The Best Gift?
"A little water?!"
You Su was shocked and paled. His previous interactions with that promiscuous woman had always been somewhat ambiguous, so it was no wonder that he couldn't help but think the wrong thing when he heard such words.
The Archimedes Venerable raised an eyebrow slightly, spoke slowly, his voice playful:
"What are you thinking, kid? You dare to think of things I wouldn't even dare to consider. If you have the ability, then go ahead and do your thing, and I'll clean up your mess."
You Su pursed her lips, speechless.
Frankly speaking, I suspect many men have harbored such lustful thoughts towards Qianhua Venerable, but it seems he's truly the only one in the entire Five Continents with that ability... and he's actually put it into practice...
However, this was nothing to boast about; the more one said, the more mistakes one would make. You Su already knew that he had lost his composure today, so he simply decided to say less and ask fewer questions.
The Archimedes Venerable smiled again, no longer teasing You Su: "The 'flowing water' I meant 'flowing oil'."
Seeing that You Su dared not speak, the Archimedes Venerable smiled apologetically, knowing that the joke had gone too far, and personally poured tea for You Su as an apology.
"Da Bang, do you know why I want Qianhua Venerable to make some money out of him?"
You Su took the tea and shook her head slightly.
"This is not based on personal grudges, but on considerations for the future of the entire Northern Ao Continent."
Upon hearing this, You Su's gaze narrowed slightly. This Flower Daoist was discussing women one moment and then bringing up the future of the Northern Ao Continent the next. The drastic change in his tone made You Su inwardly grumble, so he listened attentively.
"Northern Ao Continent, this vast and frigid land, has lagged behind in development since ancient times due to its harsh environment. We only know how to learn from Zhongyuan and Nanyang Continents, but we haven't learned the real essence. A hundred years ago, in order to break this deadlock, Shenshan, led by the Immortal Ancestor Temple, made a bold decision—to implement a ten-year tax exemption policy for foreign merchants, and after ten years, they would enjoy the privilege of paying a lower tax rate than normal for fifty years. This measure aims to attract foreign merchants to settle in and drive the economy and prosperity of the Northern Ao Continent."
As the Archimedes Venerable spoke, his gaze deepened, as if piercing through the mists of time to see that turbulent period of history. When discussing serious matters, he was a completely different person from his usual unserious self.
"The reason why Northern Ao Continent has been able to develop rapidly over the past century, transforming from a barren land into a force to be reckoned with among the five continents, is inseparable from the foreign merchants who came from afar. They brought advanced technology, abundant resources, and brand-new business concepts. But this also brought an unprecedented impact to the Northern Ao Continent's local industries."
"Qianhua Venerable, with her Qianhua Pavilion, has nearly monopolized the high-end clothing market in Zhongyuan and Nanyang Continents with its exquisite craftsmanship and unique designs, and is even more dominant in the Northern Ao Continent. This has undoubtedly brought unprecedented changes to the Northern Ao Continent. The people of the Northern Ao Continent, who only wanted to stay warm, have begun to have higher requirements for clothing, which has really stimulated consumption in the Northern Ao Continent and made Qianhua Venerable herself very wealthy."
However, when it came to success, the Archimedes Venerable was not happy. He sighed softly, his tone revealing a hint of worry.
"However, behind the prosperity, many local clothing stores have closed down or changed industries due to the fierce competition from the Qianhua Pavilion. The once bustling clothing stores are now deserted, and most of the former artisans have been displaced. Qianhua Pavilion's monopoly has made the entire industry ecosystem unhealthy. The market without competition is like a stagnant pool, difficult to stir up any waves."
As the Archimedes Venerable finished speaking, he turned his gaze to You Su, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"The fundamental problem is the policy of the Northern Ao Continent," You Su replied indifferently.
The Archimedes Venerable nodded slightly, not denying it. "Actually, it's not just the clothing industry; many industries in the Northern Ao Continent are firmly controlled by merchants from other continents. The Immortal Ancestor Temple has also realized this. Perhaps Northern Ao Continent is too eager for quick success and instant benefits, so this welfare policy was modified forty years ago, with many benefits reduced. However, merchants who entered according to the policy before still enjoy the benefits of the old testament. Have you noticed the problem?"
You Su pondered for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Qianhua Pavilion has only been open in the Northern Ao Continent for forty years. That means... Qianhua Venerable decided to set up a branch in the Northern Ao Continent in the last year before the preferential policies were revised!"
"That's right, she timed it perfectly." The Archimedes Venerable exclaimed, his tone even showing a hint of admiration.
Theoretically speaking, for a businessman of such a large scale, if Northern Ao Continent hadn't tempted her in the previous decades, it's unlikely she would change her mind in the last year.
The Qianhua Venerable was able to spend a fortune to build a clothing store in this harsh land before the benefits disappeared suggests that he must have known about it beforehand, and may even have reached an agreement with some high-ranking officials in the Northern Ao Continent.
And it's quite obvious that the conditions in those agreements must be very favorable to the Qianhua Pavilion. After all, You Su knows Qianhua Venerable well; she wouldn't do a losing deal.
You Su pondered for a moment, gaining a deeper understanding of the woman's shrewdness.
"That's the policy, and since it was her last year moving in, you can't criticize her."
"Yes... the people of the Northern Ao Continent look even more beautiful in the clothes from the Qianhua Pavilion, but these clothes will suck the blood of the people of the Northern Ao Continent..."
The Archimedes Venerable shook his head; his sorrow was no exaggeration.
"The tailors, craftsmen, and even the shop maids of the Qianhua Pavilion are all brought from the Central Yuan Continent, not to mention the clothes they sell are all transported from the Central Yuan Continent by Divine Ark. Our native clothing industry in the Northern Ao Continent is not only suppressed to the point of being unable to raise its head, but it doesn't even have the opportunity to join. On the surface, more and more people are buying clothes, and it looks like a thriving scene, but in reality, only the outsider Qianhua Pavilion. The money of our Northern Ao Continent has all flowed to other continents."
After hearing this, You Su held this Flower Daoist in even higher regard. This high and Void Glimpse Venerable was filled with nothing but concern for the people's livelihood, aside from his own Dao.
He was willing to condescend to travel such a long distance to demand the tax money for the past five years, even forgoing the high merit for slaying evil, and even going against the person behind the city lord, all for the sake of bringing Qingming Festival to Shuo City.
You Su had never seen such down-to-earth cultivators. Many cultivators were so focused on pursuing the Great Dao that they ignored everything else, but it was not them who made the world a better place, but those who came down from the clouds.
"But then again, the fact that local industries can't compete with outsiders can't be entirely blamed on the outsiders. The root of the problem lies in the Northern Ao Continent's weak foundation and outdated technology."
The words of the Archimedes Venerable revealed a transcendent wisdom; he did not simply attribute the responsibility to any one party.
"My hope that Qianhua Venerable can make some profit is not out of jealousy or hatred, but because I hope she can gain a deeper understanding of the Northern Ao Continent and thus trust in the potential of this land. Northern Ao Continent will not disappoint her. I hope she can establish specialized garment factories, dyeing plants, and even plantations in the Northern Ao Continent. We in the Northern Ao Continent also have good materials to use and honest workers to do the work. In this way, it will not affect her making money, but will also save her a lot of money on cross-sea transportation costs, and will also provide many job opportunities for the people of the Northern Ao Continent, truly achieving the goal of foreign investors driving the local development of the Northern Ao Continent and making this land full of vitality."
The Archimedes Venerable spoke eloquently, his words filled with hope and anticipation for the future.
Upon hearing this, You Su felt a sudden sense of clarity. He realized that the so-called great mission of saving the five continents was not much more difficult than worrying about these important matters of people's livelihoods all day long.
"This sounds like a win-win deal; Qianhua Venerable shouldn't have been unaware of it."
"You're wrong," the Archimedes Venerable shook his head. "It's only natural for merchants to pursue profit. If she keeps things the way they are, she can still make a lot of money. But if she builds factories and hires people on a large scale, the costs could very well cost her to recoup all the money she made in the Northern Ao Continent. And greater costs also mean greater risks of loss."
"So... how do you plan to persuade her...?" You Su, somewhat puzzled.
The Archimedes Venerable took a sip of tea and smiled meaningfully:
"Qianhua Pavilion's business in the Northern Ao Continent is booming, but Qianhua Venerable has never actually come to the Northern Ao Continent for the store's anniversary, not even for ten, twenty, or thirty years. But when it came to the fortieth anniversary, which is not a very auspicious number, she actually came. Do you know why?"
"What do you mean?" You Su asked, intrigued.
"As fellow venerable ones, I dare not and cannot scheme too deeply. But it's not all for naught; I've calculated—"
The Archimedes Venerable lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "She has come to the Northern Ao Continent with a specific purpose. In other words, her goal is definitely not as simple as celebrating the fortieth anniversary."
Upon hearing this, You Su's lips twitched, thinking to himself that this Flower Daoist really knew how to create an air of mystery.
What do you seek?
"What they seek is naturally beyond my calculation," the Archimedes Venerable chuckled, patting You Su on the shoulder. "However, I can assure you that this will be our opportunity."
"What does it have to do with me?"
"Think about it. Since it's a celebration, there will naturally be many guests visiting. I don't know Qianhua Venerable at all, so if I want to get close to her, I'll naturally have to bring a gift. If I want to say these heartfelt words to her, then of course I need the best gift to move her heart. Now, do you understand?"
You Su was puzzled and frowned, not understanding what the Archimedes Venerable wanted him to understand.
It wasn't until the Archimedes Venerable's burning gaze fell upon him again that You Su suddenly realized that this so-called best gift was actually You Su himself.
You Su thought to himself that this was treacherous; it turned out that from the very beginning, this Flower Daoist had been pretending to casually mention Qianhua Venerable with ulterior motives.
Upon seeing You Su's expression, the Archimedes Venerable smiled and poured You Su a cup of tea, behaving politely, but a hint of cunning lurked in his smile.
"I knew it! You're so smart!"
You Su subconsciously pulled his collar up a little. Being stared at made him a little timid, after all, he was not someone whose identity could be easily exposed.
But upon hearing this suggestion, he couldn't help but have some reservations.
After all, Qianhua Venerable was his relative. Even if he didn't know her attitude towards him after he became the public enemy of the Five Continents, she was still more trustworthy than others. Alone in a foreign land, Qianhua Venerable could be considered a fellow countryman, and there was a sense of kinship between them. Moreover, this woman was extremely well-informed, and he might be able to learn more unknown information from her, and even... he could use her to do some things that were inconvenient for him to do himself.
In short, she was his kin and would never betray or harm him. The biggest risk, however, was that he needed to be wary of the other dignitaries recognizing him at the celebration. After all, they weren't like the Archimedes Venerable who adhered to the spirit of the contract and didn't investigate his true identity at all.
"That's because they're smart, so they wouldn't use such a stupid method."
You Su was actually eager to agree to the proposal, but it was inconvenient to be too direct, so he could only pretend to argue with the Archimedes Venerable.
As expected, the Archimedes Venerable wasn't going to give up so easily. He cleared his throat and said seriously:
"Qianhua Venerable has a penchant for men, and many powerful figures in the Northern Ao Continent have tried to woo her in this way, and she has always accepted them. Although you are a bit unkempt, you have regular features and a rugged charm. A southern woman like Qianhua Venerable might just want to try out a unique northern man like you. So this is by no means a foolish method, but a truly effective one. As long as you can make her happy, my business will be much easier to discuss."
You Su pretended to think, stroked the stubble on his chin, and said seriously, "Then I won't jump into the fire myself."
"How is it a pit of fire?!" Archimedes Venerable leaned forward anxiously, arguing, "To be able to get close to a beauty like Qianhua Venerable is the dream of countless men! If Qianhua Venerable didn't only like older men dating younger women, I would have already sacrificed myself for righteousness. Why would I need you?"
"You just said that every male lover she abandoned ended up paralyzed. How could I possibly ruin my own future?"
"So you know now that he was a discarded male concubine. Just don't get discarded yourself, okay?"
"I, Da Bang, am not the kind of person who sells himself for personal gain, especially not for yours."
"What do you mean by 'my glory'? It's the glory of the entire Northern Ao Continent! This is a great merit for you!" Archimedes Venerable was furious. He slammed his teacup on the table and said seriously, "I've already calculated it for you. If you perform this great merit, it can offset the great misfortune you suffered at the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain!"
"So you're going to just leave me behind my back?" You Su frowned, her tone somewhat unfriendly.
"I want to save you!" Archimedes Venerable raised a broad eyebrow and said loudly, "Do you really think it's as simple as taking someone of unknown origin to the sacred mountain? I don't know the outcome, how could I dare to agree to this so easily?! I, as a humble Daoist, not only keep my word but also act with integrity. Your trip to the sacred mountain is bound to be extremely dangerous. If I take you there regardless of the outcome, and you die on the sacred mountain, I will have fulfilled my promise. Why would I need to calculate the outcome for you? But great misfortune is always accompanied by great fortune. I have already calculated the way for you to exchange merit for peace. Whether you choose it or not is up to you!"
The Archimedes Venerable waved his hand dismissively and turned away, as if he was too lazy to continue trying to dissuade him.
You Su's brows twitched slightly; he couldn't tell whether what the Flower Daoist was saying was true or false. But according to You Su's own beliefs, he didn't believe in fate anymore, so why should he care about good or bad fortune?
However, the Archimedes Venerable's words gave You Su a way out. Changing his mind now wouldn't seem deliberate.
You're not lying to me?
"I wanted you to come with me to the Southern Yang Continent to piss off those old scholars! Why would I lie to you?!" The Archimedes Venerable rolled his eyes, looking utterly disappointed.
"Then... I'll do as you say!"
I'm truly sorry to the readers who followed the story immediately. I've been incredibly busy lately, so there have been many instances of posting first and revising later. But even though I'll be staying up all night, I'll try my best to finish writing it, and continuing to update is my final commitment... I hope everyone can understand; you can refresh the page the next day to read it! Thank you so much!