Celestial Master： I Have an Otherworld-Chapter 57 - 13: The Gathering

The bath barrel that could hold three people and weighed several hundred pounds was lifted by the petite Du Qiaoyun with both hands and steadily placed on the fire bed.

This kind of strength left Fang Zheng in awe.

Women are born weak and have a clear disadvantage compared to men in terms of strength, but this certainly doesn’t include martial artists who have cultivated the transformation of Qi and blood.

Of course.

At the same level, women are still not as strong as men.

Water was placed in the barrel, wood was burned underneath, and Du Qiaoyun added certain herbs in a specific order. After finishing everything, she lightly clapped her hands:

"Young Master Fang, you can undress and go in."

"Uh..." Fang Zheng’s expression turned peculiar:

"Isn’t this somewhat inconvenient?"

"Jianghu folks don’t fuss about minor details." Du Qiaoyun’s face flushed, forced herself to remain calm, and said:

"I’ll turn my back, but during the medicine bath, I need to watch the heat closely and add herbs on schedule. I can’t leave, or else it’ll be all for nothing."

"Before, it was always done by my senior apprentice brothers."

Upon saying this, her eyes became slightly sour, and she hurriedly turned her back to prevent her tears from being seen.

"Okay!"

The woman didn’t mind, so naturally, as a man, he couldn’t shy away. He nodded and began undressing.

Once he entered the barrel, the warm flow of water submerged his body, with a numb tingling sensation surfacing.

"Hmm!"

"It may feel a bit uncomfortable."

Du Qiaoyun turned around and explained:

"For the opening of the bone marrow, the medicine’s potency must penetrate inside, which inevitably brings some pain. Young Master Fang, endure it for a while until your body adapts."

"Understood." Fang Zheng’s facial muscles twisted:

"Miss Du, this medicine bath shouldn’t be used frequently, right?"

"Yes."

Du Qiaoyun nodded, adding more firewood as she spoke:

"Medicine is three parts poison; moreover, opening the bone marrow requires at least seven days before starting a second round. Otherwise, it might harm the body."

"Medicine can ultimately only serve as a supplement. If you want the power to reach the marrow, it still depends on oneself. Young Master Fang, why not try manipulating the force?"

Fang Zheng understood and assumed the Three-Body Form inside the bath barrel, channeling his Qi and blood.

Indeed.

Stimulated by the Great Medicine, the circulation of Qi and blood noticeably accelerated, and the power became clearer, even vaguely perceiving the ’bone force.’

However...

As the medicine’s potency intensified, the numb tingling sensation faded, replaced by a feeling akin to needle pricks.

Countless fine needles pierced the flesh and headed straight for the depths of the bones.

"Hmm!"

Though Fang Zheng had endured much hardship, this moment was somewhat unbearable, causing him to let out a dull groan while continuously circulating his power to try distracting himself.

Time slowly passed.

Du Qiaoyun occasionally added herbs to the bath barrel, and the room’s temperature steadily rose, eventually soaking through her clothing.

Wearing little to begin with for boiling water, the clothes clung to her body, almost revealing her slender figure, creating a misty beauty.

Fang Zheng’s gaze inadvertently swept past, a heat rising in his heart, prompting him to steady his spirit to avoid showing any strange expressions.

"Young Master Fang."

Du Qiaoyun also realized her current state was somewhat unseemly, so she changed the subject:

"When do you plan to come for the medicine bath next?"

"Hmm..." Fang Zheng’s face showed contemplation:

"How about a week later? But I might be going away soon, probably won’t return to Gu’an County until about a month later."

The modern world is his life’s focus, and with New Year’s approaching, there’s much to handle even without his uncle around.

He’s unlikely to return to the Otherworld in the short term.

"Ah!"

Du Qiaoyun’s expression changed, having hoped to continue extracting money from Fang Zheng, especially as she urgently needed money now.

"Fang... Young Master Fang."

Tightly pressing her lips, she softly asked:

"Could I borrow some money from you?"

"Rest assured, I’ll definitely pay it back later, or we could consider it an advance payment for future medicine baths and training sessions. What do you think?"

"Hmm..." Fang Zheng’s face showed contemplation:

"How much?"

"Uh..." Du Qiaoyun clutched her clothing’s hem and softly spoke:

"Three hundred taels."

*

*

*

Square Porcelain.

Wan Dandan took out a small notebook and said:

"Boss, during your absence, there were thirteen phone calls, from Elder Lu, Wen Lei, Boss Chen..."

"Elder Lu mentioned that a jade merchant would visit the day after tomorrow and would like to see your jade."

"Wen Lei didn’t mention much, only said to call her back when you have time. She also joked about your company being small but having a dedicated secretary."

Here, her voice paused briefly.

The work she’s doing now indeed resembles that of a secretary, answering calls, registering, reporting, but her actual sales performance has made no progress.

"Hmm."

While rotating his body in front of the dressing mirror, Fang Zheng casually asked:

"How do you find this outfit of mine?"

"Very nice." Wan Dandan’s tone carried admiration:

"It’s like ancient clothing but somewhat different, combining the advantages of fashion and retro style. Boss, where did you get it from?"

It was a purple long robe featuring wide sleeves, right lapel, and a fitted waist, with both an antique and elegant feel, yet fitting and not cumbersome.

The embroidery was simple, elegant, and exuded noble charm.

"Custom-made at Sun’s Cloth Shop." Fang Zheng raised his head, seeing Wan Dandan’s eager face, he said:

"It’s not available for purchase."

"I figured." Wan Dandan pouted:

"Even if it’s available, I doubt I’d be able to afford it."

Fang Zheng chuckled lightly.

This garment was crafted by top artisans of the Sun Family, entirely handmade, with materials specially processed, indeed extraordinary.

The key is...

It can be used in both worlds without needing to change into ancient attire for the Otherworld.

"Someone named Xing Guantao called, inviting the boss to attend the latest ceramics exhibition in Qu City."

Wan Dandan continued:

"It’s today; are you going?"

"Yes!"

Fang Zheng halted his movements:

"Can you drive?"

"Yes."

"Then be my driver for a while."

"Ah?"

......

"Vroom..."

The mountain-branded pickup truck sped along the road, with Wan Dandan struggling a bit with shifting gears and accelerating, causing the speed to jitter and making her unable to resist complaining:

"Boss, why are you still driving this kind of vehicle?"

Pickup!

Manual transmission?

Such outdated stuff!

"Uh..." Fang Zheng laughed awkwardly:

"I’ll change it soon."

Changing the vehicle was something he’s mentioned several times, but each time it ended in nothing, especially after experiencing relationship failures, he lost interest.

"Alright!"

Wan Dandan sighed in resignation and asked:

"What’s the point of this ceramics exhibition?"

"Showcasing the latest ceramic technology, promoting Qu City’s porcelain culture, but it’s held on a small scale, thus not well-known." Fang Zheng replied:

"The attendees are all experts in the ceramics industry. In this business, meeting friends or establishing business contacts is a must."

"It’s like a ceramics merchants’ gathering."

The formal porcelain exhibition happens annually at the start of the year. This smaller event serves as a preview, primarily for maintaining relationships.

Qu City has been famous for porcelain since ancient times.

Ceramics merchants may not make much money, but their presence touches upon all aspects of Qu City life. Having good relations with them offers many conveniences.

If ill,

You could be referred to the best medical services.

For children’s schooling,

You could have pathways into the city’s top schools.

Such and such...

This network of interwoven relationships, an interest community, turns into common parlance for powerbrokers, elite figures, or even leaders.

The benefits of joining this group aren’t immediately useful for Fang Zheng, but he aims to be a great businessman and tycoon, so attending similar gatherings will definitely become routine.

"Oh!"

Wan Dandan seemed half understanding:

"Does it mean there are many beautiful ceramics there? Can pictures be taken?"

"Yes." Fang Zheng nodded:

"Just don’t touch things randomly."

By the time they arrived, the event had already started, but the renowned Xing Guantao personally came to greet them.

"Boss Fang, I thought you wouldn’t make it."

"How could I not?"

Fang Zheng smiled and said:

"I just haven’t been in Qu City recently and heard the news somewhat late. Hopefully, the other bosses haven’t left yet."

"They haven’t!" Xing Guantao shook his head:

"Hearing that Boss Fang would come, who else would dare leave?"

"Come!"

"Let’s head upstairs to talk. This ’Thunder Walking Red Porcelain’ that Boss Fang brought is outstanding, especially its glaze."