147: Trading Foundation Pills

"Besides, Steward Niu, you don't look young, and your cultivation is stalled at the Early Stage Foundation Establishment. You likely don't hold much power within the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce. My family's Old Ancestor is right next door. If you make a move, I believe the people of the Cui Clan would be more than happy to lend me a hand."

If someone provoked the authority of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, the guild could kill them without consequence. However, if a guild steward initiated the trouble and was killed, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce would have nothing to say.

The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce was vast and authoritative, but it was not invincible. For a merchant power, once its reputation was ruined, its roots would rot.

The strength of an organization did not necessarily mean every individual within it was powerful, and Steward Niu certainly wasn't one of its core members.

Lu Yucheng uncrossed his legs, set aside his arrogant attitude, and revealed a gentle smile.

"Only my Lu Clan dares to buy a foundation establishment pill from you, and only my Lu Clan can protect it. If it were any other immortal family, the moment they made the purchase, the Cui Clan would be at their door."

"Here, I guarantee that once my Lu Clan establishes Foundation Establishment, we will surely build a Rank Two market. At that time, we will respectfully invite Steward Niu to set up shop, and there will be no restrictions whatsoever."

"Why should I believe you? A single Foundation Establishment Cultivator can't change anything. A mere Qinghe... to be honest, I highly doubt your consumption capacity."

Steward Niu couldn't believe Lu Yucheng's words based on a few sentences; his tone remained flat.

Low-grade resources had a market anywhere. The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce wouldn't mobilize a large amount of resources for him just to fight a price war with the Cui Clan.

There weren't many High Grade resources that Qinghe could use, and the Cui Clan was watching like a hawk from the sidelines.

During his time in Qinghe, Steward Niu had been extremely frustrated. He wanted to contact his connections in Gu Valley, but both the Pang Family and the Liu Family had refused him.

Only a few high-level Qi Refining Loose Cultivators were bold enough to come here and spend money.

If he couldn't break the deadlock, Steward Niu's treatment would be directly tied to the local performance. He was already considering laying off staff.

But even laying off everyone would be a drop in the bucket. Without people to do the work, was he, a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, supposed to personally receive Qi Refining juniors?

"What if we push forward three hundred miles..."

"How is that possible?"

Steward Niu scoffed. He understood Lu Yucheng's implication of pushing three hundred miles deep into the Yun Cang Mountain Range, and it was precisely because he understood that he mocked it.

"The Cloud Azure Sect is only responsible for clearing the area. If you want to occupy it, you have to rely on yourselves. You... what makes you think your Lu Clan can push forward? Relying on that Foundation Establishment Mid Stage next door? Or your father's connections in the Cloud Azure Sect? Or perhaps your own delusions?"

"Heh."

Steward Niu shook his head, full of disdain.

He pointed his finger toward Qinghe Mountain at the upper reaches of the Qinghe River.

"Setting everything else aside, if you want to push forward, where do you intend to put the Cui Clan?"

As the overlord of Qinghe, the Cui Clan could be said to hunt on behalf of Yun Cang. Every spiritual mountain in Qinghe, large or small, was recorded unless it was self-cultivated.

Occupants had to hand over a portion of resources every year, collected by the Cui Clan. With just a few words, the Cui Clan had plenty of room to manipulate these substantial profits.

Qingzhu Mountain was the same. Even though it was Rank One High Grade when Lu Chen took over, after upgrading it to Rank Two, he still had to pay according to the specifications of a top-tier Rank One spiritual mountain. After a hundred years, the resource tribute would increase to the corresponding level.

This was also why many immortal families in Qinghe were shocked when Lu Chen upgraded the rank of the spiritual mountain.

Currently, the Lu Clan occupied six spiritual mountain treasures, and they had to pay protection fees for every single one.

"They will leave. And you... Steward Niu, how many foundation establishment pills can you provide us? If you have none, we can just as easily invite other stewards from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce to settle here. We aren't lacking you specifically."

Lu Yucheng stood up, looking Steward Niu levelly in the eye, his Aura not weakening in the slightest.

"Haha."

Steward Niu's smile was warm, and the corners of his mouth curved high, but his brow was furrowed tight as he sat back down.

"Two."

He casually took out two jade bottles and let them float into Lu Yucheng's hands, secretly letting out a sigh of relief... Fortunately, he had reserves. Otherwise, he would have lost ground in this clash with a junior.

"Thirty thousand Spirit Stones, and they're yours. Sincere enough, right?"

Steward Niu smiled, maintaining the poise of a large-scale organization's steward and a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.

"Two Inferior Grade pills, and you want thirty thousand..."

Having seen many high-quality foundation establishment pills, Lu Yucheng's mouth twitched downward in dissatisfaction.

"Heh, these are pills that countless people beg for but cannot get, and you're complaining about the quality? Believe it or not, if I sold these privately to any Qi Refining Family in Qinghe, a single one could fetch twenty thousand!"

Steward Niu raised an eyebrow, his words becoming a bit sharp.

"That's if they can afford it and have the life to enjoy it... The internal friction between Qinghe's factions is not something a mere merchant guild steward can understand... Twenty thousand."

Lu Yucheng was not polite either. Even paying twenty thousand felt like a massive loss, but he had no choice.

The Lu Clan had to have a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator who could move openly. At the very least, they needed to maintain this excuse for as long as possible to delay the attention of various parties.

Like boiling a frog in warm water—the water gets hotter and hotter, but the frog has quietly adapted and finds it hard to escape. The concept was the same; the Lu Clan intended to be that boiling water.

Steward Niu stared quietly at Lu Yucheng for a long moment. The two remained silent, locked in a calm gaze.

"Agreed."

Steward Niu finally bowed his head. He didn't want to be restricted by the Cui Clan in this wretched place for his entire life. He hoped things would truly go as Lu Yucheng said... Even if they didn't, once the Lu Clan truly produced a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, they would clash with the Cui Clan sooner or later.

A hundred or even a thousand Qi Refining Cultivators couldn't match the resource demands of a single Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. He was happy to watch the show.

He might as well let things take their course.

"Once this batch of resources from Lu YunXuan is sold out, the remaining six thousand will be paid to you."

Lu Yucheng tossed out a Storage Pouch containing fourteen thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"I really want to see how ugly the Lu Clan's faces will be if both of them fail..."

Steward Niu toyed with the Storage Pouch and did not stand up to see Lu Yucheng off. Using his Divine Sense to watch the back of the other man descending the stairs, a cold sneer appeared on his lips... The two inferior foundation establishment pills he had obtained from Steward Wu in Cangyu City had only cost him six thousand Spirit Stones. By selling them now, he had already broken even.

"Should we stop them?"

In the Law Enforcement Building of Qinghe Market, Cui You asked calmly.

In front of him, Cui Tengqing's gaze was cold as he looked at the handsome young man and Lu Yucheng leaving on a Flying Sword.

"No need. Since we can't stop it, let the Lu Clan develop. As long as Abbreviated reference to Cui Tengjian's heart is with our Cui Clan, the Lu Clan won't be able to make any waves for a hundred years..."

Then Cui Tengqing turned back, his gaze passing over Cui You to look at Cui Yanze and the other Elders behind him.

"Closely monitor Qingzhu Mountain. No matter how many moles are exposed, I want to know the detailed situation of the Lu Clan!"

"Understood!"

..."What a loss..."

Lu Yucheng lamented on the Flying Sword.

"Heh, didn't he give you an idea? You could sell them to other immortal families for twenty thousand..."

The voice of Huang Meier, dressed as a man in front of him, was flat.

"True. Who should I sell them to?"