Chapter 686

Zhang Wang walked into the living room, saw Xu Pingji with an indifferent expression, and laughed: "Brother Xu, how have you been?"

"What are you here for?" Xu Pingji snorted coldly.

"You never apologized for stabbing me in the back before, and now you come over smiling—surely no good."

"Oh, Brother Xu, even if we aren't blood brothers, we're better than brothers!" Zhang Wang laughed, carrying a food box over, set it in front of him, and sat down beside him.

"This is some fine wine and food I painstakingly brought from Luo Tian Lou—try some?"

Zhang Wang knew Xu Pingji very well; although he had reached Nascent Soul cultivation, he was very fond of his appetite.

Luo Tian Lou is one of the top restaurants in Zhong Tian Zhi Yu specializing in spiritual food; many cultivators like to go there to discuss cooperation and business, it's extremely popular, and a meal is hard to book.

Sure enough, Xu Pingji swallowed, raised his eyebrows: "What exactly do you want?"

"Let's talk while we eat."

After a few cups of wine went down and they began to enjoy the food, Zhang Wang laughed and said: "Brother Xu, your sect's business is booming lately—have you ever thought about partnering with someone?"

"Cooperation?" Xu Pingji looked at Zhang Wang strangely: "You're asking me about this?"

"Naturally, I should go directly to your sect. But as brothers, I don't know if you have any news on your end."

Xu Pingji chuckled: "Of course there is news—without going into the distant, Hall Master Yan Buji is now in closed-door cultivation, and his affairs have been taken over by someone else."

"What?" Zhang Wang stared, puzzled: "How could Hall Master Yan suddenly go into closed-door cultivation?"

"Who knows?"

Zhang Wang fell silent, feeling that this matter was not simple.

Logically speaking, although Yan Buji's strength is somewhat lacking, his ability is certainly not poor; the Sect Master of the Great Sinful Sect surely wouldn't not tolerate Yan Buji, would he?

"Looking at it this way, even if Yan Buji offended their sect master, it's impossible to just dispose of him outright; there must be a process, and the situation doesn't seem that complicated," Zhang Wang thought.

"In that case, Brother Xu, do you know who is currently handling this matter?" Zhang Wang asked.

"It's another elder of our sect, Li Wan Hua."

"Li Wan Hua... I wonder what this elder likes?"

"I haven't had much contact with him, but I've heard he quite likes calligraphy and painting."

"Calligraphy and painting?" Zhang Wang looked puzzled.

"Are there refined, cultured people in the Great Sinful Sect?"

"But having this information is enough."

Afterwards, Zhang Wang chatted with Xu Pingji for a while longer before returning to his own residence.

After a while.

"Steward Zhang, the calligraphy and painting you wanted are all ready." A youth walked in, with white hair and a longsword on his back; to those who didn't know, he looked like a swordsman.

Zhang Wang looked up and laughed: "It's Yun Hua, come sit."

"Yes."

Yun Hua walked over and sat beside Zhang Wang: "Steward, what are your orders?"

"I dare not call them orders; we are both stewards of the Merchant Guild, I just joined a few years earlier than you." Zhang Wang laughed.

Yun Hua clasped his hands: "Yes, Steward Zhang, is there anything you need me to help with?"

"Hmm." Zhang Wang looked at Yun Hua, recalled Steward Long's instructions, and said: "So, you have nothing to do these days, right?"

"No."

"Then come with me for a trip to the Great Sinful Sect."

"The Great Sinful Sect?!"

Yun Hua frowned: "That ancient demonic path sect?"

"Yes, the Spiritual Material from the Youming Jie circulating in the market now all comes from there, so we also need to seek cooperation with them." Zhang Wang laughed.

Yun Hua fell silent; given his past experience, he had no good impression of those demonic cultivators, let alone a demonic sect.

"Yun Hua, do you have any reservations?"

"Well..." Yun Hua hesitated, thinking that getting a job in the Merchant Guild was indeed hard to refuse, so he nodded: "It's fine, since Steward Zhang said so, I'll go with you."

"All right, but if you have any reservations, don't keep them to yourself; we're not forcing you to do anything, it's entirely voluntary." Zhang Wang laughed.

Yun Hua knew the other said that out of consideration for his daughter, so he wouldn't say more, and nodded: "Yes, thank you, Steward Zhang, for your concern."

"Alright, let's go."

Zhang Wang brought Yun Hua away from the Heavenly Spirit Realm; seeing Yun Hua's silence on the road, Zhang Wang tried to get closer and asked: "Yun Hua, how do you feel in the Merchant Guild? The Heavenly Spirit Realm mainly lacks spiritual energy, so it's not as good as the five regions."

Yun Hua clasped his hands: "Thank you for your concern, Steward Zhang, I'm fine."

"Yun Hua, inside the Merchant Guild it's not like other sect powers; basically after this period you'll be sent out to discuss business. If you do well, you'll also be put in charge of a region's trade operations—do you find this arrangement satisfactory?" Zhang Wang asked.

Most people entering the Merchant Guild follow this process; of course, Yun Hua is not ordinary.

Who let him have a good daughter?

Yun Hua's face showed difficulty; he had wandered his whole life, barely managing to lift his daughter's seal and raise her to adulthood, but his personality was certainly not suited for these matters.

"I... I..."

"Don't rush; the Merchant Guild has many departments—if you're not suited here, you might fit elsewhere; if really needed, you could go to logistics, which is easy and doesn't require much oversight, giving you more time to cultivate." Zhang Wang laughed.

Yun Hua hesitated, then shook his head: "Steward Zhang, thank you for your kindness. But I want to give it a try—I can't just take the Merchant Guild's benefits for nothing; I'll do my best."

Zhang Wang saw that he wasn't just saying polite words, so he nodded: "Alright, then I'll tell you. When negotiating business with others, the main thing is to know how to make use of the resources around us..."

Along the way, Zhang Wang shared much experience with Yun Hua, and Yun Hua listened attentively.

After a few days.

After the two reached Long Qi Cheng, Zhang Wang brought Yun Hua inside.

"First, let's stay here for two days and gather some information."

"Are we gathering information about the Great Sinful Sect?" Yun Hua asked.

Zhang Wang shook his head: "The credibility of rumors circulating among the market folk is low; you should go ask the merchants here whether they know a person named Li Wan Hua. He is an Elder of the Great Sinful Sect's Wai Mao Tang, in charge of Youming Jie business."

Yun Hua nodded: "Yes."

"Don't be formal; as I said before, you and I are not superior and subordinate," Zhang Wang said with a smile.

"Alright." Yun Hua smiled and left the tavern.

Soon, Yun Hua arrived at a shop, saw a sign indicating Spiritual Material from Youming Jie for sale, and went inside, asking: "Owner."

"Yo, what would this customer like to order?"

"Do you have Spiritual Material from Youming Jie here?"

"We have it. Which kind does the customer want?!"