A Distinguished Guest, for Two Days

The north wind, carrying fine snow, tapped against the windowpanes. The gilded brazier on the top floor of the Qianhua Pavilion emitted the fragrance of charcoal, but it could not dispel the tense chill in the air.

So...

Qianhua Venerable adjusted the frame of her gold-rimmed glasses, a malicious smile playing on her lips. The Snow Silkworm Silk swirling around her fingertips gleamed like pearls in the candlelight. She casually wound the threads, but her gaze swept across Ganlong Venerable's taut face like a blade.

"This unprecedented Evil Tide in the history of the five continents was actually caused by the Sovereign Lord?"

As soon as she finished speaking, You Su suddenly felt a chill on her left side and frost on her earlobe.

It goes without saying that this is because the chosen Sovereign Lord is sitting to his left.

"Qianhua Venerable, you are mistaken... Your Sovereign Lord is only devoted to the people, which is why you have been exploited by villains..."

Although City Lord Nalan was grateful for Qianhua Venerable's protection, she had known Ganlong Venerable for a hundred years and knew that without Ganlong Venerable, Northern Ao Continent would still be the desolate place where nine out of ten tribes were deserted. Therefore, she would not accept Qianhua Venerable's conclusion that all the blame should be placed on Ganlong.

"City Lord Nalan, there's no need to excuse me. This matter did indeed originate from me. It was my own arbitrary decision-making that led me to believe this method would not be accepted by the world, which is why I sought to accomplish it secretly, thus giving them an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

The Ganlong Venerable's knuckles were clenched white beneath her wide sleeves, but her words remained frank, without the slightest intention to shirk responsibility.

Qianhua Venerable chuckled softly, his hair suddenly taut like a bowstring. "But I'm curious, Sovereign Lord, you are a figure on par with Venerable Tian Shu. With your strength, shouldn't you have directly suppressed the rebels? Why does it seem as if you were forced to flee the sacred mountain?"

The moment the word 'escape' was uttered, even City Lord Nalan's expression turned somewhat grim.

Strength is what cultivators have the right to speak. Qianhua Venerable's question was tantamount to laying bare their strengths for a frank discussion. Although it was presumptuous, she had no reason to explain further to Ganlong Venerable, as this was indeed a crucial question.

"... That's right, I did escape! This plan has been in the works for forty years, and they've been secretly sabotaging things all along, including me."

Ganlong Venerable's brows furrowed with anger, her unspoken meaning being that she too had been unknowingly tricked by villains, and only realized she had lost a significant amount of her power when she was about to fight with all her might.

Qianhua Venerable nodded slightly, unsurprised. Of course, she couldn't possibly know such a private secret as the dual souls of one body. The loss of power due to prolonged poisoning was indeed a reasonable explanation.

She didn't doubt it, but immediately asked:

"So, the Sovereign Lord's arrival is not to bring reinforcements... but rather to seek help from us poor souls trapped in this Evil Tide?"

Upon hearing this You Su couldn't help but frown inwardly. He glanced at the cheongsam-clad beauty leaning against the soft couch and thought to himself that this woman was truly a master of pushing her luck.

"I am willing to follow you Sovereign Lord! To eliminate the dissidents in my Bei'ao!" City Lord Nalan immediately slammed his fist on the table and stood up. He could not bear to see Qianhua Venerable, an outsider, mocking his Sovereign Lord of Bei'ao like this.

The noble woman in the simple long dress gave her a grateful look, then took a deep breath, her cold eyes fixed on Qianhua Venerable's flippant eyes, but it was as if she had punched a cotton ball.

"Not reinforcements, but allies."

Ganlong Venerable uttered these seven words with difficulty, secretly sighing that what is more humiliating and powerless than a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs is that even a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs.

Her cultivation level wasn't at its peak, but it was still comparable to her own, so why would she fear a proud female immortal raised in a wealthy land? After all, as the Sovereign Lord Bei Ao, she represented almost the face of an entire continent. But it was precisely for Bei Ao's sake that she allowed a junior to constantly mock her to her face and had to swallow her pride and ask for the other party's help.

"I, the Venerable One, cordially invite Qianhua Venerable to form an alliance with my Bei'ao."

"An alliance?"

Qianhua Venerable smiled slightly, crossed his arms over his ample breasts, and sat up straighter, clearly preparing to begin serious negotiations. "Why should I form an alliance with Bei Ao?"

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." Ganlong Venerable, emphasizing each word.

Qianhua Venerable shook his head, stating bluntly, "Your Northern Ao Continent is geographically the most remote, and now it's riddled with holes. Other continents aren't like that. Even if it truly perishes, it's like losing eyebrows; it has little to do with the survival of lips and teeth."

You Su glanced cautiously at the female immortal on his left who suddenly clenched her jaw, and sighed that Ganlong Venerable was in trouble for encountering this woman. Yet, he also understood Ganlong Venerable's helplessness.

The noble principle of sharing life and death could not sway a woman like Qianhua Venerable. In her eyes, there were no ordinary people, only Qianhua Pavilion and herself. Every Void Glimpse Venerable has their own path, but Qianhua Venerable's path is not tailoring, but the path of commerce.

She was essentially a businesswoman, and profit-seeking was in a businessman's nature. Her subtle belittling of the most esteemed female immortal in Bei'ao was not out of any personal grudge, but rather she was trying to squeeze out any room for negotiation in advance. It was fortunate that it was the still powerful Ganlong Venerable; if it had been any other immortal who had helped her in her time of need, they would probably have been sucked dry by this scorpion-like woman.

She was shrewd, but also cold-blooded. If You Su wanted her help, he figured Ganlong Venerable would have to pay a hefty price.

"How can Qianhua Venerable say such a thing... Evil Demon are the common enemy of the five continents. Today, Bei'ao is in trouble, and you have given your strong support; if Bei'ao encounters danger in the future, I will naturally do my duty without hesitation. The relationship between the five continents is naturally one of shared prosperity and shared loss. How can it be like the relationship between eyebrows and lips? When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact!"

City Lord Nalan was still grateful for the woman's generous use of the Rainbow Silk Thousand Threads Formation to protect Fei City, and he couldn't believe that she truly thought that way.

But Ganlong Venerable was clearly not as naive as her; he raised his jade arm:

"City Lord Nalan need not say more. The Northern Ao Continent is a harsh and cold place, and we dare not hope to have the close relationship that Zhongyuan and Nanyang have. Once this matter is settled, Qianhua Pavilion, as a foreign merchant, will not be required to pay taxes for fifty years."

Upon hearing this, City Lord Nalan's eyes widened. As the City Lord of Fei City, she was well aware of the significance of the Qianhua Pavilion's taxes. Even with a discount, it was still a considerable sum of income for Shenshan.

"When Qianhua Pavilion first moved in, it was granted a ten-year tax exemption and a fifty-year tax reduction. Now you're waiving the tax reduction that Qianhua Pavilion already received; isn't that a bit insincere?"

Ganlong Venerable's face grew even colder, and he said haltingly, "One hundred years!"

Qianhua Venerable's smile remained faint, seemingly unmoved.

"Let me be frank with Ganlong Venerable. My Qianhua Pavilion has only started generating revenue in the Northern Ao Continent in the last two years. In previous years, we had to use profits from other continents to fill the hole in Bei'ao. Furthermore, this Rainbow Silk Thousand Threads Formation alone burns away five years' worth of Spirit Stone of my Qianhua Pavilion's taxes every day. The money we earned in Bei'ao in the last two years has long been burned up."

"I could have protected everyone from the Qianhua Pavilion and helped them leave Bei'ao, but I was willing to stay and protect Fei City even at a loss. Besides my affection for City Lord Nalan, it wasn't out of kindness, but because I didn't want to give up the first Qianhua Pavilion in the Northern Ao Continent, and I didn't want to give up this opportunity for mutual benefit between the Qianhua Pavilion and Northern Ao Continent."

City Lord Nalan felt conflicted upon hearing this. The woman insisted on adding that she was considering her feelings, which made it difficult for her to criticize her.

Ganlong Venerable narrowed his noble eyes, and any pretense of amiability vanished completely.

"If this first Qianhua Pavilion runs away, you will never be able to set foot on Bei'ao again. And you have finally set foot on this land, how can you bear to leave at a loss? So you are unwilling to give up because you have bigger plans."

"Your Sovereign Lord understands me best."

Qianhua Venerable frankly admitted it, but while saying that it was the Sovereign Lord who knew her, her eyes lingered on the silent young man.

Having resided atop the mountain for hundreds of years, Ganlong Venerable naturally understood Qianhua Venerable's thoughts long ago. His continued forbearance was also in order to seize that sliver of a possible opportunity for cooperation.

But now this woman's schemes may have far exceeded her bottom line, and she, who already regretted letting Qianhua Pavilion enter Northern Ao Continent, dared not let it continue.

"I know Qianhua Venerable, but I also know that the people of Bei'ao cannot withstand any further turmoil. I am grateful to Qianhua Venerable for his meritorious service in protecting the city, and the fifty-year tax exemption will remain. You may leave or stay as you see fit. As for the matter of fighting the enemy at Shenshan, I will not trouble you with it."

Upon hearing this, Qianhua Venerable's eyes finally showed a hint of surprise, and he thought to himself that this Sovereign Lord was indeed worthy of his reputation. Even in this situation, he was unwilling to completely hand over the initiative to her, and even tried to bargain with her.

However, as the Pavilion Master Qianhua Pavilion, she was already used to haggling and knew that the simplest way to deal with such customers was to wear them down rather than completely cutting off any possibility of a transaction.

After all, she's not obligated to sell; if she thinks it's too expensive, she shouldn't buy it. She can go to another store and see if the customer can find similar goods. If not, she'll naturally come back and negotiate a lower price.

Ganlong Venerable's thoughts were naturally much the same. If Qianhua Venerable did not take the initiative to compromise, she would not hand over this opportunity for in-depth cooperation in the future to the other party.

Qianhua Venerable's words just now made her feel even more disheartened. She felt that saving Northern Ao Continent did not necessarily require Qianhua Venerable. The development of the Northern Ao Continent's people and land to this point was entirely due to their own efforts. Qianhua Venerable was indeed a great help, but he was also a huge hidden danger. She would never do something like raising a tiger to cause trouble.

These two stunningly beautiful immortals, who held high positions, were clearly engaged in a tacit and silent tug-of-war. But at this moment, You Su suddenly stood up, drawing the attention of the three of them.

"The Rainbow Silk Thousand Threads Formation of the Qianhua Pavilion can even shred the tentacles of evil spirits." He raised his eyes, his right eye shrouded in the shadow of his felt hat, but his left eye shone with a startling light. "But what exactly does this Formation Technique protect?"

Qianhua Venerable paused slightly, his fingers, which were wrapped in Snow Silkworm Silk, and his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses suddenly sharpened. "Young master should understand now. Qianhua Pavilion protects is naturally business."

"Since it's a transaction, there should be a clear accounting." You Su, still thirsty, couldn't resist and downed the untouched cup of tea in front of Ganlong Venerable in one gulp, amidst the astonished gazes of the three. "Ninety percent of the cultivators in the Northern Ao Continent wear coarse linen shorts, but a single thin shirt from the Qianhua Pavilion is worth ten years of their income. So Qianhua Venerable is never targeting the poor scraping for food in the snow, but rather those wealthy people who melt down Spirit Stone and embed them in the soles of their boots to show off their wealth."

The fingers beneath the wide sleeves of the Ganlong Venerable suddenly tightened, and icy mist condensed into tiny frost flowers at the cuffs. As she watched the young man speak slowly and methodically, she suddenly realized that his expression at this moment overlapped with that of the old foxes who strategized in the council hall of the sacred mountain—except that the tail of this fox was clearly wrapped in a scorching fire.

"Instead of tax exemption, we'll increase the tax by 30%. As we discussed last time, we'll impose an additional tax on Brocade Workshop."

Last time?

Ganlong Venerable sensed something amiss, and seeing the blatant look in Qianhua Venerable's eyes, he understood why this noble female immortal would be so flirtatious with a man she had just met; there was clearly some connection between them.

"Let those rich young masters who use Shark Silk as face towels spit out more gold dust; it's more merciful than scraping the frozen marrow of the miserable," You Su added.

Suddenly, Qianhua Venerable leaned forward, the collar of his Black Gold Qipao revealing a tempting cleavage.

Her breath was sweet as orchids, yet her words were like honey laced with poison. "Does the young master know that merchants hate two kinds of people the most? Those who rob people on the road, and those who levy taxes."

"Therefore, the third type of talent is invaluable." You Su's gaze was unwavering, yet it caused the old Ganlong Venerable Long to furrow his brow slightly. "Those who can teach merchants to count money while paying taxes—for example, as Archimedes Venerable suggested, to build a large-scale infrastructure project in the Northern Ao Continent, recruit a large number of local laborers, and even use Northern Ao Continent's own cloth, the cost savings would be enough to fill the tax warehouse."

The warm chamber suddenly fell silent, and sparks from the exploding charcoal fire fell into the jade incense burner.

Ganlong Venerable gazed at the boy's profile, surprised to find that he shared the same thoughts as her. She wondered if he had learned her "Robin Hood" tactics or if they were simply telepathically connected...

Although the boy's initiative left her with no room to maneuver, his courage to bargain with Void Glimpse Venerable for Bei Ao's sake deeply moved her.

"Snap, snap, snap."

Qianhua Venerable slowly clapped his hands, the golden bracelet on his wrist making a seductive tremor.

As she rose, her skirt billowed like black and gold waves, and a subtle fragrance wafted towards You Su, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

"Such a wonderful person is truly wasted in Bei'ao. I suggested you come with me last time; my Central Yuan Continent is in dire need of a handsome young man who can calculate. Unfortunately, Archimedes Venerable refused. Now I realize you are actually the beloved disciple of Sovereign Lord Bei'ao. No wonder he was so adamant about not agreeing..."

Ganlong Venerable's expression shifted several times, and he even detected a lingering, tender feeling in the woman's voice. Fortunately, she seemed to genuinely believe You Su to be her disciple and had not recognized You Su true identity.

"Ganlong Venerable, your beloved disciple has quite a business mind, and we hit it off immediately. As for prices, they are always negotiable. Why don't you go ahead and attend to your own business, and leave your disciple to discuss this with me?" Qianhua Venerable spoke with a smile, but Ganlong Venerable's face was extremely grim.

The task she was supposed to be busy with was naturally explaining the disaster to the people of the city.

As for the room for negotiation, it naturally depends on how hard her 'beloved student' works.

But how could she let You Su walk into the lion's den? She immediately slammed her hand on the table, ready to reprimand this shameless woman, but was pulled by the sleeve of City Lord Nalan, who had somehow appeared beside her. The middle-aged woman gently shook her head and said kindly:

"Your Sovereign Lord may not know, but Qianhua Venerable greatly admires your disciple. A month ago, he had a very pleasant conversation with him and even treated him as a distinguished guest for two days—a privilege I myself have never enjoyed. Your Sovereign Lord might as well let these two old acquaintances catch up, while Your Sovereign Lord accompanies me to appease the people of Bei'ao..."

This passage basically explains how You Su and Qianhua Venerable met. Ganlong Venerable was even more astonished after hearing it, and all that remained in his mind was the four words left after removing the "honored guest" part.

"Go ahead and do your work, leave it to me," the boy said calmly as he turned to her.

But this indifferent tone, to her ears, carried a tragic air of sacrificing oneself for righteousness.

In a daze, she felt like she was the one getting in the way, and before she knew it, City Lord Nalan had pulled her out of the warm pavilion.

The moment the vermilion doors opened and closed, a barely audible sigh escaped her lips.