Cultivate By Losing Money

Her scepticism was palpable, but by how she was fidgeting her fingers, it looked like her curiosity got the better of her. "What kind of business can that be, young master?" she asked, her tone cautious.

Chen Ren turned to her, his eyes gleaming with determination. "You already know the answer to that too. A stall."

For a moment, Xiulan's face was a portrait of disbelief. She stared at him as if he had just declared himself the emperor of the empire: her eyebrows about to touch her hairline and her jaw about to hit the floor. But then, as if remembering her place, all her facial features quickly returned to their natural state.

She inhaled a generous amount of air and stood like she normally did. After all, she had no right to question him, even if his plan seemed... contentious to her.

Ah! She doesn't know how far the food industry can truly go. In the Kalian Empire, there's no concept of a restaurant chain or a franchise like how it was on Earth. Most of them here are bound to a city or town.

They soon arrived at the familiar stall, one that had become a part of his daily routine. Today, there were only a few men who stood in front of it.

Unlike some busy days where an extra person would be too much in a crowded place, Chen Ren found it easy to walk closer to the stall and stand in the front.

The stall owner, Old Man Tian, was cheerful doing his daily skewer selling to a tall man who mindlessly captured the entire space. He immediately spotted him and greeted him with a broad grin, clearly pleased to see a repeat customer.

"Ah, young master! Welcome back!" Old Man Tian called out. "You have brought the young miss here again today."

Chen Ren smiled at that. Without waiting for a response, Old Man Tian started preparing his grill.

"What will it be today? The usual?"

Chen Ren nodded, his expression calm. "Yes, two skewers, please."

As the stall owner expertly prepared the skewers, Chen Ren turned to Xiulan and handed one to her without a word.

They ate in silence for a moment.

After a few bites, Chen Ren looked up and asked, "Were you able to do that thing I asked for?"

Old Man Tian's eyes brightened with understanding. "Yes, young master," he replied with a smile. "It's all taken care of. All that's left is to submit the document at the government office, explaining the nature of your stall and such."

Chen Ren gave a small nod of appreciation. "Thank you. What time would be best to do that?"

The stall owner leaned in slightly. "Tomorrow morning, early. That's when the clerks are in a good mood and the lines aren't too long."

"Understood," Chen Ren said, finishing his skewer with deliberate care. He handed the empty sticks back to the stall owner with a nod of thanks before turning to leave, Xiulan following close behind.

As they walked back home, Xiulan stepped closer to Chen Ren. "Young master," she began hesitantly. "What was that conversation about? You seem unusually close to that stall owner."

"Old Man Tian is one of the oldest vendors on this street," he explained. "He's seen many come and go, and he's always been more than willing to chat. Over time, I've made it a point to talk with him whenever I visit his stall and get a good rapport with him. Yesterday, I talked to him about getting a permit for the stall and he helped with it. As you know, doing anything in a government office isn't something as straightforward as it seems."

Xiulan frowned slightly, trying to piece together what he meant. "Not straightforward...?"

Chen Ren nodded. "Getting a permit isn't just about submitting a document. Sometimes, you're expected to grease a few palms to get things done quickly, but I don't have the funds for that. So, I've had to rely on good relationships and advice from those who've been through the process before."

"Can't you just… force your way through it?" she asked, surprising him a bit.

"I can, but I have realised violence isn't the best way to solve things. If I forced my way in, there'd be tens of ways more trouble could come my way. If I smack a simple clerk, he would bring out his nephew who's in a sect. If I smack him, the nephew would bring out his master," he said, ignoring the petrified look on Tang Xiulan's face. "I asked the stall owner to put in a word with a clerk he might know. Not every clerk is the same— some are more by the book, while others expect a little something extra. He pointed me toward one who won't take bribes and will get the job done quickly."

"What does the stall owner get out of it in return, young master?"

Chen Ren's lips curled into a slight smile. "He gets to do a small favour for a cultivator and a young master. I've subtly hinted at my intentions while enjoying his skewers, and he probably thinks I'm just playing around with the idea of running a stall or that it's some sort of mental training as a cultivator. It doesn't matter what he believes. What matters is that he now has a story to tell— how he helped out a young master who's also a cultivator. That's worth more to him than any silver I could offer."

Xiulan nodded thoughtfully as they reached their compound. Chen Ren moved around to start heading towards his room from the courtyard.

At that moment, Tang Xiulan's voice called him out. "Young master, you might get the permit, but what are you planning to sell? From what I know, most things already have established stalls with regular customers."

Chen Ren paused, turning to her with a confident smile. "I've thought about that for a while," he said. "And I've come up with something that will stand out— a dish that no one here has tried before, something they won't be able to get enough of."

Intrigued, Xiulan's eyes widened at his words. "What dish is that?"

Chen Ren's smile widened as he replied, "How about I make some for you to try? All I need is a bag of rice and a mortar."

Xiulan blinked in surprise but quickly understood the intention behind his words. "I'll get them right away, young master," she said, hurrying off to gather the requested items.

***

A pair of sharp, shrewd eyes followed Chen Ren's every move, hidden in the shadows of a nearby alleyway.

The figure observing him had been tracking his behaviour for days, ever since he had begun his seemingly aimless wanderings through the marketplace. Tang Xiulan's flabbergasted expressions and confused questions did nothing to reassure the observer. If anything, they only confirmed what she had already suspected.

Chen Ren was dead and someone else had taken over his body.

The observer's thoughts swirled as she recalled the events that had led her to this conclusion.

She had already known something was amiss when he had woken up after that fateful defeat. The Chen Ren she knew would have been crushed by the loss, wallowing in despair, perhaps seeking solace in the pleasures of the brothels or the bottom of a wine jar. But this man— he had done none of that.

Instead, he walked around town with a sense of purpose, a glint of determination in his eyes that had never been there before. He seemed... almost fascinated by the world around him as if seeing it for the first time.

Her eyes narrowed as she continued to follow him, moving through narrow spaces, windows and rooftops. Every morning, she watched him converse with Xiulan, noting every detail, every shift in his demeanour.

This imposter was clever, she had to give him that. But he had made a fatal mistake— he underestimated the power of those who could see beyond the surface.

She could see the souls of everyone— and this soul was different.

It was stronger and more resilient, and it was slowly merging with the remnants of Chen Ren's original soul.

Whoever this person was, he wasn't the defeated young master who had once inhabited this body. Was he a demonic cultivator? Or perhaps a shapeshifter, one skilled enough to take on another's identity so seamlessly? She couldn't be sure. But she was certain of one thing— this man was not Chen Ren.

Her gaze hardened as she stepped back further into the shadows, her eyes glinting with a menacing glow. Whoever he was, she would find out soon enough. Their meeting was inevitable, and when it happened, she would uncover the truth behind this strange soul inhabiting Chen Ren's body.

As she slipped away, blending into the darkness, a cold smile played on her lips. The imposter might think he was clever, but she was always one step ahead. And when the time came, he would have to answer for whatever game he was playing.

That was her duty.