Wei Yuan returned to Qingming weighed down with worries, only to sense a commotion stirring on the western side of the domain. Throngs of people were rushing toward Ding'an City, flying and running in a frantic flurry.
At that moment, the garrisoned soldiers at the western frontier outpost of the Qingming Domain were extraordinarily excited. The outpost commander hurriedly donned his armor and called out repeatedly, "Quick, send word to the rear! The Shamans are here! Aside from the messenger, everyone follow me to welcome Lord Tianyu!"
Nearly a hundred Qingming warriors, fully armored, stepped out of the outpost well in advance and lined up in formation to wait.
In the distance, the faint outline of a caravan appeared. Tribal banners blotted out the sun, advancing with tremendous fanfare amid billowing clouds of dust that set the earth trembling faintly beneath their weight. Emerging from the dust was a mountain-like tower carriage. A hundred and eight hairy legs struck the earth in unison, thudding like war drums with extraordinary grandeur.
Atop this colossal war carriage lay a platform where Tianyu's massive frame sprawled across a luxurious throne. He casually sipped rare immortal wine while watching the Little Pretty Shamans dance.
Trailing behind his carriage was a convoy stretching so far its end could barely be seen—at the very least, over a thousand heavily laden freight carts.
A dozen Power Shamans had already galloped ahead on horseback to clear the way. As they passed the outpost, most of them waited there, while a few were escorted by outpost soldiers deeper into Qingming to deliver the news.
In the blink of an eye, Tianyu's carriage arrived at the outpost. Poking his head out to take a look, Tianyu chuckled, "Still you same brothers, eh? Reward them!"
Instantly, a Little Pretty Shaman leapt down from the carriage and stepped before the outpost commander, presenting a stack of Qingyuan. Feeling its thickness, the commander instantly knew it was seven or eight hundred at least. Overwhelmed with excitement, he nearly fell to his knees, blurting repeatedly, "Thank you, Lord Tianyu!"
As a Dao Foundation cultivator, the commander still possessed a shred of reserve, but the rest of the soldiers had no such scruples; many dropped straight to their knees on the spot. Seeing this, Tianyu barked, "Reward them again!"
The Little Pretty Shaman immediately handed an extra Qingyuan note to each soldier who had knelt.
Under Qingming's current compensation system, an ordinary mortal earned one Qingyuan for a year of normal labor. Taking this as the baseline, the highest wage for a Body Casting cultivator was three times that; an early Mortal Tier Dao Foundation cultivator made ten times, while a perfected immortal foundation earned a hundred and sixty times.
Tianyu's casual handout was worth ten years of the outpost commander's salary. Thus, the western outpost post had now become the most lucrative posting in all of Qingming.
The caravan passed the outpost and headed straight for Ding'an City. Ding'an City had originally been built as a fortress purely for military purposes. With the retreat of the Land of Rain and the expansion of the Qingming Domain, it had transformed from a western gateway into the western core.
Ding'an City's location was exceptional, and Bao Yun was a master of diplomacy and trade, so she had moved the trading post with the Shaman caravans from the border into Ding'an City itself. With every arrival, the Power Shamans no longer left immediately after unloading their freight; instead, they would stay in the city for a few days, eating, drinking, and making merry while awaiting their return cargo.
The Power Shamans were fond of wine and mostly simple-minded, so after staying a few days, more than half of the hard-earned money they made ended up left behind in Ding'an City.
With each arrival of the caravan, the city residents' opinion of the Shamans improved, and their deep-seated blood feuds were almost forgotten.
They simply found the Power Shamans to be honest, simple, and remarkably easy to dupe. As long as they were plied with enough liquor, every one of them tossed around Qingyuan like scrap paper.
When Wei Yuan arrived at Ding'an City, he caught sight of Tianyu's carriage entering through the city gates. The monstrous vehicle, propelled by a hundred and eight hairy legs, rumbled through the portal with barely a foot of clearance on all four sides.
Blending into the crowd of onlookers, Wei Yuan asked, "A carriage that enormous can actually fit inside? How is it such a perfect fit?"
Beside him were several mortal onlookers. An elderly man among them remarked, "Originally it couldn't fit. Later on, they tore down the city gates and rebuilt them specifically so the carriage could pass through."
Wei Yuan's expression darkened slightly. "Tearing down the city gates just to let Shaman carriages into the city? Whose idea was this?"
"Whose idea? The city lord's, of course—who else? If Lord Tianyu's carriage can't get in, the other Shamans won't enter the city either. How else are we supposed to make money?"
Hearing that it had been Bao Yun's idea, Wei Yuan's anger vanished on the spot. He then vanished from where he stood, setting off to wander the city and see the sights.
Wei Yuan had been in seclusion for a long time and had not visited Ding'an City in quite a while. Since it was essentially a gift to Bao Yun, she had always managed it independently, and Wei Yuan had never interfered much.
Ding'an City was bustling with immense excitement. People wove through the streets like shuttles on a loom, vendors cried out their wares, children frolicked and played, and the din of haggling never ceased. Every household was festooned with lanterns and streamers; fiery trees and silver flowers sparkled everywhere, making it livelier than the New Year. It clearly possessed a peculiar kind of prosperity distinct from the other cities in Qingming.
Just as Wei Yuan turned a street corner, a brothel a full four stories tall appeared before him. Draped in flower bouquets and adorned with colorful metal trinkets, its decor was gaudy in the extreme. More conspicuously, a colossal sign stood at the entrance, bearing bold, eye-catching characters:
"Blood Shamans and Dharma Shamans Forbidden. Dao Shamans Subject to Background Checks."
Wei Yuan froze in surprise. How were there blood shamans and Dharma Shamans in this city now? And Dao Shamans being treated as superior—they even knew about that hierarchy?
Then he noticed another sign standing alongside it, inscribed in smaller characters: "Humans Forbidden."
A nameless fire ignited within Wei Yuan. Within Qingming, could there possibly be a place where humans were not permitted to enter? He took a wide stride, intending to barge right in, but a clerk by the door rushed over to block him, whispering, "Brother, you must be from out of town, right?"
"I am. What of it?"
"Anyone who sees this sign, gets angry, and tries to force their way in is an out-of-towner at first glance. This sign of ours is strictly for the Power Shamans' eyes. In two days, once they leave, we'll take it right down. Besides, right now the place is filled entirely with shamanesses. Brother, your tastes can't be so extreme that you just have to go in and experience that, can they? I guarantee you'd regret it the second you stepped inside. Why spend good money to suffer? None of us find it easy to earn Qingyuan; even if you have money, you shouldn't throw it away, right?"
The clerk possessed a remarkably glib tongue, quenching Wei Yuan's temper in just a few sentences.
Wei Yuan then asked why they had put up such a sign in the first place. The clerk sighed. "Those Power Shamans are obsessed with face. They love places that explicitly bar other shamans and humans! The moment we set up this sign, they swarm inside in droves, refusing to leave until they've drunk themselves down to their underwear!"
In the end, Wei Yuan took the advice and walked away from the brothel.
He had only taken a couple of steps when Bao Yun's voice sounded from the side: "Is the Domain Lord traveling incognito?"
Wei Yuan turned his head to see Bao Yun standing by the street, smiling gracefully as she looked at him. Dressed in a water-colored gown, she was breathtakingly radiant, yet amid the flowing traffic of horses and carriages around them, not a single person seemed to notice her presence.
Wei Yuan walked over and asked, "How did Ding'an City turn into something like this?"
"Regular trade with the Desolate Ancestor Tribe! The city prospers, the people live and work in peace and contentment—isn't that wonderful? Tianyu happens to have arrived. Come, let's go see your old shaman acquaintance."
Without allowing any argument, Bao Yun caught Wei Yuan's hand, and in an instant, they were at the City Lord Manor.
Bao Yun's City Lord Manor had also undergone expansion, its courtyard now much larger. A sunshade canopy had been specially erected, beneath which thirty-two Power Shamans were carefully setting down Tianyu's throne.
Having not met for days, Tianyu's size had grown another ring broader; curled upon his throne, he looked like a miniature mountain of flesh. Seven or eight Little Pretty Shamans surrounded his seat, two of whom were lifting Tianyu's plump tail and swaying it back and forth, stroke by stroke.
Wei Yuan was awestruck. Tianyu didn't even have to expend the energy to wag his own tail anymore. One truly had to admit: having money was marvelous.
Bao Yun revealed herself, smiling faintly. "A few months without seeing you, and you've widened by another circle."
Tianyu burst into boisterous laughter. "Same with you—you've gotten even prettier!"
Bao Yun chuckled. "Spare me. In the eyes of you Shamans, I look hideously deformed."
Tianyu sighed. "It's merely a difference in aesthetic standards between our two races! The so-called beauty and ugliness come down to nothing more than anatomical differences. Speaking of which, though, our tribe's social climate has taken a rather foul turn lately.
"Many young Power Shaman lads don't want to strive anymore. As long as there's Qingyuan, they're willing to do anything. I honestly don't know what to do about it."
Bao Yun replied, "Such matters are the same across every race. Whether Qingyuan exists or not, whether there is more or less of it, there will always be shamans who don't wish to strive. Let nature take its course. Why fret over the affairs of other shamans? It is enough that our own Dao paths remain unimpeded."
Tianyu laughed heartily. "True enough! It isn't Qingyuan's fault. Mmm, Qingyuan can never be wrong! For this trip, everything you wanted has been gathered. As for what we want—"
Only then did Tianyu notice Wei Yuan standing beside Bao Yun. For a moment, however, he failed to discern Wei Yuan's features clearly. Seeing how closely the two stood, Tianyu instinctively remarked, "Did you take a little lover? This lad looks pretty decent! Here, a greeting gift for you—take this reward..."
Tianyu grabbed a handful of Qingyuan from a nearby jade basin with his massive hand. Just as he prepared to toss it over, he suddenly caught a clear look at Wei Yuan's face and froze entirely in place.
Wei Yuan's figure flickered. He appeared directly before the throne, took the Qingyuan from Tianyu's hand, slipped it into his pocket, and flickered right back to Bao Yun's side, smiling faintly. "Thank you, Lord Tianyu!"
Tianyu looked down at his empty hand, then up at Wei Yuan, his face suddenly twisting as if he had seen a ghost. He cried out in shock, "I couldn't even move? Y-you're already at Scenery Command?"
"No, merely the late stage of Dharma Idol, the same as you. Wait, how are you at the late stage of Dharma Idol as well?"
Wei Yuan was astonished as well. It had only been a few years; how could Tianyu have reached the late stage of Dharma Idol already? Even riding Qingming's newly developed rockets wouldn't be this fast!
"Nothing special. Once you're rich, you take plenty of pills, and your cultivation naturally gets faster and faster."
Wei Yuan stared closely at Tianyu, his expression growing solemn.
A hazy, shimmering radiance enveloped Tianyu at this moment, preventing Wei Yuan from seeing clearly into his true form. Focusing his gaze, Wei Yuan realized with a shock that this layer was actually the light of karmic luck. Just how much Shaman karmic luck had Tianyu accumulated?!
Wei Yuan's demeanor transformed instantly into extraordinary warmth. Two children of karmic destiny from different races sat down together to delve into the Dao of karmic luck. Bao Yun's karmic luck was also exceptionally rich at present; she listened quietly at the side, gaining considerable insights of her own.
Before long, however, Wei Yuan realized that Tianyu's path was entirely unsuitable for him.
"...Among us Power Shamans, if you want karmic luck, you have to show off before the crowd!
"In the past, if you claimed you were stronger or had higher combat prowess, there'd always be some foolish shaman refusing to accept it and insisting on challenging you. Nowadays, I just flaunt my wealth and show off how much Qingyuan I have. Everyone is thoroughly convinced, and not a single shaman challenges me anymore. Who has more Qingyuan and who has less? Just count it out and it's obvious! So, I have no rivals left!
"Later on, I noticed everyone was curious about how I spent my Qingyuan. So I simply opened up my residence and let them watch as they pleased. Even my tail has pretty shamans wagging it for me, which blew their minds right on the spot!
"Then, when some shamans enjoyed watching, they threw Qingyuan at me. Back then, I couldn't wrap my head around it. That guy didn't even have a fraction of the Qingyuan I owned, so why would watching me have fun make him want to tip me?
"Until one day, an idea suddenly struck me out of nowhere. I put up a leaderboard plaque listing the names of all the shamans who tipped me, ranked from most to least, right outside my residence's gate. As a result, the number of shamans tipping that day exploded, and karmic luck came rolling in like thunder..."
Wei Yuan listened for a long while, growing increasingly bewildered the more he heard. He couldn't help but interrupt, "Wait, you're saying those who only earn a few Qingyuan a month actually come tip you?"
"Yeah! Not only do they give money, they give karmic luck too! You have no idea—every single one of them goes crazy wild with it!"
Wei Yuan was even more baffled. "You can make ten million from just this single trade run, right? Don't they know that?"
"Of course they know—"
"They know, yet they still tip you?"
"How should I know? We Power Shamans don't use our brains."
After discussing it for ages, Wei Yuan was still completely mystified. He could only conclude that the Power Shamans of the Desolate Ancestor Tribe were simply foolish shamans blessed with an excess of luck.
Tianyu's path to karmic luck was clearly unworkable among humans. If Wei Yuan tried the same trick, he would most likely have his wealth redistributed by the masses.
Seeing Wei Yuan lost in deep thought, Tianyu reached out a massive hand and slapped him heavily on the shoulder. "In short, I'm doing phenomenally well over in the Wu domain right now. The Heavenly Shamans are already discussing whether to establish a separate Wealthy Shaman leaderboard. When that happens, I'll take first place without question, and Shaman luck will flow in however much I want! In the future, no matter how big a hornet's nest you stir up in the Wu domain, I can shoulder it for you!"
When Tianyu made this grand declaration, he felt nothing unusual, but through his left eye, Wei Yuan saw a new strand of karma binding Tianyu and himself firmly together.
Wei Yuan suddenly felt between laughter and tears. Just how immense a hornet's nest he had stirred up with the Yellow Springs Grotto-Heaven was something even True Monarch Yanshi couldn't say for sure. If Tianyu knew the truth—and knew that a casual remark would forge a karmic bond—one wondered if he could still remain so carefree.
Tianyu remained blissfully unaware. Patting Wei Yuan on the shoulder, he sighed with emotion, "Old Wei, shaman life and human life are just the same. Nothing else matters—being happy is what counts!
"What can dispel sorrow? Only getting filthy rich!"
End of Volume Seven: What Can Dispel Sorrow
Chapter 825