Jun Changxiao’s arrival attracted the attention of many martial artists within the manor.

Some praised him as young and promising, some considered him handsome.

Of course.

As a normal xuanhuan novel, there were naturally also martial artists who disdained the protagonist.

And wouldn’t you know it, there really were!

Moreover, quite a few—at least several dozen!

These people mostly came from higher-grade commanderies. They were either family heads or high-level members of powers, and when they looked at Jun Changxiao, their gazes held contempt.

Undeniably.

Defeating the Sacred Spring Sect Master showed ability.

But merely having ability could never change his identity as a low-grade sect master.

In the eyes of higher-grade commandery martial artists, ninth-grade Qingyang Commandery was equivalent to the countryside.

Anyone who came from there, whether sect master or city lord, was a country bumpkin.

Very realistic, and very true.

Since ancient times, city people had always had a natural sense of superiority.

Even if they didn’t openly show contempt for country folk, in their hearts there was still a distinction.

Jun Changxiao could detect the contempt floating in some martial artists’ eyes but completely didn’t take it to heart.

You look down on me.

I’ll likewise treat you as air.

“Sect Master Jun.”

Ma Yunteng said in a low voice, “I heard you’ve established a business in Qingyang Commandery?”

“Mm.”

“What kind of business?”

“A beast feed store.”

“…”

Ma Yunteng was immediately dumbfounded.

He had recommended pill shops, weapon shops, and spirit stone shops—how did he end up opening a feed store!

“Qin Haoran, Sect Master of Qingyang Commandery’s Righteous Qi Sect, comes to congratulate!”

Just then, the servant called out again.

“Qin Haoran?” Jun Changxiao murmured, “That guy came too.”

Before long.

A smiling Qin Haoran strode in with great strides.

When he saw Jun Changxiao standing conspicuously in front, the smile on his face immediately froze.

Very obviously, he was just as surprised as Sect Master Jun.

“Oh my.”

After a moment, Qin Haoran cupped his hands with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and said, “If it isn’t the feed-selling Sect Master Jun.”

He had long since learned about Jun Changxiao opening a beast feed store and had even harshly mocked it before the Alliance’s big shots.

“Selling feed?”

Someone said puzzled, “Sect Master Qin, what does this mean?”

Qin Haoran loudly explained the situation.

When everyone heard that the business the Iron Bones Clanging Sect operated was actually a beast feed store, their facial expressions immediately became wonderful.

At any rate, it was a seventh-rate sect—what business couldn’t they do? Why did they have to sell feed!

This was too embarrassing!

The higher-grade martial artists who already looked down on Jun Changxiao now wore even more contemptuous expressions, even secretly thinking, “Vulgar country bumpkin.”

“Sect Master Jun.”

Qin Haoran said with a smile, “I, Qin, have been tangled up with affairs recently and didn’t go to congratulate your esteemed sect’s feed store opening. Please forgive me.”

Jun Changxiao could hear that this guy was deliberately mocking him, so he said lightly, “It’s fine. Tomorrow this seat will send Alliance Leader Qin some feed.”

“My apologies.”

Qin Haoran said, “This seat’s sect has feed for raising livestock.”

Jun Changxiao said lightly, “The feed I’m sending is for Alliance Leader Qin to eat, not for livestock to eat.”

These words left Qin Haoran’s face immediately turning iron-blue.

“No, no.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Saying it like this, it seems Alliance Leader Qin isn’t even as good as livestock.”

“…”

Xie Guangkun’s mouth twitched slightly.

Sect Master Jun’s ability to roast people was improving along with his cultivation!

Qin Haoran was so angry that fury flashed in his eyes, but remembering this youngster’s consistently sharp tongue, he stopped speaking and proceeded directly toward the inner courtyard.

Honestly speaking.

This was asking for it.

If he hadn’t been chatty and mentioned the feed store, pretending he didn’t exist, Sect Master Jun might not have roasted him.

Some people were born deserving it. If they weren’t roasted a couple times, they felt uncomfortable all over.

Qin Haoran clearly belonged to this type of person.

Although being roasted made him very stifled, his purpose was achieved.

When the various powers learned Jun Changxiao had opened a feed store, they all cast disdainful looks without exception.

A sect with such bright prospects actually sold feed for poultry and livestock—this was too lowbrow, too lacking in self-respect.

On the Xingyun Continent, people had ranks high and low, and businesses also had ranks high and low.

The business of selling feed absolutely belonged to the lowest grade, usually only done by ordinary people.

Jun Changxiao paid no attention to the crowd and followed Elder Ma toward the inner courtyard.

……

The inner courtyard of Shangguan Manor was already decorated with lanterns and banners, festive and joyful, and there were also many eight-immortals tables arranged. Presumably the birthday banquet would be held here.

Before long.

The prominent big shots from various powers all arrived at the inner courtyard.

They gathered together, at least four to five hundred people, their exchange of words incessant.

Occasionally glancing at Jun Changxiao, they still didn’t forget to show contempt with their eyes.

Even martial artists from higher-grade commanderies deliberately avoided him because they disliked that he ran a feed store.

As a result, standing beside him were only Ma Yunteng and Xie Guangkun, along with the city lords from Qingyang Commandery’s other cities.

“Sigh.”

Jun Changxiao shook his head and said, “I opened a beast feed store—is it really that embarrassing?”

Ma Yunteng said, “In their eyes, selling feed is a lowbrow business.”

Jun Changxiao rubbed his nose and said, “As long as it’s a business that makes money, how can you distinguish between highbrow and lowbrow?”

“Correct.”

Ma Yunteng said, “As long as there’s money to be made, even selling pickled vegetables is fine.”

“But…”

He paused and said in a low voice, “Does the beast feed store Sect Master Jun opened have profit potential?”

“Not bad.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Yesterday I sold two million five hundred thousand taels.”

“That much?”

Ma Yunteng’s expression froze as he said, “Sect Master Jun, does the profit margin reach twenty percent?”

In his view, selling something like feed required thin profits and high volume—having a twenty percent profit margin would already be quite good.

“Uh.”

Jun Changxiao hesitated slightly and said, “Should be about that.”

He didn’t tell Ma Yunteng that the feed pills cost twenty taels and he was selling them for five hundred taels, because the other person definitely wouldn’t believe it.

“Ha ha ha!”

Just then, a white-haired old man wearing red birthday robes walked over with vigorous strides.

This person was mentally robust, his entire body emanating a thick imposing aura, completely not looking like a declining old man approaching three hundred years of age.

Shangguan Hong.

Current head of the Shangguan Family, former instructor at Heavenly Edict Academy.

A martial artist from a major power cupped his hands and said with a smile, “Family Head Shangguan truly grows younger the longer he lives!”

“Ha ha ha!”

Shangguan Hong stood before the birthday banquet and cupped his hands, saying, “Many thanks to all of you for traveling thousands of miles to celebrate the birthday of this old fellow who’s already halfway into the grave.”

With that, he waved his hand and said, “Please be seated.”

Ma Yunteng and Xie Guangkun, who had experience with birthday celebrations, led Jun Changxiao to sit at a rather inconspicuous eight-immortals table.

The several city lords from Qingyang Commandery also followed and sat down.

Then, there was no one else.

Many higher-grade commandery martial artists absolutely wouldn’t sit together with someone who sold feed, because it was too beneath their status.

After everyone sat down, they began actively offering congratulatory words, with Shangguan Hong beaming throughout.

After a round of conversation, he said loudly, “This old man heard that the Sect Master of the Iron Bones Clanging Sect also came to celebrate my birthday. I wonder if Elder Ma could help with introductions?”

“Eh?”

Ma Yunteng was immediately somewhat dumbfounded.