Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 388 Trade, Han Peng's Team Arrives at Hongmen City
The first day of the ninth month in the eighth year of the Great Xia Dynasty
The deep integration of the nine towns on the southern slope of Mo'ao is not merely superficial.

While exchanges, marriages, alliances, and treaties can certainly deepen the connections between the nine towns, the most crucial means of integration among them is trade.

Because of trade, the nine towns can exchange goods and services, from precious cultivation resources to hunting equipment and weapons, and to various supplies for daily life. With the flow of these goods, the people of each town have more choices. For example, the people of Ba Shang in the far south can wear the unique red silk robe of Mu Yin Town, while the people of Bei Shuo in the far north can use the unique Dragon Carp Pill of Jiangxia Town, and so on.

Because of trade, the nine towns could learn from each other, from the town's management system and job design to martial arts techniques and hunting skills, common problems and difficulties encountered during cultivation, and even some tips for daily life. The information exchange driven by trade brought great convenience to the people of each town, whether in their lives or in their cultivation.
Because of trade, the nine towns were able to integrate resources, which not only greatly improved productivity but also led to the emergence of new things from time to time.

There are many examples of significant increases in productivity, such as brocade:

Ling cloth is a specialty of Beishuo Town. Its main material is mulberry silk. Because of its soft and delicate texture, as well as its windproof and warm properties, it is considered one of the top clothing fabrics among the nine towns.

Mulberry silk comes from white mulberry trees, which are actually quite common in Mo'ao Mountain. However, the problem is that each tree only produces three to five catties of mulberry silk per year, and it takes 30 catties of mulberry silk to produce one meter of silk fabric.

In the early days when Beishuo Town had just developed silk fabric from mulberry silk, one meter could sell for 50 taels of silver. You should know that it takes at least two meters of fabric to make a set of clothes for an adult. If the raw materials were so expensive, the finished clothes would be even more expensive.

Back then, a garment made of silk and cloth would cost at least 120 taels of silver, and if it was made by a famous craftsman, the price would be increased by another 30% to 50%.

However, with the opening of trade routes in the nine towns, the mulberry silk from the eight towns all flooded into Beishuo, causing a surge in the production of silk fabric in Beishuo Town. At first, Beishuo tried to keep it a secret, hoping to continue selling silk fabric at high prices to make money. But as the other eight towns gradually learned that mulberry silk was the raw material for silk fabric, they all raised the price of mulberry silk. Moreover, Wuchuan Town also developed the production process for silk fabric. Beishuo had no choice but to lower the price.

Now, the price of silk cloth has dropped to 5 taels of silver per meter, a tenfold decrease compared to before.

The price reduction means that more people can afford it. In the early days, when it cost 50 taels per meter, the only people in the towns who could afford to wear silk cloth were those who were only at the level of keeping warm. After the price dropped tenfold, many people at the limit of the Digging Realm, and even those at the Digging Realm, could wear it.

The signs of increased productivity are not only output, but also new things born from resource integration, the most representative of which is Hulidan from Jinshan Town.

For those at the peak of the Cold Resistance level who wish to further enhance their strength, there are now three options: Tiger Power Pill, Dragon Carp Pill, and Green Cod Pill. However, going back more than fifty years, there was actually only one option: the Green Cod Pill from Ba Shang.

More than sixty years ago, Xiahou Zhang's father, Xiahou Ming, risked his life to open up a body of water for Jiangxia Town. Thanks to that body of water, Jiangxia Town was able to successfully develop the Dragon Carp Pill, which gave all the peak-level Cold Resistance cultivators in the nine towns another option.

Hulidan from Jinshan Town is entirely a product of resource integration.

The pill that Jinshan Town developed for use in cold-resistant cultivation is called Tiger Yang Pill.

More than 20 years ago, Longgu Town discovered a spiritual plant called Tiger Stripe Grass deep in the Mo'ao Mountains. After studying it for several years without being able to figure it out, they had no choice but to sell it to the other eight towns so that they could study it.

After Jinshan Town obtained the tiger-striped grass, they spent several years researching it and unexpectedly developed the formula for Tiger Power Pill.

Thus, the peak of the Cold Resistance level in Jiuzhen had a third option.

………………

"The Nine Towns began official trade more than seventy years ago. This move not only enhanced the strength of the Nine Towns, but also enriched the material lives of all the people in the Nine Towns, and raised the average cultivation level of the people in the Nine Towns by a lot."

It's no exaggeration to say that the entire human civilization process on the southern slope of Mount Mo'ao only began to develop rapidly after trade started in the nine towns. You people are still young and don't know how hard life was more than seventy years ago.

Back then, the nine towns had absolutely no contact with each other. Any interaction inevitably led to war, with several village-level camps frequently being wiped out. Every now and then, strange monsters would appear, causing widespread devastation and immense suffering for humanity.

Nighttime, on the bluestone road north of Hongmen.

A team of about a hundred people was slowly making its way south through the wind and snow, pulling two giant four-wheeled supply trucks.

Since the team was already within the territory of Daxia Town, the snow on the bluestone road was not thick, and it was obvious that it was regularly cleared by the nearby village camps.

Most of the people in the group were pushing or pulling carts, with only about a dozen well-dressed individuals leading the way. The elderly man at the head of the group was explaining the Nine Towns Trade to a group of young people beside him.

The dozen or so people nearby nodded slightly in agreement after hearing the old man's words.

Only two young men dressed in plain clothes seemed distracted, their eyes fixed on the direction of Hongmen to the south.

There was also a middle-aged man who, after listening and thinking for a moment, shook his head and sighed softly to the old man: "What Old Han said is all correct. It's just a pity that most of the benefits brought by the trade between the nine towns have been taken by the nine towns. Our village-level camps have only received some scraps and haven't enjoyed much real benefit. Strictly speaking, we are all just working for the towns."

As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, everyone's expressions became subtle.

A glint of malice flashed in the old man's eyes as he subtly glanced at the two young men in the group. Seeing that their brows had already furrowed, he immediately said, "Chief Yue, you can't just talk nonsense like that! The trade was originally planned by the nine towns, so it's understandable that the town that benefits the most is the town itself."

You still need to think about it from the other side. If it weren't for the trade between the nine towns, how would we have been able to see so many wonderful things?

"What's the point of seeing it if you can't afford it?"

“Normal trade only exists between the nine towns. Without a trading license issued by a town, you are not qualified to buy supplies across towns. Even if we village camp people go there with silver, we can only do it secretly. If we are lucky, we will be ripped off at a high price, but at least we can get the goods. If we are unlucky, we will be murdered and robbed, and in the end, we will lose both our money and our lives. There are countless examples of this!”

“That’s right. The supplies that the nine towns trade with each other are sold to our village camps at a 20% markup. Apart from some low-grade and cheap items, we can only look at anything that’s a little more expensive and can’t buy it. We don’t even have the right to buy some of the higher-grade items.”

………………

Yue Long's words ultimately resonated with many more people.

It was clear that the old man was trying to salvage the situation, but his words unexpectedly backfired, causing even more people to express their dissatisfaction with the town.

This brings us to the three trade rules established by the Nine Towns.

First, trade is limited to the nine towns; second, not just anyone can participate in trade. Apart from the nine towns' chambers of commerce, anyone else who wants to trade across towns must have a trade certificate issued by the chamber of commerce; finally, there are time restrictions on trade. Trade does not take place all the time. Only in September and October of each year, when the nine towns open their trade channels simultaneously, will large quantities of goods, silver, and coins begin to circulate.

With these three rules in place, and all village-level camps on the southern slope of Mount Mo'ao only allowed to trade in their respective towns, the final result is not hard to deduce.

The productivity of towns and village-level camps is inherently unequal.

For example, with the same level 10 weapon, the town's craftsmanship will definitely surpass that of the village camp. In order to improve their combat power, the people in the village camp can only spend more basic resources to exchange for it in the town.

This imbalance in productivity naturally led to the exploitation of the village-level camps under the jurisdiction of the Nine Towns. This exploitation was already severe under normal circumstances, but when the Nine Towns began to engage in trade, whether due to the increased demand for various basic materials, other costs incurred in trade, or other factors, it undoubtedly exacerbated this exploitation.

For example, in Beishuo Town, there is a medicine called Fuyang Dan used to treat severe colds. Because of its mild nature, it is suitable for both adults and children. In village camps where there are not many ways to keep warm, it is considered a life-saving medicine.

The main ingredient of Fuyang Dan is Huiwencao (a type of herb). Originally, this kind of pill cost 20 taels. Later, when the Nine Towns started trading, Beishuo discovered that the other eight towns were making similar pills, which were not only less effective but also only suitable for adults. Seeing that the pills were in high demand, they immediately raised the price to 40 taels per pill.

This price increase applies not only to the other eight towns, but also to village-level camps within Beishuo's own jurisdiction.

Since the price of Fuyang Dan has increased, logically, the price of Huiwencao, the main ingredient, and other medicines in the formula should also increase.

The problem is, do these village-level camps dare to raise prices like those in the town? That's the crux of the matter. They simply don't dare to raise prices. And because the Rejuvenation Pill has become highly sought after in the eight towns, the demand for Warming Grass in Beishuo City has become extremely high. They are unwilling to spend so much money to buy it, and in the end, they deliberately lower the purchase price.

Faced with such blatant bullying, these village-level camps dared not speak out and could only swallow their anger.

The Fuyang Dan of Beishuo is just one example.

Countless examples like Fuyangdan were used by various towns to exploit the village-level camps below.

The people in the village camps aren't stupid. Over time, they all realized that while they did enjoy some of the benefits from trade, the majority of the profits went to the town—that's for sure.

The key issue is that for the sake of those small profits, they are exploited even more severely. When the two factors cancel each other out, they are essentially getting no profits at all. For some villages without special products, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

That's why Yue Long's words immediately resonated with everyone.

"Everyone, be careful what you say! Be careful what you say!"

Seeing the two young men in the group frowning even more, Han Peng couldn't help but offer another word of advice, then immediately changed the subject with a smile: "Isn't it because Daxia Town has opened up trade channels to all of us? All the village-level camps in our nine towns have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel..."

Upon hearing Han Peng's words, everyone immediately perked up.

Yue Long nodded emphatically and said, "Old Han is right. Since Hongmen opened in July, we village-level camps have truly made it through!"

He paused, his expression gradually becoming excited, and continued, "It is rumored that the Hongmen sells countless rare treasures and all kinds of cultivation resources. There are more than seventy kinds of pills alone, from Beast Essence Pills for six-year-old children to use for body tempering, to Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills for peak Cold Resistance cultivators to enhance their strength. They have everything. Moreover, the Great Xia does not discriminate based on status when selling these things. As long as you have silver, they will sell you anything!"

As soon as Yue Long finished speaking, everyone immediately started talking, one after another, excitedly offering their opinions.

"It's one thing that they're willing to sell, but the key is that the price is cheaper than in the eight towns. For example, the Dragon Carp Pill and Green Cod Pill that Brother Yue just mentioned, the lowest price in the other eight towns is 12 taels, but in Great Xia they are only 10 taels. Moreover, if you buy a lot at once, they can lower the price even further."

"Those are Dragon Carp Pills and Green Cod Pills! They would be fought over anywhere. Every family in the Eight Towns would treasure them. Normally, they would be lucky to sell 100 a year, but Great Xia is releasing 200 every month, and it seems that this is not their limit."

“It’s definitely not the limit. Think about it, Hongmen only opened as a port in July. Daxia must have reserved a lot of things for trade with the other eight towns in September and October. What they can sell to us village camps is probably surplus.”

"Furthermore, following the Tiger Power Pill, Dragon Carp Pill, and Green Cod Pill, the Great Xia Dynasty introduced a fourth type of pill last month that can further enhance the strength of those at the peak of the Cold Resistance level. I think it's called Black..."

"Black Fiend Pill!"

"That's right, that's right, it's the Black Fiend Pill. I heard about it. It only started being sold in Hongmen last month. All the peak-level Cold Resistance cultivators in our Jinshan Town went crazy when they heard about it and rushed to Hongmen to snatch it up."

"Not only are there many kinds of pills, but there are also many other things, such as summer silk, summer cloth, summer wine, summer salt, summer paper... I am familiar with Han Feng, the deputy leader of Gu Tan Village. You should know him too. At the end of last month, he let me taste a sip of the Great Xia Cold Blood Wine. I guess I will never forget the taste for the rest of my life. I must buy it when I come to Hongmen this time."

"Haha, I've also tried summer wine. The taste is indeed tempting. Once you've tasted it, you can never forget it. The key is that it's not only delicious, but it can also help improve blood circulation and increase cultivation speed. It also has a strong warming effect. In some extremely cold environments, it can even be used to save lives. It's really a good thing!"

"There are more than 30 kinds of summer wine, ranging from the best to the worst. The cold blood wine you mentioned is just one of them, and it's not expensive at all, only 7000 taels per catty."

Upon hearing that it cost 7000 taels per catty, everyone nodded in agreement. One of them, thinking of something, sneered and said, "The top-grade monkey wine produced in Beishuo City sells for 10000 taels of silver per catty, and they deliberately release only 500 catties each year. Now that we have Xia wine, let's see if they still dare to sell it for such a high price."

Tonight's team is mostly composed of people from Jinshan Town. They don't have a good attitude towards their own town, so they naturally have even less of a good attitude towards Beishuo Town.

A middle-aged man on the side seemed to have some bad memories stirred up by the monkey liquor. He snorted and said, "I've tasted monkey liquor. Compared to Xia wine, that stuff is not even as good as wolf urine. Only the people of Beishuo treat it as a treasure. I wouldn't drink it even if it were given to me."

Snow Shadow Wolves are the most common cold-blooded beasts on the outskirts of Mount Mo'ao. They like to mark their territory with hot urine. The man's teasing was clearly meant to annoy Bei Shuo.

The others laughed when they heard what he said was funny.

"Hahaha, Snow Shadow Wolf's urine is still warm and can be used to melt snow and keep warm. If Monkey Elixir couldn't increase cultivation speed, who would drink it!"

"It's even worse than wolf urine, hahaha!"

.........

The taste of monkey syrup is definitely not as good as that of summer wine.

However, the fact that it is so highly sought after by the upper echelons of Jiuzhen means that it is impossible for it to be as people jokingly say. In fact, those who make sarcastic remarks are probably people who have never tasted Houchunjiang.

Beishuo only sells 500 jin of it to the other eight towns every year. Those who can buy it are basically the upper class of each town. Naturally, these village-level camps cannot buy the cold-weather gear they need.

Their mocking remarks were filled with strong emotions, clearly stemming from a sour grapes mentality.

These people are just a microcosm.

It wasn't just them who had grievances against the town; almost all the village-level camps on the southern slope of Mount Mo'ao were fed up with the town's long-standing oppression. If it weren't for the protection provided by the town and the inability to find any better place to go, how could they willingly accept such exploitation?

Taking advantage of the opportunity to curse Beishuo Monkey Wine, everyone vented their resentment towards the town, completely unaware that the two young men on the flank of the group had extremely gloomy faces.

"Those two should be from Beishuo Town!"

Han Peng glanced at the two youths on the flank out of the corner of his eye and noticed that their expressions were getting increasingly grim. He immediately understood what was going on.

"Everyone, look! We're almost there! Hongmen City!"

Han Peng pondered for a moment, and seeing that the others were going too far, he realized that if they continued talking like this, the two young men might actually attack, and he would have a hard time handling the situation. He looked up and quickly interrupted the crowd.

Everyone immediately fell silent, looked up towards the south, and their pupils suddenly dilated.

About a kilometer to the south, a huge city wall stretching five or six kilometers from east to west is faintly visible in the darkness, with many coal stoves and bonfires hanging above it.

Looking at the coal stoves and campfires, everyone in the group was filled with longing and anticipation for their upcoming trip to Hongmen City.

Of course, except for those two young men from Beishuo.

"We've finally arrived. We'll soon find out whether this is the Great Xia Dynasty of Redwood Ridge or not!"

Yang Ning stared at Hongmen City, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes. He felt both anticipation and a strange sense of complexity.

(End of this chapter)