In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

The young man's words shocked everyone present.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaoshan used rice porridge mixed with those impurities to distinguish between the poor and the common people.

Although some commoners were poor, they were still able to survive, so they naturally wouldn't eat the rice porridge when they saw those disgusting and nauseating things being put into it.

You can't possibly let go of your dignity unless you're on the verge of life or death.

But the poor and disaster victims are different. If they don't eat, they will go hungry, or they won't know where to find a meal.

Picking up trash is not as good as having a hot, relatively clean bowl of rice inside.

Upon hearing that this was merely a way to weed out those who were merely filling in the ranks, a glimmer of hope flashed in everyone's eyes.

They all want to escape their current identities, but the oppression of rigid class structures is real.

Poverty doesn't last three generations!

Three generations later, in its current state, it will naturally be extremely difficult to reproduce.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already left no room for recovery.

Now, this legendary philanthropist has actually given them a chance to turn their lives around; how could they not be excited?

···

"What are your thoughts on this, Princess?"

On the city wall, the beautiful woman in red suddenly trembled and looked warily at the handsome young man who had appeared to the side.

The boy appeared without anyone noticing, and immediately revealed her identity.

"May I ask who you are, young master?"

Seeing that Zhang Xiaoshan meant no harm and was instead asking for her opinion, the woman in red gradually abandoned her wariness and became curious about Zhang Xiaoshan's identity.

"Kunlun Chunyangzi!"

Just now, I used my aura-reading technique to search for extraordinary individuals among the poor, but unexpectedly, I witnessed the extraordinary phenomenon of purple aura rising and phoenixes taking flight—a noble person has arrived!

Zhang Xiaoshan had long noticed the presence of the woman in red, but he only truly took her seriously after observing her aura.

Purple aura signifies nobility, and the phoenix in flight symbolizes an ineffable destiny.

Its phoenix-like eyes are in no way inferior to those of Empress Lü Zhi.

"Kunlun Immortal Sect? The art of observing qi?"

The woman in red looked at Zhang Xiaoshan in disbelief, but Zhang Xiaoshan smiled and gave a traditional Chinese bow.

"Infinite Heavenly Lord!"

"So, the Immortal Master is the great philanthropist behind all this?"

"The path of cultivation is to defy fate and fight against destiny."

Therefore, those who cultivate the righteous path often take it upon themselves to slay demons and monsters, accumulate merit, and act on behalf of Heaven.

Chunyangzi cultivates the method of accumulating merit. His journey down the mountain for training is aimed at accumulating immense merit to benefit all living beings and ultimately attain enlightenment through that merit.

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoshan's explanation, the woman in red, being a princess of the dynasty, naturally wouldn't easily believe it.

Instead, looking at Zhang Xiaoshan's handsome face, who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, he couldn't help but ask curiously:

"In that case, why did the immortal seek out this humble woman?"

"cooperate!"

Zhang Xiaoshan stated his purpose for coming, and continued to explain:

"I am a person who cultivates spirituality, and it is not appropriate for me to get involved in too many worldly disputes."

Moreover, my own strength is ultimately limited, and I am weak and powerless in the secular world. Therefore, when I saw the arrival of the noble person, I understood the will of Heaven.

The princess is not only exuding nobility, but also possesses the aura of a phoenix soaring high, with an extraordinary destiny—making her the perfect collaborator for me!

"I wonder how the immortal master intends to cooperate?"

At this moment, the woman in red immediately became interested.

She hadn't expected such an unexpected gain from her trip. If Zhang Xiaoshan's identity wasn't fake, it might very well be an opportunity for her.

"A small path leads people across, teaching them how to fish."

How can we provide them with a way to redeem themselves? Naturally, we should give them a place to live and a job where they can make a living.

Therefore, Xiaodao plans to open a trading company with the princess, 843 of which will spread throughout Dali, and even the Seven Kingdoms and the Tang Empire.

In this way, millions of poor people can be settled!

Do you think she's an idiot?

Upon hearing this, the woman in red immediately felt that Zhang Xiaoshan was an idealist who was completely ignorant of worldly affairs and had overly beautiful ideas.

"Does the princess not believe me, or does she think my idea is too optimistic?"

"Both!"

The beautiful woman in red had nothing to hide; even her voice of refusal was still lively and melodious.

However, Zhang Xiaoshan showed no signs of discouragement or superficial emotion; instead, he smiled faintly and said:

"It's understandable that the princess doesn't believe me, but I never fight a battle I can't win. Please take a look, princess!"

As he spoke, Zhang Xiaoshan raised his hand and produced a handful of sand, soda ash, and limestone.

This is the simplest and most primitive material.

At this moment, a ball of crimson-gold true energy suddenly emerged from Zhang Xiaoshan's palm, scorching the sand floating in his hand like flames. In less than three breaths, it melted a ball of crimson liquid.

Despite the intense heat, the princess in red felt no heat at all.

This scene shocked the woman in red.

Soon, in less than ten breaths, to the surprise of the woman in red, a piece of crystal-clear, pure glass without any impurities appeared where the sand had melted.

This bizarre method immediately made the woman in red understand Zhang Xiaoshan's ability to turn the rotten into the miraculous.

Chapter 921 Princess Liyang

"This is the method for making glass."

With just simple sand, caustic soda, and limestone, valuable glass can be smelted at high temperatures.

Moreover, Xiaodao has many special recipes, food cream, special effects pills, alchemy techniques... Princess, do you think these things are profitable and can open up the market in Dali?

The clerk has the formula, and the princess has the power. I believe the princess understands that this collaboration is a win-win situation.

At this moment, the woman in red was finally moved.

Although Zhang Xiaoshan's previous words were somewhat fanciful, the bargaining chips he is now offering are worthy of that right.

The method of making glass is simply using readily available sand to melt down into priceless glass; it's nothing short of blatant robbery.

It's easy to imagine that once these glass pieces entered the market, even at low prices, they would still make a huge profit.

However, the woman in red still had doubts:

"If you possess such a wonderful remedy, why did you seek it from me instead of the Tang Dynasty?"

"The princess overestimates Xiaodao."

Although Xiaodao comes from Kunlun, he is ultimately just a junior student with limited cultivation.

The Tang Empire has many cultivators, as well as elders from other major sects, who are not afraid of the Kunlun Dao Sect, let alone a junior like myself.

If Xiao Dao went to the Tang Dynasty, he probably wouldn't be able to protect these things.

Moreover, this collaboration was a spur-of-the-moment decision; there were no prior plans to cooperate with the royal family.

After all, human nature is greedy, and even a princess, I dare not fully trust.

The woman in red looked at Zhang Xiaoshan again with her clear, bright eyes. She was surprised to find that Zhang Xiaoshan was so self-aware and did not have the arrogance of a disciple from a major sect.

Otherwise, they could directly seek cooperation with the Tang Dynasty royal family, which would likely yield even greater profits.

Undoubtedly, Zhang Xiaoshan, as a cultivator from the immortal sect, did not intend to make money, but rather to accumulate so-called merit.

"Then, Immortal Master, are you not afraid that this young lady will go back on her word?"

Dali is also one of the Seven Heroes of Shenzhou, with a national advisor above and a demon-suppressing bureau below, and a considerable number of cultivators.

As far as I know, they also come from distinguished backgrounds.

"Princess, you forgot my introduction. I come from the Kunlun Daoist sect, and I am a direct descendant."

"My cultivation level is not high; it's only comparable to those seniors. If they were merely elders of secular immortal sects, I could still gain experience and go down the mountain, naturally possessing the ability to protect myself in the mortal realm."

"Kunlun Immortal Sect!"

The beautiful woman in red had sparkling eyes, knowing the source of Zhang Xiaoshan's confidence.

Indeed, the Kunlun Daoist sect is the leader of the righteous path. Even though the Shu Mountain sect has the power to suppress Kunlun, in terms of foundation and heritage, it is far inferior to the Kunlun Immortal sect.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan was able to go down the mountain to gain experience, so his strength naturally gained the recognition of his elders.

With just the smelting technique just now, the woman in red had already labeled Zhang Xiaoshan as someone not to be trifled with.

Being a direct disciple of Kunlun is Zhang Xiaoshan's source of confidence.

The woman in red, a member of the royal family of Dali, understood this best.

The Kunlun Immortal Sect's reputation is such that even the Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom treats Zhang Xiaoshan with utmost respect, let alone the disciples of the Demon Suppression Division who are undergoing training in secular sects.

"It seems this is my good fortune. Thank you for your kindness, Immortal Master!"

Zhang Xiaoshan waved his hand again, and a huge tiger skin appeared before him. He chuckled and said:

"On my way down the mountain, I encountered two malevolent demons who brought trouble upon me."

A fox pelt was sold for 100,000 gold coins to the richest man in Dali City, which is also the source of funds for this porridge distribution.

This tiger skin belongs to a mountain king who has cultivated for nearly a thousand years. I know that the princess, as a member of the royal family, cannot casually engage in business.

Therefore, the princess handed over the skin of the mountain king to the royal family of Dali as a small gift to smooth things over between superiors and subordinates.

As for the Chamber of Commerce, the princess will be in charge of managing it from now on!

A fox pelt worth 100,000 gold coins?

The hype hasn't died down yet, and even the woman in red has a basic understanding of fox fur—it's the fur of a fox demon that has cultivated for hundreds of years.

Not only are they impervious to swords and spears, but they also have the effect of preserving youth; otherwise, how could a single fox pelt sell for 100,000 gold coins?

Now, the neatly compressed tiger skin makes the beautiful woman in red's eyes even more ardent.

Unexpectedly, all of these were made by Zhang Xiaoshan, and the tiger skin was even from a mountain lord who had cultivated for nearly a thousand years.

It is clear that although Zhang Xiaoshan is a newcomer, his strength is by no means simple.

"Thank you for bestowing this treasure, Immortal Master!"

The woman in red hadn't expected Zhang Xiaoshan to be so thoughtful in his understanding of human relationships and social interactions.

As a royal princess, she cannot reveal her identity casually, but now that she has this powerful backing and is cooperating with the disciples of the immortal sect, even the emperor of Dali has to take it seriously.

Moreover, this is a good thing; the benefits brought by the Crystal Method are unimaginable.

Zhang Xiaoshan meant that he had more than one way to make money, which could bring enormous wealth to the royal family.

···

"A disciple of the Kunlun Immortal Sect!"

Inside the imperial city of Dali.

The returning beauty in red had changed into a black palace dress. Her original alluring charm had faded, and now she appeared dignified and unapproachable.

As the eldest princess of the Dali royal family, Zhao Lan is also known as Princess Liyang. Her mother is the deceased Empress Renxuan, making her the eldest legitimate daughter of the royal family, with a noble status. Even the princes vying for the throne in Dali, including the crown prince, must respectfully address her as "elder sister" and dare not offend her.

At this moment, Princess Liyang placed the tiger skin given to her by Zhang Xiaoshan in front of the Emperor of Dali.

When the compressed tiger skin was unfolded, its fur was not only extremely long, soft, and dense, but its size was so great that it covered almost half of the palace.

The enormous tiger skin also greatly surprised the Emperor of Dali and the cultivators who guarded him.

This is definitely a mountain lord who has cultivated for nearly a thousand years, or even a thousand-year-old demon.