The divination was revealed.
Qin Xuan keenly sensed that this Instructor Li seemed different from Wang Jian, Zheng Qi, and the others.
Qin Xuan: "Instructor Li, I'd like a dose of the potion, but I don't have any Contribution Points. Is it possible to take out a loan?"
The other Demon Disciples stared at Qin Xuan in utter disbelief.
'Is this kid out of his mind?'
Zhao Youliang, however, paused and glanced at Qin Xuan. "Brother Qin Xuan, are you sure you want to buy it?"
Qin Xuan: "Of course."
Zhao Youliang took a deep breath. "Instructor Li, in that case, I'll also take a bowl on loan."
Li Cang spoke coolly, "You can. Ten Contribution Points. In one month, you'll return thirteen. That's a thirty percent monthly interest."
"Does anyone else need the potion?"
GASP!
The moment he spoke, the Demon Disciples stared with wide, shocked eyes.
The monthly interest on a loan from Zheng Xiangzhu was only three percent, yet Li Cang dared to ask for thirty!
This further solidified everyone's decision not to take the broth.
Zhao Youliang couldn't be bothered to explain.
From the very beginning in June Valley, to the Qi Blood Pill, and then to choosing a Cultivation Technique, Zhao Youliang had noticed that Qin Xuan's every step was perfectly calculated.
'Brother Qin Xuan seems overly cautious, but he always manages to protect himself perfectly every single time.'
'I'm not looking for great wealth or status. I just want to survive in this Demon Sect.'
This was what Zhao Youliang truly thought.
Qian Kai couldn't help but laugh to himself, his opinion completely different from Zhao Youliang's.
'Of all the people to latch onto, you pick a coward like Qin Xuan? What can he do besides cower like a turtle in its shell?'
Qian Kai felt that Qin Xuan was far too afraid of death, his vision too narrow. He was nothing compared to Xiao Ran, just getting by on dumb luck.
'Anyone with eyes can see there's a huge problem with this potion. Only an idiot would spend ten Contribution Points on it.'
'In the Demon Sect, you have to be like Xiao Ran—able to read the situation, daring enough to fight and struggle. That's the only way to have a future.'
Previously, Xiao Ran had taken the initiative to get on Zheng Qi's good side, because Zheng Qi was an Inner Sect Incense Master. In the end, he even had his loan collateral waived, making the other Demon Disciples burn with envy.
'This Li Cang is just a Qi Cultivation Instructor. Even Wang Jian, whose Cultivation is lower than his, managed to become a Steward. Qin Xuan can't even learn from Xiao Ran's example. What can he possibly gain by sucking up to an ordinary instructor?'
Subtly, this group of new Demon Disciples had already begun to splinter into different factions.
"Alright. In that case, sign the standard contract."
A yellowed sheepskin scroll descended from the sky, floating silently before Qin Xuan and Zhao Youliang.
Its contents were mostly the same as the one Xiao Ran had signed earlier.
The only difference was the collateral.
'It seems Instructor Li's position within the Sect is indeed quite low.'
According to the contract, the term was three months. If Qin Xuan failed to repay on time, he would only need to assist Li Cang with alchemy for ten days.
The collateral was also a mere half-liter of Spiritual Blood, showing his authority was far less than that of an Incense Master like Zheng Qi.
Of course, even if his authority wasn't high, should Qin Xuan remain perpetually overdue until all the collateral was forfeit, then his body parts and reincarnated soul would be completely at the Sect's mercy.
Zhao Youliang: "If I may ask the Instructor, where can we Demon Disciples accept missions to earn Contribution Points?"
Being in debt, after all, was unsettling.
Li Cang: "No need to rush. We'll talk after you've cultivated your first Divine Power Technique... Before that, you are my apprentices in name. You can ask me any questions you have about your cultivation."
Qian Kai immediately asked, "Instructor Li, I'm cultivating the >. Why do I feel like my soul is restless and unfocused?"
Li Cang shot Qian Kai a sideways glance but ignored him completely, proceeding to ladle two bowls of the foul-smelling potion from the ancient bronze cauldron.
He handed them to Qin Xuan and Zhao Youliang.
Those who hadn't taken a loan from him to buy the potion weren't qualified to ask questions.
This infuriated Qian Kai.
'We're both Demon Disciples, so why does he patiently answer Zhao Youliang's question but ignore mine?'
'Instructor Li is too snobbish! Just because I didn't buy his potion, he treats me so differently!'
Zhao Youliang took the bowl of bubbling Bone-Scraping Yin Moss Soup. The mere smell of it made his stomach churn with acid, and he pinched his nose, about to pour it into his mouth.
Li Cang frowned. "What do you think you're doing?"
Zhao Youliang looked baffled. "Instructor Li, isn't this meant to be drunk?"
Li Cang: "If you want to drink it, I won't stop you. But don't blame me for not warning you when your internal organs are burned to a crisp."
Hearing this, Zhao Youliang was so scared he almost dropped the bowl.
"You're cultivating the >, correct?"
Zhao Youliang nodded vigorously.
A flash of light emanated from Li Cang's waist, and two complete, shimmering white skeletons instantly appeared on the ground. Upon closer inspection, one of the skeletons faintly bore the pattern of a deep blue flame.
It was, shockingly, the recently deceased Li Fan!
"To cultivate the White Bone Yin Talisman, you need the skull of someone who died unjustly. Since you took a loan from me, I'll give these two corpses to you. It just so happens that the full moon is out these next couple of nights, so their deaths will not be in vain."
Li Cang pointed to Li Fan's skeleton and said, "Qin Xuan, you were the first to take a loan. This skeleton with the Nether Ghost Fire flame pattern is yours."
"Zhao Youliang, you take the other one."
Joy appeared on both of their faces.
They had just been worrying about where to get the necessary materials for their Cultivation Technique, and now Instructor Li had delivered them right to their door.
'This ten-point loan was worth it!'
Qin Xuan sat cross-legged, his Lifebound Iron Sword laid across his knees. Before him rested the complete, shimmering white skeleton of Li Fan.
"When applied externally to a Cultivator's skin, the Bone-Scraping Yin Moss Soup accelerates the circulation of True Essence. If applied to a skeleton, it will soften the bones."
"You can start by trying to pour the Bone-Scraping Yin Moss Soup on their skulls. This will greatly speed up the process of carving the White Bone Yin Talisman..."
Qin Xuan listened carefully to Li Cang's instructions.
Sure enough, after slowly pouring the foul-smelling potion onto it, Li Fan's shimmering white skull gradually began to soften.
Seeing this, Qin Xuan quickly formed a hand seal. His sword fingers, sharp as a blade and coated in ink-black True Essence, slowly carved a White Bone Yin Talisman—a symbol he already knew by heart—onto Li Fan's skull.
BUZZ!
With a slight tremor, the White Bone Yin Talisman merged into Li Fan's skull. Two clusters of eerie green light flared up in Li Fan's dark, empty eye sockets, and the once-lifeless skeleton actually staggered to its feet.
The onlooking Demon Disciples were all dumbfounded, their mouths agape.
"Brother Qin Xuan, you're amazing!"
Zhao Youliang said, his voice full of sincere envy.
He had successfully controlled a Bone Shadow Soldier in an instant. In contrast, Zhao Youliang hadn't even finished carving the White Bone Yin Talisman yet.
Qin Xuan could clearly perceive a new White Bone Yin Talisman within his sea of consciousness. Through this Yin Talisman, he could control Li Fan as easily as moving his own limbs.
Although he could clearly control it for much longer, he deliberately feigned that his True Essence was depleted. The skeleton merely stood up for a moment before immediately collapsing again.
It crumbled into a messy pile of scattered bones, leaving only the two clusters of eerie green light in its skull's eye sockets, still burning.
"Not bad. To succeed in carving the White Bone Yin Talisman on your first try... it seems you have quite a talent for the path of Yin Earth."
Qin Xuan: "Instructor Li, just now when I was controlling this Bone Shadow Soldier, I could feel my True Essence circulation was difficult and stagnant, and the consumption was immense."
"Furthermore, it was unable to attack. I was wondering if the Instructor could offer some guidance?"
Li Cang: "That's because you haven't mastered the corresponding Magic. It's normal."
"The White Bone Yin Talisman belongs to the [Xieqia] of the Yin Earth line. The Position it seeks is [Wanguai]. It is most effective to cultivate on the night of a full moon. If you can find a Yin Earth Spiritual Object to aid you, once your Cultivation reaches the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, things will be completely different."
As he spoke, Li Cang tapped several acupoints on Qin Xuan's body in succession.
"Try circulating your True Essence to these points now."
Qin Xuan tried circulating his True Essence and felt his whole body lighten. He was surprised to find that his control had become much more fluid.
The points where his True Essence circulation had been stagnant instantly became smooth, and along with it, the speed at which Li Fan's skeleton reassembled more than doubled.
Qin Xuan spoke gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor."
Seeing this, the other Demon Disciples were so full of regret they could have slapped their own thighs.
They finally came to their senses. Instructor Li possessed real skill, and he was also genuinely teaching them!
"Instructor Li, I want to take out a loan for your potion."
"Instructor Li, I'll take two doses on loan!"
The Demon Disciples shouted, scrambling over one another.
A strange smile appeared on Li Cang's deeply lined face.
"No need to rush. One at a time."