Chapter 567: Caravan

A few days later.

A caravan was winding its way forward.

The horses pulling the carts were 'Dragon-Scaled Horses', a type of hybrid demon horse with a few scales on their ribs, said to have extremely strong endurance.

In the carts behind, various items were piled up.

Besides daily necessities, there were also strange items for cultivation, books, magical artifacts, and the like, overflowing with spiritual light, dazzling to the eyes.

Looking from high above, this caravan was not moving in a straight line, but rather crookedly, sometimes taking a large detour even when there was clearly flat land ahead.

This was naturally because what appeared to be land ahead was actually a hidden swamp; once stepped into, one could sink deep into it.

Even some locations that were deliberately bypassed were either demon beast nests or had some terrifying poisonous creatures.

Finally, a slope appeared ahead, and one could faintly see bamboo shadows.

"This ghost place, finally reached... no need to consume any more Poison-Avoiding Pills... these Green Spiritual Bamboos have immeasurable merit..."

In the caravan, a young steward sighed: "Besides this place, only the Fei family has such a grand gesture, using spiritual plants to purify; that is a century-long plan... The Xu family, the Yin family, and the White Bone Alliance all walk the crooked paths of evil. The Song family is okay, but the 'Fish-Smelling Willows' they planted are still a few years away from being truly usable. Currently, they still need to use arrays to support them, and the harvest from raising shellfish is almost all dumped into it... From this perspective, the spiritual planters of the Song family are far inferior to those of Poison Dragon Slope..."

"Sixteenth brother's words are reasonable."

The leader of the Qiao family caravan was named 'Qiao Wuyong'. He looked at his clansman, whom he had specifically brought along on this trading trip to gain some experience: "Then, in your opinion, Poison Dragon Slope will definitely develop better than Green Water Bay in the future?"

The Sixteenth brother thought for a moment and shook his head: "I only said that the spiritual planters of Poison Dragon Slope are good... The Seven Righteous Ones of the Song family are actually very similar to the Five Friends of Floating Clouds; they are all sworn brothers, but the Seven Righteous Ones of the Song family have all changed their surname to Song and established the Song family, while the Five Friends of Floating Clouds are still a scattered mess, and there is one who is wandering outside. It's okay now, but after two or three generations, it will definitely be bad without a major change... And by that time, if they want to merge, it will be too late..."

"Not bad, not bad..." Qiao Wuyong nodded repeatedly: "We who are in the trading business must maintain good relations with the local residents of every place... In this Green Dawn Swamp, the first one to maintain good relations with is the Fei family. The other five families currently have requests for us, which is precisely why we can quote high prices and make thick profits... If there is one with great potential for development, we must not offend them too much, otherwise, it will be awkward in the future."

"So this is for the sake of long-term income in the future, we can appropriately lower some current income?" The Sixteenth brother's eyes lit up.

"Hehe, no matter how much we lower it, it must still be profitable, and it must be a thick profit! Otherwise, who would do this trading?"

Qiao Wuyong jumped off the Dragon-Scaled Horse and stretched.

To be able to travel around trading, the caravan must have experts for protection.

He himself was also no mediocre person; he had the cultivation of the seventh level of Qi Sensing!

Qiao Wuyong came to the front of the caravan and saw a group of people coming from the direction of Poison Dragon Slope. The leader had a head full of crane-white hair and was dressed like a wealthy squire. He immediately stepped forward, bowed, and smiled: "Sorry to trouble Old Man Lv to welcome us personally; ashamed, ashamed."

"Hehe, Steward Qiao is too polite. Steward Qiao has transported countless resources for my Poison Dragon Slope; I am just welcoming you personally, what does that count for?"

As the saying goes, residence changes one's spirit, and nourishment changes one's body. Now, Old Man Lv no longer looked like the poor and destitute person who hung around the market, but instead carried a sense of grace.

"I have already set up a banquet, please!"

Old Man Lv immediately invited Qiao Wuyong and several caravan stewards into a refined house on the East Peak.

Large-scale transactions were also conducted here.

Besides that, those caravan members also started to set up stalls, shout and sell, or purchase... very familiarly.

This was scattered business, and some were items brought along by the caravan members themselves.

Some cultivators joined the caravan without even a salary, just relying on bringing some goods to earn talisman coins while traveling around.

They even relied on the caravan's long-distance travel, taking work as remuneration.

Inside the hall.

After the banquet, Old Man Lv asked the maid to serve clear tea.

Qiao Wuyong looked around and asked curiously: "Why, Fellow Daoist Song? Fellow Daoist Fang is not here? The 'Righteous Meaning of Qi Refining' that Fellow Daoist Song asked me to purchase last time... has not been handed over yet?"

"Fifth sister is at home, teaching Yunyun to read..."

Old Man Lv sighed: "This sworn sister of mine is good at everything, except that she treats her daughter like the apple of her eye, making Fellow Daoist laugh. Fellow Daoist Fang does not like excitement; if you want to do bamboo paper and bamboo strip business, you can go to the bamboo forest to find him yourself."

"So that's how it is. I have always admired Fellow Daoist Song's deep love for her daughter."

A flash of light passed through Qiao Wuyong's eyes. He talked with Old Man Lv about a few more large-scale transactions and entrusted Old Man Lv to hand over the books before coming to the bamboo forest.

Rustle!

The bamboo shadows were swaying, carrying a sense of tranquility and peace of mind, making one forget their worries at first sight.

Just as Qiao Wuyong arrived, he saw a black snake as thick as a bucket crawl out.

"Demon beast at the Late Stage of Qi Sensing!"

He and several stewards felt a chill in their hearts, and then they heard Fang Xing's voice: "So it is Steward Qiao who has come."

"Fellow Daoist Fang... you?"

Qiao Wuyong looked at Fang Xing, somewhat surprised and uncertain: "Could it be that your cultivation has had another breakthrough?"

The mutual sensing of strength between Qi Sensing realms is very vague, unless one practices some special type of heavenly eye spell.

But Qiao Wuyong had traveled north and south, so he must have practiced some. At this moment, he discovered that Fang Xing was unusual; his aura was incomparably vigorous, lush and green, and it had condensed into a snake shape!

"Not bad, there has been a slight breakthrough in Qi refining recently..."

Fang Xing smiled and admitted it, which immediately made Qiao Wuyong much more solemn.

The five families opening up the wasteland in the Green Dawn Swamp actually only had one or two combatants at the seventh level of Qi Sensing each.

Especially the people of Poison Dragon Slope, who initially relied entirely on the island-protecting holy beast to hold the scene, until later when they opened up the baleful cave, and Old Man Lv bled heavily, spending money to buy a breakthrough spiritual pill, which allowed Tie Luo Sanren to ascend to the seventh level of Qi Sensing.

But now?

'Poison Dragon Slope actually has three combatants at the Late Stage of Qi Sensing. If it weren't for the Fei family suppressing them, I'm afraid they would have already started trying to annex the other families...'

Qiao Wuyong thought secretly.

What darkness, weakness, internal strife... in the face of absolute power, it is nothing!

Poison Dragon Slope has three Late Stage Qi Sensing combatants, while the Song family only has one. That means Poison Dragon Slope has more of a future!

Fang Xing didn't think so much. He took Qiao Wuyong to a warehouse, inside which were stacks of finished bamboo paper.

These bamboo papers were pure white in color, carrying a faint green light. After being cut, they could be used as talisman paper, or they could be used to practice the Origami Art.

The Origami Art is widely spread. Although the Blood Shadow Sect's is the most authentic, outside loose cultivators also know two hands of shallow spells.

(Note: Garbled text.)

It's just like techniques such as alchemy and talisman drawing, which both righteous and evil cultivators have dabbled in.

Besides that, there were bundles of bamboo strips, which could be used as the skeleton when making paper people.

Fang Xing was not worried about these goods flowing to the Blood Shadow Sect side. Not to mention the long distance, he was not afraid of aiding the enemy at all.

Because the Blood Shadow Sect's 'Blood Paper' was much stronger than bamboo paper, and even the talisman paper for those talisman coins exceeded bamboo paper by a notch.

What's more, the Blood Shadow Sect is one of the ten major righteous and evil sects, and there are no telling how many Yin Spirit True Monarchs in the sect; would they care about some resources from a mere Qi Sensing realm?

"Not bad, not bad. Little brother, your bamboo paper and bamboo strips are of good quality and inexpensive... the sales in various places are quite good."

Qiao Wuyong smiled: "Give me another hundred healing berries. It's just a pity that your berries have a limited shelf life, otherwise, there would be a market for as many as you bring!"

Fang Xing smiled without saying a word. In fact, he had already made progress in developing the corresponding 'Berry Wine'.

It's just that, as the saying goes, small troubles are okay, but if it's really produced, it's snatching the rice bowl of those high-level alchemists, and it might also attract the attention of Green Wood Ridge. When one's own strength is insufficient, one cannot do such eye-catching things.

"According to the previously negotiated price, bamboo paper is ten talisman coins per knife, bamboo strips are five talisman coins per bundle, totaling..."

Qiao Wuyong counted the inventory and reported a number.

Fang Xing heard it and nodded in agreement.

This price was definitely cheaper than selling in the market. After all, it was a door-to-door purchase, so he had to let the other party make some profit.

"The few items I asked Steward Qiao to keep an eye on last time, is there any news?"

Fang Xing asked casually.

"Naturally there is."

Qiao Wuyong answered solemnly, taking out a gray, dusty animal skin pocket from his bosom: "This is a 'Flying Mouse Bag', tanned from the skin of a type of spiritual mouse. It can hold items of one cubic foot inside..."

Fang Xing took it, injected a strand of mana into it, and immediately sensed a space the size of an Eight Immortals table: "Pity, it's still a bit small..."

"Hehe, this kind of 'Flying Mouse' is very rare, and the storage magical artifacts made are of high value. Only those at the Late Stage of Qi Sensing can be equipped with one or two..."

Qiao Wuyong said: "However, it is said that among Flying Mice, if there is ancestral bloodline, a 'Flower Fox Marten' can be born, and the internal space of the storage magical artifact made is very large... But that would at least require a Dao Foundation or even an Yin Spirit True Monarch to use..."

"This Flying Mouse Bag is enough for now. Many thanks, Steward Qiao. As for the price, just deduct it from this payment..."

Fang Xing played with the gray animal skin bag, feeling emotional: 'It's not easy, I've finally mixed my way into a storage magical artifact...'

"Very good. Here is also the 'Art of Qi Restraint' you requested last time... Calculated this way, Fellow Daoist still needs to pay another five hundred and seventy-two talisman coins."

Qiao Wuyong said with a smile.

Fang Xing was a bit speechless. This is the scissors gap of industry and agriculture. He could only grab a handful of berries and hand them over: "Are these enough?"

"Enough, enough."

Qiao Wuyong accepted them with a smile, chatted a few more sentences, and suddenly said pointedly: "Does Fellow Daoist know... the Fei family is about to change their family head recently?"

"Oh? What happened to Fei Tianbao?"

Fang Xing remembered seeing this person five years ago; the other party didn't look like someone short-lived.

"Hehe, the Fei family has family rules. When the family head cultivates to the ninth level of Qi Sensing and the Primordial Qi circulates throughout the body, they must abdicate and wholeheartedly pursue the Dao Foundation... This hurdle is as difficult as ascending to heaven. If one is not careful, one might die."

Qiao Wuyong said: "Therefore, the Fei family is brewing a change of family head. Currently, there are quite a few candidates fighting like dragons and tigers..."

The Fei family changing its family head was also a major event for the five families opening up the wasteland.

Qiao Wuyong was leaking information, selling a favor.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 568 =====