The vast majority of trade with the Desolate Ancestor Tribe was conducted through barter. Minor price differences were noted down on an account, while larger sums were settled using ancient immortal plants.
This time, Wei Yuan had traded brocade worth ten million immortal silver for ten million jin of raw materials. As time went on, these raw materials would gradually be converted into gunpowder, and subsequently into all manner of lethal, destructive weaponry.
Staggering quantities of nether iron were beginning to see widespread application throughout Qingming. The elite forces had already commenced a complete refitting with arms and equipment incorporating nether iron components. Because nether iron was sturdier and did not heat up easily, the barrels of the new fire guns were only half as thick as before, yet considerably stronger. A single fire gun was forty to fifty jin lighter, while the ammunition's destructive power increased by thirty percent.
Just as Wei Yuan was sprinting at full tilt down the grand avenue of overwhelming martial virtue, the aristocratic clans of the western commanderies of Ningzhou were still immersed in jubilation.
Over the past few months, the reopening of the trade route to the Wu domain had brought windfall profits to every clan. Every household was expanding its mulberry groves, while those with sufficient capital were building brocade workshops on a massive scale.
The looms for weaving brocade required a type of spiritual timber known as silver nanmu. As a result, the price of silver nanmu had soared more than tenfold over this period, yet it remained virtually impossible to buy even with cash in hand. The wages for brocade artisans had doubled even for apprentices, while those for skilled weavers had more than tripled. Yet the newly opened brocade workshops spared no expense to poach labor at any cost, even coaxing out decrepit old artisans who already had one foot in the grave to perform trembling, unsteady labor at the looms.
In an instant, the entire industry felt that money had never come so easily.
Having struck it rich, the great clans had few new tricks to spend it on: it was the usual routine of hunting, nocturnal banquets, dancing girls, and performers. Going any further risked touching upon treason.
On this day, the Yao family played host, inviting the proprietors of all friendly brocade firms and merchant guilds within a three-hundred-li radius. They were lodged in the family's newly completed detached villa, hunting by day and drinking by night, in a revelry meant to last ten days of continuous drunkenness before breaking up.
Every owner and head steward arrived in high spirits. Even if they had been reluctant, they could hardly stay away, for the Yao Patriarch had made a lavish gesture: he had bought out every upscale pleasure house in the vicinity and sent the courtesans straight to the villa.
Thus, the days were filled with shouting men and neighing horses, while the nights swelled with music and dance, thoroughly disturbing the peace for a hundred li around.
That evening, flanked by seven or eight young maidens, the Yao Patriarch exchanged toasts with each of the clan heads in turn. From the very beginning, the Yao family had gambled on mulberry groves, purchasing vast tracts of grain fields to convert them. By now, they possessed two hundred thousand mu of mulberry groves! With the price of raw silk skyrocketing, the Yao family had long since leapt to become the wealthiest in the commandery, leaving all others far behind in the dust.
Riding the prevailing wind of soaring silk prices, the Yao family had now begun a large-scale foray into the brocade industry, opening eight workshops in one go and binding over five thousand brocade artisans with lifelong indentures.
Amid the boisterous festivities, an attendant slipped in and whispered something into the Yao Patriarch's ear.
The Yao Patriarch's expression remained steady, but he snorted and chided, "What is there to panic about? Isn't it just a hundred bolts a day? Tell them we'll take all their brocade, and they aren't permitted to sell any to outside customers!"
The steward said with a bitter grimace, "They refused. They claim each person can only buy one bolt per day, and they absolutely won't sell in bulk!"
The Yao Patriarch's face instantly darkened. "So obstinate? Where does this merchant firm hail from? Aren't they afraid of never making it back home?"
By this point, other well-informed clan heads had learned of the news as well. Word spread quickly through the manor, and soon every clan head knew that an upstart merchant firm was selling brocade in the commandery seat at a full tael below the market price.
Many of the local wealthy families who bought brocade had turned to this firm. As soon as the daily quota was released, it was swept clean.
Brocade was hardly an absolute necessity; buying it today or tomorrow made little difference. Consequently, many well-to-do households in the commandery seat began lining up at this shop, causing the brocade sales of all other firms to plummet.
The Yao Patriarch actually cared very little about this. If the brocade did not sell locally, so be it; after all, the lion's share was destined for the Shamans. When a bolt could fetch fifteen taels over there, why bother selling it here for eight taels?
However, for this firm to act in such a manner was a deliberate provocation. Seeing everyone gazing his way, the Yao Patriarch naturally had to adopt the posture of a leading chieftain. He said, "Since they fail to appreciate our generosity, there is no need for us to be polite. Courtesy before force: tomorrow morning, send a hundred shop hands to queue up and buy back every last bolt of brocade!"
The steward whispered, "Master, over there, people already started lining up this afternoon for tomorrow morning's batch."
The Yao Patriarch's face darkened further. "Display the Yao family placard and have the first hundred people give up their spots! If they yield, give them one tael of silver. If they refuse..."
A vicious glint appeared in the steward's eyes. "This servant will break their legs directly!"
The Patriarch nodded with satisfaction. "Don't forget to investigate the origins of that firm. I want to know their background!"
With that, the minor ripple passed, and the crowd resumed their revelry.
In the blink of an eye, three more days elapsed. Just as the hunting excursion was drawing to a close, another piece of news arrived: the Shamans had halted all incoming purchases!
This time, even the Yao Patriarch could not keep his composure. He demanded hurriedly, "What do the Shamans mean by this?"
The messenger replied, "Word came from the other side that someone has recently dumped a massive quantity of brocade in the Shaman domain. It's cheaper and of far better quality than ours. Several elders of the Leize Tribe are furious. They demand that we lower our prices, or else they will return all the goods."
The Yao Patriarch said, "Fifteen taels a bolt is already cheap enough! Lower the price even further? How can we possibly lower it?"
The others chimed in with vocal agreement.
The messenger showed a look of difficulty and said, "According to the Shamans, the other party is selling for only twenty taels. The Leize Tribe is now sitting on nearly two hundred thousand bolts of brocade that they cannot sell at all. The Leize elders say that they will also sell at twenty taels, so they demand that we drop our price to ten taels."
A head of a minor clan instantly cried out, "Ten taels? The price of raw silk alone is four taels, artisan wages take more than two taels, and adding travel expenses, what profit would remain at ten taels? Are we supposed to make only one and a half taels per bolt?"
The clan heads were all filled with righteous indignation, vehemently denouncing the Leize Tribe.
The Yao Patriarch, however, did not panic. He said, "Send someone to the Leize Tribe first to see who on earth is competing with me for business over in the Shaman domain."
"Could it be the state of Zhao?" one clan head asked.
The Yao Patriarch shook his head. "Impossible! Zhao's silk is no good, and the quality of their brocade is far inferior to ours. In my view, whoever is operating in the shadows most likely hails from our eight commanderies!"
Over the next two days, the situation did not improve in the slightest. With everyone burdened by heavy thoughts, the hunt dispersed a day early.
The Yao Patriarch had just returned to the main residence when a servant reported, "Old Perfected Chuhe has arrived!"
The Yao Patriarch now held an entirely different status. Frowning, he asked, "Has he come to buy silk again? Let him wait. I will see him after I finish lunch."
At that moment, Old Daoist Chuhe sat in the reception hall, drinking cup after cup of tea. He possessed remarkable patience and showed no hurry whatsoever, pulling out a storybook and turning the pages one by one, reading leisurely.
Only after a long while did the Yao Patriarch finally make an appearance, wearing a polite smile as he said, "I have returned late; pray do not take offense, Old Perfected."
Perfected Chuhe proceeded to state his intention to buy silk. The Yao Patriarch's smile did not waver, but he said, "This places me in a difficult spot. Our Yao family is now producing brocade as well, and all the artisans have already been hired. We are no longer selling raw silk to outsiders."
Perfected Chuhe let out a soft chuckle. "For the sake of our past association, this old Daoist will offer one piece of advice: raw silk is a fine business, but brocade is not. This old Daoist has said all he needs to say. Farewell!"
Once Perfected Chuhe had departed, the Yao Patriarch merely snorted, paying the words no heed.
***
Meanwhile, Wei Yuan had gathered the cultivators around a sand table map that reached deep into the Wu domain, assigning tasks.
"The objective of our conquest this time is the Red Sand Oasis, located thirty-four hundred li away from us. It spans over two hundred li across, roughly the size of three or four of our counties.
"Eight human sacrificial tribes reside in this region. The Leize Tribe maintains a garrison of fifteen thousand troops there, but only two hundred heavy-armored giant lizard riders. Xu Yi, you will take five thousand light cavalry and set out first to survey the terrain along the way, establishing supply camps at crucial junctions. The Desolate Ancestor Tribe will dispatch personnel to guide and coordinate with you en route.
"When approaching the Red Sand Oasis, do not launch a reckless attack. First ascertain the enemy's true strength, map the terrain thoroughly, and link up with the guides from the Desolate Ancestor Tribe. Await the arrival of the main force from the rear before attacking. Among the local human sacrificial tribes, some remain loyal to the Desolate Ancestor Tribe and can provide assistance on the spot.
"Cui Yu, you will lead ten thousand men and depart ten days later, advancing along the charted route. I am assigning you two thousand heavy cavalry and eight thousand mounted infantry. Disciples from the medical pavilion and elixir view will accompany the ranks. Are there any questions?"
Cui Yu said, "Their flying eagle riders have already been crippled by you; what formidable force do they have left to bring out? I don't think we need to haul so many cannons. Taking five to test their power should be enough. Fifty is far too many—they're cumbersome!"
Wei Yuan rejected the notion immediately. "Out of the question! Were it not for the journey being so long and arduous, I would have had you bring five hundred. These are new infantry cannons; they are extremely light. You could easily fly while carrying two by yourself. If that doesn't work, have the Dao Foundation officers carry them. What else are they saving their magic power for?"
"A mere fifteen thousand Shaman troops, and local garrison units at that—aren't they basically just like our local militiamen? One on one, I could beat them with my bare fists even without armor!"
"There won't be any domain power backing you over there. Do you think battles are so easy to fight?"
"Even without domain power, don't we still have Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World? When the time comes, you can fly over and manifest it. It won't be much worse than domain power."
Wei Yuan said in exasperation, "So you can't fight a battle without me, is that it?"
Cui Yu rolled his eyes at him and said, "You idle around day in and day out with nothing to do anyway, so why not come over and fight? What could be more important than fighting the Shamans? Besides, you don't even need to take the field; as long as you show up in person, you can just find some random spot to squat for a while, and once the battle is won, you can leave.
"Oh, right, don't go lashing out recklessly. Many of the brothers under my command are queuing up waiting for heavenly merits! You hit too hard; one grip from you wipes out dozens of heavenly merits. That's the only thing the brothers are lacking before they can return home for a visit."
Wei Yuan asked, "What do they want to exchange them for? If it's an urgent need, I can exchange it for them first and deduct it gradually later."
Cui Yu said, "They aren't lacking anything! What they lack right now is something presentable to show off once they get back home. Nowadays, if you don't have several dozen heavenly merits to your name, you're embarrassed to even visit your family back home!"
For some reason, Wei Yuan felt that the thinking of these pampered scions was utterly abnormal. "Wait, instead of trading heavenly merits for cultivation resources, they're taking them back just to show off?"
"And who was it that started this perverse trend in the first place?"
Upon closer questioning, Wei Yuan learned that among the young disciples of the noble clans in Jin, Zhao, and the neighboring regions, a perverse trend of competing over heavenly merits had recently arisen.
The origin of this phenomenon could be traced back to the younger generation who had strived in Qingming and later returned home to visit their families, starting with Xu Yi and Wang Yu's group and gradually growing in number. Those who had come to Qingming earliest were originally the ones disregarded by their families, which was why they had been pushed out.
Now having achieved success and returning home in glory, they certainly could not outmatch the direct branches in family wealth or magic treasures, so they competed in heavenly merits. This was something that could only be earned by landing solid blows against Dharma Appearances, which thoroughly stumped the young masters and mistresses of the direct lineages.
Unwilling to suffer such humiliation, these young masters and mistresses had used every means at their disposal to acquire heavenly merits. Before long, competing over heavenly merits had become all the rage among the younger generation of noble families. Some had even organized Heavenly Merit Poetry Gatherings. Whether the poetry was good or bad mattered little; what mattered was that every promising young talent participating possessed heavenly merits. Once this gathering was launched, it immediately became wildly popular among noble ladies, turning a poetry gathering into a full-fledged contest to snare eligible grooms.
Chapter 609