Chapter 21: A Pragmatic Young Master and a Risky Proposition

Quan Haoqing nodded gravely, stating, “Starting a business? Hmm, that’s certainly an apt description. Indeed, he felt ready, eager to launch his own venture, intending to begin from scratch and seek out business opportunities that could one day rival the Yuelai Winehouse.”

Ye Qingfeng’s voice trailed off, “Did his family provide him with hundreds of millions of spirit stones as startup capital?”

Quan Haoqing shook his head, “Not at all. He left with nothing but the clothes on his back. Apart from retaining his status as the young master, he didn’t even take a single spirit stone. When I first encountered him, he was contemplating pawning the very clothes he wore just to get some seed money. So, I lent him a hand, imparting some basic survival knowledge for rogue cultivators.”

A slight twitch played at Ye Qingfeng’s lips as she inquired, “Do his family members know he’s fallen on such hard times?”

Quan Haoqing chuckled, “They evidently do. To thank me for preventing their young master from disgracing their family name out in the world, they granted me this special privilege, you see.”

Ye Qingfeng, quite impressed, asked, “And what is that young master doing now?”

Quan Haoqing replied with a peculiar expression,

“He’s doing everything a rogue cultivator with sound moral principles should do: accumulating initial capital to forge his own commercial path, and diligently searching for business opportunities that will one day allow him to acquire the Yuelai Winehouse and become his own father’s boss.”

Ye Qingfeng paused, taken aback.

‘Huh, that’s even more pragmatic than I imagined.’

Quan Haoqing said with amusement, “Perhaps it’s because he genuinely wishes to become his father’s boss.”

“What a truly filial son,”

Ye Qingfeng sighed with emotion, then inquired, “So, essentially, we’re having him act as our representative, allowing the Yuelai Winehouse to help us sell our goods?”

Ye Qingfeng harbored a question regarding this.

‘But would such a strong-willed person be willing to rely on his family’s influence to earn money?’

Quan Haoqing replied earnestly, “How can you call it reliance? It’s clearly a partnership—a perfectly normal, legitimate, and mutually beneficial business collaboration. It just so happens that the partners are the Yuelai Winehouse and their former young master. Rest assured, I will clarify everything with Yueyang, that young master.”

Ye Qingfeng’s delicate brows fully relaxed, and her eyes sparkled with brilliant light, as if she were witnessing a rain of spirit stones pouring down.

“Then let’s hurry and find him to discuss the details of this collaboration!”

Quan Haoqing regretfully shook his head, “No, unfortunately, he’s currently occupied with a bounty mission. I’ve arranged to meet him again in half a year.”

“Half a year, you say~”

Ye Qingfeng instantly wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant, but in the very next moment, she rallied her spirits, patting her tender little face as she declared, “I had originally intended for those ‘wealth-scattering boys’ (TL Note: A term referring to people who spend lavishly or are easily parted with their money, often implying a benefactor for the speaker) to enjoy more of the mortal world’s vibrant life, but it seems fate has decreed otherwise. They are destined to aid me in eliminating evil and upholding justice.”

However, Ye Qingfeng failed to notice that Quan Haoqing had been observing her intently.

From her initial eagerness, to her subsequent invigorated spirit, then her dejection, and finally her renewed enthusiasm—Quan Haoqing rarely encountered someone with such a rich emotional spectrum and distinctive personality.

Ye Qingfeng invariably harbored unexpected ideas, undertook unforeseen actions, and accomplished surprising feats.

This presented Quan Haoqing, who always desired events to unfold as he predicted, with a glimpse into a rather different kind of life.

Ye Qingfeng lived with a cautious mindset yet with a bold and passionate fervor; she would experience sadness, sorrow, and anger, but these negative emotions were like the ephemeral night-blooming cereus, vanishing as dawn broke.

He, however, was her opposite. His heart was unrestrained and fervent, navigating the razor’s edge without allowing blood to stain him, yet all of this was mere facade; every glimmer of glory was but a filter applied after success.

No one knew that everything he displayed on the public stage was, behind the scenes, the result of meticulous, exhaustive scheming.

Ye Qingfeng, this flame, was someone he ought not to approach. The woman was beautiful, so beautiful that she stirred his heart.

Yet, this woman was also dangerous. Though there was no direct evidence, various signs suggested a connection between his sworn enemy, Ye Lan, and Ye Qingfeng. After all, Ye Lan’s waist token wouldn’t have appeared in Ye Qingfeng’s secret realm without reason, nor was Ye Qingfeng as unaware of Ye Lan’s existence as she claimed.

What exactly had Ye Lan done within that secret realm?

Quan Haoqing was immensely curious, but should he encounter Ye Lan again, rather than listening to her story, his most probable course of action would be to nip the threat in the bud.

But doing so would likely put him at odds with her, wouldn’t it?

Quan Haoqing subtly glanced at Ye Qingfeng.

‘Was it truly worth it?’

‘Then again, is it perhaps too soon for me to be pondering such questions?’

‘My very life isn’t even my own yet.’

****

A day later, within the black market of Xingqing City.

As a gathering place spontaneously organized by rogue cultivators, it could only be described as a lawless land.

Without any authoritative sect or family exercising control, chaos was the norm here, and swindling and deceit were simply par for the course.

So-called justice here depended entirely on whether one possessed the strength to enforce it for themselves.

There was also a small inn here, though naturally, it couldn’t compare to the Yuelai Winehouse.

The white welcoming canvas was tattered beyond repair, with a few overly conspicuous dark red patches clashing jarringly with the overall color scheme.

The inn’s main structure was a dark grey, the undeniable marks of time etched across its facade, occasionally adorned with splashes of vivid red that were most certainly not the work of a designer.

Of the several wooden pillars supporting the building, only one still fully performed its duty; the others were either hunched over like old men in their twilight years or hung like mere decorations, severed at the base.

Traces of swords, spears, axes, and halberds marred the surrounding tables and benches, which, despite deserving a restful retirement, were compelled to continue their service due to their owner’s stinginess.

While its decor was a stark contrast, a difference of heaven and earth, when compared to the Yuelai Winehouse, the level of boisterous activity inside rivaled a bustling marketplace.

There were those engaged in drinking contests, gambling with spirit stones, arguing, and even brawling.

Only a minority sat quietly, diligently consuming their wine, meat, and rice.

The proprietor, too, turned a blind eye to the chaotic scene, his indifferent gaze fixed on the distance, as if everything nearby were mere refuse.

At this moment, a scar-faced youth, clad in rough linen and tattered cloth, entered. He did not immediately seek a seat but stood conspicuously by the entrance.

His expression bore traces of hesitation and melancholy as his eyes darted around. When the group quietly eating and drinking came into his view, the youth’s eyes brightened. He swiftly approached them and, completely disregarding their hostile stares, sat down directly.

This person was, in fact, Quan Haoqing.

Due to Ye Qingfeng’s slight oversight in intelligence gathering, Quan Haoqing had spent two full days just to identify which group was targeting her. Then, to locate this very group, he spent another two days gathering information. Upon learning they would appear in the black market today, he came straight over.

“Kid, this seat isn’t just for anyone. It’s reserved exclusively for the one who’s paying.”

A lean fellow beside him slung an arm around the youth’s neck, words reeking of alcohol tumbling from his mouth, and a small knife had, unnoticed, appeared in his palm.

“But seeing how distinguished you look, you must be quite wealthy. Innkeeper, bring out three jars of your most expensive wine. Don’t shortchange my brothers; we have a noble guest treating us to drinks.”

Facing the lean fellow’s shouts, the proprietor remained unmoved. He merely cast a cold glance at their table before stating, “Pay first, then I’ll serve. That’s the rule here.”

“Alright, brother, hand over the money then. Otherwise, I’ll lose a lot of face here. People might think I can’t afford this wine.”

The cold blade pressed against the youth’s face, moving back and forth.

The slightest slip, and the sharp edge would undoubtedly add more scars to the youth’s face.

The youth, or rather, Quan Haoqing, gritted his teeth as he eyed the lean fellow, then shifted his gaze to the burly man who had been silently drinking since his arrival. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and declared, “Drinking is certainly an option, but my wine is reserved only for heroes who accomplish great deeds, not for incompetent rats.”

The atmosphere instantly solidified, and the burly man and the lean fellow’s eyes narrowed.

The burly man sneered, “Oh, it seems you haven’t come to make friends. Your skin must be itching for a beating, looking for trouble.”

The other patrons, meanwhile, distanced themselves from the group, watching the unfolding drama from afar.

Quan Haoqing looked at them with surprise, asking in confusion, “I don’t quite understand what you mean. I merely stated that I only treat heroes to drinks. Could it be that you gentlemen believe yourselves incapable of achieving great things?”

The burly man asked coldly, “Then what, in your opinion, constitutes achieving great things?”

Quan Haoqing offered a slight smile, then shifted the topic, saying, “I have a big deal in mind. I wonder if any of you would be interested?”

The burly man remained silent, yet he ceased his drinking. The lean fellow, however, spoke up again, “A big deal? Oh, now you’ve got us brothers intrigued. What kind of big deal?”

“This many spirit stones.”

Quan Haoqing seized the lean fellow’s hand, pulling it under the table. After subtly making a gesture, the lean fellow’s face changed drastically, then he erupted in fury, “Damn it! No money, yet you dare to mess with me? Boss, I think it’s been too long since we’ve taken action. Someone’s itching for trouble, and no one’s around to cure it.”

“Take him out.”

The burly man slammed his wine cup onto the table with a fierce crash, immediately leading his two tables of subordinates away. The lean fellow, meanwhile, clamped his arm around Quan Haoqing’s neck and steered him towards the exit.

Quan Haoqing cooperated throughout, offering not a single shred of resistance.

Just as they were about to exit, the innkeeper’s indifferent voice drifted over.

“Leave the money for the wine and food.”