Wenren Qianrou

Who are you?

The tall and imposing guard scrutinized Li Lingsu. Seeing that this man was dignified and handsome, he immediately dared not be careless.

"Tell the chairman that Li Lingsu wants to see him."

The Holy Son stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an extraordinary air.

One of the guards glanced at him a few times before hurriedly running into the guild hall.

About fifteen minutes later, a middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy man rushed out, looked around at the gate, and locked his gaze on Li Lingsu.

"President Yang, it's been half a year since we last met. How have you been?"

Li Lingsu grasped her left thumb with her right hand and held the back of her right hand with her left hand, forming a Tai Chi symbol.

The standard Daoist School clasped hands salute.

"Master Li, it's actually Master Li! You've been well all this time. Have you managed to escape the pursuit of those two female demons?"

Chairman Yang was overjoyed and warmly greeted him.

"The escape has never stopped!" Li Lingsu exclaimed.

Then, he looked at Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi and introduced them, "These two are my friends."

Chairman Yang quickly clasped his hands in greeting. "My name is Yang Youde, and I greet you two esteemed heroes."

He knew that Li Lingsu was the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect, a member of the martial arts world, and his friend, so it was always right to first call him a "great hero".

Mu Nanzhi nodded reservedly.

Xu Qi'an returned the greeting with a gentle smile and clasped his hands in salute. This Chairman Yang had the cultivation of the Spirit Refining Realm, and his aura was restrained. Although he was overweight and had a kind smile, this was only an appearance. His actual combat strength was not weak.

This world doesn't allow ordinary people to make big money. If you want to be extremely wealthy, you either need a powerful background or real ability.

Led by Chairman Yang, the group entered the Chamber of Commerce and took their seats in the lobby.

After being seated, Chairman Yang instructed a maid to serve tea, saying, "This is local white tea from Zhangzhou; please have a taste."

The three of them picked up their teacups to taste. Li Lingsu and Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up, and they praised the tea. Mu Nanzhi took a sip and then gently put the cup down.

The worldly-wise and observant Chairman Yang noticed this detail but pretended not to see it.

I've heard that there are two ways to drink aged white tea: one involves "awakening" it, and the other doesn't. I just think this tea tastes good, but I don't know which method it belongs to.

Li Lingsu smiled.

At the same time, he transmitted his voice to Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi: "Yang Youde loves tea. Although I have a connection with the young lady of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce, the Crimson-Tailed Fierce Eagle is the lifeblood of the Chamber of Commerce. Without a token, it will be difficult to lend it out."

So this is a "business social engagement," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "I'm very good at this. Whether it's dealing with business in my previous life or the social engagements in the officialdom in the capital, this is my domain."

Unfortunately, one must maintain the persona of a wise and shrewd individual. If they appear too down-to-earth and mercenary, creating a stark contrast with their previous style, their persona will crumble.

Little Li, I'm leaving the task of accompanying the boss for drinks to you.

Chairman Yang smiled and began to introduce the white tea to Li Lingsu, who knew its value.

After they had finished talking, Li Lingsu coughed and said, "President Yang, I've come here today with a favor to ask."

Chairman Yang's smile remained unchanged as he said, "Whatever request Master Li has, as long as it's within my power, I will do my utmost to fulfill it."

I need to borrow three Red-tailed Falcons.

"."

President Yang stared at him blankly, his expression seeming to say: Can I take back what I just said?

"This, Master Li, the Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagle is the lifeblood of our chamber of commerce. Each one is purchased at great expense. Even I would be severely punished for lending it out without permission."

Li Lingsu smiled and said, "I know, that's why I came to see Chairman Yang this time to entrust you with transporting a shipment to Rou'er."

"Goods?"

"That's right, this cargo is me." Li Lingsu paused, then continued:

"The Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagles have limited load-bearing capacity; carrying two people is too slow, and they need to rest every hour. I need to borrow three. As the supervisor, you can send one more eagle to accompany us to Leizhou."

Flying with two people on your back and running with two people on your back are different concepts.

Chairman Yang smiled and shook his head, "The Crimson-Tailed Fierce Eagle is a spirit beast; only its master can keep it. Outsiders cannot ride it alone."

Xu Qi'an immediately replied, "I can handle that."

"You?" Chairman Yang stared at him, and the middle-aged man hesitated.

Although Master Li and the young lady have an extraordinary relationship, it's just a personal matter. What does it have to do with me? If the spirit beast is lost, he will be punished by headquarters.

There's no benefit to be gained, so it's not worth the risk.

However, this young Daoist priest with a perfect appearance has an ambiguous relationship with the young lady, who is destined to enter the decision-making level of the Chamber of Commerce in the future. It would not be worth offending him at this time.

At this moment, Mu Nanzhi's melodious voice said, "Lend us three spirit beasts, and I'll give you three packets of flower tea."

scented tea?

President Yang wondered if he had misheard, and was both amused and exasperated, unsure whether to call this woman naive or foolish.

A single Red-tailed Falcon costs three thousand taels of silver, and even then, it's priceless. Compared to the silver, the financial and emotional investment in raising and training it, as well as its rarity, are immeasurable.

Just as he was about to refuse, he saw this plain-looking woman extend her delicate white hand toward the equally plain-looking man.

The latter placed a brocade pouch in her palm. It is worth mentioning that this brocade pouch was stolen when she killed her cousin Ji Qian, and it contained more than a dozen Law Artifact, including cannons and ballistae.

Mu Nanzhi opened the brocade pouch, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out three exquisitely wrapped square paper packets.

She placed three packets of herbal tea on the coffee table next to Chairman Yang.

"Thank you for your kindness, young lady, but oh?"

Chairman Yang looked at the paper package. He sniffed and smelled the faint floral fragrance, sweet and lingering, which made his pores open and his heart feel refreshed.

Chairman Yang had never smelled such a wonderful aroma in his life.

He opened the paper package in surprise, and the sweet fragrance became even stronger. Inside were withered petals, some dark red, some yellowish-white, and some deep purple.

They each had their own fragrance, intertwining and blending together. Chairman Yang inhaled the fragrance, closed his eyes in enjoyment, as if he had entered a sea of flowers.

Li Lingsu twitched her nostrils and asked in astonishment, "What... what kind of flowers are these?"

Chairman Yang was slightly excited. "May I have a taste?"

Seeing the plain-looking woman nod, he immediately summoned a maid and told her to prepare flower tea. Then, changing his mind, he said:

"No, I'll soak here."

He feared that the maidservant would succumb to temptation and secretly drink it.

The maidservant obeyed and left, returning with a steaming copper kettle. She poured the kettle over the tea, and a thin stream of water flowed into the teacup, swirling and churning along the porcelain white wall.

Before long, the fragrance of flowers, along with the dense steam, filled the entire lobby.

Chairman Yang eagerly picked up his teacup, blew on it, took a small sip, his eyes lit up, and then he slowly closed them, silently savoring the moment.

After a long while, he opened his eyes and murmured, "This is the best tea I've ever drunk, the best tea ever."

In a mountain on the outskirts of the city.

A cavalry team sped along the wide mountain road toward the summit, kicking up a cloud of dust.

There was a sentry post every ten feet in the mountains, heavily guarded. After passing seven or eight checkpoints along the way, they arrived at the top of the mountain, where a cluster of buildings came into view.

Chairman Yang handed the horses to his subordinates and led Xu Qi'an and the others through the open gate, introducing them as follows:

"The Red-tailed Fierce Eagle is enormous; countless of them need air currents or high altitudes to take off from flat ground. Therefore, the Chamber of Commerce keeps the Red-tailed Fierce Eagles on the mountains."

It needs to rely on air currents. Hmm, taking off from a high place itself relies on air currents. It seems the eagle is a low-level spirit beast. Xu Qi'an looked into the distance and heard a powerful cry.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, one comes into view a row of independent wooden houses, each about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) high.

The door of the wooden house was wide open, and you could clearly see huge eagles standing inside. They were nearly three meters tall and looked similar to ordinary eagles, but their tail feathers were red.

Each giant eagle's talons were bound with thick shackles.

"They have an hour of free time each day, during which their handlers ride them through the air, rain or shine. If they don't fly one day, they become very irritable."

Chairman Yang talked as he walked, like a warm host:

"Zhangzhou is one of the granaries of the Great Feng, with fertile land. The headquarters raises ten Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagles here. Feeding them is a huge expense; these mythical beasts eat a lot. Therefore, an hour of exercise helps relieve their loneliness and also gives them confidence to hunt."

The way you talk is just like a big-time farmer on TV. Xu Qi'an sighed softly, "Zhangzhou, ah, this is the hometown of Lord Zheng."

When I return from Leizhou, I will go and pay my respects to Lord Zheng.

Soon, Chairman Yang selected four Red-tailed Fierce Eagles, which were accompanied by their handlers.

Some of the Crimson-tailed Fierce Eagles held their heads high, looking down on Xu Qi'an and his companions; some gazed at the sky at a 45-degree angle, as if contemplating the meaning of life; some spread their enormous wings, posing a threat; and some gently flapped their wings at their master as a sign of friendship, ignoring Xu Qi'an and his group.

Chairman Yang said helplessly:

That's how they are; they only recognize the people who raise them. In their eyes, their raisers are their servants, their maids.

Xu Qi'an glanced at the giant eagle that kept flapping its wings at its keeper, displaying an arrogant attitude of an older brother protecting his younger brother, and nodded:

"I can tell."

So how do you plan to ride them? Chairman Yang asked with a smile, looking curiously at the young man in blue.

Xu Qi'an raised his hand, bent his index finger, put it to his lips, and whistled loudly.

The four giant eagles simultaneously withdrew their gaze, their heads trembled, and their golden eagle eyes stared straight at Xu Qi'an.

The next moment, a scene that left everyone present speechless unfolded.

The giant eagles abandoned their keeper and strode toward Xu Qi'an, spreading their wings and shoving their companions as if afraid they would compete with them for his attention.

"This"

President Yang could not hide his shock; he had seen high-level cultivators use violence to subdue the Crimson-Tailed Fierce Eagle.

But I've never seen it so easy; a single whistle was enough to make all four spirit beasts kneel and fawn over each other.

The four keepers looked dejected, as if they were the ones who had been cheated on by their wives, their heads now covered in green.

"Is this... a technique of the Gu Clan?"

President Yang suddenly realized that as the president of the Chamber of Commerce, his caravans had traveled all over the country and were very experienced. Zhangzhou was in the southwest, and the Gu tribe in the Southern Frontier was also within the Chamber of Commerce's trade territory.

Xu Qi'an did not answer, but solemnly instructed:

"President Yang, my beloved horse will remain with you for the time being. Please ensure it is fed with high-quality feed and that no one else is allowed to ride it. I will settle the rental fee and the cost of caring for the horse with you."

"Good!"

Chairman Yang immediately agreed.

The capital city.

Wearing a black Daoist robe and a lotus crown, the beautiful but emotionless Bingyi Yuanjun hovered outside the capital city on her flying sword.

Looking down from the clouds, she saw laborers, militiamen, and stonemasons below, densely packed together, repairing the city wall.

More than a month has passed since Xu Yinluo's assassination of the emperor. Apart from the city walls still under repair, there are no traces of the battle anywhere else.

Yuanjun, with her pair of glassy blue eyes, withdrew her gaze and looked towards the Bureau of Astronomy.

Without being warned, she rode her flying sword, slicing through the sky, and landed on the Eight Trigrams Platform.

At the Eight Trigrams Platform, a woman in white and a woman in a yellow skirt sat.

The girl in the yellow dress crunched on nuts, occasionally taking a sip of fruit wine and letting out a satisfied "Aha!"

The white-robed supervisor sat silently to one side.

"Greetings, Supervisor."

Bingyi Yuanjun performed the Daoist ritual.

The girl in the yellow dress was startled, as if she had just noticed the uninvited guest, and hurriedly turned her head to look.

The old voice of the supervisor asked, "What brings you to the capital?"

"This humble Daoist priest seeks his disciple, Li Miaozhen."

"Leave the capital before dusk."

After the supervisor finished speaking, he ignored him.

Bingyi Yuanjun bowed again and rode away on her flying sword.

Riding on her flying sword, ignoring the scrutinizing gazes of everyone in the capital, Bingyi Yuanjun quickly locked onto a three-courtyard house, pressed the button on her flying sword without hesitation, and descended swiftly.

In the inner courtyard.

She saw a six or seven-year-old girl, a tiny little thing, carrying a stone table several times larger than herself, slowly wandering around the courtyard, as if she were honing her strength.

The little girl's face flushed red, her two light eyebrows stood on end, and her two short, bent legs trembled incessantly.

Beside them, a young girl from Southern Frontier with wheat-colored skin and bright blue eyes ate nuts and clapped her hands.

Another beautiful, mature woman watched anxiously, repeatedly muttering, "Be careful, be careful."

Bingyi Yuanjun descended into the courtyard, attracting the attention of two large and one small women.

Who are you?

The aunt stared at the beautiful Daoist nun whose age was impossible to discern, and felt as if she were an emotionless sculpture.

"This humble Daoist is the Heavenly Sect's Ice-Yi Primordial Sovereign."

The emotionless sculpture bowed respectfully. "This is Xu Yinluo's home."

The aunt nodded, thinking to herself that her unlucky nephew had gotten involved with another pretty girl.

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she blurted out, "Are you a fellow disciple of Daoist Li Miaozhen?"

Bingyi Yuanjun nodded. "It is indeed my disciple."

The aunt immediately became enthusiastic and greeted, "Please come in, Daoist priest."

After they entered the inner room, the aunt had her personal maid Lü'e, serve tea.

Bingyi Yuanjun looked at her aunt, her glassy eyes as still as a deep well, her voice soft but devoid of emotion:

"My apprentice is not at home."

The aunt sipped her tea and said, "Master Li left the capital several days ago."

Where did they go?

"I don't know, they only said he went traveling the world."

Bingyi Yuanjun nodded slowly and said softly, "Madam, may I ask you to tell me about what my unworthy disciple did in the capital?"

The aunt immediately began to rave about Li Miaozhen, just like when chatting with neighbors and praising each other's children.

"Master Li is kind-hearted and charitable, and has a chivalrous spirit. She is the most upright and warm-hearted female knight I have ever met. Ah, the Tianzong sect truly lives up to its reputation as a prestigious and righteous sect; the disciples they have taught are of impeccable character."

"With a small skill, you can distribute porridge to the poor; with a great skill, you can assist my nephew in killing the tyrannical emperor. Excellent, truly excellent!"

Bingyi Yuanjun's indifferent face grew even more expressionless as she rose to take her leave. "This humble Daoist has important matters to attend to and cannot linger any longer."

"I'll see the Daoist priest out."

Her aunt saw her out of the inner hall and watched as the other woman rode a flying sword and vanished into thin air.

"You seem a little unhappy?"

"My aunt muttered to herself."

Bingyi Yuanjun did not leave the capital immediately, but instead flew to Lingbao Temple on her sword.

As she flew into the imperial city and approached Lingbao Temple, a dazzling sword light suddenly slashed from the depths of the temple.

Bingyi Yuanjun's glass-like eyes froze slightly. She made the sword light betray its flight trajectory. The next moment, the sword light deviated on its own, slashing towards the sky and quickly disappearing.

Bingyi Yuanjun landed in a small courtyard deep within the Lingbao Temple.

The flowers and plants in the courtyard were withered, the rockery stood alone, and in the calm pond, a woman of unparalleled beauty sat cross-legged, wearing a lotus crown and a Daoist robe, with a dot of cinnabar between her eyebrows, like a fairy from the heavens.

Her beauty was ethereal and captivating, untouched by worldly dust.

Both were beautiful Daoist nuns, each with a unique charm that complemented the other.

"Junior Sister Luo, the Celestial Venerable asked me to convey a message to you: if you are given three years, can you advance to the first rank?"

Bingyi Yuanjun remained expressionless, her tone cold. "If you cannot reach the first rank within three years, you will only die in the Heavenly Tribulation. Rather than die in the Heavenly Tribulation, you would rather die at the hands of the Heavenly Venerable."

If Luo Yuheng hadn't known the character of the Tianzong Daoist, he would have thought that Bingyi Yuanjun was provoking him.

Luo Yuheng said calmly, "I will make a trip to the Heavenly Sect in three months to a year."

Bingyi Yuanjun remained expressionless and asked, "Are you confident you can overcome the tribulation?"

Luo Yuheng did not hide anything. "I have found dao companion, and soon we will be cultivating together. We will cultivate together for seven days every month, and within half a year, we will be able to transcend the Heavenly Tribulation."

"Excellent!"

Bingyi Yuanjun nodded. "Do you know where my disciple has gone?"

"I don't know. Your disciple has an extremely strong sense of justice and cannot tolerate any injustice. It's extremely difficult to get her to be completely detached from worldly affairs."

Luo Yuheng said with a hint of mockery, "Everyone knows the Flying Swallow Heroine, but not the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect. Rather than hoping she will inherit the Heavenly Sect's throne, it's better to hope for the Holy Son."

Bingyi Yuanjun slowly shook her head. "Miaozhen did indeed go astray, but the Holy Son has taken the wrong path."

What does this mean?

Bingyi Yuanjun did not answer.

Just as Bingyi Yuanjun went to the capital to search for her disobedient disciple Li Miaozhen, Daoist Xuancheng was also conducting on-site visits to the girls who had been slept with by his disobedient disciple Li Lingsu over the years.

Leizhou is located in the west, bordering the Western Regions, and is the westernmost prefecture of the Great Feng.

Leizhou covers a vast area, about twice the size of Yongzhou, but due to its abundant saline-alkali land and semi-arid climate, the soil is not fertile.

Therefore, the population was not as dense as in other prefectures. Furthermore, because Leizhou was the central hub for trade between Great Feng and the Western Regions, the wealthy areas were extremely rich, while the poor areas were struggling to make ends meet.

The gap between the rich and the poor is enormous.

The headquarters of the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce is located in the main city of Leizhou, which has a population of 800,000.

Xu Qi'an and Mu Nanzhi sat on the cushions. The latter, wearing a fox fur cloak, sat close to Xu Qi'an, looking down at Leizhou City with little interest.

She was wearing a protective robe that kept her warm, waterproof, and fireproof; it was one of the magical Law Artifact that Xu Qi'an had looted from the Bureau of Astronomy's inventory when he left the capital.

After a ten-day journey, they finally arrived in Leizhou. At first, Mu Nanzhi would excitedly shout "Wow!" when she looked down at the city, but later, after a few times, they became familiar with each other, and after seven times, they were like an old married couple with no excitement.

Four red-tailed eagles swept over Leizhou City and flew towards a mountain peak outside the city. They seemed to know the way and did not need a rider to control them.

That mountain peak is where the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce keeps its red-tailed eagles.

After a smooth landing, Li Lingsu summoned the person in charge of the Chamber of Commerce stationed at the "breeding farm" and said:

"I am Li Lingsu, a close friend of Wenren Qianrou. Please inform her that I am waiting for her here."

The person in charge received confirmation from the accompanying branch riders and immediately sent someone to Leizhou City to inform the young lady.

"What did you say was that young lady's name?"

Xu Qi'an beckoned Li Lingsu over and asked her the question.

"Wenren Qianrou."

Seeing his strange expression, the Holy Son asked, "What's the problem?"

Xu Qi'an frowned, not answering Li Lingsu, and fell into deep thought.

He felt the name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember it.

"I think I've heard of this name before, but I don't really know this young lady from the Leizhou Chamber of Commerce. But, but I have a feeling I know her."

He muttered to himself.

P. S.: Typos will be corrected later.