Lin Xuan Qi nodded at the helper and walked in with Lee He Song following behind.
This was the first time he was seen as the powerful one and got the better treatment from others. A perk when you have someone like Lee He Song at your back.
It felt great.
How the helper had to lower his voice and bow to him was etched into his mind forever.
But he also knew what it meant.
He would have to build up the clan for it to become strong as there will always be someone with much stronger backing.
Heck, the emperor of Da Qian Dynasty rules with the backing of immortals behind him.
And to build up the clan, he needed to have the resources.
Selling the rice he got from the system daily would be the first step.
Lin Xuan Qi went to the rice trading area, stood and observed the rice merchants and the rice farmers.
Many had their deals settled.
However, one of the rice merchants seemed worried and went around asking the rice farmers.
His head got lower every time he got their answer.
The rice farmers shook their heads as they had sold off whatever stock of rice they had.
Lin Xuan Qi figured this might be his opportunity.
He walked up to the rice merchant.
"Sorry to intrude. I see that you are looking to purchase rice?" Lin Xuan Qi bowed and asked.
The rice merchant scanned Lin Xuan Qi from head to toe.
He frowned, unsure of what Lin Xuan Qi wanted as Lin Xuan Qi didn't seem like a rice farmer to him.
"I am but I don't have much time left, if you don't mind..." The rice merchant wanted to leave and ask the other rice farmers.
"I can supply you with twenty kilograms of rice." Lin Xuan Qi said.
The rice merchant stopped in his tracks and said, "Twenty kilograms of rice?"
"Yes, daily." Lin Xuan Qi added.
"I will offer you ten copper coins for every kilogram of rice." The rice merchant said excitedly.
Finally, he was able to fulfill the rice needed for Lee Zhen Ren's birthday banquet.
Lin Xuan Qi was pleasantly surprised with the price the rice merchant offered him.
It was double the price everyone else paid for.
He glanced over at Lee He Song.
Lee He Song also nodded his head at the price. It was also a good deal to him.
"Deal." Lin Xuan Qi replied to the rice merchant.
"Thank you. I'm Hun Xiong Kun from the Chang Fu Rice Store."
"I'm Lin Xuan Qi from the Lin Clan."
"Here, take this as deposit for twenty kilograms of rice for the next thirty days." Hun Xiong Kun took out three taels of silver and gave it to Lin Xuan Qi.
A tael of silver was equivalent to a thousand copper coins.
Two hundred copper coins per day for twenty kilograms of rice summed up to be six thousand copper coins or six taels of silver for the thirty days.
Lin Xuan Qi took the three taels of silver and said, "Ask your men to follow me to my mansion. They can transport the rice from there immediately."
Hun Xiong Kun bowed and said, "Let me go with you together with my men."
"We will wait for you outside." Lin Xuan Qi said, and he glanced at the other rice merchants.
Their expressions didn't look so happy.
He frowned and thought that there might be something behind it.
...
When Hun Xiong Kun came out of the Rice Merchant Association, Lin Xuan Qi saw that Hun Xiong Kun had some items in his hands.
Hun Xiong Kun came up to him and passed him the items.
"Here, it's a small gift from me. Hope our cooperation will go smoothly."
It was a jade pendant and some bracelets.
"These are rumored to be from the Sima Family, the biggest Artifact Merchant in Hong Feng City.
"They have special attributes that will calm your nerves and help you in times of danger.
"Please accept it." Hun Xiong Kun said.
He was more than willing to gift these to Lin Xuan Qi.
If it was not for Lin Xuan Qi, he would have had an opportunity to test out whether these supposed artifacts could help him escape dangers indeed.
Lin Xuan Qi glanced over at Lee He Song again and Lee He Song nodded.
"Thanks so much, you shouldn't have."
Lin Xuan Qi thanked Hun Xiong Kun, and he decided to return the favor.
"It seems odd to me that you are the only rice merchant desperately looking for rice to buy." He said and shrugged his shoulders.
That got Hun Xiong Kun thinking.
He was too consumed with anxiety to find the rice earlier and he missed out on the big picture.
"Damn! They must have picked on me since I'm not local here." Hun Xiong Kun cursed at the other rice merchants.
He glanced at Lin Xuan Qi wanting to thank him again.
But Lin Xuan Qi had turned away.
"Come with me to get your rice."
Hun Xiong Kun quickly chased after Lin Xuan Qi with Hun Xiong Kun's men following closely behind.
Along the way, Lin Xuan Qi got to know that Hun Xiong Kun wasn't from Hong Feng City.
He had left Yan Jing, the capital city of Da Qian Dynasty to try his luck here.
But he didn't expect the other rice merchants to be so unwelcoming to him.
Lin Xuan Qi also talked about the possibility of increasing the amount of rice he could supply to Hun Xiong Kun daily.
Hearing this, Hun Xiong Kun was more than happy to purchase the additional rice.
Soon, they reached the mansion.
Hun Xiong Kun and his men were in awe when they saw the mansion's long stretching wall.
They glanced at Lin Xuan Qi and at the mansion again.
Lin Xuan Qi's humble dressing was deceiving to anyone.
They were even more surprised when they saw the inside of the mansion.