Pie in the Sky

Seeing that Yi Xuan had remained silent for so long, Young Master Li grew impatient. "What's there to think about? How many Spirit Stones do you want? Give me a straight answer, and I'll have someone bring them to you!"

Looking at the arrogant Young Master Li before him, Yi Xuan really had no way to resolve the situation.

His master was in seclusion, and Young Master Li's grandfather was in charge of the sect. It could be said that if the Azure Cloud Sect's enforcement elder ranked second right now, no one would dare claim to be first.

The grand elder in the back mountains had once been able to keep the enforcement elder in check, since the grand elder was at the Nascent Soul Realm. But the enforcement elder had also broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm not long ago. Now that the enforcement elder was at the same realm, the grand elder probably wouldn't feel comfortable interfering too much.

Besides, Yi Xuan was only a minor cultivator at the Qi Refining Realm, and a Rootless Person at that. What right did he have to ask the grand elder to stand up for him?

After turning it over and over, Yi Xuan realized that whether he compared their backgrounds or strength, tried to reason with him, or anything else, he was utterly defeated on every front.

Fortunately, Yi Xuan wasn't a hothead. He planned to placate Young Master Li for now. As long as he bought enough time, he could always come up with a solution.

Young Master Li could already imagine Yi Xuan flying into a rage out of humiliation over this, perhaps even attacking him.

Young Master Li had deliberately brought a Golden Core Realm Attendant from his Lineage along when he left home. If Yi Xuan attacked, he would only be asking for trouble.

Young Master Li could almost see the Golden Core expert pinning Yi Xuan underfoot and forcing the method of making grenades out of him. The thought of it made him extremely excited.

Yet there wasn't the slightest trace of anger on Yi Xuan's face. Instead, he was looking at Young Master Li with a broad smile.

Since Yi Xuan had greeted him with a smile, Young Master Li couldn't very well tell the Golden Core expert to act, but he couldn't just keep waiting like this either. So he asked again, "Stop smiling. What do you think of my proposal? Give me a straight answer."

"Young Master Li! There's no rush! It's my good fortune that you've taken a fancy to this little thing of mine! Leaving everything else aside, would you be short of the few Spirit Stones my little business makes? Of course not. You saw how hard I worked making these things and gave me a way to settle everything once and for all. I'd get the money and wouldn't have to work myself so hard anymore!"

Young Master Li nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right to see it that way. So you agree? Then name your price. What you just said made me very happy. No matter how much you ask, I won't bargain!"

Yi Xuan continued, "Then I must thank you, Young Master Li! But look, isn't it almost noon? My little product may not look like much, but this is still a business deal. Why don't I play host and treat everyone to a simple meal? Then I can discuss this matter with you in detail, Young Master?"

A spoiled young master like Li wasn't afraid of people standing up to him, but he was helpless when people waited on him hand and foot. A few flattering words from Yi Xuan were enough to leave his head spinning. When he heard that Yi Xuan wanted to treat him to a meal, he readily agreed.

Yi Xuan could also use the time before the meal to think carefully about a solution.

After excusing himself to Young Master Li, Yi Xuan returned to the courtyard. When Liang Shi saw him come in, he hurried over and said, "Sir! They stopped me just as I was leaving the alley this morning. They seemed to know your home was in the alley and brought me straight here. Are you all right, sir?"

Seeing how anxious Liang Shi was, Yi Xuan smiled. "What could have happened to me? Those people are all my friends. They were just playing around with you earlier! Anyway, I'm going out with them for lunch, so you can leave now. They won't bother you again. Remember to deliver today's goods to the customer after you eat!"

Still somewhat uneasy, Liang Shi looked at the smile on Yi Xuan's face and walked out of the courtyard, looking back every few steps. Once he was outside, the group indeed didn't stop him again, and Liang Shi raced out of the alley.

Yi Xuan changed his clothes and took Young Master Li and the others to the largest restaurant in the city, the Ascend to Immortality Abode.

A waiter led them into a private room, and Yi Xuan tossed him a Low-Grade Spirit Stone. "Thanks for your work! Bring us the best dishes and wine in the house. Young Master Li is my honored guest today! Don't try to save me money. As long as you take good care of Young Master Li, there'll be a reward for you afterward!"

The waiter had never seen a customer give a Low-Grade Spirit Stone as a tip right off the bat. He was so astonished he couldn't speak, and could only nod repeatedly at Yi Xuan's instructions.

Before long, dish after lavish-looking dish was brought in.

Most of the people Young Master Li had brought stayed outside the door. Only that lackey followed them in to attend to Yi Xuan and Young Master Li.

The food at the Ascend to Immortality Abode really was excellent, and Yi Xuan's eyes lit up as he ate. He had thought the food at the little tavern he used to frequent was already superb, but compared with the dishes here, one was on earth and the other in heaven.

Young Master Li, on the other hand, ate nonstop and was also very pleased with the food, but he didn't look as though he had never seen the world like Yi Xuan did. He presumably came here often.

After three rounds of drinks, Yi Xuan took the initiative to bring up the grenades before Young Master Li could speak. "Young Master Li, since you've done me the honor of sharing this meal, there are some things I have to tell you!"

"What is it?" Young Master Li asked curiously.

"I've wanted to get out of the grenade business for a long time!"

"Why? I heard a single grenade sells for one hundred and ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Why would you want to give up such a profitable business?"

"Ai!" Yi Xuan sighed and explained, "You only know the price is high, but you don't know the cost is even higher."

"Tell me more!"

Seeing that he had piqued Young Master Li's interest, Yi Xuan continued, "Each grenade basically costs one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones to make!"

Young Master Li thought for a moment. "That is rather high. There's only a profit of ten Spirit Stones on each grenade, but if you sold enough of them, the income still wouldn't be low."

Yi Xuan shook his head. "You're oversimplifying things. Since you came looking for me, you must have asked around. Do you know why I only sell thirty a day? It's not that I don't want to sell more. I can only make thirty!"

"In that case, why not recruit more people to help make them?"

"That won't work either! It doesn't depend on manpower, but on a special artifact-refining furnace I made. Without one of those furnaces, even I couldn't make a grenade myself!"

"Then make more artifact-refining furnaces!"

"That's the problem. I don't have the money! Do you know how much one furnace costs? Ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. It may look like my business takes in a lot every day, but that's all spent on materials. Where am I supposed to get ten thousand Spirit Stones?"

With that, Yi Xuan sighed. "If I had enough Spirit Stones to make more artifact-refining furnaces, forget just the Azure Cloud Sect—I could sell grenades throughout the Southern Frontier! By then, even if the profit was only ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones per grenade, a day's income would be no less than the price of a furnace!"

"Wouldn't that be ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones a day?" Young Master Li was startled by Yi Xuan's words.

Seeing how shocked Young Master Li was, Yi Xuan laughed inwardly. Let's see if this pie I've painted for you doesn't stuff you to death!