Shen Zhongshan watched Shen Changchuan’s departing figure, but in the end, he did not make a move.

In this world, there are often certain explicit rules that one simply cannot break.

His reckless charge onto the stage had already broken the rules of the tournament.

His expression was grim, and what he was truly thinking was anyone’s guess. With a cold snort, he turned and stepped down from the stage.

Meanwhile, over on the other side,

"That young man’s skills are a real eye-opener!"

"Absolutely! Two Perfection Level Magic skills! Even in all of Qing City, I doubt you could find more than a handful who could compare!"

"He’s bound to make a name for himself in the future!"

"I am Zhong Fuxing, Shopkeeper of the Jadeite Jade Merchants Association. Here is my card. Bring it to any of our affiliated shops in the future and—while I can’t promise more—you’ll get at least a thirty percent discount."

"I am Yu De of the Fulu Commerce Association. Here is my card..."

Just as Shen Changchuan was heading over to find Si Houqing to collect the final payment of Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills,

several of the association shopkeepers and managers, who had been overseeing the event from the high platform, swarmed forward. Praises spilled from their lips as they offered him their name cards.

Faced with a sea of enthusiastic, smiling faces,

Shen Changchuan was visibly taken aback for a moment.

It was the first time he’d ever felt what it was like to be the center of attention.

But he recovered just as quickly.

He offered a few polite pleasantries in return,

accepting the mountain of proffered cards one by one.

There was no reason to bluntly refuse and cause offense.

Besides, there was no harm in having connections with these people.

At the very least, if he needed to buy or sell something in the future, they could be of great help.

Of course,

if he ever did business with them, Shen Changchuan would be sure to conceal his identity to some degree.

And he would at least wait for the current storm to blow over, until after the Shen Family members had left.

This place was seven or eight thousand li away from the Shen Family’s main base in Tian Nan City. Though the area was barren, Cultivators were as common as ox hair. He was utterly inconspicuous among them.

Given the great distance and the poor flow of information,

as long as he didn’t go around carelessly announcing his identity, it wouldn’t be easy for anyone to recognize a nobody like him without a member of the Shen Family present.

Speaking of which,

that was why, a few days ago, he had been so wary of Wu Yuanzhi. He’d even tried to settle all debts and draw a clear line between them, rather than seizing the opportunity to build a connection.

A huge part of the reason was that Wu Yuanzhi had recognized his identity!

’After all,’ he thought, ’I’m seven or eight thousand li from Tian Nan City. I’m just a nobody who didn’t attract any attention when I left the Shen Family Mansion.’

’Yet here, in this remote Border Desolate Land, a local powerhouse could pinpoint my identity with perfect accuracy.’

’Such a thorough investigation...’

’no one would believe they didn’t have some sort of scheme.’

This was a classic case of "once bitten, twice shy" for Shen Changchuan.

The last time someone had instantly recognized him in a remote place like this...

it had been Zhao Hanguo from Zhao Family Village!

And as it turned out, the man had indeed harbored ill intentions, eventually ganging up with others to ambush and kill him.

He had only managed to turn the tables last time because the gap in their strength wasn’t that large.

Moreover, they had underestimated his true power, allowing him to seize an opportunity, catch them off guard, and ultimately turn the tables for a successful counter-kill.

Shen Changchuan didn’t believe that if the Wu Family were plotting the same thing,

he could guarantee the same outcome.

’The Wu Family... ’ Shen Changchuan thought. ’Forget it. Since Wu Yuanzhi chose to expose my identity directly and also give a subtle warning, it seems unlikely he’ll move against me.’

’But regardless, once this is over, I’m leaving immediately. It’s not wise to linger here.’

Shen Changchuan’s expression remained impassive as several thoughts flashed through his mind.

Just then,

worried that his powerful hired expert would be poached, Si Houqing quickly intervened.

He first thanked Shen Changchuan for winning the tournament battle for him, then turned to the managers of the other chambers. He told them not to trouble themselves; he would be hosting Shen Changchuan from here on out. Besides, he still owed the final part of the agreed-upon reward and needed to leave with Shen Changchuan to settle it.

Shen Changchuan took this as his cue to end the conversation with the enthusiastic merchants, bid them farewell, and departed.

Back in the courtyard of the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce,

Si Houqing didn’t waste any time with pleasantries.

He directly produced a bottle of elixirs.

"Here are the remaining seven Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills. Please, take a look, Young Master Shen."

He said, making an inviting gesture.

Shen Changchuan took the bottle and uncorked it. A rich, mellow fragrance of elixirs immediately filled the air.

Peering through the narrow opening, he saw the perfectly round, lustrous elixirs inside.

Shen Changchuan nodded.

"Shopkeeper Si runs a major enterprise. You are indeed forthright!"

Shen Changchuan placed the Jade Bottle into his Storage Bag and cupped his hands, offering a generous compliment.

"You flatter me, Young Master Shen."

As they spoke,

Si Houqing produced another Jade Bottle and placed it on the table.

"Shopkeeper Si, what’s this...?"

"A Concentration Qi Pill. It can increase the success rate for a Cultivator at the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak when breaking through to the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer."

"I can see that since you have now obtained ten Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills, Young Master Shen, you only need to return, consume, and refine them. Before long, you will reach the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak."

"With this elixir, you can increase your chances of a successful breakthrough by ten to twenty percent."

"I hope that the next time we meet, Young Master Shen, you will have already joined the ranks of the Qi Introduction Late Stage."

Si Houqing spoke with an eloquent, smiling confidence.

The Qi Introduction Late Stage.

It might not count for much in other major cities, but in this Border Desolate Land, it absolutely marked one as an expert!

And when you added his two Perfection Level Magic skills into the equation,

even in a place like Qing City,

he would be considered an exceptionally talented genius!

"This... I can’t accept a reward I haven’t earned..."

Shen Changchuan’s eyes flickered.

The Concentration Qi Pill was certainly tempting.

With this, plus his own powerful Divine Soul that was already capable of Inner Vision,

breaking through to the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer after he reached the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak would likely be met with very little resistance!

But the problem was,

the value of an elixir that could assist with a Realm breakthrough was simply too high!

The Qi Union Pill he’d taken to break through from the Qi Introduction Third Layer Peak to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer had cost over one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones at the internal family price!

An elixir that could increase the chances of breaking through from the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak to the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer would be far more expensive!

Its value would be no less than that of the ten Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills Shen Changchuan had just received!

Such a huge price...

’What’s the catch?’

This forced Shen Changchuan to raise his guard.

"Haha! No need to be so polite, Young Master Shen. You helped me win against that villain from the Wanghu Commerce Association. The benefits I’ll reap from that victory already far exceed the reward I’ve given you."

"Consider this elixir an additional bonus, and also a gift to mark my acquaintance with a figure such as yourself, Young Master Shen."

"And don’t worry that I’m asking you to do something for me."

"I only hope that in the future, when you soar through the nine heavens, becoming a True Cultivator of Soul Emergence or even reaching greater heights, you might remember the kindness shown today and grant me the opportunity to pay you a visit."

Si Houqing made no attempt to hide his intentions. His expression was sincere as he laid his plan out plainly.

That’s right.

He was making an early-stage investment.

As a merchant, Si Houqing’s eye for talent was naturally sharp.

From the way he had utterly crushed Shen Rongguang on the stage just now, he had already sensed Shen Changchuan’s extraordinary potential.

The boy was only fifteen or sixteen years old,

yet he had already mastered two Perfection Level Magic skills!

Once he returned and used the Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills to advance to the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak...

at that age,

to possess such power.

If not limitless, his future potential was certainly not low.

Faced with such a genius who had yet to fully rise,

how could Si Houqing possibly let this opportunity slip by?!

Though based on Shen Changchuan’s current performance,

there was no guarantee he would break through to the Soul Emergence Realm in the future.

After all, the bottleneck to the Soul Emergence Realm was incredibly difficult to overcome, a barrier that had thwarted countless geniuses.

It wasn’t unheard of for individuals who were once invincible in the Qi Introduction Realm to fail to break through that barrier before dying of old age.

So many astonishingly brilliant talents had fallen before that very threshold.

But as long as his chances were ten or twenty percent higher than an ordinary Qi Introduction Realm Cultivator’s,

that was enough!

When it came to investing,

eight or nine times out of ten, you’d end up with a loss.

But a single success...

was enough to recoup all the previous losses and then some!

Take this situation, for example.

If Shen Changchuan managed to advance to the Soul Emergence Realm in the future, what would a single, measly Concentration Qi Pill matter?

Of course,

it was possible that the young man before him was the cold-hearted, ungrateful type who would forget old favors.

But even if that were the case, simply having this connection and being able to rely on the other’s reputation in the future would be enough to save himself a great deal of trouble!

The intangible returns would far exceed his current investment!

Besides,

Si Houqing had traveled far and wide for many years; his judgment was not to be underestimated.

He didn’t think he was wrong about this one.

"Young Master Shen, if you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to find me. So long as it is within my power, I will surely do everything I can to help!" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"If nothing else, for as long as I am in charge of the Sanhe Trading Company, you, Young Master Shen, will always receive the best possible prices."

Considering Shen Changchuan’s age,

and his origins with the Tian Nan Shen Clan, Si Houqing couldn’t help but sweeten the pot a little more.

Of course,

he was only sweetening the deal slightly.

He wouldn’t go all-in over it.

Going all-in isn’t a sign of wisdom;

it’s a form of foolishness, an active invitation to ruin.

On this point,

he, as a merchant, was perfectly clear.

"Since you put it that way, I must thank you, Shopkeeper Si!"

Shen Changchuan cupped his fists in a salute, a trace of gratitude showing on his face.

’If it’s just an angel investment, then I can accept it with a clear conscience.’

’After all, with this elixir,’

’I can cut down the time needed to reach the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer by at least two or three years of hard work!’

’As for the future,’

’that’s a problem for the future.’

’After all, an investment is just an investment.’

’There’s no rule in this world that says an investment is guaranteed to have a return, is there?’

After a bit more idle chatter,

Shen Changchuan, laden with his gains, bid farewell and departed.

And with that,

he planned to leave this place for good.

Although he had made many unexpected gains on this trip,

it didn’t change his original decision.

This wasn’t just because of the trace of unease he felt deep within.

It was also because,

his harvest from this trip to the Wu Family Collection was already more than sufficient.

There was no point in staying any longer.

The only thing he wanted to do now...

was return to Dawan Village,

and fully digest the gains from this trip, converting them into his own strength and foundation before considering anything else.