76: Chapter 76 Unexpected Wealth Shocks the Old Street

Dazzling sunlight split through the gap in the curtains, casting a precise beam onto the bedroom's wooden floor.

Fine specks of dust suspended in the air tumbled slowly within the pillar of light.

Lin Ye comforted Leng Yue and slowly exhaled a breath of warm, turbid air.

Explosive power surged through all his limbs and bones; as he stretched slightly, his joints instantly emitted a series of crisp pops.

The worn-out phone on the nightstand was vibrating relentlessly at a frantic pace.

Lin Ye reached out, grabbed the phone, and tapped the screen open.

Dazzling text notification pop-ups appeared one after another, all notices from Jiangzhou Commercial Bank regarding large incoming transfers.

[Jiangzhou Commercial Bank: RMB 10,000,000.00 has been transferred into your account ending in 7788.]

[Jiangzhou Commercial Bank: RMB 10,000,000.00 has been transferred into your account ending in 7788.]

...

Neatly aligned, there were seven text messages in total.

Every single one contained eight zeroes.

Last night, at the Blood Soul Symbiosis Formation in the Heishui Town Paper Mill, the group of Jiangzhou tycoons he had saved in passing handled things with surprising efficiency.

Right at dawn, this eighty million RMB in "life-buying money" was deposited into his private account without a cent missing.

Counting the final payment previously settled by the Song Family, the available balance in Lin Ye's account officially passed the hundred-million mark.

Staring at the long string of numbers, a satisfied smile curled on his lips.

In a world overrun by demons and monsters, having cash in hand brought true peace of mind.

For Daoist cultivators drawing talismans and setting formations, which aspect didn't require spending heavily on top-tier cinnabar and century-old medicinal herbs?

Without money, he couldn't even maintain the daily nourishment required by these two grand ladies, Leng Yue and Frost Star.

A subtle rustle of fabric came from beside him.

Leng Yue was lying on her side next to him, her dark gray silk nightgown draped loosely over her body.

The wide-open neckline revealed a large expanse of pale, velvety skin in Lin Ye's view.

Her deep red eyes were already open, quietly gazing at the glow from Lin Ye's phone screen.

"Husband, are these square characters the currency used in the mortal realm?"

Her voice was cool and crisp, tinged with laziness from having just woken up, while the cold fragrance of Spider Lily drifted straight into Lin Ye's nostrils.

Lin Ye rolled over to face her properly: "That's right! The higher the numbers, the more heavenly treasures and earthly materials we can buy."

"With this money, I plan to renovate the backyard and set up a quiet room specifically for your secluded cultivation."

Leng Yue's red lips curled slightly, a trace of warmth flashing in her eyes.

She reached out a slightly cool fingertip and gently drew circles on Lin Ye's firm chest, feeling his vibrant, powerful Pure Yang heartbeat.

"Bang!"

The wooden door to the bedroom was kicked open.

Frost Star walked in swaggeringly, wearing an oversized Pikachu T-shirt and dragging her slippers.

The little girl held a stainless steel basin containing several pieces of frozen-solid duck blood curd.

"Brother-in-law! This red tofu has no flavor at all, it's just full of ice crumbs when I chew it!"

Puffing up her cheeks, her heterochromatic eyes filled with disgust, she dropped the stainless steel basin directly onto the floor.

The little girl leaped to the side of the bed in a few quick steps, threw her arms open, and pounced into Lin Ye's chest, her two sharp little fangs aiming straight for his collarbone.

"Frost Star wants to eat something warm!"

Lin Ye was quick on his feet; his big hand grabbed the scruff of her neck, dangling the tempestuous Nether Corpse King forcibly in midair.

"Drink less blood early in the morning, it'll give you indigestion. Go downstairs, we're going out for a nice meal today."

Saying that, Lin Ye put on black cargo pants and a pure cotton T-shirt, walking down the stairs to the first-floor main hall.

The shutter door had already been pulled open.

Fatty Wang was sitting at the Eight Immortals table, taking a big bite out of a golden, crispy fried dough stick. Steaming cups of freshly ground soy milk stood before him, alongside a bulging kraft paper envelope.

Seeing Lin Ye come downstairs, Fatty quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and took a heavy gulp of soy milk.

"Ye-zi, you really poked a hole in the sky of Jiangzhou this time!"

Lowering his voice, Fatty gestured mysteriously for Lin Ye to sit down.

Grabbing the envelope from the table, he poured several printed documents onto the surface.

"Last night, The Ninth Bureau stepped in to clean up, turning that paper mill in Heishui Town upside down. Those wealthy merchants were rushed to a private hospital for emergency treatment overnight. As soon as they regained consciousness this morning, they immediately arranged for their finance teams to transfer the money to you."

"Now the news has spread through Jiangzhou's high society that a living immortal capable of summoning wind and rain is hiding in Taiping Old Street!"

At this point, Fatty's expression suddenly changed as he pushed one of the documents in front of Lin Ye.

"The money from all those bosses came through, except for this grandson who plans to renege on his debt."

Lin Ye's eyes swept over the document.

Pinned to the top right corner was a photo of a fierce-looking, obese, middle-aged balding man.

Beside it was his background information: Chairman of Hengyuan Real Estate Group, Chairman Liu Dachang.

"This Chairman Liu Dachang is a notorious local tyrant in Jiangzhou, who made his fortune through forced demolitions and grey industries."

Fatty slammed the table in righteous indignation.

"This morning, he sent his assistant to call me, claiming that he was just under the influence of the Yinshan Sect's hallucinogenic poison gas at the paper mill last night and doesn't remember promising any ten million RMB life-buying money. He accused you of being a fraudulent charlatan taking advantage of a crisis, and says he won't pay a single cent!"

Lin Ye picked up a cup of soy milk and took an unhurried sip.

The warm, sweet liquid slid down to his stomach; not a single ripple of emotion showed on his face.

"What else did he say?"

Fatty gritted his teeth: "That grandson is ridiculously arrogant."

"He said he brought in a Black-Robed Ajarn specializing in Tamegushi from Southeast Asia overnight for personal protection. If you dare go to his door to collect the debt, he'll have that Ajarn perform a spell to turn you into a Kuman Thong!"

Hearing this, Lin Ye sneered in anger.

Having witnessed his strength last night and still pulling something like this, it was hard to tell if he was genuinely stupid or just acting foolhardy.

Furthermore, for those of the Daoist doors, karma and cause-and-effect were paramount.

Money promised to buy one's life in a desperate situation was a life-and-death contract etched into the laws of the Heavenly Dao.

This Chairman Liu Dachang attempting to rely on a few stinkin' bucks and Southeast Asian black magic to dodge this karma was purely tired of living.

Just then, streams of light intertwined before his retina as the system's metallic voice, carrying a hint of gloating, joined the fray right on cue.

"Ding! "My Lord, Please Behave Yourself" System notification: Detected a shady real estate developer publicly tearing up a life-and-death contract and provoking orthodox Daoism. Host, please finalize a collection plan within three minutes and let the deadbeat experience the art of cross-dimensional debt collection!"

A light screen popped open, presenting three choices:

[Option A: Generously Forgive — Press your palms together and chant 'Amitabha, taking a loss is a blessing,' relinquishing the ten million RMB debt.]

[Reward: Obtain the 'Living Buddha on Earth' pennant.

Consequence: Soft horses are ridden, kind people are bullied. Upon learning of this, the other eight wealthy merchants will demand full refunds, leaving you facing a credit bankruptcy crisis, and Leng Yue will feel hopeless over your spinelessness.]

[Option B: Papercraft Soul Collection, Karma Debt Recovery — This is the specialty of a Funeral Shop owner! Utilize the 'Papercraft Eye Dotting' technique to construct a Soul-hooking Emissary and send it directly to the Hengyuan Real Estate Building for violent collection—slaying gods and Buddhas alike in its path!]

[Reward: Husband Points +300, acquire the True Spell Comprehension [Papercraft Soldiers].]

[Option C: Seek Official Help — Call Deputy Captain Chu Hongyan of The Ninth Bureau, report Chairman Liu Dachang for illegally hiring foreign evil cultivators, and let the authorities freeze his assets.]

[Reward: Good Citizen Honor Points +50.

Consequence: Relying on others for debt collection loses all style. You will be mocked in secret by members of The Ninth Bureau as a giant baby who cannot leave official protection.]

Lin Ye swept over the options; Option B's strategy was simply perfect.

Dealing with a rogue who refused to follow rules by confronting him face-to-face would only lower one's stature.

Using the Funeral Shop's best specialty—papercrafting—to send him a "generous gift,"

and thoroughly crushing his defenses on both mental and physical levels was the best solution.

"I choose B."

Lin Ye gave the command in his heart.

He set down his paper cup of soy milk, stood up, and walked toward the storage shelf in the corner of the shop where materials were kept.

"Fatty, clear off the table."

Lin Ye carried out a bundle of unformed Xiangfei Bamboo Strips, a stack of thick white paper, and several jars of newly mixed mineral pigments.

Seeing this, Fatty scrambled to clear the breakfast to one side.

He was all too familiar with Lin Ye's stance.

Whenever Lin Ye brought out these tools of the trade, someone was bound to suffer terrible misfortune.

Leng Yue walked down from the second floor and stood quietly by the table.

Without a word, she rolled up her sleeves, retrieved a fine piece of pine soot inkstick, dropped clean water into the stone inkstand, and began grinding the ink at a steady pace.

As the inkstick rubbed against the inkstand, a subtle fragrance of ink blended with her cold scent, wafting through the air.

"Help me assemble a frame. 1.8 meters tall, and the skeleton needs to be rigid."

Lin Ye drew the carving knife from his waist and skillfully split the bamboo strips.

Fatty stepped up to assist. Moving rapidly, in less than ten minutes, a well-proportioned human-shaped bamboo skeleton took shape on the table.

Lin Ye grabbed the white paper, Pure Yang True Qi surging at his fingertips, and pasted the paper tightly and smoothly onto the surface of the bamboo frame.

As the True Qi circulated, the paper figurine emitted a lifeless, ghastly white glow across its entire body.

He picked up a writing brush, soaking it in the thick ink ground by Leng Yue.

His brush moved with fluid power like dragons and snakes.

Lin Ye outlined an ancient bailiff's black official uniform on the paper figurine, with a crimson soul-hooking chain drawn around its waist.

On its right hand side, he painted a black command medallion bearing the characters for "Debt Collection."

Coming to the face, Lin Ye did not paint pleasant red cheeks on it.

Instead, he heavily blackened its lips with thick ink and drew several greenish-gray death spots on both sides of its cheeks.

Only at the eyes did he leave a striking blank.

"Frost Star, come here."

Lin Ye gestured to the little girl who was rummaging through the fridge for snacks.

Frost Star skipped over, poking her head out to inspect the paper figurine on the table: "Brother-in-law, this dummy is so ugly! Not cute at all."

"Borrowing a trace of your Corpse King death qi to use."

Lin Ye extended his index finger and tapped the center of the little girl's forehead.

Frost Star obediently closed her left eye, while the crimson pupil of her right eye shone with brilliant light.

A bone-chilling, endlessly resentful corpse qi was forcibly drawn out along Lin Ye's fingertip.

Lin Ye pulled back his finger.

The black corpse qi swirled at his fingertip, emitting terrifyingly low temperatures.

Lin Ye bit his middle finger, and a drop of scalding Pure Yang origin essence blood welled out, forcibly blending with the corpse qi.

"One stroke opens the Nether Path; Yin and Yang blend to borrow a spellbound body!"

Lin Ye moved swiftly, dipping the tip of the purple-hair brush into this drop of blood combining extreme Yin and extreme Yang, and dabbed it heavily onto the blank eyes of the paper figurine.

"Boom!"

The instant the eyes were dotted,

the previously lifeless paper figurine trembled violently.

From those newly painted eyes burst two terrifying bursts of bloody light.

Vein-like patterns bulged on the surface of its paper skin, and the black lips drawn with ink curled unnaturally upward into a stiff, terrifying sneer.

It stood straight up from the tabletop.

Its massive 1.8-meter-tall frame radiated a terrifying pressure born from a mixture of Pure Yang Thunder Fire and Corpse King Yin Qi.

"Go! Find Chairman Liu Dachang."

Lin Ye's tone was chillingly cold as he raised a hand to point outside the shop door.

"Bring back my life-buying money. If a single penny is missing, bind his three mortal souls and seven physical spirits."

The paper figurine nodded stiffly; its form thinned into thin air, turning into a grayish-black two-dimensional residual shadow that slithered along the floor through the door crack and vanished instantly onto the daytime street.

"Ding! Option task progressing. True Spell Comprehension [Papercraft Soldiers] has been issued. Host, please await good news!"

Lin Ye dropped the writing brush and took the wet towel handed over by Leng Yue to wipe his hands clean.

"Fatty, go brew a pot of good tea. We'll wait right here for the transfer notification text."