Talk Business

"Empty fame?" Yun Zishan frowned. The air around them turned several degrees colder. She said no more, simply walking past Yang Ning and into the Thatched Cottage called Myriad Things Come.

Qiao Bin, who had witnessed everything from the side, was already drenched in cold sweat.

"Brother Ning, you... you..."

Yang Ning shrugged, handed Qiao Bin the plastic broom and dustpan, then turned and walked into the shop.

Qiao Bin instinctively reached for the Lanzhou at his waist, only to find he had already smoked it all.

He sniffed, set down the broom and dustpan, then pulled a cloth pouch from his sleeve. It was filled with Spirit Stones, which he began handing out to the Cultivators gathered around.

"Senior brothers and sisters, junior brothers and sisters, sorry for the trouble. Our Hall Master needs to discuss a Big Business deal with Boss Yang. Please wait a moment. Here's a little money for tea—please accept it."

"Of course, of course."

Most of these people had come to shop and weren't in a hurry. They didn't mind waiting a little, and everyone gladly accepted Qiao Bin's "compensation."

Inside the shop, Yang Ning stepped through the door and saw Yun Zishan browsing the shelves. The goods on display were dazzlingly varied, and she couldn't even guess what most of them were for.

"Immortal, what would you like to drink? We have all kinds of Sweet Water and alcoholic drinks, chilled or at room temperature."

Yun Zishan glanced at the drinks section, shook her head, and walked up to Yang Ning.

"No need."

Yun Zishan got straight to the point. "I've heard about your shop. Your wares are certainly unusual, but Qiao Bin told me you could make that Undercover Agent talk. Is that true?"

Yun Zishan looked around, then slowly approached Yang Ning. She lifted her chin slightly, and their gazes met.

"Are you sure you can make that Undercover Agent talk?"

Yang Ning raised his hand and held up seven fingers.

Seeing Yun Zishan frown slightly, he explained, "Seventy percent. I'm seventy percent sure I can make him talk."

Yun Zishan's expression didn't change. "Go on. What are your terms?"

Yang Ning's lips curled into a smile. "You know I run a shop, Immortal. At the end of the day, I'm a businessman. Businessmen value profit. Once this is done, I want fifty Spirit Stones as payment."

He spoke with easy candor, without the usual air of a petty merchant. Yun Zishan's eyes settled on his face. He had swordlike brows and bright eyes, and his smile carried a hint of unruly roguishness. His bearing was extraordinary, and for a moment, she found herself lost in thought. In her three hundred years of cultivation, she had met countless outstanding men. Yet few were like him: despite having no cultivation at all, he possessed a natural, graceful charm.

Remembering what he had said outside the shop—that "all things have their uses"—Yun Zishan couldn't help feeling a trace of doubt. A thought flickered through her mind, and a wisp of purple True Qi drifted from her body, enveloping Yang Ning.

Yang Ning furrowed his brow. Under Yun Zishan's pressure, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his breathing grew more labored.

"Immortal, what do you mean by this? Why are you exerting pressure on me?"

Yun Zishan didn't answer. She secretly used her True Qi to examine his body. Just as Qiao Bin had said, he had no Cultivation Aptitude at all, but something inside him seemed off, as though something were missing. Still, she could be certain that Yang Ning truly had no ability to cultivate. A hard-to-describe pang of regret swept through her heart, only to be suppressed by reason.

"Once it's done, I'll give you sixty Spirit Stones as compensation," Yun Zishan said, withdrawing her pressure. Her voice remained cool.

Yang Ning "panted heavily" and nodded. "D-deal..."

Yun Zishan gave a slight nod. "If you need anyone from the Law Enforcement Hall to help, just say the word."

Yang Ning swallowed. "I have two conditions."

"Speak."

"First, I want to renovate your Interrogation Room. We'll use the goods from my shop, and Qiao Bin can help. If you're worried, you can have him keep an eye on things."

Yun Zishan hesitated, then nodded.

"Second, my interrogation methods are my own invention. You can't question them, and you can't interfere."

At that condition, Yun Zishan frowned at once.

Yang Ning wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, his tone calm. "If you won't allow it, then forget it. I don't have to make this money."

Yun Zishan had been about to refuse Yang Ning's demand, but then she remembered the New Sect Leader Election was coming at the end of the year, and her heart sank.

She had joined the Cloudsky Sword Sect three hundred years ago. With her unparalleled talent, she had reached the late Mahayana stage in just two hundred and eighty years, only one step away from the Tribulation Crossing Stage. Her master and the sect's Elders had high hopes for her, and many in the sect considered her the clear choice for the next Sect Master. She had worked toward that goal for three hundred years.

Sun Kai had cultivated for nearly a thousand years and was highly respected, especially among the older Cultivators. Many saw Yun Zishan and Shi Xuanfei as too young, and refused to accept them, choosing instead to support Sun Kai.

As for Shi Xuanfei, she was Yun Zishan's friend. She had joined the sect a year later as Yun Zishan's junior sister, and though the two usually addressed each other as senior and junior sisters, they were really close confidantes. Shi Xuanfei was gentle and warm, always wearing a smile when dealing with others. The sect's disciples—especially the male Cultivators—were quite fond of Jade Maiden Peak, and that had earned Shi Xuanfei plenty of support.