From a carp to a dragon god

Chapter 172 Doing Business with the Canal Merchants
Walk out of the Huaishui Market and head southeast, cross two floating bridges, and you will arrive at the guild hall of the Five Associations and Eight Lines. The Five Associations are on the left and the Eight Lines are on the right.

There is a temple here, which is the Temple of the God of Goods. It was built by the reincarnation of the immortal Teng in human form. Later, another large temple was built in Huaishui Daji.

There is no temple priest in this temple of the God of Goods at present. Jiang Dazhu, the reincarnation of Tengxian, left Shui City to preach three hundred years ago.

There are a few spiritual practitioners in the big temple at Huaishui Daji. In order to show their respect to their master, they don't come here on other days except burning incense in the small temple on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month.

At this time, the five elements and eight trades invited a "xingxi opera" and released the news in advance. On August 15th, the results would be announced on the spot after the opera.

The bustling water market was in turmoil. Many merchants closed their shops and gathered at the small temple early. A stage was being set up in front of the temple.

Looking at the spectators, there were probably several thousand of them. Fortunately, there was a large open space in front of the small temple, which was reserved for preaching when it was built.

This small square may not look big, but in fact tens of thousands of people can stand side by side without feeling crowded. This is because it has been refined with forbidden rituals, and the stone slabs used in it only look small, but the same size is true when you stand on them.

Seeing the noisy crowd, Yu Shuyang didn't have the energy to squeeze in to take a look, so he followed Li Zhen and his eighth brother-in-law Huang Wenxun into the Salt Guild Hall.

Among the five associations, the Salt Association ranks first. Among the salt associations, the tribute salt has the greatest influence. Because it dominates the southwest Shuchuan, it has a large number of sword immortals and demon immortals serving it.

Luang Po is a great demon of the late fifth rank. However, because she has been in the Water City for a long time, never takes action, and is easy-going and low-key, people often overlook that she is also a demon fairy.

All those who could come to the Salt Guild Hall today have already arrived, including the four inland branches: Gong, Jie, Qing and Shi, and the five sea salt branches: Susha in the north, Sheyang in Wuzhou, Changlu in Taihang, Minjiang in Yuezhou, and Yingkou in Menzhou.

The heads of the nine salt associations all gathered together to drink tea. This situation has been going on for fifteen days. Fortunately, they are all practitioners and do not feel suffocated after staying indoors for fifteen days.

At this moment, every guild hall of the Five Associations and Eight Lineages was in the same scene. Everyone was facing a great enemy and had no way to deal with it. The descendant of the Eastern Demon Sect had sneaked in.

As soon as Luang Po led the three demons into the guild hall, there was a burst of greetings one after another. She has been in charge of the Water Market for many years and her seniority is so great that people from all branches treat her as an elder.

The captain of the boat was waiting in the lobby early. Seeing Luang Pu leading the three demons in, he hurried forward and said, "Brother, the people are waiting upstairs."

"You take the three young men over and take good care of them. I'll go inside and take a look." Luang Pu ordered.

He turned to Huang Wenxun and said, "Snake, the people are waiting upstairs. You can go and talk with your brothers. The rest depends on your ability."

After saying that, Luang Pu went inside. It was said that when the nine heads of the family were discussing matters together, outsiders were not allowed to enter, not even if Luang Pu had a lot of experience.

Ever since the meeting, Luang Pu has been trying to avoid suspicion and went to the tribute salt warehouse. She didn't want to get involved in this matter.

The water market is closed, and even if it is completely blocked, it will not harm her. It is a good opportunity for her to go back to Shuchuan to see her relatives and treat it as a visit to her parents.

However, under the pretext of closing the market, Shuishi sent someone to invite Jiang Dazhu, but in the end he was not invited back, and only a messenger from the department store god was welcomed.

This messenger was from the sea toad clan, with some green fly blood mixed in. It was unknown if he had mutated, but he hadn't said a word since he arrived.

He seemed to be just going through the motions. Apart from holding up the sacred flag of Xuantian Duobao Zhenjun, he just sat in the temple and didn't come out.

Luang Pu knocked on the door, and without waiting for the person inside to open it, she unlocked the door, pushed the door open and came in, ignoring the surprised looks of others.

The other branches had no say, so the head of the tribute salt, Liu An, the black tiger spirit of Pengxi, had to stand up and say a few words.

"Grandma rushed in so aggressively, is it because the sky is falling?" Liu An is a generation younger than Luang Po and has a higher position. He usually calls Luang Po "Grandma".

"The sky isn't falling, so stop being so sarcastic. I didn't want to bother with this, but fate has made me want to come and inform you.

Now a successor of the Taoist Alliance has come upstairs. I think he is a newcomer and has no position.

Let me put this in advance. The person was brought here by the old woman, and the favor is from the tribute salt side. I only have one request, and that is that I cannot offend him.

That’s all for now, I don’t care about the rest.” After saying this, Luang Pu didn’t even give the other managers a good look, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

The current situation of the water market being closed is not because of fear of the Eastern Demon Sect or the Wenxiang Sect, but because they are afraid of the consequences.

They are all doing business, and there is no need for them to get involved in the disputes among the demon sects. Besides, there are many things behind the suspension of the market this time.

Once they met face to face, the Five Societies and Eight Trades had fought several times with Jiang Dazhu, and the two sides were completely at odds with each other. It became an iron rule that no other temples could be built in Shuishi.

Jiang Dazhu was also forced to leave by the Five Associations and Eight Sects, leaving only a few disciples to guard here. Now that the Eastern Demon Sect has sneaked in, it is unprecedented.

The Divine Sect and the Demonic Sect had to hold back when fighting each other. Except when they were killing, the Five Directions Demonic Sect usually stayed in their own nests and never came to the Divine Sect, let alone hide there.

It is now an open secret that the descendants of the Eastern Demon Sect have sneaked into Shui City. In order to avoid the dispute between the Eastern Demon Sect and the Wenxiang Sect, Shui City will be closed.

However, the Five Societies and Eight Lineages are unable to do so at the moment. Unless they join forces to arrange people to surround and kill the enemy, they will not be able to drive the enemy away at all.

During the last killing calamity, the Eastern Demon Sect’s lair was destroyed, and most of the demon cultivators were killed or maimed, leaving only two or three cats and kittens.

Now they are like three pounds of nails on a broken boat. It is obvious that they are just being poor and arrogant. They will stay here as long as they cannot be driven away.

Regardless of how the nine managers of the Salt Association discussed it, Li Zhen, Yu Shuyang, and Huang Wenxun followed the captain upstairs.

The third leader of the Caohui who was called in was from the Luxi Jishui and Qinghe lines in the north, and was also from a big family in Luxi - the Luxi Yellow Cattle.

Actually, he is from the same clan as the bull-headed monster Hong Tao, but Hong Tao is an ordinary yellow ox from western Shandong. After plowing the fields in Hedong for many years, he became intelligent and became a spirit. Now he has married into the clan of Jin Lingzi in Jinfeng Cave.

Sanbaotou's transformation into human form was very neat, without any trace of a bull monster on his body. He had a square face like a northerner and a strong and powerful body. Anyone who saw him would have to praise him as a hero from western Lu.

"Captain Cao, these three are your guests. Let me introduce one to you. This one is surnamed Huang, and he is the son of the Zhe clan, a prominent Huaishui clan.

These two are his brother-in-law, talented men that our elder brother values, so we must give them some respect and help this matter come to fruition."

After explaining the three monsters, the captain turned around and said, "This is Cao Baotou, the leader of the Niu clan in western Lu. He has 1,800 cargo ships under his command.

He is a first-class merchant on the waterways of the north. He is a very chivalrous man who enjoys making friends with heroes. I will not disturb you from discussing business."

The boat captain was Luang Pu's subordinate and had experienced many big scenes. After introducing the two parties, he arranged for the servants of the guild to serve tea and then left.

Cao Baotou was followed by two people: a merchant advisor on the water, who was responsible for signing contracts and signing transactions, and a man holding a white paper fan, who was responsible for helping with advice.

"Mr. Huang, I heard that you want to sell a shipload of good goods and are looking for a buyer. I wonder how you plan to sell it?" Cao Baotou asked politely.

He had received a visiting card from Luang Pu and, having just received a favorable word from the captain, he had to make this deal today, regardless of whether it was profitable or not. "Captain Cao, my brother-in-law is in charge of this cargo, so let him discuss it with you," Huang Wenxun explained hurriedly.

Just now, the captain emphasized the explanation of Huang Wenxun, and Captain Cao mistakenly thought that he was the one who discussed this matter, but he didn't expect that the owner of the goods was someone else.

It is true that the Zhe family has been based in the Huai River for seven generations, earlier than the opening of the water market, and even the current Huai River Dragon Palace cannot compare to it.

If you really want to do business, you don't need to rely on the favor of Luang Pu of the Salt Association and do business in a roundabout way. You can just go directly to the Cao Association to do business.

"Boss Cao, my surname is Li, my given name is Zhen, and I was born in the East China Sea, a blue wave insect. My business is somewhat related to the East China Sea Dragon Palace and Yazhou Monster City.

Originally, I wanted to open up the trade route between Donghai and Wuzhou. Joining forces with you is like having a meal, but it's only on the sea."

Li Zhen had been traveling for business for more than a month, and had become very proficient in introducing himself when meeting guests along with his eighth cousin-in-law Huang Wenxun.

After hearing what Li Zhen said, Cao Baotou couldn't help but look at him with admiration. He grew up in the waters of western Shandong and knew how powerful the maritime merchants of eastern Shandong were.

I didn't expect that we would be connected now, so I couldn't help but feel more enthusiastic, but then I felt a little more nervous.

There have been rules in the business world since ancient times. It is said that dragons have their own ways and snakes have their own ways. The canal merchants make a living from the water transportation business. If they interfere with the maritime merchants, it would be considered as overstepping their boundaries.

Cao Batou was silent for a moment, and the white paper fan behind him hurriedly reminded him, "Brother Cao, would you like to personally review this shipment of goods from the Li brothers?"

Here, Captain Cao was reminded and came to his senses. No matter what happened in the future, it was just a shipload of cargo, and he could handle it anyway.

"Brother Li, you must have brought the manager with you. Let them discuss the matter. We brothers are going to have a drink. I will take over all the cargo on this ship.

I'll give you an additional 30% on top of the market price as a gift."

Cao Baotou has the style of a grain transport merchant. He always uses money to pave the way. No matter how the future cooperation will be, making friends is the first priority.

"Boss Cao, you are too polite. We are doing business here. This is not a one-time deal. I want to establish a brand in the future.

I can't eat the meat and only give soup to my brothers. Don't mention the idea of adding 30% profit again.

I was sent by my mother to look for opportunities. My family and the stewards have all stayed on the treasure ship. Here is a list for you to review first."

Li Zhen's main purpose was to open up trade routes, not to make huge profits. He knew the difficulty of opening up trade routes, and there were large sea merchants along the coast everywhere.

They have joined forces to divide up the inland market. Trying to intervene is like trying to grab chestnuts from the fire. Once you are targeted, you will definitely be hit hard.

"Brother Li, that's great. I'm not stingy. I won't even look at this order. I'll let you take a look.

I don't know where the treasure ship is. I don't know if it can be sailed to the Huai River. If it is possible, please send a letter to it.

I'll leave the rest to you, brother. I'll make sure you're satisfied. Let's go have some food and drink now." Cao Baotou said proudly, holding Li Zhen's arm and walking out.

"Captain Cao has given me such a gracious invitation, so I shouldn't refuse. However, I am a cultivator of the Way of the God of Wealth, so I must sign the business contract first before I can enjoy the feast.

"I wonder if we can settle the bill without using money? Let's barter, so I don't have to return with an empty ship." Li Zhen replied modestly.

Business matters cannot be brought up over the dinner table; many things must be finalized in advance, otherwise trouble may arise in the end when everyone is drunk.

"In that case, I will wait for the Li brothers. Master Shang, please quickly sign the business contract so that I can go have a drink with the three brothers." Cao Baotou urged.

While answering, Mr. Shang also took out a list and gave it to Li Zhen. It was the goods traded by the northern grain merchants. He let Li Zhen circle the goods and started to estimate the price and write the invoice by using an abacus.

Li Zhen also took out a pen and paper to write down the name and quantity of the goods. He had to calculate the amount while estimating the size. It was impossible that the treasure ship could not accommodate all the goods, or that half of the ship was empty.

Yu Shuyang and his brother-in-law Huang Wenxun each held a teacup and drank tea, muttering to each other. Don't be fooled by his relaxed expression.

This was the first time he had seen this Captain Cao, but he knew him because he was the number one in Bai Dan's account book.

The relationships among the Wuzhou Gongjia sect were like a spider web, connected through the incense altar of the Yaoyi sect, and finally gathered on the canal transport, connecting Wuzhou and the north.

Bai Dan cleverly dispersed his wealth to hundreds of places, and this power was not noticeable on the surface. Cao Baotou was the largest water merchant in the north, and many transactions could not go around him.

Therefore, Yu Shuyang had been observing secretly since he entered the door. You know, Bai Dan had a huge sum of money hidden in the business of Cao Batou.

The business master in front of him is a well-known figure in the Baidan Yao family. He is the one who ensures that the money will not be swallowed up.

This is just like the clerks sent by money shops and bill shops. Anyone who takes money from the money shop without collateral will have a clerk follow them closely by the bill shop. There is also a special title for this clerk called "follow the accountant".

Unexpectedly, Cao Baotou was also a person who made full use of his talents. He actually asked Bao Zhangfang to be his business advisor to help him draw up business contracts, manage accounts and sign signatures.

At this time, Yu Shuyang was not in a hurry to take out the talisman money. Firstly, Bai Dan's life or death was uncertain, and he did not want to get involved in the mess in Taiping Dragon Palace.

The Yunmen Water Palace that he had obtained from the white turtle Youguang in Shibalipu was given to his eighth brother-in-law and melted into the space in the belly of the Bashe.

Secondly, although this money is sunk in Cao Baotou's business, it is not without guarantee. It is equivalent to a guaranteed investment.

Those who passed through the Temple of the God of Wealth had a monk from the Divine Sect of the Temple as their guarantor, and there was also a private contract signed between the demon clan and Cao Baotou.

It can be said that Bai Dan put in a lot of effort and was not afraid that Cao would turn against him. He used three methods to lock up the money, including the accountant, the god of wealth temple, and the evil book of the factory.

Here, Li Zhen and Shang Shiye exchanged lists, each checking their own side to ensure the cleanliness of the accounts, and began to sign the contract.

Li Zhen and Cao Baotou each signed with their seals, agreeing to deliver all the goods within fifteen days, and the two sides exchanged 50 million coins for goods.

Finally, Cao Baotou had to pay an additional 30 million in cash, and the deal was finalized.

"Brother Li, you can rest assured now, right? Let's go eat and drink. There's a big show by the Baoqing Troupe tonight, so it's time to have some fun."

Cao Baotou took Li Zhen and the other two downstairs and went to Cao Guild Hall for a drink.

　Finally wrote a long chapter, thanks.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)