Chapter 5: Friends Association
Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Friends Association
When he first arrived in the Immortal City eighteen years ago.
Li Ping felt the profound insignificance of an individual’s power. With his income, he feared he’d never be able to gather enough Spirit Stones for a Foundation Establishment Pill before his lifespan ran out.
The Cultivation Realm didn’t have things like mortgages, which would have allowed him to make a down payment and slowly pay off the rest.
As a Loose Cultivator, he didn’t have parents and grandparents bankrolling him, either.
After racking his brain, he finally came up with a plan.
He would form a group with himself as the leader. The members would pool their efforts to help one person reach Foundation Establishment first. Once that person succeeded, their status and income would greatly increase, allowing them to, in turn, help the other members achieve Foundation Establishment.
Li Ping named this small group the ’Friends Association,’ taking inspiration from the idiom ’to cross a river in the same boat,’ which signifies mutual aid.
According to the rules Li Ping designed, once a Cultivator joined the Friends Association, they had to contribute a certain number of Spirit Stones each year to the ’Foundation Establishment Fund.’ The specific amount was determined by the Cultivator’s Cultivation.
Early-stage Qi Refining Cultivators had to contribute 10 Spirit Stones per year, Middle-stage Qi Refining Cultivators had to contribute 20, and Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators had to contribute 30.
They could contribute more, but not less than these amounts.
Once the Foundation Establishment Fund had enough Spirit Stones, a priority order would be determined based on each person’s total contribution and their age. The member with the highest priority could then take the Spirit Stones to attempt Foundation Establishment.
If this member successfully reached Foundation Establishment, they would be required to do everything in their power to help the other members do the same.
Early, Mid, and Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators would have to contribute 100, 200, and 300 Spirit Stones, respectively, to the Foundation Establishment Fund each year without compensation, until all other members had received their share of resources for Foundation Establishment.
Within the association, regardless of Cultivation level, all members were to address each other as brothers and sisters according to age.
As the founder, Li Ping was undoubtedly ’Big Brother.’ The honest-looking young man before him, ’Zhang Tie,’ was the very first Cultivator to trust Li Ping and join the ’Friends Association.’
...
As countless memories flashed through his mind, Li Ping looked at the tall, white-haired and bearded old man beside Zhang Tie and said teasingly, "Old Man Lin, I’m younger than you and just a Spirit Stone swindler. I really don’t deserve to be called ’Senior’ by you."
His second brother, ’Zhang Tie,’ was a Leatherworker, and this Old Man Lin was Zhang Tie’s master and boss.
Eighteen years ago, Li Ping had persuaded Zhang Tie to join the ’Friends Association.’
Due to his inexperience, Li Ping hadn’t included a confidentiality clause in the membership oath. Coupled with Zhang Tie’s honest nature, Old Man Lin quickly noticed something was amiss and learned about the ’Friends Association.’
At the time, he had angrily sought out Li Ping, demanding the return of Zhang Tie’s contributed Spirit Stones and for both parties to dissolve the oath so Zhang Tie could leave the association.
Of course, Li Ping ignored him, and Zhang Tie, firmly believing his Big Brother wouldn’t cheat him, refused to leave.
Old Man Lin felt helpless in the face of his apprentice’s stubbornness, so the matter of leaving the association was dropped. Because of this, however, he treated Li Ping coldly for a long time.
Fortunately, after a few more years, Li Ping managed to recruit a third Cultivator into the association.
When Old Man Lin saw that the ’Friends Association’ seemed to be operating sustainably, he finally calmed down. It looked like not only would his apprentice avoid being the one left holding the bag, but with some luck, he might even profit from it.
Li Ping guessed his mentality was probably similar to those on Earth who participated in various ’Ponzi schemes.’
’So what if it’s a Ponzi scheme?’
’As long as you get in early and pull out in time, you not only avoid losing money, you can even make a huge profit.’
Old Man Lin had quieted down, but it was inevitable that he would still bad-mouth Li Ping a little behind his back.
However, what he hadn’t expected was that his muttering about Li Ping behind his back this time would actually be overheard. And not only that, but Li Ping had successfully reached Foundation Establishment and was now a great Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Hearing Li Ping’s words, Old Man Lin’s heart couldn’t help but turn bitter.
As a great Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if Li Ping really wanted to press the issue, he could truly make him suffer the consequences.
Thinking of this, Old Man Lin bowed and said with a bitter smile, "Senior jests. On the path of cultivation, the accomplished one leads the way. How could this little old man dare to put on airs before Senior? It was this old man’s foolishness to speak carelessly before. I beg for Senior’s forgiveness."
Seeing his master’s state, Zhang Tie, who was standing to the side, quickly cried out, "Big Brother, Master, he..."
Before Zhang Tie could finish, Li Ping silenced him with a look. He shook his head helplessly. "Old Man Lin, you’re no fun at all. I was just joking with you."
’Old Man Lin is Zhang Tie’s master. Why would I get truly angry just because he said a few things about me?’
Hearing Li Ping’s words, Old Man Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Tie, however, had already strode to Li Ping’s side, his voice full of excitement. "Big Brother, you’re a Foundation Establishment Cultivator now!"
A good portion of Li Ping’s Foundation Establishment Cultivation had come from his contributions, after all.
"Heh heh..." Li Ping nodded with a smile. "Me becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is just the beginning. In the future, all the brothers and sisters in the association, including you, will successfully reach Foundation Establishment."
...
Leatherworking was also one of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation.
When Cultivators wanted to use the Demon Beast Hides obtained from hunting Demon Beasts to craft Magic Robes, Dharma Artifacts, or Talisman Paper, they needed a Leatherworker to treat the hides first. This involved scraping off residual flesh and blood and smoothing out the violent Demonic Power within the fur... If the Leatherworker’s skills were subpar, it was easy to ruin the Demon Beast Hide, turning it into scrap.
Li Ping sat in the leatherworking shop, his gaze fixed on the master-apprentice pair of Old Man Lin and Zhang Tie, who were busy processing a Low-Tier Demon Beast Hide. In his hand, he toyed with a knife-shaped Dharma Artifact about a foot long. Its edge was more than halfway worn down, but its surface was still as smooth and bright as new.
This scraper Dharma Artifact was Old Man Lin’s favorite scraping knife. It had been with him for many years, and even though it was now damaged, he hadn’t disposed of it, instead preserving it carefully.
Just now, Li Ping had asked to study it and had gotten it from Old Man Lin.
’This scraping knife should be usable as nourishment for the ’Inheritance Tree.’’
Li Ping ran his fingers over the rough texture on the sides of the scraping knife. As his gaze fell upon it, a line of text that only he could see slowly materialized above the knife.
[Scraping knife used for many years by a Tier One Upper Grade Leatherworker. Nourishment Cost: 100 Lower Grade Spirit Stones, three Tier One Demon Beast Hides, and one Tier One Demon Beast Essence. By using it as nourishment, one can master the Tier One Upper Grade leatherworking skill.]
’Zhang Tie has been studying the art of leatherworking under Old Man Lin for over twenty years, and he’s still only a Tier One Middle Grade Leatherworker, capable only of processing Tier One Middle Grade Demon Beast Hides. But me? As long as I provide this nourishment to the ’Inheritance Tree,’ I can instantly reach the same level of leatherworking skill as Old Man Lin.’
Li Ping thought to himself, ’Tier One Demon Beast Hides and a Tier One Demon Beast Essence aren’t hard to find. Therefore, I choose... to give up on becoming a Tier One Upper Grade Leatherworker.’
Foundation Establishment had consumed most of his wealth. Li Ping was extremely poor now. One hundred Spirit Stones... he couldn’t afford it.