly:
"When this season's spirit grain is harvested, if you still need more stones, just ask."
Behind his words lay another meaning: I'll give you three months. If you continue to show progress, I'll invest further.
Whether it was politeness or sincerity, Ji An played the role of the earnest junior and took it at face value.
Old Huang was already at the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Since giving up cultivation, most of his energy had gone into earning spirit stones; surely, he had some savings. Ji An recalled he had mentioned his grandson had just entered the Daoist Academy; at least for the next year or two, he wouldn't need spirit stones for Opening Meridian Pills.
If Ji An displayed greater talent, his "credit limit" would certainly rise.
Just wait and see!
Old Huang chuckled.
"Hehe. But a word of advice, sect-made pills are always in short supply. Without connections, it's almost impossible to buy them.
"If you want a pill, go to the Bihai Market and look for Senior Brother Wei Songnian. Unless something unusual happens, he's there every afternoon. He has wide connections and often gets his hands on genuine Yellow Sprout Pills.
"And don't ever try to save money by buying inferior pills. Cheap pills have weak effects and heavy toxins; cleansing the poison later will cost you far more time."
When alchemists refined pills, there were always a few defective ones. Their potency was low, their toxicity high; these were known as inferior pills.
Ji An already had plans of his own, but Old Huang's earnest reminder warmed his heart nonetheless. He bowed again.
"Many thanks for Senior Brother's guidance."
The setting sun spread across the sky like neatly arranged fish scales, glowing in layers of red and gold.
Bihai Lake rippled gently, the entire surface bathed in orange light.
The water and the heavens blended, dazzling to the eye.
Above the lake, paper talismans shaped into birds flitted back and forth. Some magic tools even mimicked drifting white clouds, giving the scene an otherworldly touch.
Now and then, a crane's clear cry rang out. It was the mount of a disciple from a wealthy family, flying past in style.
The cranes moved swiftly, their wingbeats sending the talisman birds wobbling through the air, drawing startled exclamations and bursts of laughter.
Ji An trudged forward with heavy steps, mouth open as he panted for breath, until he finally stumbled into a bustling marketplace.
At last, he made it. He slumped into a corner by the wall, clenching his fists and muttering under his breath:
"Once I've got the crystals, the first thing I'll buy is a talisman bird."
After resting a while, he followed the directions Old Huang had given him and found, in the marketplace square, the senior brother who was said to always wear a welcoming smile.
On a wide brown hide spread across the stone floor lay an array of goods, each neatly labeled with a name and a price.
The handwriting was smooth yet steady, clearly the work of someone with excellent calligraphy.
There were talisman papers, talisman ink, pills, magical tools, herbs, ores, plenty of items, yet all arranged with such order that it looked tidy rather than cluttered.
"Junior Brother Ji, you've come!" Wei Songnian's smile was as warm as a spring breeze.
"Senior Brother, you even remember me," Ji An said, feeling his impression of him rise another notch.
Wei Songnian only chuckled. He possessed a special talent: he never forgot a face.
It wasn't of much use in cultivation, but it made him a master at building connections in business.
"Take your time browsing, or if you're looking for something specific, just ask."
Ji An was direct:
"Senior Brother Huang sent me. I'd like to buy some Yellow Sprout Pills."
"Yellow Sprout Pills are the best choice for early-stage Qi Refining disciples. Genuine ones are ten spirit crystals each; flawed ones are five.
Will you take the genuine or the flawed?"
Ji An nodded slightly and handed over the spirit stone he had received that very morning.
He hadn't known the price of the flawed pills, but the genuine ones seemed fair enough.
The sect's official price was nine spirit crystals per pill, or one spirit stone for a bottle of twelve.
"Two genuine, one flawed."
"Alright," Wei Songnian quickly wrapped them up in white paper and handed them over with a cheerful grin. "Junior Brother has some spare wealth, I see. Want anything else while you're here?"
For new disciples assigned as spirit farmers, few could even spare spirit stones. Ji An was a promising potential customer.
"You know my situation, Senior Brother. I can't even afford a talisman bird. This stone I borrowed from Senior Brother Huang."
"Oh?" Wei Songnian raised an eyebrow. He and Old Huang went way back; usually, it took no small effort to borrow even a single stone from him.
Heh, I was waiting for you to say it; otherwise, it wouldn't have been quite as satisfying to show off.
Ji An tilted his chin slightly and smiled with quiet pride:
"I asked Senior Brother Huang to guide me when I cast rain over my spirit field. In that moment, inspiration struck, and my Minor Rain Technique advanced to the Minor Mastery stage."
Qi Refining first layer… less than half a month in… and already a spell at Minor Mastery? This had to be a Cultivation Physique for farming arts!
A flash of surprise crossed Wei Songnian's eyes before he smoothed it over with a smile.
"It's getting late. I'm closing shop, come, Junior Brother, share a drink with me."
"Ah, how could I possibly impose on Senior Brother's wine like that?"