Above the mage!

Chapter 633 Sky-high price reward
The shop assistant took the silver frost coin handed to him by Eric and first carefully examined the ice cracks on the edge.

Then, I ran my fingertips along the portrait of Sunafia, the mother of the war, on the front, and the tree pattern of Yogg-Sarah on the back, feeling the texture of the patterns.

This is to verify the authenticity of the currency.

Of course, since the new currency has just been released, it's impossible for counterfeit currency to appear.

However, the necessary procedures still need to be followed, as this was specifically emphasized during the on-the-job training.

If these anti-counterfeiting concepts are not established in the early stages, the effort and cost required to remedy the situation after counterfeit currency appears will increase exponentially.

After confirming that everything was correct, the shop assistant nodded in satisfaction and gently placed the silver coin into the box beside him, making a crisp "ding" sound.

As the clerk spoke, he pulled out a thick, coarse cloth bag from behind him, opened the bag, and deftly scooped out the barley.

The wheat grains fell into the bag with a soft rustling sound, raising a fine dust of wheat.

He placed the sack full of wheat on the scale, adjusted the weights until the scale beam tilted steadily, then tightly tied the opening of the sack and handed it to Eric: "You can feel it; it's the right weight."

Eric reached out and took the bag of wheat. Its heavy weight pressed against his palm, and the familiar aroma of wheat wafted over him, dispelling the last trace of doubt in his heart.

"Thank you." His tone was filled with undisguised joy, and his voice even became a little lighter.

He actually exchanged the silver frost coin for real grain, which went even more smoothly than he had imagined.

After hoisting the sack of wheat onto his shoulder, Eric didn't leave immediately. Instead, he strolled around the shop with great interest.

He curiously looked at the dazzling array of goods on the shelves, many of which were novel items he had never seen before, leaving him overwhelmed with choices.

Soon, his gaze was drawn to a complete pelt displayed in front of the leather goods counter.

The fur lay flat on the black stone slab, its color a pure snow white with a soft sheen.

Eric couldn't help but step forward and carefully extend his finger to touch it.

It has a delicate touch, like stroking the wool of a newborn lamb, yet it also has a resilient texture.

The fur is dense and thick. When you press it down gently, you can feel the rich undercoat. When you release your hand, the fur immediately returns to its original shape without any wrinkles.

"This is the pelt of an adult snow fox," the shop assistant behind the counter said, noticing his engrossed gaze.

Snow foxes are not creatures of the ley lines; they are just ordinary animals of the ice fields. However, because they are agile, they are not easy to catch.

Therefore, even though snow fox fur is widely recognized as a good product for keeping warm, it is actually quite rare.

Eric's heart skipped a beat. He looked up at the price tag, which read "1 Purple Gold" in Common Language.

This made his heart sink.

After all, his monthly salary was only 4 Ziqiong Gold.

But the fur was indeed of beautiful quality, and considering how stable my job was, I suddenly felt reassured.

Finally, Eric gritted his teeth, took out a piece of purple gold from the inner pocket, and handed it over: "I want this snow fox pelt."

The shop assistant took the purple gold jewelry, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Despite the introduction, he didn't actually believe that Eric would spend a lot of money to buy the snow fox pelt.

This is a 1-piece Ziqiong gold coin, and today is only the first day of payday. It's rare for ordinary grassroots employees to receive such a generous gift.

Despite the surprise, the shop assistant was still very efficient in her work.

After inspecting the purple fox fur, he smiled broadly, folded the fox pelt, wrapped it in a clean coarse cloth, and tied a knot for easy carrying: "Here you go."

Eric took the snow fox pelt, and he could almost see the look of surprise and joy on his mother's face when she received it, filling his heart with warmth.

He carried the fur and continued to stroll around the trading company.

My gaze quickly fell on the shelf next to the grain counter.

Rows of ice bottles were neatly arranged on the shelves, their crystal-clear bodies bearing names written in common language, making them particularly eye-catching.
"Flying Moutai 9658" and "Wuliangye 9658".

"This is the first batch of baijiu. 9658 refers to the year it was brewed." The young clerk guarding the shelf greeted Eric warmly as he stopped, picking up a bottle of "Feitian Moutai" and introducing it.

"This is the first batch of baijiu brewed by the Ministry of Agriculture under the guidance of the King, using Northwest Barley No. 2 and water from the Arctic Lake. It has a mellow taste and also has a cold-dispelling effect comparable to a low-level magic potion."

He gently swirled the bottle, and fine bubbles rose from the clear liquid inside. "If you're not in a hurry to taste it, let it sit for a few more years. The wine will become smoother and taste better. Of course, the price will be higher. This bottle costs two Ziqiong gold coins."

"So expensive!" Eric exclaimed softly, instinctively taking a half-step back.

Two pieces of Ziqiong gold—that's half a month's salary for him.

The young sales clerk seemed to have anticipated this, smiling as he put down the bottle of Moutai and picked up a bottle of Wuliangye next to it: "If you think the Moutai is too expensive, you can take a look at this."

"Also a type of baijiu, Wuliangye is brewed using the Northwest No. 1 barley variety. Its taste and warming effect are not as good as Feitian Moutai, but it is more affordable, costing only 5 silver coins per bottle."

Eric hesitated for a moment when asked about the five silver frost coins.

But then I thought, it's payday, and since I bought a gift for my mother, I should definitely buy a gift for my father too.

Moreover, my father was a worker in the Ministry of Construction, and he was skilled in rapid excavation. His daily work was hard, and he often had to brave wind and snow.

This liquor can both ward off the cold and allow my father to have a small drink when he is tired, which is also a token of my affection.

After thinking it over, he no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, took out a piece of Ziqiong gold and handed it over: "Give me a bottle of Wuliangye."

The shop assistant took the Ziqiong gold, took a bottle of Wuliangye liquor from the shelf and put it in his pocket, then took out five silver frost coins from the drawer and gave them to Eric: "Here's five silver frost coins for you, please count them."

As Eric walked out of the shop, although he was carrying a 15-pound sack of wheat, a coarse cloth bag wrapped with snow fox fur, and a sack containing Wuliangye liquor, he felt his steps were much lighter.

There were still some purple gold and silver frost coins left in the hidden pocket at his waist.

Their existence no longer brings him anxiety about the unknown, but rather a sense of security and peace of mind.

He recalled past scenes: every time he had to carry fifty pounds of barley and a heavy load of smoked meat, his shoulders would ache when he got home.

If you want to exchange for furs or tools, you have to go around looking for people to trade with, which often takes several days and sometimes you end up losing money.

Now, however, it only takes four Ziqiong gold coins and two silver frost coins to easily tuck into one's waist.

It takes up little space, doesn't rub your shoulders, yet you can get more and better things than before.

The store's shelves were overflowing with a dazzling array of goods, from wheat to fill stomachs and coarse salt for seasoning, to furs for warmth and liquors never before heard of.
Everything is clearly priced, eliminating the need to painstakingly calculate equivalent exchanges, guard against being ripped off, or spend days searching for a single item. This level of convenience was unimaginable before.

Eric felt increasingly excited as he thought about it.

He quickened his pace home, eager to tell his parents how useful these purple gold, silver frost coins, and copper ear coins were.

From this initial experience alone, he knew that the barter system that had persisted in the North for so many years would soon be changed by these glittering currencies.

And he, as one of the first to use the new currency, is witnessing the transformation of the North.

When Eric arrived at his doorstep, he pushed open the door.

The mother was busy preparing dinner, while the father sat at the table chatting with her, his expression relaxed.

"I'm back!" Eric's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

He strode through the door and gently placed the sack of wheat on his shoulder in the corner.

The 15-pound weight felt surprisingly light at that moment.

Then, holding the snow fox fur and Wuliangye liquor high in his hands, he carefully took out the remaining Ziqiong gold and silver frost coins from the hidden pocket at his waist, spread them out in his palm, and showed them to his parents.

"Look, this is the new currency that the King and the War Mother have been promoting recently. My salary this month is 4 Purple Jade Gold and 2 Silver Frost Coins!" Eric's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible pride.

"I bought all of these at the trading company with currency. I won't have to carry heavy sacks of wheat anymore. With just a few coins on my person, I can just go to the trading company and buy whatever I want. It's so convenient!"

The mother paused her work, carefully reached out, and gently picked up a piece of purple gold.

She ran her fingertips along the purple magnolia pattern on it, her eyes filled with curiosity and amazement: "This is purple magnolia gold? It's so beautiful... can it really be exchanged for so many things?"

Eric nodded vigorously and told his parents in detail about receiving his paycheck and shopping that day, describing it vividly.

"The shop has everything, all clearly priced. We can just use this to buy whatever we want in the future. These are gifts I bought for you." As he spoke, he opened the cloth bag and pocket, revealing snow fox fur and Wuliangye liquor inside.

"You silly child, why are you wasting money?" the mother scolded, stroking the fur, though she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes.

“This money was well spent,” Eric said quickly.

A hint of moisture welled up in her eyes, but the smile on her lips grew wider and wider: “Good, good, good. I’ll go find a tanner tomorrow and make you a cloak. You walk a lot to and from get off work every day, so this will be perfect for keeping out the wind and cold.”

“Mother, this is for you!” Eric quickly corrected, his tone stubborn. “I’m young and can handle the cold, but you’re getting old, so you need to take good care of yourself.”

The father, standing to the side, picked up the bottle of Wuliangye with a smile, gently shook it, and the crisp sound of the liquor hitting the bottle echoed in the room.

He examined the "Wuliangye 9658" inscription on the ice bottle carefully, then solemnly put the bottle back in his pocket, got up, walked to the bedside, bent down, and dragged an old box out from under the bed.

That's where we store valuables at home.

"Father, why don't you open it and try it?" Eric asked, somewhat puzzled. He had expected his father to open the bottle immediately and taste the novel liquor.

"Keep it, you can take it out to drink when you get married." The father reached out and patted Eric's shoulder, his touch steady and powerful.

Eric's eyes welled up slightly as he looked at his father's solemn expression.

At this moment, no one realized the immense value this bottle of "Wuliangye 9658" would acquire over time as the first batch of baijiu from the Northern Territory.

Eric's situation is a microcosm of what is happening in most families in Phoenix on payday.

Undoubtedly, with a sufficiently reasonable process and careful preparation, coupled with the prestige of Gaode and Sunaifa among the people of the North, the implementation of the currency in the North was smooth and did not encounter any resistance or unexpected events.

Today is the first payday in the North, and also the anniversary of the North bidding farewell to the barter system that had lasted for millennia and entering a monetary economy.

However, Gaode's joy over the success of its currency reform was short-lived, as another piece of good news arrived today:

The enormous bounty on Davy Jones's head has finally been paid!

The matter of receiving a reward is far more complicated than most people imagine.

Davy Jones, the most notorious pirate leader in the Blue Flame Islands, was wanted by dozens of factions and merchants, with a total bounty of 38 Goldbird coins, breaking the bounty record.

While Davy Jones did indeed die at the hands of Goddard, Goddard was merely a second-ring Iceborn mage at the time. Reaching for the reward with a pirate's head all by himself, being "reneged on" was almost an inevitable outcome.
Even now that it has been upgraded to the third ring road, it is still the same.

Defaulting on a debt is considered good; some unscrupulous people might even be tempted by the prospect of wealth and resort to violence to seize the head and claim the reward for themselves.

Gao De was aware of the risks involved from the beginning, so he entrusted Sarah with the task of receiving the reward from the start.

Sarah, a fifth-ring mage and a renowned bounty hunter in the Blue Flame Islands, is now the "new queen" of Black Sails City. Her strength and prestige are enough to intimidate the bounty hunters.

Even so, the journey to claim the reward is still long and arduous.

The 38 goldbird coins did not originate from a single entity, but were scattered among numerous city-states and merchant guilds.

Sarah needs to visit each household to verify and hand over the documents.

It took more than half a year for this astronomical reward to finally be fully settled.

As instructed by Gaode beforehand, Sarah split the 38 Goldbird coins into two transactions:
18 pieces were shipped directly to Harland Shipyard in Auckland.

The remaining 20 coins, after a month-long sea voyage, finally arrived at Vallar Bay in the north today.

The Harland shipyard actually received the reward a month ago.

However, Gaode has been staying in the northern border region for some time and has not been able to receive the news in time.

Gao De intended to use the 180,000 Goldfinch coins shipped to Harland Shipyard for the shipyard's expansion, as start-up capital for Walmart's Magic Materials store, and for his own daily expenses.

As for the 200,000 goldbird coins, they were used to purchase things needed for the development of the North, including what Sunafa used for his training.

The specifics of how to use it will be left to Sunefa to decide.

At the same time, it will also be the first foreign exchange reserve in the North.

Although Ziqiongjin is now moving freely in the North, Gaode's expectations for it go beyond that.

He hoped that in the future, Ziqiong Gold could become a universal currency throughout the entire plane, just like the Golden Plantagenet Coin of the Golden Plantagenet Dynasty and the Imperial Throne Gold of the Holy Empire.

Under this premise, it is imperative to prepare foreign exchange reserves.

(End of this chapter)