Chapter 439: Chapter 400: Paying a Visit 2

Gu Dezhao was surprised by Zhao Lin’s invitation and paused for a moment. "I don’t know Elder Lu."

Zhao Lin smiled. "Elder Gu is also a shopkeeper, experienced and worldly. I’ll be relying on you to be the face of our operation."

Gu Dezhao thought that made sense and followed him off the Spiritual Vessel.

Although Changzhi County wasn’t large, as the capital of Nanhe Province, the grade of its Spirit Vein was one level higher than Han Chi County’s.

As Zhao Lin and Gu Dezhao passed through the mountain gate, they immediately felt a dense wave of Spiritual Qi wash over them.

"As expected of the provincial capital."

Gu Dezhao said with a look of envy. He had cultivated for many years, but this was his first time in Changzhi County.

It was afternoon, so Lu Yuanxiu was likely not in the Political Affairs Hall. The two discussed it and decided to visit his residence.

Lu Yuanxiu held a high position and was known by everyone in Changzhi County, so it was easy to find out the location of his cave abode.

Before long, the two arrived at the front of a mountain valley.

The valley was lush with grass and stunningly beautiful. Several mountain springs meandered down from the ravines, flowing into an emerald-green lake.

Beside the lake was a natural mountain cave, and a single, large character for "Lu" was carved on the rock above its entrance.

Purple Mansion cultivators all had their own cave abodes, which drew Spiritual Qi from the underground Spirit Veins for cultivation.

’I hope that one day I can also reach the Purple Mansion Realm and have a cave abode of my own,’ Zhao Lin thought.

Guarding the entrance to the cave abode were two cultivators with Mortal Spirit Roots. Zhao Lin stepped forward, cupped his fist, and asked, "Excuse me, is Elder Lu at his residence?"

The cultivator on the left returned the gesture. "Elder Lu is here. May I ask for the fellow cultivator’s name?"

"I am Zhao Lin."

As he spoke, Zhao Lin presented his calling card.

This was a calling card, where one’s name was carved onto a bamboo slip, commonly used for formal visits or introductions.

The guard received the card with both hands and nodded. "The Elder cultivates for two hours around noon every day and is only free in the afternoon, around the hour of Shen. Would you two mind waiting in the side hall first?"

Zhao Lin said, "Then we are much obliged."

"This way, please!"

The guard took two steps back, turned, and led the way.

Zhao Lin and Gu Dezhao followed him through a large hall and arrived at a side hall.

To their surprise, seven or eight cultivators were seated in the side hall, scattered about. It seemed they were also waiting to see Lu Yuanxiu. Among them were even two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The two found an empty spot and sat down. An attendant immediately served them Spirit Tea.

"Younger Brother Zhao, do you think any of these people are like us, here to open a shop in the Dongfu County marketplace?"

Gu Dezhao asked, taking a small sip of his tea with a look of enjoyment.

"It’s hard to say. What if there are competitors?"

Zhao Lin also took a sip, but his mouth was filled with a bitter taste, and he almost spat it out. He forced himself to swallow the unpleasant liquid and quickly put the cup down.

"Competitors are always rivals. We sell too many things, which means we’ll have many opponents."

Gu Dezhao didn’t notice Zhao Lin’s expression and continued, "What’s your relationship with Elder Lu like? Do you think you could ask for a shopfront in a good location?"

"That wouldn’t be appropriate to ask."

Zhao Lin refused outright. He thought, ’Lu Yuanxiu already took a risk putting me in this position. If I start making more demands, I’d be completely ungrateful.’

The purpose of Gu Dezhao’s question was actually to probe the relationship between Zhao Lin and Lu Yuanxiu. Seeing this reaction, his brow furrowed slightly, and he said no more.

After waiting for nearly an hour, an attendant walked into the side hall and went straight to Zhao Lin.

"Immortal Master Zhao, the Elder requests your presence."

Everyone in the hall showed expressions of surprise. Lu Yuanxiu was actually meeting a Low-Tier cultivator first.

Gu Dezhao was also slightly moved and began to see Zhao Lin in a new, higher light.

"Please lead the way."

Zhao Lin said, not forgetting his etiquette.

As the saying goes, even a servant at a prime minister’s gate holds considerable influence. Although the attendant was a mortal, he could very well be a relative of Lu Yuanxiu’s clan.

Putting himself in the other’s shoes, if any cultivator dared to be rude to his own family, Zhao Lin would definitely make trouble for them.

The two followed the attendant into an antique-style room and saw the Purple Mansion Elder, Lu Yuanxiu.

"Disciple Zhao Lin pays his respects to Elder Lu."

"Junior Gu Dezhao pays his respects to Elder Lu."

Zhao Lin and Gu Dezhao bowed in greeting together.

"No need for such ceremony. Rise."

Lu Yuanxiu waved his hand and said to Zhao Lin with a smile, "Just this morning I was thinking you should be arriving in the next couple of days. I didn’t expect to see you this afternoon."

After speaking, he turned his gaze to Gu Dezhao.

"I am Junior Gu Dezhao,"

Gu Dezhao bowed again.

"Elder Gu was once the shopkeeper at the Shangyuan Immortal Market. He has many years of experience. This junior’s abilities are limited, so I asked Elder Gu to come and help,"

Zhao Lin explained.

"Very good."

Lu Yuanxiu seemed very pleased with Zhao Lin’s decision. He nodded and said, "Since we’re on the topic of the shop, what are your plans?"

Zhao Lin knew this was a test. His expression turned serious as he replied, "This disciple has never run a shop before and dare not make any bold claims. I plan to follow the same strategy as the Shangyuan Immortal Market for everything."

"I’ll observe for a period, and then make further adjustments based on which goods sell well and which don’t."

Lu Yuanxiu nodded as he listened. Zhao Lin’s approach seemed conventional on the surface, but it was the most reliable method.

If Zhao Lin had come in with all sorts of novel ideas and tried to implement them right away, Lu Yuanxiu might have considered replacing him.

"A good plan. The marketplace has a lot of potential for growth, so it might be difficult at the start. However, the provincial government is determined to give its full support."

"I will give you two years. I hope you won’t disappoint me."

Zhao Lin’s heart tightened. He declared loudly, "This junior will do his utmost and not betray Elder Lu’s trust!"

"Good."

Lu Yuanxiu laughed heartily, then suddenly changed the subject. "As a Martial Cultivator, you actually reached the Qi Refining Fifth Layer in just three years. That’s even a step ahead of me back in my day!"

"Your aptitude is truly extraordinary!"

’What aptitude?’ Zhao Lin thought to himself. ’I only managed to break through by relying on the forbidden Acupoint Opening Pill.’ But he couldn’t say that out loud, so he said, "This disciple’s achievements today are all thanks to the Elder’s guidance."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuanxiu raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Zhao Lin said seriously, "When this junior first entered the sect, I was completely lost about the path of cultivation. It was under Elder Lu’s guidance that I found a cultivation path suitable for me."

Hearing this, a smile couldn’t help but appear on Lu Yuanxiu’s face.

Back then, he had shown the Body Stone to Zhao Lin. He hadn’t expected Zhao Lin to actually go out on missions, accumulate enough cultivation resources, and then break through with such incredible speed.

As an elder, seeing someone follow in his footsteps to cultivate filled him with a great sense of satisfaction.

The desire to be a mentor is human nature, and Purple Mansion cultivators are no exception.

Although Gu Dezhao couldn’t understand what the two were talking about, he was deeply shocked. It turned out they had known each other for a long time, and their relationship was anything but ordinary!

Seeing that the time was right, Zhao Lin took out a saber-shaped Dharma treasure from his storage pouch, took a few steps forward, and presented it with both hands.

"This junior has never known how to repay the Elder’s kindness for his guidance. I recently had a Dharma treasure forged that has some novel features. I invite the Elder to appraise it!"

Before the visit, Zhao Lin had been pondering what gift to give Lu Yuanxiu.

But his counterpart was a Purple Mansion cultivator; ordinary pills and Dharma treasures were beneath his notice, and Zhao Lin couldn’t afford anything that would catch his eye.

He had thought it over and over but had no ideas.

Until one day, inspiration struck, and he asked Zhengtu to forge an identical Moon-Cutting Saber.

Lu Yuanxiu came from a martial background, and martial artists all share one trait: an almost instinctual love for weapons.

The Gurkha-style curved blade was a rarity among weapons; Zhao Lin had never seen one in his small world or on the Xuanyuan Continent.

Lu Yuanxiu would surely be interested in such a rare and unusual weapon.

"A fine saber!"

Lu Yuanxiu was a true martial genius. His eyes were sharp, and he saw the saber’s extraordinary qualities at a single glance, unable to stop himself from blurting out praise.

Then, with a flick of his finger, the curved blade began to swoop and spin rapidly around the room, incredibly agile.

For a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Realm, there was no need to perform a blood-refining ritual to command a Low-Tier Dharma treasure.

A moment later, Lu Yuanxiu retrieved the curved blade and said with a hint of regret, "To unleash this saber’s full power, it needs a certain amount of weight. But that makes it difficult to wield for those with insufficient Divine Sense Spiritual Power."

"Therefore, it can’t be mass-produced, which is a pity."

With that, he looked at Zhao Lin and said with a broad smile, "This battle saber is truly unique. I like it very much, so I won’t be polite!"

A glint in his eyes, Zhao Lin said, "It is my greatest honor!"

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