556: Chapter 557 Loans

Three rounds of drinks had passed, and the night was already deep.

The lights outside Shenque Pavilion grew sparse, and in the private room, only the lingering sound of cups clinking remained.

Patrol Envoy Zhang set down his wine cup, the smile on his face fading slightly as he adopted a candid, heart-to-heart expression.

"Brother Wang, since you've already decided, let's not dawdle. How about this: transfer your Talisman Contract to me, and I'll make the trip on your behalf."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's movements paused slightly, his fingers stopping at the rim of his wine cup.

He knew what a Talisman Contract transfer was; it was exactly what it sounded like.

The 'Talisman' was the official position, and the 'Contract' was the proof.

A Talisman Contract transfer symbolized the temporary transfer of authority; holding it in one's stead meant exercising a portion of that authority on another's behalf.

Patrol Envoy Zhang's meaning was clear: he wanted Lu Ming to authorize him so he could handle the matter of taking out a loan of Power Of Faith.

Lu Ming did not answer immediately. He remained silent for a moment before looking up at Patrol Envoy Zhang, his tone carrying a perfectly measured hint of hesitation.

"Patrol Envoy, shouldn't this matter be handled in person? I was hoping to go with you to gain some experience."

His tone was full of caution; clearly, he was not at ease with this.

Patrol Envoy Zhang waved his hand, smiling even more gently.

"Brother Wang, you don't understand!"

"Those places… without someone familiar leading the way, you wouldn't even find the door. They are extremely exclusionary and generally don't allow strangers to enter. So, it's enough for me to go this time; you can just wait for the news in peace."

He patted Lu Ming's shoulder, speaking with earnest concern.

"Rest assured, with me here, I won't let you suffer any losses."

Lu Ming did not reply immediately, only lowering his gaze as if weighing the pros and cons.

Seeing this, Patrol Envoy Zhang added, "Besides, what kind of friendship do we have? Can't you trust me?"

When he said this, his tone was exceptionally sincere, as if he truly regarded Lu Ming as a friend of many years.

Lu Ming was silent for a good while, as if finally making up his mind.

He looked up, revealing a slightly reluctant smile.

"Then… I shall trouble you, Patrol Envoy. You must make sure to handle this well for me."

Patrol Envoy Zhang nodded hurriedly. "Don't worry, don't worry."

Lu Ming hesitated no longer. He closed his eyes and activated the "supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman" official Talisman within his body.

A faint golden phantom of the Talisman slowly emerged from between his brows, hovering between the two of them. The runes flowed and circulated, emitting a gentle, warm spiritual light.

Lu Ming reached out and made a light sweeping motion in the Void Realm, as if undoing a lock.

The official Talisman trembled slightly and then drifted toward Patrol Envoy Zhang.

This process was equivalent to an authorization, handing the temporary usage rights of the official Talisman to Patrol Envoy Zhang.

Now, Patrol Envoy Zhang could take this object to secure a loan.

Patrol Envoy Zhang took the official Talisman, examined it carefully, and confirmed there were no issues, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

However, he did not show too much joy, simply nodding with a steady tone.

"Very well, Brother Wang, rest assured. In three days at most, I will bring you good news."

Lu Ming cupped his hands. "Then I will leave it to you, Patrol Envoy."

Patrol Envoy Zhang then gave a few more instructions, nothing more than "don't run around, I'll be back soon," before rising to leave.

Watching his back disappear at the doorway of the private room, Lu Ming did not stand up to see him off.

He simply picked up his wine cup and took a light sip.

The expression on his face slowly faded from the earlier "hesitation," replaced by one of amusement.

He set down the wine cup and muttered to himself.

"You want to swindle me? You're not qualified!"

His tone carried a hint of mockery as he closed his eyes, sensing the connection between himself and the official Talisman within his body.

Although the official Talisman had been taken away by Patrol Envoy Zhang, the Karma between them remained firmly in his hands.

The night was like ink. Patrol Envoy Zhang walked out of Shenque Pavilion, his figure pausing slightly in the shadows of the street corner.

He did not leave immediately but stood under the eaves, slowly narrowing his eyes.

He looked down at the warm official Talisman in his sleeve, a curve slowly forming at the corner of his mouth.

A Low Grade Spirit Official official Talisman was, in his hands, a key that could pry open several banks.

How much should he borrow with this official Talisman? And how could he make all that money fall into his own pocket in the shortest amount of time?

After all, these banks communicated with each other; it was impossible for them to lend a large amount of Power Of Faith to the same person.

Therefore, the best method was to borrow a sum from each bank as quickly as possible within a short period, before they could react, and then rapidly transfer it away, leaving only a tiny balance in Wang Chan's account.

In any case, this person was an outsider with no Foundation; even when the debt collection eventually reached him, he would already be penniless.

As for how much debt remained at the end, or whether there was the ability to repay it, what did that have to do with him, Patrol Envoy Zhang?

The more Patrol Envoy Zhang thought about it, the more perfect and flawless the plan seemed, as if he could already see the surging Power Of Faith falling into his palm.

Suddenly, his escape light flashed, and he transformed into a stream of light, breaking through the air and leaving.

Before long, his figure landed in a remote alley in the southwest corner of Outer Dao City.

There was no sign or lantern at the entrance of the alley, only a gatehouse built entirely of mysterious black spirit jade. On the lintel, four ancient seal characters were engraved in gold paint: "Tongyou Treasure Pavilion."

On both sides of the gatehouse stood a stone-carved Pixiu, holding a night-luminescent pearl in its mouth. The light was gentle and not dazzling, quietly circulating in the night.

The two vermilion-lacquered doors were tightly closed, and each was inlaid with a palm-sized bronze mirror. The mirror surfaces were dark and did not reflect human figures, but there was a faint spiritual light circulating within them.

He stepped forward and raised his hand to knock on the vermilion-lacquered doors: three short knocks and two long ones.

A moment later, the bronze mirror on the door brightened slightly, and a beam of spiritual light shot out from the mirror, sweeping over him as if he were being scrutinized by some invisible gaze.

Immediately, a low voice came from inside the door. "Who comes?"

Patrol Envoy Zhang lowered his voice: "Traveling by night without a candle, I come to borrow a lamp."

There was a moment of silence inside, then the spiritual light in the bronze mirror slowly faded, and the doors silently opened just enough for one person to pass through.

"Enter." Patrol Envoy Zhang did not hesitate and walked straight inside.

After he passed through a long, narrow corridor, his eyes suddenly brightened.

The inner chamber was spacious with a high, vaulted ceiling made of spirit jade, inlaid with eighty-one night-luminescent pearls.

They were arranged into a miniature map of the celestial stars, casting light down and illuminating the entire inner chamber as if it were broad daylight.

The four walls were inlaid with warm jade, and the wall surfaces were engraved with intricate reliefs of cloud patterns and water waves, with spiritual light circulating and runes faintly swimming through the lines.

The floor was covered with a carpet woven from the fur of a Spirit Beast, soft and thick, making no sound when stepped upon.

In the center was a long desk polished from lapis lazuli. On the desk sat a three-legged bronze furnace, from which blue smoke curled, emitting a faint fragrance that calmed the spirit and settled the Qi.

Sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged man wearing a dark brocade robe. He had a thin face, calm eyes, and a shallow scar on his left cheek, looking like an old, faded wound.

His eyes were not as shrewd and exposed as an ordinary merchant's, but carried a steadiness born of having seen many storms.

He looked up, saw who it was, paused slightly, and then revealed a polite smile.

"Patrol Envoy Zhang, a rare guest indeed."

This man's name was Zhou Yuan, the manager of this bank. He had been in this business for decades and had quite a reputation among the underground banks of Outer Dao City.

Therefore, he naturally recognized Patrol Envoy Zhang and knew he was a Patrol Envoy acting on behalf of Heaven, though the two had almost no interaction.

For those in their line of work, the greatest taboo was getting too close to a Patrol Envoy.

Thus, Patrol Envoy Zhang's sudden visit was somewhat surprising to him.

Patrol Envoy Zhang had no intention of making small talk and sat down directly in front of the desk.

"Manager Zhou, I have a deal I'd like to make."

Zhou Yuan's gaze lingered on his face for a moment. He did not ask more, simply nodding gently.

"Since Patrol Envoy Zhang has come, you must be familiar with our rules here."

"Of course."

Patrol Envoy Zhang unhurriedly picked up the spirit tea on the desk and took a sip.

"I have long heard of the rules of your Tongyou Treasure Pavilion. Borrow three, return seven, with monthly interest. Three percent for the first month, five percent for the next, and doubling after three months. For every day overdue, the interest doubles.

If you cannot repay, they collect your entire divine path cultivation, confiscate the official Talisman, and demote you to a slave. If even the person is not enough to cover it, then the soul is stuffed into a Spirit Treasure, suffering day and night until the debt is cleared."

He set down the teacup and looked at Zhou Yuan with a calm gaze.

"Am I correct?"

Zhou Yuan did not deny it, simply smiling.

"Patrol Envoy Zhang is indeed a sensible man. Since you are clear on it, I won't waste words. However, what do you intend to use for the loan?"

Patrol Envoy Zhang took an official Talisman from his sleeve and placed it gently on the desk.

"This."

Zhou Yuan's gaze fell on the official Talisman, and after looking at it for a moment, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

Oh? It wasn't Patrol Envoy Zhang's own official position?

He had thought Patrol Envoy Zhang was going to mortgage his own official position, but he hadn't expected it to be someone else's.

But then again, the official position of "Taixiao Heaven-Patrolling and Earth-Inspecting Direct Talisman Envoy" held such a special status in the Divine Court system; how could it be mortgaged casually?

Besides, even if Patrol Envoy Zhang really did mortgage it, he wouldn't dare accept it.

As for whose official Talisman this was, he did not want to know.

In his line of work, one had to be extremely disciplined, and the greatest taboo was prying into things.

One had to learn not to ask about origins or sources, only looking at the value of the collateral.

As for whether the collateral was obtained by fraud or robbery, that was their own business.

Zhou Yuan picked up the official Talisman and checked its grade.

"Low Grade Spirit Official, the cultivation is acceptable, but it is not a core official position, so the loan amount that can be secured is limited."

"I wonder what price you are looking for, Patrol Envoy?"

To this, Patrol Envoy Zhang opened his mouth with a smile, then extended his hand and spread his five fingers.

"Then what if I want to borrow this amount?"

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively, "Fifty years?"

This price was a bit inflated, but considering that Patrol Envoy Zhang was a Patrol Envoy acting on behalf of Heaven, it wasn't impossible to agree to.

However, upon hearing this, Patrol Envoy Zhang shook his head.

"It is five hundred years."

Zhou Yuan was silent for a moment, then gave a light chuckle.

"Patrol Envoy Zhang is joking. Let alone that this is just a Low Grade Spirit Official official Talisman, even if it were a true official, no bank in the entire city would dare lend you five hundred years!

Although our business isn't exactly reputable, we aren't running a charity either. If it cannot be repaid, this official Talisman won't be enough to fill the hole. Who would bear the loss then?"

Patrol Envoy Zhang naturally understood this principle; wasn't his reason for making such an exorbitant demand just to bargain?

In any case, he had no intention of repaying it; he might as well get as much as he could now!

However, he was also worried about scaring Manager Zhou, so his tone softened a bit.

"Manager Zhou, since I've opened my mouth, I naturally have my reasons. Of course, let's talk business as business; we can discuss it."

Upon hearing this, the expression on Manager Zhou's face softened slightly.

He again carefully examined the Low Grade supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman, then pondered for a moment before continuing.

"Five hundred years is impossible, but since you, Patrol Envoy Zhang, have asked, I must naturally give you some face. How about this: two hundred years of Power Of Faith, with a twenty-year term, monthly interest of fifty percent, and a three-borrow-seven-return ratio.

You take thirty percent today, and we will hold the remaining seventy percent on your behalf. If it is not repaid by then…"

He did not finish his sentence, simply pushing the official Talisman gently across the desk.

The meaning was clear: not only would the principal and interest have to be paid back, but the official Talisman would also be confiscated.

Patrol Envoy Zhang was silent for a while, weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

Two hundred years of Power Of Faith looked like a lot, but in reality, he could only take thirty percent, which was sixty years.

As for the remaining 140 years, he didn't even think about it; after all, this Power Of Faith would never be repaid, so why talk about borrowing again?

"What an old fox!" Patrol Envoy Zhang cursed inwardly, though he was quite satisfied with the price; after all, it was all obtained for free!

Still, he pretended to be dissatisfied.

"Fifty percent monthly interest is too high, thirty percent…"

The two went back and forth, and eventually, after some calculation, they set the interest at forty percent monthly, with a three-borrow-seven-return ratio and a twenty-year term.

Zhou Yuan sighed lightly, took out a contract made of spirit paper, wrote down the amount and terms, and handed it to Patrol Envoy Zhang.

Patrol Envoy Zhang did not press his fingerprint, but handed Lu Ming's official Talisman to Zhou Yuan.

"Use this as collateral. If it is not returned on time, just go find this person directly."

Zhou Yuan didn't say anything; he was long accustomed to such things.

It was just debt collection; they knew the ropes!

However, he put away the official Talisman, only extracting the Qi signature from it.

As long as it was not returned by the due date, they would be able to find the person through the Qi signature!

Subsequently, he took out a token from under the desk, injected sixty years of Power Of Faith into it, and handed it to Patrol Envoy Zhang.

Patrol Envoy Zhang took it, weighed the token, and felt great joy in his heart.

Immediately, he didn't say much else, put away the token, cupped his hands, and turned to leave.

In the day that followed, Patrol Envoy Zhang did not rest, and following the same method, he visited five more banks in succession.

He was eloquent, and holding that Low Grade Spirit Official official Talisman, he repeated the same set of rhetoric over and over.

In the end, he successfully swindled nearly three hundred years of Power Of Faith from the six banks.

When dawn was approaching, he stood outside the last bank, looking at the balance of two hundred and seventy years of Power Of Faith that had accumulated in the token, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

But he didn't laugh for long before it came to an abrupt end.

Just because when he prepared to transfer all these gains to himself, he suddenly discovered one thing.

He couldn't transfer this money away!

When that fellow surnamed Wang granted the Talisman, he only gave him the authority to "borrow" and "mortgage," but did not give him the authority to "withdraw" or "transfer."

He could use this official Talisman to take out a loan, and he could mortgage it to a bank, but he could not use the Power Of Faith in the account.

Unless that fellow surnamed Wang personally authorized it!

Patrol Envoy Zhang's face turned livid.

"Very good… he actually kept an ace up his sleeve."

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse out loud.

Subsequently, he could only take the official Talisman and his full fury, turning and walking in the direction of the Water Mansion official residence.