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Chapter 325: Sincerity
🕑 Added 2024-10-11 05:03:06 +0000 UTCLiu Yunan took the list and opened the topmost document, swiftly skimming through it. This had become a habit of his—back in the sect’s affairs hall, he often managed matters like this to save the trouble of fetching each item individually.
Li Zhouxuan sat back down, feeling slightly awkward. He silently reminded himself that these two, though young in appearance, were no ordinary children. They were cultivators—skilled, powerful cultivators.
Since Liu Yunan had spent considerable time in Yuanling City after his dealings with Duobao Pavilion, he had gained a good understanding of the market and pricing. Thus, as he scanned through the documents, he was able to quickly determine which additional items could be procured and what prices should be set.
The three sects had requested quite a few additional items, but most of them were common in the cultivation world, many of which Duobao Pavilion sold, and some that their sect could produce themselves. The Li family's list was shorter, but included some higher-grade items, likely intended for their ancestor, Li Zhanying.
After quickly reviewing the documents, Liu Yunan looked up at Li Zhouxuan and said, "No problem. All the items on these lists can be provided. I'll give you the prices shortly, and as agreed, we'll require a third of the payment as a deposit."
Hearing this, Li Zhouxuan was pleased and nodded repeatedly. "Good, good. Thank you for your sect's assistance. The deposits for the other goods have already been collected from the three sects, but since the prices for these additional items weren't set, I haven't collected those yet. I'll gather the funds tonight."
At this, Qin Jianghe suddenly spoke up, "After the deposit is paid, we will no longer come to the palace to retrieve it. Since this will be a long-term trade, such visits draw too much attention and risk exposure. For future transactions, send trustworthy people to Hefeng Street, at the Gu Family's South-North Trading House. Our sect will have someone there to coordinate."
Li Zhouxuan immediately understood and nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that makes sense."
He then took up a pen and paper to jot down "Hefeng Gu," though the characters were deliberately incomplete, making them nearly unrecognizable to anyone else. Writing in this cryptic manner was a habit of his since childhood. After carefully storing the paper in his robe, with the intent to memorize and then destroy it, Li Zhouxuan turned to the matter Qin Jianghe had raised earlier regarding the sincerity the Li family was expected to demonstrate.
"Regarding the sincerity your sect mentioned, could you please clarify what exactly is expected of us? This will allow us to prepare accordingly."
Qin Jianghe thought for a moment before replying, "Our sect hopes that the sincerity from the royal family will be ongoing."
Li Zhouxuan nodded, "Of course."
Seeing his agreement, Qin Jianghe smiled politely, adding, "Therefore, this sincerity may need to be significant, and it might require continuous effort."
The implication was clear: they expected the Li family to continue supporting them in various ways as long as they maintained their intermediary role. Li Zhouxuan, fully understanding the implication, fell silent, suddenly realizing that he might have agreed to something more demanding than he initially thought.
However, out of respect for the Lingxian Sect, and trusting the goodwill they had shown so far, he pressed on, asking, "Would the sincerity required of us by your sect potentially harm the interests of the Li family or have a negative impact on our nation?"
Qin Jianghe responded with a calm smile, "Objectively speaking, and in theory, it should not."
After all, their goal was to develop the mortal realm, so any actions taken within the realm would naturally benefit the Pusi Kingdom rather than harm it.
Upon receiving this assurance, Li Zhouxuan remained silent, deep in thought. This matter had been left entirely in his hands by the family's ancestor, Li Zhanying, who trusted his judgment. As one of the leaders of the Li family, alongside Li Zhanying, he knew the weight of his decisions.
Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe did not rush him. Instead, they busied themselves with the refreshments on the table, thoroughly enjoying the delicacies presented to them, though not comparable to the ones prepared by Fuzhi. For ordinary food, however, it was quite delicious, and the two, not being picky, ate heartily.
After a long period of contemplation, during which nearly all the snacks on the table were consumed, Li Zhouxuan finally spoke again. "Very well. From today onward, the Li family will demonstrate absolute sincerity within the scope of Lingxian Sect's requests."
He then asked, "What would be the first act of sincerity you require from us?"
Having received his commitment, Qin Jianghe brushed off the crumbs from his hands with a small spell, then directly stated, "We appreciate the Li family's trust. The first act of sincerity we request is for the Li family to act as an intermediary, helping us expand our trade to neighboring countries."
Given the stable relations between the royal families of different nations, the Li family was ideally positioned to facilitate such connections, making them the perfect choice for this role. This was one of the reasons Lingxian Sect chose to engage with the Li family as their intermediary—they aimed to trade with every sect in the mortal realm, not just those within Pusi Kingdom.
Li Zhouxuan was taken aback, looking up at the two young men before him. He hadn't expected Lingxian Sect to have such grand ambitions. The three sects and the Li family were not enough; they wanted to extend their trade to the sects of other nations as well!
Nevertheless, having already committed, he would not back out now. This was the sincerity the Li family had decided to show.
However, he cautiously added, "Trading with neighboring countries may not be as straightforward as with our own sects. There will be many challenges and complexities."
Qin Jianghe shook his head lightly, reassuring him, "That’s to be expected, and we are in no rush. For now, we’ve just begun our cooperation with you all. The royal family can take its time, ensuring everything is handled smoothly."
Relieved by this, Li Zhouxuan nodded in agreement. "Very well, I will begin making the necessary arrangements. It may take some time, as we must ensure the stability of our nation, but rest assured, the Li family will see this through."
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