After arriving in Fengxian, Orion went straight to the marketpce, spending a good amount of time visiting various shops to purchase all kinds of materials. It checked one pce after another, but some items were still unavaible. Orion made a note to ask the Liu family for assistance ter.

  Once the shopping was done, Orion brought Wang Lingxin for lunch. After the meal, they headed to the Liu family residence.

  In the main hall of the Liu residence, Orion and Liu Mingzhen sat at a table, discussing business, while Wang Lingxin, not wanting to join the boring discussion, pyed in the flower garden.

  Orion requested the Liu family's help in acquiring the materials it still cked. It also picked up another batch of Rank-2 slimes, apparently caught by Liu Yang. Orion couldn't help but be curious—just how did Liu Yang always manage to gather so many of them. Apparently, he was out again, hunting for more.

  "Here—one bottle of MSG for the slimes and materials I requested, and another bottle for your family's use," Orion said, retrieving two small ceramic bottles from its storage ring.

  "As for the restaurant supply, this should st around three months, right?" Orion then took out three rge ceramic bottles and pced them on the table.

  "Wow, that much?" Liu Mingzhen opened one of the rge bottles, peeked inside, and smiled brightly.

  "I've been able to obtain more tely," Orion replied.

  With the help of the former hostages Orion had rescued from the bandits—now assisting with production—it was able to increase MSG output significantly.

  "Then… could my family get a bit more for our own use?" Liu Mingzhen asked, hopeful.

  "I'll try. Let's see next month," Orion nodded.

  Orion still hadn’t told the Liu family that it was the one producing the MSG, keeping the MSG’s origin deliberately ambiguous.

  "Thank you very much, Mr. Orion," Liu Mingzhen said gratefully. "As for the operation of the Lotus Delight Pavilion, leave that to us. No need to worry. This amount of MSG should st about three months, but with the restaurant growing more popur, we might start running short. And if we pn to open new branches, we'll definitely need more."

  "That's good to hear. Don't worry about the MSG supply—I'll try to get more," Orion assured.

  The Lotus Delight Pavilion had already expanded to several cities, always packed with cultivators. It had become the Liu family's most profitable business. The Supreme Fried Chicken brand was also gaining popurity, with dozens of small stores in both Fengxian and Yanjing—each constantly filled with customers. While not as profitable as the Lotus Delight Pavilion, it still drew attention—and envy—from many factions.

  Liu Mingzhen gestured to the steward, Liu Wang, who was standing at the side. Liu Wang respectfully handed a storage ring to Orion.

  "The profits from Lotus Delight Pavilion and Supreme Fried Chicken for this month—13,548 Spirit Stones in total. I've also included the payment for one bottle of MSG for our Liu family's use."

  Then, Liu Wang handed over another storage ring.

  "This contains the materials you previously asked us to find. I apologize, but a few are still unavaible. We're continuing to search for them. As for your new request, we'll need some time to gather those as well."

  "Thank you." Orion accepted the rings. Liu Wang also took the MSG bottles from the table and stored them in his own storage ring.

  Both Orion and Liu Mingzhen were satisfied. Their cooperation was mutually beneficial and profitable, although not everything was smooth, and there were some issues. Liu Mingzhen shared some of the troubles the Liu family had faced regarding their joint restaurant business.

  Orion had been able to earn a rge number of Spirit Stones each month through this partnership. If the cultivators in the city found out, they would be green with envy. Most itinerant cultivators only possessed a few dozen to a couple hundred Spirit Stones in total, yet Orion could earn tens of thousands each month—almost on par with the income of a small faction in the city.

  To others, this would seem like a massive fortune. But for Orion, it was still not enough. It needed Spirit Stones to create Liquified Qi, the true source behind its strength. That was why Orion constantly sought more.

  So, when Liu Mingzhen shared the recent troubles and rising threats from other factions, Orion took the matter seriously. If things escated further, it might affect its Spirit Stone income.

  Many factions in the city had become tempted by the profits the Liu family was making recently. The popurity of the Lotus Delight Pavilion and Supreme Fried Chicken not only drew envy, but also stirred resentment among those whose businesses had been affected.

  Several factions had already made their move, both openly and in secret. Some tried to act friendly and cozy up to the Liu family, some requested cooperation, while others attempted to infiltrate and spy on them to uncover the restaurant's secrets. Meanwhile, others resorted to more forceful means—such as sabotage or direct attacks on Liu family businesses.

  Orion also asked about the incident in the forest, where Liu family cultivators had been engaged in a skirmish with another group. The Liu cultivators had set up an ambush for a secret group that had been targeting their business, managing to drive them off and uncover the identity of the attackers.

  "So, the ones who've been attacking the Liu family's business recently are the Wu family?" Orion asked.

  "That's right. It seems they intend to keep making things difficult for us if we don't agree to cooperate with them," Liu Mingzhen said through gritted teeth. He showed a scroll to Orion, a message from the Wu family expressing their "wish" to form a partnership—ced with subtle threats.

  "It seems troublesome," Orion said as it read the scroll, its AI calcuting multiple scenarios and strategies to handle the situation.

  "The SFC business is very profitable and popur, and it has indeed attracted interest from various factions. But that alone wouldn't cause them to act so aggressively against us. It's the Lotus Delight Pavilion," Liu Mingzhen said, sipping his tea.

  "Oh?" Orion said, putting the scroll down.

  "The dishes there have proven effective in boosting cultivation, nourishing the meridians, improving Qi flow, and other benefits. Cultivators now prefer eating at Lotus Delight Pavilion instead of relying on cultivation pills. That shift is threatening the pill business—especially offending factions like the Wu family, who control a rge portion of the pill market in Fengxian and nearby cities."

  "Recently, the Wu family has gotten close to the City Lord's Manor. Their business has expanded rapidly, and they've come to dominate the pill market. Now that they're being affected, and with powerful backing behind them, they've started acting brazenly toward us," Liu Mingzhen added with a sigh, recalling how much the Liu family's operations had suffered—both directly and indirectly—with losses totaling several thousand Spirit Stones.

  Orion sat quietly, listening, while internally reviewing all data and stored information reted to the Wu family.

  "They offered to cooperate and open more branches of Lotus Delight Pavilion—with equal ownership and a 50-50 profit split. But of course, they don't know that the secret behind the restaurant's success is the MSG, and that you're the one providing it," Liu Mingzhen said cautiously, trying to gauge Orion's reaction.

  But Orion, who appeared to be a man wearing body armor and a helmet, made it difficult for Liu Mingzhen to read its expression or guess what it was thinking.

  "Mm..." Orion nodded slightly. "So, what's your pn? What does the Liu family intend to do?"

  Liu Mingzhen cleared his throat. "I've already discussed it with my brother through a communication talisman. Regarding our cooperation in Lotus Delight Pavilion and SFC, Mr. Orion, we'll follow your lead. Whatever you decide—even if you wish to end the partnership—we'll comply."

  Orion remained silent, its right index finger lightly tapping the table.

  "The Wu family dares to act so brazenly because they don't know my father has already broken through to the Nascent Soul realm," Liu Mingzhen added. "If we announce his breakthrough, it will surely deter them—they won't dare cause trouble then."

  Both the Liu and Wu families were Golden Core cultivation cns, mid-sized factions with roughly equal strength and a simir number of Golden Core cultivators. However, the Wu family had recently gained backing from the City Lord Manor of Fengxian City, giving them a political edge.

  But if the Wu family were to learn that the Liu family now had a Nascent Soul cultivator, even though the Liu family was based in Yanjing, it would greatly increase their influence and standing in Fengxian.

  Currently, the only faction in Fengxian known to have a Nascent Soul cultivator was the City Lord Manor. If the City Lord Manor learned that the Liu family's ancestor had reached the Nascent Soul realm, they would need to show respect.

  "There's no need," Orion finally said. "It's better to keep your father's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm a secret for now."

  "Understood," Liu Mingzhen nodded.

  "Fifty-fifty split. They're quite greedy," Orion remarked.

  "Well, they also said it's negotiable. But I can guess that their main objective is just to uncover the secret behind Lotus Delight Pavilion," Liu Mingzhen replied.

  Orion then told Liu Mingzhen the pn it had formuted. For now, they would try to defuse the tension and deal with the current situation.

  They discussed the pn. Some concessions would be offered to the other factions—but there would be no direct cooperation in operating the restaurant. Instead, the Liu family would purchase ingredients from the other factions, even if it meant paying an increased price. Other concessions were considered as well.

  Although this would reduce the profit, Orion had calcuted and deemed it acceptable.

  Orion didn't like the Wu family. They were affecting its interests. As for the City Lord Manor, which backed the Wu family, Orion already held an unfavorable opinion of them—especially after discovering their connection to a bandit group it had previously raided. And now, with the City Lord indirectly causing trouble for Orion, that judgment only worsened.

  After discussing things further for a while, they finally made a rough overall pn.

  "I'll let you handle the negotiation with the Wu family and the other factions," Orion said.

  "Don't worry, Mr. Orion. Leave it to me," Liu Mingzhen responded.

  "As long as they don't cross our bottom line, it's okay to agree to their demands," Orion added.

  "Understood," Liu Mingzhen nodded. "But what will we do if some of them still cause trouble ter, despite reaching an agreement?" Liu Mingzhen asked. He was familiar with these factions—especially the Wu family. It wouldn't surprise him if they pulled something like that.

  Orion's right index finger stopped tapping for a brief moment before continuing, accompanied by a subtle Qi fluctuation.

  "Then, I'll teach them a little lesson myself. And if that's not enough... maybe there's no need for the Wu family of Fengxian to exist anymore," Orion said calmly.

  Liquified Qi was very important to Orion. It gave it strength—a guarantee of safety in this world of cultivation. It needed a rge amount of Spirit Stones to produce enough LQ. Orion didn't like how the Wu family was affecting its Spirit Stone income.

  Liu Mingzhen stood nervously to the side. A bead of sweat rolled down his face. Meanwhile, Liu Wang, standing nearby, remained calm and unaffected—as if nothing had happened.

  After finishing the discussion, Orion left the main hall. Liu Mingzhen personally accompanied Orion out, engaging in idle conversation as they walked.

  Orion found Wang Lingxin pying in the flower garden, called her, and together they boarded the carriage and left the Liu family residence.

  Liu Mingzhen watched the carriage as it departed.

  "Master, are you okay? You look pale," Liu Wang asked, a little worried.

  Liu Wang had been the steward of the Liu family for a long time. He knew Liu Mingzhen well—they were close. He had watched Liu Mingzhen grow up. So seeing him pale, there was clearly something wrong.

  "Don't worry, I'm fine. Quickly arrange everything as Mr. Orion instructed," Liu Mingzhen said, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

  "Understood," Liu Wang bowed and left. He didn't press the matter further.

  With his Golden Core cultivation and sharper Spiritual Sense, Liu Mingzhen had clearly felt the brief Qi fluctuation that Orion had emitted earlier. Meanwhile, Liu Wang, who was only at the 2nd stage of the Qi Condensation realm, couldn't sense it—thus acting completely normal.

  To the Liu family, Orion was a mystery—an enigma. At first, they thought Orion was just a mortal without cultivation. But as time went on, Orion kept surprising them.

  The Qi fluctuation that Liu Mingzhen felt was extremely powerful—it made his heart palpitate.

  Could it be that Mr. Orion was previously having some problem with his cultivation or recovering from some kind of injury, which is why he looked like a mortal and didn't show any cultivation strength—and is now slowly regaining his power? Even Nascent Soul realm cultivators can't emit such terrifying Qi fluctuations, Liu Mingzhen thought to himself as he walked back to his working room, preparing to get busy.

  As a Golden Core cultivator, he had seen and met many Nascent Soul experts and even witnessed their battles. But none of them could emit a Qi fluctuation as strong and terrifying as Orion's. Even though it only sted for a moment, it was powerful enough to disturb Liu Mingzhen's own internal Qi circution.

  "If Mr. Orion were to personally make a move against the Wu family… wouldn't that mean they're finished?" Liu Mingzhen muttered, the corner of his mouth slightly raised. With all the trouble the Wu family had caused the Liu family, he wouldn't mind seeing them suffer.

  For now, we’ll back down a little and swallow this humiliation, Liu Mingzhen thought to himself. With the help of MSG, it’s only a matter of time before my Liu family grows stronger. We’ll y low for now... bide our time. It won’t be too te to deal with the Wu family ter.

  Liu Mingzhen was confident—with MSG, the Liu family would one day have more Nascent Soul cultivators. As for himself, he believed he could break through to the Nascent Soul realm within a few decades.