Dao of Money

Chen Ren ended up spending a long time with Shrey.

It was mostly because the man was stubborn about what information he was willing to sell and negotiated over everything, down to the smallest detail. Still, during all that back and forth, Chen Ren came to understand the man much, much better.

Especially how he was only amiable once money was involved.

The more items Chen Ren bought, the more relaxed and willing-to-share-information Shrey became. And now that Chen Ren had more than a hundred thousand tokens to spare, he did not hold back.

The first thing he bought was an item called an exit ticket. It allowed a climber to leave the pagoda entirely. However, it had to be bound to a person with qi, which meant it could not be used to send someone else out. Even so, it was too important to ignore. Chen Ren bought two of them, each costing ten thousand tokens, keeping them as a last resort.

After that, he purchased several different types of robes and unique potions. Defensive ones, offensive ones, and a few with utility effects. All of them could prove useful later.

Then came the most important purchase.

Something he would need when Yun Zhaotian eventually came for his head.

Chen Ren was not foolish enough to believe Yun Zhaotian would simply leave him alone, or that they would always meet inside cities protected by rules. A confrontation was inevitable. Because of that, he needed to be prepared. Thankfully, Shrey’s shop was filled with items meant to fend off both beasts and cultivators.

Chen Ren bought everything he considered useful.

By the time he was done, he had spent close to eighty thousand tokens.

Only then did Shrey finally seem satisfied.

With a pleased look on his face, the merchant began answering Chen Ren’s questions. The more he spoke, the clearer it became that Shrey knew far more than he was letting on. He chose his words carefully, revealing just enough.

Still, it was something.

Chen Ren received everything he needed about the Zombie Queen’s city. The layout. The important places. The dangerous areas.

It was so detailed that Chen Ren took out a parchment right there and began drawing a map as Shrey spoke, committing every detail to memory as he worked.

Shrey, however, was far more guarded when it came to information about the city lords. He avoided the topic whenever Chen Ren pushed too hard. Even so, that alone confirmed something Chen Ren had already suspected.

The city lords had another way of moving between floors.

Chen Ren had realized it earlier, back when he dealt with Xiangrui. Someone like him clearly saw himself above everyone else in the city. It never made sense that such a person would use the same public lift that ordinary climbers used to move around the pagoda. Shrey did not explain what this method was, but his silence said enough.

Still, Chen Ren managed to learn more about how the floors worked.

According to Shrey, the strongest individual on each floor ruled it and was granted special privileges. Even the lower floors had lords of their own. They were simply hidden and preferred not to interfere with climbers, which was why those floors felt abandoned.

Before Chen Ren left, Shrey warned him not to act against any of the lords.

Chen Ren had no intention of doing something that stupid. He knew better than to anger someone who could crush him without effort. Even when it came to the Zombie Queen, he never planned to confront her directly. All he wanted was a way to reach the seventh floor.

And after studying the map he had drawn of her city, he understood one thing clearly.

He could not do it alone.

As he moved through the arena, the rough idea in his mind slowly took shape. By the time he explained it to Yalan and Wang Jun, it had become something solid.

Their reactions, however, were not what he expected.

Yalan stayed quiet, listening without interrupting. Wang Jun, on the other hand, burst out laughing.

“You wanted to stay away from the Guardian sects,” he said, shaking his head. “And now you’re planning to use them as bait?”

Chen Ren gave a wry smile and started walking toward the lift. “Just one sect,” he said. “The others will end up working in my favor.”

“But what if they betray you?” the cat asked.

“There’s always risk,” Chen Ren answered to Yalan. “But at least Li Xuan will help us. I believe he’s still on the fifth floor. Princess Yanyue can deal with Han Qingshi once I explain the plan to her. I doubt she’ll refuse.”

Wang Jun laughed loudly at that, drawing the attention of a few NPCs passing by. “If this goes wrong, you’ll have more than one Guardian sect hunting you down.”

“I planned for that too,” Chen Ren said. “But it shouldn’t come to that. The key is keeping at least two guardian sects on my side. With their rivalry, it won’t turn against me so easily, especially when this helps them reach the seventh floor.”

“I get it,” Yalan said, “but there’s no guarantee they won’t turn on you once they reach the seventh floor.”

Chen Ren paused before stepping onto the lift.

He realized then that Yalan and Wang Jun had not been present when he met City Lord Xiangrui. They did not have the same information he did. But he didn’t have the time to explain everything.

“That won’t happen,” he said simply.

Wang Jun looked at him. “And how are you so confident?”

“Because the seventh floor is very different from the others,” Chen Ren replied. “I got some information about it from City Lord Xiangrui.”

Before either of them could ask more, Chen Ren burned the ticket and activated the lift to the fifth floor.

As the lift began to rise, he muttered quietly, “Before anything else, we need the Soaring Sword Sect on our side. Half the plan depends on them. Let’s just hope Li Xuan isn’t as righteous as he displays and listen to us.”

***

As it turned out, Li Xuan might have been more righteous than Chen Ren expected.

They were sitting in a restaurant inside the inn where Li Xuan and the rest of the Soaring Sword Sect were staying. Li Xuan sat across from him, staring as if Chen Ren had just suggested betraying his sect and working with demonic cultivators.

Yalan sat casually on the table, sipping milk Chen Ren had bought for her. Wang Jun rested invisibly on Chen Ren’s lap, clearly enjoying how uncomfortable the situation felt.

After a long silence, Li Xuan finally composed himself. He rubbed his forehead and spoke carefully.

“So,” he said, “you want me to approach the Thunderblade Sect and convince them to work with my sect. Together, we plan an assault on a city on the sixth floor to reach the lift. But in the end, your plan is to leave them behind as a distraction while you move on.”

Chen Ren nodded. “More or less. There are a few other details, but I can explain those later—once you agree.”

Li Xuan let out a slow sigh. “I don’t know if I will.” He paused, then looked up. “I’ve heard about your conflict with Yun Zhaotian. But I didn’t know you hated the Thunderblade Sect this much. Did they cross your path before?”

Stolen story; please report.

“No,” Chen Ren replied calmly. “Other than Yun Zhaotian, they’re more or less innocent. But they follow him. That means they are after my blood as well, I believe. So I don’t feel too bad about screwing them over.”

Li Xuan frowned more deeply. “But if I go along with this, they’ll become enemies of my sect too.”

Chen Ren leaned back in his chair. “I thought the Guardian sects were already enemies.”

“They are,” Li Xuan said slowly. “But it’s more complicated than just that.”

For the next ten minutes, Li Xuan explained how the rivalries between the Guardian sects were not fixed. They shifted over time, sometimes growing worse, sometimes easing. After entering the pagoda, the Soaring Sword Sect and the Thunderblade Sect had formed a temporary truce. It was not friendship, but it kept things stable. Breaking it would only lead to constant clashes between the two sects.

Listening to this, Chen Ren realized something important. The Soaring Sword Sect was even more suitable for his plan than he had first thought. Because of the truce, the Thunderblade Sect would be far more willing to trust them. But for that, he needed to convince Li Xuan.

Chen Ren looked at him and asked, “You haven’t been to the sixth floor yet, have you?”

Li Xuan shook his head, frowning. “No. Why?”

“Because this might be your only real chance to get past it,” Chen Ren said. “The sixth floor is a wasteland, ruled by the Zombie Queen. And unlike City Lord Xiangrui, she doesn’t take tokens to let people through. If someone tries to force their way, they’ll probably end up locked in a cell. Or worse. The same happened to Yun Zhaotian.”

Li Xuan’s expression changed as he grew serious. “Yun Zhaotian… did she kill him?”

“No,” Chen Ren replied. “I don’t think so. But he’s definitely imprisoned.” He paused. “City Lord Xiangrui told me that instead of killing climbers, the Zombie Queen prefers to cage them and play with them. Whatever that means, I don’t know. But Yun Zhaotian should still be alive.”

Chen Ren leaned forward slightly. “If you don’t take my offer, I’m confident the Soaring Sword Sect won’t be able to move beyond the sixth floor. And you know what the pagoda holds.” His eyes sharpened. “I have it on good authority that there are inheritances on the upper floors.”

Chen Ren did not point out that Li Xuan also looked like someone who had struggled too much already and it would be better for him to side with him. It was obvious enough. The man’s eyes were sunken, and even as they spoke, there was a tired edge to his voice. He looked like he could sleep for days. It made Chen Ren wonder if Li Xuan had been pushing himself far too hard inside the pagoda.

At least the mention of inheritances made a difference.

Li Xuan’s eyes lifted slightly. “What kind of inheritances?”

Yalan muttered softly from the side, “Something good. But no one knows where it is,” she added, licking her paws. “We just know it exists.”

Chen Ren nodded in agreement. That was all the information he had as well.

Li Xuan fell silent, deep in thought. Seeing that almost made Chen Ren smile. In his experience, when someone started thinking like that, it meant they were genuinely considering the offer. And more often than not, that meant they would agree.

But Li Xuan soon shook his head. “Even if I say yes, I’m not the one in charge here. The other disciples won’t follow me.”

Chen Ren frowned slightly. “Why not? Who leads the Soaring Sword Sect inside the pagoda?”

Li Xuan opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, Chen Ren noticed two cultivators walking toward their table.

Li Xuan’s gaze shifted at once, his posture tightening.

Before Chen Ren could ask who were they, one of the approaching cultivators spoke with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“Well, well. What do we have here? You’ve got a friend visiting, Li Xuan.” His gaze slid to Chen Ren. “And not just any friend. The top ranker of the pagoda.”

Chen Ren looked at the man who spoke, then noticed his companion standing just behind him. The first was taller, but both had their eyes locked on Li Xuan. He couldn't help but notice how crisp their robes looked compared to Li Xuan's bedraggled appearance.

Chen Ren paused, rethinking the words they had just said.

“You know me?” he asked.

The other cultivator chuckled. “Everyone does. Earning that many tokens draws all kinds of attention. Even for a rogue.”

Chen Ren did not know if that was meant as an insult. He replied evenly, “I’m not a rogue. I’m a sect leader.” Then he turned back to Li Xuan. “You know them?”

Li Xuan nodded and gestured toward the two newcomers. “They’re Li Kuangdao and Li Shijun.” The one who was clearly Li Shijun offered a smile, showing off his pristine white teeth. “My senior brothers from the sect. They’re also the ones leading the Soaring Sword Sect inside the pagoda.”

Chen Ren gave them another careful look. It was clear that both of them were at the peak of the foundation establishment realm. Their presence carried weight. And as he watched, they pulled over chairs and sat at the table without hesitation. Yalan quietly shifted aside when the man named Li Kuangdao placed a hand where she had been sitting.

“So,” Li Kuangdao said casually, “what’s going on here? I heard you have already moved up to the sixth floor.”

“I did,” Chen Ren replied with a nod. “I was just talking to Li Xuan about it. The sixth floor is a wasteland. No one can overcome it alone.”

The two senior brothers exchanged a glance.

“Why is that?” Li Shijun asked.

Chen Ren looked at Li Xuan first, checking whether these two were trustworthy. Li Xuan gave a stiff nod. It was obvious he did not get along with them, but if they were truly in charge, Chen Ren would have to deal with them sooner or later.

So he chose to trust them.

Chen Ren explained the sixth floor, the Zombie Queen, the ruined city, and the way climbers were trapped or captured. He did not reveal everything, only enough to make his intentions clear and let them understand what kind of plan he was proposing.

By the time he finished, both men were silent, thinking.

Li Shijun was the first to speak. “If we follow this plan, we reach the seventh floor. And we also screw over the Thunderblade Sect.”

“Yes,” Chen Ren said plainly. “There will be more danger. And you’ll earn their enmity. But you can try reaching the seventh floor alone and fail.” He paused. “Even Princess Yanyue and her royal guards are stuck. So, do you agree?”

He looked straight at both of them as he asked. Before either could answer, Chen Ren noticed Li Xuan visibly groan beside him.

And for a moment, Chen Ren wondered if his plan was about to fail before it even began.

***

A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too. Also this is Volume 2 last chapter.

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