Chapter Seventeen: Not Short of Money

After some persuasion, Li Fusheng finally agreed not to follow Wang Changsheng anymore, which made Wang Changsheng let out a long sigh of relief.

Watching Li Fusheng leave, Fang Qing asked in confusion, “Senior Brother, if we mention your name at the Imperial Capital’s Grand Restaurant, can we really get a discount?”

Wang Changsheng was startled, then asked, “Is there really an Imperial Capital’s Grand Restaurant?”

Fang Qing nodded, seeming to understand something.

“There really is one!” Wang Changsheng laughed. “I don’t know if mentioning my name will get you a discount, but I’m sure it’ll get you a beating.”

After arriving in the Cloudpeak Empire, Wang Changsheng had been staying in Fang Qing’s courtyard, completely unaware if the Grand Restaurant existed. He had merely made up the name to trick Li Fusheng into leaving, never expecting it to actually be real.

Wang Changsheng didn’t know, but Fang Qing did, and instantly grasped the implication.

“Let’s hope Elder Li will figure it out,” Fang Qing said with a bitter smile. “The Grand Restaurant in the capital is no simple place!”

“It doesn’t matter!” Wang Changsheng smiled. “With his strength in the Heavenly Realm, there aren’t many who could do anything to him!”

“By the way, besides the cave, is there anywhere suitable for secluded cultivation?” Wang Changsheng asked. “Preferably somewhere with dense spiritual energy! These hundred spirit stones should be enough for the two of us to cultivate for a while. Breaking through our current realms shouldn’t be a problem!”

Hearing this, Fang Qing was surprised and asked, “Senior Brother, you mean we’ll use these spirit stones to cultivate together?”

“Of course,” Wang Changsheng said. “If you break through to the Meridian Opening Realm, we can think of a way to return to the Shen Tian Realm!”

Fang Qing appeared thoughtful. “Senior Brother, I’m not quite ready to leave yet.”

“We can talk about that later,” Wang Changsheng said seriously. “I reckon that even if we both break through to the Meridian Opening Realm, we probably won’t be able to return right away.”

Then Fang Qing led Wang Changsheng to the place where he usually cultivated.

In a remote mountain forest, surrounded by towering peaks.

“Senior Brother, I usually retreat here. It’s quiet and undisturbed,” Fang Qing said, pointing to a cave not far away. “There are enough supplies inside for one person to live here for three years.”

“Hmm!” Wang Changsheng nodded. “It’s a good place.”

Though the spiritual energy wasn’t as abundant as in the mysterious canyon, it was still much better than ordinary places. Most importantly, it was remote and unlikely to be disturbed.

Wang Changsheng handed thirty spirit stones to Fang Qing. “These should be enough for you to break through to the Meridian Opening Realm!”

Clutching the spirit stones, Fang Qing’s face showed excitement.

“Thank you, Senior Brother!” Fang Qing said gratefully.

Before this, Fang Qing might have hesitated to break through, since as the Empire’s Grand General, advancing would mean he could no longer fight on the battlefield. But after witnessing the overwhelming power of those in the mysterious canyon—who could dominate with mere presence—Fang Qing rekindled his desire for strength.

Wang Changsheng didn’t choose to cultivate in the cave, but instead picked a secluded spot, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing spiritual energy from the stones.

The spirit stones he used weren’t the inferior ones borrowed from Li Fusheng, but mid-grade stones left by his father. He still had one left after breaking through to the Meridian Opening Realm; Wang Changsheng estimated that absorbing the remaining energy would let him advance to the second layer of the Meridian Opening Realm.

Time in cultivation always slips by swiftly. Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and after absorbing the last of the spiritual energy, Wang Changsheng found he had not yet reached the second layer.

“Just a bit more!” Wang Changsheng muttered. “Absorbing one more inferior spirit stone should do it!”

The Meridian Opening Realm was merely the first step into the ranks of cultivators. It required no profound understanding—just continuously channeling spiritual energy to expand one’s meridians, allowing them to store more true energy, which was the method of cultivation for this realm.

Of course, powerful cultivation techniques could speed up the process of tempering the meridians.

This was also why, before obtaining the second diagram of the Longevity Technique, Wang Changsheng had been unable to break through.

“Hahaha…”

Just as Wang Changsheng was about to continue cultivating, a loud voice echoed in his ears.

“This Fang Qing’s aptitude is astonishing—to break through in such a short time…”

With that, Wang Changsheng disappeared from his spot and leaped toward Fang Qing.

“Congratulations, Junior Brother!” Wang Changsheng said with a smile.

Fang Qing was beaming, and clasped his hands in thanks. “I must thank Senior Brother for the spirit stones!”

He took out ten spirit stones and handed them to Wang Changsheng. “These are the leftovers after my breakthrough. I’ll return them to you, Senior Brother!”

Wang Changsheng did not take them, saying, “You keep these, Junior Brother, and use them to consolidate your current realm.”

Fang Qing did not insist and put the stones away.

After some discussion, the two decided to continue cultivating here. Fang Qing would stabilize his realm, and they would return only after Wang Changsheng reached the second layer.

Back in his secluded spot, Wang Changsheng resumed cultivating with his spirit stones.

Yet he couldn’t help feeling that Fang Qing’s aptitude was unnaturally high. When Wang Changsheng had advanced from the peak of Qi Refining to the Meridian Opening Realm, it had taken him nearly two years—even with mid-grade spirit stones.

Fang Qing, on the other hand, needed just three months and twenty inferior spirit stones to break through.

By comparison, Wang Changsheng felt Fang Qing’s talent was extraordinary.

However, Wang Changsheng noticed something else: though they were both at the first layer, his accumulation of true energy seemed much deeper than Fang Qing’s.

This was merely a feeling, not yet confirmed.

No time to dwell on it, Wang Changsheng immersed himself in cultivation again.

...

“This Cloudpeak Empire truly is remarkable—no wonder those women managed to establish it. Their governance is indeed orderly!”

At the gates of the capital of Cloudpeak Empire, a cultivator stood, looking at the city with a lewd expression.

“No loitering outside the gates!”

Upon hearing the shout, the cultivator strode toward the gate, only to be stopped before entering.

“Entry fee—ten taels of silver!” the gate guard said expressionlessly.

The cultivator was startled, but didn’t care. He pulled out a silver ingot and, with his nose in the air, said, “No need for change—consider it charity!”

With that, he swaggered into the capital.

If Wang Changsheng were here, he’d instantly recognize the cultivator with his nose in the air—it was none other than Li Fusheng.

Li Fusheng entered the capital and immediately grabbed a passerby. “Excuse me, could you tell me where the Grand Restaurant is?”

The passerby looked at Li Fusheng as if he were an idiot, which made Li Fusheng uncomfortable.

Just as Li Fusheng was about to lose his temper, the passerby pointed behind him. “Could you lower your nose a bit and see what’s right there!”

Li Fusheng looked carefully and instantly understood why the passerby had looked at him that way.

The Grand Restaurant was right behind Li Fusheng, its enormous sign plainly visible, yet he’d failed to notice and went around asking.

“Hmph, that Wang Changsheng didn’t even tell me the Grand Restaurant was right here. When I find him, I’ll make sure he pays for this!” Li Fusheng grumbled.

Once again, Wang Changsheng unwittingly bore the blame for Li Fusheng’s nose-in-the-air antics.

“It’s quite luxuriously decorated,” Li Fusheng said softly as he stepped inside.

Immediately, an attendant greeted him. “Please, sir, take a seat upstairs!”

“No need, I’ll sit downstairs. Give me the spot right in the center!” Li Fusheng waved grandly.

The attendant was momentarily stunned, then arranged a table for Li Fusheng in the exact center of the main hall.

“What would you like, sir?” the attendant asked.

Li Fusheng looked around at the many patrons and, with his nose in the air, declared, “Bring me one of every dish your restaurant offers!”

“Certainly, sir…” the attendant replied with enthusiasm, then hesitated and asked, “Sir, do you mean one dish, or one of each?”

“Hmm?”

Smack!

Li Fusheng slapped the table hard, drawing everyone’s attention in the hall. Then he said to the attendant, “Didn’t you hear me? Bring me one of every dish on your menu!”

“Sir… Sir…” The attendant’s face fell. “Please, don’t joke with me. We have over three thousand dishes… If we bring them all, there won’t be room in here…”

“So many?” Li Fusheng was surprised, then said, “Forget it. Bring me your ten most expensive dishes! And a good jug of wine!”

“The most expensive ones?!” the attendant asked incredulously.

Li Fusheng was unaware of the prices, but the attendant certainly was—ordering the ten most expensive dishes could bankrupt a small or medium family!

“Yes, the most expensive!” Li Fusheng said, basking in the envious gazes of those around him. “Li the Benevolent isn’t short on coins!”

“Very well…”

The attendant could only comply. Since the guest had ordered, all he had to do was inform the kitchen. Whether Li Fusheng could pay was not his concern.

Li Fusheng sat in the center of the hall, savoring the envy around him. The story had already spread throughout the Grand Restaurant, even the guests upstairs in the private rooms were peering down into the hall, watching Li Fusheng.

“Choosing the center of the hall was wise—had I chosen a private room, I’d never have had this opportunity!” Li Fusheng murmured to himself, closing his eyes and basking in the murmurs around him.