Protecting the Interests of Guests Is Protecting the Interests of This Shop

"I didn't expect Shen Fang to personally deliver this letter."

Liu Shuyue murmured after watching the Prefect and his entourage leave.

Chen Xuan chuckled, "Don't let his trembling appearance fool you. He's certain you won't kill him, which is a form of praise for your character, in a way."

"But there was no need for him to come. The King of Qi surely has his own special envoy, unless he insisted on taking this task upon himself."

"If he didn't come himself, how would he confirm the situation with the Immortal Master and the disaster victims?"

"Hmm?" Liu Shuyue shot him an displeased glance.

Chen Xuan laughed it off, "What I mean is, if things were truly dire here, he wouldn't need to continue dealing with us."

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting... his true purpose for coming wasn't to resettle the remaining disaster victims?"

"That should just be a secondary matter. This way, he can maintain contact with you without angering the King of Qi – after all, as a local official, seeking a way of life for the people is an irreproachable good deed," Chen Xuan paused. "As for his real objective... honestly, I can't be sure. It's just a guess."

"Feel free to share," Liu Shuyue said curiously.

"You mentioned last time that the Luo Kingdom might invade the Qi Kingdom with your senior sister's help, right?"

"Yes." Mentioning this, Liu Shuyue's face clouded over. "I really don't understand why Senior Sister Lan Qin would do such a thing. War only brings suffering. Sect disciples should strive to prevent it. I sent her a message, but she hasn't replied."

Perhaps the Lotus Cloud Sect doesn't care about the squabbles of the mortal world, Chen Xuan thought, but he didn't say it aloud.

"Do you think the Qi Kingdom can win?"

"Eh?" Liu Shuyue blinked, clearly having not considered this. "That... that depends on the national strength of both sides, the quality of their armies and generals, and the effective use of sorcery and cultivators. But if my senior sister were to participate directly..."

"The Qi Kingdom has lost more than it has won, correct?" Chen Xuan finished her sentence. "Shen Fang probably thought of this possibility too."

"He's worried the King of Qi will be defeated?"

"Qingzhou and the Luo Kingdom share a direct border, making it a likely battlefield. If they can't win, where will Prefect Zhangwei go? If he doesn't want to die for his country, he needs to find a way out now... Mala Village could be a good option if it can take root."

That phrase, "a true place of reclusion"... it probably referred not only to a refuge for disaster victims but also a place far from the threat of war.

Chen Xuan letting Shen Fang into the village and advising Liu Shuyue to treat him with the courtesy due to an official envoy was also based on this consideration. For Mala Village to get on its feet, establishing connections with the outside world was inevitable.

Liu Shuyue let out a soft sigh. "You truly think deeper than I do."

"That's because you spent most of your time fighting demons in the past," Chen Xuan said dismissively. "Besides, this is just my guess, as Shen Fang doesn't seem like someone blindly loyal."

She didn't reply, instead gazing northwards in thought.

Seeing her like this, Chen Xuan couldn't help but sigh.

"You're not going to save that Liu family, are you?"

"Me... how could I?" Liu Shuyue was startled. "They fabricated their connection with the Lotus Cloud Sect and coveted benefits that weren't theirs, which led to their current downfall!"

"Indeed," Chen Xuan agreed.

But after a moment, she couldn't help but say with some reluctance, "But to have their entire clan wiped out for lying... that punishment is a bit too severe. The Liu family doesn't deserve this. And what about the residents in the Liu family's territory? What wrong have they done? The King of Qi says he'll punish them all. That's tens of thousands of people... can he really go through with it?"

"It's hard to say. What if he really does?"

"Then I'm afraid I won't be able to stand by and do nothing..." Liu Shuyue subconsciously clenched her fist. "Those people are innocent. I can't let them face utter destruction because of a rumor about me."

I knew it.

Chen Xuan was not surprised by this answer. When Liu Shuyue had suddenly fallen silent earlier, he had already understood what was on her mind.

"Have you considered that this might be a trap set for you?"

If Liu Shuyue surrendered herself to the King of Qi to confess her sins, that would naturally be the outcome he desired most. However, if they could lure Liu Shuyue to Yunzhou, they could then set a trap to capture her. As the ruler of the Qi Kingdom, the King of Qi was certainly aware of the Auxiliary State Immortal Master's origins. The Liu family simply happened to be caught in the crossfire.

Liu Shuyue slowly nodded. "He's certain I won't be able to bear seeing hundreds of thousands of innocents die for me, so he's using them as a threat against me. But--"

Chen Xuan quietly waited for her next words.

"But if I really don't go, won't I end up like those missing seniors of the Lotus Cloud Sect?"

"Sect... seniors?" Chen Xuan was surprised by her words.

"They, like me, left the mountain gate shouldering the responsibility to save the people and serve the public, only to fail in the end, disappearing without a trace. The lives of the people in the Six Nations haven't fundamentally changed. I don't want to follow in their footsteps."

Liu Shuyue turned to Chen Xuan. "This matter might be a trap, but it might not be able to hold me. The King of Qi doesn't know that I'm no longer the person I used to be. Many things I couldn't accomplish alone in the past, but it's different now."

"Chen Xuan," she extended her hand, "Can you lend me a hand again?"

"Of course, serving VIP customers is our establishment's consistent principle," Chen Xuan took her hand.

Upon hearing this reply, Liu Shuyue's expression visibly relaxed.

"Do you have a plan yet?" he asked.

"Not yet... for now. But I want to go to Yunzhou as soon as possible, before the news reaches the Royal City. If the Liu family realizes their mistake and comes forward to clarify the lies, the King of Qi will have one less excuse."

"If the King of Qi truly remains obstinate and insists on harming the local populace... then he will have no trace of humanity left," Liu Shuyue's tone grew firmer. "To me, he'll be no different from a demon."

After dealing with Shen Fang's matter, she convened all the villagers for another ability adjustment meeting.

Ordinary people who bathed in dragon blood would not only gain the ability to sense qi but also have a chance to awaken their innate talents.

This was because sensing qi itself was a form of mutation that reshaped the bones, muscles, and blood of living beings, whether human or demon.

However, demons have no other mystical arts to learn, and can only focus wholeheartedly on cultivating their innate abilities.

Since these are talent-triggered abilities, the type of power one obtains is purely a matter of luck.

For example, someone might be skilled in combat, but their innate talent could be healing powers, which was unavoidable in the past. Therefore, cultivators often emphasize postnatal effort and study; sensing Qi is merely the qualification to begin.

But Chen Xuan's appearance changed this status quo.

"Duan Zhengquan, Hunting Team member!" A tall man walked up to Chen Xuan, sat down cross-legged, and solemnly cupped his fists towards him, "I'll be counting on you, Shopkeeper!"

Chen Xuan aimed his scanning gun at the man's forehead.

"Not bad, you have a new ability."

"Let me see." Liu Shuyue leaned in beside him, so close he could smell the osmanthus fragrance from her hair.

The screen displayed "Divine Calculator" LV1.

Below it was a line of commentary: --Can be called a walking abacus; but ultimately, it is just an abacus.

"It's not a combat ability, but it's quite useful for someone who handles bookkeeping," Chen Xuan commented.

As soon as he heard it had nothing to do with combat, Duan Zhengquan's face fell with disappointment.

"Then let's trade it for the logistics team member who awakened their talent last time. I believe his name was Wang Shitong." Liu Shuyue immediately summoned the latter and exchanged his "swift stride" for the "Divine Calculator."

She didn't forget to remind him, "While running fast isn't a combat ability, when paired with the Spirit Sword Technique, it can be used to quickly close in on the enemy. Also, don't forget, postnatal cultivation is the most important thing. Don't be discouraged by the weakness of your innate talent."

"Yes! I will respectfully follow Immortal Master's teachings!" Duan Zhengquan replied respectfully.

"Next."

For Chen Xuan, Mala Village was a treasure trove. Even though his inventory wouldn't increase, every successful transaction brought at least 2 performance points, which was why he was willing to maintain close cooperation with Liu Shuyue. Providing long-term services to thirty thousand potential secondary clients was not an opportunity that came by easily. In fact, he had earned 450 performance points from the first ability adjustment convention alone, exceeding the efficiency of all his previous businesses combined.

Moreover, these villagers who had entered the threshold of cultivation possessed more than just innate talents. As they grew and progressed, they would master more mystical arts. Even if their upper limit was far from Liu Shuyue's, they were still major clients with stable returns.

Thus, Chen Xuan also clarified a goal—although Liu Shuyue was skilled, she might not be adept at dealing with the schemes and tricks set by her own kin. To ensure the rights of free trade were not harmed, he absolutely could not allow anyone to threaten the safety of VIP clients, not even the King of the Great Qi Kingdom.