CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 88 CONGRATULATIONS

Outside the city, amidst the trees.

A massive tree crashed down, its cut surface smooth as a mirror.

He had originally thought that the Black Tiger Butcher Knife was merely the incredible bladesmanship he had seen when he first visited Medicine King Hall, the bladesmanship Grandmaster Shang used to extract a bear’s gall. Little did he expect... It was actually this kind of footwork speed. Piercing Sound Step in the Perfection Realm, surpassing the speed of sound, covering over a hundred zhang in a single leap—such speed... when combined with that heart-piercing, miraculous bladesmanship, was simply a machine designed to disassemble an enemy in an instant.

Six Ultimate Skills! Only then could the Black Tiger Butcher Knife be considered on par with the Furious Ape Mighty Staff in Master Yang’s hands.

"COUGH, COUGH!"

With the collapse of the great tree, Shang Yunfang burst into violent coughing beneath it, and the bandages wrapped around his hands began to seep blood.

Chen Ku, alarmed, hurriedly stepped forward and exclaimed, "Master, your injury!"

"It’s nothing serious," Shang Yunfang said, shaking his head to indicate it wasn’t a major issue. "It’s just that using this footwork requires mobilizing my entire body’s Force Power, infusing Qi Power, and performing the Qi technique, so the wounds have reopened slightly." He then added, "I presume Elder Yang already passed on the Internal Qi Chapter of Qigong to you yesterday, so I won’t repeat it. Now, I will only impart the essentials of the Piercing Sound Step: its energy control, Qi movement, and the changes in posture and footwork."

Having said that, he transmitted the technique to Chen Ku, who, after a few repetitions, had thoroughly memorized it.

"In the next few days, you should practice the footwork and bladesmanship on your own. Once my injury has healed, rest assured, I will personally instruct you in the intricacies of the bladesmanship."

"Thank you, Master, for passing on the skill!"

Chen Ku respectfully offered Shang Yunfang a deep bow under the tree.

Master and apprentice returned to Medicine King Hall.

In the following two days, Chen Ku adhered to a regular life, spending one day with each of his two masters for training. In the evenings, he also remembered to send the Flower Fox Mink to Two Realms Mountain to search for Treasure Herbs, Pills, and other similar items.

Months passed, and he had already completely consumed his Tiger’s Head Ginseng and Ox Horn Shoots.

If he wanted to break through to Inner Qi and accumulate more Inner Qi than others, he would need more of the dense Vital Energy found in Treasure Herbs and Pills.

And so, two days passed by, and it was also the day that his iron shop was set to open.

「Today is the ninth day.」

According to the almanac, today was auspicious for seeking wealth, opening a market, setting up a bed, and assuming office.

Hence, Wu Gui chose today to launch the business.

Chen Ku’s iron shop was located on a street in the Outer City, near the boundary with the Inner City. In other words, it was on the street leading into the city from beneath the city walls.

While not as expensive as a shop in the Inner City, the monthly rent here was still fifty taels.

But it also had its advantages: being close to both the Inner and Outer City, it was a natural place that attracted crowds.

On this street, apart from Chen Ku’s Iron Bank, there were also restaurants, rouge shops, grocery stores, stationery shops, horse traders, and tea sellers—all sorts of businesses, summed up in one word: "miscellaneous."

Today, Chen Ku’s iron shop was adorned with red lanterns, and red paper couplets were posted at the entrance.

Upper Couplet: Auspicious opening this day.

Lower Couplet: Great wealth arrives tomorrow.

Horizontal Scroll: Harmony brings wealth.

Above the horizontal scroll hung a signboard with the four large words ’Chen Family Iron Shop.’

"Shopkeeper, you’ve arrived!"

Seeing Chen Ku dressed in a long gown appearing at the shop’s entrance from afar, Wu Gui, who was at the counter, immediately came out with the other workers to greet him.

"Greetings, Shopkeeper!" A total of six workers bowed in unison to Chen Ku. Among them was also a guard who had mastered Force Transforming.

Chen Ku looked at the workers. They were all wearing the uniforms Wu Gui had custom-ordered for the Chen Family Iron Shop employees—short garments of a uniform color that made them look quite energetic.

Not far away, shopkeepers and workers from other businesses on the street, as well as passersby and neighbors living nearby, all curiously watched Chen Ku inside the shop.

"Is that the shopkeeper of the new iron shop? Quite young, isn’t he?"

"I heard he’s an apprentice from Medicine King Hall. His family has connections with a Deputy Constable, and he used money to claim a stretch of river and open a small mine..."

"An iron mine? An Iron Bank?!"

"Just another greenhorn who doesn’t understand how deep the waters are in the county."

"Everyone knows that the iron trade, Firewood Trade, Medicine Trade, and Fish Trade—all these major industries in Baojiao County—are monopolized by three big bosses. The rest are medium-sized shops struggling to survive in the gaps."

"In Baojiao County, there are only about seventeen or eighteen Iron Banks not under Firewood Iron Shop. They’ve all united to snatch whatever scraps fall from between Firewood Iron Shop’s fingers."

"There’s no more profit to be made in opening new Iron Banks."

"This young man opened a shop without even checking the lay of the land."

In ’Commoners’ Restaurant’ across from the Chen Family Iron Shop, the restaurant owner, dressed in an earthy yellow gown, chuckled as he spoke to his workers, "I heard from one of our waiters that a few days ago, several medium-sized Iron Banks and blacksmith shops in the county colluded. They’re saying people can buy from this Young Chen, but they have to force the price down to only half the market rate."

"Looks like Young Chen is going to bleed heavily."

"It’s not easy for a young man without connections or strength to do business, running on nothing but passion," Boss Huang said, shaking his head.

Inside the iron shop, Wu Gui’s face also showed concern as he said to Chen Ku, "Store Manager, do we really want to have the opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting today? I’ve already arranged for the band from the town."

"Then let them play. Let’s make it livelier," Chen Ku said with a laugh, waving his hand.

Then, the sound of gongs, drums, and Chinese horns filled the air at the entrance of the iron shop. Chen Ku personally lit the firecrackers hanging on the doorframe.