I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Zhao Wenyuan recounted the whole story from beginning to end.

The methods used in "pig butchering scams" are not complicated.

That guy called Song Laohu first helped Zhao Lao Er win a few small games, giving him a taste of success and making him think he was exceptionally talented. Then he gradually increased the stakes, and when Zhao Lao Er lost so much that he started offering usurious loans.

Nine out of ten are borrowed and thirteen are returned; borrowing one hundred, you receive ninety, but when you repay, it's calculated as one hundred and thirty. With compound interest, it doubles in three months.

After listening, Zheng Yifei tapped his fingers twice on the rim of the teacup.

"What about your second uncle's restaurant?"

"It's worth it."

Zhao Wenyuan lowered his head: "The restaurant is worth a thousand spirit stones, but Song Laohu only charged two hundred. Today, Datong and his gang came to collect the final payment, and my second uncle couldn't pay, so he resorted to violence."

Zheng Yifei picked up the teacup and blew away the foam.

A typical dealer's tactic is to first use bait, then hook, and finally chew up and swallow even the bones.

The fact that Datong Gambling Company has been able to establish itself in the eastern district of Sujiafang City for so many years indicates that the forces behind it are deeply entrenched and cannot be controlled by someone as simple as a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator.

Moving is tantamount to courting death.

"Brother Zheng, I can't take your money for nothing."

Zhao Wenyuan gritted his teeth, his eyes serious: "You can keep half of the restaurant's shares as your investment. You'll get 50% of the monthly profits, because I really don't have any spirit stones to repay you."

Zheng Yifei did not answer immediately.

He looked into Zhao Wenyuan's eyes, which were completely different from those of the gamblers at the gambling table, clear and discerning.

"Where is the restaurant?"

"Changle Street is right next to the main street in the East District. It's in a good location. It's a three-story building. The first floor is the lobby, the second and third floors are private rooms, and there's a courtyard and side rooms in the back."

Zhao Wenyuan wiped the scabs from his face, his tone gradually regaining its composure: "Business was originally very good, with a daily turnover of fifteen to twenty spirit stones and a net profit of at least five or six. If it weren't for my second uncle..."

He didn't go on.

Zheng Yifei mentally weighed the options.

The shops on the main street of the East District, with attached living quarters, generate an average daily net profit of five to six spirit stones. Given the location and the returns, acquiring half a share for two hundred spirit stones is still a very worthwhile investment.

More importantly, he now needs a safe place to stay.

I can't go back to Wutong Lane, and staying at the East District Inn is expensive and not a long-term solution.

Zhao's Restaurant is located on the main street of the East District, which falls within the patrol area of ​​the Su Family Law Enforcement Team, so the Iron Fist Sect's reach cannot extend over it.

Zhao's Restaurant was bigger than Zheng Yifei had imagined.

The three-story wooden building had a frontage of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) and a signboard that read "Zhao's Restaurant" hanging on the eaves. Although the signboard was a bit old, the stone steps at the entrance were clean, and the aroma of fresh rice wafted from the direction of the stove.

As Zhao Wenyuan carried his second uncle inside, a person rushed out from behind the counter.

Zhao Ling'er.

She was wearing a gray-blue apprentice robe with a few medicine stains on the cuffs, her braid was half loose, and her round face was full of anxiety.

"Brother! What's wrong with Second Uncle?"

Her words came to an abrupt halt when she saw Zheng Yifei behind Zhao Wenyuan.

Her round eyes widened, and her ears turned red at a visible speed.

"Brother Zheng...?"

"Miss Zhao."

Zheng Yifei nodded.

Zhao Ling'er lowered her head, twisting her fingers around her sleeve, her voice softening: "What are you doing here?"

"He saved my second uncle."

Zhao Wenyuan briefly recounted the events.

Zhao Ling'er raised her head, and the look in her eyes as she looked at Zheng Yifei changed. It was no longer the shyness one would show when meeting a stranger, but genuine gratitude.

She lifted her clothes, about to kneel down.

Zheng Yifei reached out to stop him.

"Miss Zhao, you're too kind. We're from the same hometown."

Zhao Ling'er bit her lip and didn't insist anymore, but the tears in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

After settling his second uncle in, Zhao Wenyuan led Zheng Yifei and Zhang Biao to the side room in the backyard.

The four rooms were divided into four sections: two facing south and two facing north. Zhao Wenyuan gave the largest south-facing room to Zheng Yifei, and Zhang Biao lived in the next room.

Zhang Biao tossed his luggage onto the bed and looked around: "Not bad, ten times better than that run-down courtyard in Wutong Lane. Is there hot water?"

"There's always food on the stove."

Zhao Wenyuan replied.

Zhang Biao was satisfied. He hugged his hunting knife, lay down on the bed, and two breaths later, he was snoring loudly.

Zhao Wenyuan led Zheng Yifei downstairs, took out the restaurant's account book, and the two spent an hour checking the accounts by the oil lamp.

The accounts are clear; Zhao Wenyuan certainly has a knack for doing business.

The sourcing channels, pricing strategies, and cost accounting are all clearly outlined.

The only reason the restaurant was losing money was that Zhao Lao Er had put all his working capital into gambling.

"From now on, you'll be in charge of the finances, and your second uncle is not allowed to touch a single spirit coin."

Zheng Yifei closed the ledger.

"I promise."

Zhao Wenyuan's expression was more solemn than ever before.

The shareholding arrangement was quickly finalized. Zhao Wenyuan wrote a profit-sharing agreement by hand, and the two pressed their fingerprints on it. From this day forward, Zheng Yifei would be one of the owners of Zhao's Restaurant.

The matter is settled.

Zheng Yifei sat in the middle of the backyard, holding a bowl of spirit rice porridge.

Zhao Ling'er squatted to the side, sorting through the spiritual herbs. Her movements were very gentle. She carefully wrapped each herb in oiled paper and placed it into a wooden box according to its type.

"How long did you study at the Alchemy Pavilion in Sujiafang City?"

Zheng Yifei asked casually.

Zhao Ling'er turned around and thought for a moment: "As soon as I arrived, I entered the Su family's Pill Pavilion through my second uncle's introduction, and passed the first-level pill master assessment five days ago."

Zheng Yifei paused for a moment while drinking his porridge.

In just six months, she became a first-level alchemist. Zhao Ling'er's talent for alchemy is truly remarkable.

He was familiar with the alchemist system in the cultivation world.

First-level alchemists can refine basic pills such as Qi-restoring pills, Qi-nourishing pills, healing pills, and spirit-gathering pills. They are already considered rare talents in Sujiafang City, and their monthly base salary is at least thirty spirit stones.

"What happens after the first level?"

Zhao Ling'er's expression darkened slightly.

"A second-tier alchemist needs a second-tier pill formula and a complete inherited cultivation method. The alchemy pavilion's inheritance only goes up to the first tier. If you want to learn the second tier, you must become a disciple of the Qingyun Sect's pill hall."

She stood up, put the last herb into the wooden box, and her gaze fell on the remaining medicine stains on the back of her hand.

"Master Feng from the Alchemy Pavilion said that my talent is stronger than any other apprentice she has ever seen, and that I have an extremely high talent for perceiving the properties of medicine. She wrote me a letter of recommendation, which allows me to skip the preliminary test for entering the outer sect of the Qingyun Sect and directly participate in the second test."

Zhao Ling'er lowered her voice as she finished speaking.

"However, the second round of the exam requires a fee of five hundred spirit stones for medicinal herbs, which I could never save up in my lifetime."

Five hundred spirit stones.

For a rogue cultivator at the bottom to climb a step up in the cultivation world, there are high walls built with spirit stones everywhere.

Zheng Yifei put down his bowl of porridge.

"When is the preliminary outer sect examination for the Qingyun Sect?"

Zhao Ling'er was taken aback for a moment: "Six months later, when the Qingyun Sect recruits disciples."

"Is your letter of recommendation still valid?"

"It works. Master Feng said it can be used for up to a year."

Zheng Yifei stood up and walked towards the stairs.

"Prepare well for the exam, I'll cover the five hundred spirit stones for you."

Zhao Ling'er's eyes widened: "Brother Zheng, you—"

"invest."

Zheng Yifei didn't even turn his head: "From now on, when I buy pills, you have to give me a discount."

Zhao Ling'er was overjoyed: "That's great, Brother Zheng! Tell me what kind of pills you want, and I'll go buy them for you from Brother Dan. They're cheaper than outside."

"Really? I want a high-grade Spirit Gathering Pill."

"A high-grade Spirit Gathering Pill is a bit difficult to obtain, but I'll try my best. Would a mid-grade one work?"

"If you can get top-grade items, buy top-grade items. If you really can't get mid-grade items, that's fine too. I'll give you spirit stones tomorrow."

Zheng Yifei was in a good mood, having secured the elixir without needing to go to the black market.

The reason he was willing to help Zhao Ling'er was that it would be easier to buy pills in the future, since he was also going to the Qingyun Sect.