Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 226: State of Cai
Xu Ren kept smiling, but the slight tension in his eyes had completely faded, leaving only confidence. As expected, for any cultivator, ascension and the Immortal Realm are irresistible temptations.
Gold and silver treasures, beautiful concubines, fame, and power are all fleeting like smoke; ascension is the greatest and truest wealth.
This is the cultivation world, and it follows the laws of the cultivation world.
If you can reach the Golden Core stage, wealth at the Foundation Establishment stage is easily attainable. If you can reach the Nascent Soul stage, good things will “grow wings” and fly to you on their own—even if you don’t want them. And if you can ascend, then the wealth and fame of today are nothing but an illusion, something you can abandon at any time.
So, if there is a chance to ascend or enter the Immortal Realm, as long as the conditions are not too harsh, almost every cultivator would be willing.
This was Xu Ren’s consideration—using this to persuade the other party and also to recruit powerful cultivators.
A hundred Foundation Establishment experts cannot compare to a single Golden Core expert; likewise, a thousand Golden Core experts cannot compare to a single Nascent Soul cultivator! The gap is not just in combat power but also in influence.
Anyang had never publicly revealed that Xiao Yuquan was a Nascent Soul cultivator because Xiao Yuquan was a researcher who held Anyang’s most core secrets. And Xiao Yuquan was happy with this arrangement—he enjoyed exclusivity.
But if they could use non-core secrets to recruit a Nascent Soul “fighter”—note, a “fighter,” not a researcher—then they could use this “fighter” as an advertisement to attract more Nascent Soul cultivators.
Xu Ren had already made up his mind the moment he met Feiyu Zhenren.
After a long silence, Xu Ren spoke again, “Senior, if you don’t believe me, you can come to Anyang with me later to take a look.”
“I can go there myself! Do you think you can refuse me?” The old senior was full of confidence. Indeed, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator—where in this world could he not go? Although he hadn’t reached the level of an immortal who could “travel from the Northern Sea to Cangwu in a day,” he could still fly thousands of miles with ease. Going to Anyang to take a look? That was simple.
Xu Ren calmly explained, “Of course, senior can go, but Anyang is still in its early development stage, and there’s not much to see. Moreover, if you go alone, I’m afraid you won’t see the truly good things.”
“Then I declare that you are now my hostage!” Feiyu Zhenren was extremely straightforward.
Xu Ren smiled confidently. “Senior, if you just want to take a look, then it doesn’t matter. But if you truly want to go to the Immortal Realm, then this approach might not be appropriate.”
“Hmph, going to the Immortal Realm sounds nice, but with your broken technology, I’m afraid you can’t even withstand the first heavenly tribulation! Going to the Immortal Realm is no child’s play.”
“That’s why we still need at least a hundred years of exploration. But at the very least, we have already achieved significant progress. And, senior Xiao Yuquan from the Mangshan Cultivation Dojo has also joined us to explore together.”
“Xiao Yuquan? Ohhh, so Xiao Yuquan went to your place? Alright then, you go ahead and play. I’ll go find Xiao Yuquan to catch up.”
After saying that, he pushed open the cabin door and flew away directly.
Only after the man had flown far away did Xu Ren wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and think to himself, “I need to inform the young master when I return—Anyang must speed up its progress. It has already started attracting the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators.
But if we can use this well, we may also be able to recruit many Nascent Soul experts to join us. Haha, flying directly to the Immortal Realm—what a great slogan! Haha…”
Xu Ren wiped his sweat again, and the pilot in front was also drenched in cold sweat.
That was a close call. The plane was flying in the sky when a Nascent Soul expert suddenly appeared outside the window—this was a truly terrifying sight.
Fortunately, Xu Ren had a quick wit and cleverly combined some of Li Xian’s past statements and visions to successfully bluff a powerful cultivator into leaving—perhaps even turning him into a future asset for Anyang.
As long as Li Xian and the Brilliant Star Group could demonstrate even a fraction of the potential and ability to reach the Immortal Realm, they could keep countless Nascent Soul cultivators intrigued. That would make things much easier in the future.
After being dispatched to Qi State and witnessing its strength, Xu Ren had been frowning. But now, he finally felt relieved.
More than half an hour later, the plane boldly flew over the outer city of the imperial capital of Cai State and slowly descended.
Xu Ren confidently stepped off the plane. “Xu Ren of Anyang County, Great Xia Kingdom, has come for trade negotiations.”
Trade negotiations?
Cai State was highly sensitive to the word “trade” right now because Anyang’s dumping strategy had caused noticeable changes in the country. Since there were other nations outside Cai State and Anyang itself was still relatively small, the dumping strategy’s impact was significant but not enough to cause major disruptions.
Still, the effects were undeniable.
The biggest impact is that the upper and middle classes become wealthier, while the lower class suffers more hardships. However, in this world of cultivation, the right to speak is primarily controlled by the upper class and the strong, followed by the middle class. The lower class has no voice at all because anyone who achieves success in cultivation naturally rises to the middle or upper class.
Under such circumstances, the Cai Kingdom has a favorable impression of Anyang. Although their invasion attempt failed, the opportunity to get rich together is still quite appealing.
As a result, Xu Ren did not encounter any difficulties and easily met with the Emperor of Cai.
Compared to the Emperor of the Great Xia Kingdom (at his peak), the Emperor of Cai is stronger and more imposing. However, compared to the Emperor of Qi, the Emperor of Cai is in a suboptimal state of health. Since the emperor is fully integrated with the fate of the nation, his cultivation level and authority are entirely dependent on the country’s strength.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xu Ren proposed his plan to purchase cities. The Cai Kingdom, being an empire no less powerful than the Great Xia Kingdom, would require at least five strategic locations and bases to establish full commercial coverage, with a maximum of thirteen—one for each prefecture. Compared to the Great Xia Kingdom, which only has eleven prefectures, the Cai Kingdom is indeed slightly more powerful.
At this crucial moment, the Prime Minister of Cai, Huang Fu, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I disagree. I believe we can grant Anyang five cities, or even fifteen; however, we do not want money. We only need one thing from Anyang—a simple declaration: that the Great Xia Kingdom no longer exists.”
Xu Ren’s eyes immediately narrowed!
Huang Fu’s intentions were clear. If Anyang publicly acknowledged the downfall of the Great Xia Kingdom, then all prior treaties and oaths signed between Cai and Anyang (which represented Great Xia) could be nullified.
This would allow the Cai Kingdom to invade Great Xia’s territory without restraint.
For Anyang and Li Xian, admitting that Great Xia no longer existed would make Li Xian seem like a traitor who betrayed his own country.
Xu Ren, however, remained composed. “Prime Minister Huang, the first principle of any deal is mutual benefit. As the saying goes, business is business. Today, I am here to negotiate trade, not politics. From now on, Anyang will only engage in commerce, not politics.
A commercial kingdom—that is our vision.
And there is a fundamental principle in trade: fair exchange. Its core is mutual benefit. If we cannot achieve this, then it is not business at all.”
“Excellent!” The Emperor of Cai praised. “Based on what you just said, Xu Ren, I am willing to engage in a major trade deal with Anyang.
Fifteen cities are out of the question, but how about three? And I don’t want money—just three cities from Anyang in return. That would be a fair trade, wouldn’t it?”
A cunning emperor. He was using Xu Ren’s own words against him.
But this was a condition that could never be accepted. Besides, how could Xu Ren not have prepared for this?
“Your Majesty, Anyang is purchasing cities for commercial exchange. We can provide goods such as textiles, silk, colored lanterns, glass, weapons, armor, cannons, locomotives, industrial spiritual conductors (made from fungal fibers), sea soul silk, spirit stones, engines, internal combustion engines, fuel, lubricants, and machinery for both agriculture and industry.
May I ask, Your Majesty, what you plan to use the cities you purchase from Anyang for?”
The Emperor of Cai was momentarily stunned. Of course, the plan was to station troops and prepare for an opportunity to seize Anyang. Everyone understood this, but such words could not be spoken aloud.
Seeing the emperor’s stunned expression, Xu Ren smiled. This was a trap. The moment the Emperor of Cai answered, he had already fallen into Xu Ren’s trap.
Prime Minister Huang Fu immediately intervened. “Of course, we also intend to engage in commerce. We may not have as many industrial goods, but we do have an abundance of raw materials.”
Xu Ren, full of confidence, replied, “Then has your nation calculated the potential profits? We have. After all, we are businessmen.”