Cheng Xuan could clearly feel her riding skills had improved; after a few laps, she was far behind Li Xi. She chose the heaviest bow and fired ten arrows, nine of which hit the bullseye. The students nearby gasped in disbelief, feeling utterly dejected.

"Old Master Sun, whose young master is this? He's so capable," Cheng Xuan asked curiously. "Oh? Let me introduce you. This is Li Xi, my close friend despite our age difference. This lad is truly a favorite of mine. Even if I asked him to come, he wouldn't want to. His heart isn't here."

Li Xi was practicing on the plum blossom stakes. Sigh, Old Master Sun's improvements were just so-so, not challenging at all. It was much more interesting to spar with Qin Xiaolin when they practiced on the stakes last time.

"Grandpa Sun, how about horseback riding and archery next time? Let's add some obstacles, and if we can add plum blossom stakes, it'll be fun for a few people to go up and fight together." We don't usually have to do assessments like this. If we want to cultivate a person who is both literate and skilled in martial arts, we have to put in a lot of hard work.

"Okay, tell me more. Come on, let's go up the mountain," Old Sun gestured for them to follow.

Rolling clouds cascade over the mountains, plunging into the deep valleys like a waterfall, majestic and awe-inspiring. This is the waterfall cloud at the mountaintop. Walking further up from the martial arts arena, standing here gives one the illusion of ascending to immortality.

She couldn't help but shout "Ah!" but the vast sky drowned out her voice, with only a few birds chirping and smoke swirling around. "Xiao Xi, come down."

The martial arts arena has a small courtyard exclusively for Old Master Sun, where he occasionally stays for a few days. It's fully equipped with all his necessities. Old Master Sun was rummaging through something in the inner room. "Practice your qi first. We'll have a sparring session later to see if you've improved," he said, handing Li Xi a pill. "This can temporarily boost your internal energy." Since it was given by Grandpa Sun, it must be something good, and Li Xi swallowed it without hesitation.

Half an hour later, the two were ready. Old Sun changed into his training clothes and stood opposite Li Xi. Although he was old, he was still upright and about the same height as her.

Li Xi possesses exceptional martial arts talent. Through continuous practice and research, she created a unique martial arts technique called "Flying Swallow in the Sky." This technique emphasizes light and agile footwork and incredibly precise moves, allowing her to be unpredictable in combat and gain the upper hand. Elder Sun, on the other hand, focuses more on practical application. His martial arts emphasize strength and speed, and he cultivates the "Thunder Strike" technique. His attack power is extremely strong, capable of defeating an enemy in an instant.

The two decided to spar to showcase their martial arts skills. They first used their lightness skills to rush to the mountaintop, then assumed their stances, ready to fight. Li Xi used his "Flying Swallow in the Sky," each movement light and precise, like a swallow soaring through the air. Not to be outdone, Elder Sun unleashed his "Thunder Strike," each strike carrying immense power and speed, like lightning slicing through the dark night sky.

The two exchanged blows in a fierce battle. Old Sun's agile movements were unpredictable to Li Xi, while Li Xi's immense strength surprised Old Sun, but Old Sun was one step ahead. During the fight, Li Xi imitated Old Sun's moves, combining them with his own techniques to launch counterattacks.

After a fierce battle, the two finally stopped. They clasped their hands in respect to each other, and Li Xi expressed her admiration for Elder Sun's martial arts skills. She understood that this exchange had not only improved her own martial arts skills but also deepened her understanding of the true essence of martial arts.

"Grandpa Sun, your strength is beyond my reach. To be honest, you are not an ordinary martial arts master, are you?" Li Xi knew that Grandpa Sun was not only a martial arts master of Baichuan Academy, but also that his aura and martial power were immeasurable. He was probably a reclusive master.

"Haha, you figured it out, but I won't tell you yet. You'll find out later," Old Sun said mysteriously.

"Alright, alright, let's go back to eat first. I have something really good today that I guarantee you'll never forget," Li Xi said smugly. She was confident that the chili sauce would win over most people.

"What delicious food is there? Let's go quickly," Old Sun said, locking the door and heading outside.

When Li Xi and his companion returned to the restaurant, it was getting late. The restaurant was bustling with people. They had no choice but to take Old Master Sun to the reception room in the backyard, where Doctor Meng and Meng Zhelan were having their dinner.

“Xi’er, Grandpa Sun, please sit down. We were just about to start eating. You’ve come back at the perfect time,” Meng Zhelan said, setting out two more sets of bowls and chopsticks. Li Xi took out her little golden egg—chili sauce. “Grandpa Sun, Uncle Meng, please try some.”

As expected, she gained two more loyal fans, and she still had to hide the gifts carefully. Meng Zhelan, worried about getting a sore throat, had already brewed some herbal tea, and each of them drank a bowl—they were satisfied! Before leaving, Old Sun pestered her relentlessly and managed to get a small jar of chili sauce to take with him.

The next morning, Li Xi packed a small jar of sauce and took it to President Wang. She happened to find her having breakfast, so she respectfully invited President Wang to taste it, gaining another loyal fan. She even left the sauce behind, jokingly saying she wanted to try it herself.

Chairman Wang put aside all his other matters today and took Li Xi to the estate.

"President, when will the chili peppers from the south arrive in Kyoto?" Li Xi had previously asked President Wang to collect chili peppers in the south, dry them, save seeds, and bring them back. However, the journey is long, and the chili peppers might rot before they reach Kyoto, so it would be better to save the seeds directly.

Next year, after the soy sauce workshop is officially registered, we will open a soy sauce factory in the south. According to the plan, the current workshop in the village is the first one. The scale should be reasonable. As long as the procedures are followed correctly, it will be much easier in the future. There are rules for how to do it.

Chairman Wang has already been won over by the chili sauce; now, seeing the chilies in the greenhouse, his eyes light up. This Xiao Xi is truly capable; with a little effort from her, she'll definitely make the people of Kyoto look at her with new respect.

The two were overjoyed to see their workshop taking shape. They gestured around and tried their best to make it as perfect as possible.

"Xiaoxi, what kind of people do you think we should hire for the workshop?" President Wang pondered deeply. She decided to use her own steward, Huang, as she was used to ordering people around, and Huang even held the indenture to Huang.

"You can arrange it, but I'd like Ling'er to be the overall person in charge. She's familiar with the chili sauce making process, and she's good at developing new products. We'll continue to develop new products together." At first, Chairman Wang wasn't used to some of Li Xi's modern language, but now that he's had more contact with her, he naturally understands what she means.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. You wouldn't believe it even if you didn't think so." The thought of people lining up to buy her products filled her with undisguised joy. By the time those old fogies learned how to make the sauce, she'd probably already made a fortune.

Seeing Chairman Wang amusing himself there, Li Xi didn't disturb him. She was taking measurements in the unfinished workshop, planning to go back and draw up some more sketches and find someone to make the props, hoping to finish before the first batch of chilies hit the market…