zhī qián ， míng yuè gōng bèi nà hēi yī hé dào lián gēn bá qǐ de shí hòu ， hái lián dài zhe qí yú xǔ duō xiāng sì de zǔ zhī 。
之前，明月宫被那黑衣合道连根拔起的时候，还连带着其余许多相似的组织。
Previously, when the Black-Cloaked Convergence of Dao uprooted the Bright Moon Palace, it had also pulled up other similar organizations.
lǐ fán dāng shí jiù cāi cè ， zhè xiē zǔ zhī kě néng bú shì kàn dào míng yuè gōng dù fǎ dà yè rú huǒ rú tú zhī hòu ， cái xiào fǎng chū xiàn de 。
李凡当时就猜测，这些组织可能不是看到明月宫渡法大业如火如荼之后，才效仿出现的。
Li Fan guessed at that time that these organizations might not have emerged after witnessing the flourishing activities of the Bright Moon Palace. Instead, they were likely already engaged in lending-related businesses. Seeing the huge profits generated by the Bright Moon Palace each year, they couldn't resist imitating its operations.
ér shì zhè xiē zǔ zhī běn lái jiù cóng shì zhe fàng dài yǒu guān de yè wù 。
而是这些组织本来就从事着放贷有关的业务。
In Dao Source State, such organizations should naturally exist in the Congyun Sea as well. To get rich quickly, one had to use leverage.
zài kàn dào míng yuè gōng nà měi nián chǎn shēng de jù é lì rùn hòu ， cái rěn bú zhù mó fǎng qǐ lái 。
在看到明月宫那每年产生的巨额利润后，才忍不住模仿起来。
Li Fan planned to take advantage of the massive fluctuations in the price of Spirit Fog Grass and make a substantial profit. He needed these lending organizations' help for that.
dào yuán zhōu yǒu ， cóng yún hǎi zì rán yě yīng gāi yǒu lèi sì de zǔ zhī 。
道源州有，丛云海自然也应该有类似的组织。
However, whether it was before or this world, Li Fan couldn't find any trace of them after extensive inquiries. Clearly, this organization operated with great caution.
xiǎng yào bào fù ， bù shàng gàng gǎn zěn me xíng 。
想要暴富，不上杠杆怎么行。
Thus, he came to Immortal Master He Zhenghao to gather some information.
lǐ fán dǎ suàn jiè zhe líng wù cǎo jià gé jù fú bō dòng de jī huì ， hěn hěn zhuàn shàng yī bǐ 。
李凡打算借着灵雾草价格巨幅波动的机会，狠狠赚上一笔。
As expected, He Zhenghao didn’t disappoint him.
zì rán xū yào zhè xiē fàng dài zǔ zhī de bāng zhù 。
自然需要这些放贷组织的帮助。
"Friend, consider carefully before going to the Clear Wind Hall," he said. "They won't lend you contribution points for free; they charge an 18% annual interest rate."
dàn wú lùn shì zhī qián ， hái shì cǐ shì 。
但无论是之前，还是此世。
"If you make a profit, it will be easy to repay this interest. But if there's a loss..."
lǐ fán jīng guò duō fāng dǎ tīng ， dōu méi néng zhǎo dào qí zōng jì 。
李凡经过多方打听，都没能找到其踪迹。
He Zhenghao’s eyelids flickered: "You might have to work off that debt for those guys for over ten years."
xiǎn rán zhè ge zǔ zhī xíng shì shí fēn xiǎo xīn 。
显然这个组织行事十分小心。
Li Fan bowed slightly: "I’ll remember your advice. Please rest assured; I know what I’m doing."
yú shì ， lǐ fán jiù lái hé zhèng hào dǎ tàn le yī fān kǒu fēng 。
于是，李凡就来何正浩打探了一番口风。
"Then, no further trouble. We can discuss again next time."
guǒ bù qí rán ， hé zhèng hào méi yǒu ràng tā shī wàng 。
果不其然，何正浩没有让他失望。
After saying this, Li Fan returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island through a teleportation array and headed straight for the Clear Wind Hall.
“ dào yǒu qián qù qīng fēng táng zhī qián ， zuì hǎo zài kǎo lǜ kǎo lǜ 。”
“道友前去清风堂之前，最好再考虑考虑。”
In the outermost layer of the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, he finally found it—unremarkable, indistinguishable from any ordinary small shop.
“ nà biān kě bù huì bái bái jiè gěi nǐ gòng xiàn dù de 。 měi nián dōu xū zhī fù bǎi fēn zhī shí bā de gāo é lì xī 。”
“那边可不会白白借给你贡献度的。每年都需支付百分之十八的高额利息。”
Li Fan activated a shape-shifting talisman and entered.
“ ruò shì zhuàn le hái hǎo ， zhè diǎn lì xī néng hěn kuài huán qīng 。 ruò shì kuī sǔn le ……”
“若是赚了还好，这点利息能很快还清。若是亏损了……”
A rather shabby old man was sleeping on a chair behind the counter. He didn’t even open his eyes when someone came in; instead, he continued to rock back and forth while still closed-eyed.
hé zhèng hào yǎn pí zhí tiào ：“ kǒng pà yào miǎn fèi wèi nà bāng jiā huo dǎ gè shí jǐ nián gōng cái xíng 。”
何正浩眼皮直跳：“恐怕要免费为那帮家伙打个十几年工才行。”
Following He Zhenghao’s instructions, Li Fan took out the emerald-green jade token.
lǐ fán gǒng le gǒng shǒu ：“ dào yǒu zhǔ tuō ， wǒ jì xià le 。 bù guò qǐng fàng xīn ， wǒ xīn yǒu shù 。”
李凡拱了拱手：“道友嘱托，我记下了。不过请放心，我心有数。”
"Beep beep beep."
“ jiù bù tāo rǎo le ， xià cì wǒ men zài xù 。”
“就不叨扰了，下次我们再叙。”
The old man tapped three times on the counter.
shuō bà ， lǐ fán jiù tōng guò chuán sòng zhèn ， huí dào le wàn xiān dǎo 。
说罢，李凡就通过传送阵，回到了万仙岛。
The emerald-green jade token emitted a faint glow, forming a door.
zhí bēn qīng fēng táng ér qù 。
直奔清风堂而去。
Li Fan looked around for a moment before stepping through the door. His figure vanished, and so did the green shadow of the door.
zài wàn xiān dǎo zuì wài céng qū yù de jiǎo luò lǐ ， zhōng yú zhǎo dào le tā 。
在万仙岛最外层区域的角落里，终于找到了它。
The old man remained motionless throughout; it seemed no one had ever entered this Clear Wind Hall.
háo bù qǐ yǎn ， hé pǔ tōng de xiǎo shāng pù kàn bù chū rèn hé qū bié 。
毫不起眼，和普通的小商铺看不出任何区别。
Darkness enveloped him briefly before lights flickered back on. Li Fan found himself under a large tree.
lǐ fán jī fā le yī méi cáng xíng fú ， zǒu le jìn qù 。
李凡激发了一枚藏形符，走了进去。
To his surprise, the effect of the shape-shifting talisman was instantly nullified upon entering.
yī wèi kàn shàng qù pǒ wèi lā tā de lǎo zhě ， shuì zài shāng guì hòu miàn de yī zhāng tǎng yǐ shàng 。
一位看上去颇为邋遢的老者，睡在商柜后面的一张躺椅上。
The tree’s branches were lush and verdant, with leaves shimmering like jade, emitting a lustrous glow. A human face appeared on the trunk, staring at him as it spoke: "Who referred you here? What business do you have?"
yǒu kè rén jìn lái le ， yǎn jīng dōu bù zhēng yī xià 。
有客人进来了，眼睛都不睁一下。
Li Fan faced the tree head-on and said loudly, "Immortal Master He Zhenghao of Lustrous Island refers me. I want to borrow something from your Clear Wind Hall."
yī rán bì mù yáo huàng zhe yǐ zi 。
依然闭目摇晃着椅子。
The tree face seemed slow in its response.
lǐ fán àn zhào hé zhèng hào de fēn fù ， ná chū le nà méi mò lǜ de yù pái 。
李凡按照何正浩的吩咐，拿出了那枚墨绿的玉牌。
After a long while, it replied: "A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator can borrow up to 30,000 contribution points."
“ dū dū dū 。”
“嘟嘟嘟。”
"An annual interest rate of 16%, with flexible repayment options."
lǎo zhě zài guì zi shàng qiāo le sān shēng 。
老者在柜子上敲了三声。
"The maximum overdue period is ten years."
mò lǜ yù pái fā chū dàn dàn guāng máng ， xíng chéng le yī dào mén fēi 。
墨绿玉牌发出淡淡光芒，形成了一道门扉。
...
lǐ fán zuǒ yòu dǎ liàng le piàn kè ， suí hòu zǒu jìn mén zhōng 。
李凡左右打量了片刻，随后走进门中。
The tree face slowly introduced the Clear Wind Hall's services one by one.
shēn xíng xiāo shī ， lǜ sè mén yǐng yě gēn zhe xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
身形消失，绿色门影也跟着消失不见。
Afterward, Li Fan said unhappily, "Only 30,000? That’s not enough at all. I’m a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator of twenty-nine years old with an untold future. Can you be more lenient?"
zhì yú nà lǎo zhě ， zé shì cóng tóu dào wěi yì diǎn zī shì biàn huà dōu méi yǒu 。
至于那老者，则是从头到尾一点姿势变化都没有。
The tree face tried to widen its eyes and stared intently at Li Fan.
sì hū gēn běn méi yǒu rén lái guò zhè qīng fēng táng yì bān 。
似乎根本没有人来过这清风堂一般。
After observing for a while, it said, "You can borrow up to 40,000 contribution points."
zhōu wéi xiān shì xiàn rù hēi àn ， suí zhī yòu chóng xīn liàng qǐ 。
周围先是陷入黑暗，随之又重新亮起。
Li Fan was impatient: "Just one additional ten thousand? That’s too stingy!"
lǐ fán huán gù sì zhōu ， fā xiàn zì jǐ chù zài le yī kē dà shù zhī xià 。
李凡环顾四周，发现自己处在了一颗大树之下。
"When I was in the Source Dao State, I was still a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. The Bright Moon Palace lent me over seventy thousand contribution points at once! Why is it so different here?"
ér gāng gāng jī fā de cáng xíng fú xiào guǒ ， yě jū rán shùn jiān bèi jiě chú le 。
而刚刚激发的藏形符效果，也居然瞬间被解除了。
"Brother Tree, can you make this decision? Otherwise, let's find someone who can and discuss again."
zhī fán yè mào ， shù yè jiē rú bì yù yì bān ， fā chū yíng rùn de guāng zé 。
枝繁叶茂，树叶皆如碧玉一般，发出莹润的光泽。
Li Fan spoke casually but covertly glanced in a certain direction.
ér nà shù shēn shàng ， què shì xiǎn xiàn chū yī zhāng rén liǎn 。
而那树身上，却是显现出一张人脸。
The branches above rustled without wind, and the green leaves swayed softly.
tā dīng zhe lǐ fán ， chū shēng wèn dào ：“ hé rén jiè shào ， lái cǐ hé shì ？”
它盯着李凡，出声问道：“何人介绍，来此何事？”
The tree face stared at Li Fan expressionlessly. Li Fan returned its gaze fearlessly.
lǐ fán gēn shù liǎn xiāng duì ， lǎng shēng dào ：“ liú lí dǎo zhèn shǒu hé zhèng hào jiè shào ér lái 。 xiǎng yào gēn nǐ men qīng fēng táng jiè diǎn dōng xī 。”
李凡跟树脸相对，朗声道：“琉璃岛镇守何正浩介绍而来。想要跟你们清风堂借点东西。”
After a long time, the tree face slowly said, "Up to 50,000 points; that’s all."
shù liǎn de fǎn yìng sì hū yǒu xiē chí dùn 。
树脸的反应似乎有些迟钝。
Li Fan looked disappointed: "Such a pity." He then added, "Oh right, I’m not borrowing contribution points but Spirit Fog Grass. Can you lend it?"
lǐ fán shuō wán zhī hòu ， guò le xǔ jiǔ ， tā cái yǒu le dá fù ：“ zhù jī hòu qī xiū shì ， shàng xiàn kě jiè sān wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù 。”
李凡说完之后，过了许久，它才有了答复：“筑基后期修士，上限可借三万点贡献度。”
He blinked and stared at the tree face.
“ yī nián lì xī bǎi fēn zhī shí liù ， kě zì xíng xuǎn zé guī huán fāng shì 。”
“一年利息百分之十六，可自行选择归还方式。”
The wind seemed stronger, and the leaves swayed more violently.
“ zuì duō tuō qiàn shí jiān ， bù chāo guò shí nián 。”
“最多拖欠时间，不超过十年。”
"Yes. For borrowed items, we don’t calculate interest; instead, repayment is based on quantity," the tree face said gruffly.
……
……
"You must return 130% of what you borrow within one year."
shù liǎn yī jù yī jù ， huǎn màn de wèi lǐ fán jiè shào qǐ qīng fēng táng de yè wù qǐ lái 。
树脸一句一句，缓慢的为李凡介绍起清风堂的业务起来。
"160% in the second year."
shuō wán zhī hòu ， lǐ fán fāng cái yǒu xiē bù mǎn dì shuō dào ：“ zěn me yī gòng cái néng jiè sān wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù ， gēn běn bù gòu ma 。”
说完之后，李凡方才有些不满地说到：“怎么一共才能借三万点贡献度，根本不够嘛。”
"200% in the third year."
“ wǒ kě shì èr shí jiǔ suì de zhù jī hòu qī ， qián tú wú liàng 。 néng bù néng duō diǎn yōu dài ？”
“我可是二十九岁的筑基后期，前途无量。能不能多点优待？”
"The maximum borrowing period is three years."
shù liǎn shì tú nǔ lì zhēng dà tā nà shuāng yǎn jīng ， zǐ xì dīng zhe lǐ fán 。
树脸试图努力睁大它那双眼睛，仔细盯着李凡。
Li Fan was shocked: "So unfair?"
guān chá le yī zhèn hòu ， fāng cái shuō dào ：“ nǐ kě yǐ zuì duō jiè sì wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù 。”
观察了一阵后，方才说道：“你可以最多借四万点贡献度。”
But seeing the tree face’s stern expression, he immediately shut up.
lǐ fán yǒu xiē bù nài fán le ：“ cái jiā le yī wàn diǎn gòng xiàn dù ？ zhè yě tài xiǎo qì le ！”
李凡有些不耐烦了：“才加了一万点贡献度？这也太小气了！”
He started negotiating again: "If it's for borrowed items, can I borrow more?"
“ wǒ zài yuán dào zhōu de shí hòu ， hái shì zhù jī zhōng qī xiū wèi ne 。 gēn míng yuè gōng jiù néng yī xià zi jiè qī bā wàn gòng xiàn dù le ！”
“我在源道州的时候，还是筑基中期修为呢。跟明月宫就能一下子借七八万贡献度了！”
The tree face ignored him.
“ zěn me nǐ men qīng fēng táng chà le zhè me duō a ！”
“怎么你们清风堂差了这么多啊！”
Seeing this, Li Fan reluctantly gave up.
“ shù gē ， nǐ zuò de le zhǔ me ？ yào bù rán huàn gè néng zuò zhǔ de ， zán men zài tán ？”
“树哥，你做的了主么？要不然换个能做主的，咱们再谈？”
"Then how many Spirit Fog Grass can I borrow now?" he asked.
lǐ fán dà dà liē liē dì shuō dào ， què shì bù dòng shēng sè de jiāng mù guāng piē xiàng mǒu gè fāng xiàng 。
李凡大大咧咧地说道，却是不动声色的将目光瞥向某个方向。
"2,700." The tree face said gruffly.
tóu dǐng shù zhī wú fēng zì dòng ， lǜ guāng shù yè qīng huǎng ， fā chū shā shā de shēng xiǎng 。
头顶树枝无风自动，绿光树叶轻晃，发出沙沙的声响。
Li Fan muttered to himself before replying, "Alright! I’ll borrow it. What do I need to do?"
shù liǎn miàn wú biǎo qíng de dīng zhe lǐ fán 。
树脸面无表情的盯着李凡。
A green leaf slowly descended from above and landed in front of him.
lǐ fán yě shì háo wú jù sè ， dèng zhe shù liǎn 。
李凡也是毫无惧色，瞪着树脸。
He took the leaf and immediately saw a series of information pop up in his mind—exactly what he had just agreed with the tree face.
guò le xǔ jiǔ ， shù liǎn fāng cái huǎn huǎn kāi kǒu ：“ wǔ wàn ， bù néng zài duō le 。”
过了许久，树脸方才缓缓开口：“五万，不能再多了。”
"If you agree, use spiritual energy to refine this green leaf."
lǐ fán yī fù shí fēn wǎn xī de yàng zi ， zhī hòu yòu shuō dào ：“ ó duì le 。 wǒ yào jiè de bú shì gòng xiàn dù ， shì líng wù cǎo 。 nǐ men néng bù néng jiè ？” tā zhǎ le zhǎ yǎn ， dīng zhe shù liǎn 。
李凡一副十分惋惜的样子，之后又说道：“哦对了。我要借的不是贡献度，是灵雾草。你们能不能借？”他眨了眨眼，盯着树脸。
Li Fan nodded and wrapped the leaf with spiritual energy. The leaf was instantly refined, and a barely visible green-leaf pattern appeared on Li Fan's left forearm.
wú xíng zhī fēng sì hū gèng jiā dà le 。
无形之风似乎更加大了。
"Once the debt is settled, this bond will disappear," said the tree face.
zhī yè yáo huàng de yù fā lì hài 。
枝叶摇晃的愈发厉害。
"I’ll send you the Spirit Fog Grass in a moment."
“ néng 。 jiè wù de huà ， bù àn lì xī suàn ， àn suǒ jiè shù liàng suàn 。” shù liǎn yīn chén ， mēn shēng dào 。
“能。借物的话，不按利息算，按所借数量算。”树脸阴沉，闷声道。
After saying that, the tree face vanished from the trunk, leaving no trace.
“ dì yī nián zhī nèi guī huán ， xū hái shù liàng àn suǒ jiè de bǎi fēn zhī yì bǎi sān shí jì suàn 。”
“第一年之内归还，需还数量按所借的百分之一百三十计算。”
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Fan looked up at the large tree. The tree face's strength felt strange to him—clearly much stronger than an Incarnation True Monarch but weaker than a Transcendent True Monarch. Moreover, there was no sign of any array here; it seemed naturally formed.
“ dì èr nián ， àn bǎi fēn zhī yì bǎi liù 。”
“第二年，按百分之一百六。”
Li Fan observed curiously from side to side.
“ dì sān nián ， zé àn bǎi fēn zhī liǎng bǎi 。”
“第三年，则按百分之两百。”
After some time, the tree face reappeared and spat out a storage ring.
“ zuì duō zhǐ néng jiè sān nián 。”
“最多只能借三年。”
"Here are all the Spirit Fog Grass."
lǐ fán wén yán dà jīng shī sè ：“ zhè me hēi ？”
李凡闻言大惊失色：“这么黑？”
"The transaction is complete; you can leave now."
dàn kàn zhe miàn sè bù shàn de shù liǎn ， lì mǎ xuǎn zé le bì zuǐ 。
但看着面色不善的树脸，立马选择了闭嘴。
"Don’t forget to repay your debt on time. Otherwise..."
yòu kāi shǐ le tǎo jià huán jià ：“ rú guǒ jiè wù de huà ， néng bù néng gěi wǒ duō jiè diǎn ？”
又开始了讨价还价：“如果借物的话，能不能给我多借点？”
Before Li Fan could speak, the tree face expelled him from this space.
shù liǎn méi yǒu dā lǐ lǐ fán 。
树脸没有搭理李凡。
Green light gathered under the tree, forming a vague green figure.
lǐ fán jiàn zhuàng ， zhǐ hǎo yí hàn de zuò bà 。
李凡见状，只好遗憾的作罢。
"Such a large amount of Spirit Fog Grass? Interesting," a clear voice said from within.
“ nà wǒ xiàn zài néng jiè duō shǎo zhū líng wù cǎo ？” tā wèn dào 。
“那我现在能借多少株灵雾草？”他问道。
"Could it be that the price of Spirit Fog Grass will drop?"
“ liǎng qiān qī bǎi zhū 。” shù liǎn mēn shēng shuō dào 。
“两千七百株。”树脸闷声说道。
"Sixth Brother, keep an eye on things."
lǐ fán dí gū le jǐ jù ， yě bù zhī zài shuō xiē shá 。
李凡嘀咕了几句，也不知在说些啥。
The tree face replied gruffly: "Understood, Miss."
“ hǎo ！ wǒ jiè ！ yào bàn lǐ shén me shǒu xù ？” lǐ fán sì hū xià dìng le jué xīn 。
“好！我借！要办理什么手续？”李凡似乎下定了决心。
"Miss, that guy was really annoying."
yī piàn lǜ yè ， cóng tóu dǐng huǎn huǎn piāo xià ， luò zài lǐ fán miàn qián 。
一片绿叶，从头顶缓缓飘下，落在李凡面前。
The green figure chuckled lightly: "Indeed, he was."
jiāng qí ná zài shǒu zhōng ， yī dào dào xìn xī dùn shí fú xiàn zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng 。
将其拿在手中，一道道信息顿时浮现在李凡脑海中。
"But who is the Bright Moon Palace’s competitor? I’ve never heard of them before."
Previously, when the Black-Cloaked Convergence of Dao uprooted the Bright Moon Palace, it had also pulled up other similar organizations.
Li Fan guessed at that time that these organizations might not have emerged after witnessing the flourishing activities of the Bright Moon Palace. Instead, they were likely already engaged in lending-related businesses. Seeing the huge profits generated by the Bright Moon Palace each year, they couldn't resist imitating its operations.
In Dao Source State, such organizations should naturally exist in the Congyun Sea as well. To get rich quickly, one had to use leverage.
Li Fan planned to take advantage of the massive fluctuations in the price of Spirit Fog Grass and make a substantial profit. He needed these lending organizations' help for that.
However, whether it was before or this world, Li Fan couldn't find any trace of them after extensive inquiries. Clearly, this organization operated with great caution.
Thus, he came to Immortal Master He Zhenghao to gather some information.
As expected, He Zhenghao didn’t disappoint him.
"Friend, consider carefully before going to the Clear Wind Hall," he said. "They won't lend you contribution points for free; they charge an 18% annual interest rate."
"If you make a profit, it will be easy to repay this interest. But if there's a loss..."
He Zhenghao’s eyelids flickered: "You might have to work off that debt for those guys for over ten years."
Li Fan bowed slightly: "I’ll remember your advice. Please rest assured; I know what I’m doing."
"Then, no further trouble. We can discuss again next time."
After saying this, Li Fan returned to the Ten Thousand Immortals Island through a teleportation array and headed straight for the Clear Wind Hall.
In the outermost layer of the Ten Thousand Immortals Island, he finally found it—unremarkable, indistinguishable from any ordinary small shop.
Li Fan activated a shape-shifting talisman and entered.
A rather shabby old man was sleeping on a chair behind the counter. He didn’t even open his eyes when someone came in; instead, he continued to rock back and forth while still closed-eyed.
Following He Zhenghao’s instructions, Li Fan took out the emerald-green jade token.
"Beep beep beep."
The old man tapped three times on the counter.
The emerald-green jade token emitted a faint glow, forming a door.
Li Fan looked around for a moment before stepping through the door. His figure vanished, and so did the green shadow of the door.
The old man remained motionless throughout; it seemed no one had ever entered this Clear Wind Hall.
Darkness enveloped him briefly before lights flickered back on. Li Fan found himself under a large tree.
To his surprise, the effect of the shape-shifting talisman was instantly nullified upon entering.
The tree’s branches were lush and verdant, with leaves shimmering like jade, emitting a lustrous glow. A human face appeared on the trunk, staring at him as it spoke: "Who referred you here? What business do you have?"
Li Fan faced the tree head-on and said loudly, "Immortal Master He Zhenghao of Lustrous Island refers me. I want to borrow something from your Clear Wind Hall."
The tree face seemed slow in its response.
After a long while, it replied: "A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator can borrow up to 30,000 contribution points."
"An annual interest rate of 16%, with flexible repayment options."
"The maximum overdue period is ten years."
...
The tree face slowly introduced the Clear Wind Hall's services one by one.
Afterward, Li Fan said unhappily, "Only 30,000? That’s not enough at all. I’m a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator of twenty-nine years old with an untold future. Can you be more lenient?"
The tree face tried to widen its eyes and stared intently at Li Fan.
After observing for a while, it said, "You can borrow up to 40,000 contribution points."
Li Fan was impatient: "Just one additional ten thousand? That’s too stingy!"
"When I was in the Source Dao State, I was still a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. The Bright Moon Palace lent me over seventy thousand contribution points at once! Why is it so different here?"
"Brother Tree, can you make this decision? Otherwise, let's find someone who can and discuss again."
Li Fan spoke casually but covertly glanced in a certain direction.
The branches above rustled without wind, and the green leaves swayed softly.
The tree face stared at Li Fan expressionlessly. Li Fan returned its gaze fearlessly.
After a long time, the tree face slowly said, "Up to 50,000 points; that’s all."
Li Fan looked disappointed: "Such a pity." He then added, "Oh right, I’m not borrowing contribution points but Spirit Fog Grass. Can you lend it?"
He blinked and stared at the tree face.
The wind seemed stronger, and the leaves swayed more violently.
"Yes. For borrowed items, we don’t calculate interest; instead, repayment is based on quantity," the tree face said gruffly.
"You must return 130% of what you borrow within one year."
"160% in the second year."
"200% in the third year."
"The maximum borrowing period is three years."
Li Fan was shocked: "So unfair?"
But seeing the tree face’s stern expression, he immediately shut up.
He started negotiating again: "If it's for borrowed items, can I borrow more?"
The tree face ignored him.
Seeing this, Li Fan reluctantly gave up.
"Then how many Spirit Fog Grass can I borrow now?" he asked.
"2,700." The tree face said gruffly.
Li Fan muttered to himself before replying, "Alright! I’ll borrow it. What do I need to do?"
A green leaf slowly descended from above and landed in front of him.
He took the leaf and immediately saw a series of information pop up in his mind—exactly what he had just agreed with the tree face.
"If you agree, use spiritual energy to refine this green leaf."
Li Fan nodded and wrapped the leaf with spiritual energy. The leaf was instantly refined, and a barely visible green-leaf pattern appeared on Li Fan's left forearm.
"Once the debt is settled, this bond will disappear," said the tree face.
"I’ll send you the Spirit Fog Grass in a moment."
After saying that, the tree face vanished from the trunk, leaving no trace.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Fan looked up at the large tree. The tree face's strength felt strange to him—clearly much stronger than an Incarnation True Monarch but weaker than a Transcendent True Monarch. Moreover, there was no sign of any array here; it seemed naturally formed.
Li Fan observed curiously from side to side.
After some time, the tree face reappeared and spat out a storage ring.
"Here are all the Spirit Fog Grass."
"The transaction is complete; you can leave now."
"Don’t forget to repay your debt on time. Otherwise..."
Before Li Fan could speak, the tree face expelled him from this space.
Green light gathered under the tree, forming a vague green figure.
"Such a large amount of Spirit Fog Grass? Interesting," a clear voice said from within.
"Could it be that the price of Spirit Fog Grass will drop?"
"Sixth Brother, keep an eye on things."
The tree face replied gruffly: "Understood, Miss."
"Miss, that guy was really annoying."
The green figure chuckled lightly: "Indeed, he was."
"But who is the Bright Moon Palace’s competitor? I’ve never heard of them before."