The Eternal Way-Chapter 175: An Unexpected Encounter

Li Qi listened with extreme embarrassment, his toes curling tightly.

This person really knows how to brag.

His cultivation technique might indeed be able to sense life force, but Li Qi knew that his own life force would blend into nature, making it not so easy to detect.

But perhaps it was precisely because of this sensing ability that he noticed something amiss, which is why he came out and called out, to see if anyone was there.

After all, if they were truly certain that someone was following them, Li Qi guessed that these people would have set up an ambush and counter-attacked, rather than standing there and talking nonsense.

But Li Qi was not going to pursue these matters. After a dry cough, he walked up to the group and said, "I was just looking for some food, but the supply here is insufficient. I thought that by following you, I could reach a larger food-producing area and find a way to get what I need. I didn't expect that you would have such a skill to detect me, causing some misunderstanding."

"I have no ill intentions, I believe you can see that," Li Qi said.

The burly man got up from his kneeling position and replied, "Of course, we have no doubts at all!"

Indeed, if this person had any ill intentions, they wouldn't last a moment.

This person's strength is definitely on par with the Sect Leader, an extraordinary existence!

"Since you are looking to do business, I can introduce you to some contacts in the Golden Waves Sect. How much food do you need? We can discuss the details in the carriage?" the burly man said to Li Qi.

"Sure, let's talk in the carriage. I wonder if your Golden Waves Sect can provide three hundred thousand bushels of grain?" Li Qi said as he followed him into the carriage.

Three hundred thousand bushels!

This number startled the burly man.

Three hundred thousand bushels of grain is no small amount!

A simple calculation shows that three hundred thousand bushels is about thirty million pounds.

Assuming one person eats one pound of grain per day, that would be ten thousand pounds for ten thousand people, or about fifty tons per day, enough to last for more than three hundred days, which is the annual food supply for ten thousand people.

Of course, in this world, due to cultivation techniques, people eat more, about three pounds per day, and big eaters can consume five to six pounds. So, three hundred thousand bushels would be enough to feed ten thousand people for a hundred days, or the entire Guangyang City for two days.

Assuming ten thousand people, it would be enough to last until the next season's spirit rice harvest!

The burly man didn't know that Li Qi was indeed preparing to feed more than ten thousand people until the next harvest.

"This senior, one bushel of grain is about a hundred coins. So, three hundred thousand bushels would cost three thousand gold. This amount of money is something few grain merchants can provide at once, and even if they were to raise it, it would take more than a month. Can you wait? Is this amount sufficient?" the burly man asked cautiously.

He deliberately ignored the option of "giving it to Li Qi."

Thirty thousand bushels of grain, no one in Guangyang City can afford to give it away.

"Three thousand gold...," Li Qi frowned. He did have items worth three thousand gold, but those items were not easily disposable. No one would carry three thousand gold in cash.

One gold piece is about half a pound, so three thousand gold would be over ten thousand pounds of gold, showing just how valuable three hundred thousand bushels of grain are.

Li Qi's frown made the burly man nervous, fearing that Li Qi couldn't afford it and might resort to force.

But he was also curious, why would such a powerful expert start to gather grain?

There are generally two reasons for gathering grain.

One, he has a group of followers to feed, with thousands of mouths to feed, but this usually means having a fixed grain supply, and it's unlikely to suddenly need a large amount of grain.

The second reason is to provide relief to disaster victims. But are there any disaster victims recently?

There seem to be some.

Near the border, there are disaster victims, but the number is not significant. Only a few thousand to ten thousand have truly reached Guangyang City, barely making a ripple.

Apart from more beggars on the streets and a slight increase in the business of human traffickers and a decrease in the price of courtesans, there hasn't been much change.

For the vast city of Guangyang, it's not a big deal.

Wait a moment.

The burly man thought about it and suddenly realized something. He looked up and asked Li Qi, "Senior, are you planning to provide relief to disaster victims? Three hundred thousand bushels would be enough to feed more than ten thousand people until the next spirit rice harvest. Could it be that you are...?"

"You are quite perceptive. Indeed, that is the purpose. Don't worry, I won't force you. Take me to your Sect Leader, and we can discuss it. Although I don't have three thousand gold, I can offer something else in exchange," Li Qi said.

The burly man bowed respectfully and said, "Senior, your noble deed of saving more than ten thousand people is a great merit. Many will build shrines and statues to pray for your well-being."

"Enough of that. Let's get to your base quickly," Li Qi said. "On the way, can you introduce me to the grain market in Guangyang City to help me make a decision?"

"Of course, Senior, please ask your questions," the burly man said.

The convoy continued, and Li Qi conversed with the burly man in the carriage.

Throughout the journey, perhaps out of fear or respect, he answered Li Qi's questions thoroughly, though Li Qi did not fully trust him, only noting the information for future reference.

The burly man introduced himself as Di Danyi, one of the main administrators of the Golden Waves Sect. He practiced the most common martial path and had reached the organ refinement stage, having refined two organs: the kidneys and the lungs.

In other words, with three more, he would enter the "Innate Martial Artists" stage, reaching the Ninth Rank.

This level of cultivation is considered top-notch in the Golden Waves Sect and ranks among the best martial experts in Guangyang City, qualifying him to manage a grain transport team, handling thousands of bushels of grain daily and millions annually.

The Sect Leader of the Golden Waves Sect is an innate expert, a Ninth Rank martial artist, and one of the twenty or so Ninth Ranks who form the Grain Alliance, a coalition of twenty or so sects controlling part of Guangyang City's grain trade.

The Grain Alliance monopolizes all grain business in Guangyang City.

Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation are essential for human life, highlighting the power of the grain trade. Behind the Grain Alliance stands the Guangyang Situ, an Eighth Rank official with government backing.

This shows the immense influence of the Grain Alliance, making it a powerful force in Guangyang City.

Despite its size, the Grain Alliance is not a monolithic entity. Under the control of the Guangyang Situ, they maintain a facade of cooperation, stabilizing grain prices and preventing chaos.

However, each member of the Grain Alliance controls different channels.

For example, the Golden Waves Sect can participate in the grain trade because it has the support of dozens of villages. These villages are loyal to the Golden Waves Sect, with village elders serving as mid-level administrators and young people joining as ordinary members. The grain produced by the villagers is mostly sold by the Golden Waves Sect.

Through these villages, the Golden Waves Sect has expanded its influence to more villages and even a county, forming the foundation of its power in Guangyang City.

These are the backgrounds.

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The twenty or so forces in the Grain Alliance each control some grain production capacity, ranging from a few million bushels annually to nearly ten million bushels for the largest, the Guangyang Zhang family.

Together, the twenty or so forces produce about fifty to sixty million bushels annually, more than enough for Guangyang City's needs with some surplus.

The Guangyang Zhang family is the pillar of the Grain Alliance.

The twenty-zhang pillar Li Qi saw in Guangyang City, with ten thousand bats carved on it, named "Ten Thousand Blessings," was erected by the Zhang family.

As for the Golden Waves Sect, they produce about three to four million bushels annually, placing them in the upper-middle range.

Di Danyi said, "Senior, you are asking for one-tenth of the Golden Waves Sect's annual production. This is not something that can be easily provided, and most forces in the Grain Alliance cannot meet this demand."

"Perhaps only the family with ten million bushels can satisfy your needs." Di Danyi spread his hands, indicating his helplessness.

Li Qi, hearing this, rubbed his temples. "Why is there such a large difference? According to your description, the personnel, experts, and forces of each group are not significantly different. If one group truly controls such a large share, how can the others tolerate it?"

Di Danyi nodded in agreement. "I also find it strange. We are clear about their influence, and it is impossible for them to produce so much grain. But they can provide it, and the Sect Leader refuses to tell us. You will have to ask him personally."

Li Qi, hearing this, felt a headache.

The grain issue seems to have some leads, but ten hours have passed, and he hopes the White Rhino Army received his message and won't panic due to his absence.

Feeding more than ten thousand people without grain is terrifying.

The immediate priority is to contact the Sect Leader of the Golden Waves Sect and see what means can be used to get him in touch with the Guangyang Zhang family.

With the Zhang family's annual production of ten million bushels, requesting three hundred thousand bushels should not be too difficult. They could squeeze it out somehow. At worst, the Golden Waves Sect could make up the difference, ensuring there is enough.

As for whether they would sell it to him, Li Qi wasn't too worried.

He didn't have much gold on him, but he had items worth more than gold that he could exchange. He could gather together items worth three thousand gold pieces.

Moreover, these items were easier to trade for gold than to buy with gold; they were valuable but hard to come by.

Except for someone in Li Qi's special situation, no one would sell items used by cultivators for mere gold, which only holds value in the mundane world.

Continuing their conversation from morning until noon, when it was time for lunch, they finally arrived at the external base of the Golden Waves Sect.

This seemed to be a granary built against a mountain, though it was currently empty.

Li Qi did not think this was the original destination of Di Danyi and his team.

It seemed that during their conversation, Di Danyi had changed the destination to this empty granary, making it impossible for Li Qi to do anything even if he had any ill intentions.

Then, Di Danyi said to Li Qi, "Senior, please wait here while I notify the Sect Leader. At the latest, we will arrive within two hours!"

"It's no trouble," Li Qi nodded and said.

"How can it be troublesome? For such a big business deal, the Golden Waves Sect will definitely not miss out and will handle everything perfectly for Senior." He patted his chest confidently and then quickly ran off.

It was evident that he was almost at his limit, although he acted naturally, being with Li Qi clearly put immense pressure on this main administrator of the Golden Waves Sect.

Before long, Li Qi found himself alone in the room, with even servants seemingly withdrawn.

Li Qi stood up and looked around.

Although it was just an estate built next to the granary, it had all the necessary amenities.

The estate faced a lake, with fields of lotus flowers along the embankment adorned with hibiscus.

Three small rooms housed tea stoves, and the courtyard was sparse and tranquil.

No one was in sight.

This made Li Qi suspicious.

Had they run away? Leaving him here while they packed up and moved?

It shouldn't be possible; the Golden Waves Sect was too large to simply disappear.

Thinking this, Li Qi sat down quietly, waiting for the leader of the Golden Waves Sect.

This also made him reflect.

Once upon a time, when facing the head of a business, he had to bow and scrape, but now the roles were reversed.

Times have changed.

What he once considered a great deed was giving a bowl of meat soup to a neighbor's child.

Now, he could shoulder the responsibility for the lives of tens of thousands of people.

But to Li Qi, these two things were not different.

Both were just doing good within his capabilities.

The difference was merely the extent of his abilities, thus the scope of what he could achieve.

A Ninth Rank expert was already considered a significant figure in this world, commanding respect and followers.

However, Guangyang City seemed inferior compared to the Clear Mist City of Green Mountain Kingdom.

Clear Mist City had many more Ninth Rank experts; why was that?

If Clear Mist City had one expert per thousand, Guangyang City had one per ten thousand.

Was Clear Mist City particularly strong? Or was there something special about it?

Li Qi pondered these questions while also planning his next steps.

Three hundred thousand bushels of grain, what could he use to exchange for it?

What items did he possess that were unnecessary but could be exchanged?

As Li Qi thought about these matters, time slowly passed.

Soon, half an hour went by.

Li Qi looked up and saw a carriage approaching outside.

Di Danyi was leading the way.

Seeing this, Li Qi sat down, waiting for the person to enter.

But he saw someone getting out of the carriage.

Dressed in white, handsome and suave, holding a folding fan, he was both elegant and handsome.

Li Qi had seen this person before.

Wang Baisan!

The one above the Fifth Level Pagoda!