From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

Dai Yu invited Fang Qing to attend the afternoon gathering of managers from various salt fields.

Fang Qing also thought Dai Yu's words made sense, especially since Dai Yu was also a saltworker in the salt field under the command of the Second Miss Fang Lingsu.

The two of them should get closer and work together.

Fang Qing immediately agreed.

I had a simple lunch at Fang Qing's place.

In the afternoon, Fang Qing rode in Dai Yu's carriage and headed back into the city.

About half an hour later, the two arrived at the foot of a building with a sign that read "Shi Zhen Lou".

Dai Yu didn't take Fang Qing inside immediately, but instead pointed half-jokingly at the signboard of Shizhenlou and said:

"Brother Fang, do you know that Shizhenlou is very famous in Yancheng?"

Privately, people call it by another name: "The Building Where Relationships Break Down."

Fang Qing was taken aback upon hearing this, and then chuckled somewhat:

"I think those who can enter this Shizhenlou restaurant must be either rich or noble."

Most of them went in together in groups of three or five, so how can it be called a "broken relationship" building?

Fang Qing pointed to the side, where diners had gone in twos and threes before them.

Most of the people were clearly relatives and friends, and their relationships with each other were quite harmonious.

Fang Qing couldn't see that this breakdown in their relationship was connected to such a place.

Upon hearing this, Dai Yu sighed.

"The blame lies with Shizhenlou for producing a particularly delicious wine."

The first sip of fine wine may not seem like much, but after a few drinks, the effects gradually build up.

"Brother Fang also knows that people tend to become arrogant when they are drunk."

Even with close friends and family around, arguments can easily arise over trivial matters.

"In addition, those who can enter this Food Treasures Pavilion are either rich or noble, and most of them are martial arts masters in the Body Tempering Realm."

"When these people get drunk, they don't engage in verbal battles like literary figures; they actually resort to violence."

As he spoke, Dai Yu pointed to the balconies of several private rooms on the second floor.

"Look, those wooden balconies, the paint is all fresh."

"I heard that just a few days ago, some friends at the fifth level of Body Tempering were drinking here. After they got drunk, they started fighting each other."

They completely smashed up the balcony of the private room on the second floor.

Fang Qing looked up and gazed at the second floor.

The entire Shizhenlou restaurant was constructed of wood, and sure enough, he noticed signs of repair in one of the rooms on the second floor.

The surface paint is clearly freshly applied, much brighter than the paint on the sides.

Every year, several fights break out between friends at Shizhenlou because of its fine wines.

Over time, people started calling this restaurant, Shizhenlou, the "Relationship Broken Building."

"Of course, Brother Fang doesn't need to worry today."

"When the managers of several salt fields get together, they usually only sip the wine and don't drink too much, so there is no risk of their relationships breaking down."

"And most importantly..."

At this point, Dai Yu lowered his voice:

"The person in charge of the restaurant is a master at the seventh level of Body Tempering, just half a step away from reaching the True Essence Realm."

"With someone like that in charge, even if a martial artist at the fifth level of Body Tempering were to fight, he could be easily suppressed."

"This is also why Shizhenlou has stood the test of time for so many years."

Upon hearing this, Fang Qing immediately showed a look of sudden realization.

"It seems that Shizhenlou is able to afford to hire a half-step True Yuan Realm expert to oversee the business, so the person running the restaurant behind it must be quite extraordinary."

As they talked, the two followed the small groups of people into Shizhenlou.

Led by his attendant, Dai Yu quickly entered a private room on the second floor.

In the private room, a table was set up with two rows of seats.

The row on the right consists of three men wearing armbands from the Jinsha Saltworks.

Fang Qing guessed that it must be the person in charge of the three salt fields under Fang Jingyuan's eldest son.

The clothes worn by the three people on the left are unfamiliar.

Two men and a woman were sitting on one side of the table, drinking tea and chatting idly with the three saltworks workers across the main house.

When Fang Qing entered the private room, the three people who were chatting simultaneously put down their teacups and turned to look in Fang Qing's direction.

Upon entering the private room, Fang Qing frowned.

Fang Qing keenly sensed that the woman sitting in the middle of the table to his left was looking at him with a hint of hatred in her eyes.

Fang Qing's Undying Golden Body Refining Technique also made his senses extremely sharp.

He believed he couldn't be mistaken.

In particular, a skilled fighter who was originally sitting next to the woman stood up immediately after Fang Qing entered and stood guard behind the door behind Fang Qing.

Apart from the door behind him, the only other exit from the private room was the balcony window behind the woman who was sitting.

It was clear that the two had been prepared.

When Dai Yu brought Fang Qing to this private room, the enthusiasm on his face quickly disappeared.

He then didn't bother to greet Fang Qing further, and simply said lazily:

"I have brought the person."

"What you do with it is up to you..."

After speaking, Dai Yu took the lead and sat down in a seat next to the three saltworks stoves on the main house side.

Fang Qing did not act immediately, but quickly assessed the current situation.

He quickly used his senses to observe the energy within each person in the private room.

Dai Yu and the three cooks beside him were probably at the fourth level of Body Tempering.

The man and woman on the left were slightly more powerful than Dai Yu and the others, probably at the fifth level of Body Tempering.

The person guarding the door to the private room behind Fang Qing was probably at the fourth level of Body Tempering.

Based on the energy Fang Qing sensed from their bodies, he believed he could instantly eliminate two of them.

If the remaining few fight desperately, it will be a bloody battle, and Fang Qing cannot guarantee that he will not be injured.

After making a simple assessment, Fang Qing went directly to the table, pulled out the nearest chair, and sat down.

Fang Qing also wanted to know what Dai Yu's intentions were in luring her here.

When Fang Qing sat down, the stoves at the other three salt fields of the Fang family...

He kept his head down and continued drinking his tea, not glancing at Fang Qing again.

It was as if they had already regarded Fang Qing as an inanimate object.

The woman to Fang Qing's left kept her eyes fixed on Fang Qing's direction.

Although I don't know why this woman hates me so much.

Fang Qing turned her head and looked at Dai Yu, who was sitting to her right.

"I wonder what Dai Zaotou's intentions are in luring me here?"

After taking a sip of tea, Dai Yu glanced at Fang Qing.

Then, with his eyelids drooping, he gestured with his lips towards the woman from the Liu family saltworks sitting opposite him.

"It's not that we're going to do anything to you."

It was Li Zao Tou's niece who organized this event; we were just helping out.

At this point, Dai Yu finished his tea in one gulp.

He then raised his eyelids and glanced at Fang Qing.

"Li Zaotou devoted himself to raising his niece from a young age, and later personally helped his niece to become a cook in the Liu family."

Now that you've killed her uncle, she's naturally coming to seek revenge.

"You need to give them an explanation for this!"

One of the three saltworkers from other salt fields of the Fang family, who had been sitting next to Dai Yu, also spoke up:

"Fang Zaotou, I advise you to obediently apologize and not damage the relationship between the Liu family and the Fang family, the two salt merchants."

……