Free Web NovelChapter 604: Chapter 604: What a Bastardly Design
Seeing that Lü Yang was completely unreceptive, Mountain Mover felt a bit awkward.
Actually resort to killing?
You’ve got to be kidding. All this talk of fighting and killing is so undignified. It would completely disrupt the peace in Mengwei City. Even if no one died, it wouldn’t do to damage the flowers and plants.
Besides, unauthorized Combat gets you fined.
It even goes on your permanent record.
The Outer Dao Alliance was at a critical juncture in its push for the sixth layer. He couldn’t afford to have anything on his record. Compared to that, one Outer Dao True Monarch was unimportant.
So, in a flash, Mountain Mover’s face was once again wreathed in smiles. "Daoist, you misunderstand. Since you are unwilling to join our Outer Dao Alliance, we will not force you. It’s fine if you don’t sign the Contract. In that case, please wait here a moment for the Tax Collector to arrive and register you."
With that, Mountain Mover had made his stance clear.
It had all been a misunderstanding. They would let bygones be bygones with a smile. ’I forgive you, so don’t be angry anymore. If you’re still mad, then you’re the one in the wrong.’
’No need to get into a pointless fight with this guy.’
’A Righteous Cultivator, a total idiot, and all alone. It won’t be long before he can’t survive in the Celestial Mansion. He’ll have to come crawling to me for help eventually.’
With this in mind, Mountain Mover decisively left.
Seeing this, the other six Perfected Lords also dropped their projected images. After all, even though they were Outer Dao True Monarchs, they were still very busy and had to work overtime every day.
This was just them snatching a bit of leisure from their busy schedules.
It would have been great if it worked out, but there was no need to fight if it didn’t. After all, the potential medical expenses, lost overtime pay, and the fine for unauthorized Combat would add up to a huge sum.
In an instant, the seven Perfected Lords scattered like birds and beasts.
Strangely, they didn’t seem worried that Lü Yang would cause trouble. They simply allowed him to remain in Mengwei City, even seeming to condone it.
’How truly...’
Lü Yang stroked his chin, seeing that Mountain Mover and the other Outer Dao True Monarchs were hesitant to act for fear of the consequences. His curiosity about the internal system of the Celestial Mansion grew.
’A place that can accommodate Outer Dao True Monarchs and even train them to be this docile... I’ve only ever seen something like this in North. If not for that, North wouldn’t be the only place in the Immortal Pivot’s Five Domains of the World with Outer Dao True Monarchs. Yet the Celestial Mansion can also manage it. Could it really be related to the Stain Sect?’
Just as Lü Yang was pondering this...
Suddenly, the sky grew dim. Day turned to night, and the Taiyin moon hung high in the sky. A cascade of moonlight poured down like a waterfall, coalescing into a human figure that landed before Lü Yang.
Lü Yang focused his gaze.
He saw a woman with a face as beautiful as a flower and a countenance like the moon. She wore a white dress and a flowing, feathered cape, and held a book in her hands. She was a devastatingly beautiful woman.
"I am Chang Gui, a Tax Officer Immortal Official in service to the Immortal Monarch."
The moment she appeared, the newcomer performed a deep curtsy to Lü Yang. Her red lips parted as she spoke in a soft voice, "I welcome you, Perfected Lord. May I ask for the Perfected Lord’s name and Dao Lineage?"
After speaking, the peerless beauty who had descended from the Taiyin moon widened her lovely eyes and stared intently at Lü Yang, as if deep in thought. At the same time, Lü Yang felt an immense sense of crisis lock onto him, its source being the round moon hanging in the sky.
"...This humble one is Minghe."
Lü Yang’s expression was solemn as he returned the courtesy. "My Dao Lineage is named ’Imperial Decree.’ I am merely an Outer Heaven Wanderer, not worth mentioning. I apologize for troubling the Immortal Official to descend. What guidance might you have for me?"
"Perfected Lord, you are too polite."
The peerless beauty, her face a picture of gentleness, spoke softly, "Guidance is too strong a word. I am merely following the Immortal Venerable’s decree that all Persons from Beyond the Heavens must be registered upon entry."
With that, she opened the book in her hands.
"I must ask the Perfected Lord to leave a trace of your Magical Power Mechanism in the book."
This time, Lü Yang didn’t hesitate. This was clearly a rule of the Celestial Mansion, one he couldn’t escape. Hesitating would only arouse suspicion.
With a flick of his finger, a trace of his Qi fell onto the book.
The next second, text materialized in the woman’s book—the name "Minghe," shining with a gilded light. The woman nodded in satisfaction.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Perfected Lord."
As her voice fell, the woman lightly tapped the book. A splendid light split off from it, transforming into a Jade Scroll that landed in her palm.
She then handed the Jade Scroll to Lü Yang.
"From now on, this Celestial Mansion Pass will serve as your identification in the Celestial Mansion. You can also directly deposit your Immortal Talismans into the Celestial Mansion Pass."
"Additionally, since you are now a Cultivator of our Celestial Mansion, we need to settle your expenses since entering this realm. This includes the fee for absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the fee for sensing the Power of Heaven and Earth, and the fee for the pressure your True Monarch Position places upon Heaven and Earth... for a grand total of thirty-six thousand Outer Dao Immortal Talismans."
Lü Yang: "???"
’What the hell are these expenses?!’
As if hearing his thoughts, the peerless beauty explained with practiced ease, "Indeed. It is because the Celestial Mansion is the private property of the Immortal Venerable."
"The Spiritual Qi, the mountains and rivers, the sun and moon—every inch of space belongs to the Immortal Venerable."
"It is only due to the Immortal Venerable’s compassion and magnanimity, and her consideration for Lower Cultivators, that all living beings are permitted to reside in the Celestial Mansion. She only collects a certain symbolic fee..."
Before she could finish, Lü Yang tossed over the ten million Outer Dao Immortal Talismans that Mountain Mover had lent him earlier.
"Deduct it from that."
"Thank you for your patronage."
The peerless beauty gave a respectful bow. Lü Yang then watched as a full thirty-six thousand Outer Dao Immortal Talismans were deducted directly from his Celestial Mansion Pass.
"I wish you pleasant cultivation in the Celestial Mansion, Perfected Lord."
As her voice faded, the woman’s figure vanished on the spot, flickering out like a lamp. The dark sky and the Taiyin moon disappeared along with her.
Meanwhile, Lü Yang looked at the Celestial Mansion Pass in his hand.
As he submerged his Divine Sense into it, a vast amount of information flooded out, taking the form of books arrayed before his eyes:
[Celestial Mansion General Knowledge]
[An Overview of the Culture and Geography of the Ninth Layer]
[A Detailed History of the Celestial Mansion]
[A Must-Learn Daoist Skill for Outer Dao True Monarchs—The Immortal Talisman Refining Technique]
It was a dazzling array of books. Lü Yang had no doubt that if he read them all, the Celestial Mansion would no longer be a mystery to him. There was just one small problem—
They all cost money.
The lowest price was one million Outer Dao Immortal Talismans. It was a perfect example of targeted marketing, designed specifically to rip off newcomers like him.
At this thought, Lü Yang’s expression grew even uglier.
’As a Perfected Lord, I should have the right to mint my own currency in the Celestial Mansion—I can refine my own Immortal Talismans... The problem is, I don’t know the method for refining them.’
What’s that? The Celestial Mansion Pass provides it?
[A Must-Learn Daoist Skill for Outer Dao True Monarchs—The Immortal Talisman Refining Technique]
[Price: One Hundred Million Outer Dao Immortal Talismans]
A pure and simple dead loop: ’I don’t have the Immortal Talisman Refining Technique.’ ’Then go buy it.’ ’I don’t have the Immortal Talismans to buy it.’ ’Then go refine some.’ ’But I don’t have the Immortal Talisman Refining Technique...’
So how does one break the cycle?
Simple: loans.
The Celestial Mansion Pass provides every Outer Dao True Monarch with a generous Immortal Talisman Backup Fund, at a "very conscientious" annual interest rate of thirty-six percent.
’So before I’ve even learned the Immortal Talisman Refining Technique, I’ll already be one hundred million in debt!’
’And the worst part is, I *have* to learn this technique. As long as I’m in the Celestial Mansion, I have to pay rent to the Taiyin Immortal Venerable. If I don’t have money, what am I supposed to pay with?’
Not pay? Default on the debt?
Judging from the reactions of Mountain Mover and his group, and the grand entrance made by that "Immortal Tax Collector," being a deadbeat was definitely not a reliable option.
At this thought, Lü Yang was struck with a sense of awe.
It was like an exquisitely crafted trap, designed specifically to catch Outer Dao True Monarchs from Beyond the Heavens. And it worked every single time. ’What a beautifully brutal design...’
I love it!
Although he had been ripped off the moment he entered the Celestial Mansion, Lü Yang felt not the slightest anger. Instead, his eyes brightened as he discovered the key to it all:
’Rules... This place runs on rules!’
The so-called Great Dao Immortal Talismans were, to put it bluntly, money. And a system built on money was destined to force most people to act according to its rules.
In other words:
’A place like this probably won’t have things like a Late-stage Golden Core Great True Monarch ambushing someone in the Early Stage of Golden Core. For me, this is an undeveloped blue ocean!’
