After Ning Yao and Diezhang returned to the shop, Diezhang suddenly stopped, hesitant to go any further.

It was because Diezhang felt a deep awe for the man who had suddenly appeared in front of her shop.

That man was none other than the famously unapproachable Great Sword Immortal, Zuo You.

Ordinary sword cultivators from other continents, no matter how bad their temper might be back home, would have to rein it in when they arrived at the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

But Senior Zuo You was different. Right after arriving at the Great Wall, a local Immortal Realm sword cultivator guarding the city wall attempted to test his swordsmanship against Zuo You, who was considered to have the highest swordsmanship in the Vast World. But Senior Zuo You only replied with one sentence: “My swordsmanship, you can’t learn. But there’s one thing you can learn from me: if you can’t win a fight, just don’t fight it.”

At the time, the Hidden Official also added, “Seems like it.”

That highly anticipated sparring match on the city wall never happened.

Now, after the initial shock, Diezhang was filled with curiosity. Why was he suppressing his sword qi so much? Everyone in the city knew that Sword Immortal Zuo You was always surrounded by sword qi. He used his sword qi to clear the way and penetrate deep into the demon army during battles, and he also used it to hone his sword intent alone on the city wall.

But today, the one with the highest swordsmanship in the Vast World had completely suppressed his sword qi, not revealing even a trace for the first time.

Ning Yao then took Diezhang to continue window shopping.

Ning Yao had only returned after learning that the Old Sage had already left, not expecting Zuo You to still be there.

The Old Sage had even specifically greeted her before leaving, thanking her. Ning Yao was actually confused herself, not knowing what she had done that deserved the thanks of an Old Sage.

Regarding the subtle relationship between Chen Ping An and Zuo You, Ning Yao understood what each of them was thinking, so she didn’t say anything about Zuo You to Chen Ping An.

Anything she said would be inappropriate. Besides, Chen Ping An had his own ideas when it came to important life matters, and he didn’t need her Ning Yao to interfere or offer advice.

Diezhang couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer. After walking away, she asked Ning Yao with a ripple in her heart, “Does Chen Ping An know Great Sword Immortal Zuo?”

Ning Yao nodded and said, “They’ve known each other for a long time.”

Chen Ping An’s travelogue had written about it, with a significant amount of content.

Diezhang smiled and said, “Can you tell me more?”

Ning Yao shook her head and said, “No.”

Diezhang tugged on Ning Yao’s sleeve, gently shaking it, clearly trying to act cute and pathetic, “Sister Ning, just tell me something, there must be something you can talk about.”

Ning Yao thought for a moment and said, “You should just ask Chen Ping An yourself later. He’s planning to open a shop with you, you can use this as a condition, don’t agree yet.”

Diezhang quickly figured out the meaning behind the words. Ning Yao was clearly digging a trap for her. Diezhang chuckled and said, “I never planned to agree to partner with him in business. Ning Yao, know when to stop.”

Ning Yao laughed and said, “It’s not that I’m taking his side, it’s just that Chen Ping An is right. You’re not clever enough when it comes to business. If he does it, he can ensure a steady stream of income. ”

Diezhang frowned, hesitating to speak.

Ning Yao glanced at her and immediately knew what she was thinking. She explained, “Chen Ping An has a Spatial Ring and two Dimensional Treasures with him. Besides ordinary wine from his hometown and a pile of bamboo leaves, it’s empty. He brought almost nothing. If he really just wanted to learn from the merchants on the intercontinental ferries here at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, relying on selling some miscellaneous trinkets to earn immortal money from us sword cultivators, he wouldn’t be so wasteful, he would have filled them up long ago. So Chen Ping An wants to partner with you to do business, only earning honest money. It’s a habit, Chen Ping An has always liked to earn money since he was young. It’s not purely because he likes having money. I have to defend him on this point.”

Diezhang was relieved and smiled again, “That’s good. Otherwise, I would have scolded him for being blinded by greed. I might as well not have made this newly acquainted friend.”

Not long after the Old Scholar left.

Zuo You gently placed the wine pot in his hand on the chair.

He didn’t like drinking in the first place, and suppressing his sword qi was also troublesome.

Zuo You was the only one in the world who disliked his own sword qi too much.

Chen Ping An was still sipping his wine, looking quite leisurely.

Zuo You sneered, “Without the favor of the Sage, pretending to be calm and composed, isn’t it tiring?”

Chen Ping An resolutely didn’t say anything.

Zuo You asked, “You didn’t know the Sage would come to the Great Wall of Sword Qi before, so it was fine for you to ask Chen Qingdu to come forward. Now that the Sage is here, why don’t you take the initiative to ask? Whether he agrees or not is the Sage’s business, but asking or not is a matter of etiquette for you as a student.”

Chen Ping An also put down the wine pot on the chair, folded his hands in his sleeves, leaned forward, and looked at the street that was being renovated, softly saying, “I’m not ignorant of the Sage’s current situation. Would opening my mouth cause the Sage trouble? If the Sage isn’t troubled, wouldn’t my conscience be uneasy? Even if I could get over it, bringing trouble to the entire Great Wall of Sword Qi, affecting the whole situation, directly leading to the start of a major war, when the Sage leaves, wouldn’t he really be troubled?”

Zuo You nodded, acknowledging the answer.

The Sage is worried, so the disciple should share the burden.

Zuo You remembered the tall Mao Xiaodong, his memory was a bit blurry. He only remembered that he was a serious young man who studied hard all year round. Among the many disciples, he wasn’t the smartest. He was slow to learn and liked to ask people about difficult questions. He was also slow to understand. Cui Bian often laughed at Mao Xiaodong for being a stubborn blockhead, only giving answers but never willing to explain in detail. Only Xiao Qi would patiently explain more to Mao Xiaodong.

Zuo You slowly said, “Years ago, Mao Xiaodong didn’t want to go to the Book of Rites Academy to take refuge. He insisted on being tied to the lineage of the Literary Sage and wanted to accompany Xiao Qi to create the Cliff Academy in Treasure Bottle Continent. At that time, the Sage actually said very harsh words, saying that Mao Xiaodong shouldn’t be so selfish, only seeking peace of mind, why couldn’t he raise his ambition a bit? He shouldn’t have such sectarianism. If he could benefit the world with greater knowledge, it didn’t matter whether he was in the lineage of the Literary Sage or not. Then that Mao Xiaodong, whom I never looked up to much in my life, said something that I admired very much. Mao Xiaodong then yelled at the Sage, saying that his disciple Mao Xiaodong was naturally stupid, only knowing to first respect his teacher, then he could revere the Dao without shame. The order of the two must not be wrong. After listening, the Sage was both happy and sad, but he no longer forced Mao Xiaodong to switch to the lineage of the Rites Sage.”
Chen Ping’an picked up the wine flask again and took a sip, “I went to the Great Sui Academy twice, and Senior Brother Mao was very concerned, fearing that I would go astray. When Senior Brother Mao speaks reason, he has the demeanor of a Confucian sage and a master.”

Zuo You smiled, “You haven’t seen him choke me by the neck, rendering me speechless. When speaking to one’s own teacher, no matter how good the reasoning, one cannot spit in the teacher’s face. What do you say, little junior brother!”

Chen Ping’an quietly placed the wine flask back on the chair, only daring to hum in agreement, resolutely refusing to say another word.

Zuo You stood up, grabbed the wine flask from the chair, and then glanced at the food box at his feet.

Chen Ping’an stood up and said, “I’ll pay for it myself.”

Zuo You glanced at Chen Ping’an again.

Chen Ping’an had no choice but to continue, “It will be like this in the future as well.”

Only then was Zuo You ready to leave.

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “I hope I haven’t disappointed Senior Brother.”

Zuo You was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “It’s alright.”

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “That’s good.”

Zuo You hesitated for a moment, then said, “From today onwards, if anyone says anything sarcastic to you, saying that you have only achieved what you have today because you were born into the lineage of the Literary Saint and received countless protections, you don’t need to waste words with them. Send a flying sword message directly to the city wall, and I will teach them how to behave.”

Chen Ping’an was speechless.

It was really a little uncomfortable.

Zuo You paused for a moment and added, “Including their parents and elders.”

Seeing that Zuo You seemed a little impatient, looking like he was about to teach him swordsmanship first, Chen Ping’an, remembering the saying popular among wild cultivators, “Better a dead friend than a dead me,” quickly nodded and said, “I’ve remembered it.”

Zuo You no longer bothered to suppress his own sword aura, transforming into a rainbow and flying away towards the city wall.

From the city to the city wall, wherever Zuo You’s sword aura passed, the abundant primordial sword intent between heaven and earth yielded a fleeting path.

Arriving at the city wall, Zuo You’s hand holding the wine flask gently lifted his sleeve, inside which was a book bound into a volume. It was previously given to the Master by Chen Ping’an, but the Master for some unknown reason secretly wanted to leave it to him, even concealing it from his most beloved closed disciple, Chen Ping’an.

Zuo You used his sword aura to isolate a small world, then drank wine while reading.

He placed the book on the city wall in front of him, and with a thought, his sword aura would turn the pages.

Unknowingly, Zuo You finished the wine in the flask and turned to look at the sky, towards the place where the Master had departed.

Ever since the Master became the most down-on-his-luck Confucian sage in the world, his smile had remained unchanged, but Zuo You knew that it wasn’t a genuine smile. With his disciples scattered and wandering, the Master felt guilty.

Only after seeing that little junior brother who had an ego bigger than the sky and was now willing to acknowledge him as his teacher, would the Master, even with few smiles and few words, even though they had already parted, surely be smiling broadly at this moment.

That Chen Ping’an might not realize that if he came to the Sword Qi Great Wall, upon hearing that he was on the city wall, he would rush to his side to call him “Senior Brother.”

Only then would he be disappointed.

How could Xiao Qi have chosen such a little junior brother?

If he secretly built an ancestral hall in his hometown and hung a portrait of the Master, he would take the initiative to brag to him, and he would be even more disappointed.

Why did the Master choose such a closed disciple?

If he felt that Zuo You’s swordsmanship was not bad, he would want to learn swordsmanship.

Zuo You would be most disappointed.

Why did he acknowledge such a junior brother?

But none of that happened.

That was the little junior brother that Zuo You had been anticipating for a hundred years.

Even better than the image of the little junior brother that existed only in his imagination.

Back then, during their parting at the Jiaolong River, Zuo You had words he hadn’t spoken, hoping that Chen Ping’an could do something.

He never imagined that Chen Ping’an would not only do it, but do it well.

Having traveled through three continents, he had seen all the mountains and rivers.

Therefore, after reading the contents of the book, Zuo You understood why the Master deliberately left this book for him.

Therefore, at this moment, Zuo You wondered if his awkward “It’s alright” at the entrance of that shop earlier might have made his little junior brother feel sad?

If the Master had been there at the time, he probably would have hit someone again.

Zuo You did not withdraw his gaze for a long time.

The Way of Heaven is broad and profound, high and clear, vast and enduring.

Alas, my heart is troubled, the days and months pass, as if they will never return.

After Zuo You left without drawing his sword, Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief. It would be self-deception to say he wasn’t nervous. He hurriedly tidied up the chairs and stools and put them back in the shop. He sat on the doorstep, waiting for Ning Yao and Die Zhang to return.

Zuo You’s arrival was silent, but his departure was not meant to conceal his sword aura.

Therefore, most of the sword immortals on the Sword Qi Great Wall should be aware of Zuo You’s movements leaving the city wall this time.

Moreover, Zuo You had openly sat at the entrance of the shop, which was itself a kind of silent language.

Before his disciple Zuo You appeared, the Old Scholar had actually used his divine power to shield the heavens and the earth, only letting those at the shop know.

After Zuo You arrived, the Old Scholar removed the technique.

The lineage of the Literary Saint has always been prone to worry, and after much worrying, their actions are invariably decisive, hence they seem to be the most unreasonable.

Ning Yao and Die Zhang returned, and Chen Ping’an stood up and smiled, “I’ll be hosting guests here, sorry for troubling Die Zhang.”

Die Zhang asked with a smile, “I won’t ask about the old gentleman’s identity, but why did Sword Immortal Zuo You take the initiative to come here to drink with you? I have to ask, lest all the possessions in my shop disappear inexplicably in the future, and I won’t know who to complain to.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Zuo You is my senior brother. The one who sat in the middle was our teacher, the Confucian Literary Saint of the vast world.”

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, having a backer doesn’t mean much anyway. The fights that need to be fought won’t be reduced by one, and the battlefields that need to be gone to have to be gone to.

Moreover, as his student Cui Dongshan said, there’s no need to deliberately hide the teacher and senior brother that he earned with his own ability.

Die Zhang silently walked into the shop.

There was no way to chat anymore.

Ning Yao sat on the doorstep with Chen Ping’an and said softly, “Fortunately, Great Sword Immortal is now personally watching the city wall, not allowing anyone to go south for any reason. Otherwise, the next great battle will be very dangerous for you. The demon race has a lot of schemes.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “The teacher and Senior Brother Zuo are both aware of it.”

Ning Yao nodded, “What are we doing next?”
Chen Ping’an spoke, “Practice diligently, refine Qi, and strive to ascend to the Cave Mansion realm as soon as possible, thoroughly refining the First and Fifteenth into natal treasures. Simultaneously, temper your Golden Body realm. Once you reach the Distant Wanderer realm, combat will be much more convenient. However, both of these things are difficult to achieve for now. Just gathering the five elements of natal treasures is as hard as ascending to Heaven. Gold and Fire elemental treasures are things that one encounters by chance and cannot be sought. If it’s truly impossible, then don’t deliberately pursue too high a grade. You must first build a bridge to immortality to face the next great battle. Ning Yao, you don’t need to persuade me on this matter. I have carefully weighed the pros and cons. The current grade of the three natal treasures, aside from other matters on the path of cultivation, is enough to support me to the Earth Immortal, even the Jade Pure realm. Don’t be too demanding of perfection on this matter. The path of cultivation cannot be too slow, otherwise, if one cannot ascend to the Middle Five Realms Qi Refiner for a long time, the spiritual Qi will inevitably dissipate. If the martial arts realm reaches the Seventh Realm, operating a pure burst of true Qi will more or less conflict with the spiritual Qi, which will actually hinder combat power. During this period…”

Speaking of this, Chen Ping’an frowned and sighed, “I still have to learn swordsmanship from my senior brother.”

Ning Yao said, “Isn’t that good? Senior Zuo is the most suitable and qualified person to teach you swordsmanship. Don’t forget, your senior brother himself wasn’t born with a natural talent for swords.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I can’t just lie in the Ning residence and drink medicine every other day, can I?”

Ning Yao smiled and said, “It’s okay. Back in the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, I learned to brew medicine from you and never had the chance to put it to use.”

Chen Ping’an endured and endured, but still couldn’t help but say, “It’s not like I haven’t seen you brew medicine. If you dare to brew it, I wouldn’t dare to drink it.”

Ning Yao tsked and said, “You’ve become bolder since you acknowledged your senior brother.”

Chen Ping’an immediately said with a bitter face, “I’ll drink it, as if it were wine.”

Diezhang looked at the two at the door, shook her head, and felt utterly lovelorn.

Chen Ping’an remembered something and turned his head to smile, “Miss Diezhang, as long as I can help the shop earn money, how about a four-six split?”

Diezhang smiled and said, “Wouldn’t that be a bit little for you?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Then how about three-seven? Miss Diezhang, your business sense is a bit unconventional. No wonder business is so… good.”

Diezhang was so angry that she couldn’t speak.

Ning Yao gloated a little.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “It’s difficult for even immortals to make extra money with this general store. I know I’ll be staying in the Sword Qi Great Wall for a long time this time, so I brought some ordinary wines from my hometown. Why don’t we open a small tavern together? Just put some tables and chairs outside the shop. Don’t worry about not having enough seats if there are too many customers. As long as the wine is good, even squatting on the ground to drink is a great experience.”

Diezhang asked curiously, “You yourself said it’s ordinary market wine. Even if there are many drunkards here, even if the shop can sell it, there will be a time when it runs out. Furthermore, selling it at a high price easily damages one’s character. I don’t have the face to rip people off.”

Chen Ping’an pinched a green bamboo leaf, full of spiritual energy and lush green, “Throw it into the wine pot, and the price will soar. But this is the first-class wine sold in our shop. For the second-class wine, buy a large wine vat and put a few more bamboo leaves in it. I also have this.”

Chen Ping’an opened his palm, revealing a wine worm borrowed from Wei Bo. Talking about business hurts feelings. A wine worm, even in the Vast Expanse, is considered a rare treasure that one encounters by chance. Wei Bo held three spirit night banquets and, with subtle hints, finally had a mountain and river deity reluctantly part with one. Furthermore, Wei Bo hinted that this deity could miss the fourth night banquet as compensation, so they were willing to offer a wine worm.

Chen Ping’an said confidently, “I’ve tried it. Just having the wine worm still doesn’t make for very good brew. It’s indeed much inferior to those ridiculously expensive immortal wines. But add the bamboo leaves, and the taste of the wine becomes worlds apart. So before our shop opens, we need to collect as much cheap, ordinary wine as possible, the more the better. Stockpile it first. Once we have enough, we’ll open our doors to customers. If we buy the wine ourselves, we probably won’t be able to lower the price. If we buy too much, it will arouse suspicion. So we can give Yan Zhuo and Chen Sanqiu some dividends, just as a token of appreciation. We don’t need to give them too much. They have money, and we’re the ones who are broke.”

Ning Yao leaned against the shop door, watching the guy who became particularly radiant when talking about business.

Diezhang hesitated, not about whether to sell wine. She already felt that there was no need to doubt it. It would definitely make money, whether a lot or a little, and it was making money from wealthy sword immortals and sword cultivators. Diezhang had no pangs of conscience. Drinking whose wine wasn’t drinking wine? What truly made Diezhang hesitant was involving Fatty Yan and Chen Sanqiu. According to Diezhang’s original intention, she would rather earn less money and have higher costs than have friends help. If Chen Ping’an hadn’t mentioned giving them dividends, Diezhang would have definitely rejected the suggestion.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t in a hurry either. He put away the wine worm into his sleeve and the bamboo leaves into his storage item. He brought a lot of bamboo leaves and branches to the Sword Qi Great Wall. He smiled and said, “Miss Diezhang, may I be so bold as to say that you really need to change your business attitude. If you feel that a business is a gamble, it’s best not to involve friends. That’s right. But if it’s a sure-win business and we don’t call on our friends, then we’re being unkind. But it doesn’t matter. If Miss Diezhang really feels it’s not suitable, we can open the tavern smaller. It’s just that the costs will be slightly higher, we’ll stockpile less wine in the front, and earn less money. When a lot of money is safely in our pockets, we can discuss this matter again. There’s no need to have any concerns.”

Diezhang seemed to be in a new dilemma, worried that Chen Ping’an would harbor resentment if she rejected his sincere goodwill.

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “Then let’s consider it settled, a three-seven split?”

Diezhang smiled, “A fifty-fifty split. The wine and the shop are indispensable.”

Chen Ping’an retorted, “Wouldn’t I also have a tavern if I carried tables and chairs and set them up in an empty space on the street?”

Diezhang said, “I don’t believe Ning Yao can afford to lose face. Even if Ning Yao doesn’t care, are you, Chen Ping’an, really willing to do that?”

Chen Ping’an was somewhat speechless.

Ning Yao was about to speak.

Diezhang hurriedly said, “Ning Yao! We’ve been friends for so many years. You can’t forget your friend just because you have a man!”

Ning Yao originally wanted to say that she wouldn’t mind even helping to hawk the wine, so why would she care about this?
Seeing Diezhang so earnest, Ning Yao couldn’t bear to refuse outright.

Thus, the final negotiation resulted in a four-six split of profits.

The justification Chen Ping’an offered was that his four consecutive victories had made the street famous, and his presence selling wine would be like a free golden signboard, attracting even more customers.

Diezhang truly admired the fellow’s money-making skills and brazenness.

However, Diezhang eventually asked, “Chen Ping’an, are you truly unconcerned about selling wine and earning such paltry sums? Won’t it reflect poorly on the faces of the Ning and Yao family elders?”

Chen Ping’an chuckled and retorted, “Diezhang, have you forgotten my origins? Without stealing, robbing, or deceiving, earning a single copper coin is a skill in itself.”

Ning Yao suppressed a smile.

She figured that once this money-grubbing fellow opened his shop and faced poor sales, he could probably peddle wine all the way to the Old Sword Immortal if no one wanted to buy it initially.

Diezhang remained silent for a long while, then whispered, “I think our wine shop is a bit of a rip-off.”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand dismissively, declaring shamelessly, “The prices are clearly marked; buy it or not, it’s your choice! When the time comes, we won’t lack for customers. Whether we sell or not will depend on our mood!”

Diezhang felt a bit more at ease.

Earning a fortune to buy a house had always been Diezhang’s wish, but she also knew she was genuinely inept at making money.

Diezhang had thought that once they reached an agreement, Chen Ping’an would return to the Ning residence with Ning Yao. Unexpectedly, Chen Ping’an was already standing at the counter, grabbing an abacus. Diezhang asked, puzzled, “Isn’t it just buying wine to stock up? It’s a simple task; I can handle it.”

Chen Ping’an looked genuinely shocked, not feigning it this time, and exclaimed with a chuckle, “Is there such an easy business in this world?! Diezhang, I’m starting to regret partnering with you! Think about it, when buying bulk wine, shouldn’t we pick some of the quieter taverns and inns? How do we haggle? How do we get a discount when buying in bulk? How do we talk to people like people and ghosts like ghosts? Shouldn’t we ponder these things beforehand? How do we fix the contract to prevent them from backing out once our shop becomes successful? Even if they don’t sell, how do they compensate our shop according to the agreement? There are so many details! I reckon you can’t negotiate it alone. Fine, I’ll put on a disguise, and you can watch from the side; I’ll give you a demonstration first. Besides, these are just the basics of buying wine. Then there’s the shop’s opening: which patrons who look like travelers should we invite to boost our reputation? What cultivation realm should the sword cultivators be? Shouldn’t we allocate three or five of them, privately promising them a few jugs of priceless Zhu Ye wine? Which sword immortal should we have shout about buying out the entire shop’s stock to make it more convincing and less like a setup? Shouldn’t we consider all this? After we start earning money, how do we settle accounts with those drunken friends like Yan Pangzi and Chen Sanqiu? We’re a small business; we absolutely can’t forget anything. Shouldn’t we have a plan in place early on…”

Diezhang’s confidence completely vanished. She became increasingly insecure, listening to Chen Ping’an’s incessant ramblings from across the counter. Diezhang began to wonder if she was truly unsuitable for business.

Why did it suddenly feel harder than practicing swordsmanship?

Ning Yao stood beside the counter, smiling and munching on melon seeds.

So, in the end, Diezhang timidly said, “Chen Ping’an, how about a three-seven split? You get seven, I get three.”

Chen Ping’an was about to nod in agreement.

But he immediately received an elbow from Ning Yao, so Chen Ping’an quickly said with a smile, “No, no, a five-five split. We agreed on it. We must uphold honesty in business.”

Chen Ping’an turned to the side, winking at Diezhang. “I’m being honest. You, Diezhang, should be willing to meet halfway, so a four-six split instead.”

Diezhang nodded, then looked at Ning Yao innocently and said, “Ning Yao, Chen Ping’an was winking and making faces at me. I don’t know what he meant.”

Chen Ping’an received another elbow and, grimacing, gave Diezhang a thumbs up. “Diezhang, you have a good grasp of business.”

They discussed many more details.

Diezhang diligently wrote everything down.

Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao left the small general store, walking along the edge of the street. Chen Ping’an laughed and said, “From now on, they’ll all be our rivals.”

Ning Yao softly said, “Thank you.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “It’s my pleasure.”

Ning Yao hesitated for a moment, then said, “Diezhang is fond of a learned gentleman from Middle Earth Divine Continent. Could you offer her some advice?”

Chen Ping’an replied with a bitter smile, “Some favors I can do, but such matters are beyond my abilities.”

Ning Yao placed her hands behind her back and leisurely praised, “Aren’t you very knowledgeable about matters of the heart?”

Chen Ping’an declared emphatically, “By the heavens and my conscience, I know nothing about that!”

Diezhang’s small house, hidden in a narrow alley, was filled with large wine vats. She didn’t have enough capital. Chen Ping’an actually had ten Gu Yu coins worth of savings, but he couldn’t foolishly pull out a Gu Yu coin to buy things, as people would likely raise the price to death. So, he asked Ning Yao for a bunch of loose Snowflake coins. Chen Ping’an and Diezhang went to all the taverns and shops that could sell cheap, low-quality wine. These wines wouldn’t sell well in the cities and streets of the Sword Qi Great Wall. That was the strange thing about the Sword Qi Great Wall. The sword cultivators who could afford wine didn’t want to drink these. Only the drunken sword cultivators who owed too much and couldn’t pay off their debts would hold their noses and drink them. And the prices of the genuine immortal wines in the larger taverns were as high as flying swords, far exceeding those of Upside-Down Mountain just across a mountain. Even sword immortals felt the pinch. Nowadays, the entry and exit of Upside-Down Mountain into the Sword Qi Great Wall was tightly controlled, and life was becoming increasingly difficult.

Chen Ping’an bent down and opened a wine vat. A wine worm was soaking inside, leisurely swimming like a small fish, tipsy and enjoying itself.

Each vat of wine had to soak with the wine worm for three days to be considered mellow. A few bamboo leaves and a bamboo twig were placed inside. It wasn’t named Zhu Ye Qing, as Diezhang had initially suggested, or Zhuzhi Wine, as Ning Yao had suggested. Instead, Chen Ping’an decided on “Bamboo Sea Grotto Wine,” with the alias “Azure God Mountain Wine.”

This shocked Diezhang, who was used to earning honest money.

Chen Ping’an then spoke earnestly, saying that these bamboo leaves and twigs genuinely came from Bamboo Sea Grotto. As for whether they came from Azure God Mountain, he could ask later if he had the chance. If they didn’t, then he wouldn’t mention the “alias” when selling the wine.

Besides preparing to open a wine shop to make money…
Every day, Chen Ping An relentlessly dedicated six hours to Qi refinement at the Ning residence, sometimes stretching it to seven or eight.

Ning Yao conceded the Dragon-Slaying Cliff pavilion, opting instead to hone her swordsmanship in the miniature world’s martial arena.

During breaks, Chen Ping An would sit at the foot of the hill with that sword immortal, meticulously sharpening its edge.

Occasionally, Fatty Yan and Black Charcoal Dong would drop by. Fatty Yan, seizing the opportunity, would insist that Chen Ping An observe his “Mad Demon” boxing technique, questioning if he was a martial arts prodigy delayed by sword practice. Chen Ping An always agreed, each time offering a different, inventive reason. Chen Sanqiu found these excuses even more unbearable than Fatty Yan’s boxing. Once, even Black Charcoal Dong couldn’t take it anymore, watching the nauseating Fatty Yan in the arena. He asked Chen Ping An, “Are you being honest? Is Yan Zhuo really a martial arts genius?” Chen Ping An smiled and said, “Of course not.” This put Dong at ease, while Chen Sanqiu sighed, covered his forehead, and collapsed onto a long chair.

Meanwhile, almost every day, a little girl with sleeves full of pastries would appear at the Ning residence gate, clamoring to become a disciple.

Once, Ning Yao dragged her inside and gave her a good thrashing. After a brief respite, the little girl returned, now wiser, shouting and running away. She’d dart back and forth several times a day, having nothing better to do. Then, Ning Yao blocked her path, pulled her into the residence by the ear, and forced her to watch Fatty Yan practicing his boxing in the arena, declaring it was the very style taught by Chen Ping An. “Still want to learn?” she asked.

Tears welled in the little girl’s eyes, her lips trembled. “Even so, I must learn the fist!”

She silently wiped away tears, choking back sobs, “So this is what my mother meant by ‘enduring hardship to rise above others!'”

Ning Yao, at her wit’s end, asked Chen Ping An to personally intervene. At the time, Chen Ping An was in consultation with Granny Bai and Grandpa Nalan on a matter of utmost importance. Ning Yao didn’t elaborate, so Chen Ping An followed her, puzzled, to the arena. There, he saw the little girl about to prostrate herself before him.

He recognized her easily. She was the loudest and most boisterous one from those four street brawls. It was hard not to notice her.

Chen Ping An, not wanting to randomly assist a little girl, quickly stepped aside. “Don’t bow yet,” he said helplessly, “What’s your name?”

The little girl quickly stood up and announced loudly, “Guo Zhujiu!” (Guo Bamboo Wine)

Chen Ping An nodded, raised his left hand, made a calculation with his fingers, and sighed deeply. “Unfortunately, the name is incompatible. I cannot accept you as a disciple for now. Perhaps later.”

Guo Zhujiu said earnestly, “Master, then I’ll go home and ask my parents to change my name! I’ve never liked this name anyway, but I’ve tolerated it for years.”

Chen Ping An shook his head. “No, my acceptance of disciples depends on fate. The first time, I look at the name. If it’s not right, then we must wait three years. The second time, I’ll look at the time of birth, then you’ll have another chance.”

Guo Zhujiu, frustrated, stamped her foot heavily and ran off, declaring she was going to flip through the almanac and pick an auspicious day three years from now.

Yan Zhuo and Chen Sanqiu stood beside them, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Guo Zhujiu was an odd little person. She’d been a bit slow on the uptake since she was a child. Calling her stupid would be wrong; she was an excellent innate sword embryo, hailed by the Guo family as a future pillar. Calling her clever was even more wrong; the little girl was responsible for countless jokes, practically the neighborhood’s source of amusement. As a child, she loved to drape a bedsheet over herself and run around, visiting houses, never using the front door, always wandering on rooftops and walls. If she hadn’t been beaten so many times by Dong Bud, finally gaining a bit of sense, she’d still be doing that now. There were also rumors that the Hidden Official had actually chosen two candidates: Pang Yuanji and Guo Zhujiu.

Chen Ping An was also somewhat incredulous. “This works?”

Chen Sanqiu smiled wryly. “Whether it works or not probably depends on whether Guo Zhujiu comes back tomorrow.”

Chen Ping An looked at Ning Yao.

Ning Yao said, “Hard to say.”

Chen Ping An didn’t dwell on it and went back to discussing matters with the two seniors.

As for the matter of requesting the Old Grand Sword Immortal to propose marriage to the Yao family, Chen Ping An would naturally not rush it.

Inside Chen Ping An’s side room, Granny Bai asked with a smile, “What’s going on?”

Chen Ping An laughed, “It’s still that little girl, Guo Zhujiu, wanting to become a disciple. I managed to brush her off.”

Nalan Yexing joked, “Having an extra nominal disciple isn’t bad, actually.”

Chen Ping An shook his head and smiled bitterly, “Such a big matter cannot be taken lightly.”

Granny Bai said, “The Guo family and our Ning family have been acquaintances for generations. It’s never stopped.”

Chen Ping An was stunned for a moment, looking at Granny Bai with a questioning gaze.

Granny Bai nodded. “They’re practically the only one. After the master passed away, the Guo family came to the Ning residence to offer condolences. Later, during the Dragon-Slaying Cliff incident, the Guo family head directly confronted the Qi family sword immortal. Otherwise, if any other little girl caused such a ruckus, our Miss would never have dragged her into the house twice. But regarding the matter of accepting a disciple, there’s really no need to be too serious.”

Chen Ping An said solemnly, “I’ll think seriously about this Guo Zhujiu matter.”

Nalan Yexing laughed, “These things aren’t urgent. Let’s talk about the Chen Gongzi’s fourth natal item. When the Bridge of Longevity is formed, Chen Gongzi will truly understand what cultivation is. Only then can he, even if not an innate sword embryo, barely become a sword cultivator. Don’t underestimate the word ‘barely.’ For a Qi refiner, whether or not one is a sword cultivator is the greatest difference. Chen Gongzi can ask the Old Grand Sword Immortal privately about the reasons.”

One early morning, a shabby wine shop opened in the Sword Qi Great Wall. The shopkeeper was that young one-armed female sword cultivator, Diezhang.

Standing beside her was the young man in green robes, personally setting off a long string of deafening firecrackers. He smiled brightly, cupping his hands in greeting to all directions.

Diezhang, as the nominal wine shop owner, had no turning back now, having invested all her capital. She actually wanted to stay inside the shop, pretending the shop had nothing to do with her.

In front of the two, tables and chairs were laid out.

Ning Yao and Yan Zhuo were hiding inside the shop, surrounded by large and small wine jars and pots. Even Fatty Yan, with his thick skin, and Black Charcoal Dong, who didn’t even know what shame was, were genuinely too embarrassed to go outside at the moment.
Upon the newly paved streets, the innkeepers and shop assistants of the taverns and restaurants stood at their doorways, grumbling under their breaths.

It was all because a couplet had been hung outside that dilapidated little shop, said to be personally penned by the young martial artist.

“A swordsman with a three-foot blade, gazes around in bewilderment, where are my foes, heroes are lonely.”

“Two taels of wine in the cup, to drown ten thousand years of sorrow with you, let us drink our fill, what does money matter?”

Good heavens, Chen Pingan, you mere martial artist, have you no shame!

And that wasn’t all, they heard that the tiny shop was selling liquor associated with the Azure God Mountain of the Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven!

What does money matter?

If it truly didn’t matter, why did you open a shop and try to earn money in the first place?

Whistles rose from both sides of the street.

Diezhang, after all, was thin-skinned. Her forehead was already beaded with sweat, her face tense, trying her best not to appear flustered, but she couldn’t help but whisper, “Chen Pingan, can we really sell even half a jar of liquor?”

Chen Pingan smiled slightly. “Even if no one actually supports us, if we follow my established plan, everything will be fine, and we won’t have to worry about making money. Before that, it would be even better if someone came to buy wine. It’s early in the morning, it’s normal for there to be fewer customers.”

After an incense stick’s worth of time, still no customers had come to the door, and Diezhang grew increasingly anxious.

Chen Pingan cleared his throat and shouted, “Opening special, 50% off on one jar of wine! Only one jar, first come, first served.”

Then someone actually came.

Diezhang asked doubtfully, “Is he someone you hired too?”

Chen Pingan was also a little surprised, shaking his head and saying, “Of course not.”

The visitor was none other than Pang Yuanji.

He sat on a long bench, smiling, and said, “Give me a jar of the cheapest stuff, and don’t forget to take another 50% off.”

Chen Pingan turned to look at the dazed Diezhang, chuckling softly, “What are you standing there for? The senior manager herself is serving wine at the table.”

Diezhang quickly grabbed a jar of “Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven Wine” and a large white bowl, placed them on the table in front of Pang Yuanji, helped to unseal the jar that had been sealed for only a few days, poured a bowl of wine for Pang Yuanji, and felt genuinely uneasy. She forced a smile, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, “Enjoy your drink, sir.”

Then Chen Pingan took another wine bowl for himself, sat down at Pang Yuanji’s table, poured himself a bowl of wine from the jar, and said with a smile, “Brother Yuanji, thanks for your support, I must toast you. With Brother Yuanji’s magnanimity, becoming a Sword Immortal is just a matter of time, I’ll drink first as a sign of respect!”

Diezhang wished she could dig a hole in the ground and hide. Who ever heard of a wine seller drinking his own customer’s wine?

Pang Yuanji, after Chen Pingan finished his drink, actually poured another bowl of wine for Chen Pingan, but he didn’t fill it to the brim. There was only one small jar of wine, how many bowls could it fill? Fortunately, the carefully selected white bowl was not too big, making the amount of wine seem sufficient.

Pang Yuanji was already regretting sitting here. If business was slow in the future, it would be fine, but if there were more drinkers, he would be cursing himself to death. Holding the wine bowl, he lowered his head and sniffed, and there really was a hint of immortal brew about it, better than he had imagined. But this jar of wine was only selling for a single snowflake coin, was the price too low? With such a taste, in other restaurants on the Great Wall of Swords, it should cost at least a few snowflake coins. Pang Yuanji only knew one thing, not only on his Great Wall of Swords, but under the heavens, there was no wine seller who sold at a loss.

Chen Pingan clinked his wine bowl against Pang Yuanji’s, and they each drained their bowls.

Then Chen Pingan fetched another jar of wine and placed it on the table, smiling, “Half price, so two jars of wine, I’ll only charge Brother Yuanji one snowflake coin.”

Pang Yuanji drank the wine in his bowl, the taste was passable, so he endured it.

Pang Yuanji, after drinking one jar of wine, picked up the jar that Chen Pingan was almost about to “help” him unseal, slapped down a snowflake coin, got up and left, saying he would come again next time.

Diezhang wiped her forehead, took the snowflake coin from Chen Pingan’s hand, and her smile was radiant.

Then, after another half an hour or so, just as Diezhang was starting to worry about the shop’s “financial future,” she saw another customer flying through the air and landing gracefully, and couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Chen Pingan.

She noticed that Chen Pingan, after saying “another unexpected one,” actually seemed a little nervous?

The visitor was none other than Wei Jin, the Sword Immortal from the Wind and Snow Temple, who was also from Treasure Bottle Continent.

Wei Jin ordered a pot of the most expensive wine, five snowflake coins for a small pot, with a bamboo leaf inside.

Wei Jin didn’t rush to drink, and asked with a smile, “Is she well?”

Chen Pingan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and couldn’t play dumb, after all, the person was Wei Jin. He could only force a wry smile and said, “She should be doing very well, she’s even become the head of a sect now, but I was almost killed by her in Ghost Domain Valley.”

Wei Jin, are you here to ruin my business?

Regarding He Xiaoliang, the earliest female Taoist of the God Decree Sect and later the head of the Qingliang Sect, Chen Pingan had not concealed anything from Ning Yao, telling her everything from beginning to end.

Fortunately, Ning Yao didn’t show any signs of anger about this, only saying that He Xiaoliang had gone too far, and that she would have a meeting with her if she had the chance in the future.

But Wei Jin just had to bring up the one thing he shouldn’t have today. Chen Pingan still felt a chill down his spine, feeling that the shop was filled with a deadly aura.

Wei Jin drank a bowl of wine, and then asked, “Does she really like you?”

Chen Pingan shook his head and said, “I don’t know.”

Wei Jin nodded, poured another bowl of wine, drank it all in one gulp, and smiled, “The shopkeeper can go ahead and take care of things, no need to attend to the customers.”

In the end, Wei Jin sat there alone, drinking slowly, but not stopping.

Most infatuated men in the world like to drink heart-wrenching wine, but the one who truly cuts off their intestines with a knife is always the beloved who is not at the wine bowl.

Chen Pingan squatted near the doorway, his back to the shop, and even though he was making money, he couldn’t smile, but was instead worried out of his mind.

Because when Wei Jin drank his third bowl of wine, he slapped down a Lesser Heat coin, saying he would come back for drinks in the future.