Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 205 A Simple Clash, Nan Gong's Words

"let me introduce."

In a spacious hall in Four Seasons Town, Tian Guang sat at the head of the table and spoke to the boy beside him.

"This is Tian Meng, the head of the Lieshan Hall."

Tian Guang pointed to a man next to him.

Following Tian Guang's guidance, the boy looked over, and Tian Meng gently clasped his hands in greeting.

Although Xiu Yuan already knew a bit about the people in the Six Halls of the Farmer's Family and could roughly match them up, he still couldn't be completely sure. Now, with Tian Guang's introduction, he could be completely certain about the identities of everyone present.

"Lieshan Hall - Tian Meng".

Feeling the boy's gaze, Tian Meng was startled. Although the gaze was calm, it was incredibly sharp, like a sword tearing away all his disguises, as if it could see right through him.

However, the other person's gaze did not linger on him for long, and Tian Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tian Guang was unaware of this situation, and then he introduced Tian Hu, Tian Zhong, Chen Sheng, and Zhu Jia in turn.

Xiu Yuan nodded in agreement, and the scene was relatively harmonious.

Then Tian Guang changed the subject and brought up another matter.

"Master Qingxu, recently, two things have appeared in the Seven Kingdoms: one is called white paper, and the other is refined salt. According to the investigation results of various forces, both of these things come from Taoism. I wonder if you have heard of them?"

Upon hearing this, the boy nodded.

“It belongs to my Taoist school.”

Upon hearing the boy's answer, the expressions of everyone present varied.

Tian Guang had already communicated with them beforehand. Their main purpose this time was to make a deal with the Taoists. The farmers' current situation was not good. In recent years, due to the unpredictable weather, the crop harvest was very low.

If there is new income, it may be able to solve the farmers' urgent problems.

“I asked Hall Master Situ to welcome the master before, and I suppose Hall Master Situ has already mentioned some things to the master.”

"The main reason for inviting the master this time is to make a deal with the Taoists."

Tian Guang then looked at the boy beside him and said softly.

Having laid the groundwork, he felt the other party should have understood his meaning.

"Is the chieftain referring to blank paper and refined salt?"

Xiu Yuan didn't pretend to be stupid; instead, he spoke frankly.

Tian Guang nodded.

"Master, are you interested?"

Upon hearing Tian Guang's words, everyone in the room turned to look at him, their eyes gleaming with desire.

Most of the people present were leaders of their respective halls. In addition to supporting themselves, they also had a group of disciples to look after. As the saying goes, you don't know the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt until you're in charge of the household. The burden on the leaders of these halls was not light, especially since they were from farming families, with each hall having about 10,000 people.

If they could make this happen, it would be a tremendous boon for them.

The young man seemed oblivious to the gazes of the crowd. He then said softly, "The leader of the bandits has probably come to the wrong person. The matter of the white paper and refined salt has always been handled by my senior brothers, Chisongzi and Xiaoyaozi."

Upon hearing this answer, Zhu Jia and Chen Sheng exchanged a glance. They had discussed this matter before, and this was Zhu Jia's answer at the time.

Afterwards, the two of them approached Tian Guang, but at the time, Tian Guang did not express his opinion, only saying that he had other plans for the matter.

Now that the other party had brought this up, the two of them couldn't help but look at Tian Guang again.

"Master Chishongzi and Master Xiaoyaozi, huh?"

Tian Guang was no stranger to these two people; one was the head of the Taoist Tianzong sect, and the other was the head of the Taoist Renzong sect.

"I have heard of these two masters. Logically speaking, I should be negotiating with them for a deal like this."

"It's just that Mount Taiyi is attracting too much attention right now. Even the slightest disturbance will be noticed. If I were to meet with the two masters, I'm afraid not only our farming family, but even the Taoist community would no longer have a peaceful day."

The boy remained seated, unmoved.

After thinking for a moment, Tian Guang said again, "Master may not be aware of the huge profits behind these two things. According to the information that the Farmers have obtained so far, those traveling merchants buy things from Taiyi Mountain and then resell them for several times the profit, with the highest reaching as high as five times the profit."

The other six halls also gathered some relevant information about blank paper and refined salt, but the data was definitely not as precise as this.

Upon hearing about a fivefold profit, even the usually composed Zhu family couldn't help but swallow hard.

White paper is relatively easy to deal with, as ordinary people might not need it. But refined salt is different, especially during wartime. The difference in combat effectiveness between soldiers who eat salt and those who don't is enormous.

A five-fold profit might not seem too outrageous, but don't forget that it targets everyone in the seven kingdoms. That means the wealth it represents is a truly enormous sum.

He believed that faced with such wealth, some people would take risks, even if there was a grandmaster presiding over Mount Taiyi.

Then Tian Guang's words continued to come over.

"These two things are like two gold mines. Not only are the forces of the martial arts world tempted, but even the imperial court will take action. Now that the two Taoist sects are working together to manage them, they have indeed blocked many prying eyes. But in my opinion, this is not a long-term solution."

Xiu Yuan sat to the side, still without saying a word.

He had anticipated these situations. Furthermore, the production of white paper and refined salt was not difficult. If the Mohists and the Gongshu School were to intervene later, these two items would probably be replicated in a short time.

Furthermore, Taoism relinquished enough benefits to ensure that everyone who came into contact with this item could make a fortune, including those powerful figures in the imperial court.

In this situation, the probability of those people wanting to overturn the table is not high. Furthermore, his reason for releasing these two items is not to make money, otherwise the price would not have been set so low.

After a while, Xiu Yuan said in a deep voice, "Hero, you are overthinking this. These matters are not my concern. I believe Senior Brother Chisongzi and Senior Brother Xiaoyaozi can handle them properly. Besides, the Taoists don't price these items high. Those who resell them can easily earn a considerable reward. How many people would risk offending the Taoists to make money from this frying pan?"

Upon hearing this answer, a profound look flashed across Tian Guang's eyes. He had been wondering why the Taoists priced these two items so low, but now, after hearing the explanation, he finally understood.

He then continued, "Human greed is like a bottomless pit; the more one obtains, the greater one's desires become. Right now, those people certainly don't dare to have such thoughts, but there's no guarantee they won't in the future. Currently, the seven kingdoms are in turmoil, and it's hard to guarantee that one of them won't resort to desperate measures. At that time..."

The boy turned around and looked at the man beside him.

It must be said that Tian Guang has a very good speaking ability. If these two things have always been in the hands of the Taoists, there is indeed a high probability that the situation the other party described will occur.

Even after the Qin Dynasty completed its unification, Ying Zheng would still have designs on these things, since keeping the court running requires more than just words; it also requires tangible benefits.

But in his plan, both of these things will be released. What he wants to do is to benefit the public and give the world more hope.

"We appreciate the leader's kindness, but this matter is indeed outside my jurisdiction. I can only convey some of the information; the final outcome depends on the two senior brothers. As for the trade, with Hall Master Situ here, I think the farmers have already tried reselling the white paper and refined salt!" Upon hearing this, the others couldn't help but look at Situ Wanli.

Situ Wanli smiled awkwardly. He had indeed arranged for people to try it, and the Taoists had not rejected the participation of other sects.

The young man then added, "If the farmers are willing, we can arrange for more people. We Taoists never refuse guests!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions softened. Judging from the other party's words, the Taoist school would not refuse other sects' involvement in this matter because of the conflict among the Hundred Schools of Thought.

However, Tian Guang did not nod directly at this answer.

He went to great lengths to bring people here, and what he wanted was not some half-hearted excuse.

"Master Qingxu, I have obtained some information from other places. I wonder if you would be interested in hearing it?"

A strange look flashed across Xiu Yuan's eyes.

Verbal exchanges are all about give and take.

Most of what Tian Guang said before was just polite talk and didn't mean much to him. Now that the other party had invited him here, they must have found out something, so he had been waiting for the other party to make a move. Now, this leader of the Farmer's Clan should be unable to hold back any longer.

"Oh?"

"I would like to hear the details!"

Upon hearing this, the others looked at Tian Guang again.

"I heard that the person in charge of refined salt production is a woman, whose name seems to be Yu'er, but she is not a Taoist disciple."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan's gaze paused slightly before he turned back to look at Tian Guang.

Yu'er, which should refer to Nongyu, is in charge of this matter along with Ni Chang, Mo Ya, and a few others.

Before this, he had reminded the group that it was best not to use their real names in their daily interactions. The white paper and refined salt would definitely attract the attention of many forces in the seven kingdoms. Even if they hid behind the scenes, they could still be found out. So, to avoid unnecessary trouble, it was best to take precautions.

Nongyu is still in the early stages, after all, everyone in Korea knows about her situation. But Ni Chang and Mo Ya are different, as are Madam Hu and Li Kai, who are not suitable to appear in public yet.

"Is that right?"

The boy's tone suddenly became somewhat distant, and Tian Meng and the others felt a chill in their hearts, their expressions changing drastically.

However, Tian Guang seemed oblivious to this situation.

He then continued, "I have also heard that this young lady is very close to the master."

Xiu Yuan slowly exhaled, it seemed that Tian Guang had obtained quite a bit of information.

"Any more?"

Upon hearing the boy's words, Tian Guang's tone became unusually serious.

"If I'm not mistaken, the real master behind the trade in Taoist white paper and refined salt must be the Grandmaster!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned for a moment, and then their hearts began to pound. Their gazes toward the boy were filled with surprise and a hint of elation.

If this is indeed the case, then these two things could very well become the key to their family's rise to prominence.

The boy sighed softly.

"Actually, I'm a little curious. Where did you get the courage to reveal the truth? Is it because you're only at the half-step Grandmaster level, or because none of the six Grandmasters present are Hall Masters?"

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Hall Master's expression changed, and the aura of the six people became very strange.

The council hall had been prepared in advance, and everyone's seats were arranged according to the twenty-four directions of the Earthly Marsh. Seeing that the situation was not good, the six of them activated the Earthly Marsh Formation without hesitation.

Sitting to the side, Tian Guang heard Qingxu reveal his cultivation level in a single sentence, and his eyes showed a hint of understanding, but he did not panic.

"No wonder that old gentleman left halfway!"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan frowned.

Tian Guang's words were somewhat strange, but before he could ask, Tian Guang explained again: "Master may not know, but before you came, Chu Nan Gong, the first sage of Chu, visited Daze Mountain. However, strangely, Senior Nan Gong left before he even reached Siji Town. Before leaving, he also sent someone to give me two messages."

Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes.

Chu Nan Gong has been here? He had a good impression of that old man, but he still couldn't figure out what this man's plans were.

"What?"

Tian Guang said in a deep voice, "The first sentence is that the master is not an enemy of the peasant family."

Xiu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not refute her.

Originally, he had no intention of attacking the farmers, so what Chu Nan Gong said wasn't wrong.

"The second sentence?"

"The farmers will get what they want."

Xiu Yuan touched his chin. He didn't get up. Instead, he gently lifted his foot while sitting in his seat, and an extremely terrifying wave of energy emanated from it.

Everything within a one-kilometer radius was frozen in place, including the chivalrous leader of the farming family.

"The Twenty-Four Earthly Branches is indeed a remarkable formation, but the difference in cultivation level cannot be bridged by a single formation. If the six elders from the Six Sages' Tomb were to make their move, they might be able to put up a fight against me."

"That old man is right. I have no intention of taking action against the farmers, but that doesn't mean I can't. There are some things that shouldn't be said, so it's best for the leader to keep them to himself."

"As for the refined salt you want, I can have Yu'er provide it to you, but I have one condition."

After a long while, he watched the boy disappear from the spot.

Everyone present was immediately dejected. They had thought it would be an evenly matched contest or that the opponent would have the upper hand, but they didn't even have a chance to make a move.

Tian Meng reached out and touched his chest. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt like there was something extra on his body.

"Chief Hero, can the six elders of Qingxu really handle this?"

Tian Guang didn't answer the question. He walked slowly to the window, gently pushed it open, and the boy didn't seem to be an enemy!
What are your thoughts on the hostages he mentioned?

"Boss, don't look at us, it's just Tian Meng all by himself right now."

(End of this chapter)