NOVEL WEB Chapter 29: Business Branches
Ao Lai.
At the nearby sea harbor, a majestic ship sailing a hundred zhang long approached, breaking through the waves. Its railings were crafted of jade, with the mainmast and foremast vertically holding aloft four large sails, and the towering bow sprit fitted with two triangular sails.
The ocean waves churned, swirling up countless whirlpools beneath.
The residents living by the sea were used to such sights, but the children were lively, running over and squatting by the harbor, blinking with curiosity as they watched people with peculiar heads descend a staircase from the great ship, carrying boxes of various sizes.
This scene had been common for two or three years, yet each time, the children would come over as if they could never get enough.
Then, a woman with two coral-like horns on her forehead disembarked from the large ship, donned in a jade dress embroidered with a golden ink dragon – the epitome of luxury.
Upon her arrival, the Ao Lai foreign dignitaries, already busy, led dozens of officials to greet her, all smiles, for fear of slighting her in any way.
"We have seen Ao Yun," the diplomat said with a fawning smile, "please come this way."
"Hmm."
Ao Yun was already accustomed to this and nodded slightly.
As the second in command of Huaguo Mountain, naturally, there was no need for her to conduct trade personally, but her outing this time was not just for trading with Ao Lai but also for setting up a branch of Huaguo Mountain Trade House within Ao Lai.
Just in case, she had to come herself.
The man in front of her was a diplomat from Ao Lai, named Jia Youdao, who used to be a Taoist but later could not withstand solitude and came down the mountain to become an official. With his glib tongue, he earned the favor of the King of Ao Lai.
Especially after the trade began between Ao Lai and Huaguo Mountain, Jia Youdao was highly valued, assisting Ao Lai in gaining many benefits.
Of course, Huaguo Mountain held the initiative.
Ao Lai could make a small profit, but Huaguo Mountain would never lose out!
Following Jia Youdao, Ao Yun arrived at an inn.
Radiant Spring Pavilion.
This pavilion stood three stories tall, and apart from the service staff, there were no other people inside.
Clearly, Jia Youdao had booked the entire place.
On the top floor, Jia Youdao opened the door of the private room for the Dragon Lady and instructed the officials behind him to set up tables and chairs and to have the servers bring up the dishes.
The dishes were mostly light, without any meat or fish.
Jia Youdao knew that the many spirits of Huaguo Mountain, this Dragon Lady, as well as the Monkey King, all preferred vegetarian meals, unlike the City Lords of the seventy-two cities, who were not particular about food types and even favored meat more.
This text was acquired from M|V|L0EMPYR.
He once practiced Taoism and understood that the most important aspect of cultivation was to resist desires.
Desires of the palate were the most basic and primitive.
If one could not even resist those, how could they speak of cultivating?
Therefore, Jia Youdao understood that the entire Huaguo Mountain was ruled by the Monkey King and the Dragon Lady before him. They tempered the Demon Kings, teaching morality and virtues.
Otherwise, with so many demons in Huaguo Mountain, it would be a den of evil rather than the prosperous place of cohabitation between humans and demons it was now.
The main trade between Huaguo Mountain and Ao Lai started with Huaguo Mountain supplying various gemstones in exchange for Ao Lai's furniture, crockery, ceramics, fabrics, artisan skills, and slaves. But now, it was Ao Lai that sought premium goods from Huaguo Mountain.
This shift occurred in just three years.
In those three years, their mutual status inverted; and now, the people of Ao Lai pursued the Eternal Coins and Heavenly Dao Coins emanating from Huaguo Mountain...
Even now, Huaguo Mountain was about to open a money house, no, a trade house, in Ao Lai.
It would probably not be long before the entire currency of Ao Lai would be replaced by the Eternal Coins and Heavenly Dao Coins. If that truly succeeded, then the economic lifeline of Ao Lai would indeed be in the hands of Huaguo Mountain.
No kingdom would allow such a thing to happen.
However, those Eternal Coins and Heavenly Dao Coins were simply too exquisite, every person who saw them would cling to them fondly and carry them around, for these currencies could nourish one's body, fill adults with vitality, and ward off all illnesses.
If a child carried them around, they could even grow faster and become more intelligent.
Once such currency was used, it would be difficult for ordinary people to abandon it.
"Ao Yun, my small nation of Ao Lai, in the land of Dongsheng Divine Continent, has only three hundred cities, may I know if you wish to establish a trade house in each and every city?"
Seeing that the food was all served, Jia Youdao got straight to the point.
He had personally visited Huaguo Mountain to understand the temperaments of the various Demon Kings, and this Dragon Maiden before him did not fancy insincerity; it was better to be direct.
Ao Yun picked up her bowl and chopsticks and said, "My elder brother once told us, 'Do not speak while eating. Whatever you have to say, let's wait until we're done eating to avoid wasting your kindness.'"
"Exactly right!" Jia Youdao slapped his forehead, almost forgetting about this point while hastily dealing with other bureaucrats.
Ao Yun shook her head secretly.
For a Cultivator, eating was also a form of cultivation: to chew thoroughly and savor every bit of the food, to appreciate the difficulty of growing crops, which could strengthen one's soul.
People like Jia Youdao, who filled their bellies while their minds wandered elsewhere, were not on the path of cultivation.
But this was their life, and this was where their duties lay.
In life, one often cannot control their own destiny.
Thinking this, Ao Yun felt lucky. In the beginning, she was saved by the King; she went to show gratitude but ended up learning many principles and became the Second King of Huaguo Mountain. She didn't know how to repay him.
However, she knew that if the King hadn't saved her, she might have already returned to the netherworld.
Even if she had been lucky enough to survive, after reaching adulthood, she would have been like her other sisters, going to rivers, to Wells and Lakes, to become a dragon matron protecting a water source.
And certainly, it would have been small streams, rivers, and wells.
Large rivers, lakes, and marshes were already occupied by Dragon Kings; if she had gone there, she could at most be a concubine, vying for favor with other women, being petty and living a mean life, which sent shivers down her spine just by thinking about it.
Thank goodness she met the King!
After finishing the meal, Ao Yun got up and walked outside, followed quickly by Jia Youdao and the others.
Ao Yun pointed at the sea, her voice as clear as the song of a conch, "How many cities does Ao Lai have along the coast?"
Jia Youdao replied, "There are twenty large cities, not to mention numerous villages and towns."
Ao Yun nodded slowly and said, "Then, the Huaguo Mountain Trade Houses will for now be established within these twenty cities. Can you decide on this?"
"Certainly, certainly," Jia Youdao quickly nodded. He was in charge of this very matter. In fact, the instructions from the King were such that as long as there was no establishment of a Huaguo Mountain Trade House within the royal city, anything was permissible in other cities.
He could see that the King of Ao Lai held great reverence for Huaguo Mountain.
Not just the King, even an Immortal upon seeing the rapid development of Huaguo Mountain would be shocked and dismayed.
Nothing else, it was just too fast!
Subsequently, Ao Yun and Jia Youdao drafted a contract, with the following terms:
First, Huaguo Mountain will establish trade houses within the twenty major coastal cities of Ao Lai and each year, ten percent of the profits will be paid to Ao Lai as taxes.
Second, during this period, Ao Lai needs to allocate the necessary personnel to ensure the security of the trade houses, preventing civilians from causing trouble, collisions, damages, and other illegal activities against the Huaguo Mountain Trade Houses.
Third, the trade houses are permitted to conduct exchanges between Ao Lai's specific currency and gold, silver, precious metals, Eternal Coins, and Heavenly Dao Coins, but this is limited to six months from the signing of the contract. After six months, the Huaguo Mountain Trade Houses will no longer accept the local currency of Ao Lai...