## AST 2044 - A Complete Loss, The Opening of The Business

Dragon-capturing Hands!

The attack which was bound to hit temporarily froze Liu Dongfeng. Qing Shui took the opportunity and immediately charged in with unbelievable speed. The moment he extended his hand, he launched yet another strike.

Gouging Strike!

Not only had the Gouging Strike became even faster but it was also significantly stronger than normal attacks. This was a complicated attack which was made up of countless factors. It consisted of Spirit Energy, the ability to neglect the opponent’s defenses, the ability to hit a cow through a mountain, and it even had Qing Shui’s Nine Yang Force mixed in it.

Pu!

Liu Dongfeng was struck in the chest. The attack managed to injure him and temporarily paralyzed him. Immediately, Qing Shui began to land his attacks like a violent storm. It was fast, complex and each time he unleashed his techniques, noises which resembled a rotten piece of wood being struck could be heard in the surroundings.

Liu Dongfeng was completely powerless against these violent assaults. Qing Shui constantly struck Liu Dongfeng’s face with his finger, fists, as well as his elbows. By the time he stopped, Liu Dongfeng’s arms and legs seemed to have been dislocated. He collapsed onto the ground like a pile of mud and was completely motionless.

Qing Shui finally stopped. His body wasn’t stained by even a single speck of dirt. He looked down silently at Liu Dongfeng before moving his sight onto the dead quiet crowd.

“Liu Clan lost!” A person shouted out in disbelief.

“They have lost. It was without a doubt, a complete loss to them.”

“Who is this dangerous young man? Liu Dongfeng was powerless against him. What kind of a killer move was that? It seemed very simple, but yet so effective.”

……

A lot of discussions were going on down the arena. Qing Shui showed a smile as he approached the Liu Clan. The old man who got defeated by Yu Xixuan seemed to have aged a lot. He looked at Qing Shui and said slowly, “Our Liu Clan has lost. We will fulfill whatever request which you demand from us without any conditions.”

Qing Shui knew that the old man was a sly and smart person. With things taking such a turn, Liu Clan had no more chances. It was up to Qing Shui to decide to eliminate them or not. Whatever Qing Shui said at this moment would decide whether or not Liu Clan would vanish from this world or simply lose everything they had until now.

The old man thought that he might be able to help Liu Clan survive through this if he acted more humbly. Qing Shui’s goal wasn’t to kill Liu Dongfeng. The old man could already tell that there were hopes for him to make amends to the situation based on the fact that Yu Xixuan didn’t take away his life. He must behave in a proper manner and make them feel comfortable about him.

“I have no intentions to make enemies with anyone. I am here to learn new things. As time passes, there is a high chance that I may leave this place. I don’t want any troubles to come after me by then. Xixuan is a great friend of mine. We worked together to open the restaurant and the clinic. It is a big world. There is no point in us, who lives in the same city, to try and kill each other. Open your eyes to see the world wide. For all you know, even a person whom you met on the street may end up being a nightmare-like existence to you.”

Qing Shui said with a calm tone. He knew that they would get what he was implying. There were things which one wouldn't have to be so specific to make people understand. Besides, being too straightforward sometimes might make matters worse.

“I understand what you mean. In the future, you only need to inform us about what you want and I can assure you that Liu Clan will give it their all to satisfy you.” The old man bowed down politely and said.

“You are like a snake crawling up a stick that’s trying to hit it. I have never expected you guys to do anything for me. Truthfully speaking, I have never viewed you guys as my enemies. Compared to them, you guys are too weak. It was because of how things have developed that I have no choice but to toy around with you guys. I did so to pass a message to the public that, even though I am a psychiatrist who owns a clinic, I still pack quite a punch in battles. Make yourself stronger. You will only prosper as a clan once you start becoming more friendly to others. So what if you become the strongest in Azure Rainbow City? When a person stands on top of everyone, he will feel nothing but loneliness. Some hidden clans which no one has heard about may be dwelling within Azure Rainbow City right now. For all you know, an old man whom you meet across a street might have enough strength to completely annihilate your entire clan a few times.

Qing Shui continued to intimidate his opponent by putting on a tiger’s skin. Now was the perfect moment for him to do so.

The old man agreed with everything which Qing Shui had said. He was listening very attentively. Even though he might be a lot older than Qing Shui, in this world, the stronger ones had more rights to speak. Thus, the old man didn’t feel embarrassed. Rather, since Qing Shui was more powerful than him, he would recognize Qing Shui as his senior.

……

Qing Shui returned to where the Jade Clan was. He didn’t demand anything from the Liu Clan nor gave them any benefits. From the outsiders’ perspective, Qing Shui didn't seem at all interested in his opponents. It only caused them to be even more curious to know about Qing Shui.

Azure Rainbow City was Qing Shui’s first step. It was where he would start off before slowly spreading his name throughout the entire Northern Blue Domain. For the time being, that was his goal. He knew that he shouldn’t take his steps too big at a time as the water in Northern Blue Domain was very deep. He knew that he must be recognized by the entire Northern Blue Domain first before he could proceed to dominate the rest of the areas around it.

Qing Shui didn’t go inside the Jade Clan. Instead, he headed back to the restaurant. However, a lot of people from the Jade Clan also followed him and went along. The next day would be the day when the Imperial Cuisine Hall started its business. Qing Shui planned to focus on his cultivations and practice his medicines. He wanted to make his name as the Miraculous Physician even more popular across the entire Northern Blue Domain.

Because of Qing Shui and Yu Xixuan, the Jade Clan managed to skyrocket in its status. A lot of people tried to visit Qing Shui only to be rejected by him by making up some excuses. These people then went for the next best thing and tried to get close to the Jade Clan. Everyone was able to tell that Yu Xixuan shared an unusual relationship with Qing Shui.

‘The mother’s honor increases as her son’s position rises’. At the moment, Yu Dinghe and his wife had become a role model whom a lot of people admire. The old man from the Jade Clan was also unusually happy. He drank quite a lot of wine when he was in the restaurant.

At night, everyone sat down to have dinner together. Qing Shui didn’t try to boast about himself. After all, a person’s time was limited. There were times when one would need help from others. Since he was already here, the Jade Clan would be more than suitable to help him out. After all, they were Yu Xixuan’s family members.

Qing Shui had helped the old man from the Jade Clan treated his hidden illness. When the old man found out that he had been cured, he was in disbelief. He, who initially only had half a year left to live, was now able to live for up to fifty years. The organs in his body that aged as a result of the Hidden Illness were modified and by now, his body was once again full of the life force which he had always been familiar with.

He found it hard to believe this. Deep down, he was amazed. He also realized that by just relying on the fact that Qing Shui managed to cure the old man and extended his lifespan, Qing Shui should have been able to establish himself in a lot of places. The question is ‘Why?’ Why would he choose to start here?

“Qing Shui, I know that there will come a day when you will finally spread your wings and soar. Our Jade Clan may not be significant enough to catch your attention, but you have truly given us a lot. I won’t mention any about repaying you, nor do I feel that I can pay you back fully.” The old man from the Jade Clan sounded a bit drunk when he was saying it.

Qing Shui knew that he wasn’t drunk. In fact, he might be even soberer than ever before.

“Old man, you don’t have to be burdened with anything. Maybe in the future, I will give the Jade Clan more opportunities. As for how far they can go, that will still depend on themselves.”

“I know. I really hope that these incompetent brats could one day stand up for themselves. Hehe, today is a great day.”

……

On the following day, the Imperial Cuisine Hall finally began its business. The Imperial Cuisine Hall was built right next to the restaurant. They were two separate buildings. On its opening day, Qing Shui had no choice but to keep watch of the business himself. Yu Xixuan had to attend to her customers. The people of the Yu Clan were also present.

The Jade Clan wasn’t the only one here as the people of the Liu Clan had also arrived. What had shocked a lot of people was that they were even helping the Jade Clan to attend to the customers. The people of the Liu Clan were acting like servants while they were here. However, no one, including the Yu Clan, dared to ask the Liu Clan to serve them. After witnessing Qing Shui’s power, no one had the guts to behave wantonly. Thus, it was a peaceful start for the business. It was good enough that they no longer had to search for more servants.

At the moment, there were a lot of people who wanted to fawn on Qing Shui. They provided assistance on whatever they could and very quickly, the banquet was set up. Moving on, the people started having their seats. Qing Shui also accompanied them to drink some wine and conversed with a lot of people. The Imperial Cuisine Hall had finally opened for business.

Even though Qing Shui had opened quite a few Imperial Cuisine Halls before, he still hadn’t accumulated quite enough experience or set up any rules. All the while, he had just been going with the flow or sometimes, he would also look for people to help out. At first, he thought that opening his business wouldn’t be as easy as the ones before. He had never expected for something like this to happen. Thus, he still managed to open his business with ease.