Chapter 639: Maritime Merchants

"Really doesn't suck blood, doesn't bite?" Chen Qingjiang asked.

"Really." The herbalist stirred the leeches in his palm, "Look, been on my hand half the day—any bite marks?"

The golden-line leech isn't a bloodsucker; it loves snails, clams, and decaying matter—all southern merchant guilds call it 'snail-sucker.'

When it's especially cold, like the past two days after Minor Snow, it stops eating and drinking; two days after Major Snow, it barely moves at all, slipping into hibernation.

That's enough said.

Chen Qingjiang and Liang Qu each reached out and grabbed a handful.

Slippery, icy-cold.

Because of the cold, the leeches had low vitality, letting themselves be handled like dead things.

Very strange texture.

Put them back in the bucket.

Washed hands by the riverbank.

"How much net profit per mu this year?"

"Leeches need to be dried for medicine, so trade is measured by dry weight—currently, a pound of top-grade dried leeches costs about six hundred and sixty-plus cash; medium-grade…"

After deducting farming costs, land tax, commercial tax… all of it, old man has calculated from past ledgers—on average, a mu of rice-leech fields yields five to six taels pure profit.

Black-spotted frogs are slightly less valuable, prices a bit lower, so rice-frog fields yield about five taels.

Strange.

Five to six taels net profit!

Chen Qingjiang whistled.

Growing herbs makes more than growing rice.

One mu equals one person working nonstop for a year!

My ten mu, split three ways—purely earning over ten taels.

Should build a new house before year-end.

Last year added a thatched shed, raised a big donkey—house always smelled of livestock; this year, build a big courtyard to separate them, and send Little Shunzi to the academy…

"What about before?"

"Before?" The herbalist chuckled, "Before, we didn't even use silver to measure—two thousand cash profit per mu was a blessing; three thousand was heaven's gift of a bountiful harvest."

Remarkably effective.

Liang Qu was deeply pleased.

"If we plant in large quantities, won't herb prices drop?"

The herbalists exchanged glances, bowed in reply.

"Logically, yes."

"What do you mean by 'logically'?"

"As His Excellency predicted in September, after this November's harvest, the Weng family sent envoys to collaborate—we agreed fully to His Excellency's terms, deciding to temporarily increase planting to five thousand mu next year; output will certainly rise.

But we've observed: the number of cultivators in Pingyang Prefecture has steadily grown, and herb prices here are over ten percent higher than in neighboring prefectures.

Outside, golden-line leeches and black-spotted frogs sell for dry weight between five hundred and six hundred cash—His Excellency can ask Xiao Chen the shopkeeper."

Xiao Chen the shopkeeper nodded.

"When we were in Pingyang Town, the cultivators who bought herbs were always the same few faces—could name them all. Now, new faces come daily; many regulars speak little, hard to remember."

Liang Qu nodded.

The herbalist continued.

"Given the current number of cultivators in Pingyang Prefecture and rising demand, five thousand mu won't yet cause major price shifts—it'll have very limited impact.

Prices will only fall years from now, and even then, with the Weng family controlling supply, they won't crash—balanced, no natural disasters or human calamities, five taels per mu remains achievable."

Liang Qu found nothing strange.

Golden-line leeches break blood stasis, unblock meridians, resolve clots and swellings—treating blood stasis, blocked menstruation, bruises and trauma; taken without injury, they invigorate blood and qi.

In short:

Daily use strengthens blood; post-injury use treats wounds; combined with certain herbs like centipedes, they produce a 'yang-activating' effect—not boosting yang directly, but treating related ailments, restoring vigor.

Black-spotted frogs are similar—their adult gallbladder, liver, brain, and skin are all medicinal, strengthening the body.

All these are scarce, high-demand goods within Siguan, even for galloping martial cultivators.

Thus, the growth in cultivator numbers and demand for golden-line leeches and black-spotted frogs are nearly linear.

"Thank you both for your hard work this year."

"We dare not claim credit," the herbalists hurriedly stepped back, "All thanks to Your Excellency's heavenly wisdom for devising this brilliant method—letting us share in the glory."

"Write up a detailed record of this year's planting process and precautions—be as thorough as possible—and deliver it to my home. There'll be additional rewards."

"This… thank you, Your Excellency."

Not all land in a county can be used for herbs—herbs won't fill bellies, so herb fields and rice fields must be balanced.

After intercropping, this balance shifts: rice fields can grow herbs, herb fields can grow rice—greatly boosting yield while protecting soil fertility.

Slow and steady.

Good thing.

Simple inspection. Arrange next year's matters.

Less than three days.

The two herbalists wrote their reports and submitted them to the study desk.

Meanwhile,

In the Jianghuai Marsh, the " Chuan "-shaped water islands gradually took shape; within the hundred-li gorge, the Jiao people also worked hard building their new home.

Unlike past nomadic tent clusters, Brother Quan Brother Quan Linghan used the resettlement funds Liang Qu gave him and profits from selling Jiao silk to purchase vast quantities of basic supplies from the Celestial Fleet Guild, and officially ordered the construction of permanent settlements.

Further north, thousands of li deep:

The fat catfish gobbled down fish flesh.

Back in Pingyang, as usual, it daily darted to the frog clan's territory, mooching food and drink, always watching the ocean merchant fleet.

First scout under the Heavenly Mill!

December 20th.

An utterly ordinary day.

Liang Zhai's pond.

Lao Die returned from his travels in Peng Ze, opened his shell, and basked in the sun.

【Water Essence +4】

【Water Essence: 21,000】

Ripples flowed.

Liang Qu sat cross-legged in the water.

Around him, Hanhailanjin buried, shimmering blue-glowing light.

In just twenty days, over a hundred water essence per day—alone from soaking, he gained over two thousand!

Immersive cultivation experience.

Liang Qu sensed it intuitively.

The fusion of spirit and blood-qi was not far off.

Jianghuai Marsh.

Frog clan territory.

Several curious salamanders poked out from the algae, shattering the frog clan's calm—patrol frogs landed and hurried home.

Something's wrong!

The fat catfish, still holding fish flesh, swam to Fatso's side to ask.

Fatso tore open the fish skin and peered: "Oh, the ocean merchant fleet's coming—that's their scout salamanders."

Thick aquatic grasses swayed.

The salamanders turned their heads, stepped forward, flattening the surroundings.

The fat catfish quickly swallowed, called out to the Heavenly God through the link.

Ripples undulated.

Liang Qu opened his eyes.

"Long Binglin, Long Eying! Long Yao, Long Li! Let's go!"

Plop!

Plop!

The giant beaver family, the otter family, Lao Zhequ, Fisty, Roundhead, Can't-Move… everyone mobilized!

Blub-blub.

Bubbles rose.

The frog clan territory buzzed with activity.

Frog clans scattered across the Jianghuai Marsh all rushed over; frog heads crowded together, mixed with many unfamiliar water spirits, gathering in a ring outside the territory, awaiting the ocean merchants.

The fat catfish shook its tail, trying to push forward.

"Where'd this fish demon come from? We'll eat you—get out!"

Two fat toad demons squeezed their wide rumps, effortlessly shoving the fat catfish to the outside.

The fat catfish grew furious, its whiskers whipping into afterimages.

"Are you a frog?"

The fat catfish lifted its head proudly.

The toad demon hesitated, about to question it, but glanced behind—and fell silent at once.

Shh!

A dark shadow grew from small to large.

The old toad pressed its limbs tight, shot downward like an arrow, and slammed onto the fat catfish's head, yanking its whiskers hard.

"Footless frog, advance!"

The toad demon obediently stepped aside.

The fat catfish flicked its whiskers triumphantly and swished its tail forward.