Banshee Family Training Record

Page 360

Instead, it benefited them all for nothing!

While the major families of Caozhou were happily making money off the raw materials, they could already imagine the worried look on Yun Chu'an's face when faced with the mountains of messy and complicated raw materials piled up in the warehouse. They realized that his impulsive spending had only increased the pressure on his subordinates.

When he was forced to dispose of these raw materials at a low price, the powerful families not only did not lose anything, but also made a fortune.

Simply perfect.

They envisioned that wonderful future, each one waiting to make a fool of themselves at Kan Yun Chu An's place, to see him unable to withstand the pressure and forced to sell all the raw materials he had just acquired.

However, as time went by, they soon realized that something was wrong.

Yun Chu'an's people opened up the official market, and soon, a large number of armor and shields, life-saving amulets, calming incense, meditation cushions, spider cocoon spirit treasures, spirit-gathering pills, protective talismans, and so on began to flood in.

These items were not only enormous in size, covering all aspects of cultivation, but also of excellent quality. Soon, Foundation Establishment cultivators began to flock in, using their reserves of mid-grade spirit stones to purchase them in large quantities.

This immediately led to the rapid saturation of the markets around the capital of Youqiong Kingdom. The Foundation Establishment cultivators who had purchased large quantities of necessities at once lost the desire to buy anything else in a short period of time, which brought about an extremely serious consequence...

There are no more mid-grade spirit stones available on the market!

Even though a small country like Youqiong has a spirit-gathering array capable of producing mid-grade spirit stones, its efficiency is extremely low, making it impossible to achieve scale.

Only hegemonic states like Qin, Zhao, or the former Jin have the capacity to produce mid-grade spirit stones in large quantities.

Therefore, small countries often have to rely on large countries for trade in exchange for mid-grade spirit stones. This was the case with Youqiong Country in the past. Every year, they traded with neighboring large countries, and the mid-grade spirit stones they earned were barely enough to keep up with their consumption, maintaining a fragile dynamic balance.

But now, Yun Chu'an's arrival has shattered all of that.

The independent cultivators clutched their spirit stone pouches tightly. They didn't feel that life was difficult, since the spirit stones they spent had been exchanged for things they urgently needed.

But the powerful families were extremely anxious. No one was buying their small-batch, high-priced handmade products, and their source of income was suddenly cut off!

How are the aristocratic families, who are used to spending lavishly and extravagantly, supposed to cope?

As the family's reserves were being depleted day by day, every family in Caozhou felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping their throats.

As their lives deteriorated day by day, in the royal palace of the impoverished kingdom, Yun Chu'an looked at the account book handed to him by Zhu Yunqing, his expression rather complicated: "So much...?"

Zhu Yunqing sat upright before him, dignified and solemn. However, seeing his surprised face, she couldn't help but smile, a captivating smile playing on her lips: "What do you think, my Lord Yun?"

“Even if it’s a poor country, just a small one, you are now truly ruling a country, especially since you now have almost an unlimited supply of low-grade spirit stones to buy raw materials and automate your production lines…”

As she spoke, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes softened even more: "Earning these mid-grade spirit stones is nothing."

Yun Chu'an looked down and gave a wry smile: "I still think it's too much, on average..."

"That's ten thousand a day..."

As he spoke, he gestured for Zhu Yunqing to come over and sit in his lap to calm him down.

Chapter 716 Setting off for the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty!

Zhu Yunqing didn't blush at all. She got up naturally, sat on his lap with her plump buttocks, and was naturally pulled into his arms.

Yun Chu'an put his arm around her waist, reminisced about the past, did some mental calculations, and felt increasingly emotional.

He fought desperately in the Zhao Kingdom to gain many privileges, then allied with Bai Suwan and cooperated with cultivators from the Han and Wei Kingdoms. After all that trouble, he only had a little over a million mid-grade spirit stones left at the end of the year.

After all, he had to share profits with others and pay taxes to the State of Zhao. After all that, there wasn't much left.

Now, as he personally oversees his business in Youqiong Kingdom, it's only just begun. By the end of the year, he'll probably have three million mid-grade spirit stones left!

He hasn't even exported these to other countries yet!

Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, mixed feelings). No wonder the Nascent Soul stage monsters were all so eager to establish their own kingdoms.

The profits are just too huge!

For a moment, he forgot that even if other rulers possessed spirit-gathering arrays and unlimited low-grade spirit stones, they couldn't purchase various raw materials as lavishly as he could. Where's Lin? Is Lin empty? Is Lin here...?

However, they also lacked the capacity to set up so many production lines like him, and the ability to turn raw materials into finished products. Naturally, they could not plunder as ruthlessly as he did.

"I don't think we'll be able to earn this much in the future."

Looking at Yun Chu'an, who was in a state of excitement, Zhu Yunqing's expression was extremely calm: "Youqiong Kingdom is too small. Caozhou is a relatively large gathering place for cultivators, but there are not many large places around it. Once the market here is completely saturated, our income will definitely decrease."

"Next, we still need to sell our goods abroad, as far as the Qi state in the east and the Chu state in the south, in order to maintain this income..."

Yun Chu'an nodded slightly, silently calculating his own gains: with his family's current profits, mid-grade spirit stones were more than enough for his own cultivation or to reward his subordinates.

Therefore, while exporting goods to other countries is important, it is no longer our primary focus. Our next priority remains high-quality spirit stones.

and so……

"Fourth Sister," he said softly, "do you think I should make a trip to Luoyi, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

Luoyi City, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, is also the core of the entire Central Plains. There, you'll find the largest spirit-gathering array in the entire Central Plains. When the Great Zhou Emperor sits on the altar and personally operates it, he can produce a massive amount of high-grade spirit stones at an extremely fast speed.

Therefore, in the Central Plains, the fastest way to obtain high-grade spirit stones is naturally to take them from the Zhou emperor.

And coincidentally, because of the recent activities of the King of Qin, the Zhou emperor must be in dire need of some support.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunqing was somewhat surprised: "You're going?"

Yun Chu'an nodded: "Yes, ah, Linglong can come with me, or rather, I'll go with Linglong..."

Although he possessed sufficient strength, the Great Zhou Dynasty was not a place that valued strength alone. In fact, "propriety" was what the Great Zhou Dynasty valued most. Even if Yun Chu'an was powerful, according to the rules of propriety, he was not yet qualified to meet the Zhou Emperor.

We still have to rely on Sheng Linglong.

"But I can take this opportunity to have Linglong report it and try to get me a title." He pondered, "Yunqing, do you think it's possible for me to go straight to becoming a nobleman under the Zhou rites? Or should I take it one step at a time, first becoming a scholar-official..."

Zhu Yunqing was speechless and couldn't help but complain, "If you don't understand this, don't talk nonsense. Just listen to Linglong's arrangements when the time comes. What if something goes wrong with Zhou etiquette and causes us trouble again..."

Yun Chu'an chuckled awkwardly: "I was just indulging in some reasonable fantasy, hehe..."

Zhu Yunqing rolled her eyes at him, then composed herself and continued discussing business: "What's your plan? When you see the Zhou Emperor, you'll say..."

Yun Chu'an composed himself and nodded slightly: "Resist Qin."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I think that compared to other countries, we have a unique advantage in resisting Qin."

As he spoke, he reached out and grasped Zhu Yunqing's hand: "Fourth Sister, can your spider silk now control the terracotta warriors of the Qin Kingdom?"

Since meeting Li Woyu, Zhu Yunqing has spent her days learning from her how to control puppets with silk threads in battle. After Hua Caiyan brought her the secrets of the internal magic arrays of the Qin terracotta warriors, she began to devise how to use her own silk threads to control these puppets in combat.

By now, we've made some progress.

Zhu Yunqing nodded slightly and said, "Fortunately, we can now control six terracotta warriors in battle at the same time. It's just that this secret technique is too special, and currently, apart from Li Woyu and me, there are not many people who have truly mastered it."

Yun Chu'an said, "In short, this is our advantage. The King of Qin can create terracotta warriors and conjure up a massive army out of thin air to wage a war of attrition, so..."

He turned his head slightly to the side, his gaze seemingly piercing through the palace walls to his factory, the long assembly line, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "We can do it too, can't we?"

"Moreover, we can produce more, more standardized, and more perfect products than them, so in turn, we can overwhelm them!"

He was in high spirits, imagining that wonderful future, and was so excited that he couldn't contain himself.

Zhu Yunqing gazed at her man with gentle eyes. Seeing his excited expression, as if he hadn't grown up yet, a smile gradually appeared on her lips.

Although he seemed a bit immature, she liked him the way he was right now.

Without further delay, having finalized the plan, Yun Chu'an immediately set off, returned to Jinyang, found Sheng Linglong, and explained his next thoughts and plans to her.

Sheng Linglong immediately expressed her support. She also pointed out that the Zhou Emperor's annual conference was about to convene in three months.

Previously, the various feudal lords would simply send an envoy to the capital for such matters, but this year, with the Qin king posing an increasingly greater threat, perhaps everyone should pay more attention.

In particular, they currently have a considerable demand for high-grade spirit stones.

Once the plan was set, the two began preparations. Time passed by busily and fulfillingly during this waiting period.

……

In Caozhou City, at the Zhu Family Compound.

Many Golden Core cultivators from the Zhu family gathered here, exchanging glances, all with solemn expressions and remaining silent.

Their family was once the wealthy and powerful clan of Youqiong Kingdom, and is now the richest family in Caozhou City. Therefore, even though they had cooperated quite well with the royal family of Youqiong Kingdom, they were still feared by them and were suppressed at every turn.

Even when the rulers of Youqiong and Zhongshan joined forces to besiege the capital of Jin, they did not participate in the expedition.

From this perspective, they and Yun Chu'an have no enmity whatsoever.

However, Yun Chuan's dumping was all-encompassing, like a tsunami. Regardless of good or evil, beauty or ugliness, strength or weakness, rich or poor, all beings were equal under the tsunami's onslaught.

Therefore, they are now living a very difficult life. Watching the profits from mid-grade spirit stones dwindle day by day, and the reserves in the warehouse rapidly depleting, everyone is extremely anxious.

After a moment, the Zhu family patriarch, who had the highest cultivation level, spoke slowly and deliberately: "Everyone, please speak up. What are your thoughts on this situation?"

The group looked at each other, but in reality, none of them had any good ideas.

A moment later, a young disciple in the early Golden Core stage, steeling himself, said with a fierce glint in his eyes, "Sir, all of this started because Yun Chu'an left us no way out. So perhaps..."

Chapter 717 Being able to serve the Yun family as their dogs is our blessing!

He made a beheading gesture, to which the Zhu family patriarch glared and said, "If you're so capable, you do it! Forget about him, just look at his henchmen, whether it's Lang Gu or Sima Lixin, can you beat any of them?!"

His reprimand silenced the Golden Core cultivator. Long before Yun Chu'an officially moved in, Sima Lixin had already become invincible in this area; at least within the Golden Core stage, no one could fight him one-on-one.

Yun Chu'an is only more unfathomable; a direct confrontation would be tantamount to suicide. Where's Lin? Lin, are you even here yet...?

They are the remnants of a defeated nation, and they need to understand their place in the world.

The head of the Zhu family took a deep breath and glanced around again: "Does anyone else have any ideas?"

The many Golden Core cultivators remained silent, heads bowed, not daring to speak. In truth, they could all vaguely guess the idea, but if such a treasonous suggestion were put forward by them and rejected, they would face utter ruin.

No one dared to say these things; some things could only be said by the head of the Zhu family.

Seeing that everyone was silent, the patriarch knew that everyone was waiting for him.

Having confirmed that his prestige was still sufficient, he then slowly and deliberately began to speak: "Actually, I have an idea, but it's not yet fully developed, and I need to hear everyone's opinions. For this purpose, I've invited a distinguished guest; if you have any questions, you can ask him."

As he spoke, he rose slightly and called out to the outside, "Fellow Daoist Wenren, please come in."

Everyone turned to look at the door with surprise, and then they saw a middle-aged man wearing a crimson round hat, dressed in brocade and silk, with a white jade ring at his waist, walking into the room.

He was Wenren Jing, the special envoy of the Wenren family who had come to Caozhou specifically to negotiate with Yun Chu'an.

Even after so many years and with so many resources at his disposal, his current cultivation level is only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

However, at this moment, facing so many Golden Core cultivators, he held his head high and stood up straight, showing no trace of the humble and subservient demeanor he had displayed in front of Yun Chu'an.

Such contrasts are truly rare.

Wenren Jing naturally had confidence, even though this confidence did not come from himself or from the Wenren family behind him, confidence is confidence nonetheless.

He was an old acquaintance of Yun Chu'an and knew that the atmosphere in Caozhou City was tense. If something really happened to him here, Yun Chu'an would have to carry out a major purge.

Therefore, even now, facing the group of Golden Core cultivators from the Zhu family, his back remained exceptionally straight.

The Zhu family patriarch looked at this man, who was in his forties or fifties and only had a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level, with disdain. The cultivators in their room, when Wenren Jing was his age, had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage and were preparing to break through to the Golden Core stage.

Unfortunately, the situation is beyond his control now, since this guy has Yun Chu'an backing him. Left with no other choice, the Zhu family head, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, could only politely invite him to sit down, saying, "It is our honor that Fellow Daoist Wenren has graced us with his presence today."

"In this peaceful world, harmony brings wealth. It's a pity that although our Zhu family admires Lord Yun Chuan'an's reputation, we haven't had much actual contact with him and don't know his habits. Therefore, we need to ask our friends and acquaintances to give us some guidance."

Wenren Jing held his head high, teacup in hand, speaking slowly and deliberately: "Well, although Senior Yun has lost countless Golden Core cultivators, in my opinion, he is actually a very kind, generous, and easy-going person."

"So, as long as you adopt the right attitude, you can let him do all the heavy and peripheral work, and only do the most essential and magical things yourself, such as forging weapons, equipment, armor, and shields and adding spells to them, engraving inscriptions, and the like."

"Then I guarantee that you will definitely make a fortune like our family."

As he spoke, his sleeve brushed almost imperceptibly across his waist, where his white jade ring and jade ornaments clinked together, producing a crisp sound.

Several Golden Core cultivators in the room wore complex expressions. With their limited knowledge, they could already tell that the magical treasures Wenren Jing wore were almost as valuable as those they possessed.

The problem is, they are all Golden Core cultivators, core members of their families. This guy, on the other hand, is just a junior in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage!

"Then may I ask?"

An elder of the Zhu family, with a white beard and a cultivation level of mid-Golden Core, slowly asked, "What exactly do you mean by the 'heavy' work you mentioned?"

Wenren Jing said, "It's those kinds of jobs that are very hard and tiring, and the pay isn't very high, for example..."

He held up his fingers and counted them one by one: "Mining, planting medicinal herbs, refining ore, recycling raw materials, processing waste, and so on and so forth..."

"You may not know, but Senior Yun has a unique method that can increase people's work efficiency tenfold or a hundredfold. I saw it with my own eyes back in my hometown: several small Qi Refining stage demons were working around a production line, fiddling with this and that, and they could produce a thousand or eight hundred talismans a day."

As he said this, he laughed first: "You see, if it were us, who could come up with something like this? But with his designs, all these tedious, heavy, and repetitive tasks can be handed over to the lower-level staff. We only need to do the most essential work!"

He proclaimed this, but the Zhu family remained silent. They understood Wenren Jing's meaning and also understood the price behind it all: it meant handing over all the heavy assets, such as mines, real estate, and aquatic products, and only acting as an OEM for Yun Chu'an!

However, if I do this, won't their family become a complete vassal of the Yun family in the future?

The Zhu family patriarch looked around at his family elders and saw that they were all silent. He could guess what they were thinking.

Then, with a polite expression, he said, "I see. We are so grateful to Fellow Daoist Wenren, otherwise we would not have known so much inside information."