86: Chapter 86 Early Term

The very first condition alone had blocked countless third-rate families aspiring to ascend.

As for the subsequent conditions, Pei Tianrong had never bothered to inquire.

After all, the Pei Family was still far too distant from becoming a second-rate Family.

Back then, it had already been difficult enough for the Pei Family to retain its title without being stripped of it; how could they have the leisure to entertain such unrealistic thoughts?

After jogging like this for a while, Pei Tianrong arrived, without realizing it, at a small courtyard.

In the Pei Family, there were a total of five people responsible for logistics.

These five individuals each performed their own duties.

The leader was an elderly man of the Pei Family, wearing a brown robe with faded, exquisite cloud patterns embroidered along the edges, which looked quite aged.

This old man was none other than the person in charge of the Pei Family's logistics, Pei Tianqi.

Upon seeing Pei Tianrong arrive, Pei Tianqi immediately came forward to greet him and bowed.

Usually, Pei Tianrong would not come here.

He only visited the accounting office on fixed dates each month.

This sudden visit made Pei Tianqi think there was a problem with the accounts, and his expression became tense.

Fortunately, Pei Tianrong's next sentence dispelled his doubts.

"Elder Qi, I need to check the Family's grain inventory. Do you have the specific figures here?"

Pei Tianqi's expression relaxed, and he hurriedly said, "Family Head, please wait a moment; I will fetch them for you right away."

Before long, Pei Tianqi brought out the ledger recording the grain.

After some calculation, it was determined that the Pei Family owned tens of thousands of mu of fertile land. The current grain stock totaled one hundred thousand dan, which converted to nearly ten million jin.

Pei Tianrong had not expected that the Family's grain reserves would be much higher than he had imagined.

He had originally thought that having thirty thousand dan of grain in reserve would be quite good.

In reality, Pei Tianrong's estimation had not been wrong.

It was mainly because the Li Family's grain reserves were so massive that the Pei Family's stock reached such an exaggerated level.

Returning to the Family Head's small courtyard, Pei Tianrong reported the grain inventory situation to Pei Qingyun.

Pei Qingyun was also somewhat surprised, "You say the Family grain reserves are one hundred thousand dan?"

Pei Tianrong, thinking the grain reserves were insufficient, explained, "Yes. If it is not enough, I can take advantage of these few days to order people to purchase grain from various towns."

"It is enough. One hundred thousand dan of grain is fully ten million jin. Even if one person eats one jin a day, it is enough to feed fifty thousand people for half a year. Although the two families have large appetites, the prefecture city's population is far greater than that, but purchasing so much grain at once is sufficient."

"Although grain prices are currently very high, after this period passes, grain prices will fall back to a low point. It is unwise to purchase grain at this time," Pei Qingyun explained.

Pei Tianrong nodded, "Old Ancestor, I understand."

In fact, Pei Qingyun had not finished his sentence. Purchasing grain now and transporting it to the prefecture city via a caravan would absolutely be a guaranteed profit.

But the Pei Family could not do that.

One hundred thousand dan of grain was already enough for the Pei Family to make a huge profit. If the Pei Family swept up all the grain in Wuyang County, the consequence would not be earning more, but rather putting the Pei Family in a dangerous position.

Monopoly represents profit.

But an absolute monopoly requires strength.

It was true that the Pei Family dominated Wuyang County, but in the prefecture city, there were too many who could crush the Pei Family.

Once people elsewhere could not buy grain and the Pei Family raised prices on the spot, the consequences would likely not be very pleasant.

Pei Qingyun understood how to know when to stop.

However, the interests of the Pei Family absolutely could not be compromised.

Through Pei Tianrong, Pei Qingyun learned the current grain price in Wuyang County. One jin was twenty wen, and one tael of silver could buy fifty jin.

In previous years, the price of grain sold to the prefecture city was generally fifty percent higher on this basis. However, the risks and costs of grain transportation were all borne by the seller.

In the past, the Pei Family was not a large grain producer, and the surplus grain produced was sold to the prefecture city through grain merchants.

The Li Family itself was the largest grain merchant in Wuyang County, and every time they escorted grain to the prefecture city, the Li Family basically used security firms for protection.

Now, the Pei Family had become the largest grain merchant in Wuyang County, and he intended to carry out reforms in this area.

However, this could not be achieved in a short time.

The next day.

Pei Qingyun visited Chen Yuanba again.

In the main hall, Chen Yuanba had already prepared tea, melon seeds, and fruit.

Upon seeing Pei Qingyun, Chen Yuanba immediately came forward with a smile, "How is the preparation for the grain going, brother?"

Pei Qingyun said, "Rest assured regarding the grain, brother. But I am not certain about how much grain the two families specifically need."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Yuanba held up five fingers, "I cannot give an accurate number for how much exactly. But I estimate it should not be less than fifty thousand dan."

Pei Qingyun said solemnly, "Fifty thousand dan, my Pei Family can provide it. But regarding the price, can you give me a bottom line?"

Chen Yuanba smiled, "Regarding the price, brother, just follow the normal market price. Since I asked you to sell the grain to my Chen Family and the He Family, naturally, I cannot let you suffer a loss. But brother, you must remember one thing: do not sell the grain to the Qian Family and the Lu Family, otherwise it will be difficult for me to explain."

Pei Qingyun took a light sip of tea and said solemnly, "Please rest assured on this point. I, Pei Qingyun, am not a person who goes back on his word. What I have promised, the Pei Family will definitely do."

Chen Yuanba rubbed his nose and set down his teacup. After several months of contact, he basically understood Pei Qingyun's character.

Seeing Pei Qingyun say this, he felt assured.

Thinking of this, Chen Yuanba simply laid his cards on the table, "With your word, brother, I can rest easy. In another month, my term will end. By then, I will likely be transferred back to the prefecture city to serve as a commander of the prefecture city's Evil Suppression Bureau, and a new candidate for the Chief of the Evil Suppressing Department will be arranged for Wuyang County."

"In previous years, didn't transfers only come down after the New Year? Why is it so fast this time?" Pei Qingyun asked, puzzled.

"This time the situation is a bit special. Not long ago, a commander of the prefecture city's Evil Suppression Bureau was killed by a fourth-rank Demon while clearing out Demons. With this accident, the position of Evil Suppression commander suddenly became vacant. This position is very important; my Chen Family does not want it to fall into the hands of the Qian and Lu families. And since I happened to have captured the Blood Demon Evil Servant Ling Ziwen, the Family Head wants to take this opportunity to let me sit in the position of prefecture city Evil Suppression commander."

Chen Yuanba explained.

"So that's how it is," Pei Qingyun thought to himself.

He had not expected that his unintentional help had advanced Chen Yuanba's transfer term by several months.

There is no banquet in the world that does not come to an end.

Chen Yuanba's early departure disrupted Pei Qingyun's plans. But after thinking about it carefully, Pei Qingyun was not too disappointed.

Chen Yuanba going to the prefecture city to take office was not necessarily a bad thing. If the Pei Family wanted to develop, it would inevitably have to reach into the prefecture city.

Pei Qingyun congratulated him, "Then congratulations, brother, on reaching a higher level."

Returning from the Evil Suppression Bureau, Pei Qingyun composed himself.

With Chen Yuanba's transfer, Wuyang County would also welcome a new Chief of the Evil Suppressing Department.

If this were in the past, a newly arrived Chief of the Evil Suppressing Department would inevitably change the landscape of Wuyang County. But now, the Pei Family no longer feared a mere ordinary Chief of the Evil Suppressing Department.

Unless the other party was like Chen Yuanba, coming from one of the four great families of the prefecture city, it would only make him secretly wary, but that was all.

Without the other two families, Pei Qingyun was the undisputed uncrowned king, and even the Chief of the Evil Suppressing Department could do nothing to him.

In the end, strength is the basis of confidence.

...

Jinhuai Prefecture.

Kaiyuan Academy.

As the premier academy of the prefecture city, Kaiyuan Academy had a long history, was majestic, and had been established for over two hundred years.

Every civilian Martial Artist within Jinhuai Prefecture took pride in entering Kaiyuan Academy. However, the enrollment of Kaiyuan Academy was very strict; the first step alone blocked ninety-nine percent of Genius Martial Artists.

The Divine Strength Realm before the age of fifteen was the minimum requirement for entering Kaiyuan Academy. Students who entered Kaiyuan Academy, as long as they did not fall prematurely, had a greater than ninety percent chance of breaking through to the Five Viscera Realm.

Besides this, after graduating, students of Kaiyuan Academy could voluntarily apply to enter the imperial court system and hold official posts.

This also compelled some direct descendants of influential families to come to Kaiyuan Academy to gild themselves.

At this time, under a large tree at Kaiyuan Academy, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth was sitting on the ground reading a book.

He had a tall and straight figure, sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and a head of jet-black long hair tied behind his head; between his brows, he had a slight resemblance to Pei Tianrong.

This youth was none other than Pei Tianrong's son, Pei Sili.

As the direct son of the Pei Family, Pei Sili had carried the Family's hopes since childhood. Unfortunately, his talent for Cultivating martial arts was really not that great, and it was only on the eve of his fifteenth birthday that he managed to break through to the Divine Strength Realm.

If this were a civilian Martial Artist, being able to break through to the Divine Strength Realm at fifteen would be a stroke of immense luck, as if their ancestral graves were smoking with good fortune.

But as the only direct son of the Pei Family, Pei Sili knew very well how many resources he had consumed to exchange for that Breakthrough before the age of fifteen.

If it was said that ninety percent of those who entered Kaiyuan Academy and did not fall could step into the Five Viscera Realm, then he was that final ten percent.

Having been at Kaiyuan Academy for a year, his strength had not even broken through to the Mid-Stage Divine Strength.

The students who had enrolled with him had all crossed into the Mid-Stage Divine Strength one after another, which made him very distressed, and he even wanted to give up on himself at one point.

If he were merely at the bottom, he would not be unable to accept it.

But that snail-like speed of Cultivation made him want to go crazy.

Yet, when he thought about the huge price the Family had paid to raise him, and how difficult it had been for him to get into this Kaiyuan Academy, it would be unjustifiable for him to give up at this time.

But reality told him that effort was useless.

With no talent, what else could he do?

To sum it up in one sentence, he really wanted to just give up and rot.

In order to comfort himself, Pei Sili picked up a biographical novel and started reading.

He had hoped that he could immerse himself in it.

As a result, as he read, he thought of himself again.

"What kind of bullshit biography is this? It has no logic at all; it's not even as well-written as what I write." Pei Sili threw the book in his hand onto the ground, looking displeased.

But soon, he returned to his normal expression and sighed deeply, "Sigh, I don't know when the trade route will open. I really want to go home; life here is just too oppressive."

If this were in Pei Qingyun's previous world, Pei Sili's temperament would be that of a classic melancholy prince.

It is just a pity he was born at the wrong time.