To go or not to go—That was a decision not easily made.
However, Shen Wansan was still Shen Wansan. After a moment's thought, he stowed away the Treasure Basin, opened the door, and walked out. Regardless of the situation, it was necessary to meet them. Only through meeting could he understand what was truly happening. If he didn't go, it would only leave lingering doubts in his heart.
Guided by the attendant, he was led to a private booth.
Inside sat none other than Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan.
When they decided to meet Shen Wansan, they had already asked the attendant to switch their seating for a private booth. The booth was enclosed with glass—glass that was quite extraordinary. It was Seven-Spirit Glass, a product developed by Tiangong Pavilion. From the outside, one couldn't see in, but from inside, one could see everything outside clearly.
Once this glass was developed and circulated among the people, it quickly became a popular commodity—especially for places like restaurants. It was the ideal material for private rooms.
After all, within the Great Yi Dynasty, a large number of modern humans had merged into the local population. These people brought modern thinking—flexible, innovative, and technologically ahead of ancient times.
Upon entering the restaurant, Yi Tianxing had already guessed that this Crescent Moon Restaurant likely had something to do with a transmigrated modern person. Not only did they adapt quickly to the current world, but they were also thriving, living comfortably. Many ideas common in the modern world had stunning results here. Crescent-shaped buildings like this restaurant were likely born from such creativity.
The moment Seven-Spirit Glass debuted, it was rapidly used in all sorts of settings.
"Sir, the guest you requested has arrived," the attendant said respectfully from outside.
"Let him in."
As the door opened, Shen Wansan stepped in naturally.
When he saw Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan, he immediately sensed their extraordinary aura. Though both had concealed their appearances, the air they carried gave away their status—they were not ordinary people.
"You two are the ones who wished to see me?" Shen Wansan asked calmly after scanning the room.
"Sit," Yi Tianxing said with a smile, gesturing to the seat across from him.
Shen Wansan didn't hesitate. Since he was already here, he might as well sit.
"Treasure Basin, Money Tree... Shen Wansan, your little scheme of 'something for nothing' is quite impressive," Yi Tianxing remarked with a smile.
"I'm not sure what you mean by Treasure Basin or Money Tree," Shen Wansan replied, but his heart skipped a beat. It felt as if all his secrets had been laid bare, leaving him no privacy at all.
"Heh. Let's take a look, shall we?" Yi Tianxing smiled. With a wave of his hand, the Spiritual Mirror of Revelation appeared. Instantly, it projected a recording of Shen Wansan's earlier actions in his room—every movement, every word, crystal-clear.
Seeing the lifelike images, Shen Wansan couldn't help but feel a surge of terror. He had never imagined that even his most discreet actions could be observed in such detail. In front of this magical mirror, there was no privacy.
"Brother Shen, is there any need to deny it now? My wife and I saw your use of the Treasure Basin in the marketplace with our own eyes," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
"No, that wasn't fraud. I didn't pocket a single herb or treasure. I merely extracted a bit of treasure essence. It didn't harm them in the slightest," Shen Wansan replied, shaking his head.
"What about the duplication? One becomes two, two becomes four. What about those?" Cai Yan asked with a light smile.
"That part is fake—unless you inject treasure essence into it. If you do, then the duplication becomes real, though the cost in essence is quite high," Shen Wansan admitted. "Those duplicated treasures only last for one hour. If untouched, they're indistinguishable from real ones. After an hour, they vanish. Of course, the original items remain intact. So it's not exactly fraud—at most, it brings temporary joy. That's not deception, right?"
He spoke with a clear conscience.
At least, he hadn't stolen from anyone directly.
"But you did extract treasure essence from their items," Yi Tianxing said with a half-smile.
"Extracting essence doesn't harm the item. I think of it as a fee for my services," Shen Wansan replied calmly.
"That's not unreasonable. You played tricks, yes, but you didn't steal or defraud. Technically, you haven't violated Great Yi's laws," Yi Tianxing nodded approvingly. "More importantly, you showed discipline. With a treasure like the Treasure Basin, you could've amassed enormous wealth, yet you held your ground. That's admirable."
A treasure like the Treasure Basin could easily make someone unimaginably wealthy. Yet Shen Wansan had refrained from greed. That alone was rare and commendable.
"Show me a few of the Eternal Coins you produced from treasure essence," Yi Tianxing requested.
"Of course."
Without hesitation, Shen Wansan retrieved several coins—gleaming gold—and laid them on the table.
Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan each took one and examined it.
The coin was identical to a real Eternal Coin. It even bore the same enchantments and contained genuine Heaven and Earth Essence. What's more, once the essence was consumed, the coin would return to the Money Tree and begin recharging. Eventually, it could be used again.
Flawless. No detectable flaw.
"Incredible. The Treasure Basin truly is something else. It can produce Eternal Coins indistinguishable from the real thing. Even other factions can't replicate Eternal Coins—but you did. That's impressive," Yi Tianxing said with a smile, returning the coin.
"You're not going to report me, are you?" Shen Wansan asked nervously.
He could tolerate anything else, but counterfeiting currency was serious. In ancient times, such offenses were punished by execution—often implicating entire families.
Currency was the foundation of a kingdom's stability—its lifeblood.
"Haha, no need to worry. Eternal Coins are either real or fake. If it's fake, of course we'll pursue it. But what you've created—they're real. You could make millions, and it wouldn't matter. Eternal Coins are consumables, used daily by cultivators. We mint tens of billions each day. Compared to that, what you've made is a drop in the ocean," Yi Tianxing said casually.
Other dynasties feared counterfeits; Great Yi did not. The Eternal Coin system had a Mother Coin and Money Tree as its core—no counterfeit could truly disrupt it. All Eternal Coins would eventually return to the Money Tree.
"You've earned your first pot of gold, Brother Shen. What's your plan for creating real wealth?"
Yi Tianxing's gaze sharpened with interest. Shen Wansan clearly wanted to do business—trade for cultivation resources and various materials.
"All living beings, all things in the world, revolve around clothing, food, shelter, and travel. As long as one masters one of those four, wealth will follow," Shen Wansan said enthusiastically. "Great Yi loves gourmet food. High-quality ingredients are immensely valuable. For instance, the Rain Bamboo in Half-Rain City is a rare and prized ingredient. Thanks to it, the city's development has skyrocketed."
Where there were unique local products, there was growth.
"You plan to trade Rain Bamboo, selling southern goods in the north?" Cai Yan asked curiously.
But such a plan would hardly yield significant profits. After all, with the Teleportation Arrays across Great Yi, transportation was extremely efficient. With a bit of money, vast quantities of goods could be moved anywhere in a day. There was no true scarcity.
"No. Moving goods around the empire doesn't yield big profits. To earn real money, you need something unique, something no one else has. Raw materials can't fetch high prices—they must be turned into refined products. Take Rain Bamboo: I have a secret formula that can refine it into a special Rain Bamboo Spirit Liquid. When added to a dish, it enhances flavor and releases Rain Bamboo's distinct fragrance. It can even replace water as soup stock. Add it to any cuisine, and it becomes the finishing touch."
Excitement glowed on Shen Wansan's face as he spoke about business—especially this plan. His words subtly revealed his desire to partner with Yi Tianxing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shared so openly.