The Grand Plan for Riches

Inside the room.

"This brat, he hasn't learned any proper skills, but he's self-taught in being thick-skinned and black-hearted."

Shen Gongbao sat on a meditation cushion, looking sullen as he muttered to himself.

Yet, he suddenly recalled something, and a chuckle escaped his lips. He nodded, saying, "Not bad, not bad. He has talent, I like it..."

In truth, he had originally intended to gift Lu Chuan a defensive dharma treasure, not this Purple Firmament Sword.

He had felt it was too early to hand over the Purple Firmament Sword to Lu Chuan, but upon second thought, he decided to change his mind.

For one, Lu Chuan possessed a certain aptitude for the sword and had already achieved some level of proficiency.

For another, Lu Chuan was to face that ferocious beast in the mountains in three days' time for his first real combat. The strength of that beast was unknown, so Lu Chuan's weapon naturally couldn't be too shabby.

Furthermore, he had been cultivating in seclusion on Kunlun Mountain all this time and had never actually crossed blades with anyone. The Purple Firmament Sword had been in his possession for quite a while, and only today could it be said to have been unsheathed; leaving it in his hands all this time had been a waste of a divine blade.

Besides, if he needed a sword, he could simply find some rare materials and forge another. While it might not compare to the Purple Firmament Sword, it would still be a rare divine weapon in this world.

"A gift is a gift. I would have given it to him eventually anyway, so it makes no difference!"

In the courtyard.

Lu Chuan was in high spirits after obtaining the Purple Firmament Sword. He turned it over and over in his hands for a long time, unable to put it down.

However, remembering he still had to watch the shop, he returned to his room to place the sword on his bed before heading out to the storefront.

It was now midsummer, and the weather had turned scorching hot.

Standing behind the counter, Lu Chuan felt as if he were inside a steamer, and sweat began to bead on his body before long.

Looking out at the street in front of the shop, the heat radiating from the sun-baked ground was visible to the naked eye. He truly pitied those who had to be out on the streets in such sweltering weather.

"This hellish weather, it must be nearly forty degrees."

Lu Chuan closed his eyes and slumped over the counter in boredom, murmuring, "I'd kill for a popsicle or some ice cream..."

Such were the limitations of this era.

In the sweltering summer, there were no air conditioners or fans, no popsicles or cold drinks to beat the heat, and certainly no long-legged beauties to feast one's eyes upon.

To cool down, there was only one rustic method: head to the well, draw a bucket of cool water, and gulp it down from a gourd ladle.

The sensation was indeed quite refreshing, and the effect was immediate, cooling the entire body rapidly. This was the common method used by the masses.

However, this method treated the symptoms but not the root cause.

Even if you drank until your stomach swelled like a pregnant woman's, the relief would be short-lived, and the unbearable heat would return like a maggot to the bone.

"Wait!"

Suddenly, Lu Chuan froze. He realized that, for better or worse, he was now a Qi practitioner, a man who possessed Taoist secret arts. Could it be that he had no clever way to beat the heat?

"Five Elements Escape Technique, Samadhi True Fire..."

But as soon as he thought of the Taoist arts he had learned, Lu Chuan slumped like a deflated ball.

The Five Elements Escape Technique was useless for this, and the Samadhi True Fire was like adding oil to a flame; if he used that, he'd likely roast himself alive.

He wanted to take a nap to restore his energy for his evening cultivation, but the weather was simply too hot; sleep was impossible.

Because his cultivation was still too shallow, he could not yet withstand the extremes of heat and cold.

Helpless, he had no choice but to get up, head to the backyard to draw a bucket of well water, take a few gulps, and then carry the bucket into the shop to splash some on the floor to lower the temperature.

He then set the bucket aside, ready to use it again later.

"Popsicles, ice cream, ice lollies..."

Lu Chuan groaned softly. He missed the icy, refreshing taste of those treats, but in this world, they were destined to remain a dream.

He didn't know how to make them, no one else did, and there was certainly no one selling them.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait..."

Suddenly, Lu Chuan's eyes snapped open, a gleam of light appearing in them. "So what if I don't know how to make ice cream? Can't I make a simple ice lolly?"

When he used to eat popsicles, he had looked at the ingredient lists on the wrappers; the ingredients were complex and numerous, and other than white sugar and milk, he couldn't remember anything else.

Ice lollies, however, were much simpler to make—it seemed like nothing more than freezing sugar water.

At this thought, Lu Chuan was overjoyed. He mused, "Ice lollies haven't appeared in this world yet. Heh, then I, Lu, shall benefit the descendants of Yan and Huang by bringing them the ultimate heat-relief treat—the ice lolly!"

As he spoke, he glanced around his wood-carving shop, which was devoid of customers and as quiet as a graveyard.

If he could actually succeed in making them, he would likely make a fortune. Besides, Shen Gongbao made him watch the shop during the day, and since he couldn't cultivate and was bored out of his mind, he might as well earn some money.

Furthermore, the ice lolly business faced two major difficulties.

First, how to freeze sugar water into lollies, and second, how to store them once made.

One had to realize that in such hot weather, there were no cold storage facilities, freezers, or refrigerators in this world. The lollies would likely melt into water before he could even sell them.

But for him, these problems were no problems at all.

Don't forget, he was no longer an ordinary person, but a Qi practitioner who possessed Taoist arts.

"Master, Master..."

After mulling it over from every angle, Lu Chuan felt his "get-rich-quick scheme" was absolutely viable, and he rushed toward Shen Gongbao's room without a moment's delay.

"What is it, what is it? Did a wolf bite your backside or something?"

Shen Gongbao had been napping on his daybed, only to be startled awake by Lu Chuan. He sat bolt upright, staring at the intruder with a speechless expression.

"Master, no wolf bit your disciple's backside, but my backside is on fire!"

Lu Chuan said miserably, "The weather is just too hot... eh?"

Mid-sentence, Lu Chuan froze. He noticed that Shen Gongbao's room was filled with cool, refreshing breezes, as if it were equipped with air conditioning and electric fans—it was incredibly comfortable.

In the sweltering heat of midsummer, which could kill a man, this room was nothing short of paradise.

"Well, well, Master. Your disciple is out there minding the shop, nearly steamed to death, yet you're here napping in the breeze. How can you be so shameless? Doesn't your conscience ache at all?"

"Ahem!"

Shen Gongbao's complexion had already been somewhat unnatural, but after being confronted so righteously by Lu Chuan, he felt even more guilty. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Disciple, keep it down, keep it down. You see, your master is getting on in years; I truly cannot endure this high heat!"

"Tch, Master..."

Lu Chuan looked at him with disbelief, crossing his arms and sneering, "This disciple has heard of people dying from the heat, but I have never heard of an immortal dying from it."

"Fine, fine... that's enough!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Shen Gongbao quickly changed the subject. "Weren't you minding the shop? Why did you suddenly come running to my room to find me?"

"To learn Daoist arts. Master, don't you think that in this heat, which is enough to kill a person, you should teach your disciple something?"

Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow, giving him a look that said, you know what I mean.

He had come specifically to learn an ice-making technique to prepare for his upcoming "get-rich-quick scheme."

Shen Gongbao looked at Lu Chuan's expression, pondered for a moment, and immediately understood.

This slippery little brat, so he came to me to learn a way to stay cool.

However, he was in the wrong this time.

He had been enjoying a cool, comfortable nap in his room using magic, never expecting Lu Chuan to barge in and catch him red-handed.

"Ahem, disciple, do you not understand the purpose behind me having you mind the shop in such hot weather?" Shen Gongbao raised a hand to his mouth to cough, feigning that his actions were full of deep meaning.

"Uh, what purpose could you have?" Even Lu Chuan was momentarily fooled by his expression.

"We often speak of cultivation. You must understand that while one cultivates Daoist arts, one is also tempering the heart. Such hot weather is the perfect way to hone your spirit and your Daoist heart."

Shen Gongbao wore a look of earnest concern. After speaking, he twitched his brow and glanced secretly at Lu Chuan, seeing him lower his head in contemplation.

Seeing this, he immediately shifted his tone before Lu Chuan could react, continuing, "However, I see that you are working very hard. After all, we are master and disciple, and my heart cannot bear to see you suffer. Very well, I shall teach you the Wind Control Technique. Once mastered, you can summon and command the wind to relieve you of this sweltering heat!"

"Many thanks, Master!"

Lu Chuan was still ruminating on Shen Gongbao's previous words, but hearing this, he quickly expressed his gratitude. Suddenly, he added respectfully, "Oh, by the way, Master, do you have a method to turn water into ice?"

"I do. The Ice Chill Technique can do that, but why do you ask?" Shen Gongbao asked in surprise. "The Ice Chill Technique... it doesn't have much use in this sweltering season, does it?"

"Then just teach both techniques to this disciple."

Lu Chuan chuckled, "I actually have a bit of use for both the Ice Chill Technique and the Wind Control Technique."