A Soft Advertisement for the Five Continents

Today is the fourth day since Bihua Pavilion opened.

The winter sky is like a refreshing ink painting.

Ye Qingchen was awakened from his meditation by the noise of his junior sisters. He felt strange. Just last night, these pampered women were still deeply immersed in the failure of the Bihua Pavilion, so how come they were cured today?

Amidst the commotion, the laughter of his eighth junior sister, Lin Si Han, was particularly jarring. This gentle and sorrowful woman had been heartbroken the most last night, so how could she be laughing so carefree today?

Something's strange.

Ye Qingchen straightened his clothes and slowly flew towards the Cui Lan Palace.

To his surprise, these female students who were supposed to give up weaving were actually working at the spinning machines early in the morning.

Moreover, the gloomy atmosphere was transformed into one of joy and harmony.

"Si Han, isn't Bihua Pavilion supposed to be closing down? Why are you still busy here?"

"Second Senior Brother?" Lin Si Han turned around, her eyes shining brightly, a stark contrast to her demeanor last night. "Who told you we were closing down? We won't give up so easily."

"Continue? But yesterday I went to see my master, wanting to discuss cooperation with the Ye Family, and she sternly refused me. How come she changed her mind overnight?"

"Of course, even Master wouldn't want to close the door." Lin Si Han turned her head away, as if she was too lazy to continue talking to Ye Qingchen.

"But isn't it a waste of time and money to keep open without any business?"

These days, his master and junior sisters are all staying at the Bihua Pavilion, and he can only keep company with that brute Shi Yan on the vast Bihua Peak. He is really not used to it.

Lin Si Han didn't like what she heard. She frowned and turned back to argue:

"Senior brother, Bihua Pavilion isn't renting someone else's land, so what money are we wasting? As for time, we're all enjoying it, how can that be considered a waste? And how do you know there won't be any business in the long run?"

After saying that, the girl turned her head away again and continued to manipulate the silk threads in her hands.

Ye Qingchen's expression hardened slightly. He was about to reprimand Lin Si Han for being disrespectful to him, but then he remembered that she might tell his master, so he gave up the idea.

Just then, the Third Senior Sister, whose demeanor possessed Third Elder's charm, stood up. In the absence of the Eldest Senior Sister, she was the highest-ranking female disciple.

"Master has given the order: everyone assemble at the Bihua Pavilion. You Su's findings have been retrieved!"

"Really!" The women immediately stood up, their eyes filled with excitement.

Ye Qingchen was taken aback when he heard the name. You Su's achievements?

How did You Su get involved with the Bihua Pavilion?

By the time he came to his senses, the beauties had already gracefully walked out the door.

After a moment's thought, Ye Qingchen decided to follow and find out what was going on. Even if it meant risking punishment from his master again, he had to find out the truth.

Cui Lan Palace is located halfway up Bihua Peak, while Bihua Pavilion is situated not far from the top of the mountain for the convenience of customers.

Ye Qingchen followed cautiously behind the female disciples. He was the only cultivator in the Feather Transformation Realm among these True Disciples. It would be easy for him to conceal his aura and not be discovered, but in the eyes of the Third Elder, Void Glimpse Realm, he had nowhere to hide.

So when he arrived outside the Bihua Pavilion, he only dared to observe the commotion from a distance.

Outside the Bihua Pavilion, the stunningly beautiful Third Elder stood gracefully at the entrance, flanked by the snake-woman and Wangshu Fairy. Beside these three beauties stood an extremely conspicuous young man in black, none other than You Su.

Ye Qingchen gritted his teeth in hatred, but then he saw his junior sisters swarm around You Su as soon as they saw her, and laughter could be heard from time to time.

Ye Qingchen's eyes bulged with veins. Wasn't Bihua Pavilion supposed to be off-limits to men? How come You Su could go, but I couldn't?!

Even though You Su is an outsider, how come he seems more like a True Disciple of Bihua Peak than I am?

Thinking of this, a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he went straight forward to ask what was going on.

But before he had taken more than a few steps, he felt a binding sensation at his feet; it turned out that the roadside weeds had tied his feet up.

Ye Qingchen frowned; he knew this was his master warning him.

"Qingchen, stop going forward."

A familiar, alluring voice drifted into his ears.

The Third Elder was in a good mood today, and there was no hint of criticism in his words; he simply offered a gentle reminder.

This gave Ye Qingchen some confidence, and he chose to get to the bottom of it:

"Master, why can You Su enter, but I can't? Isn't You Su a man?"

The Third Elder turned her head slightly, looking in the direction where Ye Qingchen was hiding, her brows furrowing slightly.

"The rule that men are not allowed in the Bihua Pavilion has been lifted, so you can still enter, but not now. You Su is a partner in the Bihua Pavilion and is here to discuss important matters. After the discussion, no one will stop you from visiting."

"He's a partner?! Master, I can join too! My Ye Family has a strong foundation in Henggao City, aren't we more worthy of your cooperation than him?"

Ye Qingchen was truly puzzled. Could it be that his master changed his mind overnight because of this blind man?

Suddenly, several evergreen branches in the middle of Ye Qingchen's field of vision began to grow on their own, forming a barrier that blocked Ye Qingchen's view of the Bihua Pavilion.

"Qingchen, I appreciate your kindness. But your Ye Family can't help me, and I don't want to owe them any more Ye Family. If you don't understand, go back and think about it slowly."

After speaking, Ye Qingchen looked at the thin branch separating him from his master with a deathly pale face.

He turned back dejectedly and silently climbed the mountain, his temples taut from clenching his teeth.

He understood perfectly what his master meant by those words. From beginning to end, Bihua Venerable had never intended to take him as a disciple. If it weren't for the kindness the Ye Family had shown her, he would never have had the chance to become Bihua Venerable's disciple.

'So you don't want to owe the Ye Family any more favors... But if it weren't for the Ye Family, where would you, Bihua Venerable, be?!'

The "Men Not Allowed" sign not far from the entrance of the Bihua Pavilion was indeed removed.

This was, of course, You Su's idea. Abandoning the vast male cultivator market would be an unwise move, but he did not completely abandon the Third Elder's demands.

Although Bihua Pavilion currently targets female cultivators from the middle and lower classes, it doesn't mean it won't produce high-end products in the future. In fact, based on the fragments of memory in You Su's mind, there are many more novel gadgets than before.

After discussions with the Third Elder, the sales model of the Bihua Pavilion has been basically determined: low- and mid-range products will be aimed at the general public, while high-end products will be offered only to female cultivators for personalized customization.

Therefore, the women specially cleared out the third floor of the Bihua Pavilion to serve as a reception room exclusively for high-end female customers. However, in this place where men were truly forbidden, You Su was sitting in the middle.

To be precise, he was sitting in the middle of the long table with the Third Elder, surrounded by eight female disciples of Bihua Peak. You Su and the Third Elder were clearly the leaders of this group. Ji Lingruo and Wangshu, on the other hand, stood like gatekeepers on either side of You Su, subtly blocking these 'bad women' from view.

You Su felt that her nostrils were filled with a refreshing fragrance, as if she could see a sea of colorful flowers, all blooming and vying for beauty.

You Su couldn't help but marvel, "Are all the women of Bihua Peak raised on flower nectar? How come they all smell so good?"

"Do any of you senior sisters have made stockings with the exclusive pattern of the Bihua Pavilion?"

"Yes, yes! After we were notified last night, we rushed to make twenty-four pairs!"

Lin Si Han quickly took out the results of her and her sisters' work from the previous night, intending to hand them to You Su herself. However, she found that You Su's junior and senior sisters were all staring at her. Feeling discouraged, she obediently placed the stockings on the table.

You Su picked it up herself, spread it out in her hand, and savored it; the quality was as good as ever.

He only just realized that the stockings he tore during his dual cultivation with his junior sister were all produced by Bihua Peak, so unintentionally he could be said to be the man in the world who knows Bihua Pavilion stockings the most.

"Thank you all for your hard work, senior sisters. You are all new to textiles, yet you possess such skills. It is truly admirable."

You Su's sincere praise made the female disciples beam with delight. Ultimately, there's a difference between praise from the same sex and praise from the opposite sex.

Ji Lingruo glanced at You Su, but refrained from making a scene due to the large number of people around. She simply quietly recorded the bill.

"My disciple is not only intelligent but also hardworking, so this result is to be expected." The Third Elder also showed a proud expression.

"But when I touched it, wasn't the logo of the Bihua Pavilion a peony? Why doesn't it feel like that to me?"

"Peony? Junior Brother You must be mistaken, it should be chrysanthemum."

Although Yu Tong is younger than You Su, she can still call You Su Brother because she started learning the trade earlier.

"Chrysanthemum?"

You Su was clearly taken aback; he had clearly spoken to the Third Elder about peonies last night.

The Third Elder raised her eyebrows, as if she knew You Su's doubts, and said calmly:

"Everyone loves peonies, but I alone love the lotus, which rises from the mud unsullied. With your words, who will still love peonies? Of course, we can't use Peony Flower anymore."

You Su's eyes lit up with realization. "Then why chrysanthemums?"

He remembered that in the Third Elder's back garden, the Third Elder asked him what his favorite flower was, and his answer was chrysanthemum. But there weren't even any chrysanthemums planted in that garden, indicating that the Third Elder didn't like chrysanthemums, so why would he use them as a symbol?

"Chrysanthemums are easy to embroider, and they are more approachable than peonies, which aligns better with the philosophy of our Bihua Pavilion. What's wrong with that? Do you have any objections?"

The Third Elder sat upright, taking a sip of fragrant tea. Today, they were to discuss serious matters, and unusually, she did not substitute wine for tea.

You Su naturally dared not object, "No, no, the chrysanthemums are quite nice, better than the peonies."

Despite saying this, You Su couldn't help but have a nagging feeling that the Third Elder had changed the pattern to chrysanthemums for his sake...

The Third Elder glanced at You Su casually, and seeing that You Su didn't ask any further questions, her straight back relaxed a little, as if she had let her guard down.

"Now that the design has been decided, tell us about the results of your night's preparation."

You Su had the same idea, and said with a smile:

"I don't know if the female cultivator wearing Bihua Pavilion stockings was kicked out of the banquet by someone from the Qianhua Pavilion. If so, then I can only say that Qianhua Pavilion dug its own grave."

The women didn't understand what he meant, but listening to You Su's words made them feel inexplicably at ease, as if victory was already in their grasp.

You Su also picked up his teacup and took a sip with an air of confidence:

"Junior sister, let's take it out and show it to everyone."

Ji Lingruo took out a roll of paper from her sleeve and spread it on the table. She glanced at the words on the paper and looked away as if she couldn't bear to look anymore.

The women were very curious and quickly gathered around, only to find that the paper was covered with dense writing—a short story.

The Third Elder was naturally embarrassed to join in, but with her cultivation level, she no longer needed to see it with her own eyes. However, seeing her beloved female disciples surrounding You Su, she felt a little uncomfortable. But then she thought that You Su was, after all, the savior who brought hope at this moment, so she could only acquiesce.

While observing You Su would do anything improper, she began to read the story on the paper.

The protagonist of the story is the daughter of a poor family in a remote mountain town.

This family were all farmers, and they had a son and a daughter. Although they were poor, they were happy.

My daughter was once chosen by a passing spirit who wanted to take her to Henggao City for a study tour.

The whole family was overjoyed, feeling that their daughter had made something of herself. However, ordinary immortal sects are not as wealthy and powerful as the Xuanxiao Sect, and most sects would not teach their disciples for free.

This impoverished family did everything in their power to support their daughter's spiritual practice in Henggao City.

With this money, her daughter did live quite well in Henggao City, at least much better than those disciples who had to work part-time or go out to do missions. But in the end, it still couldn't let her integrate into the circles she longed for.

Later, my daughter's sect held a joint banquet with other sects next month. My daughter really wanted to attend, but she heard that people who dressed inappropriately would be kicked out.

The daughter looked at her plain dress, then gazed at her female classmates whom she admired from afar.

They are fashion darlings, always wearing the most stylish clothes. Recently, a type of stocking called "silk stockings" has become popular among them. After seeing it once, my daughter was captivated by its beauty.

At that moment, her desire for a pair of stockings reached its peak.

But these stockings are rare items, sold only at the Bai Niao Pavilion in Henggao City. In the mortal world, they cost at least twenty taels of silver per pair.

This was far beyond what she could afford with her meager savings, so she had no choice but to write home and send it to her parents.

She told her parents that she had no friends in the sect and that she needed money to buy a pair of socks, as it was the key to her integration into the sect, and she had to get it.

The mother quickly sent a letter back, along with several hundred copper coins.

"Mom earned three hundred coins these past few days by digging for wild vegetables in the mountains. Take it and use it first. If you need more, just tell Mom."

Three hundred coins were still far from twenty taels of silver. Once she started, she kept asking her family for more, just so she could buy a pair of the Bai Niao Pavilion silk stockings before the banquet next month.

Letters from my mother kept arriving, along with varying amounts of copper coins:

"This is what Mom earned washing dishes at the restaurant."

"This is what Mom earned carrying manure for wealthy families."

"Mom found some old gold jewelry she had kept; it came from selling gold jewelry."

"Sister, we're rich now! You can buy the socks you want! Mom's sick, and this money came from selling our house. We're currently renting at Aunt Liu's house, so if you come back to visit us, don't go to the wrong place. But you shouldn't come back. You need to focus on your cultivation over there and take good care of yourself. Your sister is an immortal, the most powerful!"

Upon seeing the letter, the daughter seemed to awaken from a dream, and burst into tears.

She then realized that her father was not mentioned in any of the letters.

Trembling, she wrote a letter to inquire, but the reply was like a bolt from the blue: her father had died long ago while she was away studying, but had kept it from her so as not to affect her studies...

The story ends abruptly here, and all the beauties have tears in their eyes.

The originally lively atmosphere turned into birdsong and mournful flowers.

"This Bai Niao Pavilion is clearly the Qianhua Pavilion! Honestly, why are they selling stockings at such high prices?!"

"I can suffer myself, but I can't bear to see my parents suffer. This daughter is awful!"

"Waaaaah, so pitiful! Please stop torturing your family. I'll give you money to buy stockings, okay...?"

The youngest, Yu Tong, was already in tears.

All the women were sighing sadly, or perhaps they were hating their daughter's utter foolishness, but You Su burst out laughing out of nowhere.

The Third Elder's face darkened. She was not born into a prestigious immortal family; before cultivating immortality, she was merely a lowly medicine boy. Compared to her own disciples, she was more empathetic to the suffering of mortals.

She slammed her hand on the table and angrily said:

"You Su! How can you still laugh?!"

You Su quickly suppressed his smile and said awkwardly:

"Third Elder, please don't be offended. It's just that You Su saw how moving and sincere the story was, and knew that this plan would definitely work, so she laughed out loud. Senior Sister Yu Tong, don't cry, the story isn't over yet."

As he spoke, You Su took out a packet of glutinous rice candy from his Universe Bag and handed it over.

Seeing this, the little girl held back her tears, took the candy, and said reproachfully:

"I asked you to find a way to improve the reputation of our Bihua Pavilion, what are you doing telling stories!"

You Su suddenly felt a chill coming from his right side. He understood immediately and took out another piece and gave it to his senior sister, whose blue eyes were fluttering. Only then did the chill dissipate.

Ji Lingruo saw this and made a mental note of it.

"Senior Sister Yu Tong, you may not know this, but the key to turning around public opinion lies in this story. It can move you deeply, and it will surely resonate with others as well."

This is not an exaggeration. Who in this world can say they have never wronged their parents?

"But what's the use of this story?" Yu Tong asked doubtfully, chewing on her candy.

She was still inexperienced and had not yet realized the power of this story, but the Third Elder was already slightly moved, and his eyes shone with admiration as he looked at You Su.

She had a vague idea of how the story would go. If this story were really well-written, it would have a much more profound impact than any kind of promotional material like portraits.

She never imagined that this blind man's ability to manipulate people was so terrifying.

"Actually, I got the inspiration for this story from the woman who was kicked out of the banquet. It basically contains all the elements of this business battle. As long as this story resonates with people, not only will our reputation be reversed, but even Qianhua Pavilion's consistently good reputation will be damaged. That's why I said they're digging their own grave."

You Su smiled confidently and tapped the table with her index finger.

"Senior sister, please retrieve the second half of the text."

Wangshu obediently followed the order and immediately unfolded the other roll of paper, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

It wasn't that I intentionally cut off the chapter; I just had limited time after get off work and could only write this much, sob sob. If I could, I'd like to finish it all in one go. Sorry, sorry. I'll definitely finish this story of the Stocking Empire tomorrow!