NOVEL WEB Chapter 27 Currency Establishment
Ao Yun pinched a black-patterned currency, sensing the spiritual energy within. Activating the "Tianlong" spell, the spiritual energy inside was instantly depleted, the currency's luster faded, becoming dull and lackluster, and then it vanished.
Yet, the vanished currency reappeared inside the Treasure Basin. In just a moment, it was spat out by the Treasure Basin and restored to its original luster.
"Endless regeneration!"
Ao Yun was amazed. Such currency, one piece, was worth the daily efforts of an ordinary person. And after the consumption of spiritual energy, it returned to the Treasure Basin, to be reused endlessly.
If the black-patterned currency was like this, what about the bronze-patterned, silver-patterned, and gold-patterned currencies?
Sun Wukong said, "In this way, as long as there are enough materials of gold, silver, copper, and iron, the currency can be produced incessantly without waste. Furthermore, the Treasure Basin, in the process of refining spiritual energy and metals, will also slowly improve and become increasingly spiritual."
"A single black-patterned currency can replace a day's work of a person engaged in Qi Cultivation or spiritual cultivation, a bronze-patterned currency is worth the work of ten people, a silver-patterned currency is worth a hundred days' work, and a gold-patterned currency is worth a thousand days' work."
"Ten black-patterned currencies can be exchanged for one bronze-patterned currency, and so on, ten bronze-patterned for one silver-patterned, and ten silver-patterned for one gold-patterned."
The initial exchange rates were thus decided.
Sun Wukong entrusted the Treasure Basin to Ao Yun for safekeeping and to calculate the initial deployment. How many of each of the four eternal currencies of the Heavenly Dao, made of gold, silver, copper, and iron, should be created.
Ao Yun felt that this matter should not be rushed.
Huaguo Mountain had seventy-two cities, plus Shuilian Cave at the center, making seventy-three in total. It might be wise to implement this in a small area within the cities first, to test its effects.
However, an ordinance concerning the exchange of the eternal currency with ordinary gold, silver, copper, and iron also needed to be set.
Sun Wukong and Ao Yun made rough calculations. At present, for Huaguo Mountain and Ao Lai, a thousand catties of iron could be exchanged for a hundred catties of copper, a hundred catties of copper for ten catties of silver, and ten catties of silver for one catty of gold.
Thus, one catty of gold could be exchanged for ten black-patterned currencies.
Once the price was set, the black-patterned currency was introduced to the holy city outside Shuilian Cave and put into use.
After half a year of observation, the results were unexpected. The residents of the holy city pursued black-patterned currency far more than ordinary gold and silver. In fact, some even exchanged ten pieces of gold for one black-patterned currency in private transactions.
Due to the scarcity of black-patterned currency, it was virtually priceless, and the city's inhabitants hardly used it for trade; instead, they used it for cultivation.
Those who exchanged ten gold pieces for a single black-patterned currency were mostly ordinary humans living there. Most of them had no cultivation skills, but wearing a black-patterned currency could invigorate their Qi-Blood and make themselves vigorous.
Even more so, over a hundred black-patterned currencies had found their way out of Huaguo Mountain and into Ao Lai. They were treasured by the royal family and nobles, who wore them constantly, never leaving their side.
"My lord, the effects of the black-patterned currency are beyond expectations. Because of its artistry and practicality, it is highly esteemed among commoners, cultivators, and demons alike. Even my father, the king, cannot bear to part with it."
Ao Yun was pleasantly surprised but not really surprised.
Her father had lost interest in the gold and silver of the Dragon Palace and wanted to exchange a large amount of black-patterned currency to collect. However, due to the fact that their lord had only allowed her to issue one million black-patterned currencies, she did not make the exchange with her father.
Luckily, the Sea Dragon King was reasonable and didn't insist on his own desires due to being Ao Yun's father.
Moreover, when Ao Yun returned to the Eastern Sea to visit her family, the Crown Prince of the West Sea Dragon King, Ao Moang, was conversing with her father. She took that opportunity to compete with him, prevailing with her Tianlong form.
In the martial competition, she had not practiced since taking up her leadership role in Huaguo Mountain, and therefore, after only fifty exchanges, she could not hold up.
But once the Tianlong form was activated, transforming into a white jade dragon, all of Ao Moang's abundant skills were no match for her spell. Even if he also transformed into a dragon, he was no match for her.
It was through such a competition that the West Sea Dragon King and Ao Moang gained a clearer understanding of the lord of Huaguo Mountain...
"So be it, let's promote the black-patterned currency in large quantities and then promote the copper-patterned currency in smaller amounts, following this pattern."
After arranging the subsequent affairs, Sun Wukong went alone to the Wan Shu Tower to browse various kinds of books. Most books here were copied from the Three Star Cave, and he knew them by heart.
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He came here to look at other books, some collected from Ao Lai, some purchased from travelers on the Nanshan Continent, or others left with reading notes underneath, and yet more newer books.
One could say that in this library, every day thousands of books are borrowed and thousands more new books are acquired. However, not all of these new books are eligible to be placed on the shelves.
Most are stored in the collection room downstairs, never seeing the light of day again, only those that truly express the sentiments of the readers and articulate their own thoughts, or those possessing unique perspectives, are placed on the shelves for others to borrow.
Sun Wukong was here to peruse the new books that had been collected during this time.
One's knowledge is limited when alone.
Even though he is of the mixed yuan, he cannot 'reinvent the wheel' in isolation; he must keep up with the times.
Sun Wukong was flipping through a miscellaneous book that recounted a love story between a snake demon and a human, overcoming the barriers of race, passing the myriad trials of life, and ultimately living happily ever after together.
A romance between a demon and a human?
Sun Wukong pondered thoughtfully.
Many mountain spirits and wild creatures in the Three Realms who have completely transformed into human form often roam among people, like fox demons and dragon maidens, indulging in a whiff of scholastic aura.
Now that Huaguo Mountain is a place where demons and humans coexist, it's inevitable that female demons might fancy humans.
Alas, demons and humans follow different paths.
Mainly because demons live much longer lives while humans are ephemeral, the longest-lived humans last but a fleeting hundred years, and the shorter-lived barely fifty or sixty.
Demons are passionate. If they were to wait for their loved one's reincarnation to continue their love, it would be extremely easy to create ethical issues and lose moral conduct.
Humans are indeed clever, but to become immortal, they must also cultivate. However, those who embark on the path of cultivation cannot indulge in carnal pleasures in the short term, and must practice arduously every day. It is hard to stay with demons for long, and feelings tend to fade.
Therefore, Sun Wukong has designated an area for humans in each city of Huaguo Mountain.
Although they live in the same city, the boundaries are clearly defined.
However, such matters will gradually be relaxed with the emergence of the Heavenly Dao eternal currency, because this currency can aid in cultivation.
In this way, it can reduce untold amounts of mundane effort.
Of course, if one only seeks Divine Skills and mana, practicing with Heavenly Dao eternal currency alone is surely insufficient. But for those who aspire to become truly holy, to become immortals or Buddhas, they must cultivate their hearts and morals, comprehend the fruits of the Way, and achieve a fruit status.
Within the Three Realms, most mountain spirits and wild creatures, even Demon Kings, only cultivate their Divine Skills and mana. They do not refine their hearts or morals and use force to intimidate and bully, practicing the survival of the fittest.
To gain a human form without human virtue is truly a pity.
This is why Sun Wukong strives to educate the myriad demons of Huaguo Mountain, hoping they can learn wisdom, transform from demons to spirits, steer clear of the wrong path, and walk the right way.
For Sun Wukong, if the myriad spirits of Huaguo Mountain could reason, distinguish right from wrong, and not rely solely on brute force, it would be a success.
After all, the spirits of the Three Realms each have their own talents; what they lack is not strength but wisdom.
In other continents, myriad spirits transform into demons because there is no one to teach them. They simply follow their nature, at most imitating some human behaviors, such as boiling their food before eating and dressing themselves with stolen silver to buy necessities in human markets.
Just like everything he experienced during his first simulation—the Demon Kings on the journey to the west, whether from heaven or of wild origin, are mostly like this.
Do they lack wisdom?
No.
Given that they can imitate human behaviors, their learning ability is not poor. What they lack is a more orthodox figure to enlighten them.
They grow up untamed because they are not enlightened.
Wild creatures need not be mentioned, but even the mounts raised in heaven, although they know how to cultivate, also just muddle along, not versed in human ways, naturally falling far short.