Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 356 Two years later, the prelude to the final battle (a little late)
Sichuan trade?
Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao's heart stirred.

That wasn't just ordinary interest, it was genuine interest.

Jiannan Circuit is located in the southwestern mountains, surrounded by rolling hills. Most of its prefectures and counties have little land and a sparse population, and are extremely impoverished.

However, the basin in the center of Jiannan Road is a treasure trove of natural resources, with various mineral deposits, medicinal herbs, and Shu brocade, which is exported to various provinces and prefectures as its flagship product, making it a veritable goldmine.

Li Cunxiao himself didn't care about material enjoyment, but that didn't mean his men didn't.

The operation of a power cannot be separated from gold and silver, and this cannot be achieved by the leader's frugality alone; trade is necessary.

However, due to the terrain, trade in Sichuan was relatively closed off, and Dongchuan, needless to say, was completely monopolized by Wang Jian.

The King of Shu was very wary of the court's infiltration and politely declined its repeated requests for trade, both overt and covert.

As for the waterways in Xichuan, they are mainly controlled by Qingcheng Mountain.

Li Cunxiao originally planned to use a carrot and stick approach, coercing and enticing them, after the Chiwen naval force was formed. However, he did not expect these Taoist priests to be so sensible, saving him a lot of trouble.

"To be honest, Brother Yunyi, the two prefectures under my command are poor and the people are poor. The grain production is only enough to feed the people."

"The King of Shu is respectful to His Majesty, and aside from paying tribute, he is not greedy for wealth and does not engage in commerce."

"Even though I have the backing of Longxi, which allows me to transport goods to the capital, I still need someone to help me make connections in business."

Li Cunxiao's words seemed unintentional, but the implied meaning was quite obvious. Upon hearing this, Yun Yi's eyes lit up.

“Lord Li, you may not know this, but all the people of Sichuan admire the king’s rule. However, the capital is far away, and we are willing but unable to do so.”

"Who are some of your acquaintances in the capital?"

Li Cunxiao said casually, "I'm just acquainted with a few dukes. Their clan members are all training in my army."

"Oh, I also serve as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works concurrently; they'll probably give me some face."

The three from Qingcheng Mountain were shocked by what they heard, and their eyes immediately showed even more awe.

The names of the Thirteen Protectors under the new emperor of Qin are now known to everyone.

Originally, the First Uncle Party and the Third Uncle Party made great achievements on the front lines, and most people thought that the Thirteen Protectors were too young and were suppressed by the two parties, which is why they came to this poor and remote place.

After Qi made his move, this impression changed somewhat, and people couldn't help but speculate whether His Majesty had deliberately kept him hidden so that he could develop in peace.

However, upon hearing about Li Cunxiao's terrifying connections, Yunyi Daoist's suspicions were updated once again.

With such a powerful background, he could easily run a business or even compete for a high position. No wonder he ended up in this place.

'If they stay by Li Yisheng's side, will the First and Third Protectors be able to sleep soundly?'

This thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately made a decision:

“Good! Lord Li has connections, and my Qingcheng Sect has trade routes, so this is a perfect match.”

"As long as you nod your head, from today onwards, you may freely travel along the Xichuan waterway!"

This is obviously an exaggeration. Li Cunxiao held a high position and was in charge of thousands of people. How could he possibly go to someone else's hometown casually?

"Brother, your words are generous. But let's talk business. This kind of thing can be handled by the people below. Even if I went, I wouldn't know anything about it."

By saying this, it was considered an agreement to trade between the two sides.

With the lubrication of shared interests, Daoist Yunyi began to go a step further, discussing the recent movements of Tibet and the King of Shu.

Li Cunxiao was naturally aware of this, but on the surface he showed his dissatisfaction with what Ü-Tsang had done and implied that Wang Jian, as the King of Shu, was not doing anything about it.

Upon hearing this, Daoist Yunyi readily agreed. He angrily denounced the barbarians' arrogance while tentatively requesting Li Cunxiao's assistance to attack Xueyuan and relieve the siege of Wei by relieving the siege of Zhao.

Tibet is now Li Cunxiao's territory, and the other party's request was impossible to fulfill from the beginning, so when the topic came up, he began to change the subject.

Daoist Yunyi thought the price wasn't enough, so he offered some conditions, some of which looked quite tempting. However, Li Cunxiao didn't agree immediately, but he also didn't completely refuse.

Afterwards, a banquet was held in the mansion to entertain the envoy. During the banquet, Ye Chengxiao was summoned to serve as the envoy for future travel between Qingcheng and the waterways.

It should be said that, as a first meeting, a preliminary cooperative relationship was established, and both parties were satisfied.

As for using their strength against them, resolving the conflict in Tibet, and even joining forces to deal with Wang Jian in the future, Daoist Yunyi knew that it wouldn't happen overnight, and he would still have to deal with this Prefect Li in the future.

In short, after this meeting, Li Cunxiao's power and the relationship with the Qingcheng Sect were quietly established, and merchant ships began to travel between Fuzhou and Pengzhou by waterway.

The Shu brocade from Qingcheng passed through Wenzhou, traveled overland to the capital, and passed through the mansions of several noble families, including the Changsun family, in exchange for equally rare celadon and white porcelain.

Gold and silver flow through the veins of commerce and trade. While this may not be of much significance to a grandmaster like Li Cunxiao, it is highly effective in uniting the hearts and minds of his subordinates.

To keep the news of Li Cunxiao's breakthrough to the Grandmaster level a secret, only Yuchi Bi knows about it for the time being.

Since their strength cannot yet be immediately converted into power, the benefits brought by trade are undoubtedly a shot in the arm for these noble families.

Shared interests. Only common interests can solidify the close relationship between allies.

Judging from the letters arriving in the capital like snowflakes, the allies were clearly very satisfied with the benefits brought by trade with Sichuan.

While internal strife was still necessary, external threats remained, and Li Cunxiao did not abandon his ambitions for Sichuan.

Previously, they were under strict guard, but now that the Qingcheng Sect has opened a breach, they certainly cannot miss this golden opportunity.

Ye Chengxiao was ostensibly Li Cunxiao's representative in trade with the Qingcheng Sect, responsible for escorting and delivering goods.

In reality, he also held the position of intelligence chief.

Every time a merchant ship entered Sichuan, there would be soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Guard who had practiced the Chiwen magic and would take the opportunity to infiltrate the prefectures and counties along the way.

On the one hand, they examined the mountains and rivers and surveyed the terrain;
On the other hand, it was to gather information on local forces, the number and strength of martial artists, in case of unforeseen circumstances in the future.

Because of the will of Master Yuhai, the Qingcheng Sect ultimately did not attack Jianzan and his group, but secretly sent Taoists to Weizhou and Yizhou to establish Taoist temples, the intention of which was self-evident.

Gyaltsen, under orders from Li Cunxiao, turned a blind eye to all of this and simply began to gradually relocate the Tibetan people to the two prefectures.

The natives who originally lived there naturally refused to accept this, and the two sides clashed several times. However, Jianzan himself was quite powerful, and the Dragon Elephant Army was also highly motivated to gain a new home.

After several rounds of fighting, the natives had no choice but to stop and make peace.

In this way, Jianzan and his group were able to truly establish themselves in a corner of Jiannan Road.

However, Victoria and Wing are adjacent to the Great Sword Mountains, and their land area and fertility are not particularly good.

For the Tibetan people who are used to the harsh environment of the snow-capped mountains, this is already a good thing. Every day before getting up and going to bed, they kowtow to the Dragon King Buddha statue.

However, for the overall situation in Jiannan Road, it is not enough at the moment.

However, Li Cunxiao did not place too much hope on this; it was just a casual move, left there, and it would naturally come in handy in the future.

On the other hand, Wang Jian's side reacted very enthusiastically after learning that Gyaltsen had gained a foothold, and within half a month, he quietly sent envoys to visit.

However, diplomacy was secondary; the key was that the delegation brought loads of goods, wanting to do business with Jianzan—the rare herbs and exotic beasts from the snow-capped mountains were very valuable.

When Jianzan reported the news, Li Cunxiao almost burst out laughing.

Whether it's the Qingcheng Sect or the King of Shu, they're all vying to form alliances and trade with me, hoping to use external forces to overwhelm each other.

But who could have known that the so-called Ü-Tsang and Li Shijun were simply playing a game of cat and mouse? No matter how much alliances and schemes you employ, in the end, it's only Li Cunxiao who gets fattened up.

Of course, the current situation is also due to Li Cunxiao's occupation of two prefectures, which allowed him to control communication with the capital.

As long as he doesn't go too far, even if he forges an imperial edict, Wang Jian might not be able to detect it.

On the contrary, as Ye Chengxiao expanded his intelligence network in Sichuan, Li Cunxiao's understanding of Jiannan Road also gradually deepened.

In the capital, Li Xian, the Minister of Rites, and other powerful officials, including Changsun, facilitated communication between him and the outside world, ensuring that the latest news from the front lines was delivered to his desk as quickly as possible.

Having grasped the information gap between the capital and Sichuan, he was able to develop steadily in the rear of Qin with peace of mind, waiting for the right opportunity.

Time slipped away little by little during this process, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye. It was harvest time again.

The land in Wenzhou and Fuzhou is golden, and compared with previous years, there are many more small vendors in the fields selling all kinds of small household items in addition to farmers.

"Guangyi, you handled your political affairs well. Thanks to you, I was able to focus on my cultivation."

The Li brothers were not wearing official robes or riding horses; they were simply wearing ordinary round-necked robes and black boots, strolling through the fields and towns.

Although it appears to be just walking normally, it is actually moving at an extremely fast speed. People along the way can often only see a shadow before it disappears from sight.

"I dare not take credit; it is thanks to your excellent guidance, elder brother. I am merely following your orders."

"If it weren't for my elder brother and Master Qici, who knows how many tigers and wolves would have come out of these mountains to cause trouble, let alone let the people live and work in peace."

Before they knew it, the two brothers had arrived in the county town, where the prosperity was even more evident.

Both the population and the number of shops have doubled compared to six months ago.

"You're all smooth talk. If the imperial court were to hold the imperial examinations, you could probably become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest level of the imperial examinations)."

Li Cunxiao chuckled to himself, then noticed a shop selling headwear on the street and went inside.

The headwear consisted of a cap and turban. The Qin people believed that one's body, hair, and skin were received from one's parents. Therefore, one should wear a cap and turban and dress accordingly to demonstrate etiquette and social order.

If someone has disheveled hair and exposes their chest, apart from monks and Taoists who are outside the secular world, everyone else will be regarded as a barbarian beast who does not submit to the king's rule.

The people of Qin all tied their hair with hairpins, and then added a support made of bamboo or rattan to the hair bun. The support was then wrapped with silk or gauze, hence the name "soft-wrapped turban".

However, times have changed. In recent years, it has become popular to use lacquer to paint the fabric onto the frame. Even the two ends of the headscarf that originally hung down behind the head are now woven with wire to resemble small wings. This is called a hard-winged headscarf.

"The trend of this new style of turban was started by the King of Shu."

"I heard that when he was in the palace, he would bestow new hats upon his ministers every few days, including various styles such as the spread-leg turban, the crossed-leg turban, the sky-facing turban, the rolled-leg turban, the bent-leg turban, and the one-leg-pointing-to-the-sky-and-the-other-leg turban, with a wide variety of designs."

"He also ordered the imperial guards to wear five-colored armor made of brocade and silk, decorated with gold thread and precious stones, and to conduct drills and performances frequently. It was extremely magnificent and a display of power."

Li Cunxiao smiled upon hearing this, picked up two black gauze hats with their legs hanging down in the shape of the character "八" (eight), and also took a few trendy female headdresses.

"Obsessed with external things, he doesn't look like a ruler. I'm afraid Wang Jian feels hopeless about his martial arts career—shopkeeper, no need to look anymore."

The shop owner seemed oblivious to what the two brothers had just said, and beamed with joy upon seeing the silver.

"Oh my, you have excellent taste! These round crowns and hibiscus crowns are the most popular styles among young ladies these days. Your wife will surely be delighted if you buy them. I wish you a son soon!"

If I wanted to have a baby, I would have done it long ago; there would be no need for you.

Li Cunxiao curled his lip. Generally speaking, the higher a martial artist's level, the more difficult it is to have offspring.

Especially for Grandmasters, their life forms are completely different from ordinary people.

The unity of essence, qi, and spirit is beyond what can be explained by the ordinary "father's sperm and mother's blood".

However, Li Cunxiao possessed the divine power of creating the furnace of heaven and earth, so if he wanted to, hitting the bullseye would not be difficult at all.

Firstly, he was busy with cultivation and had no time to raise children. Secondly, Ye Shuyi was still young and at the peak of her martial arts career.

If you give birth to children, you will inevitably deplete your vital essence, and all that trouble will waste your most precious time.

Thirdly, the world was not yet settled. If a child were to be born and then have to follow the army to fight across the north and south, that would not be the father's wish.

Therefore, when Li Cunxiao saw that his younger brother was moved by the shop owner's words and was about to expound on the principles of continuing the family line, he immediately interrupted him, saying:

"By the way, now that I'm out of seclusion, you can also break through to the fifth realm."

He put the purchased items into a storage container, and then reached out and took out a scroll.

"Big brother has already figured out the new cultivation method?!"

Li Guangyi took the book and looked at the four large characters "Bao Dan Jiu Zhuan" on it, revealing a look of surprise and delight.

“In the past, the cultivation of the true form in the fifth realm required the demon and self to become one, and then the true self to control the demon and self, so as to turn the illusory into the real and obtain the divine.”

"This method is powerful, but too radical. One wrong move and you could turn into a demon."

"If we seek stability, we must go into seclusion to cultivate, which results in very few active fifth-realm martial artists in the world, which is undoubtedly a loss of combat power."

"The Inner Core Dragon Pearl method that I created can already help martial artists balance Yin and Yang, spirit and demon, so using the old methods is no longer suitable."

"The fourth stage, the Yellow Court, opens up the Dantian; the fifth stage, one gathers essence and qi to form the elixir, which is then refined with spirit."

"Nine turns and nine reversals is the correct way to remove the dross and retain the essence in the art of alchemy."

"Although a martial artist's combat power will increase more slowly, their realm will improve more steadily, at least without the risk of falling into demonic possession or losing their life."

"From now on, the Dragon Armor Army and the Imperial Dragon Straight Line will have fifth-realm warriors who can lead the army into battle, without having to go into seclusion for arduous cultivation."

After Li Cunxiao finished speaking, Li Guangyi had also finished reading the book in his hand.

As I carefully savored the essence of the exercise, the more I pondered it, the more moved I became.

"Brother's current level is beyond my imagination."

"Why bother imagining? You will surely be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with your elder brother in the future."

Li Guangyi shook his head with a wry smile, thinking to himself that only a prodigy like the other party could say such things so casually.

It is no exaggeration to say that Li Cunxiao's move was to build a broader new bridge on top of the old martial arts system.

If this method were to be widely adopted, countless martial artists trapped in their true forms would go mad for it.

Such a masterpiece, worthy of being recorded in history, undoubtedly foreshadows Li Cunxiao's future, which will surely be that of a terrestrial immortal, or even higher.

After that day, the method of embracing the elixir began to quietly spread in the Imperial Dragon Sect.

Many Dao soldiers trapped in the fourth realm benefited from this, and fifth realm warriors began to emerge like mushrooms after rain.

Li Cunxiao also took advantage of the profits brought by trade to further expand his military strength and develop his power, and continuously sent people to infiltrate Shu.

Time flies by in the blink of an eye; the second, third, and fourth years of the Tongguang reigns have passed.
In May of the fifth year of the Tongguang reign.

One day, Li Cunxiao was in his study reviewing the updated population register when a battle report from the capital arrived at his desk, startling him.

(End of this chapter)