Chapter 187: You Are Simply a Genius

Chapter 187: You Are a Genius

Xiao Wan’er’s words struck a chord with Chen Yi, a timely reminder indeed.

Since the Patriarch had already given his blessing to the expansion plan for Bai Caotang, he ought to have prepared long in advance.

After all, spreading Bai Caotang across the prefectures and counties of Shu Province meant considering location choices, local customs, the great clans, and regional powers—all requiring prior mastery.

Even with the Xiao family’s backing, certain grimy tasks and toils still fell to Bai Caotang’s own people.

Thus, he must dispatch Wang Ji or Yan Hai elsewhere.

Xiao Wan’er, unaware of his inner thoughts, finished her instructions and set about preparing for the visitors that day.

Of course, she was only responsible for making requests; the actual work would be handled by Shen Huaotang and her attendants, Cuier and Juaner.

In some ways, she and Chen Yi shared a quiet understanding—both were the sort of shopkeepers who let things slide by on autopilot.

Yet within the grounds of Qianxing Yard, there were even more leisurely souls than Chen Yi and Xiao Wan’er.

Such as Shen Huaotang’s elder sister, Xie Stopcloud.

Since the Xiao family’s arrival, the renowned “Immortal Stopcloud” of the martial world had transformed into a full-fledged “gourmet.”

Apart from night shifts and guarding Xiao Wan’er, she spent most of her days searching for food.

Not to mention other delicacies, but even just the assorted teas and beverages delivered from the Xiao family’s apothecary, over half had already made their way into Xie Stopcloud’s stomach.

Especially that sweet and sour berry tea—she never set it down. Two bottles in the morning, two in the afternoon, and two more before bedtime.

She barely cultivated martial arts these days.

At least Chen Yi had never heard the sound of her practicing, nor any talk of it.

Mostly, he heard Shen Huaotang scolding Xie Stopcloud: “Sister, if you continue like this, you’ll have to return to the sect.” Or, “Sister, if you keep this up, I’ll inform the Patriarch.”

To these remarks, Xie Stopcloud would earmark them as “left ear in, right ear out,” nodding obediently each time, yet never altering her ways.

How she managed to reach the fourth rank in cultivation remained a mystery to him.

Chen Yi naturally wouldn’t dwell on it, offering only a casual smile.

After all, as long as Xie Stopcloud protected Xiao Wan’er, the rest was mere trifling matter.

Yet Xie Stopcloud seemed to feel somewhat guilty about her laxity.

While Xiao Wan’er was busy assigning tasks to Shen Huaotang and the others, she approached him on her own, speaking in a rather mysterious tone:

“My lord, there’s something I’d like your advice on.”

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, taken aback, and gave her a curious glance. “Just say it outright.”

Xie Stopcloud took a deep breath, then leaned in, lowering her voice:

“My lord, do you think Bai Caotang could open a branch at the foot of Tian Shan?”

“…You’re asking me about that?”

Chen Yi instantly cast aside his earlier assumption that she was seeking tasks to occupy herself.

Xie Stopcloud blinked, then nodded firmly.

“Tian Shan is rather far from Shu, and the population there is sparse… this, you being a scholar, you’d understand—there must be a way?”

Chen Yi couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “It has nothing to do with whether I’m a scholar. You yourself said the area is sparsely populated. Who would Bai Caotang sell to if it opened there?”

“I, for one, and our Tian Shan Sect.”

Realizing his skepticism, she added hastily, “There are also quite a few visitors from elsewhere.”

“Stopcloud the Immortal, forgive me—I can’t think of a way. You’ll need to delegate to someone more capable.”

Bai Caotang wasn’t in the business of charity.

Even if the goal was to spread across the land, expansion had to proceed in order of priority.

Tian Shan, in the western reaches of the land, was not only sparsely populated but also difficult to access. Only a fool would send Wang Ji there.

With such efforts, opening several branches in the more accessible regions of Jiaozhou or Jiangnan Prefecture would surely bring in more than enough profit.

Yet Xie Stopcloud remained undaunted.

“My lord, could you ask Wang the shopkeeper, or that Mr. Chen? I sincerely wish to invite Bai Caotang to Tian Shan.”

“And moreover, we won’t let Bai Caotang operate at a loss. We have many advantages to offer.”

Chen Yi studied her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. “What advantages, exactly?”

Not expecting this gourmet to be so persistent over those teas.

He naturally didn’t mind hearing what conditions this devoted tea lover might offer.

Xie Stopcloud paused, casting a stealthy glance at Shen Huaotang, who was oblivious to the exchange, then leaned closer, speaking softly:

“Our Tian Shan Sect can provide protection for Bai Caotang.”

“I recall that when Wang went there previously, he invited several martial experts. Our Tian Shan disciples are stronger, I’d say.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi’s expression twitched slightly, his gaze lingering on her with an odd, calculating light.

Should he refuse this condition? It was hard to say no.

First, as Xie Stopcloud had noted, the guards Wang had brought were no match for Tian Shan Sect disciples in strength or reputation.

Second, as Bai Caotang expanded, each branch would require protection.

Especially for the transport of core medicinal ingredients for tea recipes, which demanded skilled personnel.

If Tian Shan Sect disciples could assist, it would benefit Bai Caotang in countless ways.

The cost? Just opening a branch that would inevitably operate at a loss.

But how much could an entire Tian Shan Sect drinking there lose in a year?

Chen Yi mentally calculated the figures, arriving at an extravagant estimate—roughly a thousand taels of silver lost annually.

If they provided the premises rent-free, that number would halve.

Hmm… how to put it?

He had never encountered such a profitable venture.

Xie Stopcloud noticed his silence, growing impatient: “My lord, what do you make of this? My conditions aren’t so bad, are they?”

No, quite the opposite.

This condition was simply too good.

You’re a true business genius, Stopcloud the Immortal.

Chen Yi thought this, nodded, and smiled: “I’ll inquire later—Mr. Chen and Wang the shopkeeper shouldn’t refuse.”

Xie Stopcloud relaxed her expression, bowed, and said, “Many thanks, my lord. I’ll let you get back to your work.”

As she walked away swiftly, Chen Yi felt a tinge of guilt beneath his amusement.

*Ahem.* Truth be told, he hadn't intended for things to go this way.

Yet, the eldest disciple of the Tianshan Sect had delivered herself right to his doorstep...

After exchanging a brief greeting with Xiao Wan'er,

Chen Yi, accompanied by Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie, made his way back to the Spring Lotus Garden first.

Following a brief rest, he took up an oil-paper umbrella and set off alone toward the Baicao Hall in the West Market.

The rain was not particularly heavy at the moment, but it was far from a drizzle either.

The sound of falling rain echoed throughout the entirety of the Xiao Estate, naturally mingled with the low murmurs of servants and personal guards.

Most of it was mere trivial gossip.

How someone from the second branch had clashed with someone from another courtyard, or how a certain master or mistress of the third branch had bickered the previous night, and the like.

A few servants, catching sight of him passing by, deftly shifted the topic of their conversation toward him, whispering lines like "the second son-in-law is truly extraordinary now" or "most of the visitors to the estate these days come for the second son-in-law."

Regardless of their tone or choice of words, Chen Yi’s reputation within the estate was, at the very least, far better than it had been before.

He walked all the way to the front courtyard.

Scanning the area, he noticed both Liu Si'er and Ge Liansan were present, prompting him to step forward and share a few lighthearted words.

"Greetings, Second Son-in-law."

Chen Yi sized up the pair and asked with a smile, "Fourth Brother, has your injury healed?"

Liu Si'er replied, "Thanks to the eldest young mistress's blessings, after taking the medicine prescribed by the infirmary's physician, I've mostly recovered in less than ten days."

"I recall that the perpetrator who caused your injury has not yet been apprehended?"

"...A bit later today, I shall head over to the Judicial Office to inquire again."

Beside him, Ge Liansan chimed in with a scoff, "That scoundrel is audacious indeed. Once he is caught, we must throw him into the Torture Hall to be properly dealt with."

Chen Yi smiled faintly. "With no news for so long, I suspect even the Judicial Office has failed to turn up any clues."

"Nevertheless, since he harmed one of our estate's men, he will be caught sooner or later."

He possessed absolutely no self-awareness of being the actual "culprit," speaking of himself without the slightest hesitation.

Liu Si'er nodded. "The young master speaks truly; he cannot escape."

Pausing for a moment, he then inquired, "Is the young master leaving the estate? Do you require me to prepare a carriage?"

Chen Yi waved his hand. "Just a trip to Baicao Hall... After staying cooped up in the estate for several days, I happen to need some fresh air and exercise."

Upon hearing this, Ge Liansan asked in a lowered voice, "I heard the Marquis has decided to deepen the cooperation between our infirmary and Baicao Hall?"

Chen Yi cast a glance at him and said inscrutably, "The business of the infirmary has always been managed by the eldest sister. I am not entirely clear on the matter."

If he remembered correctly, very few people were privy to this piece of information.

Previously, both Xiao Wan'er and the Old Master had strictly enjoined that it must not be leaked. How, then, did this Ge Liansan come to know of it?

Seeming to realize he had let something slip, Ge Liansan offered a few awkward laughs and spoke no further.

Chen Yi naturally did not press him, merely noting the matter silently in his mind.

The fact that news had leaked meant that hidden guards were still lurking around Xiao Wan'er, the Old Master, or the vicinity of Baicao Hall.

It was something that inevitably weighed on his mind.

After a few more words of casual banter, Chen Yi took his leave and headed straight for the West Market.

Watching him recede into the distance, Liu Si'er asked in a low voice, "Old Third, how did you know the estate intends to deepen cooperation with Baicao Hall?"

Ge Liansan could not possibly reveal his source, so he deflected casually, "Just heard a few whispers here and there."

"Is that so?"

"Though it makes sense. The infirmary has amassed quite a fortune by relying on Baicao Hall to sell tea beverages. It is only natural that the Marquis would wish to cooperate further with them."

"True..."

Chen Yi paid no heed to the "idle chatter" between Ge Liansan and Liu Si'er.

The two hidden guards, concealed among the Xiao family's personal retainers, had not exposed their identities to one another, so they could hardly speak of any deeply guarded secrets.

What concerned him was when Ge Liansan, the "Sparrowhawk," would make a move on the summer grain of the three towns.

Or rather, when the Tigress, Lou Yuxue, and the Gray Wolf, Xiao Dongchen, would command him to act.

Yet upon careful reflection, Chen Yi found himself untroubled.

By now, he had already established contact with Black Fang under the pseudonym "Liu Wu."

Before launching any operation, that band of heretics would bound to notify him.

"As long as it isn't tonight, any other time... is of little consequence."

...

Chen Yi spent the entire morning inside Baicao Hall.

He was primarily instructing Wang Ji regarding the subsequent expansion plans.

After careful deliberation, it was ultimately decided that Yan Hai would lead a team to tour the various departments and counties of Shuzhou to understand the local conditions and keep a detailed record.

Firstly, Yan Hai possessed little renown, unlike Wang Ji, whose status as the manager of Baicao Hall drew too much attention.

Secondly, by remaining in the prefectural city, Wang Ji could provide cover for Chen Yi, ensuring the Xiao family would not find "Chen Yu" missing, which might otherwise disrupt the future affairs of Baicao Hall.

With the official business concluded, Chen Yi gave another instruction regarding a minor matter.

"Buy up several storefronts or residences surrounding the tailor shop in the West Market, and claim to the public that they are warehouses for Baicao Hall."

Wang Ji asked no questions, nodding in compliance.

For the time being, Chen Yi did not intend to touch that tailor shop.

According to his observations, that particular tailor shop ought to be a stronghold for the hidden guards within the Shuzhou prefectural city.

It served a role akin to a "liaison station."

This was easily inferred from the previous meeting there between the Tigress, Lou Yuxue, and the Sparrowhawk, Ge Liansan.

Coupled with the intelligence gathered tonight, preserving that tailor shop would surely prove useful in the future.

With all arrangements finalized,

Chen Yi dined at a neighboring restaurant for lunch before proceeding to the residence on Chuanxi Street.

Once Zhang Dabao had applied the disguise to his face, he instructed Zhang Dabao to summon Liu Lang.

During the interim of waiting, he did not allow himself to remain idle, utilizing the courtyard of this residence to practice several sets of martial techniques.

Although his martial arts forms—fist, footwork, and spear—had all reached the realm of Grand Accomplishment, only the Mountain-Collapsing Fist and the Hundred-Flower Palm had been cultivated to the peak of the Mastery level.

His two sets of movement and footwork techniques, along with the Falling Dragon Spear Technique, still possessed room for improvement.

Particularly the Falling Dragon Spear.

Each bout of practice would stir the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, layering the intent of the Dao with considerable commotion.

Constrained by the presence of Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang, he had not practiced this particular spear technique for a very long time.

Of course, it might cause unnecessary trouble, so Chen Yì did not even draw his five-fold spear.

He merely performed the Meteor Butterfly Step and the Dragon Playing with Phoenix Step in the courtyard, making up an excuse to pass the time.

About half a moment later,

Liu Róng arrived, and upon seeing him, his face lit up with a smile.

“Boss, you really are a master of foresight.”

Chen Yì raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “The Poison Tongue Sect and Liu Zhao Xue are plotting something big?”

“More than that.”

“When I went there last night, besides hearing the rustle of feathers and sand, I also met someone from the Poison Tongue Sect discussing the plan to kill Liu Wen with Liu Zhao Xue. And I also encountered Black Tooth.”

“Oh? Tell me in detail.”

When he finished speaking, Chen Yì laughed heartily.

“I’ll give you a point for this.”

It turned out that after Liu Róng met Black Tooth to confirm his identity, he disguised himself as a guard from Liu’s family and spoke to the man as “Liu Five.”

He claimed to be a disciple of the renowned medical master Xing Lin Zhai, who had once cured a noble of a serious illness. He also said that his martial arts talent was extraordinary, having completed his boxing training by twenty.

In the end, he sent the man away with a message.

It could be said that as long as Black Tooth and Lou Yu Xue didn’t go to Jingzhou to see the Liu family, Liu Five’s identity had virtually no chance of being exposed.

Liu Róng patted his waist where his long sword hung and said, “I can’t let the boss give me a good sword for free.”

Chen Yì smiled, but in his mind, he was thinking about Liu Zhao Xue and the Poison Tongue Sect.

He had originally assumed that Liu’s family, having appointed Liu Wen as the legitimate successor to compete for the leadership of the clan, would have some rules about not killing people.

But now, it seemed Liu Wen and Liu Zhao Xue were even more ruthless and cunning than he had anticipated.

“Plotting to kill his own elder brother… Liu Zhao Xue is even more ruthless.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Róng nodded in agreement. “Indeed, quite ruthless.”

“Getting the Poison Tongue Sect to kill Liu Wen, framing it on the Xiao family, while she herself remained hidden in the shadows—this is indeed a cunning plan.”

When he said this, he glanced at Chen Yì’s face and couldn’t help but ask,

“What do you intend to do, boss?”

“Nothing at all.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Let them fight each other—it saves us from getting our hands dirty.”

Chen Yì gave him a sharp look and said coolly, “Besides, I’m not one who enjoys killing.”

Originally, he had only intended to set up Liu Wen, giving the Xiao family a reason to act.

But what would happen afterward?

Or rather, whether Liu Wen would live or die would depend on the outcome of the struggle between the Old Matriarch and Liu’s family.

For now, though, after setting up Liu Wen, he didn’t mind helping Liu Zhao Xue a bit.

As long as Liu Wen’s death didn’t fall on the Xiao family, this matter would surely cause internal strife within Liu’s family.

After some thought, Chen Yì gave his orders:

“Tonight, after you’ve been to Liu’s residence, go to Spring Rain Tower and check on Black Tooth’s progress.”

Liu Róng nodded and smiled.

“Boss, if I may say it plainly—”

“If what you’ve done were to be exposed, the Bright Moon Tower would not let you go easily.”

Chen Yì gave him a sharp look. “They won’t let us go either.”

“…I owe you for the thirty things I promised earlier. I’ve indeed given it some thought.”

Others wouldn’t know the details of the Bright Moon Tower, but Liu Róng, being one of its members, naturally knew some secrets.

Beyond Black Tooth, the Bright Moon Tower had twelve elders, each responsible for the nine prefectures and six cities of Dà Wéi, with power reaching the upper third tier.

Additionally, there were four great abbots and that mysterious and inscrutable founder.

Just these alone already surpassed the strength of over ninety percent of Dà Wéi’s sects and holy grounds.

Adding to that, the various martial artists in the world who held Bright Moon Tower’s identity tokens, their power was far beyond what ordinary people could handle.

If the Bright Moon Tower truly discovered their deeds, even with Xiao family protection, they would face trouble again and again.

Liu Róng knew this, but now he had already boarded the bandits’ ship and couldn’t get off, so he could only proceed down this path to the end.

Of course, setting aside these matters, he did feel that this plan carried enough prestige.

If it were spread around, it would make his “Blade Crazy” reputation even more renowned.

At least he dared to pull the beard of the Bright Moon Tower.

Just as Liu Róng was about to stand up, Chen Yì reminded him,

“If there are any developments on Black Tooth’s side, remember to let Wang Jì inform me—I know where he is.”

“Understood.”

After he left, Chen Yì didn’t linger long. He removed his disguise and hurried straight to the Xiao family.

As the plot involving Black Tooth and the Female Tiger drew near, he naturally felt some urgency.

It needed to be carefully considered.

“Let me calculate the time—Xiao Jing Hóng should have seen that letter by now.”

“Nothing’s happened in the city of Shu Zhou… good news.”

Originally planning to wait two more hours, but at ten o’clock, his stomach ached from gastritis.

Tomorrow, tomorrow he’d recover, and all the big bosses would understand.

Sorry, sorry.

(The chapter ends)