Protect Our Clan Leader

“This…”

With eyes as large as copper bells and burning like fire, Xiahou Hongde stared at Wang Shouzhe.

You little rascal, why didn’t you mention such an important thing earlier? He’d wrongly assumed that consuming the Fire Spirit Stone was a necessary step of drinking the Fire Crystal Burn!

Apparently, it was just to help ignite the fire or perhaps add a bit of ceremony to the proceedings.

Suddenly, Xiahou Hongde felt the burning sensation in his stomach growing more intense.

Coating the Fire Spirit Stone with Mysterious Energy was no easy feat. And the “Fire Crystal Burn” was no simple concoction. After drinking half a bowl, he felt a burning sensation all over, his blood rushing faster and faster.

He was revelling in double the joy.

He hesitated over whether to get off the carriage and force out that damn Fire Spirit Stone.

“However, it’s unquestionable that Lord Xiahou is a cultivator of the Heavenly Human Realm.” Wang Shouzhe spoke as he bowed to Xiahou Hongde, showing admiration and lavishly praising him. “Despite having a burning Fire Spirit Stone in your stomach, you can calmly handle it — a true testament to your extraordinary prowess.”

Remember, a Fire Spirit Stone, once activated, can burn without oxygen and release burning hot waves. Normal people simply can’t tolerate such intensity.

Upon this speech…

Her thoughts of getting off the carriage and vomiting were immediately dispelled.

“That’s just a little trick. When you, Master Shouzhe, ascend to the Heavenly Human Realm, you will naturally be able to do the same.”

Suppressing the severe discomfort as if his internal organs were being roasted in a furnace, he managed to maintain a profound and unfazed demeanor.

He picked up the previously despised Spiritual Tea and leisurely savored it, portraying the demeanor of an elevated being who could remain unaffected even in the face of imminent catastrophe: “Where were we? Ah, right. If you give me 300 jin of Fire Crystal Burn, this City Lord will forgive you this time.”

The Fire Crystal Burn is indeed a treasure!

After only one drink, he was captivated. Despite swallowing the Fire Spirit Stone and experiencing some discomfort in his stomach, he found it perfectly suitable for their kind-of “earth-shattering, breathtaking” robust warriors. It reminded him of the old days of battling alongside his brothers on the battlefield when he was in the Spirit Platform Realm.

Without realizing it, he raised the stakes by an additional hundred jin.

“A mere 300 jin of Fire Crystal Burn is a small matter. Besides, how long can one drink a little Fire Crystal Burn?” Wang Shouzhe calmly refilled his tea, speaking leisurely, “Lord Xiahou is about 200 years old, at the prime of his life. Even if you only drink a hundred jin a year, the rest of your life will require at least fifty to sixty thousand jin.”

Fifty to sixty thousand jin?

Xiahou Hongde paused, unable to do the math in his head.

Oh, right, this kid factored in his lifespan in the Purple Abode Realm!

This young fellow sure knew how to talk.

I like it.

However, he has made a fair point. Even if he only drinks one hundred jin a year, he’d still need to consume tens of thousands of jin in his remaining lifetime, wouldn’t he?

Immediately, he asked hesitantly, “Master Shouzhe, how much does this wine cost per jin?”

Even the Red Cloud Liquor, which he now found monotonous, cost several Qian Gold per jin. As for something like Fire Crystal Burn, this “world’s best liquor”, it’s unlikely to be less than ten Qian Gold, right?

With his stipend, he could afford it.

But Xiahou Hongde wasn’t a solitary man supporting only himself, he had a whole family to look after. And his descendants, scattered in various camps, always needed some financial support.

Moreover, Heavenly Human Realm cultivators have their own expenses. Daily cultivation consumes resources, which accumulates over time into astronomical figures. For ambitious cultivators aspiring to progress in the Heavenly Human Realm, it’s quite normal to consume tens of thousands of Qian Gold each year on cultivation.

That’s exactly why some families that are poor financial managers or lack financial resources not only can’t afford to upgrade to the Heavenly Human Realm but also can be pulled down by just one Heavenly Human Realm cultivator if they fail to open a new stream of income in time.

Of course, if a family produced a Heavenly Human cultivator, their status would be different.

Under the protection of the elderly Heavenly Human Ancestor, they could quickly expand their business and income. Or, at worst, the elderly Heavenly Human Ancestor could go to the outer domains and hunt something to keep them going.

However, going to the outer domains to hunt was always risky. If anything goes wrong, one could easily perish there. Therefore, it’s not a long-term solution.

Back to the topic at hand.

Wang Shouzhe calmly said, “If sold to the public, I’ve set the initial price at ten Qian Gold per jin.”

As expected!

Xiahou Hongde’s gaze became slightly concentrated, a thousand Qian Gold for Heavenly Human Realm cultivators is not an astronomical figure. But if it’s a long-term annual expense, it becomes a hefty burden.

“How about this, I will give Lord Xiahou an annual allocation of three thousand jin at a price of seven Qian Gold per jin.” Wang Shouzhe, who preferred to drink spiritual tea, poured himself another cup and spoke. “After all, my Wang family doesn’t rely solely on selling liquor for a living.”

Seven Qian Gold per jin? Three thousand jin as an annual quota! And that’s every year!

Xiahou Hongde was momentarily stunned.

If he could sell it for a profit, wouldn’t he earn more than twenty thousand Qian Gold out of thin air?

He fell into silence, a strange look in his eyes as he looked at Wang Shouzhe.

The moment this boy opened his mouth, it was a business deal worth tens of thousands of Qian Gold every year, and he acted as if it were just a trifle. No wonder… he had united so many prominent families in such a short time, even the prominent Xu family of Changning seemed to be following his lead.

This boy was a God of Wealth! Who wouldn’t like the God of Wealth?

“Master Shouzhe, you are trying to bribe me.” Xiahou Hongde said seriously, “What is your aim?”

As a City Lord, he had seen a lot of the world.