Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Repaying a Debt with an Egg

Li Ping had suggested Zhang Tie marry a woman from the Meng family for a few reasons.

First, the Meng family had expressed their intention to marry off one of their daughters and had already shown goodwill toward Zhang Tie.

Second, Li Ping believed the Meng family was powerful. They had several Foundation Establishment Cultivators in their ranks, and their ancestor was even a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. In a crisis, he could serve as a powerful ally for Zhang Tie.

Third, and most importantly, he had dealt with the Meng family’s ancestor before and found him to be a smooth and diplomatic cultivator. Under his guidance, the Meng family’s conduct was also respectable.

The Meng family wouldn’t suddenly go crazy like the Wang family, bringing ruin upon themselves and possibly dragging Zhang Tie down with them.

Marrying a woman from the Meng family and becoming their son-in-law would be beneficial to Zhang Tie’s own cultivation, and the probability of being implicated in their troubles wasn’t very high.

Although he would inevitably have to take sides in the Immortal City’s internal struggles, it was, on the whole, a matter where the pros outweighed the cons.

Of course, Li Ping thought Zhang Tie’s best option was not to marry at all and just focus on his cultivation.

However, he knew Zhang Tie had already decided to marry and was just hesitating over who to choose, so there was no need to say it.

He had a cheat ability and was confident he could go further on the path of cultivation, but Zhang Tie didn’t.

...

After hearing Li Ping’s analysis, Zhang Tie nodded thoughtfully.

But Li Ping also reminded him not to rush into marriage. Delaying things might allow him to get a larger dowry from the Meng family.

After all, he was a hot commodity now.

Hearing this, Zhang Tie flushed with embarrassment.

...

Then, after Zhang Tie finished talking about the sect initiation ceremony, Li Ping took the shop’s deed from his Storage Bag—the one Old Man Lin had given him as collateral.

As Zhang Tie watched with a nervous expression, Li Ping pushed the deed in front of him and said with a smile, "Since you’ve successfully reached Foundation Establishment, you should take this deed back. You can pay back the one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones you owe me slowly."

"Big Brother, this..." Zhang Tie hesitated. He knew how much his master valued this deed, so he desperately wanted to take it back.

But the deed had been collateral for the Spirit Stones he’d borrowed from his Big Brother. He had only just reached Foundation Establishment and didn’t have enough Spirit Stones to redeem it.

If he really took it just like that, he would suddenly owe his Big Brother one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.

Even though his Big Brother didn’t mind, he still felt a little bad about taking advantage of him like this.

After thinking for a moment, he finally made a decision.

Li Ping watched as Zhang Tie took a crimson egg, as tall as a person, from his Storage Bag and placed it on the table between them.

Seeing this, Li Ping couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. For a moment, he couldn’t identify what kind of Demon Beast the egg came from.

But he knew it must have a Fire Attribute. In the few moments since Zhang Tie had taken out the egg, the temperature inside the pavilion had clearly risen by a large margin from its radiated heat.

Li Ping looked at Zhang Tie and asked, "What are you doing?"

Hearing Li Ping’s question, Zhang Tie quickly explained, "Big Brother, my master bestowed this upon me when I became his disciple. I want to give it to you to cover five hundred Spirit Stones of my debt."

"Oh?" Li Ping was puzzled, but he smiled and gestured for him to continue.

Zhang Tie scratched his head and said sheepishly, "Big Brother, you know about the two Tier Three Demon Kings that led the beast tide against the Immortal City two years ago, right? According to my master, this is one of their eggs. Back then, a Demon Cultivator snuck deep into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, stole their egg, and hid it in the Immortal City, which is what triggered the beast tide."

"Later, my master captured that Demon Cultivator and got this egg from her."

Hearing this, Li Ping couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, "The egg of a Tier Three Demon Beast! Fenglan Master would actually bestow something so precious on you?"

It was no wonder Li Ping was so surprised.

A Tier Three Demon Beast bloodline meant that once it hatched, if it was properly nurtured, it would have a chance to break through and become a Tier Three Demon Beast in the future!

In the Western Wilderness, a Tier Three Demon Beast was considered a top-tier fighting force!

Moreover, Demon Beasts have much longer lifespans than humans. If a faction had a Tier Three Demon Beast watching over it, they could ensure their power and prosperity for thousands of years!

The value of such an egg simply couldn’t be measured in Spirit Stones.

’For Fenglan Master to be willing to give it to Zhang Tie... Could Zhang Tie be her long-lost son?’

And what was even more absurd was—

Zhang Tie was prepared to give it to Li Ping to settle a debt of five hundred Spirit Stones.

At that moment, Li Ping even wondered if some miraculous event had occurred, like ’the purchasing power of Spirit Stones worldwide has increased a hundredfold, but mine hasn’t.’

...

Seeing Li Ping’s surprised expression, Zhang Tie quickly explained, "Big Brother, you’ve misunderstood... After my master got this egg from the Demon Cultivator, she inspected it. She discovered that something went wrong during its incubation. Most of the life force and Origin within the egg have already dissipated, making it nearly impossible to hatch."

"This egg is actually a dead egg. The only thing you can do with it is cook and eat it, refining it to enhance a cultivator’s Origin. Its effect is roughly equivalent to a bottle of Cultivation Elixirs, comparable to ten years of a cultivator’s hard work."

Finally, he added, "My master saw that I had just broken through and my Magical Power was still unstable, so she gave me this egg to help me stabilize my realm."

"So that’s how it is." Li Ping finally understood after hearing the explanation.

’No wonder Fenglan Master was so generous,’ he thought. ’If it’s a dead egg, that makes sense.’

And Zhang Tie offering this dead egg to cover a five-hundred-Spirit-Stone debt was also a reasonable price.

Without immediately answering Zhang Tie, Li Ping placed a hand on the crimson eggshell. A thread of his Nourishing Life Skill Power seeped inside as he silently began to inspect the egg’s internal condition.

’His reasoning was simple. Since my Nourishing Life Skill Power could repair my own depleted Origin and even purge the poison from Xiao Yunzhi’s body, could it also be used to replenish the Origin and life force that this Fierce Arrowhead Eagle fledgling had inexplicably lost?’

’If it worked, I would have a Fierce Arrowhead Eagle Spirit Beast, which would be a great help to my future cultivation path.’

...

With a hint of anticipation, Li Ping sent a wisp of Nourishing Life Skill Power into the crimson egg.

The instant that wisp of Nourishing Life Skill Power entered the egg, Li Ping immediately felt it being absorbed. He lost his connection to it.

In its place, a sliver of desire came from the young life within the egg, whose life force was almost completely gone: "Hungry..."

Li Ping was overjoyed. ’The Nourishing Life Skill Power really can replenish this egg’s life force and Origin!’

Having completed his experiment, Li Ping didn’t continue to inject Nourishing Life Skill Power into the egg. Instead, he withdrew his hand.

He smiled at Zhang Tie. "This egg is of great use to me. It’s more than enough to cover the one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones you owe me. Give me the egg, and we’ll call your debt settled."

"This... How can I do that?" Zhang Tie became anxious, thinking his Big Brother was just trying to do him a favor.

After all, how could a dead egg possibly be worth one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones?

Before, when he was a Qi Refining Cultivator, he had accepted his Big Brother’s help, feeling ashamed but taking it nonetheless.

But now, he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, just like his Big Brother. How could he still take advantage of him?

Zhang Tie said anxiously, "Big Brother, this egg..."

"Enough." Li Ping stopped him from continuing and explained with a smile, "When I say this egg is of great use to me, I mean it. Would your Big Brother lie to you?"

’If I can revive this egg and hatch a Fierce Arrowhead Eagle fledgling, its value will be far more than one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. Even at ten times that price, plenty of cultivators would fight over it. However, without the Nourishing Life Skill Power, trying to save it through conventional means would not only be difficult, but the cost would also far exceed the egg’s own value. No one would do such a thing.’

’Therefore, my offer of one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones is a very reasonable price. I’m not ripping him off.’

Seeing that his Big Brother had put it that way, Zhang Tie could only nod helplessly and agree to his proposal.

...

After watching Zhang Tie leave, Li Ping’s gaze shifted to a spot not far from his own cave abode.

That was the cave abode of Hu Feng, the Alchemy Master who was actually a Demon Cultivator.

He had tried to deal with Li Ping but ended up dying at his hands. Li Ping had even left a little surprise for Dai Sangyu in the Jade Scroll he left behind.

Now, more than two years had passed, and the Meng family still hadn’t opened his cave abode.

It just went to show how decent the Meng family was; they hadn’t forcibly opened the cave abode despite over two years of unpaid rent. Li Ping had no intention of forcing the issue either.

’In any case, the Meng family won’t leave this cave abode vacant forever. All I have to do is wait patiently.’

SWOOSH!

He rode his Escape Light and landed in front of Master Hu Feng’s cave abode. He took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, whispered a few words into it, and then tossed it toward his ’friend’s’ dwelling.

He waited for a moment. When no response came, he left with a look of disappointment, like a man dejected after a failed visit to a friend.

...

Speak of the devil.

Not many days later, having learned of his return, the Meng family’s ancestor came to visit him personally.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, please, come in." Li Ping quickly welcomed the Meng family’s ancestor inside with a smile.

The Meng family’s ancestor followed him with a hearty laugh, and the two sat down in the pavilion.

As soon as they sat down, the Meng family’s ancestor asked with concern, "Fellow Daoist Li, I trust your trip back home to visit your family was a smooth one?"

Li Ping smiled and nodded. "Thanks to you, Fellow Daoist Meng, it was quite smooth."

Just then, Bai Lin served them some Spirit Tea.

The Meng family’s ancestor praised with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Li, this concubine of yours is truly a woman of both talent and beauty. She keeps your cave abode in perfect order!"

"You’re too kind, Fellow Daoist Meng," Li Ping said with a polite smile, not saying much more.

Seeing the ancestor’s demeanor, Li Ping knew at once that the man had come to ask a favor of him.

Sure enough, after a bit more small talk, the Meng family’s ancestor finally revealed his purpose. "Fellow Daoist Li, the newly ascended Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Immortal City, Fellow Daoist Zhang Tie, is your sworn brother, correct?"

Li Ping laughed inwardly but put on a puzzled expression as he nodded. "That’s right, Fellow Daoist Meng. He was just here to visit not long ago."

"Haha... Excellent!" the Meng family’s ancestor boomed with laughter. "Fellow Daoist Li, to be honest, this old one has a favor to ask."

Li Ping feigned curiosity. "Oh? Please, Fellow Daoist Meng, do tell."

The Meng family’s ancestor explained, "It’s like this. A junior of my family has fallen in love at first sight with your sworn brother and has been begging me to let her marry him. However, he seems to have some reservations and hasn’t agreed. I was hoping Fellow Daoist Li could help play matchmaker. If this succeeds, my family will certainly not be stingy with your reward."

Li Ping feigned surprise. "Fellow Daoist Meng, you’ve misunderstood. Zhang Tie is my dearest friend and brother. How could I bear to interfere in something as important as his marriage and make him marry someone he doesn’t like?"

As he spoke, he smiled at the Meng family’s ancestor, who was about to explain further. "So... you’ll have to add more Spirit Stones!"

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