Chapter 106: Chapter 102: The Fierce Beast that Injures Doesn’t Make a Sound
Translator: 549690339 |
As an old rival of the Tang Clan for hundreds of years, the Mi Clan never underestimated this family.
However, Tang Zhi, the current clan leader, seemed not to have shown any special characteristics. Even Xiling had rumors circulating that it should have been Tang Zuo, the last favored son, who should hold the clan leader position, rather than the ordinary Tang Zhi.
However, as this scroll of plans unrolled, everyone seemed to see the determination of the seemingly mediocre leader of the Tang Clan meticulous planning and carrying out his grand strategy.
“Can we stop it?” Mi Jin would not be immersed in praising his opponent. He only wanted to sabotage the grand plan of the Tang Clan.
After pondering for a while, Mi Shen said with some difficulty, “There is a method, but the cost is too high.”
“Say it.”
“Starting from next year, apart from retaining a portion for cereal cultivation, all the farmlands of the Mi Clan will be used to cultivate vegetables and fruits,” said Mi Shen, announcing his strategy, a dangerous move that left the highest echelons of the Mi Clan speechless.
A grand scheme indeed.
The implication of converting all 750,000 acres of fertile land to vegetable and fruit crops is that the Mi Clan will cease producing new grains. The surplus of vegetables and fruits will drastically reduce their prices, making it affordable for common people.
On the contrary, the yield per acre for vegetables in comparison to rice, which could produce more than thousand pounds of grain per acre per year due to three harvests, is simply a world of difference.
Xiling, a city with more than three million people, will face a severe shortage of food from next year onwards.
This difficult task is again thrown at the Tang Clan, will you feed the people of Xiling?
Even if the Tang Clan is crazy enough to continue brewing wine, when the people of Xiling can’t even afford to eat, how many wine drinkers will want to be in the tavern?
But then, wouldn’t Xiling face turmoil? If people can’t even afford to eat, it’s hard to imagine what the various clans could resort to.
“It’s not feasible.”
While everyone was still contemplating the feasibility of this plan, Mi Jin vetoed this strategy.
Injuring others without benefit to oneself is a practice far from intelligence. This could indeed inhibit the development of the Tang Clan’s liquor industry, but it could also sow the seeds of Xiling’s unrest. In Mi Jin’s heart, he weighed these two against each other.
When Mi Shen saw that his strategy was rejected outright, he didn’t mind it a bit because he expected this. If the leader of the Mi Clan could accept such a strategy, it would undoubtedly mean that he was a narrow-minded and shortsighted man.
Mi Shen composed his emotions and spoke again, “Apart from this strategy, there is no other solution.”
Because the route that the Tang Clan took is the righteous offensive, overwhelming people with power openly, even if you could see through it as Mi Shen did, there’s nothing you could do to stop it.
The momentum for the Tang Clan to monopolize the liquor industry in Xiling is building. Judging by Tang’s usual fair-and-square style of dealing, when the Tang Clan’s new wine is launched, it will be supplied to various taverns at a low cost.
By then, all the wines served in the taverns of Xiling would be from the Tang Family. Those liquor shops with a history of over a hundred years would face financial difficulties and enter a dire situation of being surrounded without aid, and if they are taken over by the Tang Clan, the liquor industry in Xiling would truly be dominated by a single entity.
You could see what is coming, but there was simply no way to prevent it. This is where the terror of Tang Zhi lies.
Indeed, a harmful beast makes no noise! If it cannot be prevented, then let it be. Mi Jin made up his mind.
One more monopoly benefits the Tang Clan with just some more income. The true power of a clan is never reflected in the amount of money.
“Raise the price of new grains to forty gold per thousand pounds. If we can’t stop the Tang Clan from brewing wine, then let the Mi Clan divide the spoils. Mi Jin pondered for a long time and made a decision.
“Also, send out a commercial convoy quickly to collect brewmasters and recipes from the Liquor Country, regardless of the cost!”
Now, this was the only option left. Mi Shen nodded in agreement with the first proposal.
The clan elders of the Mi Clan also agreed one by one. The Mi Clan still holds over three hundred thousand tons of new grains, and the summer harvest is near. If the Tang Clan keeps collecting grains, the Mi Clan could earn over fifty million gold this year, a considerable income.
As for the Tang Clan monopolizing the liquor industry of Xiling, all that needs to be done is to send a commercial convoy to Liquor Country, return with some recipes and imitate the Tang Clan’s tactics. Copying doesn’t require much brain work after all.
The same strategy of overpowering people will suffice. Eventually, they could still each hold the power of their side of the river.
June 1st
The deadly month finally passed, replaced with mild winds, cicada songs, and lotus leaves. The docks and shipyard, after a month of rest, were becoming busy again.
The two ports of Xiling with more than a dozen docks were bustling once again with merchants and travelers coming and going.
And every month, it’s time for Tang Luo to contribute (zhuang) offer (bi) at the Secret Arts Pavilion.
Ever since he stepped into the Mortal Realm, his biggest realization is that warriors at the Mortal Realm level are rightfully considered the core strength of the continent.
The understanding of this level by the predecessors and later generations has entered a pathological depth and breadth.
Upon reaching the Mortal Realm, skills and killing techniques are a given.
Just the extra protection technique and body method could already give you a headache. Furthermore, for those who have high demands for themselves, body forging technique is an essential cultivation part at this stage.
Besides all these, there are countless secret techniques for the Mortal Realm, such as overdrawing lifeblood, overdrawing spiritual power, extreme strikes, escape tactics, wind controlling techniques, and breath concealing techniques. For most warriors, the Mortal Realm is the longest lingered phase in their life. No matter how much attention they pay to it, it’s never too much.
After looking at many techniques, Tang Luo finally realized why a Mortal Realm from a clan lineage could fight several Mortal Realms from outside without being at a disadvantage.
It’s not just the difference in weapons and armor, but more importantly, the difference in techniques and physical constitution.
Clan warriors must cultivate the body forging technique to strengthen their bodies.
But cultivating the body forging technique is no different from enduring torture, and it is incredibly time-consuming. The process can’t tolerate any falsification.
Some very formidable body forging techniques have very stringent standards. For example, the Supreme Luminous Stone Body from the Wuxiang Zen Temple. This body forging technique claims that it could train to the extent of breaking the void with a punch, being invincible even in front of gods. But during the cultivation, you must absorb the purest Yuan Yang power.
In other words, it means cultivating this technique while still virgin. Continue the practice, and you can reach the level where even gods can’t damage you. If virginity is lost, the interaction of Yang Qi and Yuan Yin within the body would cause this formidable holy body to directly dissipate.
Tang Luo sneered at this technique, no wonder nobody has cultivated to the level where even gods can’t harm them in a thousand years.
It’s better to cultivate that…treasure manual. At least, being castrated leaves no lingering regrets, which is better than leaving any lingering effects.
With so many techniques and secret books to review, his schedule was packed again.
Because he not only needs to innovate the techniques, but more importantly, he needs to find suitable secret techniques and martial skills from the ocean of techniques to create a set of tactics exclusive to him.
Normally, everyone at the Mortal Realm stage should start to practice body forging techniques, but Tang Luo is very reluctant.
This might be a common problem for smart people. If they have to choose a torturous body forging technique, they hope to find the one with the highest cost-effectiveness.
It’s best to find one that can be practiced continuously without having to abandon halfway. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be just suffering in vain?
For Tang Luo, as long as he doesn’t find such a body forging technique, he definitely won’t practice other body forging techniques.
After all, it’s too damn painful..
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢