Chapter 00238: A Single Conversation Worth a Thousand Gold
# A Single Conversation Worth a Thousand Gold**
Chapter 238
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
**Chapter 238: A Single Conversation Worth a Thousand Gold**
"Heh."
He Lingchuan sighed.
"Yeah, I heard it’ll take a few more days."
Originally estimated at ten days, now it was being extended.
Good things take time.
"This is a good thing," Li Qingge said seriously.
"Li Fubo has spent twenty-one years mastering artifact refinement, and even he misjudged it. That just proves how complex the nature of this blade is. The harder it is to cultivate, the more powerful the final product will be. If such a treasure were in my hands, I’d wish for it to take even longer."
"Patience will be rewarded."
She took a sip of tea.
"But after what Li Fubo said, I’m quite curious myself. Would it be possible for me to take a look at your estate?"
"Of course."
He Lingchuan didn’t hesitate.
"You’re more than welcome."
"I’ll be traveling soon. How about seven days from now?"
She was actually setting a date? He Lingchuan didn’t mind.
"Sure, I’ll be waiting for you."
Li Qingge smiled faintly.
"Let’s hope the young master won’t be busy again by then."
Seemed like she saw right through him.
He Lingchuan chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Not a chance. Even if something urgent comes up, I’ll push it aside."
Then he changed the subject.
"How long does the Marquis plan to stay here?"
"Once the business here is running smoothly, I’ll head north."
"North?" He Lingchuan was slightly surprised.
"You mean Xunzhou?"
"The Beijia Kingdom."
She was actually going to the northern demon kingdom? "Is travel to the northern lands even allowed?"
"Of course!" Li Qingge’s laughter was soft and melodious, sending a pleasant shiver down one’s spine.
"A merchant’s path stretches across the four seas. Besides, how many sects confine themselves to just one kingdom?"
He Lingchuan mused that such unrestricted movement between nations would surely raise suspicions among rulers.
But he did know that very few sects pledged loyalty to a single country.
The more prosperous a sect, the more its disciples spread across the world.
It was said that the origins of these sects lay in the ancient immortal clans—back when nations didn’t exist, and they stood aloof, detached from worldly affairs.
Modern sects still carried on this tradition.
States didn’t impose strict demands on them; instead, they competed for the talents these sects nurtured.
Usually, that was the case.
Usually.
Thinking of this, He Lingchuan found the Songyang Estate even more peculiar.
Li Qingge, who traveled freely to the northern demon kingdom, remained unscathed, while her ex-husband was accused of treason and colluding with the enemy.
"Isn’t the Marquis worried that Dunyu might become a battlefield, opening a shop here now?" Merchants thrived on stability.
Peace was the foundation of lasting business.
"I have a talent for reading people, so I have faith in the He family."
Li Qingge leaned back lazily, resting her chin on her fingers.
Even a casual movement exuded grace.
"Besides, it’s not just my Songyang Estate—didn’t the Zhu family also try to squeeze into Dunyu?"
Though He Chunhua had helped Zhu Xiyan reunite with his long-lost granddaughter, the Zhu family’s enthusiasm for the new governor was excessive, granting his every request.
Having lived in Shihuan for years and experienced the fickleness of human relationships, Li Qingge knew all too well how noble families operated.
Without benefits or advantages, would the Zhu family be so "grateful" to He Chunhua?
Did high-born families ever lack daughters?
Xiazhou was rich in resources, but the four major families had always monopolized them—one of which was Minister Li’s own clan.
Outsiders found it hard to break in.
With the new governor’s arrival, external forces finally had a chance to penetrate the market.
The Songyang Estate had always believed in diversifying its investments.
This was an opportunity not to be missed.
"Reading people?" He Lingchuan perked up.
"Then, in the Marquis’s eyes, what does my father’s future hold? And mine?"
"Governor He? His future is one of unparalleled nobility."
Li Qingge’s almond-shaped eyes swept over him, as if trying to see right through him.
"As for the young master..."
She deliberately paused, and He Lingchuan played along.
"Well?"
"You’ll have to tell me your birth date and time."
Birth details were private—some curse masters used them to harm others.
He Lingchuan rattled off his without blinking.
He had the protection of imperial blessings and an official rank.
What was there to fear?
No evil could touch him!
(He deliberately got the last two characters wrong.)
Li Qingge counted on her fingers, then studied him intently, her gaze unwavering.
Her eyes were soft, carrying a natural shimmer when she looked at someone.
He Lingchuan let her stare, momentarily lost in thought.
Her fingers were slender, her nails neatly trimmed and unadorned.
He Lingchuan guessed it was because she often practiced martial arts and refined artifacts.
For some reason, he thought of Sun Fuling.
His neighbor’s hands were also quite lovely, especially when she held a brush.
She didn’t keep long nails either—was it because she lived alone and had to do chores?
She had mentioned wanting to see his newly acquired shop, but she never showed up.
The shop... *sigh*.
He Lingchuan felt that even though his dreamworld home was a cramped little wooden hut of less than fifteen square meters, it was still more spacious than reality.
At least in his dreams, he wasn’t short on money.
"What are you thinking about?" someone seemed to ask.
He Lingchuan answered without thinking:
"Money."
A soft chuckle came from across the table.
He snapped back to reality and saw Li Qingge covering her lips.
"Uh, what did I say?" He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Sorry, I zoned out."
Most men who got lost staring at her were entranced by her beauty.
This young master, however, was thinking about money.
Li Qingge couldn’t fathom the twists and turns of his mind.
"Young Master He, within three years, you will face calamity."
She dropped the bombshell casually.
"And it will be a great disaster."
"... Marquis, if you set up a fortune-telling stall on the street, you might invite disaster yourself."
Li Qingge cleared her throat.
"But once you overcome this hurdle, your future will be boundless."
This sounded all too familiar.
"Are your readings accurate?"
"Perhaps."
She even laughed at herself.
"About fifty or sixty percent."
He Lingchuan rubbed his nose.
"Then I still have a forty or fifty percent chance of escaping unscathed. That’s quite comforting."
No problem—he hadn’t given his real birth details.
Whoever was destined for misfortune, it probably wasn’t him.
Li Qingge coughed lightly.
"What were you saying earlier? About money?"
The topic circled back.
He Lingchuan sighed.
"Can we pretend you didn’t hear that?"
"What’s strange about lacking money?" Li Qingge interlaced her fingers.
"Most wealthy young masters I know put on a grand show in public, but six or seven out of ten are chronically short on funds. If all their expenses rely on family allowances, that’s just the norm."
There was no good response to that.
After living as a rich young master for so long, this was the first time He Lingchuan felt a twinge of guilt about living off his family’s wealth.
The key issue was that He Chunhua rationed his sons’ allowances.
No splurging allowed.
He Lingchuan straightened his face.
"Do they come crying to you?"
"They come to the Songyang Estate to pawn their valuables. After all, we have a good reputation, know our goods, keep things confidential, and don’t lowball them like regular pawnshops."
Li Qingge spoke leisurely.
"I know one young master from the capital—his family is extremely prestigious, but he’s pawned his ancestral Tianluo Robe at Songyang four times. He buys it back whenever he has money."
Some noble families were only glorious on the surface.
With the Great Falcon Kingdom in such a state, its subjects could hardly remain untouched.
She leaned forward slightly.
"If Young Master He is short on funds, would you like Songyang’s assistance?"
He Lingchuan waved a hand immediately.
"No need."
He wasn’t in debt—he just hadn’t found a steady income.
More importantly, he was deeply wary of this woman.
Borrowing from her would likely lead to no good end.
Li Qingge didn’t press him.
"Very well. The young master is caught in the situation and doesn’t realize it can be turned around with a flick of the wrist."
Turned around? Now that was something he liked to hear.
He Lingchuan immediately sat up straight.
"Please enlighten me, Marquis."
"The wealthy young masters of the capital only put on a show because they don’t control their households or have a say in decisions. Their allowances are fixed."
He Lingchuan nodded.
How was that any different from him?
"But more importantly, the capital and Shihuan have been at peace for too long. All the profitable ventures and opportunities are already monopolized. Latecomers like them have little chance."
She smiled.
"Let me ask you, Young Master He—do you have confidence in Xiazhou and Governor He’s ability to defend against Xunzhou’s army?"
"Absolutely."
They were family.
He and He Chunhua were grasshoppers tied to the same string.
Besides, his father’s methods were worth anticipating.
"Then the entire city is ripe with opportunities right now."
Li Qingge pointed east.
"For example, the shop next to Songyang’s branch—the owner is desperate to sell. When I was comparing the two, I chose the cheaper one. Now, in these extraordinary times, you can easily haggle and snap it up. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can send Manager Zhao. He’ll secure it for sure."
She lowered her voice.
"I’ve had people investigate. Before, prime shops on the main street cost at least six or seven hundred taels. The best locations or larger spaces could go for over a thousand. Now, you can buy them at sixty or seventy percent off. If the owner is in a hurry, half-price is possible."
"Why the rush?" He Lingchuan’s eyes gleamed.
"Trying to flee?"
"Exactly. With Xiazhou about to become the front lines, they want to leave before the court issues migration restrictions."
Li Qingge clearly understood Dunyu’s situation.
"A few days ago, even the Zhan family started moving south. Ordinary nobles and commoners are even more shaken. To be blunt, even with Governor He’s arrival, people’s confidence is still unstable."
Today, while riding through less bustling streets, He Lingchuan had noticed shops closing one after another.
Some commoners were packing up, ready to flee with their children.
The thunder of war grew louder and closer.
Despite official efforts to suppress it, panic spread through the city like wildfire.
Confidence was more precious than gold.
With morale low, Dunyu’s real estate naturally depreciated.
Besides, the Falcon court had long imposed migration restrictions in border regions, barring border residents from moving inland.
Xiazhou hadn’t been a frontline before, so people hadn’t worried.
But as Xunzhou’s army advanced south, Xiazhou would soon become a battleground.
The court might designate it a border region.
By then, it would be too late to escape.
"Young Master He must have some spare money, right? If it’s not enough, you can borrow from me."
"I have enough."
"Acquiring things from these people is much easier now. Crisis—without danger, where’s the opportunity?" Li Qingge smiled.
"Let’s delve deeper. Governor He is new here, unfamiliar with the land. Xiazhou’s situation is exceptionally complex. Right now, the people he trusts and relies on most are his own family."
(Chapter end)
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