Dao Companions Help Me Live Forever

Chapter 256: Huang Xiaoliu's Second Encounter

The setting sun cast its rays on the ancient walls of the Wangshu Mansion City.

On the wide and orderly official road, a caravan arrived from a distant place.

A row of tamed Demonic Beasts, standing over ten feet tall, pulled huge carts with slow and heavy steps, casting long shadows on the ground.

At the back of the procession was a cargo truck.

Several guards of the caravan gathered together, discussing their plans for entertainment after returning to the city.

"Huang Team, a few of us are planning to go to the Chunfeng Tower to relax after we return. Do you want to join us?"

Huang Xiaoliu, who was sitting at the back of the truck, was momentarily stunned before coming back to his senses.

"No need. A cup of tea at Chunfeng Tower costs three Spirit Stones, and hiring a girl starts at ten Spirit Stones. I can't afford it. I'd rather spend that money on cultivating a bit more."

"Hey, Huang Team, you're living a tight life. We, your subordinates, are worried about you. The Datong Society hasn't been pressuring you to repay the debt. Who would rush to pay back money these days?"

"Yeah, I heard that those pseudo Foundation Establishment cultivators who owe the Datong Society millions of Spirit Stones have almost all defaulted. The Datong Society can't even afford debt collectors anymore."

The group of guards chattered, criticizing Huang Xiaoliu for being inflexible and lacking adaptability.

Huang Xiaoliu remained noncommittal, just smiling and saying, "This is the last debt I owe. After I pay it off, I won't owe anyone anymore. Even if they don't pressure me, without the Datong Society back then, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to break through. In life, it's better to seek peace of mind."

"Ah, Huang Team, you're always so open-minded."

"But this is also what I admire most about Huang Team. When I wanted to join the caravan, my big uncle, who was in charge of the caravan, recommended you first. Not only are you outstanding in strength, but your character is also impeccable."

"Zhang Min! Can you stop mentioning your big uncle every day? You can't help but mention him eight hundred times a day."

"If you have the ability, go find a big uncle in charge like me. I'm happy to have a big uncle."

"Hahaha..."

The few experienced Rogue Cultivators, who were also close friends, bickered and laughed, enjoying themselves.

Huang Xiaoliu rested his head on the cargo and couldn't help but smile.

He had spent seventeen years paying off a Foundation Establishment Pill, which was worth about ten thousand Spirit Stones at market price. In total, he had paid about thirty thousand Spirit Stones, not to mention the hard work he had put in, which far exceeded the value of those Spirit Stones.

When he reluctantly joined Chu Mansion's Demon-Slaying Army as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they were the ones doing the hardest and most tiring work, but receiving the lowest amount of Spirit Stones.

During his nearly ten years in the military, nearly half of his comrades had died, and he had personally faced death several times. He had even killed three Rank Two Demonic Beasts and confronted Rank Three Demon Kings multiple times.

But he still hadn't paid off the debt for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Originally, it would have been enough, but those relatives of Chu Mansion's high-ranking officials had intercepted their military achievements and pay.

There had been an incident of wage disputes before, and it was said that even Chu Mansion's Lord had personally intervened.

However, those cultivators who had caused the trouble never appeared again.

Afterwards, their pay had slightly increased, and there were fewer troublemakers.

It wasn't that they didn't want to cause trouble, but the price was too heavy.

They were ultimately no match for those in power.

Not to mention that they couldn't even be considered as arms, at most, they were just strands of hair.

Later, after the Beast Tide subsided, the Demon-Slaying Army was also disbanded.

Relying on his qualifications in the Demon-Slaying Army, he joined the current caravan as the captain of the guard, a position he had held for over eight years.

The employer gave him two thousand Spirit Stones every year, and he usually stayed in the commercial firm. However, he had to go on two escort missions each year, and if they encountered Rogue Cultivators on the road, there would be additional subsidies.

But his daily cultivation required Spirit Stones, and he needed to support his family's life and cultivation. In addition, he had to repay his debts, so he had always lived a tight life.

Even now, the large Huang family still rented a house.

Huang Xiaoliu reminisced about the eventful past decade and thought about how he would soon be debt-free. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his heart, and he was filled with confidence for the future.

Regardless of the circumstances, he was more grateful than resentful towards the Datong Society.

If it weren't for the Datong Society, he would still be far from reaching the day of Foundation Establishment. He might have already returned to the Huang family with his family to continue farming for the Young Master.

After all, as good as the mansion city was, life was not easy.

And now, he would soon be able to settle down in the mansion city. If there was a talented descendant in the Huang family, they could even enter the mansion and have the opportunity to join the Profound Yang Sect.

Even if he couldn't join the Profound Yang Sect, there was a great chance of joining some Gold Core Sects as a disciple.

Those Gold Core Sects had dedicated institutions in the mansion city for recruiting disciples. With his current strength and status, he already had the qualifications to recommend his descendants to join without going through the most common testing process.

To be able to achieve all of this, he has to thank Datong Society for giving him an opportunity.

So, when most cultivators choose to default on their debts, he chose to be seen as a fool in the eyes of others.

There are two main reasons for this.

He comes from a peasant background and is most afraid of owing others. He has seen too many people who, after accumulating debts, end up becoming slaves to others and never being able to turn their lives around.

So, even if no one is pressuring him, he always wants to repay his Spirit Stones as soon as possible.

The other reason is fear, fear of debt collectors seeking revenge. Even if Datong Society is in a dire state, their manager is a Gold Core True Immortal, and it is said that the president is a peak Gold Core True Immortal.

A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he is already considered remarkable in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the eyes of such individuals, he is no different from an ordinary person.

So, even if he has to pay less Spirit Stones each year, even if Datong Society's interest calculation is high, with the price of a Foundation Establishment Pill multiplied several times, he never considered not repaying.

Now, he is finally free.

Soon, Huang Xiaoliu entered the city with the merchant group, went to the commercial firm to claim the reward for this trip, and the other members of the escort team walked shoulder to shoulder, laughing and joking as they headed towards Chunfeng Tower.

He went to the street to buy some trinkets and gifts before returning to the small courtyard where the Huang family rented.

By now, it was already getting dark.

Sitting on the doorstep was the grandson of his second brother, who was about four or five years old, playing with a small wooden sword and making "whoosh" sounds with his mouth.

His older siblings had all gotten married and found jobs to support themselves after he left on his mission. Once they had an income, they moved out, but they all lived nearby, so they could easily gather when needed.

He, on the other hand, hadn't started a family yet, so he lived with his parents.

This child should have been brought over by his second brother and the others to keep his parents' home from feeling too empty while he was away on his mission.

"Grandpa Six!"

The young grandson had always remembered Huang Xiaoliu's appearance. Every time he came home, his parents, grandparents, and even his great-grandparents would give him advice, saying that he didn't have to recognize anyone else in the family, but he must recognize this youngest Grandpa Six and show him more respect than his own parents.

Huang Xiaoliu smiled and patted the boy's head, then flipped his palm and took out a candy, stuffing it into the boy's mouth.

"Why are you sitting at the door playing? Have you eaten?"

The boy, enjoying the sweetness of the candy, patted his little belly and proudly said, "I ate, I had a big chicken leg. Great-grandma gave it to me."

"Very good, you have to eat a lot to grow up quickly."

Huang Xiaoliu smiled and pinched the boy's cheek, holding his hand as they entered the house.

"Mom, Dad, I'm back."

Huang Xiaoliu's parents heard the commotion and came out, followed by his middle-aged second brother and sister-in-law, as well as their young son and daughter-in-law.

"Xiaoliu, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"

Although the elderly couple had a cultivation base, it wasn't high, and coupled with the excessive labor in their youth, they were now almost ninety years old and walked with a slight tremor, needing a cane for support.

In the candlelight inside the house, they held Huang Xiaoliu's hand and looked him up and down until they saw that he was intact and hadn't lost any body parts, then they breathed a sigh of relief.

Being a guard for the merchant group was not easy, and every mission meant risking their lives.

The elderly couple had worried a lot about their youngest son.

"Younger brother."

After the elderly couple and their son finished talking, the second brother's family greeted Huang Xiaoliu in a soft and respectful voice, with a hint of caution and deference in their tone.

Huang Xiaoliu nodded slightly towards the two of them.

"Second brother, sister-in-law, thank you for taking care of Mom and Dad."

Looking at the second brother and sister-in-law, whose hair had turned white, while he himself was still young and strong, even younger than their own son, Huang Xiaoliu suddenly felt the ruthlessness of time.

One day, all these loved ones would leave him.

"It's only natural, and it's not just us, the other brothers and sisters often come to see Mom and Dad too."

The second brother's family offered warm smiles, as if hearing Huang Xiaoliu's acknowledgment was better than any reward.

Upon hearing the news, the other siblings also arrived one after another.

Because of Huang Xiaoliu's return, the small courtyard was filled with people, and for a while, it burst with great vitality, with laughter and joy echoing into the night.

That night, Huang Xiaoliu slept soundly.

The last reason he worked so hard to repay his debts was because of these family members.

He didn't want his selfishness from the past to burden this whole family.

The next day.

Huang Xiaoliu woke up early and brought the reward for this mission to the headquarters of the Datong Society.

However, as soon as he arrived at the entrance, Huang Xiaoliu noticed a significant difference from before.

In the past, when he came to return the Spirit Stones, the gate of the Datong Society headquarters was always closed. He had to knock on the door for a while before the supervisor, Shanshan, who was always late, would open the door and let him in. She would then show him the bill, make the payment, and calculate the balance for the next repayment.

The supervisor was meticulous in her work. Although she was the only one, the accounts were clear and she never made any mistakes.

She secretly recorded the accounts and privately consulted others for calculations. Every time, it was accurate to the last cent. Later on, Huang Xiaoliu completely trusted the supervisor.

But this time, he found himself having to wait in line!

Since when did he have to wait in line to repay the debt to the Datong Society?!

Huang Xiaoliu didn't understand, but he was greatly shocked.

He knew that something big must have happened to the Datong Society during the time he was away, leading to the current changes.

But he had already gotten used to silence.

Since he had to wait in line, it was just a matter of being a little late. After all, it was his final debt.

He silently lined up at the back of the queue, but the discussions in front of him still reached his ears like buzzing flies.

"What! 4.7 million Spirit Stones? When did I owe so much?! I clearly paid back over a million before and only owe one million."

"Supervisor, do you really think I'm easy to bully?!"

A suppressed aura rose, along with the huge number that Huang Xiaoliu was startled by.

Damn, he had been struggling for over ten years for just a few tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, and this guy owed over four million. When would he be able to repay it all?

He looked up and saw that the person in charge of collecting the payment was still the supervisor.

The supervisor didn't have her usual listless appearance. Instead, she looked spirited and had a smiling face even in the face of an imminent outburst from a false Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Gold fellow daoist, the Datong Society has always been fair and the accounts are clear. Since seven years ago, there has been no movement on the one million Spirit Stones you owe. According to the previously agreed interest rate of 25%, you should owe 4,768,371 and a half Spirit Stones.

However, our president is magnanimous and will waive the remainder. So you still owe 4,768,371 Spirit Stones."

The crowd present: "..."

Dammit, you're talking about half a Spirit Stone as if it's nothing!

"How did it become so much? How did it become so much?"

The false Foundation Establishment cultivator stared fixedly at the accounts pointed out by Shou, where clear calculations were written. A storm surged in his mind as he frantically calculated.

In the end, it seemed like he had suffered a blow even greater than a tribulation. For a moment, he felt a bit disoriented.

"I!!!"

Seeing that he couldn't repay the huge debt, the false Foundation Establishment cultivator's evil intentions arose, and he was about to do something irrational.

But when he saw the smiling face of Shou, it was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

The supervisor in front of him wasn't terrifying; it was the president behind her who was the most terrifying.

When a Nascent Soul True Monarch is willing to reason with you and abide by the rules, it's best to honestly reason with them and abide by the rules.

Otherwise, when the Nascent Soul True Monarch no longer abides by the rules, no one can bear the consequences.

At least he couldn't bear them.

"...Can't repay!"

As the false Foundation Establishment cultivator weakened, he lowered his proud head heavily.

When facing a Rank Three Demon King back then, he could still stand tall and smash his spiritual arts onto the Demon King's head.

But in the face of such a huge debt, he could only bow his head in surrender.

"That's not a problem. The Datong Society has a special solution for customers who can't repay their debts."

"The first option is to pay in installments. The amount will be calculated based on the current debt and can be divided into one hundred installments, one installment per year, with an interest rate of 25%."

"Fellow daoist can choose to pay the principal first and then the interest, or pay the interest first and then the principal."

"The former option requires a larger repayment in the preceding entry stage, but it becomes easier as you repay more. The latter option requires a smaller repayment in the preceding entry stage, but the pressure becomes heavier later on."

"The second option is to sign a hundred-year employment contract with the Datong Society. Within a hundred years, you will be under the control of the Datong Society. If you can survive after a hundred years, your debt to the Datong Society will be considered cleared."

"Only seven years... just seven years..." The false Foundation Establishment cultivator muttered in disbelief.

Shou watched coldly, even sneering in her heart.

If he honestly repaid the debt, according to the contract, he would only have to repay a total of 2.5 million Spirit Stones over ten years, which was the true interest rate of 25%.

Even if he couldn't repay it in ten years, the remaining Spirit Stones would be recalculated based on the new debt interest rate, and the number wouldn't be too terrifying, at most doubling.

In fact, even the cost might not be recovered this way.

After all, on the path of cultivation, accidents could happen, and one could die halfway. Cultivators who could fully repay a debt cycle were probably less than thirty percent.

But these guys dared to watch coldly at the most difficult time for the Datong Society and even thought about shirking their debts. They would have to taste the pain of compound interest.

"Jin fellow daoist, there are two choices, please choose."

Gui Shou seemed to say casually,

"Jin fellow daoist, don't think that dying will solve everything. Our sect leader has made it clear that if the debtor intentionally dies due to debt, then the debt will be transferred to their sect or family."

Jin, with the surname Jin, a false Dan cultivator, smiled bitterly.

"Back then, I survived the dangerous battles against the demonic army. I don't believe that the Da Tong Sect can torment me to death in just a hundred years. I choose the second option!"

Gui Shou extended his hand towards the back hall and said calmly,

"Jin fellow daoist, since you have made the second choice, please go to the back and sign the contract with our sect leader in person."

Upon hearing that the Nascent Soul True Monarch was sitting in the back, the last trace of resistance in Jin's mind dissipated, and he stumbled towards the back.

Gui Shou withdrew his gaze, knowing that this guy was about to experience the same treatment as he did before, being forced to surrender his soul and have his life and death controlled by others.

As for the hundred-year deadline, naturally, there might be some survivors, but the chances were extremely slim.

Huang Xiao Liu, who was standing in the back, watched as a highly respected false Dan cultivator became a servant-like figure.

He secretly swallowed his saliva, his heart pounding with immense relief.

Fortunately, he was timid and didn't dare to default on his debts.

Otherwise, if even a false Dan cultivator couldn't default, what would he be?

Next, almost all the false Dan cultivators chose the second option, although there were a few who stubbornly chose to repay with spirit stones.

However, they would soon realize that the heavy debt would force them to make the right choice.

On the other hand, Foundation Establishment cultivators accumulated much less debt.

Most of them had concerns similar to Huang Xiao Liu's, thinking that even if the Da Tong Sect fell into decline, it would still be easy to deal with a few Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Although these people didn't repay their debts as diligently as Huang Xiao Liu, they would still make partial repayments every now and then, so their debts weren't too high.

Slowly, it was Huang Xiao Liu's turn.

Gui Shou immediately recognized this honest guy, and a sincere smile appeared on his face.

"It's you."

Huang Xiao Liu showed a respectful smile and placed a storage bag in front of Gui Shou.

"Senior, my name is Huang Xiao Liu, and this is the last batch of spirit stones I owe."

"I know."

Gui Shou didn't even look and casually put away the storage bag.

"Huang Xiao Liu, right?"

"Yes, senior."

"Where are you currently working?"

"Chen Family Trading Company."

Huang Xiao Liu honestly replied.

"Are you interested in changing jobs? Our sect leader heard that there is a fool who repays on time, and he is quite interested in you."

Gui Shou smiled.

Huang Xiao Liu's hairs stood on end, feeling the breath of the people behind him instantly hold their breath, and the air became quiet. A pair of intense gazes stared at the back of his head.

"The trading company treats me well..."

Huang Xiao Liu hesitated for a moment and tactfully declined,

"Please allow me to consider it."

"It's alright. Come over when you've made up your mind. The Da Tong Sect needs someone like you, and the door is always open for you."

Gui Shou was very easygoing.

"Thank you, senior."

Huang Xiao Liu left in a daze.

Just as he walked out of the gate of the Da Tong Sect, a group of people surrounded him.

"Fellow daoist, where are you from? I heard a familiar accent from you just now. We might be from the same hometown."

"Have you married? It doesn't matter if you have or haven't. I have a younger sister who is twenty-eight years old and exceptionally beautiful. I would like you to meet her."

"Young brother, I am Chen Bai Li, the steward of the Chen Family Trading Company. How about we have a detailed discussion?"

"Oh my god, Fellow daoist Huang! I also have the surname Huang. I feel a strong connection with you. Let's become brothers with the same surname!"

...

The voices were chaotic, making Huang Xiao Liu feel like he had become the center of the world.

He raised his head in confusion, feeling that this world had gone mad.

(End of this chapter)