Sword Sect Little Demon Child, Three and a Half Years Old and Extremely Fierce

Chapter 9 Bankruptcy

A month later.

I have stabilized at the mid-stage of Qi Refining and have learned the simplest sword moves.

The senior students were very satisfied, as satisfied as if they had seen their own pigs finally learning to root for cabbages.

Shen Qingchen: "Hmm, my sword swings are stronger now!"

Suning: "My horse stance is more stable now! I can hold it for half an hour!!"

Yan Chuan: "He learns to read quickly too; he can already write the three characters 'Heavenly Sword Sect'!!"

Murong Zhuo: "My physical strength has improved rapidly. The medicinal bath can be upgraded. Next time, let's try adding a scorpion tail."

Me: "...Can I not?"

Murong Zhuo: "If so, then let's change to centipede legs."

Me: "...Let's keep the scorpion tail."

At least a scorpion's tail doesn't sound like it has as many legs.

Gu Chenguang was still taking notes in his notebook, summarizing at the end of the month:

Junior Sister's cultivation results:

—Cultivation level: Mid-stage Qi Refining✓

—Body Training: Beginner's Guide✓

—Sword Techniques: Twelve Basic Forms✓

—Literacy: 308 characters ✓

—Writing characters: 3 ✓

Number of medicinal baths: 12

Total expenditure: -1200 low-grade spirit stones

— Inventory balance: 300 low-grade spirit stones

I leaned closer to take a look.

Then, pointing to a line of text, he asked, "What does this say?"

Gu Chenguang closed his notebook: "It's nothing."

But I saw it.

—Note: The sect is on the verge of bankruptcy.

---------

During dinner that day.

Senior Brother Shen Qingchen handed over a porcelain bottle and a bag of spirit stones.

The porcelain bottle contained one Peiyuan Pill, which emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.

One hundred mid-grade spirit stones are equivalent to 10000 low-grade spirit stones.

For a poor sect like ours, this is a huge sum of money.

Holding the spirit stone, my eyes lit up: "Senior Brother, you've struck it rich?"

Shen Qingchen shook his head: "I accepted the escort mission, this is the deposit."

Me: "What task?"

Su Ning immediately chimed in: "Senior Brother has landed a big job! Escorting several prodigies from the Spirit Control Sect into the Illusionary Beast Ruins to capture spirit beasts!"

Me: "Is it dangerous?"

Yan Chuan's expression was serious: "Danger level 3. No one below the Nascent Soul stage dares to enter lightly. Usually, sect elders lead disciples in for training."

Me: "Then why hire the senior apprentice?"

Murong Zhuo explained, "Sect training is usually organized only once every few years. At other times, disciples with lower cultivation levels either travel in pairs or hire guards to enter."

Gu Chenguang said with envy, "Those disciples of the Yuling Sect all have mines in their families. They hire guards without batting an eye."

Me: "Have you senior brothers been to the Mystic Beast Maze before?"

Suning nodded: "I've been there."

Yan Chuan scratched his head: "I've teamed up before to go in and capture monsters to sell for money."

Murong Zhuo added, "However, most demonic beasts possess innate supernatural abilities, making them difficult to capture."

Gu Chenguang thought for a moment, "By the way, Senior Brother, remember to gather more spiritual herbs and medicines! Once Second Elder returns after completing his studies, we can refine pills ourselves!"

He paused, then added, "Although we don't even have a pill-refining furnace right now."

Shen Qingchen nodded, then looked at me: "Junior Sister, is there anything you want? A spirit beast?"

I thought for a moment and shook my head: "No, I just want my senior brother to come back safely."

Shen Qingchen paused for a moment, then smiled and patted my head: "Okay."

------

The next day, the eldest brother was about to set off.

The other senior students surrounded him, offering their advice and instructions all at once.

Su Ning: "Senior Brother, remember to bargain! The escort fee must be at least 500 mid-grade spirit stones! Not a discount!"

Yan Chuan: "Gather any spiritual herbs and medicines you see! Why not take them if they're free!"

Murong Zhuo: "Run first if you encounter danger! Money is secondary; your life is paramount!"

Gu Chenguang: "Also... be careful."

Shen Qingchen agreed to each and every one of them.

Then he looked at me and said, "While I'm away, listen to your senior brothers (third, fourth, fifth, and sixth), cultivate diligently, and don't wander off."

I nodded: "Yes."

Then she stood on tiptoe and slipped a piece of candy into his hand.

He bought it for me yesterday, but I couldn't bear to finish it.

Shen Qingchen was taken aback, then smiled gently and reached out to ruffle my hair.

Then he waved to everyone and left.

He left gracefully, soaring through the air on his sword, his robes fluttering, like a sword immortal from a folk tale going to save the world.

Then he landed halfway up the mountain and flew back because he had forgotten to bring dry food.

Su Ning stuffed the three steamed buns she had saved up into his hands.

Shen Qingchen took the steamed bun and said earnestly, "I'll return it to you when I get back."

Suning: "No need to pay it back, just remember to add interest."

Shen Qingchen nodded: "Okay."

Then he finally flew away.

I watched his figure disappear into the clouds, then turned and asked, "Does Senior Brother owe you a lot of money?"

Su Ning thought for a moment: "About... three hundred and eighty mid-grade spirit stones."

Yan Chuan added, "It hasn't been paid back for eighteen years."

Murong Zhuo sighed: "However, the interest rate is increasing every year. In another fifty years, Senior Brother will be completely unable to pay it back."

Gu Chenguang whispered, "Actually, he did it on purpose. If he owes too much money, no one will dare to urge him to pay it back."

I:"……"

understood.

This is the cultivation world version of "Why should money borrowed through one's own abilities be repaid?"

------

After my senior brother left, I felt empty inside.

Although we've only known each other for a month, I've already gotten used to seeing my senior brother every day.

I was used to him supervising my training, standing expressionless beside me like a human-shaped sword stake.

I'm used to him combing my hair. Although he doesn't comb it as well as Su Ning, he's gentle and doesn't pull out any hair.

I'm used to him silently slipping candy into my hand without saying a word, then turning and leaving like a thief.

Su Ning put his arm around my shoulder: "Don't worry, Senior Brother is very strong."

Yan Chuan: "That's right! Nascent Soul stage! In the cultivation world, you can basically do whatever you want!"

Murong Zhuo: "And if you can't win, you can run away!"

Gu Chenguang: "That's right, the speed of a sword cultivator is unmatched by ordinary people."

I took a deep breath and turned to my senior classmates: "Okay, so what do we do now?"

The senior disciples shouted in unison, "Cultivate!"

------

So I continued to train with my senior classmates.

But after taking Peiyuan Dan, I felt that the warm current in my body became more stable.

The meridians are also more unobstructed.

It's like a mountain road that was originally bumpy and uneven has suddenly been paved with stone slabs.

Although it's still a mountain road, at least it's not painful on my feet anymore.

Seeing that I was in good condition, my fellow disciples decided to let me continue cultivating my spiritual power.

However, the time was still strictly controlled.

Su Ning held up two fingers: "Two hours, not a quarter of an hour more!"

I nodded: "Understood."

Then obediently cultivate.

Then, a day later, I broke through.

Late stage of Qi Refining!

Yes, it only took one day!

My fellow disciples surrounded me, their expressions as complicated as if they had drunk spoiled herbal soup.

Su Ning stammered, "Junior Sister... your cultivation speed is a bit too fast, isn't it?"

Yan Chuan counted on his fingers: "From the mid-stage to the late stage of Qi Refining, it takes an ordinary person at least three years. I took a year and a half, and my senior brother took half a year..."

Murong Zhuo sighed, "Junior Sister only used it for one day."

Gu Chenguang timidly raised his hand: "It took me two years..."

I blinked: "So, am I really amazing?"

silence.

A long silence.

Su Ning managed to say, "Impressive, indeed..."

Yan Chuan continued, "But here's the problem."

Murong Zhuo: "Your spiritual energy consumption rate is ten times that of an ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator."

Gu Chenguang pulled out his ledger: "This Spirit Gathering Array is worth 100 mid-grade spirit stones. Once you break through, those 100 spirit stones will be gone."

He turned a page: "Moreover, the surrounding spiritual energy is thinner, and it will take at least a month to recover."

The last page records the junior sister's cultivation achievements:

—Cultivation level: Late stage of Qi Refining✓

Sect Spirit Stone Inventory: 0

—Aura concentration: -70%

Note: The sect went bankrupt, and so did the spiritual energy.

Looking at the sparse spiritual energy around me, I felt a little guilty: "Am I using too much spiritual energy?"

The senior students all shook their heads.

Suning: "It's not your fault, we're just too poor."

Yan Chuan: "Yes, if we had the money, we could use spirit stones to help you reach the Nascent Soul stage!"

Murong Zhuo: "It's a good thing that my junior sister has such talent; we can't let it go to waste."

Gu Chenguang: "Exactly! It's just spirit stones, we'll figure something out!"