Unsheathed

Xu Ruo shot a glance at the shop counter, and Dong Shuijing immediately understood his intentions and walked over to grab a pot of wine, placing it on the table in front of the Mohist cultivator.

Xu Ruo drank some rice wine, and the fragrance of the wine lingered in his mouth as he explained, "One needs to be hardworking when running a small business, and one naturally needs to remain hardworking even when one's business grows bigger. However, the importance of information will also grow greater and greater. You need to discover the details that everyone else glosses over, and you need to uncover the information hidden inside these details. There will eventually come a day when you can take advantage of this information.

"You don't need to feel resistant to this practice. Heaven and earth are vast, and telling you to uncover this information isn't telling you to go out and engage in harmful business. Engaging in positive business is always about being able to benefit all parties involved."

Dong Shuijing nodded in understanding.

"What do you think about the personalities displayed to you by Wu Yuan, County Magistrate Yuan, Kiln Supervision Official Cao, and Gao Xuan?" Xu Ruo asked.

"Prefectural Overseer Wu is gentle, County Magistrate Yuan is rigorous, Kiln Supervision Official Cao is relaxed, and Gao Xuan is carefree," Dong Shuijing replied slowly.

"Why do you say this?" Xu Ruo asked.

Dong Shuijing had the answers in his mind already, so he didn't hesitate at all as he answered, "Prefectural Overseer Wu's master, Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan, is displaying his impressive abilities right now, so Prefectural Overseer Wu has to remain grounded. He can't get ahead of himself and overstep the boundaries, lest he invite unwanted jealousy and conflicts.

"The Yuan Clan has always had a culture of care and rigor, and if I remember correctly, their clan precepts contain the phrase 'conceal wind and gather water.'[1] Many descendants of the Cao Clan are members of the border army, and their clan culture is also relatively relaxed and open.

"As for Gao Xuan, it's inevitable that he, a prince of the Great Sui Nation, feels slightly disheartened about being sent here as a royal hostage. Even if he feels furious on the inside, he's at least displaying a demeanor of calm and carefree on the outside."

"This is correct, but in reality, this is only the surface-level appearance," Xu Ruo said. "You're able to notice, and many other people are able to notice it as well. As such, this can't be regarded as information that will help you grow your wealth. You need to dig deeper and analyze further, and you need to consider the long-term state of the imperial court as well as the trend of the empire. This information might not help your businesses right now, but once you develop a habit of discovering this information, you'll ultimately be able to reap benefits for an entire lifetime."