I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

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Clang! Clang! Clang...

The long tolling of the bell echoed, awakening the slumbering capital city.

The old scholar who had spent the night in Spring Breeze Building ran out half-wrapped in a long robe, knowing that staying out later would cost him more money. He saw the commoners hurrying to work and spat in disgust, cursing under his breath.

"You mud-legged fools deserve to tire yourselves to death!"

Aimlessly wandering the streets, he came across some acquaintances. They gathered to chat and catch up.

Frustrated with unfulfilled ambitions, he felt an indignant anger stirring within.

They inevitably lamented the loss of ancient virtues and the endless calamities brought by machinery. They reminisced about the early days when scholars ruled the world, and in heated moments, they were almost ready to crash against the palace gates to offer their dying remonstrations. Then they noticed the patrolling bailiffs approaching.

They immediately covered their faces and fled, not forgetting to call back over their shoulders.

"I greatly enjoyed our conversation, brother! Let us reconvene tonight at Spring Breeze Building!"

Meanwhile.

In Ningde Fang.

Zhou Yi awoke from his sleep, and with a flick of his sleeves, a crystal-clear Treasure Bead rolled out.

His Divine Sense swept over Kunlun Cave Heaven. The Spirit Ginseng baby had already begun tending to the Spiritual Medicine, and he nodded in satisfaction. Such dutiful workers were hard to come by in the world.

"Two hundred years of arduous cultivation, now taking a break in the mundane world to relax the mind."

Zhou Yi stepped into the courtyard, which had been tidied up the day before. He planted segments of millennium-old date wood and grapevine, knowing they would return to their ancient splendor in a few years.

He made a fire, cooked a meal, and recited scriptures from both Buddhism and Daoism.

Before leaving the house, he glanced at his Daoist robe and waved his hand to change it into a brocaded gown. Humming a tune forbidden for young men and women, he made his way to the shop he had purchased yesterday.

It faced the street, with two floors and a small courtyard at the back.

It used to be a money exchange, but with the Kunlun merchant group taking over the minting of coins and expanding exchange services, many small money changers went out of business in droves.

The previous owner was nostalgic, unwilling to alter the century-old look of the shop and insisted on preserving the family business amidst the surging tides of change. In the end, he lost everything!

The shop was empty, counters had been moved out to settle debts, which saved the trouble of cleaning up.

Zhou Yi sketched some designs from memory and searched for a carpenter in the street to commission a set of tables and chairs.

The second floor, which formerly served as the VIP rooms for the money exchange, had been remodeled by a mason into about a dozen guest rooms.

Half a month later.
Continue reading at empire

After a thousand years, "There Is a Tavern" reopened its doors.

The first floor had eight square tables, and the establishment only sold alcohol. Patrons were expected to bring their own side dishes.

Zhou Yi stood behind the counter, looking down at a Daoist scripture, contemplating its teachings. Whenever a customer entered, he would call out a greeting.

"Pear Blossom White, one Silver Yuan per pot!"

Ningde Fang was located between the second and third rings of the capital city, just two Marketplaces away from the palace, and surrounded by wealthy households. Yet, this newly opened Nameless tavern, despite the wealth, no one was willing to be taken for a fool.

Approaching noon.

Zhou Yi, feeling drowsy, contemplated closing early to go home for a nap when a voice called out.

"Sir, a pot of Pear Blossom White, please."

Looking towards the source of the voice, he saw an old man in a long robe with neatly combed white hair, wearing a square cap, and leaning on a dragon-headed cane in his left hand.

"Please, take a seat."

Zhou Yi fetched a pre-ordered porcelain bottle, opened the wine jar, and perfectly filled the bottle with two scoops, placing it respectfully on the old man's table.

The old man bowed and said, "I am Chen Chengye. May I inquire the surname of the sir?"

Adhering to the principle that in the world one must always keep oneself covered, Zhou Yi replied, "No need for formality. My surname is Sun, given name Wù. No need to address me as 'sir'; 'Shopkeeper Sun' will do."

"So, you are Shopkeeper Sun."

A flicker of disappointment passed through Chen Chengye's eyes as he smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Sun, do not be so modest. I've lived for over a hundred years and never have I seen anyone quite like you."

Zhou Yi asked in astonishment, "In what way?"

"Shopkeeper Sun, you do not seem like a common man, but rather like a deity who might be worshipped in a temple."

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Chen Chengye helped himself to another drink, savoring the rich fragrance of the Pear Blossom White as it entered his mouth, not harsh despite the fiery sensation in his belly, and he praised it after a long aftertaste.

"What a fine liquor!"

"Glad to hear the guest is pleased."

After returning to the counter, Zhou Yi thought carefully about Chen Chengye's words and realized that his aura of seclusion had become more evident.

"If one enters the mortal world, one must blend in with the common dust!"

His aura quickly quieted down, mana sealed within his dantian, leaving only a cold demeanor that would require some time in the mortal world to completely dissipate.

"It's time to change my reading material as well."

Zhou Yi put away the Buddhist and Taoist scriptures and picked up an illustrated storybook, engrossed in reading it.

After finishing his drink, Chen Chengye came to the counter to settle the bill and, seeing the storybook, his eyes lit up and he said, "Shopkeeper Sun, may I take a look at this book?"

"Of course."

Zhou Yi took the silver yuan and passed the storybook over.

Chen Chengye examined it with care, determining it had at least fifteen hundred years of history, dating back to the mid-Da Qian era, and what was rarer was that it was well-preserved—a genuine antique seldom found in the world.

"Shopkeeper Sun, where does this storybook come from?"

"It has been passed down in my family."

Zhou Yi said, "If the guest likes it, make an offer and it's yours."

Chen Chengye was momentarily taken aback, his instinct assuming it was a scam, but after confirming there were no issues page by page, he cautiously made an offer.

"How about five thousand liang?"

"That will do, but on one condition," Zhou Yi said.

"I would ask the guest to purchase a batch of storybooks, it's not necessary for them to be ancient texts or unique editions, as long as their stories are interesting."

"It's a deal!"

From the moment he walked in, Chen Chengye felt that Zhou Yi was not an ordinary person, and now seeing it was indeed the case, cherished good books over gold and silver which truly had the air of the ancients.

"This Pear Blossom White can definitely be considered a rare gem. Next time, I'll bring friends to taste it. It's just, with liquor but no meat, it rather loses its appeal, so hurry up and hire a chef, Shopkeeper Sun."

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "The right person will come along if it's meant to be."

"The shopkeeper really is a remarkable person, even hiring a chef can be so intriguing," Chen Chengye commented and, taking out a five-thousand-liang exchange draft, he asked Zhou Yi for a wooden box, then left with the book hugged excitedly to his chest.

Zhou Yi took a storybook from his sleeve and continued reading. Reading these stories again after a thousand years evoked a certain melancholic sentiment.

"I knew this author, back in the day, I even used spiritual medicine to encourage his writing, and now the grass over his grave must be three zhang high!"

...

The next day.

After coming out from Kunlun Cave Heaven, Zhou Yi found it was well into the morning and he wandered the streets, picking up some food.

He took the opportunity to greet his neighbors, and in the next several decades to a hundred years, he would likely attend their funerals as well as those of their descendants.

Approaching noon, he arrived at the tavern and noticed four horse carriages parked outside, with several old men in long robes standing nearby.

The one leading them was none other than Chen Chengye, with others dressed similarly in square caps, round-collar long robes, walking canes. Among them, an old man in a green robe showed signs of impatience, pulling out a gold pocket watch and flipping it open to check the time with a snap.

"Shopkeeper Sun has finally arrived."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Zhou Yi hurried to open the tavern doors and invited the elders to take their seats.

Chen Chengye introduced them one by one—imposing titles such as honorary president of Zhaowen Academy, sponsor of a poetry society, and leader of a literary gathering.

Zhou Yi instantly understood what kind of people these elderly men were—most likely unable to keep up with the times or unwilling to change, but with deep ancestral roots, possessing vast amounts of gold, silver, and land.

Lu Bo, who enjoyed clicking his gold pocket watch open and shut, stood up again after sitting down, closely examining the tables and chairs, and repeatedly expressed his admiration.

"Shopkeeper Sun's family has a deep legacy, these tables and chairs have quite an ancient aura. If Lu isn't mistaken, they should be in the style of a thousand years ago from the Da Qian era!"