Chapter 2039: Chapter 1489: Mori no Kiyoshi’s Farewell! Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty! (Part 2)
"Finally, farmers are relatively easy to find, and their price is much lower. Three tea farmers, four mulberry farmers, five hemp farmers, seven different fruit farmers, and seven beast farmers raising livestock and poultry. A total of twenty-six farmers, give each two to three pounds of gold, that’s sixty pounds of gold!..."
"Buddha bless! These eighty-one craftsmen, all together, that’s five hundred and ten pounds of gold, is that correct?..."
"Okay! Chief Divine as witness! So, the total amount we’re trading this time is six hundred and eighty pounds of gold?... Mori, my warrior, has already given the gold to your men, have you finished counting?"
"Zou Jirou?"
"Ah! Owner, we’ve finished counting and weighing... just... just..."
"Just what? The generous Golden Chief stands tall here! Would he ever short our payment?..."
"Ah! No, no! Nothing was short, it’s just possible, possible there’s extra... we’ve weighed it at seven hundred pounds, but haven’t deducted the grass bags holding the gold..."
"Uh! Zu Sang, what do you think?"
"Haha! Chief Divine bless! Mori, this extra twenty pounds of gold, let’s consider it a deposit for our next trade! Korean medical craftsmen, regardless of male or female, if they’re skilled, we want them. By the way, skilled shipwrights are also prioritized. Regarding the iron armor you’re forging, remember to make them larger next time. Also bring along more fine white salt next time!..."
"Ah! Good! Good! Next time... definitely next time! Zu Sang, this time then... deal settled?"
"What settled or not settled? What you’re saying doesn’t make sense to me. It’s settled like this!..."
"Hey!!..."
With the transaction complete, Mori no Kiyoshi beamed and bowed deeply, over ninety degrees. Zu Waro also smiled, clearly pleased. He took a stitched deerskin wine pouch from Loshanda’s hand and cheerfully stuffed it into Mori no Kiyoshi’s hands.
"Come on! Mori, taste this wine! It’s a fine wine from my homeland, you surely haven’t tasted it before!"
"Eh! The taste of this wine?... Hiss!... Cough cough!!..."
One sip of tequila and Mori no Kiyoshi’s neck flushed red all the way to his face. His body shook violently as a surge of fire burned from his stomach to his throat, unable to stop coughing!
This bag of tequila was a kingdom’s specially brewed product, enriched with high-sugar honey and pineapple juice, at least thirty to forty degrees! Not to mention the spicy flavor in the wine, something Mori no Kiyoshi had never tasted before, like fire.
"Haha! How is it, refreshing, right?..."
Seeing Mori no Kiyoshi cough, Zu Waro laughed heartily, drank two mouthfuls of the spicy wine himself, and reached out to Loshanda. Loshanda sighed helplessly, took out a small pouch of treasured Maya cigarettes from his chest, reluctantly passed one to Zu Waro.
"Two! Give one to our old friend too!..."
"..."
"..."
Mori no Kiyoshi widened his eyes, watching the two Shandan Mongolia nobles light two odd "moxa sticks" and stuffed them into two small corn cob pipes. Then Zu Waro clenched one himself and stuffed one into Mori no Kiyoshi’s mouth.
"Uh! What is this? The smell is?!... Oh!"
Two puffs of specially made Divine Smoke entered his throat, and Mori no Kiyoshi suddenly opened his eyes, feeling as if his entire body was floating. His thoughts became clear instantly, experiencing the peculiar "spices" he had never felt before, a question inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
"Buddha! What on earth are these spicy wines, these aromatic smokes? Could they be some strange witchcraft passed down by the Mongolia Golden Clan?..."
"Or maybe these northern Golden Tribes have an even more special origin? That new Shandan noble, when speaking with Caisan, seemed to mention some incomprehensible words. Something about the western sea, the eastern sea? White-skinned evil demons, the big Khan of the tribes?..."
"Mori, Mori! Wake up, wake up! How is it? The taste of Chief Divine’s Divine Smoke? It’s the ultimate indulgence, right?!"
Zu Waro laughed heartily, gently patting Mori no Kiyoshi’s face, waking him from the haze of Divine Smoke. After this unparalleled warm hospitality, Zu Waro sharpened his expression, fixed his gaze on Mori no Kiyoshi’s face, gripped his wrist firmly, and lowly asked again.
"Mori! When is the next trade? Still in May?..."
"The mage on your ship, how many Samurai did he bring, daring to mess with our precious trade among friends?..."
"Buddha! Zu! After all, I’m still a disciple of the Miao Courtyard, a merchant of the Tiantai Sect... I must leave myself a way out..."
"Mori! This trade benefits both of us! Can’t let the absurdly appearing Great Monk ruin our golden friendship! What is his plan, tell me! I’ll send Samurai to deal with him..."
Facing Zu Waro’s questioning, Mori no Kiyoshi held onto his pipe, wearing a bitter smile. After inhaling a deep puff of the curious smoke, he finally subtly pointed at the warship anchored by the coast.
"Ship?..."
"Cough! Zu Sang! I sincerely hope to maintain our precious trade between us. But now with the sect’s intervention, even if it seems like just Master Juehui’s involvement. The greed behind it indeed involves the entire higher levels of the Monk Judge Team, very tricky to solve!..."
Mori no Kiyoshi took another puff of smoke, his eyes lingering for a moment before continuing to clearly indicate.
"Master Juehui relies on his monk soldiers, backed by the Omi Monk Judge Team. And what the Monk Masters rely on to lead the Tiantai Sect are the generationally passed relationships, their influence over Kanto Governor Uesugi Clan, and Koga Kubo Sagami Ashikaga of the Ashikaga Shogunate’s nobles. In the Kanto of the Northern Country, that’s the Kanto Governor Uesugi Clan, Koga Kubo Sagami Ashikaga. These two powerful forces, the Great Monks in the sect, can definitely communicate with them..."
