Yu Qing shook off the tugging and asked, What are you not leaving for?
I heard you met them in some ancient tomb wasteland. Nan Zhu repeated Tie Miao Qing’s brief account and asked, Is that correct?
Yu Qing looked suspicious. More or less. What are you trying to say?
Nan Zhu said, You came all this way. Did you not say you came here to find a way to get an identity for entering the demon realm?
Yu Qing looked startled. Were you not asleep just now? Their shop is about to go under. Who has time for some identity nonsense.
Nan Zhu replied, You can just help them keep it going. It is only a matter of writing a few words. Why be so difficult? Since you could do so well in the capital exams, writing poems and rhapsodies clearly cannot be beyond you.
Yu Qing glared. What do you think writing poems and rhapsodies is? Do you imagine one can just write them at will? I cannot do it. If you can, then you write it.
Nan Zhu asked, Then what do you want to do? Do you know any other shops?
Yu Qing said, No. Things have come to this. I think the idea you mentioned earlier about going to see Yuan Mountain first to check the situation is not bad. Although it means more travel, I believe good things come after some磨难.
Nan Zhu said, We can talk about that later. Let us deal with what is in front of us first. Even if you will not help them write anything, there must be other ways. Instead of poems and rhapsodies, we could find some other good business to serve as a substitute. It would be the same.
Yu Qing replied, If only it were as easy as you say. Even they themselves cannot find a good solution, so we are even less likely to manage it. Wait, no. Old Seven, why are you so concerned? You have not taken a fancy to that pretty widow, have you?
Mu Ao Tie heard this and could not help staring hard at Nan Zhu.
Nan Zhu said in a deep voice, I am just discussing the matter on its merits. Am I that sort of person?
Yu Qing looked him up and down. Thinking about it, that was true. He would not lack that much self-awareness. Still, he warned, Best that you are not. Do not forget what we came here for. As our little martial aunt put it, women who are too good-looking are nothing but trouble. Whoever gets involved with them will have bad luck and lose their blessings. Besides, she would not even look at you.
Nan Zhu said, You do not need to lecture me. Come on, let us go back and have a proper talk.
Yu Qing asked, Go back? Back where?
Nan Zhu replied, Of course back to Iron Lady’s place.
Yu Qing said, Have I been talking to a brick wall this whole time? Do you two have to oppose me on everything to feel satisfied?
Nan Zhu said to Mu Ao Tie, Old Nine, you tell him why.
Mu Ao Tie said, She saved your life. Now that she is in trouble, how can you just sit and watch?
Yu Qing replied, You are overthinking it. I already repaid her by finding the fire crickets for them. We owe each other nothing.
Mu Ao Tie said, A life-saving favour cannot be repaid by catching a couple of insects.
Yu Qing looked startled. Why are you being so stubborn? Did you two ever have this kind of kindness before? Say, Old Nine, you have not taken a fancy to her beauty, have you?
Mu Ao Tie answered, She is a poor, weak woman. I, Mu, may be proud but I do not bully those below me. How could I take advantage of someone’s misfortune?
A poor, weak woman? Yu Qing was left speechless. He looked the man up and down and very much wanted to ask where exactly he saw her as pitiful and weak. With her cultivation, the three of them tied together would probably not even be enough to fill her teeth.
Nan Zhu felt that sometimes there was no reasoning with this sort of person. He exchanged a glance with Mu Ao Tie. The two of them suddenly moved together, each grabbing one of Yu Qing’s arms. They lifted him so his toes left the ground and carried him straight out.
Yu Qing was both shocked and angry. What do you two think you are doing? Put me down or do not blame me for turning on you.
Whoosh. Nan Zhu suddenly held out a silver note in front of him.
Uh… Yu Qing’s gaze fell on the amount. It was one hundred taels. His angry expression vanished at once. He stopped shouting, snatched the note, and said, Put me down, put me down. I will go with you. What does this tugging and pulling look like?
The two senior brothers realised that, sure enough, the method that had worked on this fellow since they were young was still the most effective. If it did not work, it simply meant the money was not enough.
They immediately let him down with peace of mind.
What is the rush? Yu Qing, now free, complained. He straightened his wrinkled clothes, smoothed his ponytail, touched his tender little moustache, and set off towards Miao Qing Hall.
To him it was nothing more than going through the motions and earning one hundred taels. Money this easy to make would be foolish not to take.
Nan Zhu quickly caught up. He glanced at Sun Ping who was looking out from the doorway of Miao Qing Hall and said in a low voice, Old Fifteen, I told them we are sworn brothers. Do not let it slip.
All right, I know. Yu Qing agreed readily. He could give them this face. He still had his reputation for taking money and getting things done.
Of course, he was also sneering inside. If these two fellows were doing this for his own good, he would not believe it even if his head was twisted ten full circles. These two must have taken a fancy to that pretty widow.
He really did not know what these two were thinking. No money, no looks, and no real skills. How could she possibly fancy the likes of them?
Especially that damn fatty, who probably thought he was some uniquely charming fat man again.
The three of them returned to the inner courtyard of Miao Qing Hall and met Tie Miao Qing in the pavilion once more.
This time, as the host, Tie Miao Qing did not dare to neglect the other two. She invited Nan Zhu and Mu Ao Tie to sit as well.
However, Nan Zhu spoke first. Iron Lady, the three of us have discussed it. He really cannot write lyrics and rhapsodies anymore. As he said, it is easy to offend people. Apart from writing lyrics and rhapsodies, there must be other ways. We can sit down and discuss it properly. Do you not agree?
Tie Miao Qing looked at Yu Qing with hopeful eyes and sighed. That is the method with the lowest cost and lowest risk.
She was actually saying it for Yu Qing’s benefit, still hoping he would reconsider.
Yu Qing acted as if he had heard nothing. He had already made up his mind to just take the money and go through the motions.
To him, one hundred taels was not a small amount when he had no money.
Seeing he gave no response, Tie Miao Qing gave up. There are naturally other ways. As long as we can find enough goods within a month that are easy to sell, we can still turn the situation around. However, that is easier said than done.
Nan Zhu asked, Is there only one month left?
Sun Ping interjected, A bit more than one month. There are thirty-seven days until the deadline. After all, we still need time to sell the goods, so it is essentially one month.
Nan Zhu looked calm and unhurried. If there is time, it is manageable. Everyone should not panic. We can discuss it. The thing is, we do not understand your line of business. It is no use if you speak too broadly. Let us ask the most direct questions. The situation has reached this point. Can you tell us some solutions or directions for solving the problem?
Tie Miao Qing shook her head slightly and said bitterly, If we start from scratch with no clues, solving it within a month is basically impossible. There are some paths or requests from certain people that I cannot accept.
The second half made Yu Qing and the other two exchange glances. They roughly understood her meaning.
Sun Ping said, It is not entirely impossible. There is something nearby that could solve the crisis, but we may not be able to obtain it.
Nan Zhu replied, Things have come to this. You might as well tell us.
Sun Ping said, More than eight hundred li away in the snow mountains there is an ice valley that never melts in ten thousand years. In the ice valley there are treasures that preserve one’s appearance. One type is for the dead and one type is for the living.
Nan Zhu pondered. Could it be ice souls and fixed appearance pearls?
Sun Ping said, Exactly. In the ice valley, within the profound ice that never melts in ten thousand years, there are ice souls. One is worth three hundred thousand taels. Placed in the mouth of a corpse, it can preserve the body from decaying for a thousand years.
Below the ice valley there is a spiritual lake that does not freeze. In the lake there are ice mirages. Inside their bodies are fixed appearance pearls. If ground into powder and taken, they can greatly delay ageing. It is said the preservation effect is excellent. Ten years of ageing changes are like one year.
This treasure is extremely popular with women. One pearl is worth several million taels. Although so expensive that ordinary people cannot afford it, demand still exceeds supply, simply because it is so hard to obtain.
Hearing that one pearl could be worth several million taels of silver, Yu Qing immediately pricked up his ears.
Nan Zhu muttered, You are talking about Xuan Fei Valley, right?
Sun Ping said, Yes.
Nan Zhu looked slightly startled. That is Pear Blossom Lady’s territory. With the old Pear Blossom demon there, who would dare trespass?
Sun Ping replied, Normally no one would dare covet it, but recently the great sage from Qian Liu Mountain is having a birthday celebration. Pear Blossom old demon will definitely go to offer congratulations.
Yu Qing could not help interjecting. This Pear Blossom Lady should be a powerful demon. How could her subordinates allow anyone to trespass in that Xuan Fei Valley?
Sun Ping smiled bitterly. That is why it is difficult.
Yu Qing could not help snorting. You know it is something impossible to do. Why are you telling us this?
Sun Ping blinked at him and thought to himself that this fellow was quite strange. They had seen his methods before. What if he had a way? But he said aloud, Mister Nan asked about possibilities, so I just mentioned it casually.
Tie Miao Qing could not help biting her lip. She could tell Sun Ping was saying this for Yu Qing’s benefit.
Nan Zhu listened and kept shaking his head. He also felt it really would not work.
Yu Qing’s thoughts drifted a bit. He looked left and right for a while, then suddenly said, Shopkeeper Sun, why have we not seen Senior Zhu this whole time?
Speaking of Zhu Shang Biao, Sun Ping sighed. He went out with another clerk from the shop for the goods. They have been away for almost two months now with no news. We do not know how things are.
Ah, it has been hard on them. Yu Qing clicked his tongue twice in sympathy, then added, We plan to stay in You Jiao Port for a while. Is it convenient inside Miao Qing Hall?
Sun Ping hesitated and looked towards Tie Miao Qing. Having three men move in at once might not be appropriate. If not, they could arrange a guest inn outside.
Tie Miao Qing said, Bottle Lady, tidy up the guest courtyard.
About half an hour later, Yu Qing and his two senior brothers settled into a small courtyard on the side.
Once there were no outsiders, Nan Zhu looked puzzled instead. He pulled Yu Qing and asked, Why did you agree to stay? Were you not in a hurry to go to see Yuan Mountain?
Yu Qing smiled ambiguously. Is this not what you wanted? I have given you the opportunity. I am being generous enough, right?
Nan Zhu kept a straight face, flicked his sleeve and walked away. I do not understand what nonsense you are talking about.
Yu Qing grabbed him. Do not go yet. Let us talk business. Miao Qing Hall can hold on for another month or so. Let us calculate properly and see if a month or so in You Jiao Port is enough for us to go to see Yuan Mountain and get everything sorted.