Chapter 12

On this particular morning, upon waking up, Zhong Wen was pleasantly surprised to find that he had advanced once again.

Without any awareness, a third half-ring of spiritual energy had appeared in his dantian.

This was the sign that the third human wheel had been unblocked.

What a great cultivation method for lazy people!

Zhong Wen mentally praised the "One Qi Longevity Technique" to the heavens.

He burned a pack of salt in his room and refined a few batches of pills. Then, Zhong Wen stood up, stretched his waist, and planned to go for a walk. However, he heard the joyful voice of the little girl outside the door.

"Master is back! Master is back!"

Zhong Wen felt a sudden tension in his heart. After staying here for several days, he had thoroughly adapted to life in the Piaohua Palace.

In his previous life, Zhong Wen was a very busy person. The pace of life in the metropolis was extremely fast, and as an entrepreneur, he hardly had any real rest days throughout the year.

Reborn on Qingfeng Mountain, without the pressure of a career, he read books, refined pills, and made salt every day, accompanied by several beautiful women. He had fallen in love with this peaceful and tranquil life.

I hope I won't be kicked out of the Piaohua Palace!

Considering that the Piaohua Palace only accepted female disciples, he felt somewhat uneasy.

Pushing open the door, Liu Qiqi, Yin Ning'er, the little girl, and Aunt Wang were already gathered in the courtyard, surrounding a woman.

This was the first time Zhong Wen had met the Piaohua Palace's palace master, Lin Zhiyun.

This first glance left him with a memory that would last a lifetime.

The woman in front of him was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with skin as smooth as congealed fat and eyes like stars. She wore a light blue tight-fitting robe that accentuated her well-proportioned and curvaceous figure. Her perfect figure was neither too fat nor too thin, exuding a noble and graceful demeanor mixed with the charm of a mature woman. Her long, flowing black hair reached her waist, gently swaying in the breeze. Her beautiful face, paired with a calm and serene expression, made her seem like a celestial fairy descended to the mortal world.

At the sight of Lin Zhiyun, a line from the famous Li Yanian's song flashed through Zhong Wen's mind:

In the north there is a beauty, unique and alone,

One glance can topple a city, another can topple a nation.

Who would not know that the beauty who can topple a city and a nation is hard to come by!

She is the perfect woman!

Zhong Wen sighed, and a feeling of love rose in his heart.

Of course, it was one-sided.

Over these days, he had met many beautiful women, such as Liu Qiqi, Yin Ning'er, Zheng Yueting, and even Leng Wushuang. Each had their own charm, but all were of the highest beauty.

However, Zhong Wen always maintained an appreciative attitude towards them, as his body housed a nearly forty-year-old soul, making the young girls seem somewhat immature to him.

The current Lin Palace Master, however, deeply touched his heart.

I want to marry her!

This thought suddenly took root in his mind and refused to leave.

At this moment, Lin Zhiyun also noticed Zhong Wen's presence and frowned slightly.

"Who is this...?" Lin Palace Master's voice was as clear and melodious as a nightingale, making Zhong Wen's heart race.

"Master, don't you remember? He's the person that Xiaodie and I rescued from the mountains a few days ago. His name is Zhong Wen." Liu Qiqi reminded her, "You even helped him with your cultivation to heal his injuries."

"Oh, it's him." Lin Zhiyun suddenly remembered, but she had been preoccupied these past few days and had completely forgotten about Zhong Wen.

"Zhong Wen thanks Palace Master for your healing." Zhong Wen hurriedly bowed.

"Mr. Zhong, there's no need for such formalities. How is your recovery coming along these past few days?" Lin Zhiyun asked gently.

"Thanks to Palace Master and the ladies, I am much better." Zhong Wen regretted not grooming himself properly in the morning; a strand of hair was still sticking up on his head.

"Since you have recovered, you should return home soon. Your family must be worried about you." Lin Zhiyun's dismissal was rather tactful.

"Master, Zhong Wen's injuries were so severe that he lost his memory." The first to speak up for Zhong Wen was unexpectedly Liu Qiqi.

"Yes, yes, he doesn't remember where his home is, or even how to read and write." The little girl, upon hearing that Zhong Wen might be sent down the mountain, became very anxious and quickly pulled her master's hand, pleading, "He will surely starve to death if he goes down the mountain. Master, can you please not send him away?"

"Is that true?" Lin Zhiyun was taken aback and looked at Yin Ning'er, who had not spoken.

"It should be true. Xiaodie has been teaching him to read and helping him recover his memory these past few days." Yin Ning'er nodded, "Master, wouldn't it be better to wait until he remembers his past before sending him down the mountain?"

The three female disciples speaking up for Zhong Wen surprised Lin Zhiyun, especially since Yin Ning'er was usually cold and distant.

Zhong Wen felt warm and touched in his heart.

Only Aunt Wang stood quietly to the side, saying nothing and not taking a stance.

Lin Zhiyun hesitated. The Piaohua Palace was full of women, and if it were discovered that a man was living there, it could damage the reputations of her disciples. In the current social climate, women were held to very strict standards, and once their reputation was tarnished, it would be difficult for them to marry well.

However, she was naturally kind and gentle, and the thought of sending a severely injured and amnesiac person to fend for himself was difficult for her to bear.

While she was hesitating, a shrill laugh suddenly came from behind her.

"Hehehe, Palace Master Lin, it's been a while!"

A middle-aged man, wearing a golden silk robe, with a fat head, large ears, and lecherous eyes, stepped into the courtyard of the Piaohua Palace. Sweat dripped from his head, and he frantically fanned himself with a folding fan, looking disgustingly repulsive.

Behind the fat man were four well-built men, each with a sharp gaze and armed with weapons, clearly skilled cultivators.

Behind the four men, several more armed young men entered the courtyard, though they were not as formidable as the first four, they were still strong and muscular.

"Mr. Jin." Lin Zhiyun frowned, displeased with the sudden appearance of so many men in the courtyard.

Liu Qiqi and Lin Xiaodie's faces were openly filled with disgust for Mr. Jin.

Mr. Jin, however, was completely oblivious, waving his fan and feeling like a handsome young gentleman, his eyes filled with evil intentions as he looked at Lin Zhiyun: "Palace Master Lin, the one-year term has arrived. The 200 spirit crystals you borrowed should be repaid, right?"

"Mr. Jin, that's true." Lin Zhiyun said helplessly, "However, the Piaohua Palace's business has not been going well recently, and I can't come up with that much spirit crystals right now. I can only gather 50 spirit crystals for now. Could you please extend the deadline for the remaining 150?"

Even a goddess like her, when in debt, had to speak humbly to a man like Mr. Jin, a feeling of injustice that was hard to express.

"Palace Master Lin, that would be fine, but I've also run into some trouble these past few days, and I urgently need spirit crystals." Mr. Jin's face, with its layers of fat, squeezed his small eyes into slits as he smiled, "According to the loan agreement, if the spirit crystals are not repaid on time, the deed to Qingfeng Mountain will have to be used as collateral. Please understand."

Mr. Jin pulled out a loan agreement from his pocket and waved it. The paper was already yellowed and fluttered in the wind, making a slight rustling sound.

For some reason, Zhong Wen really wanted to kick Mr. Jin to the ground and stomp on his fat face.

"Master, I have 100 spirit crystals." The little girl standing beside Lin Zhiyun suddenly spoke up loudly.

"Xiaodie? You..." Lin Zhiyun was momentarily taken aback.

The little girl carefully took out the "tuition" Zhong Wen had given her from her chest, raised her small hand, and handed it to Lin Zhiyun.

"Where did you get so many spirit crystals?" Lin Zhiyun was surprised, looking at the 100 spirit crystal bills.

"This is the tuition... tu... for teaching Zhong Wen." The little girl clearly didn't understand the term "tuition."

"Tuition." Zhong Wen smiled and added from the side.

"Yes, yes, it's tuition!" The little girl was proud to be able to help her master.

Lin Zhiyun glanced at Zhong Wen, her eyes filled with a complex expression. She knew that Lin Xiaodie's "tuition" was not worth that much, but with the crisis at hand, it wasn't the time to delve into it.

"Master, I also have 50 spirit crystals." Liu Qiqi said, turning to Zhong Wen with an apologetic look, "I sold your 'Immortal Pill' to the merchant guild. I'm sorry."

"Since I gave it to you, you can do as you please. There's no need to apologize." Zhong Wen smiled warmly.

No wonder this girl has been acting guilty around me lately, Zhong Wen thought.

Seeing the spirit crystal bills handed over by her two disciples, Lin Zhiyun was deeply moved.

"Mr. Jin, here are 200 spirit crystal bills. Our debt is settled." Lin Zhiyun said, handing over the bills.

"Wait a moment!" Mr. Jin's face turned slightly unpleasant as he suddenly shouted, "Palace Master Lin, 200 spirit crystals is just the principal. Interest must also be calculated."

"How much is the interest?" Lin Zhiyun's brows furrowed.

"Principal and interest, a total of 350 spirit crystals."

"What!" Even the usually gentle Lin Zhiyun was somewhat enraged, "That's too much!"

"The loan agreement clearly states a monthly interest rate of 5%, compounded. Over a year, that's 350 spirit crystals." Mr. Jin pointed to the text on the agreement, speaking calmly.

Lin Zhiyun carefully examined the agreement and found that the interest was indeed calculated on a compound basis. However, the wording about the interest was somewhat ambiguous. At the time, to save Lin Xiaodie, she had signed the agreement hastily, thinking that once the spirit medicine business was profitable, she could repay the debt quickly. But the Piaohua Palace's spirit medicine business had plummeted, and they had even suffered significant losses.

"Mr. Jin, I can repay the principal, but can you please extend the deadline for the interest?" Lin Zhiyun pleaded.

"Mr. Jin, I have 10 spirit crystals that I can repay you now." Yin Ning'er, who had been silent, also spoke up, "The remaining 140 spirit crystals, we will try to repay as soon as possible."

Two beautiful women, one graceful and the other elegant, pleading together, would have melted even a stone heart. However, Mr. Jin, though his eyes were filled with lust, was very firm and refused to budge: "I'm truly sorry, but I urgently need 350 spirit crystals. If you can't pay in full, I'll have to ask Palace Master Lin to hand over the deed to Qingfeng Mountain and exchange it for spirit crystals."

"Can't you be more flexible?" Lin Zhiyun thought of the legacy of the previous Piaohua Palace master, which would be lost in her hands, and the disciples would be left homeless, feeling bitter.

"Of course, if Palace Master Lin leaves Qingfeng Mountain and can't find a place to stay, she can stay at my house for a few days." Mr. Jin said with a lecherous smile, "I will treat you well."

Looking at Lin Zhiyun's beauty, Mr. Jin's heart burned with desire. If not for Dantai Jin's repeated instructions, he would have long ordered his men to capture these women and take them home for his pleasure. Forcing women was not unfamiliar to him.

"Palace Master Lin is a high-ranking cultivator, surely you wouldn't default on a debt, right?" Seeing Lin Zhiyun still hesitating, Mr. Jin stepped forward, pressing his advantage.

The four men behind him also stepped forward, emitting a powerful aura.

"Wait a moment." Zhong Wen, who had been watching, suddenly stepped forward.

Everyone's attention turned to him, and Mr. Jin noticed that there was actually a man in the Piaohua Palace, immediately harboring many dirty thoughts.

"Palace Master Lin, Zhong Wen was severely injured and nearly lost his life in the mountains. Thanks to Xiaodie and Liu Qiqi's rescue, and the healing from Palace Master and Yin Ning'er, I was fortunate to survive. I don't know how to repay this life-saving grace." Zhong Wen paused, then turned to Mr. Jin, "The remaining 140 spirit crystals, I will repay on your behalf."

Saying this, Zhong Wen took out several spirit crystal bills from his pocket and handed them to Lin Zhiyun.

"Mr. Zhong, I can't accept this." Lin Zhiyun shook her head, "This matter has nothing to do with you."

"Palace Master Lin, if not for the Piaohua Palace, I would have lost my life. What's the point of talking about spirit crystals?" Zhong Wen insisted.

Seeing Lin Zhiyun still hesitating, Zhong Wen leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Palace Master Lin, from Mr. Jin's attitude, it seems he was targeting the deed to Qingfeng Mountain from the beginning. If we don't repay the full amount today, he won't let it go. It's better to resolve the immediate problem first."

At this moment, they were very close, and Zhong Wen could smell the faint fragrance from Lin Zhiyun, making his heart flutter.

Hearing Zhong Wen's words, Lin Zhiyun carefully considered and found that there was indeed something suspicious. She no longer refused, "Thank you, Mr. Zhong, for your help."

Then, she handed the spirit crystal bills to Mr. Jin, "Mr. Jin, here is the principal and interest. Please leave the loan agreement."

Her tone was slightly less friendly.

"Boy, this has nothing to do with you. Why do you have to meddle?" Mr. Jin's face was very unpleasant as he glared at Zhong Wen, "Do you have a mistress in the Piaohua Palace?"

Lin Zhiyun's face changed, "Mr.