A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 66 The Old Man's Son (Seventh Update!)

Two days later.

Life in the small town remained unaffected by the occasional upheavals, continuing at a leisurely pace and bustling with activity.

Early in the morning, Li Weizhou pushed open the door and went out, only to find that it had snowed quite heavily again in the latter half of the night.

"A timely snow promises a bumper harvest! The severe drought should be over..."

Li Weizhou stretched and said in a good mood.

Surprisingly, the first people to arrive today were the managers of Shenglong Money Exchange and Li Family Treasure Shop, along with several skilled men.

Li Weizhou then realized that, without realizing it, it was almost the eleventh month.

After the winter month comes the twelfth month, and then comes the New Year.

The first day of the month is the day to deliver jewelry and collect gold.

Li Weizhou naturally wouldn't personally step forward, because he didn't know how to value the large quantities of gold jewelry in the Shuibei market; it would require his own manager to do so.

The manager of our own jewelry store, Mr. Tao, is a good person. He is shrewd and capable, and he is the former manager of Zhou's Xinyi Store.

He wasn't worried about the shopkeeper's tricks, because Li Delong and Li Chang'an had both warned him bluntly that if he dared to have any disloyal intentions, they would kill his entire family.

Tsk, that's the kind of unpretentious way the heads of the yamen and the big shots in the suburbs operate.

After Manager Zheng of Shenglong Money Exchange left with his entourage, beaming with joy, Manager Tao said somewhat listlessly, "Boss, then what about our future..."

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "They're paving the way for us. You're an expert among experts, so you should be able to tell that while these pieces of jewelry are exquisite, they're not top-notch."

Shopkeeper Tao was a little embarrassed by the praise and said, "I was going to say earlier that it looks amazing at first glance, but after looking at it for a while, it becomes a bit too craftsman-like. If we had such pure gold, we could savor it properly and make even better treasures! However, if we really want to make good products, we still need to hire a real filigree master. I am really not good enough, and you have too much credit for me, sir."

Li Weizhou said solemnly, "This is what you need to do next. Besides continuing to purchase gold and silver ornaments, you need to hire skilled craftsmen, and then select a group of talented children from your family to be taught craftsmanship by strict teachers. I will get you pure gold to practice with. Our Baibaolou will be making real treasures in the future! As the manager, you don't need to have superb skills. As long as you have a good eye and can recognize people, you will be the best manager in the world!"

The old man was satisfied and left in high spirits, his steps as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

Li Weizhou was naturally in a better mood. With everyone below him so capable, he was able to have some free time to go to Qimeng Pavilion to listen to music.

The courtesans at Zuixianglou were mostly from the north, while those at Qimengge were mostly from the south.

Even if you don't watch the dance, you can still feel comfortable listening to Yanxue sing a few songs in her sweet and gentle voice.

It's obvious that the people at Qimeng Pavilion are really annoyed with him.

Because it was early in the morning, and they had only just fallen asleep...

If it weren't for the growing reputation of the Third Master of the Li family in Qingzhou Prefecture, the gatekeeper wouldn't have wanted to open the door for him.

But Yanxue was genuinely happy to see Li Weizhou!

Even though she looked completely dazed and sleepy, she still called out sweetly, "Young Master!"

Li Weizhou smiled and nodded in agreement, seemingly unaware of Chu Mengjun approaching from the side. He even expressed concern, saying, "Xiaoxue, if you didn't sleep well, go back to sleep. Not sleeping well will hinder your growth."

Yanxue asked worriedly, "Oh, won't I be ugly if I don't grow tall?"

Li Weizhou reassured him, "It's alright, it's fine like this. If it grows any longer, it'll become a stick and won't look good!"

Chu Mengjun said coldly, "Yes, I'm not good-looking."

She is estimated to be about 5 feet 5 inches tall, or about 1.72 meters, which is quite tall for a woman. However, she has a good figure and a small frame, so she still looks delicate.

Yanxue quickly said in a coquettish tone, "Our young lady is the most beautiful! I've never seen anyone more beautiful than her!" She even tried to get help from Li Weizhou, asking, "Isn't that right, young master?"

Li Weizhou looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and then reluctantly nodded, saying, "I guess so."

Yan Xue was so angry that she raised her eyebrows and glared, but Chu Mengjun laughed instead. She stopped dwelling on these shallow things and said to Li Weizhou, "The matter you entrusted to me is almost done. The person has arrived. I will introduce you to her tomorrow. Let me tell you in advance, she is my junior sister. She has been pampered since childhood and has a childlike personality. Don't bully her."

Li Weizhou said in bewilderment, "Your junior sister... I said, she should have a good personality, not a spoiled brat."

Yanxue quickly replied, "No, Miss Yue'er has a childlike personality and loves playing with children. She has a pure and innocent heart, not a spoiled or unruly personality."

Li Weizhou then asked doubtfully, "How old... if he's too young, can he be a good teacher?"

"At thirteen or fourteen, he is more than qualified to be an enlightening teacher."

After Chu Mengjun finished speaking, she said angrily, "It's good enough that I helped you find someone, don't be so arrogant."

She's now wondering how the Heavenly Blade Sect Master really died...

Of course, the main suspect is still the person in front of us.

After the Jiangyou merchant group arrived, she inquired and learned that the timing of Dayuan Mountain was incorrect, having been moved forward by three years.

Moreover, the noise shouldn't be so quiet.

But no one told her what would happen in three years, which made her feel very bad.

Li Weizhou chuckled. He wasn't arrogant; he just wanted to hear some music.

He made up his mind: once he had mastered martial arts and achieved perfect invulnerability, becoming indestructible and untouchable, he would spend his days listening to music and watching dances, living a carefree life. But not just in brothels; he would also do so amidst famous mountains and rivers, on the surging waves of the sea, in the deserts of the north, or in the misty rain of Jiangnan…

While enjoying Chu Mengjun's foot massage, he watched beauties from all over the world dance gracefully.

And then, accompanied by fine food and wine, to enjoy it for hundreds of years, only then will one have lived a worthwhile life!
If only I could live forever, that would be even better, then I could live happily ever after...

Of course, things are a bit busy right now, but let's just consider it a period of hardship before the rewards, and make plans for the future.

The sound of string and bamboo instruments rises, and wisps of smoke curl from the skirts.

Chu Mengjun had been observing this enigmatic man with a cold eye, and then concluded that he truly enjoyed this life of debauchery...

This is really frustrating. He's so good-looking, built such a huge business from scratch, yet he's still a lazy bum.

He looks like a spoiled young nobleman.

But can a playboy really accomplish all those extraordinary things?
Putting everything else aside, even a madam like Feng Biwu, who would kill every unfaithful man in the world, now looks at this young man with new respect.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have rushed here the day before yesterday upon hearing the news...

The more I look at it, the less I understand...

Just as he was struggling with this, an unremarkable old woman floated upstairs, and even Li Weizhou didn't notice how she got there.

After the old woman approached Chu Mengjun and spoke a few words, Chu Mengjun's expression changed slightly. She turned her head to the side, her brows furrowed, and looked at the old woman, saying, "Is it just a rumor?"

The old woman said softly, "It wasn't just one family that saw it, and their descriptions were all similar. We saw it a couple of days ago, and after checking each other's accounts, the news only spread today."

Chu Mengjun said slowly, "It must be someone playing tricks."

The old woman shook her head and said, "It can move without feet, and it is swift and agile, faster than a galloping horse. Its face is pale, its eyes are filled with bloody tears, and its eyes shoot out a three-foot-long red light, which is clearly visible. Now the caravans outside the city are in an uproar, and many people are clamoring to enter the city, so they dare not set up camp outside."

Feeling disturbed, Li Weizhou glared at the two chattering old women with annoyance. His gaze was so irritating that it almost made Mengjun explode!
After the dance ended, Chu Mengjun looked at Li Weizhou with a slight flicker in her eyes and asked, "What do you think happened?" She always felt that it was related to someone.

Li Weizhou scoffed, "It's the coldest year, so the caravans outside don't want to camp outdoors, that's why they made up this nonsense."

Chu Mengjun asked, "How did you know?"

Li Weizhou sighed and said, "So many people have seen ghosts, and these ghosts are so powerful, yet I've never heard of anyone being captured and eaten by one. Oh, so it's a good ghost that only scares people and doesn't eat them? Is that possible? Only a fool would believe that!"

Yanxue, who had been terrified and turned pale, suddenly found the logic in the statement and began to giggle.

Chu Mengjun suddenly realized, then glared at Li Weizhou and said, "You think you're so smart!" But seeing Li Weizhou chuckle and prepare to leave, she quickly asked, "Are you really planning to befriend the Prince of Jin's mansion?"

Li Weizhou, who had just lifted his buttocks, sat down again and asked, "What's the situation at the Prince of Jin's residence?"

As he spoke, he took out a paper package from his sleeve, and inside were several milky white candies.

He casually picked up one, first handing it to Yanxue, who was sitting next to him, then having her distribute it to the musician and prostitute who were about to leave as a tip. Finally, he said to Chu Mengjun, "You tell me... Oh, do you want some too?"

Chu Mengjun had already smelled the rich milky aroma, and her throat was even a little itchy. But that annoying little thing deliberately played a trick on her and finally asked her.

She said casually, "You can have a taste of one of your Baibaolou's delicacies, that's fine too. You don't need to pay the bill for today's dance."

Yanxue quickly offered one to her young mistress. After everyone ate it, their eyes lit up. What a rich and sweet milky aroma!

Feeling a bit better, Chu Mengjun was happy to share some private details about the royal palaces that ordinary people wouldn't have access to with Li Weizhou: "Among the eight hereditary royal palaces, the strongest at present is naturally the Qi Royal Palace. But actually, two hundred years ago, the strongest was the Zhou Royal Palace. Looking further back, the Chu Royal Palace, the Wu Royal Palace, and the Tiannan Royal Palace all flourished for decades. Only the Jin Royal Palace has never amounted to anything."

Eight princes against eight clans, and the First Prince of Jin chose Yuanjian Mountain because of its rules: only one successor could walk the mountain's slopes per generation. The opponent was simple; the precious medicines the court bestowed upon the Prince of Jin's residence were immediately sold off for worldly riches and glory. If it weren't for the fact that the North had never experienced any trouble, the succession would likely have changed long ago. From the first Prince of Jin onwards, each one was more greedy than the last.

Li Weizhou, however, felt that "not replacing the Prince of Jin might be because they are worried that if they replaced him with someone more capable and ambitious, Yuanjian Mountain wouldn't be able to keep him in check. After all, this sect only sends one disciple to the mortal world."

Chu Mengjun sneered, "Perhaps so. But you should be careful about one thing: the Jin Prince's Mansion is the most greedy of the eight mansions, beyond imagination. Not to mention Jinzhou, in the entire Yongzhou Prefecture, there are few businesses that the Jin Prince's Mansion would let slip by if they are profitable. Your Baibaolou will probably not escape this fate sooner or later."

Yongzhou was one of the nine provinces of the world, and Jinzhou was the capital of Yongzhou.

Li Weizhou didn't quite understand either. Generally speaking, Yongzhou Prefecture on Earth usually refers to the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region, while Jinzhou is mostly in Shanxi. Although they are adjacent, they are not the same.

It doesn't matter. If I don't understand it, I don't understand it. I'll just write it down.

Li Weizhou wasn't afraid of his greed; anything that could be solved with money was no problem for him.

However, Li Weizhou soon paid the price for his shallowness and carelessness...

Just one night later, when Li Weizhou awoke from his strangely shaped stance training, he was astonished to find an old man with a white face and no beard sitting in the room, staring at him with a peculiar light in his triangular eyes.

Li Weizhou broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. Before he could even speak, the old man appeared in front of him like a ghost. A withered, wooden hand grabbed his collarbone and snapped it with a "crack." The same thing happened on the other side. The moment they met, Li Weizhou, who had practiced hard for countless days and nights, was rendered useless...

"If you dare utter a sound, we'll snap your neck!"

The sinister quacking of a male duck silenced Li Weizhou.

He stared longingly at this old bastard, destined to die without a burial place, wondering what he was going to do...

……

(End of this chapter)