A Fortune-Making Scheme

In the room...

"That brat. He may not have learned much else, but he's picked up nearly half of being shameless and cold-hearted all on his own."

Shen Gongbao sat down on a cushion, looking rather gloomy as he muttered under his breath.

But then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he chuckled and nodded. "Not bad, not bad. You've got talent. I like it..."

Actually, at first, he'd wanted to give Lu Chuan a protective magic treasure, not the Purple Firmament Sword.

He'd thought it was too early to give Lu Chuan the Purple Firmament Sword, but then he changed his mind.

For one thing, Lu Chuan had quite a talent for swordsmanship, and had already made some progress.

For another, Lu Chuan would be going into the mountains in three days to face that ferocious beast for the first time. No one knew how strong it was, so Lu Chuan naturally needed a decent weapon.

Besides, he'd always practiced the Dao in seclusion on Kunlun Mountain and had never fought anyone. The Purple Firmament Sword had been in his hands for quite some time, but today was the first time he'd drawn it. Until now, the divine sword had been wasted on him.

And if he needed a sword, he could always find rare materials and forge another one. It might not measure up to the Purple Firmament Sword, but it would still be a peerless weapon.

"Well, I've given it to him now. I'd have had to give it to him sooner or later, so it makes no difference!"

In the courtyard.

Lu Chuan was in high spirits after getting his hands on the Purple Firmament Sword. He turned it over and over, admiring it for ages, reluctant to let it go.

But then he remembered that he still had to watch the shop, so he took the sword back to his room and set it on the bed before heading out to the storefront.

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

Standing behind the counter felt like standing inside a steamer. Before long, Lu Chuan was sweating.🍟♣  ♝☮

The street outside the shop shimmered in the blazing sunlight, the heat visible to the naked eye. He really felt sorry for everyone who had to be out in weather like this.

"This damned weather. It's nearly forty degrees."

Lu Chuan lay sprawled over the counter with his eyes closed, bored out of his mind. He mumbled, "I'd kill for a popsicle or some ice cream..."

That was the limitation of this era.

In the scorching summer, there were no air conditioners or fans, no popsicles or cold drinks to beat the heat, and certainly no endless parade of long-legged beauties.

There was only one down-to-earth way to cool off: lean over a well, draw up a bucket of cool water, and use a gourd dipper to pour some down your throat.

It really was refreshing. The effect was immediate, cooling your whole body in no time. It was the simple method most ordinary people used these days.

But it only treated the symptoms, not the cause.

You could drink until your belly swelled like a pregnant woman's, but after a brief moment of relief, the unbearable heat would return like a maggot clinging to your bones.

"Wait!"

Lu Chuan suddenly froze. He was more or less a Qi Refiner now, with secret Daoist arts at his disposal. Surely there was some clever way to beat the heat?

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

But as soon as he thought of the Daoist arts he'd learned, Lu Chuan deflated like a punctured ball.

The Five Elements Escape Technique wouldn't help, and the Samadhi True Fire would only add fuel to the flames. If he used it, he'd probably roast himself alive.

He wanted to take a nap and save his energy for his evening cultivation, but the weather was simply too hot. He couldn't even fall asleep.

His cultivation was still too shallow for him to withstand extreme heat or cold.Ϭ९ʂհմ×.çօʍ

With no other choice, he got up, went to the backyard, and drew a bucket of well water. He drank a few gulps, carried the bucket into the shop, and splashed some water on the floor to cool the place down.

Then he set the bucket aside for later.

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

Lu Chuan let out a quiet wail. He missed their icy, refreshing taste, but there was no chance he'd find them in this world.

He didn't know how to make them, and neither did anyone else. It went without saying that no one sold them, either.

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

Lu Chuan's eyes flew open, and they lit up. "I don't know how to make popsicles or ice cream, fine. But surely I know how to make an ice lolly?"

He'd once looked at the ingredients on an ice cream wrapper. The list had been long and complicated. Aside from sugar and milk, he couldn't remember any of it.

Ice lollies, on the other hand, were easy to make. He was pretty sure all you had to do was freeze sugar water.

The thought delighted him. There aren't any ice lollies in this world yet. Heh. I, Lu, am going to do something for all my fellow descendants of Yan and Huang and bring you the holy summer treat—ice lollies!

As he spoke, he glanced around the woodcarving shop. No one was visiting; it was utterly deserted.

If he really managed to make them, he'd probably make a fortune. Shen Gongbao had told him to watch the shop during the day, and since he couldn't cultivate and had nothing to do, he might as well earn some money.

Besides, the ice-lolly business had two major difficulties.

First, how could he freeze the sugar water into ice lollies? Second, how could he store them once they were made?

It was worth remembering that the weather was scorching, and there were no cold-storage facilities, freezers, or refrigerators in this world. The ice lollies would probably melt before he could sell them.

But none of that was a problem for him.

He wasn't an ordinary person anymore, after all. He was a Qi Refiner with Daoist arts at his disposal.

"Master! Master..."

After thinking it over, Lu Chuan decided his "fortune-making scheme" would definitely work. He immediately dashed toward Shen Gongbao's room, unable to wait a moment longer.

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

Shen Gongbao had been napping on the daybed in his room. Lu Chuan's sudden arrival startled him awake. He jerked upright and stared at the young man barging in with an utterly speechless look.

"Master, a wolf didn't bite me, but my backside's on fire!"

Lu Chuan wailed. "It's so hot—hey..."

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. A cool breeze blew through Shen Gongbao's room, ruffling the air. It was as comfortable as being in a room with an air conditioner and electric fan.

In the kind of midsummer heat that could kill a person, it was nothing short of paradise.

"Well, would you look at you, Master! I'm outside watching the shop and nearly getting steamed alive, while you're in here enjoying a breeze and a nap. Don't you feel bad? Doesn't your conscience hurt at all..."

"Cough, cough!"

Shen Gongbao was already looking a little awkward. When Lu Chuan put it to him so righteously, he felt even guiltier and quickly waved his hands. "Disciple, keep your voice down, keep your voice down. Look, your master is getting on in years. I really can't stand this heat!"

"Tch, Master..."

Lu Chuan folded his arms and gave him a scornful look. "I've heard of people dying from the heat, but I've never heard of an immortal dying from the heat."

"All right, all right... enough!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Shen Gongbao hurriedly changed the subject. "Aren't you supposed to be watching the shop? Why have you suddenly come to find me?"

"To learn Daoist arts! Master, don't you think you should teach your disciple something when it's hot enough to kill?"

Lu Chuan raised his eyebrows and gave him a look that said, You know what I mean.

He'd come to learn an art that could make ice, so he could prepare for his coming "fortune-making scheme."

Shen Gongbao studied Lu Chuan's expression. After a moment's thought, he understood at once.

This slippery brat came running to me to learn a way to cool off.

But this time, he was in the wrong.

He'd been using magic to keep his room cool and comfortable while he took a nap, only for Lu Chuan to barge in and catch him red-handed.

"Cough, cough. Disciple, don't you understand why your master has you watching the shop in weather this hot?" Shen Gongbao raised a hand to his mouth and coughed, putting on an air as though he had some profound purpose in mind.

"Uh, what purpose?" Lu Chuan was momentarily taken in by his expression.

"We often talk about cultivation, but you must understand that cultivation refines your Daoist skills, while practice tempers your heart. This heat is the perfect way to test your spirit and your Dao heart."

Shen Gongbao spoke with great earnestness. When he finished, his brow twitched and he quietly glanced at Lu Chuan. Lu Chuan lowered his head and began to ponder his words.

Seeing this, before Lu Chuan could catch on, Shen Gongbao quickly changed tack and continued, "Still, I can see how hard you're working. After all, we're master and disciple, and I can't bear to see you suffer. Very well, I'll teach you the Wind Control Technique. Once you've mastered it, you'll be able to summon and command the wind, and escape this terrible heat!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Lu Chuan was still mulling over what Shen Gongbao had said. He hurriedly thanked him, then asked respectfully, "By the way, Master, do you know a technique for turning water into ice?"

"Of course. The Ice Chill Technique can do that. But why do you ask?" Shen Gongbao said in surprise. "The Ice Chill Technique isn't much use in this sweltering heat..."

"Then teach me both techniques, Master."

Lu Chuan grinned. "Your disciple can put both the Ice Chill Technique and the Wind Control Technique to good use."