Chapter 207 - 151: All Parties Converge
Chapter 207: Chapter 151: All Parties Converge
"Prince, this time we’ve earned a total of ten billion, eight hundred fifty million taels. The first batch of houses has been completely sold, and we’ve paid five billion, four hundred million, and twenty-five thousand taels of silver in taxes to the court," Cai Chong reported immediately.
The excitement on his face was impossible to hide.
They had made a huge profit this time. The Prince’s Mansion would no longer have to worry about running out of silver.
Moreover, the court also earned a considerable amount. Resolving the current crisis should be no problem at all.
Cai Chong could still recall Li Qing’s smiling face and exceptionally warm attitude when he’d led his men to pay the taxes.
He knew this was a level of treatment he’d never experienced, not even back when he was at the Imperial Palace.
Lu Yuan nodded and chuckled. "Take half of this silver and continue buying land in South City. Besides houses, you can build some restaurants and brothels, but they must be high-class and luxurious.
"It doesn’t matter how much silver you spend. The first priority is to match the status of those scholars."
Once this was accomplished, South City would become a veritable money-maker, bringing him a large amount of silver every year. Although it wouldn’t be as much as this initial windfall, its value lay in its longevity.
Lu Yuan estimated that once South City was fully established, while a trillion taels of silver might be an exaggeration, several hundred billion would be no problem.
By then, the Prince’s Mansion would have a sufficient foundation, the court would no longer be short on silver, and the Northern Barbarians’ economy would fully recover within two years.
As for paying taxes to the court, Lu Yuan didn’t mind.
Given his relationship with the Xiao Clan mother and daughter, there was really no difference between the silver being in the Imperial Palace or in his own mansion.
"Yes, Prince." Cai Chong was now filled with admiration for Lu Yuan.
He had solved such a huge problem for the court with a wave of his hand. Who else could possibly do that?
’Probably only the Prince standing before me in the entire world.’
"Alright, you are dismissed. I will be leaving the Imperial City for a while tomorrow. I’m leaving the affairs of the mansion in your hands. You must also keep a close eye on things in South City. There can be no mistakes."
"As you command!" Cai Chong said quickly.
Then he withdrew from the front hall.
After Cai Chong left, Lu Yuan stood up and stretched. He first went to the Lu Clan to say his goodbyes, then returned to his own courtyard to prepare for his departure. The East Sea was within the territory of the Eastern Barbarians.
Lu Yuan had never been there before and felt a little curious.
Once he finished packing, he rested.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, as soon as Lu Yuan stepped out of his courtyard, he saw Xiao Hua already waiting for him. She wore a watermelon-red long dress, her fair cheeks almost translucent, and she radiated vitality.
Beside her was Xiao Gu, along with eight masters from Prajna Temple. Each one had a powerful aura; at the very least, Lu Yuan couldn’t discern their cultivation levels.
One of them, a stout ascetic, was particularly noteworthy. He held a golden wheel of light in his palm, and as he stood there, he gave off the impression of being connected to the very earth beneath him.
In addition to these master bodyguards, there were also a thousand young people.
They were likely all here to participate in the test.
Upon seeing Lu Yuan, they all bowed and said, "Greetings, Prince."
Xiao Gu clapped Lu Yuan on the shoulder. "Let’s set off. The climate in the lands of the Eastern Barbarians is mild, not as cold as it is here in the Northern Barbarians. You and the Crown Princess can enjoy a good stroll after you arrive."
Lu Yuan nodded.
Xiao Hua walked over at this moment and said softly, "Yuan, we can go fishing in the sea this time. I heard there are even Flood Dragons there! But they’re very strong, and I’ve never seen one. I wonder if we’ll get to see one this time."
Lu Yuan pinched her cheek and said, "We’ll definitely see one. I’ll help you find it."
A blush spread across Xiao Hua’s face, but she didn’t resist. Instead, she revealed a bashful expression.
Seeing this, Xiao Gu, who was standing to the side, couldn’t help but shake his head.
Then he said, "Let’s depart."
This time, the group did not opt for carriages. The powerful ascetic threw the Golden Wheel from his hand, and in an instant, it expanded to be several *li* wide.
"This is the Lifebound Divine Soldier of Venerable Golden Wheel. Its greatest feature is that it can fly. Let’s ride this. Prince Qin, please take good care of the Crown Princess. Her cultivation is still at the Void Manipulation stage, so she might feel uncomfortable if we fly too high," Xiao Gu instructed, being the first to step onto the Golden Wheel.
Lu Yuan also led Xiao Hua onto it.
Then, the golden wheel of light shot through the air.
It left an afterimage in the sky.
As they flew high into the sky, the group passed through white clouds, and even Lu Yuan was quite curious.
After all, he had never seen such a Divine Technique before.
Even though his cultivation had reached the Gathering Pill realm and he could fly, it was nowhere near this extravagant.
To be able to fly through the clouds like this for such a long time.
Seeming to sense Xiao Hua’s nervousness, Lu Yuan held her hand and didn’t let go.
Along the way, Lu Yuan also saw people flying through the air, riding on all sorts of things.
However, all of them were headed toward the Eastern Barbarians’ territory.
Xiao Gu scanned the figures that occasionally zipped past and said in a low voice, "It seems many people are heading to the East Sea. We must be careful when we get there."
"Mm."
Lu Yuan nodded.
Then, he couldn’t help but look at Xiao Gu and ask, "I wonder, who was the last person to reach the top of the Celestial Ladder?"
"I heard it was the founding emperor of Great Zhou. After reaching the summit, he received a blessing of Spiritual Power that made his physical body nearly perfect. Several hundred years later, he became the number one person in the world and founded the Great Zhou.
"However, after he ascended, that vast empire collapsed."
"The ancestor of our Northern Barbarians was one of the Great Zhou Emperor’s fiercest generals. He also ascended to the Upper Realm, but it’s been a long time since any news has come down. We don’t know what’s become of him," Xiao Gu said softly.
Now that the path of ascension is severed, there are many things they don’t know. They can only glean information from occasional fragmented texts.
Moreover, ever since the fall of Great Zhou, the Spiritual Qi in the world seems to have thinned considerably.
This has led to a sharp decline in the number of highly talented individuals, and very few can reach the peak.
Someone once said that this Celestial Ladder seems to be related to the path of ascension as well.
However, this information has never been definitively confirmed.
The rest of the journey was tedious, but it was fine for Lu Yuan. After all, with Xiao Hua accompanying him, he didn’t find it boring at all.
「Several days later」
As they gradually neared the lands of the Eastern Barbarians, the weather grew warmer.
By the time they arrived near Heaven-Ascending Cliff, many people were already there.
Lu Yuan looked out and saw a colossal peak rising from the rolling waves of the sea. The peak was lush green and shrouded in mist, making it look hazy and indistinct, but it was enveloped in a transparent protective barrier.
It gave off the feeling of an immortal’s blessed land.
And the number of people gathered on the sea’s surface at the base of the giant peak was in the hundreds of thousands.
They were from all sorts of powers and factions. After all, a grand event like this might not be seen even once in several hundred years.
No one could ever predict when the Celestial Ladder would appear.
Some sects had even brought all their members. They were seated on massive clouds, which were likely the Lifebound Divine Soldiers of some powerful expert.
When the Golden Wheel descended, many people quickly made way.
They cleared out a large area. Although the Northern Barbarians were currently the weakest among the major courts, they were still one of the top-tier powers.
No one dared to underestimate them.
The Golden Wheel landed steadily on the surface of the sea.
At this moment, many people began to discuss among themselves.
"Did you see? That’s Prince Qin of the Northern Barbarians. I heard he earned over ten billion taels of silver in just two days."
"Hehe, I heard about that too. He’s certainly got some tricks. But for us Cultivators, strength is everything. A bit of fleeting wealth is just a minor pursuit."
"We’ll just have to see how high his talent is this time. I heard he was originally a General in Dayong. He left for the Northern Barbarians after being rejected by the Seventh Prince and used as a pawn by the Yong Emperor."
"If he displays astonishing talent this time, I bet Dayong will be filled with regret."
...
The surrounding voices droned on, with many people gossiping about Lu Yuan.
Xiao Hua glanced at him with some worry, afraid the talk would affect his mood.
However, he just smiled faintly, seemingly paying no mind to their discussions.
"SCREECH!"
Just then, a clear cry rang out.
Everyone looked up to see a massive cyan bird carrying a palace on its back. It landed on the sea, and a figure walked out from within. He wore a cyan Imperial Robe, and though he had the appearance of a middle-aged man, his aura was transcendent.
Xiao Gu said in a low voice, "That’s the Cyan Emperor of the Eastern Barbarians. I didn’t expect him to come in person. Aside from testing talent, we have another matter to attend to on this trip: to see if we can form an alliance with him.
"Lately, although Dayong hasn’t attacked us due to their past oath, they have been imposing a resource blockade on us."
"If we can ally with the Eastern Barbarians, not only can we buy grain and supplies from them, but they could also pin down Dayong from the east if they were to invade."
Lu Yuan nodded. After glancing at the Cyan Emperor, he said, "I’ll go find him after the talent test is over."
"Mm," Xiao Gu replied.
And just as they were speaking, the restriction that had been shielding the mountain peak from the outside world completely dissipated.
Everyone knew that the climb to the summit could now begin.
However, no one made the first move. Instead, they all looked at each other.
It seemed they were waiting for others to test the waters first.
After all, the Celestial Ladder Cliff hadn’t appeared in many years. For many of the younger generation, it was something they had only just heard of.
But this hesitation didn’t last long.
After a few breaths, someone couldn’t hold back any longer and leaped forward.
He landed on the Celestial Ladder.
The peak didn’t look very high, with only about ten thousand steps. On any other day, with their cultivation, these people could probably reach the summit in a single leap.
But now, it was clear that many masters at the Gathering Pill realm had only just stepped on when their bodies staggered. They then gritted their teeth and began to climb step by step, appearing to struggle immensely.
It looked as if they were in danger of falling at any moment.
And this was just the beginning.
Lu Yuan glanced at Xiao Hua beside him, and then at the eager nobles and royal disciples behind them. "Let’s go give it a try too."
With that, he flew toward the steps.
His black Python Robe fluttered in the wind as he flew.
With a woman like Xiao Hua by his side, he naturally drew a lot of attention, even though everyone present came from an impressive background.
The Seventh Prince, who had arrived earlier, naturally saw this as well, and his expression turned grim.
A middle-aged man accompanying him said, "That must be Lu Yuan. Your Highness is now the Crown Prince; why lower yourself to the level of a nobody?"
This was Prince Polu, sent by Dayong to protect the children of the court’s nobility. He wore dark gold armor and stood atop a Divine Soldier that resembled a warship, which was currently floating in the air.
The Seventh Prince nodded but said nothing.
He just stared at the steps, hoping that Lu Yuan would fall in the next moment.
After all, the man being made a Prince in the Northern Barbarians had already caused a huge controversy. If he were to achieve a good result now...
’the reputation for being a poor judge of character would probably be stuck to my name.’
That was not something he wanted to see.