Translator: CinderTL
The next morning, Xu Sanyan threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. As soon as he stood up, a voluptuous figure wrapped her arms around him from behind. Wang Zixuan pressed against his back and whispered, "Brother Lin, be careful. The fourth elder, who oversees the western district, is aligned with the First Madam. While they have no direct conflict with my mother, they've never been close."
"Mm," Xu Sanyan replied, turning to give her a playful squeeze. With a soft, coquettish cry from Wang Zixuan, he rose and left.
Wang Zixuan didn't accompany him; she had other matters to attend to, namely arranging the distribution of the forty magic artifacts.
As Xu Sanyan pushed open the door, he found a servant waiting outside, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Young Master Lin. The master has instructed me to escort you to select a residence. Please follow me."
"Very well," Xu Sanyan replied, falling into step behind the servant. As they exited the Wang Clan Manor, he glanced back at the towering mountains looming behind them. The peaks blocked half the sunlight, casting the city into a dim twilight.
The pair proceeded through the streets, Xu Sanyan observing the neatly arranged courtyards lining both sides—the residences of the Wang Family's collateral branches.
Occasionally, they passed larger residences, which the servant explained were the homes of the Wang Family elders.
The servant stopped before a medium-sized courtyard. "This courtyard will belong to Young Master Lin from now on," he announced, pushing open the gate to reveal a three-tiered courtyard. The bluestone-paved ground was clean and orderly.
The servant led Xu Sanyan on a tour. In the inner courtyard, Xu Sanyan noticed a small, exquisitely landscaped garden.
"If the young master requires maids or servants, he can select them from the Internal Affairs Pavilion. They are all collateral descendants of the Wang Family, so they're inexpensive and trustworthy." The servant's smile was peculiar, as if hinting at something more.
"Hmm... very well," Xu Sanyan nodded. Family playing with family? No wonder they're a great clan. They really know how to have fun.
"If the young master has no further instructions, I'll take my leave."
"Mm."
Xu Sanyan retrieved two spirit stones from his storage pouch and tossed them to the servant, who caught them with a bow of gratitude before turning to leave, closing the gate behind him.
Xu Sanyan sat on a stone bench in the pavilion, surveying the courtyard that was now his.
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock echoed from the gate, followed by a male voice: "Is Young Master Lin at home?"
Xu Sanyan was surprised. He had barely settled into his new residence, and someone was already calling?
Pushing open the main gate, Xu Sanyan saw two young men standing outside. They looked remarkably similar, though one was slightly taller than the other.
Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes. They've come empty-handed?
The taller young man cupped his hands in a respectful greeting and smiled. "I am Wang Ying, and this is my younger brother, Wang Yu. Greetings, Young Master Lin."
"Do you have business with me?" Xu Sanyan tilted his head slightly.
Wang Ying and Wang Yu... English?
Wang Ying spoke up. "We originally served under the fourth elder. Having heard that Young Master Lin has succeeded him, we came to meet you and brief you on the situation."
"I see." Xu Sanyan nodded in understanding, stepping aside to let them enter. "Come in and speak."
"Thank you."
The three sat beneath a pavilion. Wang Ying began, "Young Master Lin, as you're new here, you may not be familiar with many things. Allow me to explain."
"I appreciate your assistance," Xu Sanyan replied, gesturing for him to continue.
Wang Ying tapped the stone table lightly. "The Wang Family controls an area spanning ten thousand li around Thousand Autumns City, encompassing twenty-seven major and minor clans. Recently, the Feng Clan was annihilated, reducing the number by one."
"There are twelve sects. I heard the White Dragon Temple was also completely wiped out, so subtract another one."
Wang Ying divided the stone table into four quadrants with his hand, pointing to the western section. "This is the territory under your jurisdiction, Young Master Lin. It includes four clans and one sect, significantly fewer than the other three quadrants."
Xu Sanyan nodded slowly. Only now did he realize how few families resided in the western region. No wonder it had been assigned to him; the profits must be so meager that no one else wanted it.
After the Wang Family's recent upheaval, many lucrative positions had become vacant, yet no one was willing to take over this barren western territory.
Unaware of Xu Sanyan's thoughts, Wang Ying continued, "The four clans are all small and traditionally honest, never failing to deliver their annual tributes. They require little supervision. It's the sect that demands closer attention."
Xu Sanyan looked at him, puzzled. "Explain."
"The sect is called Suspended Bitter Mountain. Within the mountain lies a milk cave, which houses a pool known as the milk pool. The pool's water is extremely precious; when ingested, it purifies the internal organs, and when applied externally, it strengthens the body. It's the sect's most treasured resource."
Wang Ying paused briefly before adding, "Suspended Bitter Mountain's strength shouldn't be underestimated. Their ancestor is a formidable expert in the void harmony realm. Though nominally under the Wang Family's jurisdiction, they operate more like a nation within a nation, refusing to pay tribute and instead trading ten drops of pool milk with the Wang Family annually."
"Trade?" Xu Sanyan asked, surprised. "We have to pay for it?"
"Yes. Years ago, the clan head agreed with Suspended Bitter Mountain's ancestor that the Wang Family would purchase ten drops of pool milk from them each year using spirit stones."
"Can't we buy more?" Xu Sanyan asked, already suspecting the answer but still wanting confirmation.
Wang Ying shook his head. "It's not that we don't want to buy more, it's that they won't sell. If not for the Wang Family's influence, they wouldn't even part with these ten drops. Such treasures are priceless and unavailable."
"Indeed..." Xu Sanyan nodded in agreement. If he possessed such a treasure, he likely wouldn't sell it either.
Wang Yu interjected, "The clan head's strategy is to pressure Suspended Bitter Mountain without pushing them too far. We need to restrict their development while finding ways to acquire more pool milk."
"The fourth elder's plan was to support those four minor clans, making them the spearheads in open and covert competition against Suspended Bitter Mountain. We would sit back and watch the tigers fight."
"Suspended Bitter Mountain is stronger than those four clans, but they're constrained by the Wang Family's rules and can't openly attack them. They're forced to compete within the established framework."
Xu Sanyan fell silent, pondering quietly. Suddenly, he asked, "What exactly are they competing over?"
Wang Ying explained, "Naturally, to earn spirit stones. Suspended Bitter Mountain has many disciples, and their daily cultivation expenses are substantial. Thousand Autumns City is one of the two major cities in the Chaotic Cloud Mountains, teeming with cultivators. If they want to earn spirit stones, they have no choice but to come here."
"Besides pool milk, Suspended Bitter Mountain also operates various businesses within the city. The Suspended Bitter Pill Pavilion is one of their ventures, and their expertise in cultivating Spirit Herbs also generates significant revenue."
Xu Sanyan nodded slowly, understanding dawning. He then asked, "How exactly does the fourth elder execute this strategy?"
"Price suppression," Wang Yu explained. "No matter which medicinal herb Suspended Bitter Mountain cultivates, we instruct the other four families to cultivate the same herb. Publicly, we offer reduced prices for Suspended Bitter Mountain's herbs, while secretly purchasing the other families' herbs at full market value."
Wang Ying added, "But we can't push them too hard. They need to make a profit, albeit a meager one, just enough to cover their daily expenses."
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. This strategy sounded familiar... where had he heard it before?
"What if they refuse to sell in Thousand Autumns City?"
(End of the Chapter)
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