It was said that the Ying Clan once had an ancestor who commanded the Heavenly Life Pattern of the Star River. With an astonishing feat of power, he constructed the Heavenly River Waterway, a grand channel spanning the twelve upper continents of the Yingfutu Realm.
This waterway, beginning at the capital continent's Yingdu, stretched into the core regions of every upper continent, spanning tens of millions of li. It was hailed as the greatest feat of infrastructure in the realm, a testament to supreme magical might and to mortals, the most tangible of divine miracles.
Cultivators of every continent relied on this river to travel. On days when the current ran upstream, it took fifteen days to reach Star-Wutong Pier in Yingdu. On days when the current ran downstream, another fifteen days of travel could bring one to another continent entirely.
In other words, no matter where one lived, with a single transfer and at most a month's journey, one could cross the entirety of the realm.
The circulation of goods and people between the upper continents all depended on this Heavenly River. It was the lifeline of the realm and proof of what the greatest of techniques could accomplish.
If Jing Qian wished to reach Yingdu, he too had to follow the rules and make use of the Heavenly River Waterway.
As he neared the main island of Purple Bamboo Island, the sea lanes grew busier.
The political and economic weight of Haizhou far outstripped that of Hunzhou, and it had three subordinate provinces under its sway. Two were close by and traded constantly, while the third, Hunzhou, lay far overseas, more isolated.
Add to that the fact that Cihang Monastery had its seat here, guarded by a great cultivator who kept the scourge years at bay, and Haizhou had become a thriving hub of cultivation and trade.
The further Jing Qian went, the more the waters teemed with ships.
Yet even here, his two treasure ships stood out. The aura of their craftsmanship made it clear that they were the possessions of a great cultivator. Ordinary vessels could not keep pace and made way respectfully, allowing him through.
Before long, Jing Qian arrived at Purple Bamboo Island's pier.
To withstand assaults during the scourge years, the island's harbor had been designed with unusual ingenuity.
It was called the Windmill Docks, a line of gigantic bamboo Ferris wheels rising from the sea like towering windmills.
Each Ferris wheel held one hundred and eight massive platforms, and on every platform was a bamboo dockyard, where ships could moor.
The dockyards varied in size and shape. Some held three to five ships; others, seven or eight.
A single Ferris wheel could host several hundred vessels.
And with twelve wheels lined up in a row, the Windmill Docks could accommodate thousands at once.
These dockyards were privately owned by Purple Bamboo Island merchants. Each rented a platform, built their facilities, and did business serving visiting vessels.
The wheels turned slowly. Once a ship entered a dock, it could not return to sea until the wheel carried it back down to water level.
Only when a dock reached the topmost height could a ship sail directly onto the island itself.
The sight of those immense bamboo wheels turning in unison was breathtaking, leaving Jing Qian both dazzled and impressed.
It was his first time on Purple Bamboo Island. Having no prior contacts, he simply chose the wheel with the shortest queue and steered his ships into a dock that had just rotated down to sea level.
The dockyard was not large, and his two treasure ships filled it.
Leaping lightly from the deck, he landed on the dock. Ahead, a brother and sister approached to greet him.
The elder brother bowed respectfully and said:
"Senior, welcome to the Windmill Docks. It is our honor to serve you.
My name is Lin Dong, and this is my sister Lin Wan. This dockyard is our family's business, passed down for two hundred years. We know every detail of this island. Whatever you may need, simply ask.
Our dock charges modest fees, and we can issue a travel warrant that allows up to five members of your party to set foot on the island.
The combined cost of the warrant and docking is merely three gold ingots per day."
Jing Qian nodded after hearing them out. Activating Worldly Insight, he swept his gaze across the brother and sister. Both were merely at the ninth-grade Fatebinding realm, nothing remarkable, and bore no obvious malice. He then said:
"Write me a warrant to go ashore.
I've come to Purple Bamboo Island this time to sell this seventh-grade treasure ship. Can you handle that?"
At those words, Lin Dong's eyes lit up instantly. He knew a big job had just landed in his lap. He quickly replied:
"Senior, does your ship come with full documentation?
If the papers are in order, I guarantee I can find a buyer within half a day!"
Jing Qian frowned.
"What papers are required?"
Lin Dong was briefly stunned. He hadn't expected this guest to be so clueless, coming here to sell a ship without even knowing the basics. He explained:
"Senior, in the Divine Dynasty, every registered treasure ship must have its file archived, and the file follows the ship. This vessel of yours is a seventh-grade ship, and from its imprint of law-power, it's registered under Hunzhou jurisdiction.
If you wish to sell it through official channels, you'll need to provide that registration file as well."
Jing Qian, after all, had not been in this world long. Outside of cultivation, he knew little of worldly affairs and such details.
Still, he did not panic. He replied evenly:
"Understood. I'll send someone to retrieve it within three days at most. You go ahead and line up buyers.
Oh, and when you close the deal, set aside part of the payment and convert it into eight hundred sets of white-fang-grade sea demon materials."
"Yes, my lord!"
Lin Dong's excitement grew. With both the sale and the procurement request, he would collect double commission; this was a windfall beyond belief.
After giving instructions, Jing Qian turned and entered Dingyuan's cabin. In the next instant, his figure blurred and vanished.
When he came to, he was back on Hunzhou Island, standing in the first level of the pagoda at the Prefecture Office.
His journey through the Zhuoling Grotto-Heaven had consumed an entire year. Returning now felt like another lifetime.
He strolled out of the pagoda, raised his light, and sped toward Hunzhou's seafaring market.
The last time he was here, he had slaughtered all the monk-soldiers brought by Wuchang Temple's Elephant Jade, leaving a power vacuum across the island.
He wondered how things had shifted after a year.
When he descended into the heart of the market, he found it bustling, livelier, in fact, than before Hunzhou's upheaval.
Every official shop had reopened, and business was booming, even more vibrant than before.
Placing on the mask that signified his identity, he appeared instantly as the Scholar-Regent of Hunzhou.
He walked two intersections, then turned and entered the main hall of the Xu Clan's official store.
He beckoned a servant and told him to summon Xu Xi, then found a receiving room and sat down to wait.
The Xu Clan, whose business centered on shipbuilding and transport, was thriving, the shop overflowing with customers, its prosperity far beyond his expectations.
Not long after, Xu Xi came in from outside, his face glowing with cheer.
Seeing Jing Qian, his spirits rose higher still. He said warmly:
"Little Qian, you've come out of seclusion!
You now hold the imperial appointment of ninth-grade Spirit Officer, already the Scholar-Regent of Hunzhou. Truly, congratulations are in order!
If your aunt could see you now, she would be overjoyed."
Jing Qian exchanged a few pleasantries before asking:
"Uncle Xi, how has the market become so crowded? Business seems better than ever.
And with those monks gone, who governs the island now?"
Xu Xi chuckled.
"Haha, you'd never guess.
A little over a year ago, the Wuchang Temple monks clashed with a Pure Yang elder, and all the men from New Knowledge Province brought with them were wiped out. The old prefectural officials fled, the new ones were killed, and the whole bureaucracy collapsed overnight.
With so many matters piling up, we remaining official merchants banded together to form a Chamber of Commerce, jointly managing the affairs of the market.
Without bureaucrats siphoning off profits, and no one above us taking cuts, everyone's breathing easier and making far more.
As for the surge of customers, you've overlooked the obvious.
After the Lilong left, the towns across the island no longer had to bear the burden of raising them. It was as if a shackle had been removed suddenly, and life became much easier.
With more money and more leisure, everyone flocked to the market.
Hunzhou has a hundred and twenty-seven towns, with a population of over ten million. When that demand burst forth, it was overwhelming.
And many of them now want ships to sail the seas. They've all come to us for orders. Business has never been better.
As for governance, it's now under Manager Li of the Civil Office, who resides on the island. His cultivation is formidable, and the local clans all yield to him. His power surpasses the old officials, and he's made quite a name for himself.
Oh, and recently he sent word through secret channels, telling us he plans to revise the official shop system to carve out a share for the local clans.
We merchants would rather refuse, but our strength falls short. We've debated it a few times, but found no way forward."
The new order in Hunzhou was something Jing Qian found thoroughly fascinating.
In his eyes, the island was experiencing a political loosening, a surge of free trade, and the dawn of a new cycle of economic vitality ripe with potential to be tapped.
And with his current strength, he was more than qualified to take a seat at Hunzhou's table and play a few pieces of his own.
Hunzhou, though poor, held a special position as a formally recognized military prefecture; its value was by no means low.
Besides, this was his birthplace, and he had long since marked it as his personal domain.
Raising a hand, he summoned the black cat Xili, cradling it in his arms, and said:
"Uncle Xi, by chance, I have subdued a seventh-grade Spiritual Construct, giving me battle power on par with the Longevity realm.
Moreover, my Jing family hails from the ranks of the official shops, and I now hold a ninth-grade post as Hunzhou's Scholar-Regent.
In birth, in station, and in strength, I am no lesser than Manager Li.
Since Li Yuan intends to meddle in the seafaring market, I shall act first and claim it myself.
Uncle Xi, gather all those in the Chamber of Commerce who hold real authority, and bring them to the Jing family tower."
Xu Xi was stunned speechless by Jing Qian's few short words.
But he was quick-witted; within moments, he had thought it through.
If Jing Qian could shoulder the burden and protect both the market and the official shops' interests, then the Chamber had no reason to refuse.
In this world, strength was what mattered. With a Scholar-Regent of seventh-grade battle power on their side, they would have no fear of Li Yuan's pressure.
And from Xu Xi's own perspective, letting Jing Qian take the reins meant only benefits, no drawbacks.
He departed at once to summon the Chamber's leaders.
Meanwhile, Jing Qian strolled toward the towering sixty-seven-story skyscraper.
Since the monks had converted the building into a temple and been slaughtered to the last, no one had dared claim it.
It wasn't just a matter of lacking the strength or prestige; it was that the place had acquired an ill-omened reputation. To touch it was to invite disaster, and many had died gruesome deaths because of it.
Jing Qian, however, was unconcerned. He had once tricked a band of laborers into building the tower, but had yet to see a single coin in return, leaving the workers ruined.
Now, though, his strength had grown beyond the point of caring about profits.
He would use this skyscraper as his foothold to seize control over all Hunzhou.
Seated in the lobby, stroking Xili's fur, he waited.
Since absorbing the Zhuo Ling Spirit Qi, the Xili Divine Seal had grown more potent, now capable of easily outmatching Li Yuan in single combat.
More importantly, the trace of void essence it had absorbed deepened its link to the Void Realm.
With Jing Qian's permission, Xili could now freely pass in and out of the Void Realm, making it a living beacon of far greater utility than his ghostly minions.
Before long, Xu Xi returned with a group of merchants.
These were the heads of the twenty-four official shops, the true old guard of Hunzhou. All knew Jing Qian's background well.
As Xu Xi prepared to make introductions, Jing Qian waved him off.
"Uncle Xi, honored friends, no need for ceremony. Allow me to speak first."
At once, all attention focused on him.
"By rights, you are all my elders, and you surely understand Hunzhou's condition better than I do.
I've called you here for a simple reason: my cultivation has progressed, and I now stand equal to Li Yuan in strength and station.
Therefore, Hunzhou's fate is no longer his alone to decide.
My proposal is this: Li Yuan may govern the inland towns, but the Hunzhou Seafaring Market and trade with the other islands fall to me.
I will ensure the official shop system continues, and your monopolies remain untouched.
The Chamber of Commerce will continue managing daily market affairs without interference.
I demand only one thing: from this day forward, all goods entering or leaving Hunzhou must pay me a ten percent tariff. Taxes will be tallied monthly, each shop to handle its own accounts, and delivered discreetly to the pagoda's first floor."
"This is not a matter for debate; it is merely a notice. My decision is final."
His rising strength had sharpened his tone into one of dominance.
One shopkeeper spoke:
"Scholar-Regent, if ten percent buys us long-term survival, that is a bargain. We have no objection.
But you and I both know Hunzhou has a newly appointed Prefect. Though he hasn't shown himself this past year, should he oppose this arrangement, all our efforts will be wasted."
"The Prefect will not be returning," Jing Qian replied, with unshakable confidence as if the man's fate were already sealed in his hands.
"Without the bureaucracy's yoke, you may freely push Hunzhou's trade and prosperity to greater heights."
…
Thus ended this unusual council.
With a casual move, Jing Qian had altered the livelihoods of millions. The greater his power, the greater his reach.
Monopolizing ten percent of an island's trade revenue was no small sum, even to him. More importantly, tying himself to Hunzhou's economy was the surest path to expanding his influence.
True, if he unleashed his real strength, he could cut Li Yuan down in a single stroke and seize Hunzhou outright.
But doing so risked revealing too much too soon. Better to proceed gradually, until the island was fully in his grasp.
With the Chamber settled, Jing Qian once again took flight, heading inland.
Before long, he descended before a great temple.
Inside, Li Yuan reclined in a chair, studying a scripture.
When he noticed Jing Qian, he greeted him briefly, then fixed his gaze on the black cat.
He immediately recognized its quality as a formidable seventh-grade Spiritual Construct, perhaps not even a guaranteed win for himself.
His tone softened at once.
"Scholar-Regent, what brings you here instead of cultivating at the pagoda?"
Jing Qian wasted no time:
"Manager Li, I intend to take control of the Hunzhou Seafaring Market. From now on, I ask that you refrain from interfering in trade."
Li Yuan frowned.
"I never meant to claim the entire market. Just the other day, I spoke with the shops about carving off a portion to serve the needs of the inland towns.
But since you now command Longevity-tier strength and are willing to wade into these muddy waters, I have no objection."
"But now, I oversee all the towns across the island. Securing fair benefits for those under me is both my authority and my duty.
Besides, I've long managed the Civil Affairs Office. I know the maritime market well.
These new inland clients are a boon to the market's growth.
This is a win-win situation. There's no reason to resist it."
Jing Qian had already anticipated this line of thought. He nodded and replied:
"The House Lord speaks truly. I've considered this as well.
I own a building in the maritime district that currently sits unused. I can open it up for the inland clans to conduct their business there.
The official shop system remains the bedrock of the market and must not be altered, but under the official shops, we can establish subsidiary shops, joint ventures with the inland families.
More importantly, I've successfully opened the Ghost Sea Route. Soon, I'll send a fleet through to Haizhou, cutting the journey by more than half.
And the key point is that no great cultivator is needed to escort the ships anymore. Even ninth-rank cultivators can guard voyages. Transportation capacity will multiply.
Our Hunzhou stands on the cusp of an ocean-trade boom. The island's produce, if shipped freely, will fetch higher prices, and everyone will benefit.
But this will require the House Lord's help."
Li Yuan instantly grasped the significance. His face lit up as he replied:
"If the Scholar-Regent truly commands such power, then I guarantee the island clans will follow your lead without hesitation!"
Among Hunzhou's House Lords, only Li Yuan was born and raised on the island, clawing his way up step by step. The others had all come from elsewhere, staking their claims here for rank and merit.
For Li Yuan, anyone or anything that aided Hunzhou's growth deserved his full support. He knew better than anyone how much stronger ties with the empire's heartland could transform the island.
Still, he voiced the concern that weighed on them all:
"Scholar-Regent, by taking such an active hand in Hunzhou's affairs, you risk provoking the Prefect's wrath. That elephant-tamer monk Xiang Yu is no weakling; his strength is formidable, his backing deep, and his methods ruthless. He's not to be underestimated."
Jing Qian only shook his head.
"You need not worry. The Prefect will not be returning anytime soon."
The two continued to discuss how they would divide and cooperate in Hunzhou's governance before Jing Qian quietly took his leave.
Li Yuan was a seasoned official, skilled and efficient in administration. Though his lack of backing had stunted his promotions, working with him was refreshingly smooth.
After parting ways, Jing Qian returned to the market and stopped again at the Xu family estate. Xu Xi had already gathered the documents Jing Qian had requested and handed them over.
"I've retrieved the records for both the Hunyi and the Dingyuan," Xu Xi said. "All three of Hunzhou's great warships were registered under Prefect Luo, not as prefectural assets. Otherwise, extracting them would've taken far more effort.
I've also begun assembling the fleet you asked for. The Chamber of Commerce has already started pooling resources to guarantee that when we launch in Haizhou, it'll make a resounding impact.
Hunzhou may be remote, but its seas provide rare medicinal treasures and unique marine resources found nowhere else. If we can truly open this sea route, the situation will be transformed."
Jing Qian nodded. Having delegated the matter, he set it aside, took the records, and departed.
But instead of returning to Haizhou to sell the ship, he turned his light and flew beneath Hunzhou Island.
There, the Elephant God Spiritual Construct slumbered, rooted in the seabed, drinking deeply of Hunzhou's qi.
This fifth-grade Earth Fiend Spiritual Construct was immensely powerful, domineeringly monopolizing the island's core energy. No one dared provoke it.
But that day, someone who feared no taboo came to call.
Suppressing his aura, Jing Qian crept to the great elephant's neck precisely where Worldly Insight had marked a weakness in its flow of power.
He began to gather sword qi, preparing to strike with all his might.
The Qingping Sword Casket had now ascended to the seventh grade, filled with fundamental sword qi accumulated over a century of Jing Qian's patient cultivation.
By rough estimate, it contained at least a million Azure Wing life-essences, the equivalent of over a thousand golden-root essences or more than a hundred stellar essences.
Even many Star-Seizer masters could not boast such reserves.
Refined by the Qingping End pattern and augmented by the Sword Casket's many wonders, the energy was razor-sharp.
Unleashed in full, it could easily slay this fifth-grade Spiritual Construct outright.
But Jing Qian had no intention of using his fundamental sword qi.
He had come before the Elephant God for a different reason to test just how far his ordinary Qingping Sword Light, split from his root sword qi, had grown in real combat.
A thread of sword-light shimmered between his fingers, coiling around them like a living serpent.
Then, with a pulse of will, one of the flesh-buds on his chest burst. The Skin-Painting Ghost devoured the outpouring of energy and spat a wisp of gray smoke onto the waiting sword-light.
This was Jing Qian's newly devised "beggar's version" of the Ghost-Devouring Technique, a cheaper boost, raising his sword-light's power by ten percent. A handy trick for routine use.
With a flick of his fingers, the sword thread lashed out and sliced straight into the Elephant God's body!
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 55+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader