Chapter 222 Negotiations with the Chamber of Commerce
Guessing the identity of the long-haired female cultivator, Lu Changan's head trembled slightly, somewhat surprised.
He couldn't help but think of Li Congren's description of Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce:
"The Demon Cult will also give the Chamber of Commerce a small amount of money. Even if they encounter it, they can spend money to eliminate the disaster without killing them all."
At that time, Lu Changan just felt that the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce was powerful and could be used by both black and white.
At this moment, he felt like he was on a pirate ship.
Who would have thought that the long-haired female cultivator who joined halfway and covered her face with gauze would be the direct disciple of the leader of the demon sect.
"Master Fairy finally let this girl go."
Lu Changan thought to himself.
In the past two years, as the situation on the border has become chaotic, the Demon Cult has been gathering strength for many years and has begun to take shape, possessing a great say in the surrounding areas.
Looking at this area, Miss Wei's identity is more intimidating than the true disciples of the sect.
It is not difficult for Lu Changan to understand Shi Xianzi's choice.
Even if Miss Wei is killed, it will not eliminate the hidden danger. Once discovered by the Demon Cult, as a direct disciple of the leader, he will never give up.
If Miss Wei had not been killed, Lu Changan would have erased her relevant memories in the secret realm.
Letting this woman go must have made her swear an oath of inner demons.
Even if it is exposed one day in the future.
As a third-level formation master, Shi Xianzi is definitely the target of recruitment by all major forces.
Even a third-level formation master with fake alchemy cultivation level can completely rival that of a true alchemy cultivator.
By then, it will not be easy for the Demon Cult to tempt the Master Fairy, and they may even be tempted to recruit them.
"Before leaving the ruins, I wonder if Fairy Master followed my suggestion and destroyed the formation at the core of the ruins, causing the collapsing space to collapse."
Back in the room, Lu Changan was a little curious about this.
Only when Master Shixianzi became a third-level formation master could he achieve this, and it required four or two skills to move a thousand pounds, triggering a chain reaction of the ancient remnants of the formation.
This answer is likely to be known to Miss Wei who just boarded the spirit ship.
Lu Changan had previously taken care of Miss Wei's life at will, but now he did not dare to reveal his identity and ask her face to face.
Judging from Miss Wei's treatment.
He suspected that the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce had a deep collusion with the Demonic Cult.
Decades ago, although the Demon Sect was defeated in the Liang Kingdom's Immortal Cultivation World, it had learned from past lessons and seemed to be developing well in the Jing Kingdom, a neutral Immortal Cultivation Country, at least it had penetrated into the merchant alliance.
The structure of the world of immortality in Jing Kingdom is different from that in Liang Kingdom.
In the Liang Kingdom, the sect was the supreme power and had absolute dominance.
But in the Jing Kingdom, the merchant alliance was very powerful and could even compete with the country's sects.
The Jing Kingdom's business alliance is composed of large and small chambers of commerce, working together to keep warm, advocating trade and freedom, and controlling most of the country's fairy cities and market channels.
Compared to the sects, the Merchant Alliance is less repulsive towards the Demonic Sect and is more profit-seeking.
"If there is indeed collusion between the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce and the Demon Cult, it is not completely bad news for this cross-border trip."
After a while, Lu Changan figured out the link.
…
Two days later.
The spirit ship of the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce has returned to the right track and is gradually leaving the Liang Kingdom border.
Lu Changan sensed that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth outside the spirit ship was getting thinner and even almost extinct.
In this case, the power of many spells will be greatly reduced.
The flying speed is slow and the mana recovery is more difficult.
Coupled with the chaos between the two countries during the war, it was indeed difficult to feel safe when traveling alone.
With the protective power of the spiritual ship of the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce, it can at least prevent all kinds of robber cultivators.
Lu Changan looked back in the direction of Liang Guo through the window of the guest room. He saw a deserted scene and his mood seemed complicated.
Now, he is one hundred and forty-two years old and has been practicing in Liang for more than one hundred and twenty years. It is inevitable that he has some fetters on the people and things in that land.
However, Lu Changan needs a stable cultivation environment to obtain a complete opportunity to form elixirs, including elixir-forming spiritual objects.
First cultivate to the peak of foundation building, and then find a third-level spiritual vein to form a pill.
I left this time, met up with old friends, and traded in the secret method of transforming elixirs. Overall, it went well.
The only regret is that I couldn't see Zhao Siyao.
When he arrived at Jinyun Valley, Zhao Siyao was in retreat, preparing to form elixirs.
Even Zhao Siyao's disciple Zhao Tan went to the front line to guard the area.
"Fellow Daoist Wu."
The door bar was touched, and the purple-faced strong man next door came to visit Lu Changan.
The purple-faced brawny man was injured, so he reluctantly took out three thousand spirit stones and stayed in the guest room next to Lu Changan.
This person has a strong evil spirit and is not very gregarious. He could only chat with Lu Changan on the spirit ship.
"Fellow Daoist Fang, please come in."
In the guest room, the two chatted about the war.
As he spoke, the purple-faced brawny man revealed his dissatisfaction with the upper echelons of the Liang Kingdom clan.
"Had it not been for the Liang clan to start a war and take the lead in invading other countries, we would not be in the situation we are in today."
"The 'Qing Ming Secret Realm' was originally going to be opened in three or four years. It was originally the way for many foundation-building Taoist friends to obtain the opportunity to form pills..."
The purple-faced brawny man spoke fiercely, with hatred in his eyes.
Because of the war, he was forced to go to the front line and almost died. Later, he became a deserter and was wanted by the sect.
If it were a peaceful era, in a few years he would have reached the peak of the late stage of foundation building, and he would be able to participate in the Qingming Secret Realm, and his strength would be among the upper reaches.
"Affected by the war, the 'Qingming Secret Realm' may not be able to be opened smoothly."
Lu Changan sighed, not sure about this.
Because of the war situation, he had already made a choice, choosing to conquer the ancient ruins and giving up the Qingming Secret Realm.
There was one thing that Lu Changan didn't tell the purple-faced brawny man.
Even if the Liang Kingdom clan did not take the lead in invading Feng Kingdom, the flames of war would come sooner or later.
This is the conclusion Lu Changan drew from the intelligence from Tianzhi Tower.
"The sect inspects the monks!"
While chatting, there was a burst of exclamation from the rear of the spirit ship, which was slightly commotion.
The two walked out of the room.
I saw two spirit boats about ten feet long coming from behind the spirit ship.
On each of the two spirit boats, there is a fake elixir master sitting in charge, leading a total of twenty foundation-building monks.
"Spirit ship ahead, accept inspection!"
Those two spirit ships flew faster than the huge spirit ships, and there was no way to get rid of them.
The spirit ship of the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce did not resist and stopped.
Unless you don't want to do business, Liang Guo's sect will cooperate with routine inspections and Jing Guo Ling ships coming and going.
The true elixir masters of the sects along the border are stationed in the border area. If there is a problem, the patrolling monks can contact them through emergency messaging.
"Two real men, when we left Bauhinia Fairy City, our spiritual ship had been inspected."
In the spirit ship of Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce, a middle-aged man in Confucian shirt came out with a smile and said in a neither humble nor overbearing tone.
The middle-aged man in Confucian shirt is the False Dan Master who sits on the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce Spirit Ship.
In fact, after the spirit ship left Liang State, it was given the green light all the way. This is the first time it has been investigated.
"We have received the latest clue that there may be fugitives from the sect sneaking into the spiritual ship of your Chamber of Commerce."
"Please rest assured, sir, we only arrest fugitives and have no intention of making things difficult for your chamber of commerce."
This team of sect inspection monks were quite polite to the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce.
Each of the three major chambers of commerce in the Jing Kingdom Merchant Alliance has Zhendan monks in charge, with strong financial resources and extraordinary influence.
"The Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce is willing to cooperate with the investigation. I hope that after boarding the ship, you will not disturb the distinguished guests on the upper level of the spirit ship."
The middle-aged man in scholar's shirt raised his hand and asked the spirit ship formation to open a channel.
One of the sect's fake pills led a dozen foundation-building monks into the spirit ship to search.
…
"Fellow Daoist Wu, Fang goes back to the room first."
The purple-faced brawny man's heart trembled, his calves felt weak, he forced himself to calm down and returned to the adjacent guest room.
The frightened monk is not just a purple-faced brawny man.
The dozens of Liang monks who boarded the ship were essentially stowaways, and the identities of many of them were kept secret.
An hour later.
For the Liang Guo monks on the spiritual ship, it was a kind of torture.
The only good news is.
This team of sect monks did not check too carefully. They entered every room and only asked a few simple questions.
Many of the guest rooms on the spiritual ship are monks from the Jing Kingdom Chamber of Commerce.
The monks from Liang Kingdom only occupied part of it.
Not long after.
Two sect monks entered Lu Changan's room with wary expressions.
"What is your name?"
"I'm Wu Fan."
"Why are you going to Jing Country?"
"Wu is a traveling merchant who travels between the two countries and does some small business."
Lu Changan said with a normal expression.
Strictly speaking, casual cultivators are not subject to the control of the sect.
The two monks looked at Lu Changan for a few times, found nothing unusual, and left the room.
This group of sect monks did not go to the superior guest rooms to investigate.
Two of the foundation-building monks had just approached the "Prince's" guest room. They seemed to have received some instructions from a voice transmission, and they suddenly bowed and retreated.
An hour later.
This team of sect monks has completed their inspection.
A total of seven fugitives and suspicious persons were arrested. One of the monks disobeyed and was killed on the spot.
The Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce not only did not stop it, but also assisted in the arrest and maintained order.
Of the seven monks who suffered the disaster, two were from the guest room and five were from the bilge.
call!
The purple-faced brawny man in the adjacent room, with cold sweat dripping down his back, took a long breath and watched the sect's patrolling monks go away.
Lu Changan came to visit and asked about the situation, but the purple-faced man was vague.
In fact, Lu Changan's spiritual consciousness discovered the truth.
The purple-faced brawny man had injuries on his body, and he had a strong evil aura, which made him suspicious and attracted two monks from the sect to explore and interrogate him.
At the critical moment, the purple-faced brawny man bribed the patrolling monks, donated a large amount of property, and escaped.
"The guest rooms on the spirit ship are private spaces and are restricted and isolated. Only in this way can there be room for private bribery and negotiation..."
Lu Changan secretly said.
Half of the monks who boarded the ship were in the cargo hold below, and the other half were in the guest rooms.
Five people were arrested in the former, while only two were arrested in the latter.
In the cargo hold, in full view of everyone, there is no way to openly bribe.
Once you become a key suspect, you will be arrested and taken away, leaving little room for maneuver.
Furthermore, the monks of the sect will also watch the dishes being served.
The monks who live in guest rooms have stronger financial resources. If some tough opponents fight hard and have talisman-type trump cards in their hands, they will also face the risk of backlash.
Of course, staying in a guest room does not mean that you are safe and sound, but it just gives you more opportunities to control your destiny.
Not every patrolling monk is easy to talk to or easy to bribe.
Lu Changan even suspected that each trip might have certain mission indicators.
…
The monks of the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce were accustomed to the inspections of the sect monks, as if it was just a small episode and they didn't pay much attention to it.
But then two days later.
Many monks living in the cargo hold have negotiated with the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce, hoping to spend spiritual stones to move to guest rooms.
Obviously, staying in a guest room is more secure, and smuggling to Jing Country has a greater chance of survival.
"What! It takes six thousand spiritual stones to stay in the guest room? Before, it was three thousand spiritual stones."
The Liang Guo monks who went to negotiate felt chilled.
The price of the room has doubled!
"To tell you the truth, the guest rooms are almost full."
"The price increase is actually a fair screening for you."
The manager of the Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce is very casual.
Most of the monks in the cargo hold were in a tight situation. After spending a lot of money to board the ship, their spiritual stones were basically drained.
In the end, there were only a few monks who could afford six thousand spiritual stones to upgrade.
You know, a top-quality magic weapon only costs two thousand spiritual stones.
During the foundation building period, there were few monks with Lu Changan's worth in the entire Liang Kingdom.
Then half a month.
The Jiuchen Chamber of Commerce’s spiritual ship is safe and sound.
After that, no monks from the sect came to inspect it; the pirate cultivators on the road did not dare to take advantage of this spiritual ship.
During this half month, the fate of many monks from the Liang Kingdom who boarded the ship changed.
Especially the monks in the bottom cabin.
Some craftsmen, in order to obtain safety guarantees, signed a renunciation contract with a monk from a certain chamber of commerce on the spiritual ship.
For example, if you work for a certain chamber of commerce for twenty years and become a member of the chamber of commerce, you will gain a legal status and be guaranteed to arrive in Jing Country safely.
There are also female nuns in the bottom cabin who, in order to collect spiritual stones, stay in guest rooms and sell their bodies on the spiritual ship.
The foundation-building female cultivator, placed in a small place in the Liang Kingdom, could be called a high-ranking fairy, or even the ancestor of a clan.
Now he has put down his noble figure and prostrates himself at the knees of others.
Lu Changan's door was also knocked by such a female cultivator.
"The journey to move to another country is difficult, like a lamb being slaughtered. This road is really not suitable for ordinary monks..."
Lu Changan sighed in his heart.
Compare that to the struggles of the monks in the bilge.
The prince on the third floor of the Spirit Ship lived a peaceful life of singing and dancing, and even had a beautiful maid to serve him when he was in a foreign country.
Lu Changan was also curious about who this prince was, who could make the sect inspect the monks and not dare to come in for inspection.
He once wanted to use his spiritual consciousness to explore its true appearance, but finally held back.
If there is any special treasure on the opponent's body that can be detected by induction, it would be purely an extraneous issue.
…
This day.
A trade fair was held in the auditorium on the second floor of Lingjian.
All monks who live in guest rooms are eligible to participate.
The monks from the Liang Kingdom only account for a small part. Most of them are monks from the major chambers of commerce in the Jing Kingdom Commercial Alliance.
Nowadays, the spirit ship is far away from the immortal world of Liang Kingdom, so there is no need to worry about the inspections of the sect monks.
Lu Changan and the purple-faced brawny man named Fang attended the trade fair together.
After that bribery, the purple-faced brawny man actually didn't have many spiritual stones left on his body.
He came to the trade fair mainly to get acquainted with the monks from the Jing Kingdom Chamber of Commerce, or to establish good relations with the powerful monks from the Liang Kingdom.
The auditorium is quite large, with dozens of wooden square tables placed there.
The monks present can sell certain items on the square table to buy them.
At the trade fair, Lu Changan saw Mr. Wang and Miss Wei.
Many people gathered in front of Prince Wang's square table, including businessmen from Jing Kingdom and monks from Liang Kingdom.
Miss Wei did not sell any items, but simply walked around the fair, her eyes occasionally lingering briefly on a certain square table.
Lu Changan could see that Miss Wei's injuries had not yet healed.
It seems that after leaving the ancient ruins, he encountered something on the way and was injured again.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, how do you think about what Jia said last time?"
Walking to a square table, a dark, thin old man in his fifties with bright eyes looked at Lu Changan with a smile.
The thin, dark old man's surname is Jia, and he is the steward of the Crescent Chamber of Commerce.
Crescent Chamber of Commerce is the Jing Kingdom Chamber of Commerce that recommended Lu Changan to board the ship.
Of course, this matter was secretly planned by Li Congren, and the contact person was not the same person.
Manager Jia in front of him did not know Lu Changan's identity. He only knew that he was a monk from the Jing Kingdom recommended by his chamber of commerce to board the ship.
"Wu is a loose cultivator and is used to freedom. He really doesn't want to sign that contract and be driven around by others for twenty years."
Lu Changan bluntly refused.
A few days ago, Manager Jia of the Crescent Chamber of Commerce took the initiative to contact Lu Changan and asked him to sign a twenty-year renunciation contract to serve as the chamber's bodyguard.
During the contract period, the spiritual vein dojo will be supplied with basic spiritual stone and rice requirements.
The biggest reward is to give Lu Changan a legal identity as a chamber of commerce, which will ensure his safe arrival in Jing Country.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, you must think clearly. Today is your last chance. I thought that you have a predestined relationship with the Crescent Merchant, so I have such good intentions."
Manager Jia said with a slightly cold expression.
"If your chamber of commerce is willing to give you a status as a worshipper, Wu can consider it."
Lu Changan thought for a moment and did not refuse.
Enshrining status means having a higher status and much more freedom.
It will take many years and months for Lu Changan to go to Jing Kingdom to build the ninth level of the foundation, and the second level of spiritual veins is indispensable.
In order to form elixirs, third-level spiritual veins are needed.
If he can establish a good relationship with the local chamber of commerce, it will be beneficial to his plan to form a core.
"Offering?" Manager Jia was stunned for a moment, then asked: "May I ask what skills you have?"
"If the alchemist or array master reaches the second-level mid-level, and the other skills reach the second-level high-level, it can be negotiated, but a twenty-year contract will still have to be signed."
Lu Changan thought for a moment, and the only skills he could reach the second level of high-level were puppet master and talisman master.
"Wu has a second-level low-level skill, and he can become an external monk of your chamber of commerce without forcing him to become a priest. However, the contract signed must not exceed ten years, and personal freedom cannot be forced."
Lu Changan said thoughtfully.
Manager Jia laughed dumbly, a trace of sarcasm flashed in his eyes, and ignored Lu Changan.
At the trade fair.
Lu Changan negotiated with two chambers of commerce again, and the conditions they gave were equally harsh.
Lu Changan had a feeling that these chambers of commerce seemed to have a winning chance, and they were not worried that he would not submit.