Chapter 82: Moving into Jiayi Cave! The two lost all their money!
Three become tigers.
Rumors in this world spread as quickly as the plague.
More and more cultivators began to doubt Xiao Changqing's strength, and also doubted how high the current safety factor of Nanshanfang was, and whether it would become the next Yinye Peak.
Although this view has not yet become mainstream, it has inevitably caused panic among the people and caused considerable chaos in Nanshanfang.
The most direct impact was that the prices of strategic resources such as various magical instruments, talismans, and elixirs began to rise quietly, while the price of Nanshanfang's "real estate", which had been prosperous for many years, began to fall like an avalanche.
By the time the "house speculators" of the early years realized that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and started to think about selling, it was too late.
At the beginning, the product may still be sold if the price is reduced by 20% or 30%, but people feel that a 20% or 30% reduction is too much of a loss, so they want to negotiate whether the price can be set higher, and thus a tug-of-war begins.
As a result, after a few days of trading, when I looked back, I found that no one was buying even if the price was reduced by 20% or 30%!
The price changed almost every day. Ten days after the rumor spread, the prices in the major stores and caves in Nanshanfang dropped by nearly half!
The middle and lower class real estate speculators are suffering terribly, some are even going bankrupt, their years of savings are lost in one day, and they even owe money after selling their caves.
But for the upper-level monks, the decline in property values is not that serious to them.
For example, for the cultivators in the Yi-shaped Cave, even if some of them own caves, shops and other real estate, they will definitely not occupy the majority of their assets. Even if the price drops sharply, it will not cause any serious damage.
What they were more concerned about was the safety of Nanshanfang and whether Xiao Changqing's strength was really as rumored, capable of threatening cultivators in the late stage of foundation building.
Not only the cultivators in the Yi-shaped Cave Mansion, but even within the Cao family, which has now returned to being the number one family, there are many voices of doubt.
Even the Cao family's supreme elder, who was another foundation-building cultivator besides the family head Cao Hao, expressed extreme doubts about this.
"Master, are you really planning to give up the Jiayi Cave Residence and let Xiao Changqing live there?"
The Cao family's supreme elder has white hair and beard, but his mental state is very good, with white hair and a youthful face and ruddy complexion.
He is over two hundred years old, which is considered old age for a foundation-building cultivator with a lifespan of one hundred and eighty years.
Although his cultivation has remained at the initial stage of foundation building for so many years and has not improved, and has been overtaken by Cao Hao, his seniority in the Cao family is higher than Cao Hao, and he has done a great favor to Cao Hao, so his status is transcendent, and his voice within the Cao family is no weaker than Cao Hao.
Cao Hao was also willing to listen to some of the other party's suggestions.
"Yeah. It's the same if I live in Cave No. 2." Cao Hao nodded.
The Cao family's Grand Elder was quite displeased when he heard this. "What do you mean by the same? Only the spiritual veins of the Jiayi Cave Mansion have barely reached the level of the second-grade upper grade, and the Jiaer Cave Mansion is only the second-grade middle grade. If you want to impact the late stage of foundation building, it's best to live in the Jiayi Cave Mansion! Moreover, the Jiayi Cave Mansion was originally where you lived, but it was only occupied by Mu Renjie in the past two years. Go talk to Xiao Changqing and let him live in the Jiaer Cave Mansion."
Cao Hao said helplessly: "When I met with Master Xiao Fu yesterday, I had already finalized this matter. How can I regret it?"
The Cao family's Grand Elder blew his beard and glared, and said angrily: "This Xiao Changqing really has a big appetite, and he accepts everyone who comes! He is a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and it is enough for him to live in a Class B cave. Even if you said to give him the Class A cave, if he knows what's good for him, he should give it up and give it to the person who needs it most! Isn't it a waste of resources and a waste of talent for him to live in the Class A cave?"
After he finished speaking, he paused, still not satisfied, and continued: "Does he really think he can threaten a cultivator in the late stage of foundation building? Does he really think that others are fools and can't see that this is a lie made up by Gong Wansheng? In my opinion, Mu Renjie must have been killed by Gong Wansheng! Xiao Changqing, at most, just helped him! After all, Xiao Changqing is the talisman master of the Lingfu Pavilion, and he is also half a member of the Luoxia Sect. And in order to control Nanshanfang and have the highest say in Nanshanfang, the Luoxia Sect gave the credit for getting rid of Mu Renjie to Xiao Changqing!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Hao quickly made a gesture to silence him and said sternly, "Grand Elder, be careful with what you say! Although Master Xiao has only reached the ninth level of Qi training, his status as a second-level Talisman Master is already real. Moreover, although it is a bit unbelievable that a ninth-level Qi training master can threaten a late-stage foundation building master, it cannot be completely unbelievable. The example of Mu Renjie a few years ago is still vivid in our minds!"
When the five major foundation-building families in Nanshanfang were fighting each other, the Cao family had two foundation-building families. As the undisputed number one family at the time, they were full of confidence and believed that they could profit from it and make the family stronger again.
The Mu family and Mu Renjie were not taken seriously by them at all.
As a result, Mu Renjie taught them a severe lesson.
If Cao Hao had not secretly reached the middle stage of foundation building and had not possessed a second-level formation, the Cao family might have been exterminated like the Zhang and Xu families and disappeared in the history of Nanshanfang.
"Mu Renjie used evil spirits to forcibly improve his strength. Could it be that Xiao Changqing is also possessed by evil spirits?" The Cao family's Grand Elder did not care and said coldly: "No matter what, I don't believe that Xiao Changqing can kill Mu Renjie. What, Patriarch, are you sure that Xiao Changqing is really as unfathomable as Gong Wansheng said?"
They underestimated Mu Renjie at the beginning, and ended up suffering a great loss, which almost destroyed the Cao family's century-old foundation.
But Mu Renjie's case is a special one and it is difficult to replicate.
Cao Hao shook his head and did not answer directly. Instead, he said, "Even if Master Xiao Fu's strength is not as incredible as Gong Wansheng said, taking a step back... since Luoxia Sect wants to promote him as the person with the most say in Nanshan Square, can we object?"
The Cao family's supreme elder was silent now.
Even if this is Luoxia Sect’s plan, so what?
Could the Cao family still confront the Luoxia Sect? That would be like an egg hitting a stone.
Cao Hao continued to persuade, "No matter what, the threat of the evil cultivators of the Demon Cult is real. With Xiao Changqing being regarded as the number one expert in Nanshanfang, it is equivalent to having the Luoxia Sect in front of us. This is a good thing for our Cao family! Our Cao family's roots are in Nanshanfang, and we cannot afford to lose them, but the roots of the Luoxia Sect are not in Nanshanfang. If one day, the Luoxia Sect really abandons Nanshanfang and allows the evil cultivators to invade and occupy it, it will be a real disaster for our Cao family!"
The Cao family's supreme elder stroked his white beard and nodded in agreement.
Finally, he just sighed: "It's really annoying to let a young man at the ninth level of Qi Refining stand above my Cao family and other foundation-building cultivators. It's so aggrieved..."
……
There's nothing aggrieved about it.
Not only did Cao Hao give Cave No. 1 to Xiao Changqing, but he also personally showed up on Xiao Changqing's housewarming day to present him with a gift.
This means that the Cao family recognizes Xiao Changqing's strength, and Mu Renjie's death is mainly due to Xiao Changqing's contribution.
This move has somewhat curbed the rumors that were spreading like wildfire.
Nowadays, the Cao family, the number one family in Nanshanfang, recognizes that Xiao Changqing is the most powerful fighter. Cao Hao, who is in the middle stage of foundation building, is also willing to give up the No. 1 Cave Mansion, which symbolizes the highest honor in Nanshanfang, to Xiao Changqing to live in.
Isn’t this convincing enough?
This means that from now on, the one who has the highest say in Nanshanfang will not be the Cao family, but Xiao Changqing and the Lingfu Pavilion.
"Is the Cao family trying to push me forward? I didn't expect that the head of the Cao family is a fellow traveler!"
Xiao Changqing looked at the spacious Cave No. 1, thoughtfully.
The battle that took place at No. 10 Yizi that night was mainly an attack on the spiritual level. That is, Xiao Changqing activated several second-level attack talismans, which caused great damage to the yard and completely ineffective the formation.
But if it is renovated, it will not affect living.
But since the Cao family wanted to give him the Jiayi Cave, Xiao Changqing thought about it and did not refuse.
It’s a waste if you don’t stay!
The second-grade superior spiritual vein in Jiayi Cave is unique in Nanshanfang and is of certain help in cultivation and drawing talismans.
As for Cao Hao's idea of putting him in front, that was impossible.
He has no family to support him and is all alone. If he really encounters danger, it would be unreasonable for your Cao family not to shoulder the responsibility and let him take the lead.
He even took over the position of the manager of Lingfu Pavilion temporarily.
After the new manager arranged by Luoxia Sect arrived, he would continue to be a talisman master.
He just needs to provide the talisman firepower support!
……
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
The impact of Mu Renjie's death has finally stabilized.
Stabilizing does not mean calming down. The chaos and panic in Nanshanfang remain, but they have not worsened.
Just like housing prices, it can't be really cheap and given away for free to all cultivators. The cultivator population of Nanshanfang is over 10,000, and all the caves of A, B, C, and D combined are less than 5,000. There must be a large number of low-level cultivators who are crowded in cramped shantytowns with weak spiritual energy.
But compared to its peak, only one third remains.
When it reached this price, it stabilized and did not continue to fall.
After all, even if Nanshanfang cannot be defended and is occupied by evil cultivators in the future, as long as there are spiritual veins in Nanshanfang, there will still be cultivators living here.
So it is impossible for housing prices to return to zero.
But many "house speculators", a large number of middle and lower-level monks from Nanshanfang, have lost their savings of decades or even hundreds of years.
For example, Hu Youquan, a monk who was so impulsive that he borrowed money and leveraged to buy a house when housing prices were at their peak, has now lost all his money.
Now he no longer had the high spirits and fighting spirit he had before, and he no longer threatened to become a high-ranking monk in Nanshanfang by relying on his assets. Instead, he was in a state of panic all day long, and whenever someone came to visit him, he would be scared out of his wits, fearing that it was a creditor.
The world of immortal cultivation is just like the mortal world, there are also places like loan sharks that lend money at high interest rates.
Normally monks would not get involved in such things, but sometimes, out of ignorance, gamblers, or being forced into a desperate situation, there will always be monks who take risks.
The capital for the several shops and caves that Hu Youquan later purchased was basically obtained by borrowing high-interest loans.
"Buzz!"
There was movement in the cave's formation, and someone came to the door.
Hu Youquan's body suddenly stiffened, a look of horror appeared on his face. He pushed Zhou Yun'e to the front, not daring to breathe.
"Hu Youquan, get out! I know you're at home, can you hide here?"
Outside the cave, the creditor really showed up.
"Yun'e, you...you go and get rid of them."
Hu Youquan's eyes were red and he spoke tremblingly.
Ever since Mu Renjie's death, the people of Nanshanfang have changed their minds and all kinds of rumors have spread. Many cultivators say that Nanshanfang will soon become the next Yinyefeng market and will be conquered by evil cultivators.
There are even some monks who are willing to risk their lives to leave Nanshanfang and escape.
The housing prices in Nanshanfang have been falling again and again.
At first, Hu Youquan was unwilling to lower the price, but later on, even if he wanted to lower the price, he couldn't sell it.
Now all the shops and caves I own are ruined.
If he sells it at the current market price, not only will all his savings of many years be lost, but he won't even be able to pay back the high-interest loans he borrowed!
Now he can only hold on, hoping that the housing prices in Nanshanfang will pick up.
But the creditors from whom he borrowed money obviously would not give him the time to wait like this, and the interest every month was his death warrant.
So in Hu Youquan's heart, Xiao Changqing has been his nightmare in the past few years. He is the person he envies, hates and envies the most. He wishes Xiao Changqing would die suddenly. But now, he very much hopes that Xiao Changqing can stand up and show that he is a real late foundation building cultivator, or even a strong man comparable to a Jindan Zhenren, so that he can deter the current chaotic situation, reassure all the cultivators in Nanshanfang and get back on track.
It sounds a bit funny, but this is indeed what Hu Youquan really thinks.
He became Xiao Changqing's most staunch "supporter".
As for hatred, jealousy and so on, he couldn't care less and couldn't have such thoughts.
Xiao Changqing is already a second-rank talisman master and lives in the Grade 1 Cave Residence. Who does he think he is and does he have the right to be jealous?
"Will it be useful for me to go? They come to find you. Every time I go out, do they pay attention to me?" Zhou Yun'e was still as cold as before.
It’s just that she used to be cold and arrogant, but now she is numb and desperate.
When Hu Youquan was crazy about buying shops and caves, she had said everything, but she couldn't stop him because Hu Youquan didn't listen to her at all.
In this situation now, Hu Youquan remembered her and was willing to listen to her. What else could she do?
boom!
The debt-collecting monks outside the cave finally lost their patience and forcibly broke the cave's formation. Several monks with cultivation levels of the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining rushed in with unfriendly faces.
Hu Youquan was so frightened that his whole body was shaking.
"Everyone, let's talk it over nicely. Don't use violence! I will pay you back the spiritual stones I owe you, but please give me some time!" Hu Youquan nodded and said humbly.
"It's okay to give you some time. But you have to pay the interest first!" the debt collector scolded coldly.
"I really have no spiritual stones now! Even if you kill me, I can't give them out!" Hu Youquan showed pain and said, "How about I transfer my shop and cave to you? I used the spiritual stones I borrowed from you to buy the shop and cave. Now I transfer them to you, and I don't want my capital and the interest I paid over the years! I just want us to settle our debts, what do you think?"
"Who wants your cave and shop? You borrowed spiritual stones, so you have to pay them back, understand?" The debt collector was completely unkind. He looked at Hu Youquan and Zhou Yun'e and said, "Why are you still wearing robes when you have no spiritual stones? For the time being, use your magic tools, robes, talismans, and elixirs to compensate! Search me! Take away all the valuables!"
"No! You can't do this!" Hu Youquan was both angry and furious.
Zhou Yun'e could no longer maintain her cold and arrogant expression and wanted to resist.
But Zhou Yun'e and Hu Youquan were only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and each of the three people who came to collect debts had a higher level of cultivation than them.
Once the fight started, they had no power to resist at all.
The first one to come was Hu Youquan, who was grabbed by the neck by a burly man and dared not move. His robe was forcibly stripped away, and all the valuables on his body were also looted.
These people were quite polite. They did not search Zhou Yun'e directly, but let her take off her robe and call out the valuables.
"I advise you to cooperate and not try any tricks. Otherwise, don't blame me and my brothers for being unethical and searching you as well," the debt collector threatened.
Zhou Yun'e was extremely humiliated.
She never imagined that one day she would end up like this.
In the secular world, she was the most beautiful woman on the Jianghu Beauties List, and her suitors were numerous. She easily captured Xiao Changqing, the most talented and noble prince's son in the Jianghu at that time.
When they arrived at the world of immortal cultivation, although Xiao Changqing failed to give her a good life, making her feel very depressed and living in a shantytown, Xiao Changqing tried his best to give her the best things he could provide, and was unwilling to let her down even if he had to eat coarse food himself.
Life was hard, but Xiao Changqing never let anyone bully her or search her!
She had been looking for a job in the shantytown for more than ten years, and finally found Hu Youquan, the best choice within her reach who was willing to make every effort for her. She didn't expect that the final result would be like this.
Hu Youquan was also in great pain, and shouted angrily: "You can't do this to me, and you can't do this to her? Do you know who she is? She is the number one person in Nanshanfang today, and a friend of Master Xiao Fu! If this matter gets to Master Xiao Fu's ears, not to mention you, even your boss behind you will be in trouble!"
After saying this, he felt even more painful inside, as if being cut by a knife, and he couldn't help but almost burst into tears.
Unexpectedly, one day he would need to rely on Xiao Changqing's name to threaten his enemies.
What a shame!
Unfortunately, these debt collectors didn't buy it at all and taunted, "Hu Youquan, do you think we are fools? Don't you know what's going on? Will Master Xiao Fu help you? Haha, if Master Xiao Fu knew about this, he would applaud! You still have the nerve to say that you are Master Xiao Fu's friends. Have you forgotten how you two treated Master Xiao Fu in the beginning? You are an idiot who doesn't know the real deal. You are the biggest joke in the entire Nanshanfang. Now you dare to use Master Xiao Fu's name to bluff people? Don't you see what kind of people you are?"
Hu Youquan was speechless and cried silently.
Zhou Yun'e closed her eyes and shouted angrily, "Stop talking! I'll take it off for you!"
~
ps: I updated late yesterday, today's chapter is 5,000 words. There will be updates in the evening, I will try to update more, does anyone have monthly tickets?
(End of this chapter)
