After hearing that, Liu Yunan began to ponder deeply while rubbing the teacup in his hands. Qin Jianghe, without further comment, took out an account book and started preparing, ready to register the various requests from the royal court and sects once they arrived in a couple of days.
This would be the second stable business venture for the sect, following their collaboration with Duobao Pavilion, so it required careful attention.
After a long period of thought, Liu Yunan fully understood and processed Lin Xiao's vision as conveyed by Qin Jianghe. He felt a newfound clarity and satisfaction in his thoughts, a sensation that seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders. He looked up at Qin Jianghe, who was busy organizing the accounts, and asked, his voice now brimming with newfound confidence:
"Are we still planning to open a shop in the capital?"
Qin Jianghe nodded, replying, "Of course. With a shop, we'll have a legitimate front for our transactions with the royal court. Otherwise, if our people have to enter the palace for every single trade, it would draw far too much attention. Moreover, the shop will have many uses beyond just that."
Given the earlier conversation, Liu Yunan now found himself better grasping the deeper implications of Qin Jianghe's words. A sense of accomplishment filled him, and his speech became more assured.
"In that case, we should hurry up and find a suitable shop, finalize the deal, and head back to the sect. There's still a lot of work waiting for us."
Qin Jianghe was equally eager to settle the matter quickly and return to relocate their operations team.
"Agreed."
So, over the next few days, the two began scouring the capital for a suitable location. They aimed for a spot that wasn't too busy—since their primary goal wasn't to run a bustling business, but they also didn't want it to be too quiet, as that might arouse suspicion. A moderately busy location would seem more natural to outsiders.
Luckily, Qin Jianghe had already been familiarized with the capital's various districts by Mo Yuanjiao, so the two had a good idea of where to look, saving them a lot of time. Now, they just needed to find a shop that met their criteria and was up for sale.
As for establishing a sect base in the capital, Lin Xiao had discussed this with them earlier. Given the current size of Lingxian Sect, they had agreed that there was no immediate need for an official sect residence in the capital. For now, the task of information gathering would fall entirely to Mo Yuanjiao.
Mo Yuanjiao had already set up an intelligence bureau at his residence and had handpicked reliable personnel to form a small, efficient team. He had also informed his father and two elder brothers, asking them to pass along any court-related information that might concern them.
Thus, Mo Yuanjiao's study became, in essence, Lingxian Sect's temporary base in the capital. With no women in the household at the moment, it was also easier for intelligence operatives to come and go without arousing suspicion.
Even Li Zhouxuan, the emperor, was aware of this arrangement. After all, he would need a way to contact Lingxian Sect for official matters, and Mo Yuanjiao's residence served that purpose well. However, Qin Jianghe and Liu Yunan had assured him that they would inform him of the shop's location once it was secured for more discreet business dealings.
Two days later, Qin Jianghe and Liu Yunan finally purchased a shop in a moderately busy part of the capital. The shop itself was modestly sized but perfectly suited for their purposes.
The shop had a spacious courtyard at the back, with a large warehouse and several small rooms, ideal for accommodating the Lingxian Sect members who needed more exposure to the outside world.
After negotiating with the seller and settling on a price that both parties found reasonable, the shop was secured for 9,600 taels of silver. Considering this was the capital, and the shop included a storefront and a large courtyard, the price was fair, though it nearly emptied Lingxian Sect's silver reserves. Most of these funds came from the spoils found in the storage bag of the late Nascent Soul cultivator Wei Hai, who likely carried such wealth to facilitate his activities in the mortal realm.
Throughout the process of finding and purchasing the shop, Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe had used disguise masks to alter their appearances and conceal their identities. They also utilized peach leaf pendants and concealment techniques to avoid detection. The shop was purchased under the name of Gu Yu Xiao, for whom Qin Jianghe had arranged a separate household registration in Songyang County a while back. Therefore, no one in the capital was aware of their true identities.
A couple of days after securing the shop, Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe were once again summoned to the palace to discuss the final arrangements for the campaign against Huan You Nation. This time, they met with the emperor in his study.
Unlike previous meetings, this one was private, with no other officials present. After the heavy doors were shut behind them, Liu Yunan scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense and confirmed that they were completely alone.
Because Qin Jianghe had spent so much time in Songyang County and had little time to cultivate at the sect, Liu Yunan had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Although he was diligent in his cultivation whenever he had the chance, even utilizing every spare moment at the sect, the spiritual energy outside the sect was still far less concentrated than within, making progress slower despite the assistance of the Peach Blossom Spirit Gathering Array. As a result, he was currently at the seventh level of Qi Refinement and not yet able to extend his spiritual sense.
After confirming the surroundings, Liu Yunan nodded slightly to Qin Jianghe, signaling that it was safe.
Once they were seated, Li Zhouxuan welcomed them warmly. This time, he chose to sit across from them rather than in his usual position of authority. After some brief pleasantries, Li Zhouxuan picked up three thick folders and a thinner one from a nearby desk.
"These four contain the demand lists from Qinghe, Yunyan, and Shangyang Sects, as well as from the Li family. Some of the items on these lists are not included in the inventory your sect provided, so I ask that you review them to see if they can be procured."
As he spoke, he began to rise, intending to hand the documents to them personally. However, before he could take a step, Liu Yunan casually lifted his right hand and curled his finger slightly, causing the four documents to float from Li Zhouxuan's grasp and glide over to him as if carried by an invisible force.