Star Trace Gate

Shopkeeper Qiu is a man with a very low presence in Qingliang County, but he has a lot of experience.

Even though Xu Bangzi has now become the gold medal salesperson in the park and even went to the emperor's tomb with the Little Bad King, and has quite a lot of experience, strictly speaking, he is not Ren Ye's first bodyguard.

It was Shopkeeper Qiu. He was the first person Ren Ye killed when he traveled through the secret realm of Qijia Town in search of Tang Feng, and he also used the secret method of the Human Emperor's bodyguard to forcibly conscript him to Qingliang Mansion.

He was originally a remnant soul transformed by the heavens, playing a "role" in the story's struggle within the secret realm of Qijia Town. Ostensibly the owner of the Wang family's business, he was actually an undercover agent of the Zhou family, dormant for over twenty years, and just after being activated... he ended his work.

In the countless secret realms, there are countless residual souls like Shopkeeper Qiu, as numerous as the stars in the sky, but there are very few who are as lucky as him.

If Shopkeeper Qiu had stayed in Qijia Town all the time, he might never have been enlightened and could only keep playing his role under the evolution of the way of heaven.

But after Ren Ye forcibly recruited him to Qingliang Mansion, it was equivalent to forcibly pulling him out of the set "Heavenly Script", allowing him to see the world outside Qijia Town, and also gain insight into the relationship between the secret realm, Heavenly Dao, and cultivators.

Therefore, not long after he left the secret realm, he was completely enlightened and evolved from a remnant soul into a true cultivator, a real "human".

When Shopkeeper Qiu first arrived at Qingliang Mansion, he was very frightened and unwilling to accept the unfamiliar environment. However, after being sent to the brothel by Lao Liu for some training, his temper improved a lot and he gradually accepted his new identity.

Before Ren Ye visited the Emperor's Tomb, he had already thought of him, and specifically instructed Long Shou, who was in charge of leading the second team of the park, to take him and Wang Lili with him on the trip so that they could grow together.

After returning home, Long Shou gave a brief evaluation of Shopkeeper Qiu in front of Ren Ye: "He has average talent, but a meticulous mind. During this trip, many of the opinions and analyses he provided were very foresighted."

A master of theory? A master of talking big?!

After hesitating for a long time, Ren decided to use the empire's strongest agent, Shopkeeper Qiu, with the mentality of giving it a try.

……

into the night.

At the Shangyu County Government Office, Huai Wang's personal female official Lian'er personally prepared a table of hot pot.

Ren Ye sat in the inner hall, stirring the dipping sauce while whispering to the shopkeeper Qiu across from him, "Brother Qiu, you've been in Qingliang County for a while, but I've been traveling a lot, so we haven't had much chance to talk. Let's just have a simple meal today and chat about family matters."

Shopkeeper Qiu is about 1.78 meters tall, slightly fat, with round cheeks and a mustache. He looks no different from an ordinary middle-aged man, ordinary but good at forbearance.

He was wearing a loose brocade suit and a melon-shaped hat. Sitting there, he really looked like a wealthy gentleman running a small business.

To be honest, Shopkeeper Qiu was still a little bit afraid of the Little Bad King. After all, the other party's sudden sword attack had really made him "feel great", and his entire body was crushed into a pulp.

Shopkeeper Qiu blinked his wise eyes, took the wine handed to him by Ren Ye with both hands, and said with a smile: "Haha, I was originally a slave, and it is thanks to your sword that I was saved and reborn. In fact, I should have thanked you a long time ago...!"

Look, he is indeed an ordinary yet patient ace agent, with high emotional intelligence and willing to stick out his tongue when speaking, which is very consistent with the park culture.

"We are all family, so there is no need for polite words." Ren also waved his hand and said while picking up the meat: "Eat your chopsticks, eat your chopsticks."

"Hey."

As the two of them ate the piping hot pot, Ren asked casually, "Brother Qiu, I heard you've also reached the Third Stage?"

"Yes, I was originally a second-grade person. After enlightenment, I obtained the disorder inheritance of the agility system. After traveling with Long Shou and others, it took me another six months to complete the upgrade task. I am currently at the third grade, second level." Shopkeeper Qiu replied with a smile.

Ren Ye looked at the ball-like Shopkeeper Qiu and asked with a slightly surprised look, "You? Agility-type? What are you good at?!"

"I practice flying knives, excelling at forbearance and lying dormant, focusing on physical technique and nourishing the soul." Shopkeeper Qiu replied, then immediately added, "Of course, I wouldn't dare use my meager skills against your mighty sword..."

When Ren Ye heard this, he instantly remembered that when he fought with Manager Qiu in Qijia Town, the other party did attack him with a flying knife.

However, others who practiced flying knives and assassination were all handsome and had long flowing hair, but once he took off his melon-shaped hat, some of them just had a hairstyle similar to Sha Seng, which looked a bit incongruous.

Ren Ye ate the meat and nodded slightly: "What a patient and dormant person! The empire needs talents like Brother Qiu."

Shopkeeper Qiu, also enjoying his meal, asked tentatively, "Your Highness Prince Huai, you didn't just call me here for a quick meal, did you? Do you have an errand for me? Don't worry, with just one word from you, I'll be ready to fight for you, even if it means risking my life."

"This is absolutely true. Even when I was washing the madam's pants in a brothel, I had already figured it out. Without your sword, I would never have achieved enlightenment. I wouldn't even be considered a human being. I would be manipulated by the laws of nature, living a fixed life on a stage in a secret realm."

"This new life of mine, Old Qiu, is for you, so from now on, I'll do whatever you ask me to do."

"...!"

He spoke emotionally and from the bottom of his heart, and he took the initiative to toast Ren Ye with three glasses of wine, his face slightly flushed after drinking.

It seems the brothels are still used for training people. This could be a training ground for troublemakers in the future, and we need to focus on their development… Ren also pondered this in his mind before continuing, “Actually, after careful consideration by the empire’s leadership, there is indeed a major task that will determine the future of the empire, and it is for you to do it.”

Shopkeeper Qiu had been waiting for this sentence for a long time: "What job?! Just tell me, I will do my best."

"Lie behind enemy lines, lurk like a dormant dragon, and wait for the situation to change." Ren Ye said with his eyes shining.

When Shopkeeper Qiu heard this, his old face suddenly fell and his eyes were filled with fear.

Ren also caught the change in his expression and asked, "What's wrong?! Are you resisting?"

“It’s not like there’s any resistance…!”

"What is that?" Ren Ye asked.

Shopkeeper Qiu took off his melon-shaped hat in front of the steaming hot pot and wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve. He said in a steady voice, "To be honest, I've been dormant all my life. The Wang family's twenty-two years of deep-lying work behind enemy lines is also an indelible memory...!"

“That’s exactly what I’m looking for.”

"Please don't interrupt me. Let me finish." Shopkeeper Qiu waved his hand and said frustratedly, "Although I've been lurking all my life, it's been unsuccessful! I've been lurking in the Wang family for twenty-two years. On the first day I was activated and used by the boss, less than an hour later... you killed me with a single sword strike. This incident terrified me and plunged me into deep self-doubt."

"Honestly, when I hear about lurking, I want to go back to the brothel and wash my pants."

"That was an accident." Ren also emphasized: "You were hiding very well, it was just a bit of a coincidence, and a bit of bad luck."

"Do you really think that you can entrust me with such an important task that concerns the future fortune of the empire?" Shopkeeper Qiu drank some wine, his face flushed, and he was very much looking forward to getting the recognition of his new boss.

"As long as you stay away from those with swords, I don't think it will be a big problem." Ren Ye began to brainwash people with a serious expression: "Looking at the entire Qingliang Prefecture, after thinking about it, I really feel that there is no one more suitable for this matter than you."

"Then tell me first, what kind of job is it?" asked Shopkeeper Qiu curiously.

Ren also put down his chopsticks, leaning his elbows on the table, and said solemnly, "My Qingliang County and the Daqian Dynasty have always been in a state of hostility. If we want to expand our territory and population, we must also expand to the Daqian in the north. But after the border incident, the Daqian has become more cautious about us. If we use military force head-on, we lack the strength and foundation. If we slowly nibble away at them, Qingliang County will not grow, and I will not have the opportunity to upgrade. If this continues, it will become a vicious cycle."

"So, I discussed it with County Magistrate Huang and decided to use the factions in the Daqian court and the princes' feuds as a starting point. Furthermore, we'll use the ongoing war between Southern Xinjiang and Daqian as an opportunity to incite rebellion and divide the people, and plot to seize half of Daqian's Qingzhou territory. However, this requires someone in charge to personally infiltrate Daqian and look for opportunities."

After hearing this, Shopkeeper Qiu was dumbfounded. He practically drooled as he asked, "You're planning to take over half of their state's territory? There's no reason or reason, no concrete plan, and you're just... just talking nonsense. Are you planning to take over?!"

"How is this different from committing suicide?"

"No, no, this is not a fantasy, it has a basis." Ren also shook his head.

"What basis?" asked Shopkeeper Qiu.

"I have someone on my side." Ren also raised a finger. "Earlier, Daqian knew we were going to build three wonders and blessed places in Qingliang County, so they started to hold us back, preventing us from sending rare building materials to Southern Xinjiang. Plus, Qingliang County was dirt poor, so... in a rage, I led my team to Daqian's Chijin City. We managed to get some good fortune and even captured someone. His name is Yuan Dalang, the legitimate son of Yuan Ziliang of the Sihai Chamber of Commerce. The Sihai Chamber of Commerce is the money bag supported by the Eighth Prince of Daqian, and they have connections and influence all over Daqian."

"Officials and businessmen?" Manager Qiu had a very good understanding ability.

"Yes. The people of Daqian all thought Yuan Dalang died in the robbery of Chijin City and didn't know he was still alive." Ren nodded. "But I was in correspondence with his father, Yuan Ziliang. By threatening Yuan Dalang, I obtained a lot of precious treasures in Daqian at low prices for building wonders and blessed lands...!"

"They are just blackmailing someone by taking their only son," Shopkeeper Qiu summed up.

"No, when others mess with us, it's extortion. When we mess with others, we're walking in the light of righteousness." Ren also corrected him: "This is a matter of ideological principle. You still need to improve."

"I understand." Shopkeeper Qiu nodded.

"With Yuan Dalang as your foundation, you'll be able to leverage the Sihai Chamber of Commerce at critical moments and establish contact with the powerful in Daqian. But how you use this person and how you extract value from him will depend entirely on your personal performance." Ren Ye smiled and said, "Haha, I'll give you 10 million Star Sources as start-up capital and establish a special government office just for you, called the Qingliang County Imperial Guard. You will serve as the first commander of the Imperial Guard, with a rank of Second Rank, leading the entire government office and personally overseeing the great 'Daqian Chicken Soup' project."

"Dry Chicken Soup?!" Manager Qiu was a little confused and asked, "What does this name mean?"

Ren Ye smiled knowingly and waved his hand, saying, "The name isn't important; the task is. Brother Qiu, if you complete this mission, you'll be firmly entrenched in the empire's leadership... Think about it, since ancient times, someone who has been able to control an office like the Imperial Guards, what a valuable asset! Most importantly, it can dispel the nightmare you've been harboring about the lurking..."

"Twenty-two years of stoic dormancy were shattered by a single sword strike. Are you truly willing to accept this? Don't you want to prove yourself once again?!"

"That makes my blood boil!" Shopkeeper Qiu patted his chin and said excitedly, "But then again, how many people can I dispatch from the Imperial Guards right now to join me in the deep end of Daqian?"