Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Zhu Wuyao had just removed the disguise of Mr. Wuyu when a plaque was carried in from outside.

Eight large characters were written on it—

"Thanks to Wuyu, you saved my sister's life!"

She took a closer look and saw a cultivator standing in front of her, who, like herself, was at the third level of Qi Refining.

Shopkeeper Li was also somewhat bewildered. Just as he reached the shop entrance, the cultivator stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and said with a face full of gratitude:

"Shopkeeper, you must pass on this plaque and this thank-you gift to Mr. Wuyu for me!"

"If there is an opportunity, please introduce me so I can thank her in person!"

After saying that, he lifted the red silk covering the tray and roughly estimated that there were about five hundred taels of silver, with a few copper coins scattered around.

Those around them were extremely envious.

Manager Li gasped for breath as he thought this thank-you gift was worth more than the royalties Miss Zhu could earn from writing a whole novel.

"What...what do you mean by this?"

He glanced at Zhu Wuyao beside him and saw that she was also somewhat bewildered, but her eyes were shining brightly at the same time.

The cultivator said:

"Some time ago, I read Mr. Wuyu's storybook and wanted to go out to look for opportunities. Maybe I could also encounter some secret manuals left behind by a great master."

"Although I didn't find the secret manual, I unexpectedly encountered a spiritual herb. After eating it, I directly reached the third level of Qi Refining!"

Manager Li nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that although Beixuan City did not have cliffs, there were other places where one could seek opportunities.

I don't know if I can give it a try!

He continued to ask:

"If you found the elixir, why does the plaque say 'Save my sister's life'?"

The cultivator, with a hint of relief on his face, continued:

“I went to look for opportunities, and she was at home alone. Who knew that some villains would seize the house and belongings and drive my sister out of the house. How can she survive alone in the dead of winter?”

"If I find the magical herb, but my sister is in danger because of it, what's the point of me finding it?"

Manager Li sighed and continued to ask:

"Then how could Mr. Silent save her life?"

The monks' sense of relief was even greater:

"Thanks to the book she wrote, even beggars in Beixuan City can get some money in winter so they can at least get through the winter."

"Not only that, my sister was fortunate enough to meet Sister Wang. Sister Wang had also read Mr. Wuyu's books. Although she knew that the content of the stories was not to be taken seriously, she believed that good deeds would be rewarded and took my sister in for many days."

"Only then can she wait for my return!"

He continued:

“I have already thanked Sister Wang and tried my best to find the people who gave money to my sister to repay them.”

"Today, the plaque was ordered. I originally intended to use spiritual fruits that are suitable for Qi Refining stage cultivators as a token of my gratitude, but before setting off, I realized that Mr. Wuyu might be a mortal and wouldn't need the spiritual fruits, so I temporarily changed it to silver."

Wishing you no invitation: ?

This... I could have obtained a spirit fruit?!

As a result, because he kept muttering about being poor and wanting money while drawing the mudra, he lost it?

It's alright, it's alright, money is fine too...

In the cultivation world, items below the Foundation Establishment stage are traded using worldly silver. A typical Qi Refining stage spiritual fruit is priced at around five hundred taels of silver.

Moreover, the price of a spirit stone is between three hundred and five hundred taels.

The cultivator continued:

"Just now, my sister told me that she has received a total of three taels and nine cash from others these days. Therefore, she added this amount so that Mr. Wuyu would know that this is what has saved my sister from hunger and cold."

Ordinary beggars would not be able to beg for so much money, but the younger sister was lucky to meet the kind-hearted Sister Wang.

There were more and more people around.

Many people have read Mr. Silent's stories, and upon seeing this scene, some people remarked:

"Hey, with this kind of attitude, they're not returning home in their riches, but rather showing off their wealth in the dark!"

Cultivators face difficulties in advancing their cultivation levels, and judging from his words, there are other gains as well. He's making such a big fuss about it, isn't he afraid of attracting attention? Could it be that he's found a powerful backer on this trip?

“Who says otherwise? Sister Wang is lucky. Look at the jade bracelet on her wrist. I’ve never seen her wear it before.”

"That little girl was lucky. Even though the atmosphere in our Beixuan City is good, she was still going to suffer from hunger and cold when she was stranded outside in the winter. She actually met a kind person."

"Absolutely! It seems that not only can seeking opportunities yield results, but doing good deeds might also bring good fortune!"

"Then I'd better do more good deeds. I think going to seek opportunities involves jumping off cliffs and risking my life, so the risks are quite high..."

Zhu Wuyao listened attentively and nodded seriously.

Yes!

Finding opportunities amidst danger—is that something not everyone can grasp?

You never know, you might lose your life!

She silently moved into the crowd and said loudly:

"Yes, my uncle's carriage overturned off a cliff, but he didn't gain any opportunities. When they found him, not only was he gone, but his arm had also been bitten off!"

"And then there's my third uncle and aunt. They heard from others that there were strange lights in the North Mountain at night, and they insisted on going to see them. As a result, they encountered the Night-Shining Bat, and they never came back..."

Someone overheard this and chimed in, "Your family must be having a really tough time."

Zhu Wuyao nodded: "Who says otherwise!"

After thinking about it, she realized that the whole thing was actually quite perfect.

The cultivator, inspired by a story from his own tale, sought an opportunity and, after gaining something, gifted himself five hundred taels of silver.

The fact that the villains seized the family property, the sister was displaced, and Sister Wang helped them are probably due to their own good deeds and karma, and have nothing to do with them, hence there was no feedback.

Only the two ounces and nine coins that were given as charity came from his own merit, hence the additional amount.

Could this plaque mean that the cultivator had other karmic connections, including the "returning home in wealth and honor" thing?

In this light, it seems that giving money leads to receiving money, and receiving fame leads to being given a name?

This seems to resemble the principle of returning a gift.

Zhu Wuyao couldn't help but overthink things. If he saved someone's life, wouldn't that mean the person would have to repay him with their own?

This celestial observation technique is indeed somewhat domineering; whether or not one accepts their own "fate" is left to the individual to decide.

But when it comes time to return it, it may not be up to others to decide.

Whether you pay it back or not, you have to pay it back.

What would happen if we only gave it away and never took it back?

Will we ultimately lose what we've influenced and gained, or will it remain permanently?

If it could be "stored" forever, wouldn't that mean someone's fate has been successfully changed?

It seems I should be more careful when using this method to form connections in the future, because who knows, the person I save might die because of me someday.

If it comes to a life-or-death situation, the problem becomes simpler—

Who lives, him or me?

I live by nature.

Seeing the plaque displayed at the entrance of the bookstore, the crowd dispersed, and Zhu Wuyao once again slipped into the Ink Trace Bookstore, avoiding everyone's gaze.

This storage bag really came in handy!