Translator: Myuu Editor: Myuu
Yan Liqiang opened his eyes and noticed that he was still sitting cross-legged on his bed. The bed curtain and the atmosphere inside the room were silently telling him something — this was the no.67 courtyard of the Divine Sword Sect at Tianqiao Peak, which was also his own residence.
There were no lights inside the room except for the moonlight pouring in from the window, which clearly indicated that it was late at night right now. There were insect sounds coming from the courtyard outside of the window, making it seem extremely secluded.
Nothing had really changed inside the room. Yan Liqiang took a cursory glance at the clock. The time was exactly quarter to three o’clock in the morning.
If he remembered correctly, this was the exact time that he had entered the Heavenly Stone earlier. It seemed like Fu Guang was right. The time here had indeed stopped after he had left, just like a save file in a game.
Yan Liqiang closed his eyes and looked into his sea of consciousness only to realize that there was a door in the deepest parts of his sea of consciousness as well. However, this door was round instead of rhombus-shaped, and that was the same shape he had seen at the Heavenly Shrine.
Yan Liqiang then got out of his bed and went in front of the bronze mirror inside the room. He observed his appearance in the mirror and massaged his face for a while, revealing a smile before pushing the door open and proceeding to the corridor outside his room.
No.67 courtyard was a small detached courtyard in Tianqiao Peak. It had two floors — Yan Liqiang lived alone upstairs, and Gu Zexuan and Zhao Huipeng lived downstairs. There was also a single balcony near the corridor just outside of Yan Liqiang’s room. The bright moon was akin to a wheel tonight. Yan Liqiang walked toward the balcony and gazed at the 36 gallant mountain peaks in the area within a thousand miles under the moonlight. Everything in front of him felt too otherworldly and picturesque.
He hadn’t thought about it before, that this world was actually a Heavenly Realm created by the Heavenly Stone. In a sense, this Heavenly Realm could be considered a parallel world based on Yan Liqiang’s understanding of it.
“Let’s check the date here. Today should be the seventh day of the fourth lunar month in the 17th year of the Yuanping reign in the Great Han Empire…” Yan Liqiang muttered to himself. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited.
If the time in the Heavenly Realm and the time in the real world was the same, then Yan Liqiang wouldn’t have become this excited. The difference of date between the Heavenly Realm and the real world was the reason why Yan Liqiang was so worked up in the first place.
The date in the Heavenly Realm for today was already the seventh day of the fourth lunar month in the 17th year of the Yuanping reign in the Great Han Empire.
Meanwhile, the date in his real world where he had progressed into a Martial Warrior was the twenty-seventh night of the eleventh lunar month in the 12th year of the Yuanping reign in the Great Han Empire.
The time difference between the two worlds was four years, four months, and eleven days.
When he was in another world, it was impossible for the time in the other world to freeze forever. Therefore, there was a flexibility present on the basis of the time difference between the two worlds.
With the seven day difference, which was also the time difference between the Heavenly Realm and the real world, an addition or subtraction of seven days could be set before or after the four years, four months, and eleven days. Essentially, the range of the time difference between two worlds could span from the smallest difference of four years, four months, and four days to the largest time difference of four years, four months, and eighteen days. Should the difference exceed the range, or Yan Liqiang be killed within the Heavenly Realm, then the Heavenly Realm would collapse altogether.
If he had known earlier, he could have reaped a long-term benefit from that. In the past four years, the things that had never happened in his real world had actually happened in this world.
In those few years, the Great Han Empire’s northern territory began to sink into turmoil again as the troops of the Great Han Empire went into a battle with the Chaman people once more. Meanwhile, at the western side where Yan Liqiang’s hometown was, the relationship between the Great Han Empire and the people from the Dark Ram tribe was beginning to grow tense at the borderline between the Gan and Feng Provinces. Friction would sometimes occur as well. Four or five vassal states outside the Great Han Empire severed their ties with the Great Han Empire in succession and threw themselves into the arms of the New Crescent Dynasty. On the other hand, the evil White Lotus Society had started its revival inside the Great Han Empire. They planned on establishing something that was known as White Lotus Heaven. The southern side of the empire was worse than others…
These were the pieces of information that Yan Liqiang had known about beforehand. Initially, he wasn’t particularly concerned about the overall situations of the nation. He only understood them at most, but at that moment, the significance of the situations had changed after he watched these events all over again.
In that sense, based on Yan Liqiang’s understanding, the Heavenly Realm was a window four years into the future where everything had changed in the Great Han Empire. However, the value of this was quite immeasurable.
Other than giving Yan Liqiang, who was already a disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, an understanding of the future, the Heavenly Realm had other uses for him as well. It granted him a chance to learn advanced secret manuals and scriptures. As one of the major sects in the world, the great Divine Sword Sect had opened their doors to him completely at this moment. Some people would never be given this kind of opportunity no matter how much they dreamed about it.
If he treated the Heavenly Realm as a game, then the reward from this game would be more than plentiful.
So no matter what, he had to become stronger than before. He must live on in this world manifested by the Heavenly Realm.
Yan Liqiang was determined.
At this moment, the sky was still dark. Even so, Yan Liqiang was no longer sleepy. The balcony was spacious and secluded, so he decided to begin his morning regime on the balcony.
After he was done with his morning regime, Yan Liqiang enthusiastically worked out his entire body and slowly did two rounds of punches. Gu Zexuan and Zhao Huipeng, who were living below him, were more or less awake. They walked out of their room and went to the courtyard outside to begin their morning practice.
“Ha, Leader, you are early today…” Gu Zexuan greeted Yan Liqiang with a smile when he lifted his head and spotted Yan Liqiang on the balcony. In these two months since he had arrived at Tianqiao Peak, the two people addressed Yan Liqiang as ‘Leader’, and quite smoothly at that.
“I also got up not too long ago. I was working out my body just now!” Yan Liqiang smiled.
“Why don’t we practice together? I haven’t seen your skills yet…”
“Alright…” Yan Liqiang did not refuse his request. As soon as he said that, he quickly jumped down from the second-floor balcony by flipping over like an agile ape in the air and flexibly landed at the courtyard below, standing on the ground steadily and firmly.
Just that action alone shocked Gu Zexuan. Zhao Huipeng was also staring at Yan Liqiang with wide eyes. The second-floor balcony wasn’t that high and was just about four or five meters above the ground. Gu Zexuan and Zhao Huipeng could also jump down without getting hurt like him. However, both of them wouldn’t be able to do it so easily and nimbly like Yan Liqiang.
Based on the standard of Yan Liqiang’s performance, which was leaping down from the second floor, the disparity between him and the other two was already quite evident. One could tell the difference in power just by glancing at his performance.
“Leader, have you… progressed into a Martial Warrior?” Gu Zexuan exclaimed in shock.
“Mm, I just did a few days ago. I have only begun to stabilize during the past two days…” Yan Liqiang said in a modest tone. Yan Liqiang did not tell anyone after he had progressed into a Martial Warrior, fearing that he would only attract attention to himself. Yet at this moment, Yan Liqiang did not have any reasons to hide his power anymore.
“Leader, you are too awesome!” Zhao Huipeng looked at Yan Liqiang with a gaze full of worship.
“Let’s talk no further, come…” Yan Liqiang then pulled up his posture by raising his hands.
Gu Zexuan and Zhao Huipeng exchanged glances before they vigorously shook their heads simultaneously like rattle drums.
…
After they finished their morning practice, the three of them went to the dining hall at Tianqiao Hall and had a sumptuous breakfast. When they were done, it was already morning. Yan Liqiang then brought Gu Zexuan and Zhao Huipeng to the warehouse to take inventory of the items for delivery. It was already afternoon when they finished their work. Yan Liqiang’s morning duties were all done by then.
“Leader, the selling price of the earth vinegar has been rising for the past two days. I used the method that you told me about and found a few shillabers to continuously stockpile and sell a few small bottles each day. It’s pretty useful. A bottle of earth vinegar can now be sold for two taels of silver. The supply always falls short of demand too. According to this trend, we can sell the batch of earth vinegar that we have collaborated about with Huo Bin in another ten days. We must earn a huge sum from this sale. I have been slightly worried about those guys for the past few days. I will go and check our stock today and remind them to not create ambitions of their own…” After locking the door to the warehouse, Gu Zexuan whispered close to Yan Liqiang’s ears and gave him a wink.
“Mm, go on then…” Yan Liqiang smiled, “This price is going to reach its peak soon. We will quit while we are ahead. If you see Huo Bin, tell him that we can have his batch out for reservation. The earlier the earth vinegar is booked, the cheaper the price will be. At a later date, the reservation price will become more expensive. The reservations must be fully paid, of course. Once this news gets out, you should act according to what I have said. The early birds will be given some discounts, while the latecomers will get smaller discounts. We can get our money back in advance without waiting for another ten days. As for the stock, they will be delivered ten days later…”
Gu Zexuan was already greatly impressed with Yan Liqiang’s business management. When he realized that Yan Liqiang had already solved this problem with just a few words, he quickly rubbed his hands together in excitement and said, “This is it, we’re going to make a fortune…”
“We are only just earning a bit of pocket money…” Yan Liqiang laughed, “Remember to leave some earth vinegar behind. Tianqiao Peak needs some of it too…”
“No problem, of course I understand this!”
“I won’t be of any help in this. Then I will go practice martial arts now…” Zhao Huipeng said as he scratched his head.
Zhao Huipeng’s location for practicing his martial arts every day was still at the usual vegetable garden. He practiced his martial arts while he guarded the remaining earth vinegar left by Yan Liqiang and the others, and that was quite reassuring.
“Go, go…”
When Yan Liqiang saw the two leave Tianqiao Hall, he stowed away the keys to the warehouse before he headed toward the courtyard at Tianqiao Hall.
When he arrived at the courtyard, he saw an already old Attendant Huang and reported the deliveries made in the morning to him in a formal manner. After that, he inquired Attendant Huang for further instructions.
Ever since Yan Liqiang came to Tianqiao Hall, he had always been very courteous to the aging Attendant Huang without giving him a slight tone of arrogance. Likewise, Attendant Huang was naturally satisfied with a young man who knew how to respect his seniors. The look he gave to Yan Liqiang had become increasingly gentle as well.
“Mm, I have nothing more for you to do. I am assured knowing that you are the one handling things…”
“The stock of crude iron in the warehouse has about thirty thousand jin left which won’t be used up even in a week. There’s no need to put the crude iron from the afternoon batch into the warehouse anymore. As such, I have already informed the relevant parties…”
“Mm, good!” Attendant Huang drank his tea and nodded in satisfaction.
“Then Liqiang will withdraw for now!”
“Alright. Take some more time to cultivate. These are just chores. Cultivation is the right path, so don’t delay that any further…” Attendant Huang emotionally remarked.
“There’s one more thing I need to trouble Attendant Huang with. I would like an audience with Hall Master Su. Also, I would like Attendant Huang to inform me when Hall Master Su is free!”
“Why do you want to see Hall Master Su?” Attendant Huang was shocked.
“I have already progressed into a Martial Warrior, which is why I want to request an audience with Hall Master Su so that he can issue a slip to allow me to pick a secret manual for cultivation at the Hall of Scriptures…” Yan Liqiang said, somewhat embarrassed.
