Longzang

Chapter 435 Business
In the main seat of the reception hall, two elders of the Bao family sat down. One sipped his tea slowly, while the other had his eyes lowered, as if lost in thought.

After finishing his cup of tea, the Left Elder said, "It's almost time, so tell me how to do business."

Wei Yuan said, "Why don't you speak first, Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Fusheng said, "Qiongshan has always had business dealings with the Bao family, so there's nothing to say. No matter how much profit you can offer, I'll double it."

Wei Yuan said, "Doubling it is a bit deliberate. You only need to give me one or two more than me."

Faced with such a provocation, Zhao Fusheng naturally accepted it, saying, "Fine."

Wei Yuan cupped his hands in greeting to the two elders at the head of the table and said, "Then I will speak boldly. One of Qingming's core industries is armor forging. The breastplates they produce are mainly sold to the Zhao Kingdom and the Western Jin Dynasty, and the supply is currently insufficient to meet the demand."

If the Bao family is interested, they can invest 500,000 taels of silver to expand the weapon forging workshop by one-fifth. This expansion will generate a net profit of approximately 200,000 taels annually, allowing them to recoup their investment in two and a half years.

Zhao Fusheng snorted and said, "A mere two hundred thousand taels! My Qiongshan can offer the Bao family a discount of two hundred thousand and one taels."

Wei Yuan added, "If you don't like armor forging, you can also acquire mines in the surrounding areas, such as the essence of metals, rare metals, and thunder sand. With the Bao family's connections, they should be able to acquire them. As for the output, I will buy as much as there is. This area can generate a net profit of about 300,000 taels of silver per year. If a large mine is discovered, it can double that."

"Hmph! Qiongshan will offer another 300,001 taels of silver!"

"The Bao family can also purchase spirit wood forests around my Qingming and sell me all the spirit wood they produce, as much as they have. Alternatively, they can cultivate a spirit wood forest in Qingming. This will take longer, but the return after the wood matures will be far more than 200,000 taels."

In addition, I'm planning to open a brocade shop soon, which will require one million taels of silver, with an annual net income of at least four hundred thousand taels. Originally, I was required to own 50% of the brocade shop, but if Senior Sister Bao can go to Qingming for training, then giving the entire brocade shop to the Bao family wouldn't be out of the question.”

Every time Wei Yuan spoke, Zhao Fusheng would sneer and say, "I'll add another ounce." But after saying this several times, even he felt something was off and gradually stopped.

Wei Yuan's business proposals were all very specific and detailed, even forming an entire industry chain, clearly indicating he had come prepared. Zhao Fusheng, on the other hand, could only offer to add an ounce or two. In comparison, he seemed like a complete fool.

Zhao Fusheng was anxious, but he usually didn't even bother to look at the businesses on the immortal island, so how could he possibly say anything? Besides, as the young island master, he was exceptionally talented, and his proper path was to make great strides in cultivation. Why would he waste time on petty business dealings?
However, Zhao Fusheng thought again and realized that Wei Yuan seemed to have not fallen behind in cultivation either.

At this moment, the elder, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and said slowly, "These businesses are not bad, but they are all somewhat mediocre. Only the Spirit Wood Forest is somewhat interesting. Are there any more exciting ones?"

Wei Yuan hadn't thought about this question, but after pondering for a moment and looking at the options given by the mortals, he selected a few and said, "The most aggressive is conquering cities and seizing territories. Last time I raided the Witch Domain, I brought back several million taels of supplies. The products of the Western Regions are completely different from those of the East Sea, so they can complement each other."

If the Bao family is interested, they can fund the establishment of an army unit. I can provide weapons, equipment, and logistical supplies at a low price. This unit can fight alongside my main army, with the Bao family appointing its own generals. It can also operate independently in peacetime. However, in major battles, it must obey my orders. All their spoils of war will belong to the Bao family, but how much they manage to capture will depend on their own efforts.”

The elder of the Bao family nodded slightly, seemingly interested.

Wei Yuan added, "There is another option: build a city in my Azure Netherworld. I can initially provide 20,000 strong men, and the rest will be up to your family to manage. I can provide all the necessary materials for building the city at a low price, and you can simply pay taxes according to regulations after the city is built."

Building an elite force of 10,000 men requires approximately one million taels of silver, with annual maintenance costing an additional 200,000 taels. Building a city initially costs 1.5 million taels, with subsequent development depending on the family's resources.

The elder of the Bao family, who was drinking tea, suddenly said, "Let me see the map."

Wei Yuan then conjured a detailed and fully marked map of the Azure Sky. The two elders were astonished upon seeing it, exclaiming, "It's already four hundred miles?"

The tea-tasting elder's gaze swept across the map bit by bit, examining the mountains and rivers in great detail. He also carefully observed the locations of the existing cities, constantly making estimations in his mind.

Another elder said, "It takes a hundred taels of silver to arm an elite soldier? What are the standards for your so-called elite soldiers, and what kind of equipment do they have? You might as well explain in detail."

"All soldiers must be at least at the Blood Fusion Realm. Each soldier is equipped with a packhorse, which they ride for travel in peacetime and dismount for foot combat in wartime. Their primary equipment is a breastplate..."

Zhao Fusheng found it increasingly strange that the two sides had actually started negotiating.
The elder listened carefully and nodded, saying, "Those at the Blood Fusion Realm can lift five hundred jin and run a hundred li in one go, which is exactly the standard of the Great Tang Border Army. With this equipment, they can indeed be called elite. How many such elite troops does Qingming currently have?"

"A little over 100,000."

The two elders were slightly moved. They knew very well that the Taichu Palace hadn't provided Wei Yuan with much assistance at first. In the beginning, it was just a group of junior classmates who had traveled thousands of miles to help him, while each family secretly sent people to watch from the sky. Therefore, they had all been watching how Qingming developed in the beginning.

In just two years, Qingming has already amassed 100,000 elite border troops. With such a force, Wei Yuan could be considered a qualified military governor in any of the nine kingdoms.

However, the two elders did not know that the "slight" in the "a little over 100,000" that Wei Yuan had just mentioned referred to 200,000, and that those with higher cultivation levels were not included in the calculation.

"What restrictions are there on this city and the army?" an elder asked.

While the two elders were asking questions and pondering, the mortals had already quickly finalized the two plans.

Wei Yuan then said, "Cities should primarily abide by the laws of Qingming. Cities can formulate their own detailed laws, but these must not conflict with the existing laws of Qingming. Furthermore, any privileges held by members of aristocratic families can only be exercised within the city; outside the city, they are no different from anyone else. Additionally, a city defense force can be established within the city, with one hundred city defense soldiers for every ten thousand people." This level of authority is essentially standard for border military cities, slightly less than the authority granted to aristocratic families within their ancestral lands.

Wei Yuan added, "Troops cannot be moved arbitrarily within the territory and can only be stationed at designated camps. Furthermore, if I am summoned during wartime, you must obey military orders. However, if you are summoned, I will make up for all the casualties in the great battle afterwards."

Zhao Fusheng had been quiet for a while, and now he felt he had to say something, otherwise he would really look like an ignorant fool.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "You're going to summon me during a major battle? How do you know you're not using the Bao family's troops as cannon fodder? Why can't the Bao family's generals command them themselves?"

Wei Yuan said, "The deployment of troops depends on the situation at the time. We should deploy troops in one line as needed and cover the rear as needed. As for generals giving orders independently, that is absolutely impossible. In a major battle, the most important thing is unified command, and it is most taboo to have multiple orders issued from different sources. Young Master Zhao probably hasn't fought many battles. He will get better with more experience in battles in the future."

Zhao Fusheng was furious, but didn't know how to refute him. The East Sea was vast, and most battles were naval battles. Zhao Fusheng mainly fought bloody battles with enemy high cultivators, and indeed had never commanded a large-scale land war.

The two elders exchanged a knowing glance.

If the city and the army are combined, it would be equivalent to establishing an enclave in the Western Regions. However, this would mean the Bao family's reach is too far-reaching. This matter is of great importance and requires discussion with the other elders.

The elder serving tea said, "Young friend Wei Yuan's idea is indeed unexpected. I need to consider it carefully. If you have nothing else to do, you can stay at home for a few days. There are many scenic spots in Guanchao Port. You might as well take a walk and have a look."

Wei Yuan said, "There will probably be a major battle in Qingming soon. The two elders might as well wait until the battle is over and see the results before making a decision. However, the price may be higher then."

"I understand."

After leaving the reception hall, a cultivator from the Bao family led Wei Yuan to his residence. This time, the Bao family arranged the most luxurious guest house for Wei Yuan, with five courtyards, a three-story main building, and a cliff on one side, offering a stunning view of the sea.

As soon as Wei Yuan entered the courtyard, he heard Bao Manshan's voice: "Come this way."

Wei Yuan followed the instructions and arrived at the edge of the cliff, where he saw Bao Manshan playing chess with an old man. Bao Manshan's eyes were still fixed on the chessboard, and he pointed to the chair next to him.

Wei Yuan sat down to watch the game, but his understanding of chess was only superficial, and he couldn't really understand it. However, to avoid being tested by the elder Bao Manshan, Wei Yuan had a thought, and the game materialized in the vast landscape.

Subsequently, the three immortal plants acted as nodes, triggering the rapid operation of the divine senses of thousands of mortals, who deduced every possible step of the method, and could deduce thousands of different methods in every instant.

At this moment, the old man opposite him made a move. Bao Manshan thought for a moment and responded with a move. Wei Yuan frowned slightly.

The move made by Bao Manshan was not in the mortals' deduced plan. After the mortals re-deduced the plan based on Bao Manshan's next move, they concluded that he was likely to lose.

Although Wei Yuan's expression changed slightly, both elders noticed it instantly. Bao Manshan was slightly surprised and said, "You know how to play chess?"

"I only know a little bit of the basics," Wei Yuan said honestly.

At this moment, the old man made another move. Seeing that the game was already lost, Bao Manshan suddenly said to Wei Yuan, "You play for me and let the Seventh Elder see your chess skills."

The elder on the opposite side knew this was Bao Manshan's old trick; he had used this method to escape defeat more than once. The elder didn't care, since the victory was already decided, and it was a good opportunity to test Wei Yuan's chess skills.

Unexpectedly, Wei Yuan made a move that surprised both the elders and Bao Manshan. This move was completely incomprehensible.

Bao Manshan blurted out instinctively, "This is utterly absurd!"

But after examining the piece closely, the elder realized that this move could not be ignored, so he casually responded with a move of his own.

Wei Yuan pondered for a moment, then made another strange move. The elder, who had studied the manuals for many years, had never seen such a move before and was immediately astonished. Bao Manshan also shook his head repeatedly.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten moves had passed, and the old man's moves became slower and slower. Wei Yuan was not having an easy time either. At this moment, he had even activated Yin and Yang, used all the immortal plants, and had more than 20,000 people studying the game and coming up with a response.

After a few more moves, Wei Yuan, who seemed to be making a series of reckless moves, actually managed to slowly turn the tide! After a few more moves, the old man snorted, his face turning ashen, and had no choice but to resign.

He snorted heavily, flicked his sleeve, and started a new game, saying, "I didn't realize you were such a skilled player. I'm quite knowledgeable in chess myself. Come, let's start a new game and have a proper run this time!"

According to the rules, Wei Yuan, as the junior, should make the first move. Wei Yuan picked up a piece and, following the plan given by the mortals, placed it on the 3-3 position.

The Seventh Elder snorted, his face immediately turning displeased. This Wei Yuan was simply playing recklessly; given the skill he displayed in the previous game, there was no way he hadn't memorized the game plan. This move was clearly an insult to him.

The Seventh Elder, whose chess skills were unparalleled in the entire Bao family, immediately placed a heavy piece, intending to teach this arrogant brat a lesson.

(End of this chapter)