Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 359: Chapter 239: Spending Money Like Water, Eve of the Final Battle

He reached into his robe, took out a silver token, and placed it before Li Mingyang. "I’ve heard that a VIP Card comes with certain discounts. Could you please recalculate, Fellow Daoist Li?"

The moment he saw the flash of silver, Li Mingyang’s pupils constricted. He quickly picked it up, inspecting it over and over. Then, to Song Changsheng’s astonishment, he bowed deeply and said respectfully, "Steward Li Mingyang of the Commerce Association pays his respects, Honored Guest!"

Song Changsheng quickly sidestepped, saying in shock, "Honored Guest? Fellow Daoist Li, you must be mistaken."

This reaction stunned Li Mingyang for a moment. Seeing that Song Changsheng’s expression wasn’t feigned, he asked with a puzzled look, "Anyone who holds a Silver VIP Card is an Honored Guest of the Commerce Association. Did Young Clan Leader Song not know this?"

Song Changsheng shook his head with a wry smile. "I truly did not."

To dispel Li Mingyang’s suspicion, he briefly explained the origin of the VIP Card.

After hearing his explanation, Li Mingyang had a moment of sudden realization. ’So it came from that little missy. That makes sense.’

Theoretically, the Wanlong Commerce Association’s Silver VIP Cards were only issued to Purple Mansion Cultivators, and only a select few—the president, vice president, and Supreme Elders—had the authority to issue them.

But Peng Siying was an exception. Her father, the president, had given her a few cards so she could win over the talented young prodigies around her.

The original intention was good, but Peng Siying had a magnanimous personality. She never considered a person’s background, aptitude, or strength when handing out the VIP Cards; if she took a liking to you, she might just give you one.

Therefore, he didn’t doubt Song Changsheng’s words. He just felt that his young miss had been a bit too willful this time. Handing out iron or copper cards was one thing, but this time she had actually given away a silver one.

One had to understand that besides discounts, a silver card also granted the status of an Honored Guest of the Commerce Association.

This status was incredibly prestigious, comparable to that of a Commerce Association Elder, and it even came with certain powers.

For example, if Song Changsheng were displeased with Li Mingyang, he only needed to report it to the Elder in charge of this branch, and Li Mingyang would be immediately transferred. If a conflict occurred, Li Mingyang would be severely punished.

And now, something so important had fallen into Song Changsheng’s hands. An Honored Guest with only a Foundation Establishment Cultivation... this was a first in the thousand-year history of the Wanlong Commerce Association.

But what was done was done; no one could change it now. He could only secretly feel relieved that he hadn’t offended Song Changsheng.

Respectfully returning the VIP Card, Li Mingyang lowered his head and said, "I will recalculate for you right away, sir."

Song Changsheng stared at the VIP Card in his hand, his mind a bit of a jumble. ’Peng Siying really gave me a grand gift!’

Soon, Li Mingyang finished recalculating.

"Reporting, sir. The grand total comes to 375,200 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. I’ll round that down to an even 370,000. After applying the discount, you only need to pay 244,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

A flicker of surprise appeared in Song Changsheng’s eyes. ’Wow, he really rounded that down. That saved me over five thousand Spirit Stones right there.’

As expected of a major commerce association, they really do things with class.

After a quick mental calculation, he figured he would still have 156,000 Spirit Stones left after this payment.

Before he left, the Grand Elder had given him a list, stating that after purchasing all the resources on it, any remaining Spirit Stones were his to keep as a reward from the clan.

Song Changsheng had roughly estimated that the list was worth about 400,000 Spirit Stones.

Factoring in the discount and the Spirit Stones from selling resources, Song Changsheng could profit at least 200,000 from this trip.

He knew this was the clan’s way of showing their support, but he had considered the Grand Elder’s list incomplete and added more items. He never expected to have so much left over.

Song Changsheng was no saint. He had added to the list for the clan’s benefit, but now, it was time to consider his own.

So, he picked up the small booklet in front of him once more and flipped through it. Finally, a treasure called "Earth God Thunder" caught his eye.

"Tier Three Low Grade, Earth God Thunder. When activated, it unleashes a thunderous explosion capable of threatening a Purple Mansion Cultivator."

Song Changsheng’s eyes lit up. ’Now that’s a real treasure!’ He glanced at the price—only 35,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. ’I’ll take three!’

When spending the clan’s money, he was cautious. When spending his own, he was extravagant.

Next, he spotted a Protective Jade Pendant. It was Tier Three Middle Grade and could block one fatal attack from a Purple Mansion Cultivator, which was perfect for him.

With his current cultivation, Foundation Establishment Cultivators could hardly threaten him anymore. Now, with the Earth God Thunder and this Protective Jade Pendant, he would even have a chance to escape unscathed from a Purple Mansion Cultivator.

He also bought a few bottles of pills, ultimately spending a total of 510,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, leaving him with 16,000 for other uses.

As Li Mingyang handed the Storage Bag to Song Changsheng, Song Changsheng was filled with emotion. ’Building this connection with Peng Siying was absolutely the right move.’

If calculated at market price, these items would have cost at least 750,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones. But he had only spent 510,000, saving over 200,000.

"Thank you for your assistance, Steward Li. I will take my leave now." After offering his sincere thanks, Song Changsheng didn’t linger for a moment longer, piloting his Flying Ship back toward his clan...

While Song Changsheng was returning from Yuan Province to Ling Province, a world-shaking battle was brewing in Bian Province.

After nearly a year under siege, Luoxia City’s resource reserves had been more than halfway depleted. To conserve resources, the city’s disciples had begun engaging the Demon Beasts in close-quarters combat a month ago, drenching the city walls in blood.

Every disciple of Luoxia City aged sixteen and older had been sent to the walls. In addition, the City Lord’s Mansion had issued several Recruitment Orders, conscripting the vast majority of cultivators within the city to help with the defense, which was the only reason they had held out this long.

During this time, dozens of battles at the Purple Mansion level had erupted. Luoxia City had lost three Purple Mansion Cultivators, but the Demon Beasts had not fared well either, with seven Great Demons slain. The losses on both sides were devastating.

Having fought to this point, both sides were on the verge of collapse.

Both humans and beasts realized that the final, decisive battle was likely imminent!

Soaked in blood, Xu Yunhe sat cross-legged in a pool of gore, all sense of decorum gone. He was surrounded by piles of corpses, both from the Human Race and the Demon Beasts.

As far as he could see, along this hundred-meter stretch of the city wall, he seemed to be the only one still breathing.

He had been among the first batch of cultivators to answer the Recruitment Order. Twenty-six people had originally mounted this section of the wall with him: six disciples from Luoxia City and twenty conscripted Human Race Cultivators.

But now, they had all died in the last Beast Tide. That Luoxia City disciple named Zhang Yanhe was dead too, right beside him.

He had admired the young man, who had been so full of vigor. But at that moment, he had been too busy fending for his own life and could only watch helplessly as a Demon Beast tore him in two.

Xu Yunhe suddenly felt a sense of detachment. ’Can we really still win this war?’

The Thunderous Demon King had yet to attack with his full strength, and that old dragon from the Black Water Marsh hadn’t even shown itself, yet Luoxia City’s defensive lines were already in tatters.

Without reinforcements from the two major sects, Xu Yunhe truly didn’t know how they could possibly win this war...

TAP TAP TAP

A series of footsteps echoed. Xu Yunhe looked back to see another squad of cultivators mounting his section of the wall. They were even younger, and their numbers were smaller—only sixteen of them.

"Fellow Daoist, are you alright?" a middle-aged man in the attire of Luoxia City asked, extending a hand to Xu Yunhe.

Xu Yunhe managed a grim smile, grasping the man’s hand to pull himself up. "Not dead yet."

"You should regulate your breathing and recover. The Demon Beasts will likely press their attack again soon." Seeing the countless wounds covering Xu Yunhe’s body, a trace of admiration appeared in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

Xu Yunhe was about to reply when suddenly, a piercing dragon’s roar echoed from the distant mountains. It grew closer and closer, and the very dome of the sky seemed to tremble with it.

In an instant, the Demons roared in fury.

Everyone’s face instantly turned pale. ’The final battle... is it finally here?’

...