Chapter 705: I Just Don’t Believe It

“Dust without roots, trees without foundations… Xiang Li, do you believe it?”
Inside the store of Tianbao Ruixiang, a gorgeous woman clad in black veils sat atop a mountain peak, elegantly sipping a blood-red sweet wine made from immortal fruits. On a low table in front of her lay an ancient blackwood zither.
Not far away was a celestial hot spring, with wisps of steam rising to a height of ten zhang before being drawn into a three-legged jade cauldron suspended in midair, with not a trace escaping.
A man in fine robes stood slightly to the side of the woman drinking wine. Judging from his posture and expression, he carried a sense of respect mixed with casualness, clearly belonging to the ranks of trusted subordinates.
“I’m not sure whether to believe it or not…”
The male immortal named Xiang Li replied with a smile, “But if someone could revive ancient artifacts, I’d doubt it even more.”
The woman in black veils glanced at the blackwood zither. Its strings seemed to be plucked by an invisible hand, producing a melodious and refreshing sound, as if expressing three words through the music: Unbelievable, unbelievable…
“My lady, shall we invite him over? I can use a mind-bending technique to test him?” Xiang Li asked in a low voice, bowing slightly.
“No need to rush.”
The woman in black veils slowly stood up. Her plump, smooth body was faintly visible beneath the veil, clearly in a vacuum-like state.
When she reached the edge of the hot spring, her black veil slipped off her shoulders, revealing her graceful curves. The male immortal Xiang Li had already lowered his gaze, not daring to admire such a breathtaking scene of an immortal bathing. He knew well that if he “accidentally” saw something he shouldn’t, his life would be in danger…
Her pure, white body submerged entirely in the milky hot spring as she continued, “After all, this is Grandma’s wish. We shouldn’t show too much curiosity… If it’s truly as she says—just borrowed for a few thousand years—then there’s no need to worry about it.”
“I understand,” Xiang Li replied with a bow. He also thought that a few thousand years was but a fleeting moment, not worth much attention.
Then he heard the woman in the hot spring say, “Perhaps we should let ‘Shao Zhong’ meet him. It seems more appropriate that way.”
“Yes, my lady. I’ll go handle it right away.”
Xiang Li’s figure gradually disappeared. Gurgling…

The water in Tianchi suddenly boiled, reaching a terrifying temperature capable of melting gold and iron in an instant. Yet the woman remained leisurely immersed in it, murmuring to herself, “Tianyu? That name sounds familiar. I seem to have heard it somewhere before…”
…
A few hours later, Su Che and Zhuo Feng walked out of the shop and wandered through the streets for about twenty minutes before arriving at the entrance of the “Official Administration Office.”
“As immortals, we can only walk slowly,” Su Che said with a shake of his head. “It’s quite uncomfortable. It’s as if I’ve suddenly returned to the mortal era when I didn’t practice cultivation.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Zhuo Feng replied. “Within the Realm of Earthly Immortals, we often have to walk step by step in many situations. Once we reach the Realm of Cloud Immortals, there are far fewer rules.”
“That’s true,” Su Che said with a smile. “Ordinary people should abide by the rules.”
At that moment, he looked up at the distant Ninth Heaven—the Realm of Cloud Immortals, accessible only to Great Luo Golden Immortals—and wondered what it was like.
The reason Su Che and Zhuo Feng came to the Official Administration Office was to handle two matters: first, the shop contract needed to be notarized; second, new shops could enjoy one month of free promotion via the large screen and water mirror in the central square.
The Official Administration Office was the official governing body of Haoyuan Heavenly Market, responsible for maintaining order, handling complaints, resolving disputes, and managing all aspects of the market.
If Haoyuan Heavenly Market were compared to a county town, the Official Administration Office would be the county government office. As for the more than a thousand realms under the rule of Emperor Feng Lin the Immortal, they constituted his own vast dynasty.
Of course, compared to human nations in the mortal world, immortals in the Immortal Realm enjoyed much greater freedom. Many things could be handled based on personal conscience with few restrictions. If one wished to live a carefree life, no one could interfere.
However, once entering a realm under the rule of a certain immortal emperor, one still had to abide by the basic rules.
In any public place, it was necessary to uphold public morals and follow rules—this was expected and did not mean a lack of freedom.
Upon entering the Official Administration Office, Su Che thought that finding the relevant officials would allow him to resolve the two matters quickly, as they weren’t major issues. Although immortals lived at a leisurely pace, they were still highly efficient when it came to handling tasks.
Unexpectedly, after mentioning “Tianxuan Treasures” and his own name, he was immediately invited into the main hall and met the local official, Supervisor Shao.

Inspector Shao, whose name was Shao Zhong, was at the early stage of the Golden Immortal cultivation level and specialized in golden energy-based cultivation techniques… Su Che had already gathered this information in advance.
“Please, have a seat!”
Shao Zhong, whose face had a faint golden hue, wore an official robe in dark blue with a pattern of birds flocking toward a phoenix. He had a dignified appearance and exuded great authority. However, when he saw Su Che and Zhuo Feng, his expression became somewhat amiable.
After thanking them, Su Che and Zhuo Feng handed over the contract for their shop before sitting down at the guest seats diagonally across from him.
Shao Zhong looked at the shop contract in his hands and asked with a smile, “I heard that Grandma Gu only lent you the location of Cangji Antiques for a temporary period… just a few thousand years. Why go through the trouble of notarizing a contract?”
“Is notarizing a contract that troublesome?”
Su Che deliberately pretended to be confused and mumbled, “I’m not sure either. That’s what Grandma Gu instructed me to do, so I don’t really understand. Anyway, I just want to open a shop. A few thousand years shouldn’t be a big deal.”
His tone sounded like that of a young master from a prominent family, taking everything in a casual, game-like attitude.
In fact, Su Che indeed resembled such a noble young master—having a Golden Immortal-level bodyguard, three obedient celestial servants, and a gentle concubine (Fei Yun)… Plus, being wealthy yet naive enough to fall for tricks as simple as those used by Old Monkey, he truly seemed like a young master sent out by his family for experience.
In the immortal realm, there were indeed many young masters and ladies born with good fortune, who treated various precious treasures as if they were ordinary food, eventually becoming immortals. Their overall qualities were only slightly better than those of ignorant rich brats in the mortal world.
Shao Zhong smiled silently and then asked casually, “Could it be that among Tianyu’s family elders, there is someone who has been a close friend of Grandma Gu for many years?”
Su Che knew full well that the other party was trying to uncover his identity. It was likely that some major merchant alliance like Tianbao Ruixiang was behind this.
“Well…”
Su Che deliberately feigned hesitation, his gaze shifting to Zhuo Feng.
With his rich life experience, Zhuo Feng bowed to Shao Zhong and said, “Inspector Shao, please forgive us. Our master ordered that after coming out, the young master must not reveal his identity or background casually. He must solve all difficulties on his own.”
“I see!”
Shao Zhong chuckled and said, “So, Young Master Tianyu is here for experience?”

“More or less,” Su Che nodded, showing just the right amount of cynicism: “Though I really hate the term ‘adventure.’”
Shao Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly and asked again, “So, what is Tianxuan Treasure Shop’s main business?”
As an inspector of the Heavenly Market, such questions fell within his authority, and no one could complain that he was meddling.
“Selling magic artifacts!”
Su Che replied without hesitation, “I don’t have much else at home, but I have so many magic artifacts it’s annoying. Even picking up a broken brick from the ground and throwing it can be considered a magic artifact attack… I brought some with me this time. If they sell well, my family will keep sending more.”
“A family of artifact craftsmen?”
Shao Zhong nodded inwardly, memorizing all the information he had just learned.
After that, they chatted casually for quite a while. Inspector Shao seemed like a talkative and friendly person. Although he specialized in metal-related cultivation techniques, making him tough and iron-like in appearance, his smile remained quite natural.
Snap!
Finally, Shao Zhong stamped his official seal on the document, marking it officially and keeping a copy of the contract—thus completing the notarization.
Once Su Che and Zhuo Feng left the official office, Shao Zhong’s expression darkened immediately. With several snaps, he sent over a dozen communication talismans in different directions, showing that he wasn’t only working for Tianbao Ruixiang.
Back in his own shop space, Su Che finally said to Zhuo Feng, “I really don’t understand. The vast Haoyuan Heavenly Market can accommodate three thousand merchants, yet it can’t fit my small shop? It’s just opening a door to do business—what’s the big deal? And as for me, I’m just planning to make some money in a few thousand years and leave right away. Why do they care so much about me? Why is it necessary to take me seriously?”
“I guess the problem lies with Grandma Gu. Her Cangji ancient artifacts must contain some secret that affects many people’s interests.”
Zhuo Feng shook his head with a smile, “And you, Young Master Tianyu, happened to take over her shop, so everyone’s attention shifted to you. Those people don’t dare mess with Grandma Gu, but they can try probing you.”
“Damn that old woman!”
Su Che and Lao He both cursed out those words exactly the same way.
Anyway, having come this far, giving up wasn’t Su Che’s style. No matter what happened next, he had the courage to face it.
“What’s the big deal about just a Haoyuan Heavenly Market?”

The next moment, Su Che stood outside his shop’s door, on the steps, looking at the rows of shops lining the street. He thought to himself, “I’ve destroyed the entire Spirit Realm; the legendary battlefield between immortals and demons now belongs to me. I dare to keep the Witch Tribe’s sacred relics for myself, and I’m not afraid of the great Witch God. As a mere mortal, I’ve even defeated Xuanxians—what kind of scenes haven’t I seen?”
“Young master, I just don’t believe it. You little shopkeepers and peddlers—what can you do to me?”