Dao of Money

It took a while, but Qing He was finally on board with moving to the sect temporarily to work on the gunpowder and assist with the casing of the gun itself. By the end of their discussion, she had even provided ideas for the weapon’s construction, suggesting the use of runes to reinforce the structure and improve durability.

Chen Ren hadn't given much thought to that aspect—his knowledge of runes was basic, limited to the ones he used for talismans—but Qing He’s insights were detailed enough that even Feiyu found himself agreeing. By the time their conversation ended, he got the distinct impression that she wasn't just coming along because he asked her to; she was genuinely interested in the project itself.

With that settled, they didn’t linger in Cloud Mist City for much longer. He made his rounds, visiting the noodle stall, making rounds of Heavenly Fragrances, and checking in on the staff. He went over the accounts and spoke with Yuqiu about their next steps, making sure that they had a plan in place for expansion. While he wouldn’t be around personally, he reassured her that he’d assist with any problems that arose. And that was all she needed.

Once that was done, he set out for the village with the rest of his party behind him.

Fortunately, the roads weren’t in bad shape, and they made good time on the journey; with occasional conversations and resting. Before long, they were met with the sight of the village.

They soon made their way toward the sect’s buildings.

Even in the short time he had been away, he could tell a lot had changed. He could tell. Construction was still ongoing, but there was a clear sense of order now.

The scattered chaos of early development had dissipated, giving way to something more structured—organized. And as they got closer, Chen Ren noticed a few mortal sect members lingering outside. It wasn’t long before one of them moved inside, likely to call Tang Xiulan as they stepped out of the carriage.

Soon, she walked outside with Zi Wen behind her, but Chen Ren's eyes didn't move to them. They locked onto the massive wolf, who was towering over both of them and momentarily, he was stunned.

“Good to see you both again.” He looked back at Zi Wen and Xiulan but his eyes went back to the wolf for a while, assessing the changes closely, before turning his head back to Zi Wen. "It seems like you were successful."

Zi Wen nodded with a proud smile. "Yes. I hadn't expected it, but once I found that link to my new path that I was searching for, things happened quickly. Even Little Yuze changed once I formed a strong connection with him. I don't know why."

Chen Ren hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head towards the wolf. "Yalan told me that Beastmasters naturally accelerate the development of their beasts once they form a link. So it's probably that, but I'd love to experiment more to see what else has changed. Though..." He glanced back toward the carriage. "I think we should wait until Yalan wakes up from her nap before bothering her."

Zi Wen chuckled. "That’s fair.” He scratched the back of his neck and spoke again. “But Sect Leader Chen, it wasn’t just me who connected to the Dao while you were gone."

Chen Ren couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. "Then... Luo Feng?"

Xiulan, who had been quiet so far, nodded. "He's not here because he's tending to his fields. Apparently, he connected to the Dao of Farming and has been there since then, only coming back for food."

Chen Ren was genuinely surprised. He had always thought Zi Wen’s path would be of a Beastmaster , so that wasn’t shocking. But Luo Feng? The man had been so eager about martial techniques before. That he had suddenly connected with a Dao so seemingly mundane was unexpected—but also a pleasant surprise.

He crossed his arms, thinking. He had heard bits and pieces from Yalan about the Dao of Farming. Despite its name, it was one of the strongest Daos. Not only wouldwill Luo Feng have a deeper connection with the earth and his crops, but he'dhe’ll also be able to bypass the lack of qi in the surroundings to grow spirit plants by infusing them with his own qi. He knew that eventually, his farm would become like a domain, where he would be the master of everything that grows and comes there.

And as Chen Ren continued to think over it for a moment, realization struck. If Luo Feng’s connection to the Dao of Farming developed further, he might be able to help solve the sect’s resource issues. That alone was a huge relief.

“That’s good news,” he finally said. “I didn’t expect to come back to such progress.”

Xiulan gave a genuine smile. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment and looked behind. “Seems like you’ve made decent progress yourself, Sect Leader Chen.”

Chen Ren nodded, following her glancetrance toat the two men who awkwardly stood with their hands clutched to the front. Qing He stood behind them, just looking over his sect buildings with an appraising eye. “Hong Yi is going to be in the sect now. Try to make sure he doesn’t venture out too much. His sect has been dealt with, but you never know who might still be looking for him.” He shifted his gaze to the other figure. “As for this guy, he’s Feiyu, a blacksmith cultivator I found while negotiating the alcohol contract.” He finally looked at the last person. A smile breaking into his own face. “I brought Qing He back with me so she and Feiyu could work on a project for me, but we’ll talk about that later.”

Zi Wen let out a low chuckle. “Seems like there’s still a lot of work to do.”

“Certainly,” Chen Ren agreed. “First of all, we need to get the alcohol production going. Are the mortals making good progress?”

Xiulan nodded. “Yeah, a few of them are doing better than I expected. Even the ones who are just average are making slow progress. It's not fast, but at least they are moving.”

“Good. Pick out some of the bright ones to head the alcohol production. We’ve managed to strike a solid deal with the Zhu Clan, but I want to set up at least two breweries. We’ll also be making contact in the west and south to see if any clans there are interested in buying moonshine. The Zhu Clan has good reach, but it doesn’t cover the whole empire.”

He paused, then added, “I also need to check out Luo Feng and see his Dao for myself. But before that, I’ll be heading to my room for the day.”

“Oh? Already? Is there anything I could help—”

“No, nothing like that,” Chen Ren exhaled, feeling the faintly glowing strands of qi swirling within him. “I made a lot of progress during the journey, but most of it was in my business. Even in Cloud Mist City, things are going well. And now… I keep feeling these small strands of qi circling in my core. I think it’s finally time to see how much I’ve grown. And for that, I need some quiet space.”

Xiulan immediately understood and gave a brief nod.

But as he said it, he couldn’t help but wonder—was he about to leap through a few stars? The qi refinement realm usually took far longer to progress through than the body forging realm, but his businesses had been steadily minting him good money, and his qi had been accumulating. If he was right, this could be his biggest gain yet.

Without wasting another moment, Chen Ren made his way to his room and immediately plunged into his star space.

***

Feeling the air in his star space was always a one-of-a-kind phenomenon. Even though he knew it wasn’t truly the case, Chen Ren always felt the most secure there. The qi filled the space around him, steadying his breath, making him feel weightless yet grounded at the same time.

As he floated within his star space, his gaze instinctively searched for the being that had eluded him for so long. But as always, no matter where he looked, there were no signs of it. Not even a trance of its magnetic eyes.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

With a sigh, he shifted his focus to the sky above.

The stars twinkled, filling the sky. Slowly, as usual, their light dimmed—yet this time, something was different. Instead of leaving behind just two stars, a third one remained, a bit farther away from the first two but present. It shimmered with the same energy as the others, and he could already sense the qi contained within it.

He exhaled, steadying himself before beginning the process of absorption. He started with the noodle shop. Compared to the others, it didn’t hold much qi, but he noticed something else—it had grown. Not in terms of qi, but in size. The star itself was slightly larger now. He guessed it was because of the recent additions to the business—the chips and ice cream. Even the qi surrounding it felt more potent.

Slowly, he started absorbing the energy, letting it flow into him. He wondered how the star would look once he fully expanded the stall business. The thought made his lips curl slightly, but he refocused on the task. He continued his absorption.

By the time he was done, he felt like he had eaten a hearty breakfast—satisfied, but still capable of taking in more. Without hesitation, he turned his gaze to the second star, the one representing his perfume business.

Unlike the noodle stall, the perfume business hadn't grown much in size, but its steady success meant it was still wrapped in a significant amount of qi. He felt it in his core. Targeting middle-class women with affordable perfumes had proven to be a solid strategy, and as Chen Ren absorbed the energy, he could tell that this star would expand soon enough. When it did, the amount of qi he was receiving now would be only a fraction of what he'd gain in the future.

He sighed in contentment as he felt filled once again.

With both of his primary stars drained of qi, he turned his gaze toward the third one. A frown appeared on his forehead as he stared at it for a while without doing a thing. He wanted—no, needed to take it all in.

This star was different—it almost bubbled with energy, pulsing as if barely containing the qi within. The alcohol business had brought in a large sum already, and with the profit-sharing model in place, he would continue receiving a steady flow of income every month. That meant this star would only grow brighter and more potent in the coming months.

Chen Ren stared at it, his mind drifting back to everything it had taken to get here. He had been constantly downplayed by the big players, forced to fight tooth and nail to carve out his own space. The only way he had succeeded was by creating demand—by making people want his product so badly that they couldn’t ignore him. Contrary to what it had looked like from the outside, it hadn't been easy.

The fact that Ashen City was filled with alcoholics had played a huge role in his success, but even that advantage hadn’t been enough on its own. Getting his product into the right hands had taken a serious amount set of effort, and even after that, trying to get Feiyu in his sect had nearly ruined his partnership with the Zhu Clan. It could’ve been worse—he could’ve ruined everything he tried to build in a heat of a second. But fortunately, he didn’t.

And all of it had been a lesson.

In business, there were always dangerous waters to tread. One misstep could cost everything, and balance was key—knowing when to push forward, when to step back, and most importantly, when not to step on a business partner’s toes.

Because businesses were fickle, partners even more so, and keeping everything in balance was a lesson worth its weight in gold. The alcohol deal had drilled that into him. As he reflected on it, the star above him twinkled, and suddenly, a surge of qi rushed toward him.

Unlike the first two stars, this one felt overwhelming—dense and heavy, pressing down on him like an invisible weight. He hadn't expected such a massive influx of qi, and as it flooded his dantian, his body screamed in protest.

Every muscle felt like it was being stretched and torn apart, but he gritted his teeth and bore through it. This was his moment—if he gave in now, he'd regret it forever.

He mentally screamed in agony, but didn’t let out a single whimper that tried to break past his lips. He knew he was strong enough to endure the change that was about to happen. He had to be.

The qi raged within him, swirling through his meridians, breaking past bottlenecks he hadn’t even realized existed. His entire being felt like it was being reforged, the pressure almost unbearable. But then, finally, the qi began to settle. It permeated every inch of his body, strengthening him in ways he couldn't yet fully grasp. And then—

Something shifted.

A powerful sensation flooded his muscles, the unmistakable feeling of multiple breakthroughs hitting him all at once. And in that instant, his star space began to crumble.

But just before everything collapsed, he saw it.

Golden eyes.

A massive dragon loomed above him, its gaze piercing straight through his soul. It had always eluded him before, appearing only in glimpses or sensations—but this time, he saw it clearly. He tried to speak, to call out, but before he could, the vision shattered—

And he was back in his room.

Chen Ren gasped for breath, his body drenched in sweat. He hadn’t realised when he had moved, but he was on his knees, his hands on the ground. His heart pounded against his ribs as he struggled to steady himself.

Unlike his previous breakthroughs, there were no visible changes to his body—no sudden transformations—because the qi refinement realm was all about internal strengthening, purifying his qi and preparing his foundation.

Curious, he raised his hand and summoned a strand of qi. It crackled to life in his palm, far denser and stronger than before.

Before he could fully process the change, a voice cut through the silence.

“It seems like you made a bit of a gain.”

Chen Ren snapped his head toward the window.

Yalan stood there, watching him with an amused look. The cat’s timing was always immaculate—or was it that she was always watching over him? He didn’t care at the moment, instead, he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Fourth star," he muttered to himself rather than Yalan. "Made quite a big leap." He could still feel his heart throb in his ears at what had happened.

Yalan, oblivious to his inner thoughts change, purred, a sign of approval. "Good. So, what about the dragon?" she asked, her tone shifting to something a little more curious.

He looked at her, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Still hiding. But it’ll come out soon, I think."

"Hmm. Hopefully," Yalan said while licking her feet in a very cat-like manner. "Anyway, things are going well. What’s next for you?"

Chen Ren’s gaze shifted, his mind already buzzing with tasks.

"There's a lot to get done. Setting up the brewery is the first priority—gotta make sure the base ingredients are flowing properly. Then, I’ll check on Luo Feng and Zi Wen, test their powers, see where they’re at. After that, I’ll give Hong Yi something to work on, keep him occupied. Finally..." His eyes sparkled with anticipation. "I’ll start making guns. It’s time to see how they’ll work out in this world."

***

A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too.

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