Chapter Seventy-Nine: Embarking on a Money-Making Venture
“Does this really come at a price?” Qu Yiqiu’s expression faltered slightly.
“Of course, Master. You’ve violated the spatial laws and forced the spirit plants to grow at an unnatural speed. Naturally, you must bear the consequences of the laws,” Little Yan replied, tilting his small face up at her with an air of certainty.
Qu Yiqiu blinked. “Is this price severe?”
Little Yan pondered. “Not too severe, I suppose. From what I remember, the heaviest punishment the previous master received was a reduction of five hundred years from his lifespan, causing him to suddenly pass away.”
Qu Yiqiu’s pupils contracted, her lips twitching.
Was this the reason the Nether Domain had no master?
She must never commit such folly!
Thankfully, nothing seemed amiss for now; it appeared she should prepare some Longevity Pills in advance.
She walked over to the Crimson Essence Soil, grasped a handful and rubbed it between her fingers.
Her eyes sparkled with delight. “The quality of the Crimson Essence Soil has improved! This is at least ten times better than the soil at Lesser Peace Peak!”
Little Yan floated over, his round eyes shining as he imitated her, pinching the soil and furrowing his tiny brows. “It’s much better indeed.”
Yet, with such dramatic changes to the space, why was there no sign of trouble for the master?
Little Yan tilted his head, a fog of confusion swirling in his mind.
This master seemed different from all those before!
Immersed in the joy of her transformed space, Qu Yiqiu paid no heed to Little Yan’s expression.
She flew to the area where she had planted the Condensing Yin Grass, pinched the tips of the grass, her heart brimming with happiness.
“With this quality of Condensing Yin Grass, I can surely refine higher-grade Condensing Yuan Pills, which will fetch an even more extravagant price!”
She longed to race back to Autumn Crimson Valley and find Yao Zhimei and the others, opening pill shops throughout Mingde City and Shuangran City!
She would build her own commercial empire, securing all the resources needed for her realm breakthroughs!
Little Yan, seeing Qu Yiqiu’s excitement, couldn’t help but become cheerful himself, momentarily forgetting the mysteries in his heart.
Seven days passed.
Qu Yiqiu had fully mastered the changes in her space.
Where once it was vague and boundless, impossible to find the edges, now clear boundaries had emerged, letting her discern its size at a glance.
The miniature spirit spring she had moved in from outside, nearly withered when healing Mu Yunqin, had now expanded into a vast spring, its spiritual energy more abundant and intense than ever.
In addition, there were spirit plants over a thousand years old and high-grade Crimson Essence Soil throughout.
Qu Yiqiu greedily sat cross-legged by the spirit spring, absorbing its energy.
Due to the upgrades in both the spirit plants and the spring, the entire space was filled with denser spiritual energy.
She busied herself harvesting spirit plants and tea, trialling the Indigo Phoenix Fire to refine pills within the space.
Little Yan watched over her day and night, cultivating alongside her.
So a month and a half passed.
At last, Qu Yiqiu emerged from the space.
The journey to Spring Rain Pavilion had yielded much—she spent considerable time inventorying everything inside her space.
The Scarlet-eyed Golden Toad was indeed an exceptional storage treasure.
Its internal space was vast beyond imagination; even the storage rings she had obtained from the Qunan City treasury paled in comparison to the toad’s belly.
As for Wei Juan’s claim that all profits from the past fifty years at Spring Rain Pavilion were stored inside the toad, that seemed questionable.
Based on her and Little Yan’s tally, the spirit stones within the Scarlet-eyed Golden Toad were no less than what she’d looted from Qunan City’s treasury.
In other words, the toad’s belly held more than just fifty years’ worth of earnings.
There were also all sorts of strange resources and treasures—top-grade artifacts, spirit herbs hundreds or thousands of years old, pills, poisons, talismans, and more—all within the toad.
These might have been gifts or collateral from guests.
The Qunan City treasury contained similar items, but she couldn’t sell those openly.
Qu Yiqiu silently thought of the black market matron, planning to see her again when she returned.
As for the ancient round box Wu Dingshan had given her at Poisoner’s Manor, she had worked on the array for some time but could not break the seal, so she was in no hurry to open it.
After all, she was not lacking for pills at present.
Qu Yiqiu surveyed her surroundings, tapped her toe, and vanished like lightning, soon leaving the area.
By the time she returned to Autumn Crimson Valley, another month had passed.
On the way, she made a stop at the Guide Pavilion.
Of course, it was just a branch.
Nevertheless, the branch would relay her message to the main office, so she could quickly get the information she sought.
However, disappointingly, the Guide Pavilion only gave her three jade pendants.
They were much like the ones she had traded for before, though subtly more luxurious and ornate.
Qu Yiqiu accepted the jade pendants in silence, without further requests.
The scenery of Autumn Crimson Valley remained as beautiful as ever.
She stood in the familiar gorge, awaiting Yao Zhimei’s arrival.
“Is it the Lady King?” A furtive young man crept out from behind a rock fissure.
Qu Yiqiu raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Sansha, why are you here alone?”
Sansha scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flushed. “Lady King, Grandmother Yao said she can’t be idle. For your grand ambitions, she’s gone ahead with the land deeds to reclaim the shops in Mingde City and Shuangran City, and left me here to await your return.”
Qu Yiqiu understood.
Though her departure had been sudden, the soul contract ensured Yao Zhimei knew she was safe.
Moreover, before absorbing the Nether Domain’s energy, she had told Yao Zhimei her plans.
Knowing her intentions, and unable to find her, reclaiming the shops was indeed the wise move.
Qu Yiqiu smiled with satisfaction. “Sansha, has your intelligence returned to normal since leaving the Nether Domain?”
She meant no offense.
Cultivators who die and enter the path of ghost cultivation often forget their past lives and become muddled.
Sansha, trapped within the Nether Domain and unable to leave, had become especially dull.
Sansha’s cheeks blushed deeper, and he knelt swiftly, pleading, “Lady King, I deserve punishment for having once defied you, and now I even wish you would grant me a proper name!”
Qu Yiqiu arched her brow, chuckling. “So your mind really has recovered. A name change is indeed needed—after all, you’re going to be a shopkeeper, how can you keep this name?”
Sansha suddenly looked up, astonished. “Lady King, you’re going to promote me to shopkeeper?”
“Hehe, that’s right. As long as you three behave well, each of you will have your turn as shopkeeper.”
The Nether Domain had shattered, and though the remaining spirits had all escaped, they were still bound to the domain’s control.
When Qu Yiqiu refined the Nether Domain, she had imprinted the Heavenly Law’s master contract into their souls, making resistance impossible.
Now they were compelled to obey her every command.
Sansha’s face flushed with excitement; he had never dreamed he would become a shopkeeper!
He had heard that under Grandmother Yao’s management, Dashan and Eshan were having a rough time...
——— Side Note ———
Thank you all for your support~ The heroine is ready to embark on her grand enterprise~
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