fifth form

Chapter 3167 Swap Game
If the restraining pill could kill the opponent, the new emperor would not hesitate.

However, the Creation Pill is not a rare or unique elixir. Even if Daojun and others are injured and need the Creation Pill for recuperation, it is not indispensable. The spiritual energy of the secret place is sufficient to slowly nourish their injuries.

The new emperor also did not rule out the possibility that this was a deliberate attempt to create mystery, using a high price to lure those with ulterior motives to the sacred land of Yedie River to assassinate Daojun.

Whether there was a genuine need or it was a ruse, the new emperor didn't care, nor did he want to.

The more important thing is how to maximize the exploitation to strengthen oneself, not to mention that Hongku also carries the possibility of an antidote.

The new emperor was not as rigid in his thinking as the older generation. He had heard Zhang Xuezhou talk about "The War of Currencies," and Sang Hongyang and others had used this strategy in the border trade.

Luxurious and scarce decorations can corrupt the minds of the nobility and create a competitive spirit, while technological superiority can crush the resources of rivals, thereby allowing oneself to gain several times more benefits than the opponent.

Business that comes knocking on your door must be negotiated, and there must be a considerable profit involved.

"If you can't make the decision, you can go back and ask for instructions. We're not in a hurry!"

The new emperor looked sluggish, occasionally grumbling about how bad luck had caused him to lose money during the last trade.

"Please wait a moment, everyone!"

Hongku's negotiations were a complete mess, and he eventually had to temporarily suspend them, choosing instead to remove his clothes and disappear.

"Damn it!"

The new emperor cursed rudely, then glanced at Zhang Xuezhou.

He was genuinely a little unsure of himself.

The medicinal herbs produced in the Ten Thousand Mountains are important, but the Daoist's antidote is even more important.

The sorcerer's medicine is not so easy to take; the new emperor is 90% certain that there is a problem with the antidote.

However, the Empress Dowager rarely appeared in public, living deep within the palace. Daojun might not have imagined that the flying knife had struck the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty.

If it doesn't have enough value, there's no need to activate the backup plan included in the antidote.

This is something that requires taking a gamble; if you win the gamble, you can ensure the safety of the Empress Dowager.

If the antidote can be cracked, that would be even better.

"Come on, don't worry about anything else, let's have a couple of bites first!"

Zhang Xuezhou gestured to invite them over, then pointed to the large amount of meat on the table.

"You've learned a great skill!"

The new emperor glanced at the cooking cauldron placed to the side, then looked at the pile of bones on the ground, and felt that Zhang Xuezhou had stuffed the amount of meat a normal person would eat in a month into one meal.

Having a large stomach is a skill, but being able to eat for a long time without getting tired of it is an even greater skill.

He sat down in the seat Zhang Xuezhou had vacated, tore off a piece of pork hind leg and chewed slowly. The greasy taste quickly overwhelmed him, and the frustration and anxiety in his heart made it difficult for the new emperor to swallow.

"The rule in this trade is nine out and thirteen back. Since you ate those two bites, you have to give me back at least three pieces of meat!"

"You think I have to pay you back for just two bites of your meat?"

Zhang Xuezhou mumbled something, and the new emperor casually retorted, suddenly thinking of the trade with Hongku.

The outcome of a hard-line, confrontational negotiation is not optimistic, but if the trade is conducted through methods such as collateralized lending, the deal has a chance of success.

The collateral is not limited to herbs; it can be magical artifacts, elixirs, swords, or even high-quality mounts. As long as Hongku can provide it, he can accept it and allow the other party to redeem it.

The terms of the deal can be relaxed, but they can manipulate the collateral and redemption methods to maximize their profits.

As long as it doesn't exceed the other party's psychological price, the profit from redemption will inevitably reach the level of the large benefits previously demanded.

"Are they willing to do that?"

"If they're in a hurry, they can just switch it back sooner. But some people are unscrupulous, and the Marquis of Pingyang might be in some danger!"

"Cao Shou lives a secluded life and rarely shows his face, so finding him will be a difficult task!" The new emperor understood immediately and discussed the matter in hushed tones with Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Xuezhou set the minimum quantity for refining Creation Pills at 500, only recognizing a 30% success rate, and not even considering quality. This meant that if Hongku wanted to take away 500 Creation Pills, he would need to provide 1,700 portions of medicinal materials, and if he wanted high-quality ones, he would need to provide even more.

The new emperor was unaware of the situation in the Xiong Kingdom, but the Han Dynasty could not gather so many ingredients for the Creation Pill in the short term.

If the other party cannot do it in a short time, negotiations will inevitably be difficult.

However, as long as other items can be used to replace the medicine, or some requirements can be lowered, the deal can be made.

"Now that we've achieved an exchange, let's give them a much bigger beating next time!"

The new emperor raised an eyebrow.

Natural treasures are not like wheat in a field; once harvested, they cannot grow back in a year or two.

This kind of exchange is digging up the other party's roots.

If they dig a couple more times, even if the holy land runs out of food, the great cultivators, unable to afford the losses, will lie low and retreat.

"I heard Dong Zhongshu say that the Creation Pill can enhance the Yang Soul Transformation Technique. They obtained a large number of Creation Pills, so perhaps they can transform the Yang Soul..."

"We have more pills, and our cultivators here can also practice them. It's up to you how you want to arrange it!"

"Is there really no way to counter this Taoist technique? Do we really have to fight to the death over this technique?"

"The Corpse-Eating School has a technique called Southern Bright Fire. If your Yang Soul incarnation is burned by this fire technique, it may burn your true body!"

Is this accurate?

"Master Dong is knowledgeable in this art; have him try lighting a fire and burning it, and he'll understand!"

"The Corpse-like technique is very difficult to cultivate; only Confucian cultivators who have mastered the teachings of many schools of thought can attempt to cultivate it!"

……

Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor exchanged a few words with their heads bowed, and then Hongku's figure reappeared under the shade of the trees in the courtyard.

"Please, you two, give me a way out!"

Hong's face showed bitterness.

Clearly, he failed to communicate effectively and was unable to meet the conditions set by Zhang Xuezhou and others.

"You Hu merchant, you're not decisive at all. We're all risking our lives in this business, and you're still being so hesitant. If you can't handle it, then don't..."

"My lord, please don't worry, I'll go and talk to him!"

The new emperor begins to play the villain.

He could understand Zhang Xuezhou's idea of ​​a swap, but he struggled to find the right balance and couldn't negotiate with Hong Ku to the right degree, so he pushed the matter to Zhang Xuezhou for negotiation.

A barrage of curses turned Hongku's face ashen, prompting Zhang Xuezhou to quickly and lightly walk to the shade of the tree.

After talking for several minutes, the new emperor saw that Hongku's complexion had returned to normal, and he nodded from time to time before his form dissipated.

"He said that the people over there believe in getting what they want, so they will definitely take the essential pills first. As for other items, they can take them back later. Therefore, our success rate in reaching a negotiation is very high!"

"These damned robbers have absolutely no concept of equal trade!"

Zhang Xuezhou returned to the main hall of the mansion and sat down. When Zhang Xuezhou whispered to himself, he couldn't help but curse, knowing very well that this trade was fraught with high risks.

But the new emperor was also well aware that as long as the other party harbored the idea of ​​taking it back in the future, their deal would inevitably be completed.

Given a contingency plan, and with proper planning, the new emperor was confident that his allocation of cultivation resources would be less effective than that of his opponent.

The future will inevitably reveal who is superior, which may bring high risks, or perhaps the Han Dynasty will become the burial ground for these people.