Ji Yuan glanced at the old man beside him, ignoring his 'wailing,' and continued to drink his hot tea.
The moment he tasted it, his eyes lit up. This was undoubtedly a top-tier spiritual tea, not only rich in spiritual energy but also possessing a wonderfully unique flavor.
It seemed that everyone on Xuanyun Peak had been living quite well during this period.
If he guessed correctly, Liu Ruyan must have put a lot of thought into this.
"Xia Dong has done a very good job. She handles everything on Xuanyun Peak, from top to bottom."
Seeing that his disciple wasn't paying attention to him, Zhang Zhiya coughed lightly and then began to talk about Xia Dong.
For the past half-year, Xia Dong had been in charge of everything on Xuanyun Peak. She had even personally overseen the construction of the mountain, utilizing the craftsmen from Mingxin Pavilion, and had been involved in every detail.
The rest of them only needed to focus on their own tasks, without any worries.
Even her relationships with Xu Qiqi, Jiang He, and Lin Miaoyi were maintained by Xia Dong, who would often visit them with small gifts.
"I know."
Ji Yuan put down his teacup, his gaze falling on the pond in front of him.
Liu Ruyan had already given him a general overview of the matters on Xuanyun Peak, including Xia Dong's actions over the past half-year.
This woman had indeed done a lot, managing the mountain exceptionally well and taking meticulous care of everyone.
It was precisely because of this that he had decided to reserve a spot for Xia Dong, allowing her to benefit from the spiritual spring once it was completed.
"Now that you're back, do you plan to go out again?"
Zhang Zhiya asked casually while sipping his hot tea.
However, as a cultivator of the second realm with an exceptionally strong innate spiritual sense, Ji Yuan could naturally sense the gaze fixed upon him.
"I don't think I'll be going on any long trips for a long time. At most, I'll be exploring the surroundings."
He slowly replied, "Most of the time, I'll likely be in seclusion, so I probably won't be able to spend much time by your side."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiya rolled his eyes and playfully flicked his disciple's shoulder with his horsetail whisk.
"I'm not so old that I need a junior to accompany me!"
The old Daoist grumbled a couple of times, with a hint of disdain.
However, truth be told, perhaps due to living in an environment rich in spiritual energy, consuming spiritual cuisine daily, and being nourished by spiritual elixirs, Zhang Zhiya's health was even more robust than that of a young man.
If one only looked at his appearance, he seemed to be in his early fifties, and no one would guess that he was already seventy or eighty years old.
"Don't you really want to cultivate?"
Ji Yuan suddenly asked.
While enlightenment relied on comprehension, cultivators had indeed developed a pill that could forcibly induce enlightenment.
However, doing so would significantly limit one's future achievements. Even with ample resources, one could at best reach the second realm.
With his current wealth, purchasing such a pill from Mingxin Pavilion was not difficult, and he was confident he could use resources to push his master to the second realm.
By then, combined with the lifespan gained from the advancement of his cultivation realm and some lifespan-extending spiritual items and elixirs, living for two hundred years should not be too difficult.
Yet, Zhang Zhiya had consistently refused, preferring to forgo the opportunity to live an extra hundred years.
"I am cultivating at all times."
The old man said indifferently.
He gestured to the books on the table and then to the surroundings. "Reading is cultivation, appreciating the scenery is cultivation. Life itself is constant cultivation."
Ji Yuan was taken aback. Gazing at the surrounding landscape, his master's simple words gave rise to numerous insights in his heart.
Vaguely, he felt as though he understood something, but he couldn't quite grasp it.
So much so that even when Zhang Zhiya stood up and left, he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed absently on the scenery before him.
It wasn't until the next morning that Ji Yuan gradually came back to himself. A night of silent meditation had endowed him with an ineffable aura.
Although his cultivation had not improved in the slightest, the circulation of magical power within his body was smoother than before, giving him a sense of effortless mastery.
He bowed gently towards Zhang Zhiya's room and then left the small courtyard. Not long after he stepped out, Xia Dong hurried to catch up.
In her hands, the young woman held a thick ledger, detailing all the expenses incurred by Mingxin Pavilion in building Xuanyun Peak, as well as the expenditures of the mountain's inhabitants over the past half-year.
After accounting for everything, apart from the remuneration already paid to Mingxin Pavilion, they still owed them eighteen thousand taels of silver.
"This amount here excludes the spiritual items used to construct Xuanyun Peak and the wages of the personnel involved."
Xia Dong sighed. "In addition to the aforementioned sum, there's another expenditure of spiritual items worth over fifty-three thousand taels of silver, which was for Yue Bai's creation of her natal flying sword."
Ji Yuan had been away for over half a year, and Zhao Yue Bai had already cultivated the Xuanjian Sword Art to an exceptional level, making further delay impossible.
Moreover, the sooner the natal flying sword was forged, the more beneficial it would be for her future cultivation.
Upon learning this, Zhang Zhiya had decided to temporarily borrow a batch of spiritual materials from Mingxin Pavilion for Zhao Yue Bai to forge her flying sword.
Fortunately, with the help of Jiang He and Xu Qiqi, an elder from Yun Ling Peak was invited to help refine the natal flying sword, saving some expense. However, a significant favor was irrevocably incurred.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's mouth twitched. The special aura he had gained from a night of meditation vanished instantly.
He hadn't expected to be faced with such a large debt immediately upon his return, with visible cash alone exceeding seventy thousand taels, not to mention the intangible favors.
After a moment's thought, he took out several stacks of banknotes, including silver notes, gold notes, and many spiritual notes, totaling at least a hundred thousand taels of silver.
It was fortunate that his trip had yielded substantial gains, otherwise, he would not have been able to bear such a considerable debt.
"Keep this with you for the daily expenses of everyone on the mountain. If you desire anything, you can also purchase it directly."
Ji Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "As for the outstanding balance, you can simply write it off later."
Compared to the benefits of the spiritual spring, this debt of silver was not significant. It was likely that Qian Nishang would also waive it later.
It was even possible that she might end up sending over a pile of spiritual items, as enjoying the benefits of the spiritual spring without due compensation might make them feel uneasy.
Their collaborations were typically conducted with clear accounts, settling whatever was owed, either through direct payment or by offsetting with other means.
Only after tangible transactions were settled could intangible favors be accumulated.