Chapter 36: Safeguarding the Interests of Our Guests Is Safeguarding the Interests of Our Establishment

"I never expected Shen Fang to deliver this letter in person."

Watching the prefect and his entourage depart, Liu Shuyue murmured to herself.

Chen Xuan chuckled. "Don't let his trembling demeanor fool you. He was quite certain you wouldn't kill him. In a way, that's a testament to your character."

"But he had no reason to come. The King of Qi surely has his own special envoys, unless he forcibly took this task upon himself."

"If he didn't make the trip himself, how could he confirm the status of the Immortal Master and the refugees?"

"Hmm?" Liu Shuyue cast an annoyed glance at him.

Chen Xuan laughed it off. "I mean, if life here were truly as dire as some say, there would be no need for him to continue dealing with us."

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean... his real purpose for coming wasn't to settle the remaining refugees?"

"That was likely just a secondary benefit. This way, he can maintain contact with you without angering the King of Qi—after all, as a local official, seeking a path of survival for the people is an irreproachable act of kindness." Chen Xuan paused. "As for his true purpose... honestly, I can't be certain. It’s merely a guess."

"I'm curious to hear it," Liu Shuyue said.

"You mentioned last time that the State of Luo might invade the State of Qi with the help of your senior sister, right?"

"Yes." At the mention of this, a shadow crossed Liu Shuyue’s face. "I truly don't understand why Senior Sister Lan Qin would do such a thing. War only brings suffering to the people; disciples of the sect should strive to prevent it. I sent her a message, but she hasn't replied to me once."

*Perhaps the Lotus Cloud Sect simply doesn't care about the squabbles of the mortal realm,* Chen Xuan thought, but he kept it to himself.

"Do you think the State of Qi can win?"

"Eh?" Liu Shuyue was stunned. She clearly hadn't considered such a question. "That... that depends on the national strength, the armies, and the caliber of the generals on both sides. The use of sorcery and cultivators is also vital. But if Senior Sister enters the fray directly..."

"Qi is more likely to lose than win, correct?" Chen Xuan took up the thread. "Shen Fang has likely considered this possibility as well."

"He's worried about the King of Qi losing the war?"

"Qingzhou shares a direct border with the State of Luo; the chances of it becoming a battlefield are high. If they truly can't win, where can Prefect Zhang Wei go? Unless he wants to die for his country, he needs to secure a retreat for himself now... If Spicy Village can establish itself, it would be a fine choice."

That phrase "a true sanctuary" likely referred not only to a place for the refugees but also to a refuge from the threat of war.

Chen Xuan had let Shen Fang into the village and suggested that Liu Shuyue treat him with the etiquette reserved for official envoys with this very consideration in mind. If Spicy Village was to get on the right track, it was only a matter of time before it established ties with the outside world.

Liu Shuyue sighed softly. "You truly think deeper than I do."

"That’s because you’ve spent most of your time fighting demons," Chen Xuan replied dismissively. "And this is just my conjecture, as Shen Fang doesn't strike me as a man of blind loyalty."

She didn't respond, instead gazing toward the north, lost in thought. Seeing her like this, Chen Xuan couldn't help but sigh.

***

"You aren't planning to save that Liu family, are you?"

"I... how could I?" Liu Shuyue was startled. "They fabricated a relationship with the Lotus Cloud Sect and coveted benefits that didn't belong to them; that is why they brought this disaster upon themselves!"

"Indeed," Chen Xuan agreed.

Yet, after a moment, she added with a hint of reluctance, "But to be wiped out for a lie is a punishment far too severe. The Liu family doesn't deserve such a fate. And what of the residents where the Liu family resides? What crime have they committed? If the King of Qi intends to implicate them all—that’s hundreds of thousands of people... could he really bring himself to do it?"

"Hard to say. What if he really does?"

"Then I’m afraid I cannot stand idly by." Liu Shuyue clenched her fists subconsciously. "Those commoners are innocent. I cannot let them face total annihilation because of a rumor concerning me."

*I knew it.*

Chen Xuan was not surprised by this answer. When Liu Shuyue had suddenly fallen silent earlier, he had already understood what she was thinking.

"Have you considered that this might be a trap aimed at you?"

If Liu Shuyue were to bind her own hands and beg for mercy from the King of Qi, that would naturally be the result the latter would most like to see. Even if she didn't, the trap could be used to lure her to Yunzhou and capture her. As the ruler of Qi, the King certainly knew the origins of the Advisor Immortal, and the Liu family was simply in the line of fire.

Liu Shuyue nodded slowly. "He is certain I cannot bear to watch hundreds of thousands of innocents die for my sake, which is why he uses them as a bargaining chip to threaten me. But—"

Chen Xuan waited quietly for the rest of her sentence.

"But if I truly don't go, wouldn't I be no better than those predecessors of the Lotus Cloud Sect who vanished without a trace?"

"Sect... predecessors?" Chen Xuan hadn't expected her to say this.

"Like me, they left the sect burdened with the duty to save the world and help the people, yet in the end, none of them succeeded. They disappeared, and the lives of the people in the six states saw no fundamental change. I do not wish to follow in their footsteps."

Liu Shuyue turned to look at Chen Xuan. "This matter may be a trap, but it might not be enough to hold me. The King of Qi doesn't know that I am no longer the person I once was. Many things were impossible for me to achieve alone in the past, but today, things are different."

"Chen Xuan," she reached out her hand, "will you continue to lend me your strength?"

"Of course. Serving VIP clients is our shop's consistent principle." Chen Xuan took her hand.

Upon hearing this reply, Liu Shuyue's expression eased significantly.

"Do you have a plan, then?" he asked.

"For now... not yet. But I want to go to Yunzhou as soon as possible, before the news reaches the royal capital. If the Liu family realizes their mistake and takes the initiative to clarify those lies, the King of Qi will have one less excuse."

"If the King of Qi truly remains stubborn and insists on harming the local people... then he will have no humanity left." Liu Shuyue's tone grew firm. "To me, he would be no different from a demon."

After dealing with the matters regarding Shen Fang, she gathered all the villagers to begin a new round of ability adjustment. Ordinary people bathed in dragon blood not only gained the ability to sense energy but also had a chance to awaken innate talents.

This was because sensing energy itself was a mutation that reshaped the flesh and blood of living beings, both human and beast. The difference was that beasts had no other techniques to learn and could only focus on cultivating their innate abilities. Because it was an innate awakening, the ability one gained was purely a matter of luck. For instance, if someone was skilled in combat, but their innate ability was healing, there was nothing to be done about it in the past. Thus, practitioners usually emphasized the importance of disciplined study, with sensing energy serving only as an entry qualification.

But Chen Xuan's appearance had changed this reality.

"Duan Zhengquan, member of the hunting team!" A tall man walked up to Chen Xuan, sat cross-legged, and bowed solemnly with clasped hands. "I leave it to you, Shopkeeper!"

Chen Xuan pointed his scanner at his forehead.

"Not bad, you've got a new ability."

"Let me see." Liu Shuyue leaned in close to him, close enough that he could smell the sweet-scented osmanthus in her hair.

The screen displayed: [Human Calculator] LV1.

Below it was a note: *It can be called a walking abacus; but in the end, it is still just an abacus.*

"Not a combat ability, but it’s quite good for someone in charge of bookkeeping," Chen Xuan commented.

Upon hearing that it wasn't related to combat, Duan Zhengquan looked disappointed.

"Then let's swap it with the member of the logistics team who awakened an ability last time—I believe his name was Wang Shitou." Liu Shuyue immediately called the latter over and swapped the [Swift as the Wind] ability on his body with [Human Calculator].

At the end, she didn't forget to admonish him, "Even if running fast isn't a combat ability, it can be used to great effect when combined with Spirit Sword techniques to rapidly close in on an enemy. Also, don't forget that diligent study is the most important thing; don't be discouraged by the weakness of an innate talent."

"Yes! I will follow your teachings, Immortal Master!" Duan Zhengquan replied respectfully.

"Next."

For Chen Xuan, Spicy Village was a massive treasure trove. Even if his inventory didn't grow, every successful transaction brought at least 2 points of performance, which was why he was willing to maintain close cooperation with Liu Shuyue. Providing long-term service to thirty thousand potential secondary clients was an opportunity that didn't come by every day. In fact, he had gained 450 performance points from the first adjustment meeting alone—a level of efficiency exceeding all his previous business combined.

Moreover, these villagers who had crossed the threshold of cultivation possessed more than just innate talents. As they continued to grow and improve, they would master more and more spell abilities. Even if their upper limits were far below Liu Shuyue's, they still represented a steady stream of high-value returns.

With this, Chen Xuan had a clear goal: although Liu Shuyue was skilled, she was not necessarily adept at dealing with the conspiracies and schemes of her own kind. To ensure that his rights to free trade were not compromised, he could never allow others to threaten the safety of his VIP client—and the King of Great Qi was no exception.