My Master Knows It All

The Immortal Cloud Carriage flew for two hours and arrived at Elder Copper Plate's Cave Mansion.

Cao Zhen stepped down from the Immortal Cloud Carriage and entered the cave mansion, which was a mere two hundred square meters carved into the mountainside. The place lacked opulent decorations, but two fist-sized beads were embedded in the walls, illuminating the entire cave mansion brightly.

East Sea ice clam illumination beads! Cao Zhen inwardly exclaimed at the wealth! Each bead, the size of a fist, must have been nurtured for at least three hundred years–one bead would probably fetch hundreds of Spirit Stones, right?

"Child, come here, come to my side."

An elderly man who appeared healthy and radiated benevolence, hurriedly greeted Cao Zhen as he saw him entering the living room of the cave mansion.

According to his memory, Cao Zhen recognized the man as Elder Copper Plate and quickly moved forward to cup his fist in the other hand and bow in greeting: "I greet you, Martial Uncle."

"Sit down," said Elder Copper Plate as he gestured to the cushion across the table. "I just came out of seclusion and heard that you're going to have a challenge match with Starshine Peak. And your opponent is their Senior Disciple, Nie Yunting?"

Cao Zhen sat down cross-legged, nodded, and poured a cup of tea for the old man.

Elder Copper Plate was pleased with Cao Zhen's knowledgeable behavior and then his expression turned into one of reproach, "Now that you're a Peak Master yourself, how could you still be so impetuous? What's Nie Yunting's Cultivation Base? Foundation Establishment Eighth Stage, right? Given the time, he must be nearing the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Ninth Stage. And you? Which Stage of Foundation Establishment are you on?"

Cao Zhen poured himself a cup of tea with a smile and said, "Martial Uncle, I'm at the Foundation Establishment Third Stage."

"Nonsense!" Elder Copper Plate's face tightened as he slammed his tea cup heavily on the table, causing the tea to splash, "Even a genius at most can only fight across one level and that's already rare! And you're not a genius... Are you trying to lose the last Third-Grade Spirit Field of Four Treasures Peak?"

Cao Zhen looked at the genuinely caring and plump old man before him and felt a touch of warmth in his heart, knowing he had to show this elderly man a clear path to wealth.

"Alas, who made me an old friend of your father?" Elder Copper Plate saw that Cao Zhen had no idea of the seriousness of the situation and sighed, "I have been an Elder of the Crafts Department in our sect for many years, and others will give me some face. If you go with me to Starshine Peak and admit your fault, it shouldn't be difficult to cancel this challenge match..."

"I don't want to." Cao Zhen's head shook like a rattle-drum; he had just learned of a way to make money from Ling Xi, so how could he cancel the match? Besides, Starshine Peak had offered a three-hundred-year-old Third-Grade Magma Lingzhi Grass.

"You're still worried about face at this time?" Elder Copper Plate's face was filled with urgency, "Without that Third-Grade Spirit Field, your Four Treasures Peak will lose its last chance to turn things around! Rest assured, not to mention Starshine Peak ranked ninety-fifth, even Broken Moon Peak, ranked seventieth, would respect my face."

"Martial Uncle..." After wiping the tea cup clean for Elder Copper Plate and pouring another cup of tea, Cao Zhen said, "I don't want to because I can win. Have you heard about the odds at the betting houses outside? They all think I'll lose…"

Elder Copper Plate suddenly felt dizzy; he had heard upon leaving seclusion that this kid's cultivation had gone awry, and his mind had gotten burnt out. He had been fishing every day for the past two months, not training or preparing for battle, and now he was suffering from hysteria! Believing he could win!

Thinking of the trust his fellow Four Treasures brother placed in him to take care of Cao Zhen, this dull child, Elder Copper Plate grieved realizing that in his time of seclusion, not only had the boy's cultivation practice fried his brain, but he was also about to throw away the last of Four Treasures Peak's fortune!

"Child, listen to your uncle's advice." Elder Copper Plate said with a heavy heart, "Those who have survived going berserk from cultivation often display unfounded confidence, which, in reality, is the manipulation of a Heartless Demon."

"Martial Uncle, I really can do it." Cao Zhen looked seriously at the old man, which was a little challenging, and quickly made up a lie, "Martial Uncle, to tell you the truth, I dreamt of an old immortal in my cultivation. He passed on to me a very powerful pill prescription..."

Listening to this, Elder Copper Plate could no longer focus on what Cao Zhen was saying afterward. He just felt utterly unwell, realizing his Martial Nephew had been severely affected by psychic trauma and was now experiencing illusions from a Heartless Demon!

Once a cultivator starts experiencing illusions from a Heartless Demon, they hardly ever listen to reason and it's very difficult for them to truly wake up!

With that, persuading him to apologize at Starshine Peak was no longer a possibility!

Elder Copper Plate felt he had failed miserably in his role as an uncle. Young and frail in his Cultivation Base, Cao Zhen had taken over from his deceased father as the Peak Master of Four Treasures Peak and was struggling to support several disciples – his life must have been incredibly difficult and the mental pressure enormous. In such a state, it was easy to fall prey to psychic trauma during cultivation.

"It's my fault, all my fault!" Elder Copper Plate sighed once more, knowing that it was impossible for his Martial Nephew to accompany him to Starshine Peak. He could only contemplate how Cao Zhen would continue to survive with his disciples if they were to lose the Third-Grade Spirit Field.

"At this juncture, child..." Elder Copper Plate looked at Cao Zhen again and said, "You can't always depend on the monthly allowance from the sect, can you? I've worked in the Crafts Department for many years, how about I arrange for you to work at the Talisman Maker Workshop? Not only can you improve your talisman making skills, but you can also earn more Rune Money to support your disciples."

"Talisman Making?" Cao Zhen's eyes immediately lit up, and with excitement, he lightly tapped the table in front of him, saying, "That's right! Elder! Talisman Making! You're absolutely right!"

Elder Copper Plate's face finally eased a bit, as he raised his hand to stroke the beard hanging in front of his chest, slightly nodding his head in satisfaction, relieved that, although his nephew was driven to madness by his cultivation, he hadn't completely fried his brains, at least knowing he could work at the workshop to earn some money.

"With your current cultivation base and abilities, you should be unable to pass the examination to enter the Talisman Maker Workshop..." Elder Copper Plate slowly began, "but on account of my face, they would let you in without firing you."

"Elder, you might be mistaken," Cao Zhen shook his hands repeatedly in front of him, "I didn't mean I wanted to enter the Talisman Maker Workshop; I meant I could make and sell my own talismans! Wouldn't that earn even more? How could I forget this? I can teach my disciples to make talismans too! What have I been thinking these past two months?"

As Elder Copper Plate was stroking his beard, upon hearing Cao Zhen's words, his hand shook! Several strands of beard were plucked out, causing a few spasms in the corner of his eye from the pain.

But this pain paled in comparison to the ache in his heart.

"Child, have you gone mad? With just you?" Elder Copper Plate was afraid of speaking too harshly and hurting Cao Zhen's fragile nerves, which were already weakened by his cultivation madness, and he struggled to find milder words to say, "Talisman Making may seem simple, but it's actually very difficult. With your cultivation base and technique, it would be rare if you succeeded once out of ten tries."

"It's not that bad," Cao Zhen shook his head, "Elder, during my last cultivation session, I dreamt of an old Immortal who imparted divine skills of Talisman Making to me."

What's this again with the old Immortal? Elder Copper Plate nearly crushed the teacup in his hand with anger. Had this child been driven to unsalvageable madness?

"Child, you do know that to break even in Talisman Making, you must ensure a fifty percent success rate, right?" Elder Copper Plate said earnestly, "I'm suggesting you work at the workshop so you can practice the craft for free using the sect's materials."

Cao Zhen bowed his head, pondering how to explain to this caring elder that the excuse of the old Immortal was not well received—was this not a world of Immortal Cultivation? If cultivators didn't believe in old Immortals, then what was the point of their practice?

Elder Copper Plate began to understand why he heard the rumors that Cao Zhen spent his days fishing by the banks of Starfall Lake; it must have been that the man subconsciously sensed the influence of the Heartless Demon caused by his cultivation madness and sought to use fishing as a means to calm his mind and dispel the inner demon.

Only... Elder Copper Plate sighed inwardly, what a pitiful child! Having progressed to the second phase of madness, the Heartless Demon phase, fishing was no longer enough to eliminate it. Only the Calm Mind Disaster Relief Pill could eradicate the Heartless Demon born of cultivation gone awry! But this child probably couldn't afford the Spiritual Money to buy such a pill, could he?

With both of them preoccupied, the atmosphere grew silent.

"Child, here is a hundred taels of Spirit Stones. Take these to the Golden Core Store in the market and buy a Calm Mind Disaster Relief Pill," Elder Copper Plate said as he pulled a red stone that resembled a yuanbao from his sleeve.

As the Peak Master of Four Treasures Peak, the largest property Cao Zhen had ever seen was the 50-tael green yuanbao-shaped Spirit Stone stored in the room of his second disciple, Jiang Yourong.

"Take it, don't be shy," Elder Copper Plate looked at Cao Zhen with affection, "After taking the pill, come and find me for a chat."

As Cao Zhen accepted the Spirit Stone, his heart was filled with emotion—having been worried about not having extra money to buy his own victory, he didn't expect to come across such an unexpected windfall! To be human, one must know how to repay kindness! He definitely had to reciprocate the Elder's generosity!

"Go on, first go to the Golden Core Store to buy the pill, then come see me," Elder Copper Plate waved him away, urging Cao Zhen to leave quickly. After a brief contact, he felt his own blood pressure rise alarmingly, and the peaceful state of mind he had cultivated was about to be shattered.

Cao Zhen first accepted the Spirit Stone, then cupped his hands and bowed before launching into his mode of repaying kindness, looking earnestly at the Elder and saying, "Elder, let me show you a path to wealth, but you mustn't tell anyone else! Go to the gambling house and bet on my victory!"

Elder Copper Plate originally thought Cao Zhen was going to have a serious conversation with him, so he immediately collected himself to listen carefully. But after hearing what Cao Zhen said, he felt as if his serene state of mind was indeed about to be shattered!

"My worthy nephew, it's time for you to take your medicine," Elder Copper Plate once again waved his hand, urging Cao Zhen to leave.

All of Cao Zhen's thoughts were on the hundred taels of Spirit Stones, and he didn't notice Elder Copper Plate's expression. It was not until he had left the cave mansion that he realized the Elder seemed somewhat disbelieving. Cao Zhen hurried back inside where the Elder was about to meditate and reiterated, "Elder, remember to bet on my victory! It's best if you withdraw all your savings to place the bet."

"I know..." Elder Copper Plate endeavored to steady his cultivation heart, secretly deciding that if he truly couldn't prevent the upcoming duel, he would indeed use his life savings to bet on the victory of Starshine Peak. Although the odds were low, there was still a chance to make some money to help his nephew who even managed to lose the last of Four Treasures Peak's wealth. He hoped not to actually starve them to death.