"You mean... you want to bring out these spirit stones?"
Qian Nishang's eyes flickered, her spirit returning in an instant.
For her, nothing was more exciting than doing business.
Having grown up immersed in the Qian family's influence, the larger the transaction, the more her spirit soared.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's mouth twitched. He felt something was not quite right, as if she had been waiting for him to bring this up.
"Of course, I have to take them out. I can't just keep them in my hand forever."
He took a deep breath, a faint smile on his face, "I'm just curious what the patron has to offer in exchange."
Friendship was friendship, but business was business. Moreover, their friendship was not deep enough for her to willingly give away assets worth over a million taels of silver.
It wasn't as if he was being made a special honored guest and had to give away his fortune, was it?
Qian Nishang was not surprised by this and cut straight to the chase, asking, "What do you need?"
This transaction depended on what he needed, not on what she had. In fact, although this was a huge trouble that could lead to a disaster if mishandled, it was also an opportunity.
As long as she could acquire these spirit stones and spirit coins, the Qian family would gain more than just a breath of fresh air. It would buy them at least twenty years of breathing room, clear her current obstacles, and provide her with enough merit to break through.
The disaster relief effort, while seemingly thankless on the surface, was actually incredibly profitable. Otherwise, so many factions in the county town would not have scrambled to come here.
"I don't need much, just some materials for forging and nurturing flying swords."
He smiled slightly and took out several sheets of paper from his embrace. This was a list compiled by the few of them after deliberation.
It recorded various materials and spiritual items, all related to sword cultivators. Only a few items were for Song He to improve his cultivation.
Qian Nishang took the list and, after a few glances, her brows furrowed.
It could be said that nothing on this list was an ordinary item. Each one was extremely valuable and rarely seen under normal circumstances.
What's more, the quantity required for each item was not small. If they were to be purchased with real silver, it would cost at least seven to eight hundred thousand taels, and even then, they wouldn't be able to gather a complete set.
"Nine hundred and fifty thousand taels."
After estimating in her mind, Qian Nishang immediately quoted a price.
It was fortunate that Mingxin Xuan was large-scale, with business spread across Lingyang Prefecture and even reaching outside the prefecture. Otherwise, other forces would truly be unable to procure everything at once.
However, this also meant that the profit she could make from this transaction would be meager, as the price quoted was already close to cost.
"The remaining silver, please use it for these items."
Ji Yuan nodded and then took out another list.
Compared to the previous one, most of the items on this new list were ordinary, consisting of materials for alchemy and talismans. Although the quantity was greater, the price was only two hundred thousand taels of silver.
Upon hearing this, Qian Nishang's brows furrowed. It wasn't that she couldn't gather the materials on the list, but if this were the case, it would be as if she had worked for nothing.
The total value of the items on both lists added up to about 1.1 million taels of silver. Based on her estimation, the batch of spirit stones and spirit coins that Ji Yuan had intercepted should be roughly the same amount.
Even if there was some surplus, it would be at most tens of thousands, or perhaps a hundred thousand taels of silver. Even if it were all snowflake silver, it wouldn't appear to be much, but for her current situation, it would be of very limited help.
And for at most a hundred thousand taels of silver, bearing the threat of the Divine Profound Sect was clearly a losing proposition.
"The items are all inside. And this Mountain River Pouch, please handle it as well. It should be worth twenty to thirty thousand taels of silver."
Ji Yuan took out the Mountain River Pouch containing the spirit stones and spirit coins, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Qian Nishang.
However, she did not pick it up immediately, her brows still furrowed in thought.
Although the benefits gained were not proportional to the cost, and it could even be considered a significant loss, given the current circumstances, she seemed to have no other choice.
Over a hundred thousand taels of snowflake silver could be used as four to five hundred thousand taels of ordinary silver. Even if it couldn't solve all the current problems, it would at least allow her to catch her breath.
"Patron, I heard that the Prefect has a son who was injured by villains in his early years. His cultivation has been reduced to less than a tenth, making it almost impossible to regain his former strength."
Ji Yuan did not seem to mind. Instead, he changed the subject and brought up the Prefect of Luoxia County.
Rumor had it that two or three years ago, his most beloved youngest son was attacked by an unknown faction during a trial. Although he narrowly escaped death, his years of hard-cultivated power were all dissipated.
Even though his realm remained, for various reasons, it had become almost impossible to cultivate his power back.
Setting aside other factors, the resources required alone were insufficient for the Prefect's meager salary. Even if he shamelessly extorted and received tribute from various factions openly and secretly, it would take decades to achieve this.
However, the court's supervisory agencies were not mere decorations, and the various factions were not fools. How could they allow him to act this way for long?
"Indeed, that Prefect's son's physique has a problem. After refining the same amount of spiritual energy, he only produces one percent, or even less, of the magic power of a normal person."
Qian Nishang nodded, and then her eyes lit up, falling on the jade bottle on the table.
There was no need for further explanation. She understood Ji Yuan's intentions and immediately showed a look of excitement.
If this remnant pill was truly as he claimed, with its immense medicinal power, even if it couldn't fully restore the Prefect's son's cultivation, it should be able to restore seventy to eighty percent, right?
And if it could resolve a major concern for the Prefect, even without any reward, this favor alone would be an unimaginable benefit.
At the very least, in Luoxia County, anyone who wanted to move against her Qian family or Qian Nishang would have to seriously consider whether they could withstand the wrath of a Prefect.
"For ordinary people, this thing would probably do more harm than good. Although it can forcefully break through, it will cause an unstable foundation, and the Great Dao may be hopeless in the future."
Ji Yuan tapped his finger on the table and said with a serious expression, "But for this Prefect's son, there are no such hidden dangers. Although his cultivation has been lost, his realm is still there. What he needs now is a surge of power."
And this remnant pill was exactly what could solve this problem. According to their estimations, the immense medicinal power contained within it was enough to allow a cultivator at the peak of the second realm to have enough surplus energy to break through one or two minor realms after reaching the third realm.
As for the Prefect's son, before he was severely injured, his cultivation was only at the middle stage of the second realm.
A remnant pill was just right to solve such a problem. Who knew, it might even allow him to make significant progress after regaining his cultivation?
"If that's the case, then I owe you a huge favor."
Qian Nishang glanced at him, her expression quite helpless.
While the batch of spirit stones worth a million could be considered a normal transaction, this remnant pill was a genuine favor.
And it wasn't an ordinary favor that could be offset by gold and silver, or even a few treasures. It would require her to produce several magical treasures at once, and they would have to be very compatible with his cultivation method.
But even then, it would likely still be insufficient, as favors are arguably the most difficult thing in the world to repay.
"After all, it's causing you to bear the pressure of the Divine Profound Sect. If I don't do this, I truly feel uneasy."
Ji Yuan spoke eloquently, but there was no apology on his face.
Qian Nishang did not mind this. As long as she could get the Prefect indebted to her, even the Divine Profound Sect, unless there was irrefutable evidence, would not dare to offend a Prefect of his county so easily.
"With this, the troubles you are currently facing should also be resolved smoothly."
He clapped his hands, saying with a smile.
Even without the Prefect issuing a decree, as long as the news of the Prefect owing Qian Nishang a great favor spread, those people gathered in Qianyu City would no longer dare to compete with her for opportunities.
Even if they acted covertly, they would be a million times more cautious.
This deterrence was far stronger than that of Xu Lin, an enforcer from the Mingjian Division.
"Without further ado, I will have Elder Chen make a trip later and also retrieve the items on your two lists!"
Qian Nishang made up her mind immediately, without any hesitation.
For her, this was an unprecedented opportunity. Not only could it resolve her current troubles, but it could also pull the Qian family back from the brink of ruin, giving them at least another twenty years of breathing room.
"Patron, please be careful and take a detour if possible."
Ji Yuan reminded her.
If they took the most direct route, they might encounter people from the Divine Profound Sect, which would cause unnecessary trouble.
As for the Elder Chen she mentioned, he had heard about him frequently in recent days. He was the steward of the Qian family and the only remaining cultivator at the middle stage of the third realm.
With him, there was naturally no need to worry about safety, unless they were ambushed by five cultivators of the same realm. Even if they couldn't win, they could still retreat safely.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, this highly lethal third-realm martial artist, who normally sat in charge of Mingxin Xuan's largest disaster relief point in the city, appeared before the two of them.
He was an old man with white hair, appearing to be at least seventy years old, but his physique was even more robust than that of a young strong man. His vital energy showed no signs of weakening and even contained vigorous life force.
Logically speaking, martial artists of this age, while their vital energy remained strong, would inevitably show signs of decline, and their life force would rapidly weaken.
However, a third-realm martial artist clearly could not be judged by such standards.
Once one reached the third realm, regardless of whether they were a cultivator or a martial artist, they would immediately gain a lifespan of three hundred years, an increase of one hundred and twenty years from the limit of one hundred and eighty years for the second realm!
This was why a third-realm expert was enough to make various factions wary. Besides their inherent combat power, their three-hundred-year lifespan was the most crucial factor.
Even if half of their lifespan was consumed in cultivation, they could still hold a position of power for over a hundred years!
"Elder Chen, this trip is entirely dependent on you!"
After explaining the situation, Qian Nishang bowed solemnly.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan also stood up and offered a respectful salute.
If this trip went smoothly, not only would there be no danger, but it could also lead to them being honored guests at the Prefect's mansion, bringing numerous benefits.
However, if they encountered danger, it could easily lead to a life-or-death crisis, and a single misstep could lead to the collapse of their Great Dao or even their demise.
Despite knowing this clearly, Elder Chen remained calm and composed. Just standing there, he exuded an unstoppable aura.
"I will certainly not fail the young lady's trust!"
After putting the Mountain River Pouch in his embrace, Elder Chen clasped his fists heavily.
A martial artist's promise was heavier than a thousand pieces of gold!
With that, he turned to leave. However, after leaving Mingxin Xuan, he did not rashly head out of the city. Instead, he began to patrol various disaster relief points.
Even when passing by the county yamen, Elder Chen stood outside the gate for a long time, his imposing aura pressing down on the entire county yamen. Even the arrogant Xu Lin could only suppress his anger under this pressure.
Let alone a second-realm cultivator, even within the third realm, the pressure of a pure martial artist was not something that could be easily withstood.
Therefore, even though Xu Lin was resentful, he could only suppress his feelings for the time being and wait until he broke through to the third realm to reclaim his lost face.
After all, cultivation was never about rushing; even for martial artists, it was about a steady stream and long-term prospects.
By the time Elder Chen finished his rounds and returned to his designated disaster relief point, it was already dusk. No one noticed a silhouette quietly leaving under the twilight.
"If everything goes smoothly, with Elder Chen's cultivation level, he should be able to complete the task and return in three days."
Qian Nishang stood by the window, gazing into the distance at an unknown place.
Behind her, Ji Yuan idly drank spirit tea, not overly worried about this.
Having learned that Elder Chen was a pure martial artist, he even felt that even if they encountered people from the Divine Profound Sect, they might not necessarily be at a disadvantage.
Just as there were different schools among cultivators, such as immortal, Daoist, Buddhist, and military, there were also divisions among martial artists between martial artists and pure martial artists.
The former, although they practiced martial arts, mainly focused on the cultivation of various weapons, with their skills primarily residing in their weapons.
For example, Xu Lin, the enforcer, indeed practiced martial arts, but he focused on his saber, comprehending saber intent. If he were unarmed, his combat power would inevitably be significantly reduced.
The latter, on the other hand, specialized in their own martial arts, focusing on tempering their physique and body, supplemented by various fist and leg techniques.
In terms of sheer combat power, there was no clear winner between the two; they each had their own strengths. However, in terms of being difficult to deal with, pure martial artists could claim to be second to none.
Even among cultivators, body-tempering experts who specialized in unique secret techniques could only bow in defeat.
The reason was simple: pure martial artists, like sword cultivators, focused their entire lives on their physique and body. In the end, their bodies were comparable to divine weapons, and their qi was long-lasting and continuous. They could fight for days without getting tired.
This was something that not only cultivators but also martial artists who primarily cultivated weapons could not achieve. The internal magic power and qi were ultimately limited.
Of course, this was also related to the robust physique of pure martial artists. Their recovery ability was unimaginable. While regenerating lost limbs might be an exaggeration, their energy was definitely inexhaustible.
"I just hope that during these three days, the esteemed gentlemen in the county yamen can be a little quieter."
Ji Yuan sighed suddenly.
Three days was not a long time, but it was not short either. With disaster relief entering its middle to late stages, there was not much time left for those people to snatch the fruits of labor.