As hostesses, Zhou Qin, Ziyuan, and Feng Na were both embarrassed and amused to see such a farce unfold at this critical moment. Yet, faced with the scene before them, they dared not laugh.

They could only force themselves to endure it, keeping their eyes fixed forward, jaws clenched tight, faces strained into expressions of profound distress. Li Yundong’s classic joke about the file and the kumquat instantly made Zhou Qin and Feng Na let out suppressed snickers, though they quickly stifled them, their faces tight, the corners of their mouths twitching.

Only Ziyuan remained perfectly composed, gazing at the sky with an air of detachment. But Ruan Hongling, who knew her best, noticed that Ziyuan’s grip on the satin ribbon was quite tight, and her shoulders were slightly hunched, betraying an almost uncontrollable urge to laugh.

Li Yundong’s loud shout made the little girl lower her head, her face crumpled in grievance as she whispered, "I couldn't find anything else to substitute, and you were rushing me!" Li Yundong sucked in a sharp breath. Good heavens, now it was turning out to be his fault!

Li Yuanbo, standing nearby, also fought back a smile and said, "Little Li, what seems to be the problem?" Li Yundong forced a dry laugh. "Secretary Li, nothing at all.

The ribbon cutting, the ribbon cutting, we proceed as planned!" Li Yuanbo pointed at the file in Li Yundong's hand and chuckled heartily. "I've cut many ribbons, but this is the first time I've seen one cut with an implement like this.

Creative, very creative!" Hearing this, a sudden thought struck Li Yundong. He brightened and smiled.

"Secretary Li, would you mind if I performed a little magic trick for you?" Li Yuanbo looked surprised. "A magic trick?

Little Li knows magic?" Li Yundong smiled. "It’s just a minor bit of sleight of hand, certainly beneath the notice of Secretary Li, merely intended to bring a smile to your face." Secretary Li laughed softly.

"Then I’d certainly like to see what little trick this is?" Li Yundong raised the file in his hand and offered it to Li Yuanbo. "Secretary Li, take a look.

Is this not a file?" Li Yuanbo burst into laughter immediately. "No need to look, it’s clearly a file!" Li Yundong smiled.

"Since it is a file, Secretary Li, do you think it can cut or shear this length of satin?" "Impossible, impossible!" Li Yuanbo laughed. Li Yundong nodded.

"So, since Secretary Li believes this is a file, and it cannot cut this satin, what does everyone else think?" Saying this, he held the file high above his head, showing it to the crowd both upstairs and down. At this moment, people everywhere were watching him.

Some shouted loudly, "It's a file, we see it clearly!" Liu Feier also whispered to Cao Kefei, "Sister Cao, what is this guy playing at? What does he think he can do with a file?" Cao Kefei lightly tapped her hand and watched Li Yundong intently, murmuring, "Don't talk, watch closely!" Liu Feier wrinkled her nose and huffed, her eyes wide open as she focused seriously on Li Yundund.

In front of everyone, Li Yundong placed the file underneath the red silk ribbon. He smiled.

"Actually, this file is a peerless divine sword. The moment I gently pull this red cloth, this file will slice right through it!" Li Yuanbo chuckled.

"Oh? How miraculous?" Su Chan, standing nearby, also widened her eyes watching Li Yundong.

She couldn't begin to fathom what trick Li Yundong was pulling from his sleeve. Not just her, but Ziyuan, Zhou Qin, Feng Na, and everyone else watched Li Yundong with bated breath, eager to see what little spectacle he was about to create.

Li Yundong took hold of the file with one hand and the ribbon with the other. He took a deep, slow breath, then suddenly let out a loud roar and stamped his foot down hard.

Everyone upstairs and down felt a sudden tightness in their chests and saw stars from the force of Li Yundong's shout. When he stamped his foot, the ground itself trembled slightly, and the unprepared crowd jumped in alarm.

When they recovered their senses, they saw that the red silk ribbon in Li Yundong’s hands had been neatly severed into two pieces. Li Yuanbo, closest to Li Yundong, saw only a flash before his eyes—a streak of white light—and the ribbon was split in two, the cut flawlessly smooth, right where the file had been.

Li Yuanbo stared at the file in Li Yundong's hand for a second or two, then suddenly laughed. "Truly a peerless divine sword!

Good, very good!" At this point, the crowd erupted in cheers, nodding to themselves, some applauding the "little magic trick," others applauding Li Yundong's quick thinking. Only Su Chan, Ziyuan, Ruan Hongling, Zhou Qin, and the cultivators from the Fox Zen Gate understood.

In that instant of shouting and stamping, Li Yundong had diverted everyone's attention, simultaneously channeling the Liuhe Sword to instantly slice the silk. However, the Liuhe Sword's speed was so extreme, almost beyond the range of the naked eye, that the onlookers only perceived a flash of white light, thinking they had imagined it.

In reality, Li Yundong, audacious and skilled, had dared to draw his true weapon in front of a high provincial official! Ziyuan watched, her brow furrowing slightly, her heart hammering wildly from the shock Li Yundong had delivered.

She thought to herself: Li Yundong is getting bolder and bolder. Last time he called down lightning on Dragon Tiger Mountain, and this time he's playing with fire in front of the Provincial Party Secretary!

Who knows what trouble he’ll stir up next! Su Chan, however, was utterly heedless of danger.

Seeing how Li Yundong had diffused this crisis with talk and wit, her admiration for him soared to the heavens. She looked up at him with sheer awe and whispered sweetly, "Master, you are amazing!

This little girl adores you!" Li Yundong shot her a look under his breath and murmured back, "Hurry up and get down!" Su Chan blinked her eyes and whispered, "Secretary Li hasn't cut the ribbon yet!" Li Yundong snapped back to the moment. He smiled at Li Yuanbo.

"Secretary Li, I got so caught up in performing the trick that I completely forgot about the ribbon cutting. I stole your moment, I sincerely apologize!" Li Yuanbo laughed heartily.

"No matter, you are the shop owner; I shouldn't steal the spotlight, should I?" With that, he casually took the scissors and snipped the red satin ribbon in one swift motion. Seeing that the two had completed the ceremony, the crowd applauded simultaneously, offering their congratulations.

Only then did Su Chan swiftly gather the silk ribbon, make a face at Li Yundong, and dart into the storage room. Li Yundong watched the impish girl with a touch of exasperation, shaking his head privately.

He thought: This girl really needs a firm hand; she's trying to cause trouble at a time like this! Good thing I reacted quickly, or I’d have been utterly disgraced!

As he pondered this, Li Yuanbo smiled and said to him, "Little Li, this peerless divine sword you have in your hand, would you be willing to gift it to me?" Li Yundong smiled. "Certainly." He presented it with both hands.

Li Yuanbo took the file and turned it over in his hands, chuckling. "Interesting, very interesting!" Li Yundong was puzzled.

This Secretary Li, by all accounts, must have seen everything. Why was he so fascinated by this small file?

After examining the file for a moment, Li Yuanbo suddenly turned to Li Yundong. "By the way, I still don't know the name of your shop.

Where is your plaque? You haven't hung it up yet, have you?" Li Yundong smiled.

"I was just hoping to invite Secretary Li to unveil it!" Li Yuanbo laughed. "I get to participate in all the good things, so you youngsters aren't allowed to speak ill of this old man behind my back, understand?" Li Yundong was inwardly amazed that Li Yuanbo, a high-ranking provincial official, carried himself with no pretense, speaking with wit, humor, and warmth.

He was momentarily silent. Zhou Qin, standing nearby, smiled.

"Uncle Li, we would be honored if you would unveil our plaque for us. Stop talking so much and unveil it quickly; our necks are getting stiff waiting!" Li Yuanbo chuckled.

"Very well, I won't delay any longer!" He then smiled at Li Yundong. "Little Li, shall we do it together?" Li Yundong smiled back.

"It would be my honor to accept." Just then, Ruan Hongling and Ziyuan, acting with perfect timing, carried the plaque out from either side. Li Yundong and Li Yuanbo walked up to it and pulled off the covering simultaneously.

Li Yuanbo looked closely. On the plaque were three large characters written in flowing, immortal script: Di San Xian (Earthly Three Immortals)!

Li Yuanbo's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed loudly, "Splendid calligraphy, truly magnificent! Which master penned this?" Li Yundong smiled and pointed to Ziyuan standing nearby.

"This is the work of Ziyuan, the second-largest proprietor of our Di San Xian!" Li Yuanbo looked at Ziyuan in astonishment, letting out a gasp. "The Eight Immortals painting upstairs—you carved that too?" Ziyuan smiled faintly.

"I carved it." Li Yuanbo’s eyes widened, and he shook his head repeatedly. "Incredible, truly unbelievable!

You are so young; how did you cultivate such skill?" Ziyuan smiled lightly, her expression elegant and poised, like a living Guanyin Bodhisattva, breathtaking yet commanding absolute respect. She said, "For any endeavor, the depth of cultivation lies not in years, but in the heart!

When the heart arrives, the skill arrives; when the heart does not arrive, the skill does not arrive!" Li Yuanbo was instantly moved, his expression solemn. "Master Ziyuan speaks truly.

I shall remember these words!" Turning back to Li Yundong, he said, "Little Li, I never thought coming to your Di San Xian today would mean seeing actual immortals. It was well worth the trip, truly worth it!" Li Yundong feigned ignorance.

"Where are the immortals?" Li Yuanbo laughed heartily, pointing at Ziyuan. "Isn't she right here?

Immortal grace, immortal countenance, immortal characters, immortal painting—if this isn't a living immortal, what is?" Zhou Qin, aware of Li Yuanbo's deep cunning and how rarely he offered such praise, knew his words for Ziyuan indicated extreme admiration. While she respected this, a flicker of competitive spirit arose, a desire to measure her own abilities against Ziyuan's in the future.

Li Yundong was unaware of Zhou Qin’s thoughts. He smiled.

"Secretary Li, please come inside. I will hang this plaque now." Li Yuanbo laughed.

"Good, good, hang it up quickly so I can see it!" He looked around at the people nearby. "Someone quickly get this plaque upstairs!

Should we use a ladder or a rope?" As he spoke, he noticed Ziyuan, Ruan Hongling, and Zhou Qin remained standing still. Zhou Qin laughed.

"Uncle Li, Li Yundong can manage it alone." Li Yuanbo shot her a chiding look. "Nonsense, what are you talking about?

This plaque is made of redwood; it’s quite heavy, probably over forty catties. How can one person lift it up there?" Before his words finished, Li Yundong suddenly reached out, grasped the heavy plaque, and with a flick of his arm, slapped the underside of it.

The plaque shot upward, landing perfectly centered right above the tea shop entrance. Li Yundong’s action was clean, sharp, and utterly dashing.

Every onlooker immediately let out a cheer. Liu Feier, who had been leisurely munching on a snack, suddenly’s eyes went wide, dropping her treat onto the floor as she stammered, "So handsome!" Cao Kefei snorted proudly, as if she were the one who had stolen the show.

"That’s handsome? You haven't seen the best part yet!" Li Yuanbo looked up at the securely placed plaque, then back at Li Yundong, his expression filled with shock.

"How did you throw up such a heavy plaque?" Li Yundong chuckled lightly. "A parlor trick, unworthy of mention!" A flicker of doubt crossed Li Yuanbo’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, smiling as he turned to enter the teahouse with Li Yundong.

At that moment, Han Lin, who had been discreetly filming from a distance, suddenly rushed over. He called out loudly, "Secretary Li, could I conduct a brief interview with you?" Li Yuanbo frowned slightly and stated coolly, "I am here today to attend a friend's celebration.

Perhaps we should forgo such things?" He then turned and walked into the teahouse. Although phrased as a question, the tone was undeniably one that admitted no argument.

Han Lin, though arrogant, was not foolish. He looked troubled, thinking: If I only get footage and no interview, I’ll still be scolded when I get back!

Han Lin, having no choice, turned toward Li Yundong and said in a low, subservient voice, "Boss Li, I was blind just now and acted improperly. Please, don't hold it against me.

Can I interview you? Very brief, just one minute!" Li Yundong smiled slightly and asked, "Who are you?" Seeing that Li Yundong didn't seem inclined to make trouble, Han Lin was overjoyed and started, "I..." But before Han Lin could utter another word, Li Yundong held up his palm.

"Sorry, even if you tell me, I won't remember! Please leave!" With that, he turned and walked away.

Han Lin’s face immediately flushed a deep, angry red. He stood there panting heavily for a long moment before grinding his teeth and leaving with palpable hatred.

Li Yundong went upstairs, settled everyone in, and finally let out a breath, wiping his brow secretly. He thought: Surely nothing else will go wrong?

Having to keep these officials placated with such care is exhausting and bothersome! Just as he was thinking this, he saw Su Chan running upstairs, her face a mask of terror and tension.

Seeing her, Li Yundong managed a wry smile. "My dear lady, what fresh trouble have you cooked up now?" Su Chan quickly waved her hands and pulled Li Yundong aside, whispering urgently, "Yundong, this is bad!" Li Yundong asked curiously, "What is it?

You look terrified!" Su Chan hurried to explain, "It’s not that! Two more guests have arrived!" Li Yundong laughed.

"If more guests arrive, we just add more seats. Is there no room?" Su Chan stamped her foot.

"No, no! These two are Zhang Ling and Zou Ping!" Li Yundong was instantly alarmed.

"True Fire Master Zhang Ling and her disciple Zou Ping!" Su Chan nodded her head furiously, like a chick pecking grain. "Yes, yes, those are them!" Li Yundong sucked in another sharp breath.

"It's our opening celebration today, what are they doing here? Coming to cause a scene?"