Chapter 20: The Young Master’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

Quan Haoqing earnestly inquired, “Do you wish to earn more spirit stones?”

Ye Qingfeng nodded obediently, replying, “I do.”

Quan Haoqing pointed to himself, posing another question: “Do you find me trustworthy?”

“Uh.”

Ye Qingfeng, seemingly out of the blue, asked, “Who do you think I am?”

Quan Haoqing openly and boldly scrutinized Ye Qingfeng from head to toe, causing her delicate face to flush crimson. Only then, with a satisfied air, did he reply, “A lovely young lady.”

Ye Qingfeng, her expression blank, fixed him with a deadpan stare. “I suddenly feel you might not be so trustworthy after all,” she declared.

A look of helpless indulgence crossed Quan Haoqing’s face. “Just kidding,” he said. “Who else could you be but Ye Qingfeng, my accomplice with whom I once split the spoils?”

He had likely grown accustomed to Ye Qingfeng’s eccentric thought process by now; it was best to simply answer her questions without overthinking, lest his own intelligence be dragged down to the same level.

Feeling treated like a pampered pet, Ye Qingfeng was quite displeased, yet such matters held little importance at the moment.

She posed another novel question: “Do you think I resemble anyone?”

Quan Haoqing, much like an old father patiently playing with his child, replied earnestly, “I think you resemble yourself.”

Ye Qingfeng’s cheeks puffed out, making her face resemble two small buns, and the clear, spring-like light in her eyes was tinged with vexation.

“Didn’t you just answer nothing at all?”

Quan Haoqing finally showed a change in expression, asking with a wry, amused look, “Perhaps you should review what you’ve been asking? Have you recently become engrossed in Zen cultivation, or achieved enlightenment?”

“Neither,”

Ye Qingfeng, having denied Quan Haoqing’s suggestions, contemplated deeply before stating, “At least for now, you remain trustworthy.”

Quan Haoqing sighed with emotion. “It’s truly wonderful to earn your trust now. I’ll find the sales channels, you’ll be responsible for providing the goods, and afterward, we’ll split the profits three ways: you and the seller each get 40%, and I’ll take just 20%. How does that sound?”

Ye Qingfeng eyed Quan Haoqing with a hint of suspicion. “That good?”

Quan Haoqing offered a faint smile. “Indeed. After all, I’m merely an introducer. Once you become acquainted with him, you’ll discover he’s a highly dependable individual, at which point I’ll have fulfilled all my duties. Even then, securing a 20% share is an incredible windfall. Though I am greedy, my avarice doesn’t extend to being shameless.”

Ye Qingfeng exclaimed from the heart, “You truly are a good person.”

Quan Haoqing shook his head. “A good person? Not really. I’m merely a contemptible fellow who waits for the flowers to bloom and bear fruit, only to enjoy the harvest. Let’s steer the conversation back to your business, shall we? What do you think?”

Ye Qingfeng was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears; finally, someone was offering a sales channel.

“Wonderful! Where is this sales channel you speak of?”

A confident smile subtly curved Quan Haoqing’s lips, an invisible aura of conviction emanating from him. Coupled with his handsome features, if any naive young ladies were to behold him, they would likely be utterly captivated on the spot.

“Far away in the sky, yet close at hand. Is there anywhere more suitable than the Yue Lai Inn, a place specifically for cultivators to rest, socialize, and enjoy themselves?”

“The Yue Lai Inn certainly wouldn’t lack sales, but… I fear their appetite might be too vast, consuming not just my products, but me as well.”

It wasn’t that Ye Qingfeng hadn’t considered seeking shade under a mighty tree; in gratitude for its protection, she wouldn’t mind fertilizing it, but she absolutely refused to become the tree’s sustenance.

If the Yue Lai Inn were to handle sales, the selling price would undoubtedly increase. Not to mention three tenths, even if they only gave her one tenth, she would likely earn more than she did now.

However, the current Ye Qingfeng suffered from a persecution complex.

Her current strength was far too meager; even a branch of the Yue Lai Inn possessed enough power to crush her effortlessly.

Consequently, collaborating with the Yue Lai Inn would easily lead to her being manipulated and transformed into their cash cow.

Were it not for the Sky Philosophy Sect, becoming an subordinate of the Yue Lai Inn and relying on such a powerful entity would actually be a decent option for a rogue cultivator.

Yet, Ye Qingfeng still harbored the aspiration of returning to the Sky Philosophy Sect.

As one of the eight Daoist sects, once the leader of the Daoist path, and a sect that had produced Immortals, the Sky Philosophy Sect was, without a doubt, the sacred ground in the hearts of all cultivators.

Although currently slandered, once its grievances were cleared in the future, she would have the opportunity to return to the sect. At that time, leveraging the Sky Philosophy Sect’s profound heritage, she might well be able to resolve her physical issues.

As for the Yue Lai Inn, while widely renowned in the cultivation world, its heritage and true strength still couldn’t compare to those sects that had once produced Immortals.

Temporarily joining another sect was merely a last resort; seeking refuge and pledging allegiance to a sect was an extremely serious matter in the eyes of righteous major sects within the cultivation world.

This signified that the accepted disciple would, from then on, share both glory and humiliation with their sect.

Unless absolutely unavoidable, abandoning one’s sect was strictly forbidden; to do so would be to incur universal condemnation. Stained with such a black mark, one could forget about ever entering any righteous sect again.

Even if Ye Qingfeng had a legitimate reason, once she had joined the Yue Lai Inn, the Sky Philosophy Sect would not pursue her for presumptuously joining another faction. However, they also wouldn’t orchestrate her departure from the Yue Lai Inn to rejoin their ranks. The most probable outcome would be to offer Ye Qingfeng some compensation and allow her to remain with the Yue Lai Inn.

After all, both the Sky Philosophy Sect and the Yue Lai Inn valued their reputation.

Quan Haoqing wasn’t surprised by Ye Qingfeng’s reaction; he had always sensed her extraordinary background, and it would have been truly unexpected if she had chosen to become a disciple of the Yue Lai Inn.

While exchanges of disciples weren’t unheard of, such arrangements typically occurred between sects of comparable standing. For Ye Qingfeng, suspected of being a high-ranking disciple of the Sky Philosophy Sect, any new allegiance would logically be to one of the other seven Daoist sects.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “The negotiations with the Yue Lai Inn won’t be handled by us, but by someone who is… a fellow traveler on your path.”

Ye Qingfeng’s guard immediately went up. “A fellow traveler? Does he also sell whitening products? Your skin, however, looks much the same as the last time I saw you. Why don’t you try my product first? It’s really not expensive, you only need to…”

“No need,” he interjected. “I think at this point, you should generously gift me a bottle; that would be a more astute display of social etiquette.”

Quan Haoqing, his brow furrowed in exasperation, watched Ye Qingfeng, who seized every opportunity to promote her wares to him.

‘This girl must have been terrified by poverty!’

“He doesn’t sell such things. Rather, he is the young master of the Yue Lai Inn.”

“Young master? The young master!”

Ye Qingfeng’s eyes, sparkling like gemstones, widened in a charmingly naive expression, her cherry-red lips parting slightly.

“The ‘young master’ you speak of… that’s the kind I’m thinking of, right?”

‘Heaven knows what convoluted path your mind takes,’

Quan Haoqing muttered silently in his heart, then explained, “If you’re referring to the common understanding of the term, then yes.”

Ye Qingfeng inquired with uncertainty, “The young master of a branch?”

“…Is ‘young master of a branch’ a concept within your common understanding?”

Quan Haoqing shrugged. “He is *the* young master of the Yue Lai Inn, the very one who would ordinarily be second only to one person and above ten thousand in the entire establishment.”

“Incidentally, my ability to casually select a third-floor guest room in this Yue Lai Inn, without a second thought, stems from a privilege that grants me free room and board here—a privilege largely connected to him.”

“In fact, if I were to go straight to the top floor, this privilege should still apply. However, it’s generally best not to push one’s luck.”

Ye Qingfeng’s gaze upon Quan Haoqing shifted entirely. After scrutinizing him from head to toe, she asked, “Could it be that Fellow Daoist Quan is actually a personal disciple, or perhaps even the son, of an Elder or Sect Master from a renowned major sect, merely venturing out to experience the life of a rogue cultivator?”

‘My goodness, this fellow has been hiding his true identity so well?’

Ye Qingfeng’s reasoning was straightforward: anyone capable of befriending the son of a billionaire would naturally be of a similar caliber.

‘So, all those times I chased him and beat him before—was that all just an act? Was he setting the stage for a grand performance, playing the pig to eat the tiger, preparing for a dramatic counterattack?’

‘How fortunate, how truly fortunate! Luckily, during our previous clashes, I hadn’t pushed him too hard, denying him any opportunity to save face or flaunt his power.’

Quan Haoqing, on his part, gazed at Ye Qingfeng speechlessly.

‘I believe that’s a question I should be asking you.’

“No, that’s not it. While it might sound incredible, there’s a perfectly rational explanation for it.”

Ye Qingfeng’s rosy, delicate ears twitched instantly.

“I’m all ears.”

Quan Haoqing stated calmly, “It’s quite simple: he wishes to escape the shadow of his father’s influence and establish his own enterprise.”

Ye Qingfeng was momentarily dumbfounded. “Are you saying… he wants to start his own business?!”