Chapter 428: Business Booms

"Right, right, right, these people are all ill‑intentioned, and I'm the only one who covets senior sister Qiu Hu's beauty, hehe!" Wei Yuning said happily.

"Although your words are quite annoying, they're true, and you're the only one who genuinely likes my looks!" Qiu Hu sighed softly.

Wei Yuning felt increasing pressure; after a moment's hesitation, he mustered courage and said, "Senior sister, I have something to confess to you!"

"Hm? What matter?" Qiu Hu lifted her eyes and sat up straight.

"Besides you, I actually also have a spiritual companion!" Wei Yuning said cautiously while watching Qiu Hu's expression.

"Thus line: Ye Ying? That's fine; the more people, the livelier, I don't mind!" Qiu Hu said magnanimously.

"Also, after you left the Cloud Hidden Sect!" Wei Yuning added.

"What?" Qiu Hu's face darkened briefly but soon returned to normal, "You thrived in the Cloud Hidden Sect, having a spiritual companion is normal—who is it?"

"One is named Xing Shuang, a female cultivator of the Azure Luan Sect, and the other is Qing Ling, a senior sister of the Cloud Hidden Sect!" Wei Yuning said.

"Xing Shuang? Isn't she our junior senior uncle? You actually with her?" Qiu Hu exclaimed in surprise, "Does senior uncle Yun Yan also agree?"

"He agrees!" Wei Yuning said.

"They… already know my identity?" Qiu Hu asked with mixed emotions.

"I didn't tell them, but they've guessed roughly, saying you're a light‑affiliated cultivator, surely from some special world." Wei Yuning said.

"Oh. I know Qing Ling; she's a direct disciple of the Cloud Hidden Sect. I didn't expect you to be with her!" Qiu Hu looked wistfully.

"Well… actually not," he admitted, a bit embarrassed, but staying silent would cause a bigger misunderstanding, so Wei Yuning decided to be frank, "Both of them are cultivation fanatics, saying 'Unless one attains the Great Dao, otherwise we can't… truly be together!'"

Qiu Hu inexplicably exhaled, but her face remained tight as she said, "Even so, you have quite the romantic luck," she paused, then suddenly laughed, "Come to think of it, you still haven't… that thing, sigh, it's rather pitiful!"

Wei Yuning, seeing her smile so breathtakingly, couldn't help but seize her pale jade hand again; this time Qiu Hu didn't pull away.

The two silently watched the setting sun slowly sink into the azure lake, their hearts utterly tranquil.

When they went downstairs, they found everyone had left, only Thus line: Ye Ying remained, sitting where she had been, cradling a tea cup already emptied.

Qiu Hu stepped forward, grabbing Wei Yuning's hand with one hand and one of Thus line: Ye Ying's hands with the other, laughing, "I never expected that after arriving in Immortal City, the three of us would reunite!"

Thus line: Ye Ying was startled, then her face lit with joy; she stood, embraced Qiu Hu, and laughed, "I'm so happy you and senior brother Wei Yuning can be together again!"

Qiu Hu also beamed, laughing, "Indeed, back then I was just joking, sending Yuning to Immortal City to start a food business; I didn't expect him to actually come, open a restaurant, and in a few days opening a shop inside Immortal City won't be impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Thus line: Ye Ying instantly excited, "It will definitely work; I've tasted their new dishes, they're even tastier than what they made back in the Cloud Hidden Sect!"

"Really? Then it's certain! If so, junior brother Yuning can also establish himself here! In the future, I… we can open a restaurant in Immortal City!" Qiu Hu laughed.

"What's there to be happy about? You're already fine in the Outer Guard, I'm an official staff, salary stable, no worries about food and drink!" Wei Yuning said, puzzled.

"The Outer Guard is indeed good, but with daily comings and goings, free time is rare; if not for earning more immortal stones, who would want to run around?" Qiu Hu replied.

Thus line: Ye Ying couldn't help nodding, "Indeed, come to think of it, this place isn't even as good as the little spirit beast world; there, my daily cultivation time is much longer!"

"The spiritual energy here is even richer, and it mixes with immortal spirit energy; for ordinary cultivators, it's still a good place!" Wei Yuning retorted.

"No need to state the obvious!" Qiu Hu snorted, "Immortal City is better, but not everyone can go there! By the way, I heard Thus line: Ye Ying say you have a Level‑2 temporary residence permit for Immortal City; only senior officers of the Imperial Guard can issue those. You should cherish it, take a few missions, and I'll try to get you a Level‑5 permit, making you an official Immortal City resident."

"Wait, didn't you promise to give me a permit?" Wei Yuning hurriedly reminded.

Qiu Hu smiled, "I've changed my mind; since you already have a permit, I'll give this one to junior sister Thus line: Ye Ying. Once she enters Immortal City, she'll have a few hundred extra years to cultivate, enough to reach the Nascent Soul stage. Besides, you might have other spiritual companions, and later I and junior sister Thus line: Ye Ying will have to rely on each other!"

The three met again, barriers vanished, endless conversation flowed until late night before they rested.

The next morning, Qiu Hu hurried away again.

The restaurant's first trial opening was that evening, both a result of their discussion and the future business hours.

All of them are cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage but below Tribulation Ascension; their primary task is cultivation to prepare for tribulation, and in daily life, as long as they can make a living, earning money isn't the main goal, so the shorter the business hours, the better.

There is also an important reason.

Besides food and scenery, a major feature of the new restaurant is film screenings, perfectly timed for evening operation.

Almost without any mishap, the trial opening achieved huge success.

Immortal City's entertainment centers on song, dance, and music—highbrow yet niche; beautiful indeed, but lacking earthly atmosphere, and they've never seen such a complex, ordinary love story.

Indeed, after anonymous voting by the crowd, the widely supported classic film from Black Dragon City, "Snow Dodo", won.

Countless people flooded the restaurant to watch the film, but limited space soon capped entry. Cultivators waiting gave up on the screening; although the restaurant was the best venue, other places also showed it, so everyone displayed their abilities—those flying in the sky, drifting in the water, all were people.

Those who finally got seats quickly realized that compared to the entertaining film and the lake‑and‑sky scenery, the new restaurant's food was the real highlight—uniquely prepared and extremely delicious, fully justifying its pricey cost.

Whether meat, staples, vegetables, or fruit, pastries, and clear tea, everything continuously delighted.

As Wei Yuning stood on the beach, smiling at the crowd, a silver messenger bird fluttered in.

Cultivation Begins with Menial Work/book/84054/