Crossing the Cultivation Realm: Two Souls Coexist

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Hu Qing whispered to comfort Qingyin, then turned around resolutely and followed the middle-aged man from Qingmu Chamber of Commerce into the depths of the chamber of commerce.

Qingyin stood there, looking at Hu Qing's back with tearful eyes until he disappeared from her sight.

She knew that all she could do now was to trust Hu Qing and wait for his return.

Zhang Hu said softly to Qingyin, "Miss Qingyin, let's go. Master Gu will be fine."

Qingyin nodded, wiped the tears from her face, followed Zhang Hu and the guards, and set out on the road back to the county government office.

Hu Qing followed the middle-aged man into the Qingmu Chamber of Commerce again. They passed through a series of staggered courtyards. The surrounding environment was quiet and elegant, and finally came to a pond with blooming lotus flowers.

The lotus flowers in the pond swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a faint fragrance, adding a touch of tranquility and harmony to the occasion.

The middle-aged man stopped by the wooden fence and pointed at the pavilion in the pond and said to Hu Qing:

"Mr. Gu, the president is waiting for you in that pavilion. Just go there."

After saying that, he stepped aside, obviously wanting Hu Qing to go alone.

Hu Qing walked slowly towards the pavilion along the wooden railing. His eyes fell on the middle-aged man in the pavilion who was wearing a navy blue robe and had an extraordinary temperament.

The middle-aged man was concentrating on the chessboard in front of him, holding a chess piece in his hand, as if thinking about his next move. There was also a set of exquisite tea sets next to him, and the aroma of tea filled the air.

Hu Qing walked into the pavilion and sat down opposite the middle-aged man with a calm demeanor.

There was no excessive small talk between the two of them; everything seemed natural.

Hu Qing sat there, waiting for the other party to speak, while also observing the other party, trying to find clues from the other party's behavior and temperament to understand the president's character and intentions.

The president didn't seem to be distracted by Hu Qing's arrival. He dropped the chess piece in his hand onto the chessboard, making a crisp sound.

Then, he raised his head and looked at Hu Qing calmly:

"Mr. Gu, I have long heard of your great name. Seeing you today, I can see that your reputation is truly well-deserved."

Hu Qing nodded slightly and responded, "President, you are too kind. Gu Yang is just an ordinary cultivator. I feel honored to play chess and drink tea with you today."

The president smiled slightly and gestured to the chessboard: "In that case, why don't we play a game of chess first and then talk about other things."

How could Hu Qing play chess? He had never even enrolled in tutoring classes in his previous life. The learning atmosphere in Seoul was not conducive to the easy attendance of interest classes for children.

Now he could only play a few moves with the president, basic moves, clever moves, common moves, and steal a move from him by connecting five pieces.

The president's eyes swept across the chessboard, his expression darkening as the black pieces formed a line.

The cultivation he had cultivated over the years was almost shaken at this moment by the layout of the five black pieces.

He now understood that the guy in front of him didn't know how to play chess at all, he was just here to cause trouble.

The president snorted, obviously displeased with Hu Qing's style of play.

He did not continue to dwell on the chess game, but directly put the chessboard and chess pieces into his storage ring.

He felt a little disappointed. He originally wanted to use the chess game to defeat Hu Qing, but he didn't expect that the other party knew nothing about chess.

Hu Qing looked at the president with an innocent face. He was secretly proud in his heart: This president is just like that. He let me win in one go, and I can't afford to lose.

His eyes fell on the president's storage ring, and he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

Hu Qing’s current storage bag has limited space, less than 2 cubic meters, which is far from meeting his needs.

He knew that the space in a storage ring was usually much larger than that in a storage bag, and it was more convenient and valuable.

"The president's storage ring is really impressive. It must have a lot of space, right?"

Hu Qing tried to change the subject, but also wanted to test the president's opinion.

The president glanced at Hu Qing, seemed to see what he was thinking, and said lightly:

"Of course there is enough space. But, Mr. Gu, let's talk business."

Hu Qing withdrew his gaze and nodded in agreement.

He knew that the purpose of his coming here was not to play chess, nor to envy others' storage rings, but to understand the intentions of the Qingmu Chamber of Commerce and the possible crisis it might bring.

President Qian took the initiative to ask questions and began to introduce himself, dispelling Hu Qing's guard:

"My name is Qian Ruihong, you can just call me President Qian. I've been working in Haitian City for many years, and young talents like you are rare. Let's get straight to the point today. How much do you want to sell me the hot air balloon for? Name me a price!"

Hu Qing smiled and replied, "President Qian, that's easy to do. Just send a servant to my humble abode to buy it from me. Why bother with such a fuss?"

Qian Ruihong didn't buy it. His face darkened, and he was obviously unhappy with Hu Qing's answer.

He slammed the tea table hard, his voice filled with anger: "Gu Yang, I'm serious, don't play tricks on me. You should know that what I want is the exclusive rights to the hot air balloon."

Hu Qing knew that he could no longer avoid this issue and he had to respond directly to Qian Ruihong's request.

He put away his smile and spoke in a serious tone, "President Qian, you are a business tycoon in Haitian City, and I am just a small vendor. Hot air balloons are fun, but are they really that important to you?"

Qian Ruihong stared at Hu Qing with a sharp gaze, his voice low and powerful:

"Gu Yang, don't underestimate the potential of hot air balloons. Not only can it change Haitian City's transportation methods, but it can also bring more profits to our Chamber of Commerce. I need to ensure that this technology is in the hands of our Chamber of Commerce."

Hu Qing took a deep breath. He knew that he could not give in easily. The hot air balloon was the result of his hard research and the key to his current development.

He said slowly, "President Qian, I understand your point of view, but the hot air balloon is equally important to me. It is my foundation, and I can't just give up like this."

Qian Ruihong was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up, his eyes swept across the lotus flowers in the pond, and he said:

"If it was something else, I might have given it up, but this hot air balloon is something I'm determined to get at all costs. If I can't, I'll have no choice but to destroy it!"

Hu Qing was puzzled. How could such a small hot air balloon, a crude product copied from the ones made by his ancestors in his previous life, be so desirable that people would do anything to get it?

Hu Qing asked, "President Qian, flying is very common for cultivators, right? Besides, if it's just about transporting items, wouldn't it be more convenient for cultivators?"

President Qian looked back at Hu Qing, sat down and began to drink tea, and slowly said three words:

"Air supremacy"

"This should be something the Emperor is considering. President Qian, with all due respect, air supremacy has little to do with the Chamber of Commerce."