Displeased, Yunxiao frowned and said, “Every year, there is a balance of fifty million gold coins. Excluding the tax revenue from the trade fair, how can there be only thirty million left? Where did the rest of the money go?”
Wu Zishi felt his displeasure, and he said fearfully, “My lord, of the annual balance of fifty million gold coins, thirty million is spent on the courtiers in the capital, and some were taken by the former City Lord, Yu Dehai, when he was relieved of the office.”
Pa!
Yunxiao slapped a hand on the table and said angrily, “This is Yanwu’s money, not Yu Dehai’s personal treasury!”
Wu Zishi bowed his head and did not dare to say a word, but he murmured in his heart, ‘Is there any difference? When every former City Lord leaves, they always take away all the money. This time, because Yu Dehai knew his successor is the King of Wucheng, he purposely left behind some thirty million gold coins, saying that they are his token of congratulations for King of Wucheng. I didn’t expect this new City Lord to be so young and ignorant of worldly affairs…’
“Dad!” Yunxiao cried out, “Bring a few men with you to the capital and take all the money back from Yu Dehai!”
“Will do!” Li Changfeng laughed as he jumped to his feet and roared, “How could he take away all the money from my son’s fief? I think he’s tired of living!”
“Ah!”
The chief bookkeeper was taken aback. ‘How can this King of Wucheng be so foolish! Who would send someone to take back the money that had been taken away? And, who would cough back the money they had swallowed?’
“My lord, this cannot be done!” he said hastily. “Lord Yu Dehai’s younger sister is His Majesty’s consort, so he is considered an imperial uncle. Moreover, he and many first-grade courtiers are friends. And my lord, you ought to know that the money he gave them every year is not for nothing!”
“Oh, you reminded me in time! ” Yunxiao waved and said, “In addition to Yu Dehai, I want the courtiers who had taken money from Yanwu to spit out everything! Wu Zishi, give me the names of the last ten City Lords. I will ask my father to take the money back from them. If any of them is dead, their heirs will have to pay!”
“Ah!” Wu Zishi was petrified instantly. ‘This… this is absurd! Does this King of Wucheng know nothing about the customs of officialdom? Doesn’t he know he will offend all the courtiers by doing so? I think he will be a short-lived City Lord…’
“Haha!” Li Changfeng laughed as he grabbed Darkthunder by the ear and said, “Make this fella go with me. I promise the task will be completed flawlessly!”
“Alright! Remember to collect the interest as well, which is calculated at three times the current common interest. Tell these people that if they don’t pay back honestly, I’ll go and collect the debts from them myself! Try to make them pay in Primordial Stones, because gold coins can’t be eaten or used in cultivation. It is useless to have more.”
“Okay, I’ll go now!” Li Changfeng jumped up the back of Darkthunder while laughing. “Wait till I get back!”
Darkthunder’s face was covered with distress and reluctance. However, at Yunxiao’s order, it bowed its head and turning into a flash of lightning, running in the direction of the capital.
Wu Zishi was startled by the demon beast’s mighty aura and speed, and he was sweating all over. But, he then smiled bitterly at the thought of the consequences of Li Changfeng’s task. It seemed to him that the City Lord would be replaced again soon.
“I now officially appoint you as Deputy City Lord. You will be in charge of everything in the city, and you don’t have to report anything to me except for money. When I want to be in charge, I will come to you.”
After saying that, Yunxiao turned and left, leaving the completely petrified Wu Zishi behind, who stood there with a dazed and confused look.
‘Did he just make me the Deputy City Lord?’
Yanwu was the richest city in Tianshui, and the appointment of even a low-ranking officer would stir the nerve of some powerful courtier in the capital. The office of Deputy City Lord had been fought by many officers for years, and the court had not decided who should fill it. ‘King of Wucheng had just appointed me Deputy City Lord as if it is just a child’s play?’
Wu Zishi’s mind began to drift off a little, and he had a dreamy and unreal feeling. He stumbled back to his bed and threw himself at it, thinking that he must be still asleep, and everything would be normal when he woke up.
…
Without settling down, Yunxiao left all the people behind and walked to the venue of the trade fair, taking only Meng Wu, Meng Bai, and Jia Rong with him. Of the three people, one was his disciple, one was his servant, and one was a pretty girl. Other people who came to the city with him were either his teacher or old men, with whom he had no interest in going shopping.
When he saw the emblem of Myriad Treasures Store hanging on high, he was sure that it was the same organization he knew in his previous life. It seemed that it had penetrated far deeper and wider than he had expected.
Myriad Treasures Store was said to be the richest organization in the Heavenly Martial Continent, with its wealth more than even the alchemist association’s. Moreover, it had recruited a large number of alchemists, as well as countless warriors of various tiers. So, even though it was wealthy, no one dared to covet it.
“Let’s go, Master! What are you waiting for?” Meng Bai kept urging. Young people like him were fond of crowded places, and since he was born a poor child and had seen little of the world, he could no longer wait.Read more chapter at vipnovel
Meng Wu was very excited as well. She purposely changed into a new dress, which made her look like a beautiful lily among all the other lesser flowers, attracting constant attention. Ever since she and Meng Bai following Yunxiao, Qin Yue had been extremely attentive to them, and had always gifted her all kinds of trending dresses, jewelry, and makeup.
At first, they were a little uncomfortable with the special treatment, but then they accepted it. At the same time, they also understood that it was the benefit brought to them by Yunxiao’s status, so they began to attach more importance to their own strength. Now, both of them were five-stars warriors, and Meng Bai had even reached the peak of five-stars.
Fortunately, Yunxiao’s performance was so amazing that no one paid attention to the two siblings. Otherwise, their jaws would have dropped in surprise.
Yunxiao smiled and led them in. The trade fair occupied several important streets in the city and was already packed with people; men and women from the Firecrow Empire and other dependent states were all here, filling the air with noisy bargaining voices.
Meng Wu and Meng Bai were dazzled; they had never seen so many things at once before. On the other hand, although Jia Rong had attended several Thousand Treasures Trade Fairs, he was still greatly interested and kept looking around for something he might need.
Sounds of voices and commotion could be heard from everywhere. Many merchants were selling with temporary stalls, and more with simple square blankets laying on the ground.
“Master! Master! There are many people here. Let’s go inside and have a look!” Meng Bai jumped and pointed to a shop. A few layers of people crowded outside, attracted by something the shop was selling. As he was not tall, Meng Bai squeezed through the crowd easily and was gone in an instant.
There was a little old man with a pointed beard in the shop, who was smiling and explaining his goods to the crowd. On a square table in the doorway was placed a huge crystal vessel, inside which stood an egg as large as a baby, emitting a colorful light under the reflection of the crystal vessel. It was very beautiful.
“A demon beast egg?” Jia Rong said in surprise. “This is an extremely rare thing, and it is not exaggerated to take it to an auction. I can’t believe they just place it there so casually.”
Meng Wu looked at the egg with obsession, showing a look of wanting it. “What a beautiful egg! I wonder what kind of demon beast is inside?”
Yunxiao could not help but laugh. “It’s just an ordinary white demon beast egg, and the color is entirely from the crystal vessel. Look at the caption next to it… It is a second-grade Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret. Wait, a poisonous ferret?”
Yunxiao paused for a moment and muttered to himself, “Although there’s a weak life force in the egg, it is, after all, the egg of a poisonous ferret. If it is cooked and eaten by Meng Bai, it should bring him great benefit.”
Jia Rong smiled wryly. “Young Master Yun, you don’t really want to buy it and cook it, do you?” He guessed that only Yunxiao could do such crazy things as eating a priceless demon beast egg.
“Yes, I do.” Yunxiao gave him a little nod. Jia Rong immediately pushed through the crowd and led them into the shop.
Next to the egg stood a jade board, which read:
The egg of a second-grade Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret.
Growth cycle: Five years.
The fighting strength of an adult Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret was comparable to that of a Great Martial Master, which makes it the best companion for travel, killing, and robbing!
“Boss, we all know this demon beast egg is very precious, you so don’t have to explain anymore. But, the price of ten thousand medial-grade Primordial Stones is just too frightening. Can it be cheaper?” said a warrior with a bitter face, but the enthusiasm in his eyes did not grow weak at all.
“Cheaper?” The little old man snorted and stared at the warrior in anger. “It is already the lowest price I can offer. Do you want me to sell you below my cost? If it weren’t for my urgent need for money, do you think you could buy a second-grade demon beast egg with just ten thousand medial-grade Primordial Stones? Keep on dreaming!”
He paused for a while and sighed, then said, “To be honest, we are already selling this egg at a loss, so it can’t be cheaper. In fact, our goal is to attract more people to our shop. Everyone, please come inside and have a look if there is anything else you need.”
No one in the crowd moved. Clearly, they had no interest in anything else he said. Everyone just fixed their eyes at the egg. Even if they could not afford it, they could at least have a look at it.
The warrior’s face showed a look of reluctance. He exchanged glances with several men, then they pushed out of the crowd and began to discuss in low voices. Other onlookers were also chatting as they watched the scene.
Soon, the warrior pushed back into the shop again. He seemed to have made up his mind, and he said, “Boss, I’ll buy this egg! But, you must provide us a proof that it is indeed a second-grade Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret inside! We will lose a lot of money if it is not a poisonous ferret or simply a dead egg.”
The little old man pointed to several logos beside the egg and said, “Open your eyes and look at them. This is the logo of seven-day no-reason return guarantee issued by Myriad Treasures Store, and this is the logo of product quality assurance! We will be killed if we sell any fake goods!”
Displeased, Yunxiao frowned and said, “Every year, there is a balance of fifty million gold coins. Excluding the tax revenue from the trade fair, how can there be only thirty million left? Where did the rest of the money go?”
Wu Zishi felt his displeasure, and he said fearfully, “My lord, of the annual balance of fifty million gold coins, thirty million is spent on the courtiers in the capital, and some were taken by the former City Lord, Yu Dehai, when he was relieved of the office.”
Pa!
Yunxiao slapped a hand on the table and said angrily, “This is Yanwu’s money, not Yu Dehai’s personal treasury!”
Wu Zishi bowed his head and did not dare to say a word, but he murmured in his heart, ‘Is there any difference? When every former City Lord leaves, they always take away all the money. This time, because Yu Dehai knew his successor is the King of Wucheng, he purposely left behind some thirty million gold coins, saying that they are his token of congratulations for King of Wucheng. I didn’t expect this new City Lord to be so young and ignorant of worldly affairs…’
“Dad!” Yunxiao cried out, “Bring a few men with you to the capital and take all the money back from Yu Dehai!”
“Will do!” Li Changfeng laughed as he jumped to his feet and roared, “How could he take away all the money from my son’s fief? I think he’s tired of living!”
“Ah!”
The chief bookkeeper was taken aback. ‘How can this King of Wucheng be so foolish! Who would send someone to take back the money that had been taken away? And, who would cough back the money they had swallowed?’
“My lord, this cannot be done!” he said hastily. “Lord Yu Dehai’s younger sister is His Majesty’s consort, so he is considered an imperial uncle. Moreover, he and many first-grade courtiers are friends. And my lord, you ought to know that the money he gave them every year is not for nothing!”
“Oh, you reminded me in time! ” Yunxiao waved and said, “In addition to Yu Dehai, I want the courtiers who had taken money from Yanwu to spit out everything! Wu Zishi, give me the names of the last ten City Lords. I will ask my father to take the money back from them. If any of them is dead, their heirs will have to pay!”
“Ah!” Wu Zishi was petrified instantly. ‘This… this is absurd! Does this King of Wucheng know nothing about the customs of officialdom? Doesn’t he know he will offend all the courtiers by doing so? I think he will be a short-lived City Lord…’
“Haha!” Li Changfeng laughed as he grabbed Darkthunder by the ear and said, “Make this fella go with me. I promise the task will be completed flawlessly!”
“Alright! Remember to collect the interest as well, which is calculated at three times the current common interest. Tell these people that if they don’t pay back honestly, I’ll go and collect the debts from them myself! Try to make them pay in Primordial Stones, because gold coins can’t be eaten or used in cultivation. It is useless to have more.”
“Okay, I’ll go now!” Li Changfeng jumped up the back of Darkthunder while laughing. “Wait till I get back!”
Darkthunder’s face was covered with distress and reluctance. However, at Yunxiao’s order, it bowed its head and turning into a flash of lightning, running in the direction of the capital.
Wu Zishi was startled by the demon beast’s mighty aura and speed, and he was sweating all over. But, he then smiled bitterly at the thought of the consequences of Li Changfeng’s task. It seemed to him that the City Lord would be replaced again soon.
“I now officially appoint you as Deputy City Lord. You will be in charge of everything in the city, and you don’t have to report anything to me except for money. When I want to be in charge, I will come to you.”
After saying that, Yunxiao turned and left, leaving the completely petrified Wu Zishi behind, who stood there with a dazed and confused look.
‘Did he just make me the Deputy City Lord?’
Yanwu was the richest city in Tianshui, and the appointment of even a low-ranking officer would stir the nerve of some powerful courtier in the capital. The office of Deputy City Lord had been fought by many officers for years, and the court had not decided who should fill it. ‘King of Wucheng had just appointed me Deputy City Lord as if it is just a child’s play?’
Wu Zishi’s mind began to drift off a little, and he had a dreamy and unreal feeling. He stumbled back to his bed and threw himself at it, thinking that he must be still asleep, and everything would be normal when he woke up.
…
Without settling down, Yunxiao left all the people behind and walked to the venue of the trade fair, taking only Meng Wu, Meng Bai, and Jia Rong with him. Of the three people, one was his disciple, one was his servant, and one was a pretty girl. Other people who came to the city with him were either his teacher or old men, with whom he had no interest in going shopping.
When he saw the emblem of Myriad Treasures Store hanging on high, he was sure that it was the same organization he knew in his previous life. It seemed that it had penetrated far deeper and wider than he had expected.
Myriad Treasures Store was said to be the richest organization in the Heavenly Martial Continent, with its wealth more than even the alchemist association’s. Moreover, it had recruited a large number of alchemists, as well as countless warriors of various tiers. So, even though it was wealthy, no one dared to covet it.
“Let’s go, Master! What are you waiting for?” Meng Bai kept urging. Young people like him were fond of crowded places, and since he was born a poor child and had seen little of the world, he could no longer wait.Read more chapter at vipnovel
Meng Wu was very excited as well. She purposely changed into a new dress, which made her look like a beautiful lily among all the other lesser flowers, attracting constant attention. Ever since she and Meng Bai following Yunxiao, Qin Yue had been extremely attentive to them, and had always gifted her all kinds of trending dresses, jewelry, and makeup.
At first, they were a little uncomfortable with the special treatment, but then they accepted it. At the same time, they also understood that it was the benefit brought to them by Yunxiao’s status, so they began to attach more importance to their own strength. Now, both of them were five-stars warriors, and Meng Bai had even reached the peak of five-stars.
Fortunately, Yunxiao’s performance was so amazing that no one paid attention to the two siblings. Otherwise, their jaws would have dropped in surprise.
Yunxiao smiled and led them in. The trade fair occupied several important streets in the city and was already packed with people; men and women from the Firecrow Empire and other dependent states were all here, filling the air with noisy bargaining voices.
Meng Wu and Meng Bai were dazzled; they had never seen so many things at once before. On the other hand, although Jia Rong had attended several Thousand Treasures Trade Fairs, he was still greatly interested and kept looking around for something he might need.
Sounds of voices and commotion could be heard from everywhere. Many merchants were selling with temporary stalls, and more with simple square blankets laying on the ground.
“Master! Master! There are many people here. Let’s go inside and have a look!” Meng Bai jumped and pointed to a shop. A few layers of people crowded outside, attracted by something the shop was selling. As he was not tall, Meng Bai squeezed through the crowd easily and was gone in an instant.
There was a little old man with a pointed beard in the shop, who was smiling and explaining his goods to the crowd. On a square table in the doorway was placed a huge crystal vessel, inside which stood an egg as large as a baby, emitting a colorful light under the reflection of the crystal vessel. It was very beautiful.
“A demon beast egg?” Jia Rong said in surprise. “This is an extremely rare thing, and it is not exaggerated to take it to an auction. I can’t believe they just place it there so casually.”
Meng Wu looked at the egg with obsession, showing a look of wanting it. “What a beautiful egg! I wonder what kind of demon beast is inside?”
Yunxiao could not help but laugh. “It’s just an ordinary white demon beast egg, and the color is entirely from the crystal vessel. Look at the caption next to it… It is a second-grade Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret. Wait, a poisonous ferret?”
Yunxiao paused for a moment and muttered to himself, “Although there’s a weak life force in the egg, it is, after all, the egg of a poisonous ferret. If it is cooked and eaten by Meng Bai, it should bring him great benefit.”
Jia Rong smiled wryly. “Young Master Yun, you don’t really want to buy it and cook it, do you?” He guessed that only Yunxiao could do such crazy things as eating a priceless demon beast egg.
“Yes, I do.” Yunxiao gave him a little nod. Jia Rong immediately pushed through the crowd and led them into the shop.
Next to the egg stood a jade board, which read:
The egg of a second-grade Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret.
Growth cycle: Five years.
The fighting strength of an adult Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret was comparable to that of a Great Martial Master, which makes it the best companion for travel, killing, and robbing!
“Boss, we all know this demon beast egg is very precious, you so don’t have to explain anymore. But, the price of ten thousand medial-grade Primordial Stones is just too frightening. Can it be cheaper?” said a warrior with a bitter face, but the enthusiasm in his eyes did not grow weak at all.
“Cheaper?” The little old man snorted and stared at the warrior in anger. “It is already the lowest price I can offer. Do you want me to sell you below my cost? If it weren’t for my urgent need for money, do you think you could buy a second-grade demon beast egg with just ten thousand medial-grade Primordial Stones? Keep on dreaming!”
He paused for a while and sighed, then said, “To be honest, we are already selling this egg at a loss, so it can’t be cheaper. In fact, our goal is to attract more people to our shop. Everyone, please come inside and have a look if there is anything else you need.”
No one in the crowd moved. Clearly, they had no interest in anything else he said. Everyone just fixed their eyes at the egg. Even if they could not afford it, they could at least have a look at it.
The warrior’s face showed a look of reluctance. He exchanged glances with several men, then they pushed out of the crowd and began to discuss in low voices. Other onlookers were also chatting as they watched the scene.
Soon, the warrior pushed back into the shop again. He seemed to have made up his mind, and he said, “Boss, I’ll buy this egg! But, you must provide us a proof that it is indeed a second-grade Windbreaking Poisonous Ferret inside! We will lose a lot of money if it is not a poisonous ferret or simply a dead egg.”
The little old man pointed to several logos beside the egg and said, “Open your eyes and look at them. This is the logo of seven-day no-reason return guarantee issued by Myriad Treasures Store, and this is the logo of product quality assurance! We will be killed if we sell any fake goods!”
