Chapter 44

At the end of the duel, when Dangmu Xiancheng's daughter staggered, it felt as if the nightmare of that day was piercing his temples with a skewer.

He couldn't help but cry out, questioning whether the principles of righteousness and harmony that the Bai Dao martial world must uphold should force even a wounded child onto the dueling platform, and whether it had to be this way.

Jin Jige stared at Dangmu Xiancheng's memorial tablet and closed his eyes. The tablet said nothing.

There was no thunder, no sudden earthquake, no ghostly voice condemning him.

It was just quiet, so quiet that the sound of incense burning in the shrine could be heard.

Jin Jige swallowed the many words rising in his throat, including the question of whether he regretted it.

How could he not regret it, having burned the time he could have spent with his family to prove himself?

"…Do you not resent it?"

Jin Jige asked.

The question, which omitted who was being resented, prompted Weizhicheng to step forward, burn incense, and gaze quietly at the rising smoke.

"Can there be no resentment in life? Still, it's fine."

Weizhicheng did not specify who he resented. The incense burned for a long time.

* * *

"This is what turning a crisis into an opportunity looks like."

Jian Yanzhao said, even clapping his hands.

Jian Yanzhao, who had observed the duel, had tried not to show his tension throughout, and after Lian won with ease, he had to try not to smile.

After the people from the Jin Family Manor left, he seriously observed Lian, the boy servant, and the young Taoist from the Kunlun Sect playing in a corner of the inner courtyard.

"Perhaps it was a fairy who brought him up and then let him go?"

"What are you talking about, my friend?"

Dangmu Tianji's tone suggested that he found the idea absurd, but he couldn't completely hide his pride, even with his eyes closed and lips tightly pressed.

"Do you know how Jin Jige raised his only son? The medicinal herbs suitable for children of that age have probably all been absorbed by the Jin Family Manor."

"Is that so?"

"Even though he hasn't yet awakened his cultivation method, if you consider what's inside him, he's like a small dragon."

Against such a boy, Lian won easily and simply, as if a teacher was instructing a young child.

Dangmu Tianji, trying to suppress the pride swelling in his chest, cleared his throat.

"So why are you talking about fairies and such? Rather, talk about your third son. Isn't he going to take the imperial examination? Do you have time to loiter here?"

"Is the exam for him or for me? As long as I provide the money, that's all I need to do."

Though he said this, Jian Yanzhao's cheeks were raised high.

Just passing the provincial examination would be a source of glory for generations, let alone winning the top place!

Praising one's child is something one can never get tired of, no matter how many times it is said.

"And if he really passes the metropolitan examination, what will you do? If this boy says he wants to leave Hangzhou and serve as an official in Beijing, it would be a waste of money, and I doubt he has even considered such a thing."

Dangmu Tianji burst out laughing at this exaggerated praise of his child.

"It's a good thing for Lian to have an uncle in Beijing. Let the boy do as he pleases!"

"Is it only good for you, sir?"

Jian Yanzhao, having thoroughly enjoyed boasting about his child, slowly straightened his back. Talking about his brother and his children was very enjoyable, but that wasn't his purpose.

"Thus, the sales of Qinglianshu have skyrocketed. Have you heard the news?"

He had heard it. He knew that his granddaughter had been busy for a week making and supplying the product, but Dangmu Tianji only pretended not to know, clearing his throat.

"Would the sale of a small item from a shop cause such a stir in the family?"

"It's not a small item from a shop; it's something made by a baby in this family. And it's selling in enormous quantities. This could change the list of Hangzhou's richest people."

"Is it that serious?"

"See, you can't talk about money with martial artists…"

Jian Yanzhao clicked his tongue playfully and then became serious.

"If it's said that drinking Qinglianshu increased one's inner strength by a decade, wouldn't all the martial artists in the world rush to buy it? For those preparing for the imperial examinations, it's like a miraculous drug. It's bound to sell like crazy."

"But it doesn't really have that effect, does it?"

"Of course it does. My son used it and won the top place. It clears the mind, eliminates distractions, helps you sleep well, and wake up refreshed. Is there any other medicine like that in the world?"

"Just because it does that doesn't mean everyone will win the top place."

"That's the user's fault. Besides, Qinglianshu was already rumored to be a cure-all. Our shop clerks and managers have already stockpiled it."

Jian Yanzhao was smooth as silk. Dangmu Tianji shook his head and changed the subject.

"…Even if the price is high and it's rare, it should still sell a lot?"

"Indeed, the sales of pure Qinglianshu have soared. The noble families are buying it with eyes wide open. Lian was right."

─ 'If it's said that using Qinglianshu led to winning the top place, people will come with a tael of gold for a bottle, won't they?'

Jian Yanzhao recalled how the manager of Li Hua Zhan had initially offered five silver taels for a batch of Qinglianshu but sent someone yesterday to raise the price to a tael of gold.

All of this was due to Lian's decision to entrust Qinglianshu to Wei Xue. Not to his first or second son, but to his third son, who was not involved in the family business.

Now that girl had defeated the heir of the Jin Family Manor.

Jian Yanzhao realized that the sharp intuition that had made him a successful merchant was now focused on that girl.

Her innocent face was a perfect replica of her mother, but when he heard her laugh, he was reminded of the young Dangmu Xiancheng he had once seen.

Does the sky take one thing and give another…?

"Hmm. Your third son, who has achieved the top place, is impressive, and your second son has been working hard lately. Why are you taking credit for it?"

"It's my children's business, so it's my business."

Jian Yanzhao, while saying this, thought of his second son.

He was always clear and cold in his dealings, and Jian Yanzhao didn't pay much attention to him because he could handle any task well. However, he was impressed by how he had recently taken care of his older and younger brothers.

Thinking about his first son again made his chest feel tight. While his second son was trying to make a man out of his older brother, using even the Heitianlian people, his first son was still not pulling himself together…

While Jian Yanzhao was pondering his second son, Dangmu Tianji said,

"Don't fill Lian with false hopes."

Jian Yanzhao raised his eyebrows.

"What false hopes are you talking about? Surely Lian won't become arrogant just because Qinglianshu is selling well? You tend to be too strict with the child."

Dangmu Tianji, about to say something, waved his hand instead.

Right now, Lian, who had defeated Jin Zhongha, cannot cultivate inner strength.

He was worried that Lian might prematurely withdraw from the family business and focus only on the commercial side.

He knew that earning money and maintaining a living were important, but seeing the current situation, he realized that his granddaughter had talent, even if it was just luck or coincidence.

"Ah."

"Hmm? Why?"

Dangmu Tianji waved his hand, saying it was nothing.

He had just realized where his heart was leaning.

* * *

On a night with the moon rising and the sound of insects chirping, Lian, upon hearing that Dangmu Tianji had suddenly called for him, put down the ledger he was reading and headed to his quarters.

"Don't overdo it."

Lian only smiled, but Dangmu Tianji knew what he had been looking at all this time.

"Maintaining a living is a noble endeavor, but it's not urgent. The most important thing is you yourself."

"I will keep your words in mind, Grandfather."

Lian nodded in agreement.

"Phew. You've been making Qinglianshu for a week, and now you're saying you'll keep my words in mind?"

"Hehehe…"

Lian smiled innocently, but Dangmu Tianji couldn't do the same.

He had already received a report from Xue Guanxi, the head of the Zaijing Pavilion, about what Lian intended to do with the money he had earned from Qinglianshu, in clear detail.

"…What do you think of Ye Yun?"

"Ye Yun? He's really smart."

Though the topic of Ye Yun was sudden, Lian answered without hesitation.

"I understand why Grandmaster Tai Xu wants to place Ye Yun under the senior master."

With such talent and effort, it was understandable that the grandmaster would want to nurture him into the top disciple of the Kunlun Sect and the next grandmaster.