Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 393 Bargaining, Appearance and Promotion, Clown and Expulsion

The third floor of Wanbaolou, the most bustling area for medicinal pills.
"Miss Xiaorou, could you make the price of this ordinary Blood Spirit Pill a little cheaper? 700 taels per pill is really too expensive. Don't laugh at us, but we are just people from a small village and we really don't have much money on us."

Han Peng and his group of seventeen were currently lingering at a booth selling pills, unable to tear themselves away. There were only two pills on display: the one on the left was a jade-green color, while the one on the right was as red as blood.

On the top of Wanbaolou, a coal stove was hung every ten meters, so there was no shortage of light. However, even with so many light sources, the fluorescence emitted by the two pills could not be concealed. The one on the right, in particular, was still bright and dazzling, clearly not an ordinary product.

Each of the two pills has its own label:

[Ordinary Blood Spirit Pill, 700 taels: When taken at the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm, this pill can greatly increase the amount of beast blood used and the conversion efficiency during the reconstruction of the skin membrane, accelerate the skin membrane reconstruction process, and significantly shorten the time to break through to the Cold Resistance level.]

[Advanced Blood Spirit Pill, 1200 taels: Three times more effective than ordinary Blood Spirit Pill, and can also improve the user's skin membrane tolerance and has a chance to enhance combat physique aptitude]

Yue Long couldn't help but ask Zeng Rou if they could lower the price further.

His eldest son, Yue Yong, had just broken through to the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm last year and was currently in the stage of reshaping his skin membrane with beast blood. Seeing this Blood Spirit Pill, he couldn't help but want to make a move.

Actually, there were people in charge behind the booth, but since there was an acquaintance nearby, he still tried to appeal to Zeng Rou's emotions.

Not only Yue Long, but Han Peng and the others also hoped that Da Xia could lower the price. So when he spoke, Han Peng and the others turned to look at Zeng Rou and echoed his sentiments.

“Yes, Miss Xiaorou, we can’t compare with those people in the town. Our family is indeed not wealthy, so this price is a bit too high.”

"It would be great if the price could be lowered a bit."

"Not bad, 700 taels for ordinary and 1200 taels for high-grade, too expensive!"

………………

Zeng Rou had experienced too many such scenes, so naturally she didn't show any change in expression. She simply smiled at everyone and said, "Elder Han, everyone, as far as we know in Great Xia, there are only three kinds of spiritual pills that can be used for the cultivation of the Earth-Digging Realm at its limit in the entire southern foothills of Mo'ao. They are the Blood Velvet Pill from Beishuo Town, the Crimson Blood Pill from Wuchuan Town, and the Blood Coagulation Pill from Jinshan Town. The prices of these three pills have fluctuated over the years, but they have never been lower than 900 taels."

To be honest, we have tested all three of these pills. Their effects are not even as good as ordinary Blood Spirit Pills, let alone compared to high-grade Blood Spirit Pills. At 700 taels per pill, they are definitely worth every penny!

If you don't believe me, you can buy one and try it yourself, or ask other customers in the building!

After Zeng Rou finished speaking, Han Peng and the others looked somewhat embarrassed.

Precious cultivation resources like elixirs are unlike other things. First, it's difficult to find substitutes, and second, even if you do find them, their effectiveness varies.

As soon as they saw the Blood Spirit Pill, they immediately thought of the three kinds of pills Zeng Rou had mentioned, so they all knew very well that the price set by Great Xia was actually not high at all.

Before Zeng Rou could finish her sentence, she explained that the lowest price for the three types of pills—Blood Velvet Pill, Crimson Blood Pill, and Blood Coagulation Pill—was indeed 900 taels. However, that was the price at which the town traded between different villages. When the town sold them to village-level camps like theirs, the price would increase by another 20%. Therefore, for these people, the lowest price should have been 1080 taels.

They weren't fools. They'd been browsing around for so long, and they could tell from the prices of many things that Da Xia had already thoroughly investigated the prices of goods in the eight towns. Zeng Rou wasn't saying it outright just to save them some face.

Seeing the awkward expressions on everyone's faces, Zeng Rou's expression remained unchanged. After a moment's thought, she continued, "If you all want to buy at a lower price, there are other ways. Our Wanbaolou has a rule: if an individual's single transaction amount reaches 20 taels, a reduction of 5000 taels will be given; if it reaches 50 taels, a reduction of 15000 taels will be given; if it reaches 100 taels, a reduction of 40000 taels will be given; the higher the transaction volume, the greater the reduction..."

Han Peng and the others clearly didn't seem like the type to come up with a lot of money at once, so Zeng Rou stopped talking after mentioning 100 million.

Yue Long looked at the Blood Spirit Pill with hesitation in his eyes. He quickly made a decision, took a step forward, and was about to speak when a commotion suddenly broke out in the crowd.

"Greetings, Chief Justice Qiu, Chief Justice Yuan, and Chief Justice Lin!"

"Greetings, Master Qiu!"

"OP?"

"Chief Qiu is not only one of the eight chief ministers, but also the owner of Wanbaolou. All transactions with the Eight Towns Chamber of Commerce, including the prices of all items in Wanbaolou, are set by him."

"Does this Qiu Sizheng wield considerable power?"

"Nonsense, he's the Director of the Logistics Department, one of the eight ministries of the Great Xia Dynasty, in charge of all the supplies in the entire town. Do you think he's powerful or not?"

"Director Yuan from the Jurisdiction Department has also arrived. There are only eight directors in total, and two of them have come this time. Is there something going on at Wanbaolou today?"

"The third is Lin Shouzhen."

"Greetings, Master Qiu."

…………

The crowd suddenly parted to make way for three young men dressed in crimson robes, who slowly walked toward the Blood Spirit Pill booth amidst the respectful bows of the crowd.

Inside Wanbaolou, there were either guests dressed in black robes and masks or staff dressed in blue robes who were responsible for receiving guests. There were basically no other colors of clothing, so the three of them stood out in the crowd. It's no wonder that they were recognized by many people even before they got close.

News about the Great Xia had already spread like wildfire throughout the Eight Towns. Han Peng and the others were well aware of what the positions of Sizheng and Shouzheng represented.

Seeing that the three men were clearly targeting his booth, Han Peng subconsciously glanced at Yang and Li behind him, then followed the others in bowing and quickly retreating to the side.

"Greetings, Lord Yuan, Lord Lin!"

Zeng Rou was also somewhat excited at this moment. Although she was a member of the Logistics Department, she had previously worked in the Logistics Division of the East Second District of the Outer City. Whether it was Lin Kai, Yuan Cheng, or her superior Qiu Peng, these were all important figures she could not usually meet.

Since arriving in Hongmen City, she had only seen Qiu Peng once before, on the day of the building staff training, from afar. This was the first time she had ever been face-to-face with him at a distance of only a few meters, and she was naturally very excited.

"No need for formalities, please rise!"

Qiu Peng had already walked up to Zeng Rou. He first gestured for her to stand up, then reached out and picked up the Blood Spirit Pill from the display stand. He smiled at Han Peng and the others and said, "I've noticed that you've lingered at this display stand for quite some time. You must be very interested in this Blood Spirit Pill, but I haven't seen you buy it yet. Could it be that you think the price offered by our Great Xia is a bit too high?"

Han Peng and the others were stunned upon hearing this.

Not only them, but Zeng Rou was also stunned when she heard the question.

Who is Qiu Peng?
He is the Director of the Logistics Department of the Great Xia Dynasty and the owner of Wanbaolou. The business deals he negotiates with the eight town merchant guilds involve tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, of yuan.

Does the price of the Blood Spirit Pill really need him to come down and inquire about it personally?

But Zeng Rou quickly realized what was happening and turned to look at Han Peng and his group, her expression instantly becoming wary.

Although Han Peng and the others were wearing masks and their expressions were not visible, their bodies trembled slightly, clearly indicating that they had realized something.

When Qiu Peng and his two companions came down, many people noticed them. Now, many people have realized what was happening and all eyes are on Han Peng and his group.

"Is there something wrong with this group?"

"It must be. They probably used a fake identity. Last month, more than a dozen cases were uncovered at Wanbaolou, all involving people who had sneaked in using fake identities."

"Does the Great Xia know too much about the situation in the Eight Towns? They can even confirm the status of all the village-level camps at the Cold-Weather Level?"

"What's so hard to confirm? We may not know all the cold-resistant level Great Xia in the town, but there aren't many village-level camps under each town's jurisdiction. The largest, Jinshan Town, only has 72. Even if each camp has an average of 15 cold-resistant level camps, that's only 1080 in total. The eight towns together have less than 10,000 people. Information about these village-level camps isn't hard to find out, so it's very easy to confirm."

"I see. What if it gets found out?"

"What can we do? We have to follow the rules. They already said when we entered the city that if we were caught, we would be expelled and never be allowed to enter Hongmen City again."

"This is... a bit tragic!"

…………

Since everyone inside the building was dressed in black robes, no one could tell who Han Peng and his group were. However, based on the actions of Qiu Peng and his two companions, they could basically deduce the truth of the matter.

It's human nature to love watching a spectacle. After a few clever people pointed it out, the rest of the people naturally watched with great interest, eager to see how things would develop.

Hearing these words from those around them, Han Peng and his group became increasingly tense, even showing signs of fear.

Of course, not all of the seventeen people in the group were like that.

For example, Yang Ning and Li Hu were just looking at Qiu Peng and the other two with their brows furrowed, waiting for them to continue.

After seeing Qiu Peng and Lin Kai clearly, they were 100% certain that today's Daxia Town was the same small camp they had encountered nine years ago at Hongmu Ridge.

After confirming this, the two felt a mix of emotions, from complicated to excited, and then, upon realizing that Qiu Peng and the other two were most likely after them, their excitement immediately subsided.

It sounds like a long time, but from the moment Qiu Peng asked that question until now, only a moment has passed. Seeing that Han Peng and the others didn't answer him, Qiu Peng smiled and continued, "Whether it's expensive or not, it's not up to you to decide, nor is it up to my Great Xia. Only the transaction volume of the eight towns can tell the whole story..."

Qiu Peng paused, looked down to recall, and quickly remembered, continuing, "If I remember correctly, this month Wanbaolou prepared a total of 6400 Blood Spirit Pills for the Eight Towns, including 4000 ordinary ones at 750 taels each and 2400 high-grade ones at 1400 taels each. I won't hide it from you, all 6400 Blood Spirit Pills have been bought up by the six towns that arrived ahead of time, including the Wuchuan Chamber of Commerce!"

Everyone, including Han Peng and the others, was instantly stunned.

"The price they offered the Eight Towns Chamber of Commerce was even higher than ours?"

"The ordinary ones are 50 taels more expensive, the high-grade ones are 200 taels more expensive, and the high-end ones are even more expensive?"

"Isn't it true that the more you buy, the cheaper it gets?"

"That's for us, but it's different for the Eight Towns!"

"This...how is this possible?"

"Why is it impossible? That should be the case. How could Great Xia be willing to sell something that enhances strength to the other eight towns at a low price?"

“We people from village camps can’t sell much to begin with, and even if Da Xia sets a high price, we won’t make much profit. It’s different for the town’s chamber of commerce. They have a lot of silver in their hands, so of course Da Xia will fleece them.”

"Doesn't Wuchuan Town have Crimson Blood Pills? Do they want to buy them too?"

"Needless to say, its effect is definitely not as good as this Blood Spirit Pill."

"The Great Xia actually sold it to us at a low price, how generous!"

"If Master Qiu hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have known about this."

………………

Qiu Peng's words stirred up a storm, and the building instantly erupted in discussion, with everyone joining in the heated debate.

Upon hearing that the Great Xia had offered the Eight Towns Chamber of Commerce a higher price than they had, most people were gloating. A few praised the Great Xia for its generosity, while others remained silent, most likely those with connections to the towns.

Qiu Peng looked up and glanced around at the crowd, a glint in his eyes, and continued loudly, "Not only Blood Spirit Pills, but everything in this Wanbao Pavilion, as long as you come to buy it as an individual, you can enjoy a lower price than the Eight Towns Chamber of Commerce. If you don't believe me, you can go and ask around yourself." Whether you come from a town or a village camp, as long as you come as an individual, you can enjoy a lower price than the Eight Towns Chamber of Commerce.

The crowd quickly grasped the key point of Qiu Peng's words, and their expressions immediately became restless, clearly indicating that they were all plotting something.

A very small number of intelligent people pondered Qiu Peng's words for a moment, and then suddenly understood something. Their bodies jolted, and they looked up at Qiu Peng with horror in their eyes.

Previously, when the Great Xia opened trade to all village-level camps in the Eight Towns, many people had already seen that this was a move to undermine the Eight Towns' foundation. Now, they have even set different prices for the Chambers of Commerce and individuals in the Eight Towns. This is clearly aimed at the cold-weather protection level in the eight towns. This is to carry out the undermining move even more thoroughly.

With this regulation in place, it's pretty much a given that the cold-resistant residents of the eight towns will flock to Wanbaolou to buy things.

Of course, this regulation also has loopholes. The leaders of the Eight Towns could easily avoid the form of a chamber of commerce transaction and instead send individuals to Wanbaolou to obtain the pills and supplies of the Great Xia at a low price.

The problem is that the amount of things an individual can buy is entirely up to the Great Xia Dynasty. By simply setting a purchase limit for each individual and carefully verifying the identity of the buyer, this loophole can be easily plugged.

Once the leaders of the Eight Towns adopt this approach, they will be completely unable to stop their subordinates from coming to Wanbaolou. It can't be that you high-ranking officials can come, but others can't, right?

Buying things doesn't necessarily mean anything, but as time goes on, people in the town will have more and more contact with Da Xia. Who can guarantee 100% that there won't be any problems?

Therefore, as trade continues, the Great Xia will penetrate the Eight Towns more and more thoroughly until, in the end, the Eight Towns will no longer be able to resist the Great Xia.

Intelligent people are a tiny minority, and even if these people see through it, they won't make a fuss about it. However, when they look at Qiu Peng and the others from Da Xia, their eyes clearly show a hint of interest.

Qiu Peng naturally had no idea that the methods Xia Hong had taught him had already been seen through by a very small number of intelligent people. He looked around at everyone, suddenly showed respect, cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "My lord Xia Hong has a benevolent heart and often feels that the Ice Abyss human race is not easy to survive. Since my Great Xia has the ability, it also has the obligation to make more humans stronger and live better."

The lord knows that your village-level camps are not like towns; resources are scarce, and daily life is difficult. Since trade has been opened to you, setting prices too high would not help you. That's why I insisted on setting prices lower than in towns.”

Qiu Peng not only deliberately raised his voice, but also spoke with great emotion, so that almost everyone on the third floor could hear him. The building fell silent instantly, and most people looked surprised, clearly deeply shocked.

"Lord Xia Hong, have you already set your sights on the entire Ice Abyss Human Race?"

"If you have the ability, then you have the obligation to help more people..."

"What about those eight towns that used to sell us things at high prices?"

"Exploitation, what else is it? Which of the other eight town lords has the magnanimity of Lord Xia Hong?"

"No wonder Lord Xia Hong is so strong, yet he hasn't led Great Xia to annex any camps. So far, he has only taken action once, which was to kill those monsters from Dajue Temple and rescue everyone in our Eight Towns."

"Such strength and such demeanor, I have never admired anyone in my life, but today I am completely convinced by Lord Xia Hong!"

"With Lord Xia Hong, the human race on the southern slopes of Mount Mo'ao is truly blessed!"

"I've made up my mind. As soon as Great Xia starts accepting people from other towns, I'll be the first to bring my wife and children to join."

………………

Hearing what the crowd below said, Qiu Peng turned to look at Yuan Cheng and Lin Kai, and a smile flashed across the eyes of all three of them.

The idea of ​​building momentum for the lord in the eight towns was Si Cheng Xia Chuan's, and it started after the Feast at Hongmen. What they are doing now is just one part of the process.

Reputation may not have much effect in the short term, but it becomes a different story once it takes hold and becomes deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Qiu Peng turned his gaze to the back of Han Peng and his group, glancing casually at the two people before quickly looking away and facing the crowd, saying, "I've digressed a bit. Let's get back to the Blood Spirit Pill. I hope you all don't think it's too expensive now?"

"Of course it's not expensive, only 700 taels. Compared to the three northern towns, this price is incredibly reasonable!"

"That's right, it works better than the three towns, and it's 20% to 30% cheaper. If we still think it's too expensive, then we're being ungrateful."

"700 taels can buy a elixir for breaking through to the cold resistance level, and its effect is better than that of the three northern towns. What more could we ask for?"

………………

Upon hearing this, Qiu Peng's smile deepened. He suddenly changed the subject, saying, "Leaving aside other matters, let's talk about the Blood Velvet Pill from Beishuo. I have personally verified it before. It is inferior to the Crimson Blood Pill from Wuchuan and the Blood Coagulation Pill from Jinshan. Compared to the Blood Spirit Pill from my Great Xia, it is not even as good as garbage."

Such a low-grade elixir, only the people of Beishuo would treat it like a treasure, daring to sell it for a high price of 1300 taels. This shows that the Yang family of Beishuo treats their village-level camps' cold-resistant elixirs as worthless, only concerned with accumulating wealth and exploiting others. Such despicable behavior makes our Great Xia ashamed to stand alongside Beishuo on the southern slopes of Mo'ao!

Thump...

As soon as Qiu Peng finished speaking, the entire floor fell silent.

This time it was even quieter than before. Everyone looked up at Qiu Peng, their expressions unclear, but their eyes clearly showed surprise and confusion.

Among the three types of pills for breaking through to the Cold Resistance level, the Blood Velvet Pill is indeed the worst, but it's not as bad as Qiu Peng said, that it's even worse than garbage.

As for Qiu Peng's second statement, the fact that the Yang family of Beishuo didn't treat the village-level camp's cold-weather guards as human beings and only cared about accumulating wealth and exploiting them was indeed quite satisfying to everyone.

The problem is, it's not just the Yang family of Beishuo who don't treat them like human beings!

The Shangguan clan of Jinshan, the Qin clan of Wuchuan, the Cao clan of Yangqu...

The incident at Dajue Temple, where the Eight Garrisons directly dispatched soldiers from various villages within their territory to their deaths, basically illustrates this point.

In the entire Mo'ao Eight Towns, who treats the cold-weather gear of their village-level camps as human beings?

Why did Qiu Peng specifically mention the Yang family of Beishuo?
Moreover, the last sentence, "The shame of the Great Xia and the Northern Shuo both stand on the southern slope of Mo'ao," seems a bit too deliberate.

Soon, everyone understood!
"A town that has been established for less than ten years, born in a crude and lowly place, and only managed to rise to the level of a small town by luck, yet you dare to speak ill of Beishuo and insult the Yang family here. I should have killed you nine years ago!"

At the very back of Han Peng's group, Yang Ning finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward.

He directly lifted his black robe and removed his mask.

From the moment Qiu Peng and the other two appeared, he vaguely realized that his and Li Hu's identities had been exposed. Then, Qiu Peng so abruptly changed the topic to the Blood Velvet Pill and used it to slander and defame the Yang family. They understood that this was clearly meant for them.

Now that he's been exposed, there's no need for him to hide it anymore.

Moreover, what Qiu Peng said had already crossed his bottom line.

He himself was a member of the Yang family, how could he sit idly by and watch outsiders insult Beishuo and slander the Yang family like this?
Li Hu also realized what was happening and, like Yang Ning, removed his black robe and mask. He deliberately raised his voice and sneered at Qiu Peng and the other two, "In more than nine years, your Great Xia has grown from a small camp with a hundred people to a town-level camp. If it weren't for your supernatural abilities, I would have my name written backwards from now on. You bewitch others and win people's hearts. You and Dajue Temple are no different!"

These two were quick-witted enough, but unfortunately they misunderstood.

Yang Ning and Li Hu both believed they were doomed to die today, so they wanted to reveal the fact that the Great Xia Dynasty would only last ten years before they died, and spread the word through everyone present.

How could Qiu Peng not see what the two meant?
Before coming downstairs to see Yang and Li, Qiu Peng had actually thought a lot about it. He had prepared at least three or four ways to humiliate and retaliate against the two.

But when he actually faced the two of them, his mindset changed instantly.

He instantly understood why the Minister of Justice was so dismissive of the two men.

With a changed perspective, it's true that I can't feel any hatred towards these clowns anymore.

"The dynasty will last no more than ten years?"

"The Great Xia Dynasty has only been developing for a little over nine years?"

"How...this...is possible?"

"Nine years. How old is Lord Xia Hong this year?"

"Nobody knows!"

“I have relatives in Muyin City. I heard from them that Yuwen Tao, the Chief of the Military Affairs Department of the Great Xia Dynasty, is probably not even thirty years old yet.”

"Plop..."

"I hadn't noticed until you pointed it out, but Xia Sicheng, Qiu Sizheng, Yuan Sizheng, and Lin Shouzhen, the high-ranking officials from Great Xia who have appeared at Hongmen so far, all seem to be quite young!"

"The Manifestation Yang level can be explained by cultivation level, but these people only have the Cold Resistance level cultivation, so their appearance is basically their real age?"

"this…………"

........................

Yang Ning and Li Hu were completely stunned.

The reactions of those around them were completely different from what they had expected.

Why does nobody care about ghosts anymore?

The Great Xia Dynasty is associated with ghosts and monsters!

How could it possibly grow from a small town to a township level in just over nine years?

"Two clowns, who are you? If Yang Zun and Yang Fa said this, some fools might believe it. With your meager strength, you think you can frame my Great Xia Town?"

Lin Kai couldn't help but speak with a cold laugh.

Qiu Peng shook his head repeatedly, without saying a word;
On the other side, Yuan Cheng, who had the worst temper, had already become furious when he heard the two of them smearing Da Xia. After Lin Kai finished speaking, he immediately unleashed his full power and slowly walked towards the two of them.

"I originally only intended to expel you, but you two scum dared to slander my Great Xia as being related to monsters. It seems I have to teach you a lesson!"

boom…………

Yuan Cheng suddenly launched himself forward, passing directly through layers of people and instantly crashing down in front of Yang Ning and Li Hu.

Weapons are not allowed inside Wanbaolou. This rule applies equally to everyone, including Yang Ning and Li Hu, as well as Yuan Cheng.

Despite not wearing any weapons, Yuan Cheng's body was like a giant piece of steel carrying immense force, not only stirring up the airflow throughout the entire floor, but also emitting a golden light from his palms as he slammed them down on Yang Ning and Li Hu below, one on each side.

boom……

(End of this chapter)