118: Chapter 116 Bai Youlan

“Young Master Li, you jest. This small temple cannot accommodate a great Buddha like you.”

Jiang Hanwen casually took a wooden box from behind him and poured the Spiritual Qi-infused spring water from the box into the teapot.

Now, he had shed his aged disguise, restored his youthful appearance from his previous life, and adopted the alias Jiang Liu. He spent his days comfortably, collecting information and Cultivation Techniques while earning money to Cultivate.

“Shopkeeper, my father said you came here to avoid trouble and live in seclusion.

Aren’t you afraid of being exposed and targeted by your enemies? Why not join my Li family? It’s better to stick together than to be alone.”

Li Minzhong stared intently at Jiang Hanwen, his face full of anticipation.

“Are you still drinking? This is already the two hundred thirty-eighth time you’ve asked me?” Jiang Hanwen responded with a question, a smile playing on his lips.

“Hehe, the shopkeeper truly understands me.” With a hearty laugh, Li Minzhong downed the tea in his cup and pushed the cup forward, showing no shame but rather pride, and said cheerfully:

“My Qi Induction Breakthrough isn’t a big problem, but the Condensing Spring realm is too difficult.

If I don’t have a good excuse, my father would never let me wander around. How else would I get to drink such good tea? One must enjoy life while they can.

Shopkeeper, I’m helping you not be corrupted by worldly possessions, so you can achieve an early Breakthrough and seek revenge on your enemies.”

“As you wish, but it’s ten taels a cup.” Jiang Hanwen grinned. This Li Minzhong was quite a character. He was clearly gifted, reaching Mortal Shedding eighth layer at twenty-four. Let alone Qi Induction, even Condensing Spring wouldn’t be a problem, yet he was incredibly lazy and disliked to Cultivate.

Since visiting him a year ago, he had been like a stubborn plaster, coming almost every day unless it was raining or thundering. Each time, he would tell his family that he needed to use sincerity to persuade him to become a Guest Elder for the Li family.

Once he arrived, he would turn around and advise him how dangerous it was to be a Guest Elder, and that he had been busy catching Spirit Beasts in the mountains recently, resulting in several Qi Induction practitioners being seriously injured.

“Shopkeeper, with our relationship, can I get one free guidance for the ‘Hundred Transformations Hand’ I bought from you last time?”

Jiang Hanwen raised the teapot, and Li Minzhong immediately handed over his teacup.

“Young Master Li, don’t you get tired of coming up with a reason for every cup of tea you drink?”

“Shopkeeper, don’t blame me! Who told you that the tea you brew is different from others? It’s like taking that kind of medicine, you know.” The young man raised his thick eyebrows and gave a look that all men would understand.

Jiang Hanwen smiled helplessly. This kid really knew how to describe things. He should prepare some chili water for him to spice things up.

Calming tea leaves, combined with spring water nourished by the Spirit Rain Technique, and his unique brewing method—how could the tea not be delicious?

...After six cups, Li Minzhong dared not drink anymore. He only had sixty taels in his pocket today, which was the most he had brought in the past half month.

“Shopkeeper, business is here!” Li Minzhong suddenly looked at the first floor and laughed.

Jiang Hanwen looked down. Two teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen, stomped up the stairs, walking straight towards Jiang Hanwen with an air that suggested they were ready for a fight.

The two walked up to Jiang Hanwen and cupped their hands: “Senior Jiang.”

Li Minzhong, like a small attendant soliciting customers, pointed to the sign next to him.

“Here, look!”

The sign read: “Cultivation Techniques from this bookshop, one guidance session, fifty taels of silver.”

“Senior Jiang, my brother and I have different views on ‘Cloud Stream Sword Art.’ We hope you can give us some guidance.”

The one on the left had just put down a gold ingot. Li Minzhong, ever the familiar one, immediately reached out to test its quality and weight, then held up four fingers to Jiang Hanwen:

“Shopkeeper, two hundred taels, a full amount!”

“Go to the backyard, I’ll take a look.” Jiang Hanwen nodded, secretly pleased.

Outsiders only knew that he could charge for guidance on any Cultivation Technique sold in his bookshop, and that he was a Senior in hiding who was very short on money.

But these people didn’t know that for every thousand readers, there are a thousand Hamlets.

Even the same Cultivation Technique could have different effects in different people’s hands.

Rather than saying he guided others, it was more accurate to say he used a fluid template to deal with everyone, but in turn, absorbed each person’s insights into the Cultivation Technique to increase his own foundation.

There was no other way. It had been three years, and he still hadn’t found any Cultivation Techniques related to Qi and blood. He could only advance using a clumsy method. Although this method was slow, it was effective.

In a sense, the entire Great Village was feeding him moves, and his progress was quite good.

As for the Cultivation Techniques in the bookshop, half were ones he bought, and half were ones he created based on the blueprints from the manor.

With two guidance sessions per person, Jiang Hanwen was in a good mood. He slowly returned to the second floor, recalling the new applications for the ‘Cloud Stream Sword Art’ he had just observed.

Hmm? He looked up.

Unlike before, there was a woman in a plain white dress sitting by his table. The woman wore a veil, her face obscured, revealing only a pair of gem-like, starry eyes, brimming with autumn water as she gazed at him.

“Shopkeeper, you’re finally here! Miss Bai has been waiting for you for half a day, the flowers have all withered.” Li Minzhong said, winking and flirting, but he kept his distance from the woman, sitting in a corner of the table.

It was like that idiom—both cowardly and eager to play.

“What kind of tea would you like?” Jiang Hanwen asked.

“Anything is fine.” The woman’s voice was as soft and pleasant as a small hand caressing an ear.

“I... I’d like a cup too.” Saying this shamelessly, Li Minzhong wrote an IOU on the spot next to him.

The woman looked at Li Minzhong, who turned his head away, not daring to look at her, gazing eagerly at Jiang Hanwen, as if to say, Shopkeeper, it’s an emergency in the Jianghu, please say something!

Although he was Young Master Li, the woman before him was the most mysterious Bai Youlan, the eldest daughter of the Bai family.

Two years ago, “bandits” launched a night assault on the Bai family. Four Qi Induction practitioners and over forty Mortal Shedding eighth and ninth layer practitioners were all captured, none spared.

Since then, the Bai family had become a taboo existence.

“Miss Bai is free. You, twenty taels a cup.” Jiang Hanwen said.

“Then I’ll write another one.” Li Minzhong showed no trace of embarrassment, displaying his thick skin to the extreme.