Chapter 102
Chapter 102
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Revisiting the Eastern Continent (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To fully grasp Seoran's plan, you first need to understand what a bank run is.
Bank run.
The term clearly had strong ties to banks.
Its origin supposedly came from depositors rushing toward the bank.
The rabbit yokai Three-Eyed Miao asked,
"What’s a bank?"
"It’s an institution that holds your spirit stones for you."
"Why entrust something so precious to someone else?"
"Three-Eyed Miao, if your rabbit burrow was stuffed full of dried fruits, could you ever relax enough to step outside?"
"Ah, I get it right away."
"Right? In that situation, imagine me saying this: Three-Eyed Miao, hand over all your dried fruits to me. I’ll keep them safe. In exchange, just give me one dried fruit per month as a storage fee. Sound good? Want to trust me with them?"
"Oh, your pocket definitely seems safer than my rabbit burrow, Senior Brother Ryu. Better to pay a storage fee than have a thief make off with everything."
Seoran continued her explanation.
"Now, here’s a twist. If you entrust your dried fruits to me, I’ll give you one dried fruit every month as payment. How’s that?"
"You’re not charging a storage fee?"
"Exactly. I’m planning a brilliant business. I’ll lend out dried fruits to rabbits who are starving. Then next month, I collect two in return."
Three-Eyed Miao pondered briefly before asking,
"You’re paying me monthly because I’m providing the capital, right? The dried fruits, I mean."
"You’ve got it spot on. You lend me dried fruits, and I lend them to other rabbits. It’s a rock-solid business, isn’t it? Who’d dare stiff me and run off?"
"Wow, now I want to deposit some dried fruits right away!"
"That’s exactly how banks make money. They lend out people’s deposits and collect interest. Of course, to attract more capital, they share a bit of interest with depositors too."
"I see. Humans are so clever."
Three-Eyed Miao glanced down at her bowl of half-eaten dried fruits.
She suddenly wanted to try depositing something at a bank herself.
Then a question occurred to her.
"Um, Senior Brother Ryu. There’s something I don’t get. What if the bank scams me? It’d be easier for them to just take my money and run than lend it out and chase interest."
"That’s why trust is everything. Without it, a bank is doomed to fail. Making people lose faith in the bank—that’s exactly what we’re about to do."
Bank run.
Complex explanations could go on forever.
But simply put, it boiled down to one line.
The bank had completely lost all credibility.
Here’s how a bank collapses after losing trust.
Suppose a hundred cultivators each deposit a hundred spirit stones at a bank in the Eastern Continent. That’s ten thousand spirit stones total.
But the bank never keeps all ten thousand locked away in its vault.
At most, maybe five thousand, or even just three thousand.
Banking isn’t a charity.
They lend out most of the deposited spirit stones.
The profit—loan interest minus depositor interest—is the bank’s cut.
The percentage kept in reserve to cover withdrawals is called the reserve ratio.
It might be fifty percent, thirty, or even just ten.
Under normal circumstances, no problem.
But lose credibility, and problems arise.
Suddenly, every depositor rushes to the bank.
Demanding all their spirit stones back.
The bank owes ten thousand, but the vault holds barely five thousand—if that.
In the end, the bank goes bust.
*****
One investigation team member said,
"It’s just like a shortage panic. When rumors spread that some herb is a miracle cure during a plague, chaos erupts. Murders even happen sometimes."
Another team member agreed.
"Definitely similar. Plenty in stock normally, but everyone panics and demands it, wiping out reserves in seconds. Fear drives them mad."
Geum Jungpae chimed in.
"The key is delivering a massive shock. Mass withdrawal crisis, right? If it works, it could cripple the Ten Great Sects’ finances in an instant."
Three-Eyed Miao, who had been quietly listening, asked,
"But what if the Ten Great Sects just cut their losses? Refuse refunds and shut down the bank. What can powerless cultivators do?"
Seoran smiled and replied,
"The Ten Great Sects could never do that. Think of how hard they worked to establish banking here. They’ve probably failed dozens of times already. Banking is what let them dominate the Eastern Continent in the first place."
The investigation team, which had scouted the continent for a decade, nodded in agreement.
Auction houses, banks, Great Forest expedition contracts, and more.
The Ten Great Sects monopolized cultivation resources through their intricate system.
A sophisticated machine like that breaks down with a single missing gear.
A bank’s bankruptcy meant losing control.
Of course, Seoran had no intention of truly bankrupting them.
She’d love to see the Ten Great Sects suffer, but ruining innocent cultivators’ lives was another matter.
She couldn’t torch the entire Eastern Continent just for one spirit root.
Seoran planned to push the Ten Great Sects to the brink of bankruptcy, then offer bailout funds.
An offer they couldn’t refuse.
After that, just raid their warehouses for spirit herbs and whatever else, then vanish.
This was Seoran’s perfect plan.
Geum Jungpae asked,
"But how will you sow distrust among the depositors? Malicious rumors? Rob the bank? Nothing comes to mind for me."
"Naturally, I’ve got it figured out. Ta-da!"
Seoran pulled something from her sleeve.
A palm-sized jade plaque.
Precisely, a depositor verification plaque from Twin Dragon Bank.
Geum Jungpae, recognizing it, said,
"You’re withdrawing deposits yourself? No idea how much is in there, but will that even make a dent?"
"Of course one person withdrawing wouldn’t shake faith. But what if a big shot with massive fame pulls out an astronomical sum? I always have a plan."
"Oh, brilliant!"
With the team’s eyes fixed on her, Seoran declared,
"Step one: gather fame, influence, and spirit stones! Luckily, there’s one spot in the Great Forest where you can snag all three at once!"
Geum Jungpae said,
"Wait, you don’t mean!"
Seoran grinned fiercely.
"That’s the one! In the Street of Learning, fame, influence, and spirit stones are one and the same! Get famous, and you’re set!"
It was the glorious return of top instructor Divine Constellation Golden Core.
*****
Taibon Valley buzzed with cicadas again this summer.
They’d emerged after years underground, droning all day.
The Street of Learning had a similar creature.
Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"This year’s different."
"Ten years is a long closed-door session."
"About time to emerge from the depths."
"Maybe this autumn?"
"I believe in Divine Constellation Golden Core."
They were still waiting for Seoran.
By the calendar, over ten years had passed.
For reference, cicadas would’ve emerged twice by now.
Seoran had been active in Taibon Valley for about five years.
Lecturing for only one, spending the rest on puppetry studies and beauty tree contests.
Yet she’d achieved the unattainable.
That’s why countless Foundation Establishment cultivators still lingered at the registration desk, awaiting her return.
Of course, Seoran had teleported home long ago.
But to Eastern Continent cultivators, she must be in closed-door training deep in the forest.
So they couldn’t abandon hope she’d emerge someday.
Cicadas that hadn’t molted in over a decade wandered sadly before the announcement board today.
"Wow, she’s hardcore."
"How do you even closed-door train for ten years?"
"Rumor is she’s lived in the Great Forest since meeting her master as a kid?"
"Isn’t that child abuse?"
"Wait, that’s weird. Do you have to cultivate in the depths? Full of yokai?"
"Those cultivation purists always do."
"Didn’t know any were left..."
"Take it easy... no one’s chasing you..."
"What’s the point of grinding cultivation to death? Enjoy life! Give some lectures!"
"But she’s got a point. How else does a cultivator reach Golden Core at 240?"
"240’s when she emerged from the forest. Must’ve hit Core Formation way earlier. Anyone know?"
"No one does? She never talked personal stuff. Hard to mingle."
"So how old now? Under 260? Is the age even real?"
"Maybe she doesn’t know herself? After thirty, I lose track too."
"Or doesn’t want to remember?"
Mid-chat, a registration clerk rushed up and plastered something on the announcement board.
Then bellowed,
"Breaking news! Divine Constellation Golden Core, first cultivator to reach Primordial Spirit Realm, ends closed-door training! Lectures starting this autumn!"
"What!"
"Primordial Spirit!"
"Autumn!"
The Foundation Establishment cultivators were too stunned to speak properly.
Fragmented shouts erupted.
The board area turned into pandemonium in seconds.
Just like a swarm of freshly molted cicadas.