Reestablishing the Currency System; The Master's Praise

Frost and snow, sharp as blades, cleaved through the twilight of Fei City. Inside the gilded warm pavilion on the top floor of the Qianhua Pavilion, wisps of tea smoke curled and swirled.

"Do you want to sell a knife or a sword?"

Qianhua Venerable gently shook his head. "Sell them all."

The two simple words surprised Ganlong Venerable. While the fabric industry was indeed extremely profitable, for most cultivators, a satisfactory weapon was a necessity, and the profit margin there was no less than that of clothing.

She just didn't understand why the woman was shaking her head.

"Every industry is like a mountain to climb. Qianhua Pavilion's current business is enough to make the Pavilion Master very rich. Why would he take such a big risk to cross over into another industry?"

Ganlong Venerable now addresses Qianhua Venerable as Pavilion Master, because she now truly represents the Qianhua Pavilion.

"Crossing boundaries?"

Qianhua Venerable chuckled. She suddenly leaned forward, her jade legs crossing at the slit of her cheongsam like overlapping snow-capped mountains. But then, out of nowhere, an identical Radiant Sword appeared on the table.

She is proving that she has the capability to mass-produce such high-quality knives.

"Qianhua Pavilion originally started by making scissors, which can be considered a type of knife. The knife-making craft has been passed down for thousands of years, so making clothes is a real crossover."

Then, as if by magic, she lightly raised her jade arm, and a stack of talismans and an octagonal array plate appeared on the table, clearly of high quality.

"Crossing boundaries is commonplace for the Qianhua Pavilion. It's impossible for all the pavilion Pavilion Master of the Qianhua Pavilion to love the fabrics in their hands. The only reason they can become Pavilion Master is because they can make Qianhua Pavilion more glorious."

"These array plates and talismans are among the best, but we have never tried to sell them; they are only for internal use. However, I can assure you Sovereign Lord, that they are more effective than 90% of similar products on the market."

A look of self-satisfaction appeared on Qianhua Venerable's face, but it wasn't the kind of arrogance that people find annoying.

You Su could tell that she was truly confident in everything produced by the Qianhua Pavilion, although he also thought those ingenious little toys were indeed quite good...

"Is the fangs that Qianhua Pavilion has hidden for a thousand years finally going to be revealed in the generation of the Pavilion Master?" Ganlong Venerable narrowed his deep eyes, feeling a sense of unease at the 'capital' that Qianhua Venerable kept showing.

Who could have imagined that Qianhua Pavilion, with its accumulated appetite over a thousand years, would be so ambitious that it was no longer content with just clothing and silk, but was attempting to venture into all basic industries related to cultivators?

"The time has come." Qianhua Venerable raised the corners of his lips, his eyes burning with intense fire.

"Does the Pavilion Master intend for me, Bei Ao, to become the first stepping stone for you to become the richest man in the Five Continents? If you have such ambitions, you should go to the more prosperous Zhongyuan and Nanyang Continents to put them to use, instead of coming to Bei Ao where everyone has hardly any Spirit Stone in their pockets. We can afford the swords you sell today, but we won't be able to afford the talismans you sell tomorrow."

"Your Sovereign Lord is right. I am indeed in it to make money, but it's not as simple as just swindling Spirit Stone out of people's pockets."

"You want to lend money?" You Su asked, frowning.

Qianhua Venerable was also taken aback, looking at You Su with a deep, resentful gaze, as if he had been greatly wronged.

"Young master, your misunderstanding of me is far too profound. My Qianhua Pavilion would never stoop to such heinous acts."

Changing the subject, she then pulled a thread from her sleeve, wrapped it around You Su's hand, and pressed it against the hilt of the knife:

"Judging from your broad, calloused hands, young master, you must be a cultivator who frequently practices with weapons. How many Spirit Stone do you think this sword is worth?"

Before You Su could answer, a blade of ice sliced the thread connecting the man and woman in two.

"The weapon is sharp, made of fire metal from the Southern Yang Continent; it contains flowing light, forged by a blacksmith at least at the Transformation Feather level. These two points alone are enough to sell for three hundred mid-grade Spirit Stone." Ganlong Venerable answered first, seemingly unwilling to let You Su have any more contact with this woman.

Qianhua Venerable was slightly annoyed by the woman's protective behavior, but still clapped and praised, "Your Sovereign Lord's insight is truly remarkable. But what if I don't want the mid-grade Spirit Stone?"

Ganlong Venerable seemed to find the question somewhat puzzling. "The ratio of Spirit Stone is one to one hundred. Three high-grade Spirit Stone, or thirty thousand low-grade Spirit Stone, are both acceptable. It's up to you."

"Indeed, that's where the problem lies." Qianhua Venerable laid out a low-grade Spirit Stone and explained in detail, "Spirit Stone are natural minerals, and their grade is determined by the amount of Mystic Qi they contain. Although this concentration is measured by the Divine Mountain, it's still too broad. This isn't noticeable in mid-grade and high-grade Spirit Stone, but the uneven quality of low-grade Spirit Stone is something that can't be ignored."

"If we actually received these 30,000 low-grade Spirit Stone, the amount of Mystic Qi they contained would certainly be less than that of 3,000 mid-grade Spirit Stone, let alone three high-grade ones. Therefore, merchants who sell valuable items are generally unwilling to accept low-grade Spirit Stone, and buyers will try to take advantage of them. Because of this shortcoming alone, my Qianhua Pavilion suffers a huge loss every year."

"The problem you mentioned has existed since ancient times, but as a natural mineral, how can one guarantee that the Mystic Qi within spirit Spirit Stone is evenly distributed? Compared to your profits, this is merely a minor loss, so why is the Pavilion Master still so concerned?"

"Your Sovereign Lord, do you know that for a merchant, the most painful thing is not failing to make a lot of money, but rather that the money she should have earned is less than what she deserves? This is something that merchants all over the world have suffered from for too long."

Ganlong Venerable remained silent for a moment upon hearing this. You Su could read a lingering solemnity on her face. Even though she had only been surprised when she learned of the profound foundation of the Qianhua Pavilion earlier.

She looked at the embroidered map of the five continents on the screen in the warm pavilion, her tone unusually serious. "Your idea is a bit too audacious."

Qianhua Venerable remained smiling, then suddenly opened her arms, her eyes blazing with ambition.

"Everyone should be bold at least once in their life. The fundamental reason that prevents me from earning more money is that using Spirit Stone as currency is essentially a consumable. What kind of money is that? Therefore, the Five Continents lacks a ruler—a ruler that can measure the value of everything."

What do you want?

"Using Spirit Stone as an anchor, let's redefine the currency system of the Five Continents!" She finally revealed her greatest ambition. "Mining, smelting, circulation—everything about currency must be traceable! Only in this way can we clearly see the prosperity of the Five Continents!"

"We can maintain the status quo. The Five Continents are already much more prosperous than they were a thousand years ago." As a person in a high position, Ganlong Venerable naturally could not immediately agree to such a radical idea.

"No." You Su suddenly spoke, and the two peerless female immortals couldn't help but turn their gazes to the eighteen-year-old boy. They saw You Su thoughtfully say in a low voice, "The Five Continents could have been more prosperous."

Qianhua Venerable made no attempt to hide the surprise in his eyes, "It seems that you also have insights, young master. Please feel free to speak your mind."

"Mortals don't use Spirit Stone, and cultivators are only focused on cultivating immortality, so for thousands of years no one has realized this problem, or perhaps even if they have, they've been too lazy to solve it. The chaos in currency value inevitably leads to Gresham's Law, where bad money drives out good. Everyone keeps the Mystic Qi stones with more profound Spirit Stone in their pockets, while letting the inferior Spirit Stone circulate in the market. This way, Spirit Stone will only become increasingly worthless. The problem that Qianhua Venerable just mentioned reflects this phenomenon. The reason it's not yet serious is because Spirit Stone mining hasn't reached its end. But high-quality Spirit Stone cannot continuously flood the market."

"Well said!" Qianhua Venerable's eyes gleamed, and he suddenly leaned forward as if he wanted to devour the young man before him. "The cultivators from the Southern Continent offered me a bolt of Shark Silk for a hundred low-grade Spirit Stone, of which thirty pieces of Mystic Qi were as thin as dew. Yet they were so self-righteous, claiming that this was the 'market price'."

"Because market prices are inherently a fog." You Su looked directly into the puppy's eyes without flinching. "A farmer trades three cartloads of spirit grain for a low-quality flying sword, unaware that seventy percent of that sword was mixed with scrap iron during its forging. When value loses its standard, the Principle of the jungle will devour the true creators."

The young man's clear and melodious voice pierced her heart. This master not only satisfied her needs in the boudoir, but also understood and supported her in her career. To her, this kinship no longer seemed like her condescending, but rather like she had found a rare treasure.

Qianhua Venerable's jade-like legs, bound with pearl-embroidered garters, began to rub against each other involuntarily, his eyes burning with intense passion behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Thanks to the black of his cheongsam, even though the hem was wet, it was difficult for anyone to tell.

The fingers beneath the wide sleeves of Ganlong Venerable suddenly tightened. He even forgot to stop the two who were exchanging glances, and instead thought of Heart's Blood of the artisans in Bei'ao was being squeezed out by unscrupulous merchants into cheap decorations, while the real parasites were drinking fine wine at the banquet on the sacred mountain.

The most fundamental problem of the Northern Ao Continent is its barrenness, but the biggest problem is that its already limited resources are controlled by a very small number of people.

Looking back now, it was the chaos surrounding currency that made this problem so significant.

The gilded incense burner exploded with a "bang," sending sparks flying. The shrewd woman slammed her hand on the table, revealing her true ambition:

"Let the diligent reap the rewards, and let the fraudsters have nowhere to hide—that's the true business I pursue!"

Looking at her radiant face, You Su felt for a moment as if he didn't even recognize this woman. This woman, who had self-interest ingrained in her very being, may have only intended to optimize her own 'battlefield,' but it was in fact a great idea that could change the lives of people across the five continents.

Ganlong Venerable sighed deeply and said softly, "I now understand why you chose to begin your grand ambitions in the Northern Ao Continent."

You Su tightened his grip on the cold, soft hand. "The Northern Ao Continent, which still prefers bartering, may seem primitive, but it actually harbors hidden vitality—when the value of Spirit Stone is no longer determined by the vague concentration of Mystic Qi, the new currency system can take effect much more quickly."

When Qianhua Venerable saw that his master, who had always protected others, was speaking up for him for the first time, he felt the anger he had just suppressed reignite, and he couldn't wait to "renew his relationship" with You Su.

However, before that, she needed to get rid of this troublesome woman, so she directly revealed her last bargaining chip.

She lightly flicked the sword's spine with her finger, and amidst the dragon-like tremor, shimmering light fell in a flurry. "The Northern Ao Evil Warding Department is still using standard magical Law Artifact from three hundred years ago to fight evil spirits. Doesn't Your Sovereign Lord feel any heartache?"

These words jolted Ganlong Venerable out of deep thought, and Qianhua Venerable pressed his advantage:

"Swords, talisman arrays—these four items represent the sincerity of the Qianhua Pavilion, and will be provided until the Bei'ao Evil Warding Department is completely transformed. All Bei'ao cultivators who participated in suppressing the rebellion can purchase these four items from the Qianhua Pavilion at cost price. Qianhua Pavilion will also provide the rewards for successfully suppressing the rebellion free of charge. Qianhua Pavilion has never done such a loss-making business before; we are setting a precedent for this in the past thousand years, all for the sake of a nod from our Sovereign Lord."

Ganlong Venerable frowned. "You only mention the new currency, but not what will replace the old currency. How can I agree to that?"

Qianhua Venerable had foreseen this. "The blizzards on the North Pole Snowfield have intensified year by year, to the point that they are now almost impassable. Others may not know the reason, but Your Sovereign Lord must know what lies buried there."

You Su noticed that Ganlong Venerable's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if he were greatly surprised. Then she sighed softly, "Those 'stones' that are piling up more and more are quite suitable for making coins... You must have gone to a lot of trouble to persuade me, right?"

"It was all worth it."

As a shrewd businessman, Qianhua Venerable naturally understood that temporary losses were for the sake of greater profits.

The aloof and Sovereign Lord, who had remained solitary for hundreds of years, was now gripping the Chi-patterned Jade Pendant at his waist as if he were clutching the last piece of a melting glacier.

"If I have even the slightest regret, I will immediately stop all your plans."

"Of course." Qianhua Venerable had already seen the hope of success.

"I have one more condition." Ganlong Venerable suddenly raised his eyes, the shattered ice in his eyes solidifying into an indestructible starlight. "If we truly succeed, the Qianhua Pavilion's tax revenue must be increased to a surplus of 20%, and it must be used to build Bei'ao—to teach children to read, to teach women to weave and farm, and to relieve the suffering of the people."

Qianhua Venerable paused, his gold-rimmed glasses slipping slightly down his nose. "Is the Sovereign Lord afraid of raising a tiger that will become a threat?"

Ganlong Venerable remained silent, taking it as tacit agreement.

The shrewd businesswoman strode around to the opposite side of the coffee table, her breath, carrying the cool fragrance of jasmine, brushing past You Su's ear:

"Your master's bargaining skills are far more efficient than yours at unbuttoning your clothes."

The Mystic Ice Chi Armor instantly covered You Su's entire body, Ganlong Venerable lifted the boy by the back of his collar with astonishing force, as if trying to save him from dire straits.

"At midnight tonight, I want to see the first batch of swords on the city wall."

The Black Gold Qipao folded like a poisonous butterfly, Qianhua Venerable leaned against the screen with a light laugh:

"Your disciple's business acumen far surpasses that of his peers; I feel it's a pity we haven't met sooner. Your Sovereign Lord, why not keep him here? This time, I genuinely just want to chat with him and impart all my knowledge to him without reservation. Your Sovereign Lord wouldn't want your disciple's business talent to be buried, would you?"

Before he could finish speaking, Ganlong Venerable had already dragged You Su by the hand to the door. Nine ice spikes were driven into the ground three inches from her feet, and the cold air froze the carpet into a spider web.

"No need for you to worry, Venerable One; he will not be overlooked."

She certainly wouldn't believe this woman's nonsense about imparting all her knowledge; it was probably You Su was 'imparting all her knowledge' to her.

She then pulled You Su away without saying a word, and only then did You Su realize that his hand had been held by the woman since the negotiations officially began.

Qianhua Venerable was both pleased and angry, watching You Su being dragged away by the woman like a resentful woman.

You Su looked back and saw, in the warm light on the top floor of the Qianhua Pavilion, the black and gold figure was slowly and methodically pulling down the last remaining pearl garter belt from her ankle.

Her gold-rimmed glasses reflected a sky full of stars—the gaze of a businesswoman surveying the world.

This reminded him that the other sword was still serving as a makeshift scabbard.