Railways

If the world were at peace and prosperous, and the Ink Bamboo Mountain conglomerate could maintain its existing trade routes, then the best investment direction would naturally be the prosperous and wealthy Central Plains.

But now that the world is in chaos and travel to the Central Plains is impossible, investing in railways and developing the Ten-thousand-mountains might be a way to respond to the sect's call and prepare for the future.

Moreover, Li Fan thought it was feasible. Currently, Ink Bamboo Mountain itself lacks the funds to develop railways. By forming a joint venture with Heavenly Craft Peak and local conglomerates, it can save manpower and financial resources. It can also appease local families who have lost a lot of money due to recent strategies, and deepen the strategic ties between local families and sects.

So Li Fan went to Lou Guan Tower to join the queue, played a game with the abbot, and eventually set up the Ink Bamboo Mountain Railway Institute. He served as the Railway Institute Director and issued railway bonds in the name of the sect to raise funds from the public. Heavenly Craft Peak provided technical guidance, and the construction and operation of the railway were contracted out to the local Ink Bamboo Mountain Chamber of Commerce.

These chambers of commerce, spearheaded by local business tycoons, established the Ink Bamboo Mountain Railway Construction Bank, which received investment from the Ink Bamboo Mountain Railway Institute and then used the bank to bid on various projects.

Of course, the bank's shareholders were originally local businesses from Ink Bamboo Mountain who pooled their resources to form a contractual business alliance. The railway business was handled internally by each of them, encompassing a range of operations from track opening and paving to construction of government and government tracks, resource transportation, and commercial operation.

In this way, wealthy families from other regions could only purchase railway bonds from the Railway Institute and obtain regular investment returns from the Railway Construction Bank, but they could not directly interfere with the operation of the Railway Construction Bank.

The railway, nominally owned by the Ink Bamboo Mountain Railway Institute, was purchased from the Railway Construction Bank and is considered an asset of Ink Bamboo Mountain. However, the project construction and operation were contracted out to a local commercial bank with bank guarantees.

In reality, the actual operation is much more complex than it is described; this is just a brief overview of the general framework. The construction of the government railway was indeed beneficial to all parties involved.

Needless to say, the local merchant groups will rely on this path to make their fortune in the future. Ink Bamboo Mountain also needs people to help develop the Ten-thousand-mountains. After all, the reward for breaking through mountains and destroying temples is the top of the Ten-thousand-mountains. If no one develops and there is no revenue, the cultivators will definitely lack the interest to expand their territory.

As for the investors, led by the eunuch of Changsi City, they were also very happy. Their constantly depreciating idle money now had a clear investment direction with a guaranteed return, and it was directly tied to the interests of the Guan Nei Hou, which was exactly what they wanted. Although they were certainly envious of the profits from the new trade route in the Ten-thousand-mountains, it was still far from being realized. They could worry about that after the railway was actually built, as it would be extremely profitable.

As a result, the whole thing progressed much more simply, much faster, and even a bit frantically than Li Fan had imagined.

There are too many smart people in the world. It's not just businessmen who can see the benefits of railways.

Monks, noble families, self-employed individuals, and refugees—when a group of people scrambled to buy bonds, even ordinary civilians were stirred up.

Good heavens! What kind of idiot money exchange pays interest on deposits? What? They're giving railway bonds as payment for railway development? Isn't that just taking advantage of honest people?! Oh? They're exchanging money directly from the bank? What?! We can pay for everything in the local market with bonds, no need to carry a bunch of copper coins anymore? What?! So many people are buying them on the black market! What else is there to say?

They're building roads!

As a result, not long after the establishment of the Ink Bamboo Mountain Railway Institute, it amassed an unbelievable amount of funds for Ink Bamboo Mountain. Even after paying in full for all the preliminary preparations for the railway project, such as opening up the mountain, building roads, and manufacturing rolling stock, there was still a continuous stream of gold and silver.

After all, roads are built section by section. Even if immortals helped move mountains, it would take forever to build and spend all the money.

So these idle funds are just losing value, but since Ink Bamboo Mountain is also at war and short of money, Li Fan suggested that Ink Bamboo Mountain should also establish a bank or similar institution to issue special sect war bonds, sect construction bonds, and sect disciple cultivation investment bonds. In this way, the idle funds in the Railway Institute can be legitimately invested in the sect. As long as it can maintain railway construction and the turnover of regular interest for investors, it will be fine.

From the abbot to the deans of various departments and the peak masters, everyone was utterly shocked by this method of doing things!

Can a tycoon make money?

Li Fan was sweating bullets. Ink Bamboo Mountain had jumped too far from a small-scale farming economy that guaranteed a stable income regardless of drought or flood to the banking, securities, and capital markets. It was a step too big and could easily backfire. But there was no other way. The opponent was too strong and difficult to deal with. If Ink Bamboo Mountain didn't rise up rapidly, it would be impossible to fight back.

Sometimes it's like this: even knowing the fruit in front of you might be poisonous, you still have to take the risk and try it, like drinking poison to quench your thirst. After all, that's how total war works—everyone's involved, Winner takes all.

Fortunately, the leaders of Ink Bamboo Mountain are also intelligent. After all, the first thing cultivators in this world are tested on is arithmetic. They just hadn't seen it done this way before. Once they got the hang of it, they quickly mastered these simple accounting methods.

Therefore, after consulting with Li Fan's numerous useful and useless suggestions, the abbot established the sect's Finance Institute to manage the income, expenditure, and loans of each institute. Initially, the railway bonds issued by the Railway Institute were used as a trial, and sect construction bonds were issued in imitation of this. However, the construction bonds were only issued to the deans, peak masters, guardians, and disciples who had made contributions to breaking through the mountain, all in the Nascent Soul Realm manner.

For example, if Lu Qi conquers Fashuang Mountain, the land is his, but he only has a dog and no money, what can he do? He can apply for a construction loan from the sect, and the Finance Institute will connect with him to approve his development and construction plan for Fashuang Mountain. Of course, the sect mainly helps him with the planning and then issues internal sect bonds.

Li Fan, using his position as the Railway Institute, could exchange the Railway Institute's bonds for these construction bonds; he didn't need to worry about the specifics of what they were for.

In this way, Lu Qi could directly obtain railway bonds and get funds from the Railway Construction Bank.

Of course, Lu Qi would use the Fa Shuang Mountain, which the sect had bestowed upon him, as collateral. He had given him the construction funds, but if he didn't follow the plan and instead went out to indulge in debauchery, and couldn't repay the loan on time, the Fa Shuang Mountain would definitely be taken back.

Therefore, the approval and loan process for developing the Ten-thousand-mountains is now extremely rigorous, involving not only the Finance Institute and the Discipline Institute, but also the Abbot himself.

But think about it the other way around: a poor kid risking his life with just a dog, and the sect actually rewards him with a mountain, lends him money to develop his territory, and helps him make his first fortune—what more could he ask for?

In short, Li Fan stopped dealing with the Finance Institute and construction bonds; his main focus was on the Railway Institute. Although, in reality, there wasn't much to do.

It was simply a matter of asking the eunuchs for money, getting signatures from the bank, and then letting the merchant houses handle the rest.

Even among the mountain people of Moshan, Wang Zhi, whom they had rescued earlier, was no longer suicidal and had even become their leader. This guy really has a wide network of connections; he seems to have connections with the salt merchants of Ink Bamboo Mountain as well. There's no problem cooperating on the railway project within the Moshan territory. Li Fan only needs to draw a rough route and mountain terrain for him, and he will organize his men and lead the Moshan people to work with the merchants on the construction site.

They all seem to have quite a bit of initiative...

However, Li Fan also knew that the Railway Institute was a very important department, and it involved such a huge amount of funds, technology, manpower and resources. It could not be left unattended and allowed to be messed up by the conglomerates. It needed to be kept in the sights of professionals.

Li Fan was also self-aware; he was only truly professional at being a hands-off manager, and he needed to ask others for help with everything else.

So Li Fan did some quick calculations and located the person's position.

"Hey, Yang Sheng, what are you doing hiding in this dilapidated temple?"

Yang Si'an looked up abruptly, initially delighted, but upon recognizing Li Fan, her face immediately fell. "Oh, it's you in person."

Li Fan was speechless. "Hey! Why are you so disappointed to see an old friend? Why are you so listless? Lying in bed in broad daylight? Didn't you say you were going to achieve great success and become a high-ranking official? Have you given up your studies?"

Yang Si'an beard and looking like a destitute beggar, had made a makeshift bed of straw behind the dilapidated temple gate, looking utterly dejected.

Li Fan glanced at his aura, then looked at the box he had placed in the haystack as a pillow, and immediately understood.

"What, going through a love tribulation? You're bound to die from something like this sooner or later."

Yang Sheng couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What nonsense! This area used to be my hometown. I came back to take a look, but I didn't expect everyone in the village to have moved away. I had nowhere to go for a while. That night, I dreamed that I suddenly remembered seeing four treasures take human form in this area back then."

I figured these were all magical artifacts, and perhaps there was a way to help Xia'er recover, so I brought her here to find the deity from back then. Xia'er's foundation was destroyed and her spiritual consciousness was sealed while saving me, so I had to repay her kindness. I thought we had just met that deity."

Li Fan asked curiously, "Why don't you go directly to the Grand Tutor?"

Yang Sheng chuckled, "Master, I am but a scholar, powerless to even kill a chicken. I have already endured countless hardships to escape to Li Country by blending into the crowd. How could I possibly cross the Central Plains battlefield to reach Sanyuan?"

Besides, the official tablet given to me by the court has been broken, my official position is ruined, and the matter has not been accomplished. What face do I have to recommend myself to the Grand Tutor again? Anyway, the world is in chaos now, and there is no opportunity for us to serve in office. Let's help Xia'er recover first.

"By the way, sir, it's rare for us to meet. Could you conjure up some cakes for me? When I, Yang Si'an, am rich and powerful, I will repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude."

"You'll give me back a hundred pancakes later, right?" Li Fan rolled his eyes. "Why don't you come work for me at Ink Bamboo Mountain? I'll pay you a higher salary, and once you've earned enough, hire a professional to fix your precious Xia'er."

Unexpectedly, Yang Si'an shook his head, "Ink Bamboo Mountain is surrounded on all sides, attacked from both Hengshan and the Divine Sect. A great battle is inevitable sooner or later, and the outcome is unpredictable. Besides, Li Hongxian and his son, who are currently in power in Li Country, have different political views from me. There is no hope of advancement if I go there. Why should I bow down for a mere five pecks of rice..."

Li Fan rolled his eyes. "I think you've outsmarted yourself. I'll ask you one more time, are you really sure you're not coming?"

Just as Yang Sheng was about to speak, his stomach growled, so he rolled his eyes...

"... However, since I have known you for a while, and it is kind of you to personally fly here to invite me to serve you, as the saying goes, a scholar will die for one who understands him. Therefore, I will agree to become the tutor of the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain."

Li Fan shrugged. "I didn't ask you to teach my child to read, and I'm not really... never mind, we can talk about that later."

You just said that you encountered your destiny with immortals here, right? Yes, I think so. Then let me help you obtain your destiny with immortals first."

Li Fan made calculations with his hands, stepped on the Seven Stars, estimated the phase of the moon, and, following the star's position, took a few erratic steps. He then drew symbols in the air with his fingers, stomped his foot on the ground, and shouted, "Open!"

With a soft crackling sound, the paving stones in front of the dilapidated temple split open, revealing a solitary grave.

"Huh? So he really does have a connection to the immortals?"

Yang Sheng peered over from behind Li Fan and saw a tomb chamber built of white jade. Inside, spiritual energy emanated and talismans were scattered everywhere, clearly indicating that it was a celestial tomb.

"Let's go, your destiny is sealed." Li Fan casually released the restriction and walked into the tomb chamber with his hands behind his back.

Yang Sheng was stunned for a moment, then went to pick up his precious box and followed.

The seals and restrictions on the tomb chamber had been broken, and with Li Fan leading the way, there was no danger. Sure enough, when they arrived at the main hall of the tomb chamber, they saw the deceased tomb owner sitting in meditation. This person was clearly a member of the orthodox Xuanmen sect. Although he had been gone for many years, his true energy was still concentrated and pure, and his immortal bones were like white jade, shimmering with a faint light. The immortal silk robe he wore was also a precious garment made of spiritual silk. In his hands were a pile of jade artifacts, which must have been accumulated over many lifetimes. In front of him were four Nascent Soul Realm treasures: an old pestle, a candlestick, a water bucket, and a broken pot. All of them were top-grade Ling Bao.

"So it was a dream from a celestial being," Yang Sheng suddenly realized.

Li Fan casually pinched her and rolled his eyes.

"Fool! What immortal? This is you! In your previous life, you were True Cultivator of the Xuanmen sect. You reached the Divine Lord realm but had nowhere to go, so you came out to seek a way to reincarnate. Look, they deliberately left the remains of your magical treasures near your reincarnation's home, just in preparation for guiding you to become an immortal."

Yang Sheng: "Huh? Save me?"

Li Fan shrugged, picked up the candlestick, and touched it.

"Of course! I bet if you hadn't been so cheeky and shown off back then, revealing the true nature of these four treasures and causing them to fail in their transformation, these four could have been the ones to pass on their teachings and help you enter the Dao."

Now, they have to wait another 60 years before they have another chance.

Yang Sheng, "..."

Li Fan casually shoved the candlestick into Yang Sheng's arms. "No wonder the Grand Tutor fawned over you so much. How about I help you calculate which sect you belonged to in your past life, so you can return to your master's sect?"

Yang Sheng looked at the box in his arms, then at the candlestick in his hand, thought for a moment, and shook his head.

"No need. Perhaps to True Cultivator like you, reincarnation is nothing more than a way to temper one's heart in the mortal world. But I, Yang Si'an, only remember the words of the sages and the earnest teachings of my teachers since childhood, and I take it upon myself to help the world."

Now, having wasted half his life, he has accomplished nothing, unable even to keep his promises to women, and has slinked away to the mountains to cultivate himself, caring only for his own seclusion and tranquility. What kind of man is he? What face does he have to call himself a true gentleman?

"Master, thank you for your teachings, but my mind is made up. No matter what kind of fate I may have had with the immortals, I, Yang Si'an, will give it all up! I will still uphold my original intention and restore order to the world!"

Li Fan: "... So you don't want any of these treasures anymore, right?"

Yang Sheng, "... That's still necessary. I'm thinking of using my connections at the Liqiu Palace to send a couple of items to the eunuchs there. That should probably clear my name, restore my academic record, and maybe even allow me to buy an official position."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. "Do you still remember why you were stripped of your academic honors?"

Yang Si'an sighed, "I understand. The times are like this. Like the great river, it carries both mud and sand. If one considers oneself superior and disdains to compromise one's principles, then one will never have a chance to rise above others. If one wants to realize one's ambitions and aspirations, one must do anything..."

"Real person, Si'an has disappointed you."

Li Fan nodded. "Alright, now that you understand, I can talk to you about the Railway Institute."