Chapter 223 - Deceiving the Spirit Contract
Chapter 223 - Deceiving the Spirit Contract
This trade fair is more like a place to socialize.
For example, Mr. Wang, with his amazing background and power, and his mastery of channeled resources, the merchants of the Jing Kingdom scrambled to make friends with him.
"Fellow Daoist Wu! I just heard from Mr. Fang: Mr. Wang is going to recruit two guards and servants, with priority given to Liang cultivators, so that when he arrives in the Jing Kingdom, he will have someone to call upon."
The purple-faced man sounded slightly excited.
"Oh? If that's the case, fellow Daoist Fang can give it a try."
Lu Chang'an followed the wind of the conversation.
The purple-faced stout man was the lesser proportion of late Foundation Establishment cultivators amongst the cultivators of the ship's Liang Kingdom.
The cultivation level is an advantage when applying for a job as a guard.
If you can climb up the ranks of such a powerful man, you can ensure your safe arrival in the Jing Kingdom, and you may have the opportunity to utilize your power in the future.
"Why don't you try it out, Fellow Daoist Wu?"
"My strength is mediocre and my character is dull, I am afraid that I will not be able to serve you well."
Lu Changan shook his head.
He had little interest in all sorts of contracts that restricted his freedom.
During the trade fair, there were some Liang cultivators who signed a contract of sale with the Jing Chamber of Commerce.
Although they were exploited by the Jing Chamber of Commerce and sold cheap labor, it was better than dying in Liang or being forcibly conscripted to the Immortal Cultivation Battlefield.
For example, the purple-faced strong man, as a deserter from the battlefield, is wanted by the clan and will definitely die in Liang.
Lu Changan guessed that these chambers of commerce signed a contract with a quota limit and had to pay a certain price to the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce.
As a result, they will try to maximize their benefits when signing the contract.
During the trade fair, Lu Changan noticed Miss Wei's behavior.
Miss Wei negotiated with several Foundation Establishment Cultivators of outstanding skill.
These Foundation Establishment Cultivators meet the conditions of the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce's "offerings", and they have second-order middle to upper-grade skills. For this kind of skill talent, the contract conditions given by the major chambers of commerce are a bit more lenient.
This woman's behavior made Lu Chang'an think deeply, generating some kind of association.
......
The next afternoon, the purple-faced man returned to his room with a lost look.
Lu Chang'an then learned that the purple-faced strong man failed to become Duke Wang's guard, and he didn't even pass the preliminary selection.
Lu Chang'an understood the reason after a little thought.
The hunchbacked old servant beside Duke Wang, who could not tell the difference between the real and the fake, was at least a False Dan real person with a sharp eye.
The purple-faced stout man with a heavy murderous aura, as a battlefield deserter, his identity is not clean and he has no loyalty to speak of.
The purple-faced man quickly gave up the idea.
On the next day, he joined the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce and signed a contract of sale to become a bodyguard of the Chamber.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, signing a contract with the Chamber of Commerce, although you lose your freedom for a period of time, it is better than losing your life."
After joining the Chamber of Commerce, the purple-faced strong man tried to persuade Lu Chang'an.
"Furthermore, it is better to ride under a big tree, and the Chamber of Commerce will also provide spirit veins dojos and sustenance."
"I heard from Steward Jia: more than ten years ago, there was a Liang cultivator who excelled during the contract and bonded with the chamber's first lady, and later even became one of the chamber's principals, and those days were much more nourishing than in Liang!"
Lu Changan smiled without saying anything, this story may indeed have a prototype, but it is definitely an example of an example.
If you don't have a big pie to paint and nothing to look forward to, will the cultivators who signed the contract be willing to sell their labor for the Chamber of Commerce?
"Fellow Daoist Fang, the spirit contract you signed, can you give Wu a look?"
Lu Changan's heart moved and proposed.
"What does Fellow Daoist Wu mean by this?" The purple-faced stout man raised his eyebrows lightly and hesitantly said.
"There is a saying in the secular world that there is no business without treachery. Mister Wu wants to see if the signed spirit contract has been tampered with."
Lu Changan said cautiously.
The purple-faced stout man lost his smile, "Mister Fang is not someone who has not seen any knowledge, that spirit contract has no problem in what was agreed upon."
After saying that, he took out a Spirit Contract scroll made of yellow leather for Lu Changan to view.
"Second Order Spiritual Contract...... Fang Zhong...... Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce......"
Lu Changan checked the formatting language, the obligations of both parties, and found no faults.
Through this Spirit Contract, Lu Changan knew the full name of the purple-faced strong man: Fang Zhong.
The name Fang Zhong could also be an alias.
But it doesn't affect the binding power of the spiritual contract.
As long as you leave your mark on the contract, it will be effective.
This kind of imprint has the unique aura of a cultivator's soul.
Its binding force is similar to the oath of the heart demon, in a certain range, additional mana backlash and the effect of sensing the location.
Even if he escapes by chance, he will not be able to move within the Jing Country, and will become a wanted criminal.
This kind of second-order spirit contract, depending on the effect, is worth 1,000 to 2,000 spirit stones per copy, and is protected by the Jing Kingdom's merchant league.
"Uh, no problem."
Lu Changan nodded and returned the Spirit Contract Scroll to Fang Zhong.
When Fang Zhong left, a smile spread across the corners of Lu Chang'an's mouth.
This kind of second-stage spirit contract scroll, binding mainly targets cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage and below.
If it is a False Dan real person, signing it is almost the same as signing it for nothing, and the cost of breaching the contract is very small.
Lu Changan's Divine Sense and Body Refining have both reached the level of a Pseudo-dan Realist, so naturally, he is not afraid of signing this Spirit Contract.
In addition, with the simulated mana of his Hundred Illusion Mask, he can even try to deceive the spirit contract.
After all, it is only a second-order spirit contract, there are loopholes to be exploited.
Lu Changan made up his mind to find a good Chamber of Commerce to sign a spirit contract.
......
After a few days of private contact, Lu Changan found a relatively suitable target.
A certain guest room on the second floor of the spirit ship.
"Fellow Daoist Wu claims to be a second-ranked dan master, can you open a furnace to make dan and verify it."
On the main seat, a handsome gentleman dressed in damask and wearing a jade crown said bluntly.
The handsome gentleman was the representative of the "Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce", and the accompanying Chamber of Commerce cultivators called him Mr. Xia. "Mister Wu is not talented enough to refine a second-order spirit elixir that can be formed faster."
Lu Chang'an couldn't let the other party make a test, mainly because he was a second-order elixir master who was rather watery.
The reason why he didn't reveal his skills as a talisman master and puppeteer was because he was worried about his identity being leaked.
The ancient relics and the hidden danger of killing the Jinyang Sect cultivators are still unknown.
When we go to Jing Country, we are not familiar with the place, so it is better to take it easy.
In the Liang cultivation world, the outside world only knows that Lu Chang'an is a talisman master. Only those who are close to him know that he has also practiced puppetry.
As for the attainments of a second-ranked dan master, no one in the outside world knew about it.
"Mr. Xia, please look."
A few days later, Lu Changan successfully opened the furnace and refined three Second Order Lower Grade Recovery Pills.
Duke Xia's face was expressionless after checking the quality of the pills.
He handed the pills to the eight-bearded old man beside him.
The old man with the eight-bearded mustache carefully appraised the elixir, sniffed it with his nose, and frowned slightly.
"Your Excellency, Wu Fan is indeed a second-ranked lower-grade dan master, but his techniques are rather mediocre, and I'm afraid he doesn't have any specialties."
The eight-bearded old man with a late stage Foundation cultivation level transmitted his voice to Mr. Xia.
"He is still a second-ranked dan master, which is beneficial to the clan and the Chamber of Commerce. If this person's skills were any more advanced, he wouldn't be the turn of our Wufu Chamber of Commerce."
Mr. Xia secretly sighed and transmitted his voice.
After determining Lu Chang'an's skill.
Duke Xia asked some more questions, side-tracking and testing Lu Chang'an's bottom line.
The Chamber of Commerce has to guarantee the identity of the Liang cultivator who signed the contract.
In the event that there is an enemy spy or an evil person who commits a crime in the Jing Kingdom, the sponsoring Chamber of Commerce will have to bear the joint responsibility.
"Mr. Xia, is this twenty year contract too long?"
Lu Chang'an was not too satisfied.
Duke Xia explained, "The cultivators of your country who have signed a contract on the spirit ship basically start at twenty years, and this cannot be changed."
"What's more, we provide you, Taoist Wu, with a second-order spirit vein dojo with a beautiful environment, the basic spirit stones and rations needed for cultivation, including the service of beautiful concubines and servants......"
"The number of pills to be alchemized each year will be lowered by another thirty percent. For the portion that exceeds that, the normal remuneration is to be charged."
Lu Chang'an symbolically cut the price.
Mr. Xia and the old man with the eight-beard discussed for a while, and finally agreed to Lu Changan's request.
Lu Chang'an secretly thought, this condition is not as good as offering, but it is still a reasonable range of employment relationship.
The only criticism is that the base pay is low and the length of the term is relatively long.
However, for the Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce to sign a cultivator, a guarantee was required and a sum of spirit stones had to be paid to the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce.
Purchasing the Merchant Alliance's second-order spirit contract was also a cost.
Thus, the conditions of the Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce were considered to be one of the more lenient ones amongst the chambers Lu Chang'an dealt with.
Of course, this was due to the fact that the Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce was not very powerful and had a demand for second-order elixir masters.
In comparison, other big chambers of commerce had harsher conditions.
......
A quarter of an hour later.
Lu Chang'an and the Chamber of Commerce represented by Mr. Xia signed a Second Order Spirit Contract.
The constraints of the spirit contract were quite a bit more lenient than Fang Zhong's one.
Lu Chang'an used the "Hundred Illusion Mask" to simulate the breath of other people's magic power, leaving a mark on the second-order spirit contract.
In this way, when he arrived at the Jing Immortal Cultivation World, whether or not he would fulfill his contractual obligations would all depend on Lu Changan's mood.
"Mr. Xia, Mister Wu is now an external cultivator signed by your Chamber of Commerce, can you ensure safe arrival in the Jing Kingdom?"
Lu Chang'an inquired.
"As long as you don't encounter a demonic sect, this Chamber of Commerce can ensure your safe arrival in the Jing Country. When you enter the territory of your own country, the last identity check, with the Spirit Deed Book in place, you can easily pass."
Mr. Xia's tone was much softer, patiently answering.
"Dare I ask, what is the likelihood of encountering a demonic sect?"
Lu Chang'an had inquired on the ship before, encountering the Demon Cult was the biggest threat.
The Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce has more energy, so it can break the bank and avoid disaster.
"It's probably a one in ten chance."
Mr. Xia is quite calm. "In case of unfortunate encounters, you don't need to panic. As long as it is not a hostile target that the Demon Sect must kill, paying the ransom is sufficient."
"One out of ten?"
Lu Changan thought of that Wei girl on the spirit ship and felt that this possibility was more than doubled.
......
Without realizing it, the spirit ship of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce had been flying for a month in the barren land between the two countries.
The journey is already half over.
Lu Changan's heart is very stable: the remaining less than half of the journey, even if encountered any accidents, forced to go to Jing alone, the pressure is much smaller.
Because the area towards Jing is less affected by the Immortal Cultivation War, the risk is not as big as Liang's.
Lu Chang'an is confident that he will be able to make the journey.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, you actually joined the 'Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce'?"
"The situation of this Chamber of Commerce is not optimistic, the industry under its trade name, was suppressed by the 'Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce', in recent years, it has been losing money one after another, and is almost on the verge of not being able to sustain itself."
Fang Zhong had learned the news from somewhere, and felt unworthy of Lu Chang'an's choice.
He originally invited Lu Chang'an to join the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce, but the latter did not agree and instead joined the weaker Wu Fu Chamber of Commerce.
Only then did Lu Chang'an realize that the real inside story of the Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce was that it was actually a rivalry with the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce?
Lu Chang'an chose the Five Fortunes Chamber of Commerce because he thought it would be better to talk to him, and the conditions were more lenient, that's all.
Lu Changan didn't want to join the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce even if the conditions weren't harsh.
Because, his ship ticket, is what Li Congren got from the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce's channel.
If Lu Changan joined the Crescent Moon Chamber of Commerce, the latter would most likely investigate his situation. If the investigation is very deep, there is a certain chance that his identity will be linked to it.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, here's to you! Regardless of what the future holds, before landing in the Jing Kingdom, Fang recognizes you as a friend."
Fang Zhong drank a cup of spirit wine, his tone was bold, and his cross-fleshed face was flushed with a purple-red wine halo.
Lu Chang'an heard the meaning of the words, smiled and drank a glass.
At the same time.
On the deck at the head of the spirit ship.
The graceful golden-robed young man and the veil-covered long-haired woman stood side by side, overlooking the sea of clouds below.
"Mr. Wang, there are still a dozen or so days left before we reach the Jing Kingdom. Do you think the cultivators of the Devil Cult will make a move to rob and kill?"
Miss Wei ruffled her hair temples, her dark eyes, glossy forehead, and straight nose were dimly visible under the veil, outlining her cold and three-dimensional features.
"Miss Wei can rest assured."
Duke Wang was calm and collected, his tone resounding:
"With my son here, what's the harm even if that devilish sect cultivator comes?"
Peng!
A dull thud that shook the mountains came from the distant sky.
Duke Wang's heart fiercely trembled and his face instantly turned white with a sense of heartbeat.
At this moment, the cultivators on the entire spirit ship, qi and blood floating, tinnitus weng ringing.
"Not good!"
Not far away from the hunchbacked old man who was resting with his eyes closed, his face suddenly changed.
Swish!
He quickly got up, and together with the neighboring beautiful girl, he escorted Duke Wang back to the upper class guest room.
"Ah......"
Miss Wei covered her face with her hands in a panicked manner.
No one noticed that the corner of her lips under the veil, hooked up a touch of sneer.
......
Inside the guest room on the first floor, Lu Chang'an and Fang Zhong were also startled.
"What's that sound?"
Fang Zhong uneasily ran out of the room and looked into the distance.
"A third-stage great demon? Accompanied by a strong demonic aura?"
Lu Chang'an closed his eyes and sensed, and could not help but be moved.
Buzz!
The spirit ship of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce, with its array in full swing, slowed down to maintain order within the spirit ship.
Moo
Six or seven miles away in the sky, the black wind and strange fog whistling, came a frightening roar.
All the practitioners used their spiritual eye spells and looked into the sky, their hearts jumped.
The place of the incident, there is a huge black as iron bull, as tall as a tower, hooves like a giant pillar, stepping on the black wind and flame, flying sand swept a mile or two.
Boom! Ka!
Under its hooves, the hull of a thirty-odd feet Chamber of Commerce spirit ship cracked, and there was an unbearable tearing sound.
Inside the Spirit Ship, the Black Wind's furious flames rolled, and a mournful wail was gradually swallowed up. "Black Wind Savage Bull! The sacred beast of the Xuan Yin Demon Sect!"
On the spirit ship, some knowledgeable Chamber of Commerce cultivators had pale faces and trembling voices.
Black Wind Savage Bull, earth grade upstream bloodline, body like a diamond, infinite strength, specializes in black wind demonic techniques, extremely lethal.
In the vicinity of the Black Wind Savage Bull, there were two teams of cultivators wearing dark-colored vestments, slaughtering the injured cultivators who escaped from the spirit ship.
"Xiang Jinglong! You have joined the Devil Cult and aided and abetted the evil, sooner or later, the Liang Clan will kill you handily."
A green-shirted beautiful woman with False Dan cultivation, blood seeping out from the corner of her mouth, her spiritual light dimming and her skirt scorched black, stumbled helplessly to the ground.
"Bah! Old bitch, back in the day, when you were chasing after a certain family, how majestic were you?"
Xiang Jinglong, who has a wheatish yellow complexion and is wearing a hot gold wide robe, stomped on this False Dan female cultivator of the Li Huo Palace from top to bottom.
The green-shirted beauty's ribs shattered as she said miserably, "Xiang Jinglong...... killed the Elder's descendant...... you can't escape the great calamity...... "
"What Elder descendant, tell me clearly?"
Xiang Jinglong's face sank, his gaze somber.
Back then, after committing a crime in the Mo Family's workshop, suspected of leaking his identity, a trivial matter with insufficient evidence, he was then inexplicably on the Leaving Fire Palace's wanted list.
Over the years, he stabilized himself in the Demon Cult and tried to investigate the cause, but failed to find any clues.
At this moment, listening to the words of the green-shirted woman, he vaguely touched the truth.
Xiang Jinglong picked up the green-shirted woman and wanted to ask more questions.
He realized that the woman had already become a corpse with a little bit of warmth.
In order to prevent humiliation and torture, the other party destroyed her heart and veins with the last vestiges of her magic power.
"Bad luck!"
Gloom surfaced on Xiang Jinglong's face as he cast his gaze towards the spirit ship that was twice its size in the sky a few miles away.
"Master Xiang, it's the spirit ship of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce."
The middle-aged False Dan leader of another group of dark-robed cultivators revealed an unspoken smile.
......
The spirit ships of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce, standing by in a tight formation, tried to bypass the place of the incident.
The Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce's spirit ships were waiting in the wings, trying to go around the incident.
Moo
The Black Wind Savage Bull of the Third Order Demon was so fast that it chased after him in a dozen breaths.
Xiang Jinglong and another False Dane of the Demon Sect led two teams of cultivators to outflank them.
With Lu Changan's rich experience in running, it is not advisable to move at this time, or else he might attract the attention of the Third Order Great Demon and the False Dan of the Demon Sect.
In any case, there are two or three False Dans on the spirit ship, either explicitly or implicitly.
Waiting for the attention of the important people to be drawn and the situation to become chaotic would be the best time.
Besides, as long as that Miss Wei is on the spirit ship, Lu Chang'an doesn't have to worry about his own safety for the time being.
The other cultivators on the spirit ship, however, were in a state of panic.
Unlike Lu Chang'an, they had more insight into the situation.
There is only one False Pill real person in the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce.
He is the middle-aged man in a Confucian shirt.
"Real Person Xiang, we are serious merchants of the Jing Kingdom, and we have never underpaid our tolls every time. This time, can you......."
The middle-aged man in a Confucian shirt smiled and welcomed him out.
Glancing at the Black Wind Savage Bull above his head, casting a huge shadow, his eyelids jumped straight up.
"Nonsense few, let go of the formation! A certain family only arrests suspicious cultivators from Liang's clans!"
Xiang Jinglong said impatiently.
The Confucian-shirted middle-aged man let out a bitter smile and exchanged a few words with the stewards of a few big chambers of commerce before finally ordering the opening of the spirit ship's formation.
"Everyone stay inside the spirit ship, those who dare to come out will be killed without pardon!"
Xiang Jinglong and the middle-aged False Dan, boarded from the front and back of the spirit ship respectively, checking room by room.
This time, the search was much stricter than the Liang Clan.
Regardless of whether it is an ordinary room or a superior room, every corner, without exception.
The third-ranked demon, the Black Wind Brute Bull, hovered in the sky, its terrifyingly cold black wind demonic power suffocating the crowd of cultivators.
The two False Pill real people from the Demon Sect were monitoring the inspection of each room.
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