1 Clip-clop, clip-clop!


    The carriage halted at the tavern''s entrance, and the servant hastily knelt on the ground.


    Chen Chengye stepped down on his back, a spring breeze of a smile on his face, and greeted Zhou Yi, who was opening the door.


    "Shopkeeper Sun, long time no see!"


    "Long time no see."


    Zhou Yi smiled and, with a bow, drew a pot of wine from a jar bearing the Chen mark: "Master Chen favors the subtle. We added osmanthus when brewing, lessening the spiciness and adding a sweet aftertaste!"


    After taking a taste, Chen Jiye showered it with praise and pulled out a stack of exchange drafts from his sleeve.


    "Thanks to the shopkeeper''s reminder some time ago, not only did the Chen family avoid losses, but we also took the opportunity to make a fortune. This small token of appreciation cannot express my gratitude!"


    Zhou Yi waved his hand, declining: "Master Chen, you''re too kind. Do you think weck silver here?"


    "That''s true."


    Chen Jiyeughingly said: "Shopkeeper''s every action and detail of daily life betray a profound family heritage. Especially rare is your deep expertise in martial arts, which quite startled old Lu and me."


    The continuation of the Chen and Lu families relied not only on their profound ancestral heritage but more importantly, on their unceasing dedication to martial arts.


    Martial strength was the foundation that protected the wealth of the old families; without it, they would have long been carved up by emerging ns. No matter how powerful the machinery''s productivity, it couldn''tpare to direct acquisition through force.


    "I practice the family martial arts when I have some spare time."


    Zhou Yi said, "I also have to thank Master Chen for the collection of storybooks you sent over—over two thousand volumes, enough tost a lifetime."


    Chen Jiye nodded slightly, understanding Zhou Yi''s change of subject, and tactfully refrained from further inquiring about the origins of his martial arts.


    He had long since investigated Zhou Yi thoroughly. One identity was that of a Taoist from the Baiyun Monastery; though he couldn''t pin down the exact monastery, it was probably an affiliation bought with incense money.


    The other was Sun Wu, registered in the capital''s household registry.


    Chen Jiye had never heard of a Sun family among the noble ns, so they were likely a minor household that had fortuitously inherited relics from the previous dynasty.


    The previous dynasty was established through martial prowess, with Emperor Tai Shi himself suppressing the Cloud Continent for a century through his power alone. After the fall of Qing Kingdom, their legacy scattered to the winds. Including the rapid rise of today''s emerging families, their strength rests not only on Ancestor Zhou and machinery, but also on the inheritance of Qi-Blood martial arts.


    The old rich always talk of benevolence, righteousness, and the ways of the past, but if they could overpower emerging ns with martial might, they surely wouldn''t show mercy.


    These two identities did not mean much in the eyes of Chen Jiye; the Chen family also had many branches that had changed their names.


    What was critical, though, was that Sun Wu lived in the former residence of an Immortal at Ningde Fang!


    This was precisely why Chen Jiye visited the tavern. The Chen residence was located in Yongchang ce in East City, a ce of status that normally did not visit such second-rate areas. However, after hearing from servants that someone had moved into the Immortal''s former residence, he made a special trip to the tavern to investigate.


    Watching Shopkeeper Sun greet the customers, Chen Jiye shook his head slightly and sighed.


    "Such a pity he''s not a Zhou."


    Within the Chen n, it was known that their ancestors could be traced back to the Da Qian Sacred Emperor, with several encounters with Immortals through the ages.


    Nowadays, his obsession with collecting ancient books fundamentally stemmed from his fear of death and pursuit of immortality.


    Over the decades, Chen Jiye had collected many texts on the Great Qian Dynasty, and through traces and conjectures, he believed he had uncovered historical truths.


    The Da Qian Sacred Emperor''s rise to power and founding of a nation relied on the support of Immortals!


    This conclusion differed from contemporary historical records and was not recognized by historians since Chen Jiye''s sources were unofficial histories.


    "The greatest sorrow in life is wanting what you cannot have."


    Chen Jiye''s gaze grewplex: "Perhaps that Immortal''s former residence was simply where an ancestor climbed over the wall to y and encountered a storyteller Taoist. After all, are there really Immortals in this world?"


    The new era rolled in with the roar of machinery, and Chen Jiye had ceased to believe in extraordinary tales. After all, even the Buddhist and Taoist doctrines were changing.


    Believers worship doctrines, not Immortal Gods!


    Zhou Yi could not guess at Chen Jiye''splex thoughts and would not use magic to probe the minds of others. Like a true tavern keeper, he weed his guests.


    "Mr. Zhu has arrived, please have a seat."


    "Two pots of wine to take away? Please wait a moment, sir!"


    "Mr. Zhang, take some dishes first; the kitchen will have more in the future."


    "…"


    The taste of pear blossom white in the capital was said to be iparable, and those who enjoyed fine liquor would never forget it once they had tasted it,ing early in the morning to buy a couple of pots.


    Zhou Yi was too busy serving customers, like a constantly spinning top, the immortal aura that isted him grew thinner and thinner, making him appear more like a mortal.


    When people are busy, time flies incredibly fast.


    At night he returned to Kunlun Cave Heaven for cultivation, leaving only an illusion in the courtyard, while during the day he busied himself serving customers. Without realizing it, the tavern had been open for half a year.


    Chen Chengye, Lu Bo, and others were from famous millennium-old families in Cloud Continent. Because they often came to the tavern to eat, they gradually attracted many other noble family members. Owing to the unique quality of pear blossom white, the ce slowly became a gathering spot for the wealthy.


    The attires of the wealthy were much the same: square caps, long robes, walking canes, and the click-ck of gold pocket watches.


    The fabric was naturally the finest handwork, with the family crest subtly embroidered onto the inconspicuous parts of the robe. The cane, appearing to be wooden, was actually solid wrought iron iid with jade the size of a pigeon''s egg.


    The gold pocket watches were not machine-made either – anyone who used mass-produced goods would be ostracized and despised; they had to be crafted by hand by artisans!


    Despite being adorned in gold and silver riches, the wealthy never discussed money at their gatherings, as it was too vulgar. They had topare ancestors and talk about their legacies instead.


    For instance, when two unfamiliar wealthy met, they first had to assess each other''s ancestors. If your ancestor was a county prince from three hundred years ago and mine was a prince from five hundred years ago, then I would rank above you!


    As the wealthy converged, adhering to the principle that the old and new should never meet, the new families never visited There Is a Tavern.


    The two types of people, when they met, would mock each other: one saying the other was an uncultured bumpkin, while the other retorted that they were dying old fossils.


    There Is a Tavern even came under targeted attacks, with Ningde Fang''s lower enforcement officers, under someone''s direction,ing to inspect the ounts aggressively, iming someone had reported underpaid business taxes.


    Zhou Yi took out a gold ingot and, in front of the officers, effortlessly pinched it into a standard gold coin.


    Using his fingertip instead of an engraving tool, he quickly drew his own portrait on the face of the gold coin.


    After that incident.


    The officers from Ningde Fang never visited the tavern again, and when they dide for a drink after their shift, they would be in civilian clothes.


    Zhou Yi found out that the old and new families were as ipatible as fire and water, yet Daoists were able to navigate between the two. After inquiring with Chen Jiye about the reason, he couldn''t help but curse.


    "These guys have lost all face of their ancestors!"


    The Daoists of White Cloud Temple inherited the traditions of Alchemy Sect and Earth Fire Pce, and from ancient texts, they discovered many forms, such as a certain cultivator, while refining artifacts in his spare time, found that crushed limestone calcined and so on.


    In the eyes of cultivators, such a form was less important than the secrets of crafting a low-grade magic artifact.


    Through these forms, the Daoists umted vast amounts of gold and silver wealth, and then they began to tamper with the ancient texts of artifact refining and alchemy.


    The Immortal Gods had been absent from the world for hundreds of years, and having tasted the tremendous benefits of machinery andmerce, the Daoist sects attempted to exin all the phenomena in the world, including machinery, through the principles of yin and yang and the five elements. So far, the results seemed satisfactory.


    This interpretation allowed the new families to find their footing, since the souls of the people had been governed by Buddhism, Daoism, and the Four Books and Five ssics for countless years.


    The wealthy could barely ept it,forting themselves that what they had learned had not been abandoned by the times!


    ...


    The City Patrol Office.


    A department newly established by the Imperial Court less than fifty years ago, responsible for patrolling the city during the day and maintaining stable public order.


    The emergence of a new department was always a reflection of an urgent need in the situation. If the Imperial Court had casually established the City Patrol Office, the Military Department and the Capital Constabry could have ground it to dust.


    With Ancestor Zhou''s sessful promotion of machinery, business was booming like never before, and the influx of people into the city was growing.


    With more people came more cases, and the Military Department and the Capital Constabry couldn''t handle it all, delegating petty theft, brawls, and other minor matters to the City Patrol Office.


    The East City City Patrol Office jail.


    The guards on duty, exhausted from a day''s work, dozed off in their chairs.


    Bai Shiyu spat a piece of iron wire from his mouth and prodded it into the keyhole, and with a click, the door opened.


    The prisoner in the neighboring cell was gaping at him, pointing first at the door lock and then at his own mouth, to indicate he''d shout if Bai Shiyu wouldn''t unlock his door too.


    Bai Shiyu repeated the trick and unlocked the prisoner''s door.


    Delighted, the prisoner was about to take advantage of the dark to escape when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck and passed out.


    "You dare take advantage of Bai Ye''s generosity!"


    As he spoke, he grabbed the prisoner by the cor at the back of his neck and ced him in a seat opposite the guard, then used his Qinggong to flee into the night.


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