It was an utter disaster.

Sage had greased some palms earlier and got the word out about his business to the upper class in the Servant District. He threw a big grand opening party just like he figured he was supposed to. It was only after the fact that he learned he should have done more research. He was doing everything that he thought was supposed to go into a grand opening from his perspective back on earth in the western world. This world was of course an ancient eastern culture, which was entirely different. Many of his choices were even negative in the eyes of many who attended.

Sage realized his folly only when it was too late, many of the people who had arrived left before they even stepped into the lobby. At first it seemed promising as the ribbon cutting ceremony drew strange looks before he noticed some enjoying the process. The huge red ribbon being cut with golden scissors was something he was sure others would like to replicate. It’s only too bad that the next few things blew it. Afterwards, Sage realized that sticking to the black slacks and white buttoned shirts had been a huge mistake. White clothing was traditionally associated with death and mourning at funerals. His whole staff of attendants appeared like funerary workers to the attending nobles. To make things worse he didn’t follow the usual traditions in the area he had no idea. Certain foods had to be carved up or placed as ceremonial offerings in a specific manner. Thankfully, this was Holy Flame City and not a normal small town or his neglecting to make offerings to local gods and spirits could even have led to violence.

After losing some of the guests in the opening ceremonies, it got even worse. The different areas of the business were so drastically different from each other that it confused people. In hindsight, Sage realized that if any of the individual portions had been opening on its own it might have gone over well as a unique place. With the combination of so many new things under one roof it was just too strange. It was no wonder that after the first month of business, ‘Future Horizons’, was leaking money.

Sage sat around a table with his three good friends, commiserating over a bottle of Delicious Dream wine. Each of them talking of the problems in their life and doing a good job to wallow in sadness and drink away their troubles. As they drank themselves into a stupor they caught the attention of someone coming up the stairs. Said someone broke into a loud and almost violent sounding laughter as he walked up to their table and invited himself. Pulling up a chair and smashing a hand against the table, “Ho! Why didn’t anyone tell me such a grand drinking party was going on!? I, Wan Yuhan, never miss a good drinking party! Who dares to drown their sorrows without me!?”

The loud person was in fact, Elder Wan Yuhan, the Beast Tamer that first introduced Sage many years ago and had helped him many times in learning how to tame Beasts. Sage was currently a 3 star Tamer, but that only pertained to Insects. There was many areas of taming, but the star ranking and badges would only correspond to the highest attainment they were able to achieve not their lowest. It was already hard enough to become a Tamer with one specialty let alone knowing how to tame everything. Most tamers were actually only specialists in a few species and their rank was based on the most powerful beast they had ever bred and trained.

At this point another voiced called out, one much softer and feminine, yet containing the same domineering and forceful nature as the first.

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“Uncle! Stop inviting yourself to other people’s tables!”

A slim woman had been standing behind Wan Yuhan. His large bulk acting like a wall and perfectly hiding the girl from sight before. Elder Wan was as big as a refrigerator, tall and thick with massive arms and legs as well as the ‘waist of a bear’(as was said around here). Sage had never met the woman behind him before, but he suddenly thought of a possible person.

“Aiii. Why must you be so forceful, Little Ling. Doesn’t your name mean ‘compassion and understanding’, why do you have to act the opposite of it?”

The big man seemed to suddenly change his tune from loud and overbearing to meek and placating.

“Hah! Nice try, Uncle! Compliment me all you like, but I will still keep a big oaf like you in line! Now stand up and apologize for your rude interruption!”

Sage couldn’t help himself and burst into laughter at the sight of such a huge and overbearing man getting treated like a child by a girl that looked like she was barely twenty years old and looked like she was the same size as one of the giant man’s thighs. Sage eventually controlled his laughter and spoke, “Hahaha, it’s alright, Miss. I know this giant idiot and he’s welcome to join our drinking anytime he likes!”

Wan Yuhan finally looked at who it was sitting at the table and after staring at Sage’s face he felt him very familiar. It was only after Sage spoke his name that the big man finally remembered the connection and he laughed and lifted one of the wine jugs. Holding the pitcher sized jar like a normal person would hold a tea cup and downing half of it in a single swig. The woman glared at him for a bit before finally crossing her arms across her chest. The motion highlighted her ample assets, but it was completely ruined by the furious look in her eyes. Her face seemed calm and placid, but one look in her eyes showed a calculating fury.

Looks like Elder Wan is going to pay for this all later…

Eventually, Wan Yuhan remembered his manners and introduced his niece Wan Ling. Qiu Hou, like the monkey he was named after, shot to his feet and danced around to bring her a seat and make all the introductions around the table.

“Oh ho! Who would have thought that I would get to meet such a rising star like little Wan Ling today! It’s just too bad she can’t compare at all to my little Qianshan.”

Yuan Hu couldn’t help himself after making a greeting to immediately bring up his ex-lover. They had just been talking about their troubles after all, so seeing Wan Ling brought him back to his pain. At the mention of Qianshan, Sage was again reminded of how strange his friend’s choice of lover was. Her name meant ‘Money Mountain’ and it seemed very fitting in Sage’s view. She was almost impossibly rich like she owned a mountain of money, while at the same time she was the size of a mountain compared to other girls. The woman was stood a head taller than most men, Yuan Hu included, and she was easily double his weight at least. Crazier still was that she was immensely strong of body, truly living up to her mountain name, not just flabby, but a lady that practiced body strengthening. Sage surmised that Yuan Hu liked her because of how fierce she was, an Inner Sect Disciple that was in the top ranking charts for the last few years. The real issue was that Yuan Hu always called her ‘little’ and spoke of her like she was a small and delicate maiden rather than the massive and fierce warrior she appeared to be.

I guess maybe she’s delicate and frail on the inside?

Sage was actually surprised by what his other friend, Geng He, said next.

“It is refreshing to see that the rising star Wu Ling is actually so sweet and demure in person. The stories make you out to be such a stingy dragon. The Meng Li Company is said to have been resurrected overnight by you.”

Geng He was always a very graceful and scholarly gentleman, so even while he was quite drunk he kept a measure of decorum. He complimented her despite the furious look in her eyes and the scolding she had done earlier.

Hmm… a business woman. I wonder if I can get her help?