The Programmer Cultivator

He was the only person in the entire, vast domed Grand Hall, yet the Magic Scriptures flitting about made it seem as though many people were there selecting Magic.

Ever since Zhang Deming had disturbed him, Dang Mengfu had stopped reading the novel in his hands. He now watched Zhang Deming, who appeared to be browsing through the Magic, with a slight frown.

After a long while, seeing Zhang Deming continue this action, he hesitated for a moment, and for the first time, a Spiritual Light flickered in his eyes.

He watched Zhang Deming for a long time. After confirming that he was merely browsing casually and not using any method to record the Techniques, he stopped staring so intently.

As a major Upper Sect, the Celestial Spirit Sect’s foundation was truly nothing to scoff at. The number of Techniques in the Grand Hall’s Wood Dao Region alone surpassed the entire collection of the Outer Sect’s Scripture Pavilion.

After Zhang Deming finished browsing through all the Techniques below Tier Four in the Wood Dao Region, he paused. He glanced hesitantly at the countless other Techniques surrounding him but ultimately decided not to continue.

He could explain away quickly browsing the Wood Dao section by citing his order. But if he were to browse the entire Scripture Pavilion, he was afraid some old monsters would become suspicious—suspicious that he was copying the Scripture Pavilion’s Daoist Collection, for instance.

If that really happened, he would be at a complete loss.

Still, his gains from the Wood Dao Region alone were already quite substantial.

He had obtained over three points of Golden Merit and over three points of Qi Fortune. Just like in the Outer Sect, the books seemed to contain equal amounts of both types of Energy.

Zhang Deming checked his inventory. His current stats were: Merit: 6.2, Qi Fortune: 31.4, Karma: 2.4.

The gains were gratifying. Merit was especially hard to come by, and he was in desperate need of it. He had to save up Merit to unlock new functions.

Zhang Deming released the catalog, and the book slowly faded until it vanished completely.

Holding several Magic Books, Zhang Deming touched the Light Screen with his right hand and stepped back out.

The moment he emerged, the Spiritual Light at his fingertips slowly dissipated.

He glanced back at the massive, domed hall with a sense of longing. ’Just you wait,’ he thought. ’I’ll be back!’

’I won’t let a single strand of this pavilion’s Golden Fleece get away!’

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Deming walked over to the counter with the Magic Books.

Dang Mengfu glanced at the ten Magic Books, flipped through them, and said, ”Seven from the Wood Dao, two from the Dream Dao, and one from the Space Dao.”

”According to the approval information sent from below, the seven Wood Dao books can be paid for entirely with Spirit Stones. As for the Dream Dao and Space Dao books, you can also use Spirit Stones if you use them for their specified purpose. The question is, can you even use them?”

Zhang Deming mulled it over for a moment before asking, ”What if I pay with Spirit Stones, but the technique doesn’t end up on the final order?”

Dang Mengfu glanced at Zhang Deming before replying, ”The Spirit Stones are non-refundable. You’ll be compensated with the equivalent value in Contribution Points.”

Zhang Deming nodded. ”So, that means I can take all the books, right?”

Dang Mengfu nodded, his expression unreadable. ”That’s right!”

”Then ring me up!” Zhang Deming said decisively. ’In the other branch pavilions, you can get in as long as you have most of the Contribution Points required.

’But an opportunity to come here is rare. Since I’m here, I have to take all the unique Techniques with me. I can always earn more Contribution Points later.’

Dang Mengfu began to explain, ”All Techniques in the Grand Hall are priced at the standard rate. A Tier One Technique costs three Contribution Points; a Tier Two costs thirty; and a Tier Three costs one hundred and fifty.

”You’ve selected two Tier One, two Tier Two, and six Tier Three books. The base cost is nine hundred sixty-six Contribution Points.

”If a particular Technique is exclusive to one peak and not found on any others, an additional one hundred Contribution Points are added, regardless of its tier.

”If it’s not found on any peak and is exclusive to the Main Pavilion, the first such Technique costs an extra three hundred points, the second an extra thousand, the third an extra two thousand... and so on.

”None of the ten Techniques you’ve chosen are standard; they’re all exclusive to a specific peak. Furthermore, one of them is exclusive to the Main Pavilion. Therefore, the additional surcharge comes to one thousand two hundred Contribution Points.

”All told, the ten Magic Books will cost you two thousand, one hundred sixty-six Contribution Points.

”Your Contribution Point balance is only eight hundred thirty-three. Are you sure you want to take all ten books?”

Zhang Deming asked, ”But can’t I pay with Spirit Stones?”

Dang Mengfu nodded. ”Yes, the vast majority can be paid for with Spirit Stones. But I have to lay out the costs for you beforehand. If it turns out you don’t use them for their specified purpose and you don’t have enough Contribution Points to cover the penalty, it will be considered a debt.

”Are you sure you want to be in debt to the Guardian Tower?”

Zhang Deming froze. ’Why is he making such a point of asking that?’ he wondered. ’What’s the catch?’

But before Zhang Deming could ask for clarification, Yang Guangfu cut in urgently, ”Senior Brother Zhang, maybe we should think about this.”

Zhang Deming looked at Yang Guangfu, confused, and waited for an explanation. Hearing this, Dang Mengfu watched Yang Guangfu with a smirk, making no move to stop him. If he had wanted to, he wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.

However, Dang Mengfu’s smirk made Yang Guangfu’s hands and feet tremble as an intense battle raged in his mind.

’To hell with it. If I offend the Guardian Tower, then so be it. They’re just a bunch of salted fish, anyway. No matter how high their position, a salted fish is still a salted fish.’

’Surely a bunch of salted fish like that won’t go out of their way to make trouble for me over something so minor!’

Under Zhang Deming’s questioning gaze, Yang Guangfu agonized over the decision for a long time. At last, he made up his mind, gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and blurted out:

”According to an unwritten rule in the sect, any debt owed to the Guardian Tower must be repaid with basic goods.”

Zhang Deming blinked, confused. ”Basic goods?”

Yang Guangfu had already gone this far, so he threw all caution to the wind. ”It means you can’t pay the debt back directly with Contribution Points,” he explained, resigned to his fate. ”You have to turn in goods that are satisfactory to the Guardian Tower.

”For our Spirit Nurturing Peak, that means Spirit Nurturing Beads. A Tier One bead is worth one Contribution Point, a Tier Two is worth two, and a Tier Three is worth three.”

PFFT...

’What the hell?’ Zhang Deming thought. ’A Tier One Spirit Nurturing Pearl is only worth one Contribution Point?’

’That’s highway robbery!’