"How strong is the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association?"

Where is the Station Master?

Just then -

Zhou Mo, who had rushed up the City Wall, looked around blankly and then looked at the monkey standing to the side. "Didn't I just see the Station Master on the City Wall?"

Where did it go?

"Young Master has gone to take a bath."

"Something good again?"

Zhou Mo was taken aback at first, but quickly realized that the Station Master always took a shower first when something good happened, and then scratched his head and grinned.

"Then congratulations to the Station Master on this double celebration! I also have some good news to report to Station Master."

"What good news?"

I have to talk to the Station Master myself.

The Rotten Monkey curled its lip, withdrew its gaze from Zhou Mo without saying much, and soon Chen Fan returned after bathing and changing clothes, standing on the City Wall again, confirming that he had chosen the "qualitative Qualitative Transformation" upgrade direction.

The moment of certainty.

The Cannon Tower mounted on the City Wall began to change rapidly.

The original Level-5 Cannon Tower.

It is a cube-shaped stone brick structure, Brown all over, one meter in length and width, with a rectangular notch in the middle of the side facing the enemy, inside which hangs a white Paper Lantern.

After the upgrade.

The Brown stone bricks on the Cannon Tower surface began to melt rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, they turned into a... upright "Eerie Eye"!

One meter tall!

Narrower.

The surface is covered with a Vein Patterns of dark Purple Grade blood vessels; when you tap it gently, it feels warm and hard.

It has no sticky texture.

At the pupil of the Eerie Eye, there was a constantly rotating, bottomless Dark Vortex, and the whites of the eyes were covered with blood-red Vein Patterns.

Immediately afterwards--

This Vertical Pupil Eerie Eye slowly closed, its eyelids completely enveloping the pupil. Standing on the City Wall, it looked like a Vertical Pupil statue.

The Eerie Eye will only open again after it is activated.

"Damn it..."

Chen Fan stared in shock at the Level 6 "Eerie Eye Cannon Tower," even forgetting for a moment to consider the upgrade path after the Qualitative Transformation.

Upgrading Cannon Tower to level 5 or 6 requires materials.

Examples include Mourning Lantern and Eerie Eye objects.

Any material will do, just give me one. He now realized that although different materials can all upgrade Cannon Tower, the performance of the upgraded Cannon Tower will be different, and if nothing unexpected happens, the attack methods will also be different.

It is not known at the moment.

Which is stronger, the upgraded Cannon Tower: the Eerie Eye or the Mourning Lantern?

He looked at the panel that appeared in front of him.

"Qualitative Transformation has begun..."

"The Qualitative Transformation is complete."

"3: This Cannon Tower Attack range has been reduced to one meter, but its power has been greatly increased. (Rare)"

Chen Fan stared expressionlessly at the Qualitative Transformation in the turret's power. The Cannon Tower should have an attack range, but he didn't know the data and hadn't paid attention to it.

After all, Cannon Tower can only attack enemies within the Camp's area of effect.

The Camp area is generally not very large.

In most cases, the Camp's area will definitely be larger than the attack range, so there's no need to worry about that.

But-

With the attack range reduced to one meter, the perception becomes incredibly clear.

Is this person even capable of fighting?

Even if a three-meter-tall Strange Entities came to the very base of the City Wall, he still wouldn't be able to hit it...

The distance is not enough.

Even with a significant increase in power, it seems unlikely to make up for the lost time.

After a moment of silence, he decided to give it a try and immediately activated the first level Level-6 Eerie Eye Cannon Tower in the Camp.

The next moment -

The Eerie Eye Vertical Pupil snapped open!

The Dark Vortex in the pupil began to spin faster, no longer firing Golden Light Pillar or crossbow bolts, but instead spewing out a dark brown ray. The biggest difference between it and the Golden Light Pillar was that it did not stop!

The Golden Light Pillar emitted from the Cannon Tower are intermittent, lasting for about a breath before stopping and then firing the Golden Light Pillar.

And this dark brown ray.

It continues indefinitely.

And it can be shaken freely.

As one can imagine, once it hits an enemy, it will cling to them like a persistent affliction. The "Eerie Eye Cannon Tower" is not suitable for group combat and lacks the means of "chain attack," but it is extremely effective against powerful individual Strange Entities.

Only...

Although the dark brown ray exuded a powerful aura, it was only a meter long and swayed continuously outside the City Wall.

"Um..."

Chen Fan looked thoughtfully at the Eerie Eye Cannon Tower. Its attack range was short, but its power was extremely strong. If the General Strange Wraith King were considered as a hypothetical enemy, under what circumstances would it approach within a meter of the Eerie Eye Cannon Tower?

His expression gradually turned strange as he looked down at Wang Kui, who was busily moving goods below the City Wall.

Wang Kui.

"Is the Wraith Hide that the Old Camp plucked from the Okra still in the Warehouse?"

"Exist."

Wang Kui blurted out the answer almost without thinking. He had been taking stock of the supplies in Warehouse every day, and he knew exactly what was in it. He had been waiting for this moment.

"Properly preserved in the 'Vitality Room,' the skin and flesh have not yet rotted. A Le peeled them himself, his knife skills are excellent, there is almost no damage."

"Um."

Chen Fan nodded, said nothing more, and waved his hand to signal Wang Kui to continue with his work. This way, perhaps the Wraith King could get closer to the Eerie Eye Cannon Tower.

Sentience Strange Entities are certainly too difficult to deal with.

But this also means that there is a weakness.

Love and romance are arguably a person's greatest weakness.

Just like an egg.

Once someone has a hold on you, you're completely powerless to fight back.

"So what's the point of talking about love..."

He sighed with emotion, continuing to imagine in his mind, and then, taking advantage of the other party's unstable mind, he activated the Wind Tower's Storm Suction. The Storm Suction couldn't lift anything too heavy, but it might work if the other party was caught off guard.

He likes to mentally simulate various unexpected situations and then find solutions, so that he won't be at a loss when a real emergency occurs.

The notion of remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapses before you, or not showing alarm even if the Yellow River bursts its banks, is all false.

If you can actually do that, it's because you haven't been affected yourself.

Even saints couldn't do that.

But as long as you have enough hypothetical scenarios, when that day actually comes, you can remain calm and composed. It's not that you're particularly Composure, but rather that this scene has already been conceived countless times in your mind.

He wasn't a particularly Intelligence person.

The only way to make up for lack of talent is through hard work.

The first half of the night passed just like that.

As the latter half of the night approached.

The Crippled Monkey and others had all fallen asleep; they were exhausted after a long day, even Iron Man couldn't keep going.

After the "Spirit-Nurturing Pavilion" was built, no one went inside at all; he was the only one who went in to cultivate in the past few days.

There's simply no time.

Even Zhou Mo only went in to study the Water-Cutting Saber Art at the beginning, and didn't have time to go in again after that. He actually became the most relaxed person in the Camp.

Chen Fan arrived at Warehouse No. 1.

Standing outside the "Mustard-Seed Room," looking at the Eerie Stone that was shrouded in emerald mist and suspended in the air like a small mountain, he laughed.

Eerie Stone?

He didn't see it.

All he saw was the valley littered with corpses after the Meat Grinder Phase Two was activated.

"Station Master."

Holding the dossier, Wang Kui excitedly reported, "There are now 92,022 Eerie Stone in the Camp. This Meatworm Wraith Tide Stones has brought us tens of thousands of Eerie Stones in profit, equivalent to more than a dozen Weiwei."

"This batch of Eerie Stone is enough to build several Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association."

"It is said that the head of the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association is from Jiangnan. Back then, he used 5,000 Eerie Stones to build the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association, which now monopolizes several industries in Northbank City."

"But that's not exactly a major Trade Association."

"If we could achieve what the 'Northbank Merchant Association' does, that would truly be earning a fortune every day."

"Northbank Merchant Association?"

Chen Fan seemed thoughtful. He did have some memories of the Northbank Merchant Association, but only fragmented ones. "Tell me in detail."

He didn't actually know much about the Chamber of the Trade Association.

"Forehead..."

"Station Master, why don't you ask King Mazi? He was a porter before joining the North River Chen Family; he knows more than I do."

"Bring him here."

Soon.

King Mazi followed Wang Kui to the Warehouse and hurriedly said, "Station Master, you were looking for me?"

"Um.

"After the Rainy Season ends, opportunities to earn Eerie Stone by killing Strange Entities like tonight will become increasingly rare. We definitely need to form our own Trade Association. You have experience as a traveling merchant, so I'm considering having you establish our Trade Association."

"But I'm not clear about the specific operations of the Trade Association or its profits. Tell me everything you know."

"Okay."

King Mazi's eyes lit up, as if he could see a bright and promising future. He had loved wandering around since he was a child, and becoming the head of the Trade Association was like One Step to Heaven for him, who had previously been just a rural porter. He took a deep breath, coughed a few times, and carefully considered his words before continuing.

"Let's start with the baby."

"After the Eternal Nightfall, there are three kinds of treasures."

"Exotic Treasure, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Spirit Treasure."

"Exotic Treasure are dropped after killing Strange Entities and cannot be crafted by humans. Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are born of Heaven and Earth, while Spirit Treasure are crafted by Artifact Refiner."

Trade Association are also divided into four sizes: large, medium, small, and insignificant.

"These are small, insignificant Trade Association. They mainly deal in ordinary goods like rice, Hemp Robe, hemp clothing, and hoes—things that ordinary people eat. They don't earn much, and they don't offer escort services. Most people in this line of work are ordinary people."

"And they usually don't go too far, just moving around between the City and nearby Village."

"A Trade Association has at least a dozen members. If they stay at a Station for one night, that's more than a dozen Eerie Stone gone. That's more than the profit from this trip."

Therefore, the most profitable Trade Association of "large, medium, and small" size.

"First of all"

A White Grade Exotic Treasure typically sells for around 500 Eerie Stone in the North River Market.

"It's not that this Exotic Treasure is only worth 500 Eerie Stone, but rather that only an Exotic Treasure number of people can afford it; if the price were higher, it wouldn't sell."

"But what if this Exotic Treasure were sent to Jiangnan, or even a more prosperous region?"

"This Exotic Treasure could fetch a price of 1,000 or even 2,000 Eerie Stone."

"The value has increased several times over."

"But how to transport it there is a problem. The journey is long, the accommodation costs at the Station are considerable, and there's a possibility of encountering bandits along the way. It would require strong escorts and a certain amount of influence, otherwise, they'd be robbed as soon as they pass through someone else's territory. No matter how strong the escort is, they can't beat Cannon Tower..."

"One shot and they're all dead."

"Small Trade Association are neither qualified nor able to afford to transport goods. If a single shipment fails, not only will the Eerie Stone be lost, but everyone will die as well."

King Mazi paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and continued.

"Therefore, in the Jiangbei area, small Trade Association are often responsible for scavenging Exotic Treasure from various places like Market and neighborhoods."

Rare and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are sold to Chinese chambers of the Trade Association like the "Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association" at a slightly higher price.

"Chinese Trade Association often dominate a single city."

"For example, if a small Trade Association in Northbank City finds these treasures, they can only sell them to the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association. Then, the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association will add a markup and sell these Exotic Treasure to the Northbank Merchant Association, the largest Trade Association in Jiangbei."

"Finally, the Northbank Merchant Association will escort the Exotic Treasure to Jiangnan to earn huge profits."

"If we want to form a chamber of the Trade Association, we can go to Northbank City to set up a small Trade Association after the Rainy Season ends. Qi Cong A Le used to work Subordinate the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association, so they should be able to find a contact person if they look around."

Chen Fan frowned, pondered for a long time, and then asked, "If I buy a White Exotic Treasure 500 Eerie Stone and sell it to the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association, how many Eerie Stones will I get in return?"

"600 pieces."

"Only 600?"

"Hmm, earn 100 coins?"

"If my White Exotic Treasure is very powerful, will you still give me 600?"

"That depends on the situation."

King Mazi took a breath and continued, "When you acquire Exotic Treasure, it's always in an unidentified state. Nobody knows its specific effects. At this stage, rare Exotic Treasure are called 'Unopened treasures,' and they're all priced at a uniform 500 Eerie Stone."

"It's possible to tell if a rare Exotic Treasure has been opened."

"If you buy it, you'll have to pay someone to appraise it yourself. Whether you make a profit or a loss, you'll have to accept it yourself."

"You can also spend 30 Eerie Stone to have it appraised before selling it. If it's a powerful White Exotic Treasure, the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association is willing to pay a little more, but if it's weak, the price will be lower."

"Generally speaking, what people sell are Unopened Exotic Treasure, since White Exotic Treasure have a very high chance of having poor appraisal results."

Chen Fan nodded slightly. "I understand. You mean I go through all the trouble of setting up the merchant Trade Association, and then I can only earn 100 Eerie Stone for each Exotic Treasure, and there's even a possibility of losing money after the appraisal, right?"

"Um... I see."

After hesitating for a moment, King Mazi whispered, "Actually, earning 100 Eerie Stone is quite a lot. Wang Kui used to work as Station Master at the Wang Family, and his monthly salary was only 10 Eerie Stone. It would take him a year to earn 100 Eerie Stone."

"Just get to the point, why bring me up?" Wang Kui, standing to the side, said irritably.

How strong is the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association?

"Why don't we do it?"

King Mazi said decisively, "Although I don't know the specific defenses of the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association's territory, they are definitely not as good as ours. Even the defenses of Northbank City and the Extreme Family are definitely not as good as ours."

"After taking down the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association, we'll start with the Zhong Trade Association."

"Not easy to kill..."

King Mazi shrank back and whispered, "Um, Station Master, it takes a long time to plan to wipe out a force. After all, it's fighting on someone else's territory, with Cultivator directly attacking their land."

"It's basically a dead end..."

"But we can proceed gradually. For example, we can first find the Northbank Merchant Association and establish a connection with the Northbank Merchant Association, and then bribe the smaller Trade Association in Northbank City to prioritize supplying us with goods."

"Slowly cut off the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association's sources of goods."

"Only in this way can we slowly erode the Sky-Pacifying Merchant Association."