Chapter Seven: Wealth Upon Wealth

“Insane, they’ve all gone completely mad!”

The scene had devolved into utter chaos. Ye Qiu stood dumbfounded, suspecting for a moment that he was dreaming.

For heaven’s sake, could these people stop toying with him? They were acting as if this was something extraordinary, when in truth, it was nothing more than an ordinary cask of industrial liquor.

“Boss, what on earth is happening to them?”

Even Cao He approached, equally bewildered, curiosity written all over his face.

The entire Simple Joy Inn was crackling with energy, as one after another, people broke through their limits—a truly spectacular sight.

“Who knows! Go fetch a decanter, this wine has been buried for too long, it needs to breathe to unleash its full potency…”

Ye Qiu didn’t concern himself with the details. Judging by their reactions, the wine clearly had some effect; perhaps it really could heal ailments.

And if it truly could heal…

He gasped inwardly—goodness, wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity to strut his stuff again?

Cao He soon returned carrying a goblet, its design quite unusual. Ye Qiu handed him the wine, instructing, “Pour it slowly, drip by drip. Don’t empty it all at once…”

“All right…”

Cao He took the cask, lifted the lid, and began to pour a little, all the while asking, “Boss, is this enough? Should I add more?”

“A little more, just a bit, drip by drip—don’t overdo it, or it’ll go to waste if she can’t finish…”

Cao He, finding this process agonizingly slow, upended the cask and poured generously.

“Damn it, I said drip by drip!”

“What the hell are you doing, who told you to pour it all at once?”

Ye Qiu was fuming. True, he had plenty more wine in the cellar—hundreds of casks, in fact—but there was no need to squander it so recklessly.

This was money, after all!

Though no one had yet tasted these brews since their creation, Ye Qiu had planned to use them as his signature products.

This wine packed a serious punch, and its strength was formidable—one mouthful would floor an ordinary person, and even cultivators would struggle beyond three bowls.

Cao He had just filled an entire goblet—how could Fu Yao possibly finish it? Such a waste…

Realizing his blunder, Cao He fumbled nervously under Ye Qiu’s tirade.

“Cover it up, cover it…”

With the wine poured, Ye Qiu didn’t dwell on the quantity lost, quickly urging Cao He to reseal the cask, lest it lose its flavor.

But Cao He misunderstood, reaching to cover the goblet instead. Unable to tolerate this, Ye Qiu flicked him sharply on the ear.

“The cask, cover the cask! For heaven’s sake, you clumsy oaf, who told you to cover the goblet? I’m docking half a month’s wages!”

“Come on, you weren’t clear…”

Cao He was near tears. Losing half a month’s pay over this—how was he supposed to get by?

This unscrupulous boss seemed to invent new ways to deduct his wages every day. What started as a monthly gold coin gradually dwindled away to mere copper coins after all the deductions.

One gold coin equaled a hundred silver coins, and one silver coin equaled a hundred copper coins.

It was clear how stingy this boss was. When Cao He first joined the inn, he’d thought it a great deal—his pay was hundreds of times above industry standard.

Who could have predicted that twenty years would pass—twenty whole years!—and not once had he received his full salary?

Not a single time…

It was just too much…

If it weren’t for the room and board, he wouldn’t have stayed this long.

“This is too much! At this rate, I’ll never be able to afford a wife in this lifetime…”

Cao He was on the verge of tears, yet dared not protest.

Despite Ye Qiu’s penchant for docking his wages, Cao He harbored no resentment—he could only grumble quietly.

After all, without Ye Qiu, he wouldn’t be here. If Ye Qiu hadn’t saved him and given him a meal, he wouldn’t have survived to this day.

That was why he could never bring himself to leave. Even without wages, he would still remain at the inn, helping Ye Qiu with its affairs.

“You little rascal, can’t even manage such a simple task! Step aside, I’ll do it myself…”

Ye Qiu couldn’t care less what Cao He was thinking. Staring at the brimming goblet, his heart ached.

“No, no, the loss is already done. I’ll have to find a way to recoup it…

Hmm… I know! I haven’t docked his wages much this month yet. Since the loss is done, I’ll just take it from him.

Heh… Sorry, Cao Rascal! You’ll just have to bear it, otherwise the inn will go bankrupt!”

Ye Qiu glanced at the goblet, then at Cao He, suddenly breaking into an evil grin.

Cao He, seeing that sinister smile, felt a chill run down his spine. “Boss, why are you smiling like that?”

That smile was truly terrifying. Having worked with Ye Qiu for so long, Cao He knew that when Ye Qiu smiled like this, nothing good would follow.

This fellow was too cunning—his head was full of schemes, always finding ways to swindle you.

“Oh, nothing, just remembered something amusing…”

The more he thought about it, the funnier it seemed. Ye Qiu wondered if he wasn’t being a bit too much, fleecing the same sheep over and over—how could anyone withstand that?

“Something amusing? What’s so amusing?”

Cao He was completely bewildered. What could possibly be amusing?

Wait, something’s off. That smile—there’s trouble. Damn, is he planning to dock my pay again?

No, no, he’s already taken half—if he takes more, I’ll be left to starve next month!

No way. I’d better be careful and not give him any excuse. Otherwise, I’ll lose what little pay I have left.

But if he’s set on fleecing you, even breathing is a mistake—he’ll find a way to take advantage, no matter what you do.

Ye Qiu considered, then decided to delay punishing Cao He—after all, there were outsiders present. Better to find a way to exploit them first.

If he couldn’t fleece them, he could always return to Cao He.

“All right, you can go now.”

With his plan set, Ye Qiu dismissed Cao He and made his way to Fu Yao.

By now, Yang Xuan and the others had regained their composure, their faces radiant with energy and vigor.

Clearly, that recent stroke of fortune had a profound effect—most of them had broken through their previous limits.

“Incredible! The aroma of this wine alone has given us such great breakthroughs. What would happen if we actually drank it?”

Yang Xuan dared not imagine, and found himself somewhat envious of Fu Yao. If only he were the injured one now!

This was the legendary immortal wine—if the great clans harmed by the Desolate Lands learned of this, they would go mad and fight over it.

Let alone immortal wine—when a few great clans once fought over a single cask of spirit wine at auction, the entire capital was nearly destroyed.

Immortal wine was simply beyond imagination—the scene would be nothing short of epic.

Ye Qiu approached, set the goblet on the table before Fu Yao, and said calmly, “The wine is fully decanted. Its medicinal properties are at their peak—drink it.”

He had no idea if the wine could truly heal, so he wanted to observe its effects before deciding whether to extort them.

These people were obviously wealthy—filthy rich. It would be a shame not to take advantage.

Cao He had next to nothing; extorting cultivators was far more profitable.

Fu Yao was extremely nervous. Others might not realize, but she was well aware.

Her Insightful Eye allowed her to discern the truth—she could see the immortal aura within the wine, unmistakable proof of its legendary nature.

She hadn’t expected Ye Qiu to actually offer her immortal wine as medicine; for a moment, she was overwhelmed by the gesture.

“Senior… this wine is far too precious. I cannot possibly accept such a gift…”

“Drink when you’re told to drink. Precious or not, I have plenty of wine like this—help yourself.”

Ye Qiu waved dismissively. At his words, Yang Xuan and the others were stunned.

“What did he just say?”

“He said he’s got plenty of immortal wine like this…”

“What!”

“Good heavens… did you hear that? Is he even human? This is the finest wine under the heavens, and he says he’s got a whole stash?”

“My god, this is what true wealth looks like!”

“Let’s be friends, tycoon!”

Yang Xuan and the rest were dumbstruck. They’d seen people flaunt their wealth before, but never to this extent.

Most would brag about the quality of their treasures, but this man boasted about quantity.

And not just quantity—every item was of the highest caliber. It was simply outrageous.

“This is madness. I feel like I’ve lost my mind. In all my years, I’ve never seen such ostentatious wealth. Compared to this senior, I’m no better than a beggar. Apart from my few gold coins, I have nothing. I am so poor…”

The crowd: “???”

Another show-off?

Fu Yao’s heart trembled at Ye Qiu’s words. Suddenly, she found the senior before her rather humorous.

Did he not realize how crushing his words were to them?

What was most infuriating was his air of nonchalance, as if he truly didn’t understand the rarity of what he possessed.

But thinking it over, it made sense. For them, this immortal wine was a treasure. For him, it was just ordinary drink.

With his cultivation so high, perhaps this wine meant little to him now.

“No wonder he calls this wine ordinary…”

Fu Yao’s heart trembled again; she found herself ever more unable to read Ye Qiu. He was the first person she’d encountered whose depths she could not plumb—not even her own father was so inscrutable.

With Ye Qiu, all she could see was an aura of vast righteousness, as deep and unfathomable as the sea, its origins impossible to trace.

What realm did he truly belong to?

Fu Yao did not know. She only knew this man was a supreme power.

“Thank you, Senior, for your generous gift…”

This time, Fu Yao did not refuse. Taking the goblet, she hesitated for a moment, then drank it all in one go.

The moment the immortal wine passed her lips, Fu Yao’s flawless face flushed with a rosy warmth.

If she had been the icy and aloof type before, now… she was transforming into something adorable.

“This wine… is really strong…”

With those words, Fu Yao swayed and collapsed, felled by a single cup.