Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1494 - 1494 0857 The Public Secret

Chapter 1494: Chapter 0857: The Public Secret Chapter 1494: Chapter 0857: The Public Secret Chapter 0857: An Open Secret

Having said his piece, Sun Xiqi didn’t wait for Qi Tian to respond before he took out several jade slips and, with both hands, presented them to Qi Tian. He then stared eagerly at Qi Tian, waiting for him to take the slips.

In the years Qi Tian had been in closed-door cultivation, Sun Xiqi had been living in constant unease, fearful that Qi Tian might remember the incident that occurred in the Council Hall three years prior. It was during the time Yi Xuwen had been formulating the distribution scheme for the Fiery Cloud Secret Realm and Sun Xiqi should have stood beside Qi Tian, but he had remained silent throughout, never speaking a word in Qi Tian’s defense. He knew his behavior was inexcusable and hoped to make amends with gestures like these.

Qi Tian glanced at Sun Xiqi and, smiling, accepted the jade slips, “Then I must thank Elder Sun. I will review the contents of the jade slips as soon as possible.”

Sun Xiqi let out a long sigh of relief. After glancing around, he transmitted his voice to Qi Tian, “Great Elder, rest assured, I will stand with you should any matter arise in the future.”

Qi Tian chuckled and replied, “We’re all from the same sect; there’s no need for such formalities. Elder Sun, let’s have a drink together when we find the time. I must be going now as I have other matters to attend to.”

After leaving the National Master Manor, Qi Tian headed straight for Wanjie Commerce. The jade slips Sun Xiqi had given him held no immediate interest for him. In the National Master Manor, Sun Xiqi’s awkward position had risen largely from his many years stuck in the same realm without breakthrough, and hence, his comprehensive strength hadn’t grown either. Many factors contributed to his stasis, one of which was his lack of fortunate opportunities in recent years. As such, one could imagine the limited value his experiences could provide to Qi Tian.

Wanjie Commerce, as ever, was the busiest place in Wanjie City with a constant throng of people coming and going, many travelling from all directions to either procure or sell cultivation resources.

Wanjie Commerce conducted a roaring trade. Qi Tian had always thought that beyond extending its reach into numerous small and medium secret realms, its business in the greater world was mostly confined to Wanjie City and the various places connected with it, like the Great Zhao Nation, for example. It wasn’t until Qi Tian perused various texts and documents at the National Master Manor that he became aware that Wanjie Commerce’s operations had spread to many nearby Sacred Cultivation Places, such as having a branch in Sui’an City and many other similar locations.

As soon as Qi Tian arrived at the grand entrance of Wanjie Commerce, before he could step inside, a Gold Core Realm cultivator dressed in the typical gear of a Wanjie Commerce shopkeeper dashed out. He hustled over to Qi Tian, smiling respectfully, “It turns out to be the Great Elder gracing us with your presence; please, right this way, inside.”

The shopkeeper led Qi Tian into Wanjie Commerce, directly into a private room, and then ordered the best fragrant tea to be brought in for Qi Tian. Only then did he jovially say, “Great Elder, it’s rare for us to have the honor of your visit. What brings you to Wanjie Commerce today?”

Qi Tian asked with a smile, “May I inquire as to how you address yourself, sir?”

The shopkeeper replied, “My name is Li Yuqi. I lack any great talent in cultivation; I’m just adept at business, and because I’m rather sharp, the Great Elder promoted me to be the main shopkeeper here. Great Elder, is there something specific you require on your visit today? Just tell me directly, and I’ll have it brought to you.”

With a smile, Qi Tian said, “Just by looking, I can tell Li Shopkeeper has many years of experience in this line of work and must have a distinct perspective. I’ll be straightforward with what I need and I won’t be shy about it. Look at me and decide what you think I might require, and have it sent over. If it satisfies me, I will take it.”

Li Yuqi was initially taken aback as he hadn’t expected Qi Tian to make such a request, but he didn’t find it particularly strange. Having worked as a shopkeeper for so many years, he had seen all kinds of peculiar demands; by comparison, Qi Tian’s request was quite ordinary. He laughed and said, “Great Elder, please wait a moment, and I shall have the items brought over.”

After asking Qi Tian to wait for a short while, Li Yuqi stepped outside the private room, and soon returned with a few beautifully dressed female cultivators bearing trays. He began introducing the items to Qi Tian; what was brought forth were all fine treasures within their respective categories. To most, these items would seem impressive, but Qi Tian had seen all manners of treasures. Compared to the finest treasures Qi Tian had encountered, Li Yuqi’s offerings were certainly less impressive.

Qi Tian waved his hand dismissively, “No need to introduce these treasures to me; bring in another selection.”

Li Yuqi wasn’t annoyed and left the room once more. Soon, he returned with a different selection of treasures, a bit better than the previous ones, but they still didn’t appeal to Qi Tian. Moreover, Qi Tian’s visit wasn’t intended for shopping at Wanjie Commerce.

Qi Tian stated, “There’s no need to swap out the treasures anymore. Li Shopkeeper, let me be clear. I’ve met a few times with Lu Songsheng, the vice president of your commerce, and I wonder if he is available now as I would like to have a word with him.”

Li Yuqi hastened to say, “I’m not quite certain about that. Please wait here and enjoy the tea while I check for you, Great Elder.”

After leaving the private room, Li Yuqi quickly found Lu Songsheng, who seemed quite leisurely, toying with an abacus as if he were tallying accounts. Seeing this, Li Yuqi inwardly rolled his eyes; as a Nascent Soul Master, Lu Songsheng could count instantly with a mere thought and had no need to fiddle with an abacus. Nevertheless, Lu Songsheng had a penchant for using one when going over the ledgers, a fact that had become an open secret within Wanjie Commerce.

“Vice President, Qi Tian, the Great Elder of the National Master Manor, has asked to speak with you. He’s currently waiting in a private room where I’ve arranged for him to have tea. Do you have the time to meet him?”

Lu Songsheng looked up and glanced at Li Yuqi, “Are you talking about Qi Tian? What’s he doing here? Tell me everything about his words and actions from the moment he entered our Wanjie Commerce.”

Without any fuss, Li Yuqi proceeded to recount Qi Tian’s behavior and speech as requested by Lu Songsheng. He spoke in detail, without incorporating any personal interpretation, and made no attempt to hide or modify any of Qi Tian’s words or deeds.