By morning, the valley was chaos.
Not the dangerous kind.
The marketing kind.
Dozens of disciples from both sides had set up makeshift stalls, shouting:
"Elder Li Ming Enlightenment Broth! One bowl per person—no enlightenment refunds!"
"Try our limited edition Nascent Noodles! Guaranteed to unlock your potential or your stomach!"
Li Ming woke up to the smell of profiteering.
He blinked, rubbed his temples, and muttered, "I leave you people alone for one night…"
Bai Guo fluttered onto his shoulder. "Descendant, congratulations. You've achieved the most feared realm of all."
Li Ming frowned. "Which realm?"
"The Commercial Path."
---
Yin Qing appeared carrying a stack of papers. "You're trending."
He raised an eyebrow. "On what?"
"The Sect Information Scroll Network. Someone illustrated you sitting cross-legged, ladling soup into the mouths of weeping cultivators."
"Artistic liberty?"
"They titled it 'The Benevolent Soup Saint of Azure Evil.'"
