Chương 285: Grand Opening

South of Qinghe City, Silver Wave Lake. As noon approached, quite a few guests had already appeared at 'Heaven on Earth.' With the invitation from Master Song and the Moon-Lacking Pavilion, the local overlord, a group of wealthy and powerful figures from Qinghe City gladly gave him face, coming together to support him and liven up the atmosphere. In addition, there were quite a few foreign martial artists.

Hearing the massive promotional campaign boasting an endless supply of Blazing Fire Liquor, the unique beauties from the surrounding minority tribes, and even gifts for visiting, they had long been excited to flock here and see what it was all about. Therefore, even before the doors opened, a dense crowd had gathered outside the welcome gate of Heaven on Earth, buzzing with lively chatter.

"Virtuous Nephew Song! Congratulations on your grand opening! May your business prosper!" Leading a group of officials, Xu Qing arrived leisurely just in time for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Haha, Uncle Xu, Uncle Wu, Lord Shi, and Milords! Thank you all for coming today to support me!" Seeing Xu Qing, Wu Tian, and the others, Song Que excused himself from the other guests and happily went forward to greet them. Looking at the beautiful scenery, the neat and orderly layout, and the imposing storefronts, Xu Qing couldn't help but exclaim:"Virtuous Nephew, your Moon-Lacking Pavilion truly has deep pockets! You must have poured quite a bit of silver into this, right?"

"Haha, not much. All in all, it was only about a million taels." Master Song shamelessly rounded up the figure. As expected, hearing this number, not only Xu Qing but even the surrounding guests were shocked, their admiration for the Moon-Lacking Pavilion's profound foundation growing a notch deeper.

"Song Que, by moving all the entertainment venues outside the city like this, you've also done me a huge favor! Maintaining public order inside the city will likely be much easier from now on," Wu Tian added with a smile.

"Haha, Uncle Wu praises me too much! Contributing to the public order of Qinghe City is also our duty!" Everyone loved hearing pleasant words. After a round of polite pleasantries, everyone burst into joyful laughter. Inwardly, Wu Tian was also extremely delighted for the future of Song Que and the Wu family. After chatting with the group for a bit, Song Que invited the three 'parent officials' of Qinghe onto a high stage. Following some quick instructions, the ribbon-cutting ceremony began.

This novel format, brought over from the distinct culture of another world, left everyone highly intrigued. …….

"Everyone, I would like to sincerely thank you all for gracing us with your presence to support the grand opening of Heaven on Earth today!"

"Shortly, brothers from the Moon-Lacking Pavilion will hand out vouchers. With these vouchers, you can go to the casinos, restaurants, or inns and redeem services equivalent to one tael of silver!"

"Though the amount is small, it represents my heartfelt gratitude to everyone. I hope you will not disdain it!"

"Long live Young Master Song!"...

"Long live Master Song!" Many had rushed here specifically after hearing this news. Now that Song Que had officially confirmed it, the crowd collectively erupted, chanting 'Long live!' in unison. The momentum was incredibly spectacular. Smiling, he raised his hands to press down the bustling atmosphere. Only then did he invite the three officials—Xu, Wu, and Shi—to step forward with him. Each took a pair of golden scissors and snipped a red silk ribbon, completing the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Bang! Clang clang...

clang... clang... The moment the red silk fell, the band immediately struck up the gongs and drums. A lion and dragon dance troupe leaped out enthusiastically from behind the scenes, accompanied by the thunderous cheers and applause of the crowd below, officially pushing the atmosphere to its climax!

"Uncles, Milords, thank you all for your support today. Please allow this youngster to act as your guide and give you a tour inside!"

"Alright! I can't wait to see if this Heaven on Earth, which you spent a million taels to build, lives up to its name!" Xu Qing laughed heartily, accepting on behalf of the group.

"It definitely won't disappoint you!" Grandee Song smiled and led the way. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Everyone, ahead is the casino!" The first location everyone visited was the casino, which was also the main business of this entire area. The moment they stepped inside, whether they frequented gambling dens or not, everyone immediately noticed the difference. It was incredibly high-end and grand, countless times more luxurious than ordinary casinos elsewhere! The space was wide and airy, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.

The building was divided into two floors: the main hall on the first floor, and several VIP rooms on the second. Even in the most ordinary section of the main hall, there was no chaotic shoving or dozens of people squeezing around a single table. Instead, numerous small gambling tables were neatly arranged in all corners. The dealers wore a unified black, fitted uniform with proper name tags, giving off an extremely professional vibe at first glance. The staff were friendly and cheerful.

Occasionally, several talented, gracefully dressed young women fluttered around like butterflies, making it a feast for the eyes. These girls were all from the two adjacent brothels. Following Song Que's instructions, their business wasn't limited to the night. During the day, they would frequently stroll through here. If they saw someone in need, they would accompany the 'Master,' cheering and encouraging him.

Sometimes, when a winning guest happily tipped them, they would earn even more than the hard-earned money from the flesh trade! It could only be described as a win-win cooperation where both sides got what they needed. The casino was the soul of the entertainment district. Therefore, finding ways to retain customers was the top priority. Here, while gambling, if you got hungry or thirsty, you could have the staff order food from the restaurant and eat while playing.

If you got too tired, the inn was right out back, and you could even call a girl over for a heart-to-heart chat to relieve stress. In short, whatever you needed, they had it! As long as you had money, you could live a carefree, blissful life without stepping foot outside this place all day!

"Virtuous Nephew, you truly know how to do business!" Observing all this, given the intellect of Xu Qing and the others, they naturally understood the intricacies involved. Full of admiration, they turned to give Master Song a thumbs-up.

"Uncle Xu praises me too much. It's mostly the people below doing the work; I didn't actually do much." Song Que remained very modest, shaking his head and attributing the credit to his subordinates. After guiding the group around for a bit, Song Que waved his hand. The manager of this place, who had been waiting on the side, immediately stepped forward and bowed:"Greetings, Pavilion Master! This commoner pays respects to the Milords!" This person happened to be Fan Yiwang's younger brother, Fan Yiwu.

"Mhm, no need for formalities. Old Fan, go fetch some gambling chips and hand them to the Milords." Saying this, he turned to Xu, Wu, and the others with a smile:"Uncles, please play a few rounds and give me your feedback so I can correct any shortcomings. Consider it helping me inspect the quality of service here." This had been carefully prepared in advance. Fan Yiwu immediately took a stack of chips from a servant and began distributing two hundred taels' worth to each person.

This could be considered blatantly offering bribes in broad daylight. Aside from Old Wu and Shi Shouheng, Old Xu had brought over a dozen major and minor officials today. Not all of them held high positions with ample 'tea money' like they did; two hundred taels was an incredibly handsome sum of extra income for them. Not wanting to put everyone in a difficult spot, Xu Qing laughed heartily and openly took his share of the chips.

"Haha, alright! It's been a long time since I've played this. I'll happily place a few bets today!" With the big boss taking the lead, the people behind him relaxed and eagerly accepted the gifts. The three old men—Xu, Wu, and Shi—wouldn't take this bit of loose silver seriously. They just happily and casually placed random bets at a few tables. Only after losing everything did they smile with satisfaction.

Paying no mind to whether their subordinates were playing or exchanging the chips for money, the three old men left them behind and continued to follow Song Que on a tour around the area. By noon, the four of them, along with Tie Feilong, Shen Ziming, Zhong Hong, Fan Yiwang, Xiong Ba, and the others, sat down in a lakeside restaurant. The one to welcome them was none other than the chubby Boss Xu of the Welcoming Wind Pavilion.

Relying on his connections with Xu Qing, this guy had secured a spot for a restaurant here early on. Now, he treated this place as his main branch to push his business. Since they were acquaintances, the Moon-Lacking Pavilion had given him an extremely favorable rental price. Familiar recipe, familiar faces. The group quickly opened a dozen jugs of Blazing Fire Liquor, pouring it for each other and drinking joyously.

"Come, here's wishing you, Song Que, a prosperous business and booming trade!" Since there were no strangers present, Old Xu didn't need to put on airs, shouting loudly.

"Haha, many thanks, Uncle! Cheers!" To be completely honest, the massive amount of capital Master Song invested to open Heaven on Earth here didn't show a significantly higher return compared to his older properties in the city. After all, the local spending power was only so much. However, he was looking toward the future! As the fame of the Blazing Fire Liquor rose, the number of people rushing to Qinghe grew day by day.

Groups of drunkards flocking here like pilgrims visiting their ancestral land brought endless business opportunities. Furthermore, he had his sights set on the massive market of trading with the Hundred Tribes! When that time came, Qinghe's strategic location would ensure a never-ending stream of people, and the business could explode exponentially! Unfortunately, that bastard Du Ruhui had beaten him to the punch, so he could only slowly follow behind and scavenge for a sip of soup.

It was quite depressing to talk about. Once they had eaten their fill and seen off the parent officials, Master Song kept his promise and let that swindler Zuo Mu stay here to party and run wild for a few days. Seeing the operations running extremely smoothly, he felt completely at ease and led his people back to Plum Manor. Of course, to prevent that divine swindler from playing tricks and running away, a few defensive measures were absolutely essential!

Author's Note: Fellow Daoists, Just wanted to do a little harmless boasting today! Over in our Inner Sect (Patreon), we have officially broken past Chapter 410! Song Que has completely taken care of that old thief Blood-robed and decisively crushed Du Ruhui. The broader world-building is now firmly in place, and we are finally stepping into the grand main storyline. Song Que is truly setting off to explore the vast world, making his name rumble across the rivers and lakes!

If you can't wait to see how it unfolds, the secret library is wide open for you! Also, a quick reminder: there are still 6 Inner Sect Induction Tokens (1-Month Free Passes) remaining in the sect treasury. If anyone wants to step into the inner grounds and cultivate ahead for a month completely free, simply drop a comment below or send me a shout. The Sect Master will deliver your token straight to your inbox! Enjoy the chapter, and see you all in the next realm! 🍻⚔️🔥