The Way Is Not Lonely

The Archimedes Venerable strolled leisurely down the bustling street.

The sun is shining brightly today, and the Archimedes Venerable is in a good mood.

Although it is still cold in the Northern Ao Continent, this is actually the warmest time of year in the Northern Ao Continent.

In July, when other continents are already sweltering in the heat of summer, cultivators skilled in ice-attribute Technique Method become highly sought-after by cities.

While people in other continents were praying for a bowl of refreshing jelly to relieve the sweltering heat, the people of the Northern Ao Continent were still roasting sweet potatoes that they had preserved for half a year since winter.

The Archimedes Venerable smiled and accepted a roasted sweet potato. He gently blew away the charcoal ash from the skin, and then carefully peeled it as if it were a precious work of art. The flesh was golden and soft, and it looked very tempting. The sweet aroma wafted to his nose.

However, the Archimedes Venerable did not rush to enjoy it himself, but instead broke off a large piece and handed it to his collar.

A fluffy white thing immediately popped out from his clothes; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a quirky white cat. The white cat approached, nudged its delicate nose, and then quickly withdrew, clearly showing little interest in the roasted sweet potato.

"You've become quite picky, haven't you?" the Archimedes Venerable said with a smirk.

"I'm not one to be trifled with," Little Bai Ze replied confidently.

Following beside a Void Glimpse Venerable, Bai Ze could speak as it pleased. Since only the Flower Daoist in front of it could hear its voice, it didn't need to worry about others discovering that there was a spirit here who could speak human language.

Upon hearing Archimedes Venerable shook his head with a wry smile, "Your master has been too good to you, so you've never suffered. When I was a child, being able to eat a roasted sweet potato was considered extremely lucky."

After speaking, the Archimedes Venerable seemed slightly melancholy, wondering if all older people start reminiscing about past hardships and then use their own suffering to educate pampered children...

Bai Ze was too lazy to correct the claim that You Su was its master.

Looking back, although following You Su meant constantly hiding and being infuriated by his words, the boy had never mistreated it. For every deer leg he had, it would receive one in return.

"Then why didn't he come back with us?"

Bai Ze asked with some concern. Although it was reluctant to admit it, it was actually a little scared, afraid that the boy would abandon it and follow this Flower Daoist who didn't seem like a good person.

"The payment made earlier was a deposit, and this is the final payment..." the Archimedes Venerable said meaningfully.

With You Su's encouragement, Qianhua Venerable quickly changed his mind and adopted Archimedes Venerable's suggestion, even generously promising to distribute the defective products of the Qianhua Pavilion to the refugees outside the city for free.

The speed at which Qianhua Venerable changed his tune led Archimedes Venerable to believe the bizarre stories of wealthy men losing their fortunes due to the whispers of their concubines.

After reaching a pleasant cooperation agreement, Qianhua Venerable asked Da Bang for help and asked him to keep You Su there. Archimedes Venerable had no choice but to leave, leaving only a promise to come and pick up You Su the next day.

"What nonsense! Did he spend a lot of money?"

Bai Ze, being new to the world and having never experienced a life of luxury, had not yet developed a lavish personality. After spending many days with You Su, he had already come to regard You Su's money as his own.

"Yes."

"But where would he get so much money?"

You Su rarely fulfills Bai Ze's wishes, so Bai Ze thinks You Su is quite stingy, probably because he's poor. It is also very understanding and has never touched on You Su's weakness.

The Archimedes Venerable laughed, "If you don't have money, you can use something else to pay off the debt."

"What will we use to pay for it?"

"Body."

"He... he wants that woman to eat him?"

The Archimedes Venerable was taken aback for a moment, then gave a guilty smile, "More or less."

"Then shouldn't we hurry back to save him?!" Bai Ze seemed genuinely anxious, pacing anxiously around the Flower Daoist's collar.

"These were all deals he made voluntarily. Saving him would be betraying his kindness, so how could we save him?"

The Archimedes Venerable gently rubbed Bai Ze's head, as if to soothe him, but his hand had just been peeling sweet potatoes, and the grayish-black charcoal ash had painted Bai Ze's head into the shape of a tiger cub. Seeing this, the Archimedes Venerable quickly and apologetically withdrew his hand, pretending nothing had happened.

"Don't worry, he will return safely. That Qianhua Venerable is incredibly shrewd. Even if she wants to take advantage of Da Bang, she will wait until another time. After all, I am a celestial official from the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain. If she wants to do business in the Northern Ao Continent, she will definitely give me some face."

"Wouldn't they have been eaten up completely, leaving almost nothing?" Bai Ze thought anxiously.

"What exactly is his motive...?"

If it were the Archimedes Venerable from before today, he might have thought that You Su was simply repaying a favor. As for using great merit to offset the ominous prediction about the sacred mountain, he guessed the boy wouldn't have believed it at all.

But today's Archimedes Venerable has changed his mind.

"Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the roads, the frozen dead lie scattered..."

The Archimedes Venerable leisurely recited the poem that the young man had used to admonish Qianhua Venerable. His gaze encompassed the streets and alleys of Fei City, bustling with people, but even in the corners of this prosperous Fei City, there were those who groveled for mercy, and those terminally ill...

The immortals on the sacred mountain can see for miles, yet they cannot see the suffering of the living. The Northern Ao Continent appears to be thriving, but the method used is to abandon the weak and vulnerable outside the warm towns, leaving them to fend for themselves in the wind and snow.

Does this mean that if all the poor people die, only the rich will remain in the Northern Ao Continent?

The harsh realities of life were vividly expressed in a single line of poetry by that young man.

Yet this young man was willing to sacrifice himself for righteousness, in order to create more opportunities for those who had been abandoned to live...

"Hey, Daoist priest, I have a question for you!"

Seeing that the Archimedes Venerable had suddenly fallen into a daze, Bai Ze angrily scratched his neck with his claws.

The Archimedes Venerable snapped out of his reverie and smiled at the bright sun.

Residents passing by were surprised by the man's strange attire and dared not approach him, but they had to admit that the middle-aged man had a unique charm when he smiled.

He did it to make the world a better place.

The Archimedes Venerable spoke with certainty.

Although he had no idea that You Su was outwardly pleading with Qianhua Venerable to bring blessings to the people so that he could be remembered for eternity, he was actually secretly manipulating some new gadgets developed by the Qianhua Pavilion in order to force the noble Fairy to comply.

Although he didn't know that You Su's reason for agreeing to take the detour to see Qianhua Venerable was actually just to see his own family, gather more information, and vent his frustrations...

"I am not alone on this path!"

The Archimedes Venerable suddenly looked up to the sky and roared, feeling exhilarated.

People on the street looked at him as if he were an alien, and avoided him.

The usually timid Little Bai Ze, surprisingly, didn't hide in its collar under the many strange gazes. For some reason, after hearing You Su's purpose for 'selling himself,' it also felt a sense of pride.

"Hey, Daoist priest."

"What are your orders, Lord Bai Ze?" Archimedes Venerable, deliberately teasing it.

"Bring me that sweet potato," Bai Ze snorted, ordering without any politeness.

"Didn't you say you weren't a vegetarian?"

"It's fine to eat it occasionally."

"Alright, alright! Even though I've eaten so many delicacies, I still crave a warm sweet potato. How about that?"

"Mmm! It's delicious!"

On the long street of Fei City, a strangely dressed Daoist priest kept breaking open sweet potatoes, his loud laughter echoing in the air.

In the warm and inviting private room of the Qianhua Pavilion, soft moans filled the air.

However, you can't hear the noise outside from inside, and you can't hear the birds chirping inside from outside.

"If you want me to agree to him, just let me accept it readily... Why do you have to make me pretend to refuse?"

Qianhua Venerable bit his lower lip, staring at the string of crystal beads that had been pulled out of nowhere from the coffee table, feeling utterly ashamed and indignant.

"If you agree too quickly, he'll become suspicious."

You Su played with the crystal necklace, secretly marveling at the Qianhua Pavilion's impeccable taste; everything they made was so beautiful.

"Ha! Hypocrite!" Qianhua Venerable seemed to laugh in anger. "Then you should have given prior orders. Why did you have to decide on the spur of the moment? You're clearly just trying to satisfy your perverted fetish. If you admit it, I'll still consider you a man. But with such inconsistency between your words and actions, I only see you as a villain!"

"When a smart person starts swearing, it means he's truly at his wit's end and is really desperate."

You Su leaned back, unabashedly settling into the expensive wooden chair. He wasn't the owner of the Qianhua Pavilion, but as long as he was the owner of the owner of the Qianhua Pavilion, that was enough.

Qianhua Venerable's brows furrowed, and her crimson lips were made even more vibrant by anger, yet this inadvertently added a touch of alluring charm.

Her bright eyes were burning with anger as she glared at You Su, but she was helpless and could only suppress her anger in her chest, which rose and fell.

"So you still have your heart set on that fat woman."

Qianhua Venerable simply crossed his arms and turned his head away, refusing to look at the 'murder weapon' that You Su had just used to commit the crime.

It took You Su a moment to realize what this wicked woman meant. She rubbed her forehead and said, "You think I'm harming your Qianhua Pavilion for the sake of the Bihua Pavilion?"

"Otherwise?" Qianhua Venerable glanced at You Su.

"Are you genuinely stupid or just pretending? Although your Qianhua Pavilion has dominated the clothing industry for so long, many people buy your clothes not willingly, but out of necessity. Qianhua Pavilion's arrogant attitude has drawn considerable dissatisfaction. If you increase your investment in the Northern Ao Continent Qianhua Pavilion do some good things that benefit the people, it will be good for your reputation."

"I am a businessman; I only need tangible benefits," Qianhua Venerable replied matter-of-factly.

"Is it really necessary to pretend to be stupid just to talk back to me?"

You Su raised an eyebrow and tapped the crystal necklace in her hand threateningly, making a snapping sound.

Upon hearing that voice, Qianhua Venerable became somewhat more obedient and remained silent.

In fact, as a far-sighted businesswoman, the fact that she was able to expand her territory to the Northern Ao Continent naturally shows that she trusts this land covered in ice and snow. If she can gain a foothold in the Northern Ao Continent, as long as Northern Ao Continent continues to develop, even if Qianhua Pavilion doesn't make a profit, she won't lose too much.

Therefore, the question of increasing investment is simply a matter of whether she is willing to lower the aloof attitude of the Qianhua Pavilion. After all, in this somewhat barren land, only a very small number of people can afford to spend money at the Qianhua Pavilion. Only by lowering her stance can she earn money from more people.

Actually, there's another reason.

"What?"

"When your Qianhua Pavilion can no longer survive in the Central Yuan Continent, you can still come to the Northern Ao Continent to eke out a living for a while," You Su said casually.

"You!"

Qianhua Venerable clenched her fists in anger. She clearly possessed the cultivation to easily crush this ant, yet she was helpless against the man sitting in her chair and drinking from her teacup. This feeling of powerlessness made her feel extremely humiliated, but deep down, she felt an unusual sense of pleasure.

"How is the Third Elder?"

You Su finally changed the subject; after a whole night of unrestrained venting, he was finally able to talk about something serious.

Qianhua Venerable snorted coldly and casually replied, "Dead."

You Su took a deep breath and gritted her teeth, saying, "It seems that without some tricks, you really won't behave..."

Qianhua Venerable's pupils widened slightly. She was a woman of considerable experience, but You Su always managed to surprise her. Looking at what he was holding, she instinctively felt a sense of fear, yet her body trembled with excitement.

After a long while, You Su wiped her face with a handkerchief.

"So... they're all safe?"

Qianhua Venerable was panting heavily, but his mouth still wouldn't let You Su:

"To them, you are the most dangerous person."

Upon hearing this, You Su fell silent, her joy fading considerably, and murmured:

"It Non-Self my intention. I turned those people into my followers because they were inherently Evil Puppet."

"Enough." Qianhua Venerable suddenly interrupted You Su. "What are you trying to explain to me? Those who believe you will believe you, and those who don't won't believe you no matter what. As for me, I have no choice but to believe you. So instead of explaining to me, you should find a way to clear your name."

Although the words were still sharp, You Su could still detect a hint of warmth in them.

"I thought you would kick me when I was down, and wish I were really dead so you could sever this family relationship."

"Even if everyone in this world thinks you're dead, I won't. Because the Evil Qi within me hasn't dissipated!" Qianhua Venerable glared at You Su, angrily saying, "Since I know you're not dead, I can only pray I didn't gamble on the wrong stone. Hopefully, after you've polished away the impurities, what's revealed is truly a piece of jade."

"You really think of me as your master?"

"If you bet right, be careful; if you bet wrong, be even more careful."

Qianhua Venerable looked at You Su provocatively, adopting an expression as if she might turn against him at any moment, but she hid her complex emotions very well. She couldn't quite describe how she felt about You Su, which made her choose to believe in the young man even in this situation.

"That means you still consider me your master."

"You...!"

Before she could finish speaking, You Su silenced her with a kiss. This woman always managed to provoke his wicked thoughts of bullying her.

"You must tell the truth! What is your real purpose in coming to the Northern Ao Continent? You definitely didn't come because of the so-called store anniversary celebration."

"Um... I'm looking for... you!"

Because Qianhua Venerable spoke this truth, her already puffed-up cheeks became even redder.

You Su was slightly taken aback, but in fact, she had already anticipated this.

Looking at the stubborn Fairy, he softened a little.

But Qianhua Venerable's next words made him unable to hold back and become even more violent.

"Your senior sister... is also in the Northern Ao Continent!"

We're about to get into the main storyline! Let's speed things up!

Yesterday's chapter has been revised; feel free to join the group to discuss it!