Chapter Ten: This Is What a Truly Wealthy Woman Looks Like

Ye Qiu took quite a while to recover, and as he looked at the dozen or so cards in his hand, he suddenly felt...

“So it turns out making money isn’t that hard after all. I find myself losing interest in it altogether...”

With that, he tucked the cards away, casting a disdainful glance at Cao He, who stood nearby.

He scoffed, “Look at you—so spineless. It’s not even that much money, and you’re already shaking. Can’t you be a bit more composed, like me? Have you never heard of the saying, ‘One’s expression does not change even if Mount Tai collapses before him’? Try to learn from that, observe carefully, and stop daydreaming all day about other people’s wives...”

As Cao He’s boss, Ye Qiu felt utterly embarrassed. This was barely the beginning, and he was already overwhelmed by a bit of cash? How would he ever accomplish anything significant in the future?

Cao He replied with a tone full of grievance, “Boss, you have the nerve to lecture me? Who was it just now that got so excited he couldn’t stand up? Your legs are still trembling, aren’t they? Aren’t you just the same...”

“Shut up! Or I’ll kill you—”

Ye Qiu, flustered and exasperated, swiped an ear-splitting slap at him. Cao He dodged nimbly, barely avoiding the blow.

“Heh, missed me! How’s that for annoying?” Cao He quipped with a sly grin. He had long anticipated Ye Qiu’s temper and was well prepared—after all, in these twenty years, he’d taken enough beatings to be very familiar with Ye Qiu’s moves.

Of course, Ye Qiu hadn’t truly intended to hit him; otherwise, Cao He would never have dodged it.

“Enough nonsense! Go watch the second floor. If anything happens, let me know immediately. The danger isn’t over yet. The fierce beasts that fought in Tiandang Mountain earlier are each more ferocious than the last. If they come this way, none of us will survive...”

The mere thought of the battle at Tiandang Mountain gave Ye Qiu a headache. When the chaos first broke out, he had snuck off to witness the spectacle.

What a sight it was—half the wasteland reduced to ruins, with four ancient fiends battling so fiercely that even the overlords of the Sacred Grounds dared not approach.

Now, the wasteland was ablaze with war everywhere. Survival was no simple matter. Even disciples of the Yaoguang Sacred Ground were forced to flee for their lives, let alone the likes of Ye Qiu and Cao He—ordinary folk, in their own minds.

Wait, were they truly ordinary? If they really were, they probably wouldn’t have survived this long.

But as far as Ye Qiu was concerned, they were nothing but ordinary. The reason was simple: they had never practiced cultivation. What else could they be?

Cao He climbed to the second floor to keep an eye on the surroundings.

Meanwhile, in the main hall below, all the disciples of Yaoguang Sacred Ground were still unconscious from drink. After an unknown stretch of time, a golden radiance suddenly began to bloom.

“What the—there really are special effects?”

Ye Qiu stared in shock at Yang Xuan, who was lying on the floor, now completely enveloped in golden light—experiencing something very similar to what Fuyao had just gone through.

As Ye Qiu stood there, dumbstruck, another flash of brilliance erupted as yet another Yaoguang disciple slowly rose into the air, bathed in light.

“Damn, another one?”

Ye Qiu was stupefied by the scene. Seriously? Why did they get such spectacular effects from drinking, and he got nothing?

Why did fate toy with him so? Why was it that when others drank, miracles happened, but when he did, nothing at all?

Ye Qiu was bewildered. He’d also drank a cup just now—so why was there no reaction? Was it perhaps his constitution, unfit for cultivation?

That couldn’t be! Was he destined for one of those “useless protagonist” reversal stories?

Ye Qiu couldn’t help but wonder—he’d read plenty of novels where the main character started out as a nobody, only to awaken some cheat code and overturn fate.

Was that his script too? No, that couldn’t be! In those stories, the protagonist always had a cheat or some white-haired sage as a mentor at the start. He hadn’t seen a single one so far. How could his be a “useless protagonist” storyline?

But if not that, then what? Ye Qiu was thoroughly frustrated. He simply couldn’t figure out why all of them were radiating golden light. Was the wine really that miraculous?

“Tch, if I hadn’t tasted it myself, maybe I’d believe it. But I don’t buy that this wine has any supernatural powers—it’s just a barrel of industrial liquor.”

Among the group, Fuyao was the first to awaken. She rose slowly, eyes clear as autumn waters, brimming with ethereal grace.

As she landed, she seemed like a goddess descending to earth—holy and untouchable, breathtakingly beautiful.

Even Ye Qiu was briefly entranced, though outwardly he maintained a composed, unflappable demeanor.

This was the bearing of a true expert, and Ye Qiu had mastered its essence—never revealing his true self.

“Thank you, elder, for your gift of wine. I have nothing with which to repay such kindness—please accept my bow...”

Fuyao, upon waking, offered Ye Qiu the highest courtesy, deeply grateful. Without him, she would have surely died, not to mention breaking through and entering the Celestial Abode.

“Rise, no need for such ceremony.”

Ye Qiu spoke calmly, remaining seated, unmoved.

Fuyao’s heart trembled as she continued, “Elder, your kindness is simply too great—I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

Ye Qiu studied Fuyao closely, and had to admit—after being refined by the immortal wine, she was even more stunning than before.

Yet, she was the heroine of the protagonist’s harem; Ye Qiu dared not become involved.

He almost blurted out, “Alas, if only you were a man—I’d make a blood oath and swear brotherhood with you...” But he managed to restrain himself just in time.

“No need to talk of repayment.”

Ye Qiu swirled the cup in his hand, raising it and setting it down absentmindedly. “If you truly wish to repay me, why not settle your tab like your fellow disciples? That way, we’ll be even.”

At these words, Fuyao’s heart skipped a beat. “What? Such rare and precious immortal wine, and he’s willing to sell it for money? What extraordinary breadth of mind! This is the conduct of a true master—using money to settle cause and effect, owing nothing to anyone. How wise...”

Fuyao was deeply moved, even more in awe of Ye Qiu’s magnanimity.

Such celestial wine—never mind money, one might not obtain it even with one’s life. Yet Ye Qiu was willing to sell it to them, effectively gifting them a great opportunity.

Thinking this, Fuyao smiled to herself. “Indeed, this is a true master—every gesture exudes the aura of one beyond the world. But why does he seem so young, yet possess such profound cultivation? How did he achieve it?”

Fuyao couldn’t comprehend it. Others might not know, but she could tell—Ye Qiu wasn’t some ancient monster of a thousand years. He was perhaps only a few years older than she, not by much.

Yet someone at his age was already a peerless master, while she herself had only just entered the Celestial Abode.

It was laughable that those like her, barely below that realm, spent all day fighting over who was the greatest genius.

Utterly ridiculous!

Compared to Ye Qiu, they were simply not worth mentioning. Reflecting on this, Fuyao couldn’t help but mock herself. “How laughable I was, thinking myself above all others. With such a mindset, how could I ever hope to cultivate? Perhaps only those with the heart of a true master, like Elder Ye, can achieve true enlightenment...”

Shaking her head, Fuyao said softly, “Please rest assured, Elder, I won’t short you on the wine money. Just tell me—how much does a cup cost?”

She was a bit troubled. She didn’t carry much money, and if the price exceeded her expectations, she would have to owe the rest until she found her father.

By her reckoning, a cup of this wine would cost at least several hundred million.

Ye Qiu, seeing that she was willing to pay, was overjoyed.

“Heh, looks like I can make another fortune!”

Suppressing his excitement, Ye Qiu replied with feigned indifference, “Not much, just a million or two per cup...”

“What?” Fuyao blurted out in surprise.

Her exclamation startled Ye Qiu—had he set the price too high? If she refused, wouldn’t he lose out? She’d already drunk it; if she regretted it now, he couldn’t exactly make her cough it up.

No, no, better lower the price and get what he could—every little bit counted.

“If you think that’s too high, don’t worry. Just pay what you think it’s worth,” he offered.

Fuyao, realizing Ye Qiu misunderstood, decided not to clarify and made a quick decision. “Elder, here’s ten million! The remaining nine million is my thanks for saving my life.”

She grinned to herself. “Ha! I thought this would be a sky-high price, but it’s actually so cheap! Better lock it in before the price goes up and I can’t afford it...”

Ye Qiu: “???”

So it wasn’t overpriced—it was too cheap?

Damn, this is what a real rich lady looks like—ten million, just like that. How rich do you have to be to spend so freely?

Damn it, I let my guard down! Young people these days have no sense of honor, resorting to such tricks. That expression of hers—I thought she couldn’t afford it, but she’s the real high-roller here.

Ye Qiu was filled with regret. If he’d known, he’d have asked for a hundred million—she could probably afford it. According to Yang Xuan, this girl was the Saintess of their Sacred Ground.

She, short of money? What a joke...

Still, she wasn’t stingy; she handed over ten million, already ten times his asking price—not a loss.

“Another ten million! I’m rich for real this time. Why bother running a tavern? I could never earn this much in several lifetimes...”

Suppressing his joy, Ye Qiu accepted the card nonchalantly, tucking it away.

He said, “I appreciate your thoughtfulness. You’re someone who knows how to be grateful. With such a heart, you’re destined for greatness.”

“Ah... Elder actually said I have the potential of an emperor?”

At these words, Fuyao’s heart trembled with excitement and nervousness.

Ye Qiu was a true master, someone even her own father couldn’t hope to reach. For him to praise her as having the potential of an emperor—wasn’t that tantamount to acknowledging her talent?