The banquet was loud with voices and chaotic with fluctuating auras, and Yu Youxian made no sound as she walked. Dong Pengfei could not help jumping in fright.
Once he recovered, he exclaimed, "Miss Yu, you scared me to death!"
As a scion of an aristocratic clan in Sea Eye City, he naturally knew Yu Youxian.
Looking at the skittish Dong Pengfei, Yu Youxian said, "If you do nothing to weigh on your conscience by day, you needn't fear ghosts knocking at midnight."
Dong Pengfei said, "Well..."
Yu Youxian ignored him and turned to Li Chen, saying solemnly, "Do you know that, apart from the produce of a spirit peak blessed land, the most important source of income for a territory is its market district's commercial activity?"
"Some trades yield enormous profits. Rashly exempting them from taxes or opening them to outsiders can cause tremendous losses."
Dong Pengfei hurriedly explained, "I have absolutely no intention of cutting off anyone's livelihood. Aren't I consulting Fellow Daoist Li about it right now?"
Yu Youxian said irritably, "A tiger refusing meat would truly be a novelty. I don't believe the Dong Household of Sea Eye City would be so kind as to give away money for no reason!"
Li Chen smiled at her words but said nothing more.
She certainly had a point, but there was equally no reason to expect people to give things away for free. If there truly were no profit to be made, why would those powerful factions take an interest in somewhere millions of li away?
Ultimately, it was still an exchange of equal value.
For ordinary factions, tax exemptions and opening up highly profitable industries certainly represented enormous losses. Yet excessive protection could also sap vitality and reduce outsiders' willingness to invest.
There had never been any