Jiang Man ended up with 2,500 Spiritual Source.

Combined with what Fang Yong had given him and what he had earned himself, he now had five thousand.

Now that his rank had gone up, earning Spiritual Source was much easier than before.

After that, it was time for his cultivation.

From that moment on, all eyes in the Yunqian Bureau were fixed on the Cyan Cloud Pavilion’s Sixth Courtyard.

Until they finished, no one else could.

The reason for everyone else’s defeat spread like wildfire: Jiang Man cultivated nonstop, even pulling all-nighters.

After finishing his cultivation that evening, Jiang Man went to find Zhao Leming.

He wanted to ask if there were any rewards.

Unfortunately, the Yunqian Bureau had no further rewards to offer, as things like the Celestial Heart Seal were considered the prize.

But there was some good news.

The Cyan Cloud Pavilion had given him five thousand Spiritual Source.

Five thousand was a huge amount. It would take an ordinary person four months to earn that much.

Jiang Man was extremely satisfied with this.

However, he also told them about Xie Li.

This would put Mr. Zhao and the others at ease.

Furthermore, Jiang Man learned something else. As the number one in the Yunqian Bureau...

...no one would dare to make a move on him directly.

The Yunqian Bureau would be fully responsible for his safety.

This was true even within Luoyun City.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Man breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he asked about the Celestial Heart Seal.

Unfortunately, this was the first time the Celestial Heart Seal had been made available. Previously, the requirements to practice its cultivation were extremely high.

There were indeed people in the Yunqian Bureau who knew it.

But they wouldn’t come out and teach it.

However, they too could now begin to study it. If they gained any insights, they would let him know.

Jiang Man thanked him and left.

He had already reached the Entry Level, but he wasn’t sure if he was on the right track.

He just needed a point of reference.

But if Mr. Fu and the others were too slow in reaching the Entry Level, they would be of no use to him.

With the Old Yellow Ox’s help, he was already too far ahead of Mr. Zhao and the others.

Back in the stables, Jiang Man resumed his cultivation.

Day after day passed.

He didn’t dare to slack off.

「Two days later.」 Cheng Moyang and Yang Ling arrived.

Each of them brought seven thousand Spiritual Source and offered an apology.

They said they had been young and hot-headed back then and had offended him greatly.

Jiang Man couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. ’Now *these* guys are true young masters.’

’Li Yuan was so cheap.’

「July 5th.」

Jiang Man received new guests.

It was Li Yuan and the middle-aged man who had often come looking for trouble.

As soon as the man arrived, Li Yuan kicked him, forcing him to his knees.

The man also begged for forgiveness.

This time, they left twenty thousand Spiritual Source.

Old Jin even left an IOU for an additional ten thousand.

In just five days.

Jiang Man’s Spiritual Source had skyrocketed from 1,500 to 44,000.

Jiang Man did some quick calculations, factoring in market prices.

In the end, he came to one conclusion.

’It’s not enough to pay off my debts.’

’Let alone cover my future cultivation expenses.’

"I didn’t make enough enemies before," Jiang Man sighed, shaking his head.

’If I’d known, I would have let those people taunt me a few more times.’

Old Jin had been the one to target him most ruthlessly.

’He still didn’t introduce himself. So impolite.’

’I only learned his name from the IOU.’

Putting these thoughts aside, Jiang Man began to hesitate. Should he pay his debts first, or focus on raising his cultivation?

For a moment, Jiang Man felt like he was being tested.

In the end, he bought Spirit Gathering Pills, paid back Steward Miao, and returned 1,400 to Song Qing.

That was two thousand gone.

The only ones left to pay were Xiaopang and Chang Qiweng.

First, he paid back the Spiritual Source that Chang Qiweng had borrowed from Cheng Yu for him.

Another seven thousand gone.

Just like that, over nine thousand was gone.

As for Xiaopang, he repaid the value of twenty Spirit Gathering Pills. Twelve thousand gone. He would wait for the price to drop back to three hundred before repaying the rest.

’After all, he had borrowed them when they cost three hundred. Paying the current price was a huge loss.’

With 21,000 spent, he had less than 23,000 left.

He still owed Chang Qiweng 21,000.

’If I pay it all back, I won’t have anything left for my cultivation.’

’I can only pay back a portion for now. But earning another 21,000 in the next two months is practically impossible.’

After a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Man went to see Mr. Zhao.

He was hoping to get a job.

"A job that lets you travel to the Sect?" Zhao Leming looked at Jiang Man. "There is one, but it isn’t safe." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Are there any safe ones?" Jiang Man asked.

Zhao Leming looked at Jiang Man. "Besides being safe, do you have any other requirements?"

’Less work, more Spiritual Source, and freedom,’ Jiang Man thought, not daring to voice a single request.

He remembered the first time he had asked the man for a job.

"With that many requirements, you’re not looking for a job, you’re making a wish. Even the dangerous jobs have a crowd of people fighting over them," Zhao Leming said.

Jiang Man felt helpless.

He asked for a spot in the dangerous job.

Mr. Zhao said the position was extremely hard to come by, and that he had gone through a great deal of trouble to secure it.

Jiang Man was speechless.

He took a look. The pay was 1,800 Spiritual Source a month.

Higher than the average of 1,500.

Afterwards, Jiang Man went to find Chang Qiweng.

He first gave him the seven thousand to repay Cheng Yu, then handed over another three thousand.

By doing this, he had 20,000 left for himself, and still owed Chang Qiweng 18,000.

Chang Qiweng was stunned when he received the Spiritual Source. "That’s it?"

Jiang Man wasn’t fazed. Instead, he said, "I’m now number one in the Yunqian Bureau. That should be enough to prove I’m a one-in-a-million Unparalleled Celestial Pride.

"Have you considered continuing to support me by letting me borrow back that Spiritual Source?

"The remaining 18,000... I’ll pay you back 20,000 this time next year."

Chang Qiweng stared at Jiang Man. "You’re coming back next year?"

"No, I’m not," Jiang Man said, shaking his head.

’Why would he ever come back here?’

"Then I won’t be able to get the Spiritual Source back. I can’t lend it to you," Chang Qiweng said, shaking his head.

"You’ll get it," Jiang Man said, taking out a letter of recommendation. "This is a job escorting resources. There are two opportunities a year to travel to the Sect. I can pay you back the Spiritual Source then.

"So?

"Want to consider it?"

Taking the letter, Chang Qiweng opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

He looked at Jiang Man in astonishment. "This... is for me?"

Jiang Man nodded.

"How much Spiritual Source for it?" Chang Qiweng asked.

’How much? Wasn’t I giving this to him as interest?’

’But since he asked, I have to name a price. The job pays 1,800 a month. Taking two months’ pay wouldn’t be unreasonable, right?’

Immediately, Jiang Man said with a serious expression, "Three thousand six hundred."

Chang Qiweng hesitated for a moment, then gave him the 3,600.

Holding the Spiritual Source, Jiang Man was inwardly amazed. ’What an unexpected surprise.’

’So I gave him three thousand, and got three thousand six hundred back in the end.’

Jiang Man had known all along that of the ten thousand Spiritual Source that had been given, 6,500 of it was from Cheng Yu.

"Fine, I’ll lend it to you. Remember to pay me back 20,000 next July," Chang Qiweng said seriously.

Jiang Man hesitated for a second, then asked, "Do you have any more?"

"Nope, all gone. I sent the rest home," Chang Qiweng replied instantly.

Jiang Man didn’t press for more. Instead, he looked at him with a smile and said, "Remember, I’m an Unparalleled Celestial Pride."

Chang Qiweng was confused. Why bring that up again?

"I’m a once-in-a-century talent. Meeting me was your good fortune," Jiang Man said, looking at him seriously. "You won big on this one bet. Don’t gamble like this again. You might not find another me in a hundred years."

Chang Qiweng understood what Jiang Man was trying to say.

He had profited this time because Jiang Man was an Unparalleled Celestial Pride and, on top of that, a man of his word.

Otherwise...

...he would have lost his entire investment.

Afterwards, Jiang Man warned him that the escort job had its dangers, and that he should think it over carefully.

With that, Chang Qiweng watched him leave.

When no one was around, his gaze fell upon the letter of recommendation. After a brief hesitation, he hurried to the guards’ station to report for duty.

He was hired without a hitch.

Now he just had to wait for his current term of instruction to end.

He felt a wave of emotion.

The market price for such a position wasn’t this high, but... an ordinary person could never buy a position like this on the open market.

—

In a quaint courtyard, a dressing table could be seen inside a room through a latticed window.

A woman in a blue Immortal Skirt was staring absently into the mirror before her.

Only when sunlight streamed in did she slowly come back to her senses.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her gaze clear and cold, tinged with a hint of frost.

The moment her senses returned, the room inexplicably grew chilly.

She closed her eyes slightly, and only then did the surrounding chill slowly dissipate. The flower-like mark between her brows, however, grew an even more brilliant red.

It seemed that as time passed, the pattern would grow more complex, as if it were blooming.

KNOCK KNOCK!

A knock came from the door.

The door was then opened slowly.

A maid entered, bowing respectfully. "My Lady."

Meng Qiewei raised an eyebrow, her voice calm. "What are they saying now?"

"They’re saying the reason My Lady dares not reveal his whereabouts is that he’s likely already buried in some foreign land," the maid, Qing Dai, replied.

After a pause, the maid continued, "Also, a new prodigy has appeared among the younger generation. He claims he will rise from obscurity and wishes to reclaim his Fate Chart.

"He says he can use his own brilliant radiance to draw the Fate Chart back to him.

"There’s no need to wait for the next generation."

Meng Qiewei lowered her gaze, saying nothing.

The maid hesitated for a long time, unsure if she should ask the question on her mind.

"Ask," Meng Qiewei said, her gaze falling upon Qing Dai.

Qing Dai lowered her head and whispered, "My Lady... did you kill your husband?"