Was money useful?
It was, but at the moment, he couldn’t see a use for it.
At this stage, the only use for silver was to "send messages" in the guild.
However, Qin Ziwen believed that since it existed, it must have a purpose. He just hadn’t found the right outlet for it yet.
What Xue Wang considered a Divine, Sharp Weapon was just an ordinary weapon to him. If he ignored the value of the Ghost Gold, the production cost was just a bit of iron ore.
Moreover, the Ghost Gold mine was in his hands. Skeletons did all the digging, so he didn’t even need to hire miners. The price of these items was entirely up to him.
"Fifteen hundred silver a piece, with a minimum purchase of ten."
Xue Wang agreed without hesitation. "Fine. I’ll buy a hundred."
To him, money was just a string of numbers. If he ran out, he could just "borrow" it from the homes of merchants and officials.
In these chaotic times, food, armor, and able-bodied men were the real currency. Everything else was meaningless.
A hundred weapons was only 150,000 silver, and the amount he’d gotten from just one sweep of Bianzhou City was far more than that.
Seeing Xue Wang agree so readily, Qin Ziwen’s brow furrowed. ’He agreed too quickly. I must have set the price too low.’
Noticing the change in Qin Ziwen’s expression, Xue Wang hurriedly added, "Fifteen hundred silver per weapon... For one hundred, how about we make it an even two hundred thousand? A nice round number. I hope Your Excellency won’t find the amount lacking."
"To be honest, I’m not even making a profit at this price," Xue Wang explained. "I’ve heard that when the current Emperor had his imperial sword forged, it only cost three thousand silver. And that included all sorts of miscellaneous costs and connections. The actual expense was even less. Two thousand silver for a single weapon is already the price of a Divine Weapon."
Qin Ziwen’s expression softened slightly.
Xue Wang continued, "These weapons are too expensive to equip ordinary soldiers with. I’m acquiring them to arm my personal guard and to reward my generals."
That evening, Qin Ziwen came downstairs to see Xue Wang out of the tavern.
At the entrance, Xue Wang turned back to Qin Ziwen, clasped his fists, and said, "Your Excellency, as soon as I return, I will arrange to have the silver delivered."
Only after taking that final step out of the Wanfu Grand Tavern did Xue Wang let out a long sigh of relief. Standing on a main street in Bianzhou City, he glanced back at the tavern, his eyes filled with dread.
’I will never set foot in there again!’
The feeling of having no control over his own life or death was something he would never forget.
As for the weapons deal with Qin Ziwen, he would still see it through. Two thousand silver for a single weapon was expensive, but it was worth it. Weapons of this quality were the kind that had a price but no market; sometimes, you couldn’t buy them even if you had the money. Besides, forging a single Divine Weapon took an incredibly long time.
"Marshal Xue!" The personal guards stationed nearby hurried over.
Ever since the last assassination attempt, he had remotely ordered his personal guards to watch the tavern entrance. Unless he gave a direct command, no one else was allowed to set foot inside.
"Still no sign of Wang Gang?"
"Reporting to Marshal Xue, Wang Gang and his personal guards vanished after leaving the city the day before yesterday. Li Jijiu said your safety is the top priority, so all of Bianzhou City is under martial law. We’ve only dispatched a small number of outriders to track Wang Gang."
Xue Wang’s expression softened. "Mm. Let’s go. Oh, and one more thing. This tavern... no, I want this entire street sealed off! Evict all the residents! Without my order, no one is to set foot on this street. Violators will be killed on sight!"
「 ... 」
"Master, Master! There’s movement in the southern river! Someone spotted signs of the Fishmen!"
A cold glint flashed in Bai Shu’s eyes, but his voice was as calm as still water. "Don’t act rashly. Send someone to inform the Qin Alliance of the situation. After that, take some men and double-check all the traps along the route from the underground river to our Cyan Stone Castle."
"Yes, Master." Bai Sanshi clasped his fists, turned, and departed.
Bai Shu then called out, "Mr. Chen, would you please bring Zheng’er and Che’er here?"
Before long, the brothers Bai Zheng and Bai Che arrived together.
Ever since the last Fishman attack, the brothers’ relationship had grown considerably closer.
Gazing at the scene of brotherly harmony before him, Bai Shu’s eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction.
"I am pleased that you have remembered my words," he said, his voice slow and deep. "This is not the Great Yong. The only people we can rely on are our own brothers and sisters. I hope you take that to heart."
Bai Che smiled and said, "Father, you misunderstand my older brother. We’ve never truly been at odds. I still remember being a mischievous kid, climbing a tree and falling. It was my big brother who carried me all the way down the mountain. Back then, I thought he was the best big brother in the world."
Bai Zheng was taken aback to hear this.
Bai Shu waved his hand. "Enough. Let’s get to business. I called you here to discuss the Fishmen. My scouts have spotted their tracks. It seems that bunch from the Exotic Race hasn’t given up on us yet. They’re targeting us again. What are your ideas?"
Bai Che mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "Father, I don’t think our family can hold off a Fishman army on our own. They failed last time, so they’re bound to come better prepared. I think we should send someone to liaise with the Qin Alliance. As a show of good faith, we could even send someone to stay with the Qin Alliance for a while."
"Who would go?"
Without a moment’s hesitation, Bai Che said, "You, Father."
The air suddenly grew still.
Bai Zheng’s eyelid twitched as he glanced at his younger brother. ’You’ve really got some nerve. If Father misunderstands this and thinks you’re secretly colluding with the Qin Alliance, you’ll be in serious trouble.’
Bai Shu stared at Bai Che, his face devoid of expression, waiting for an explanation.
As if oblivious to the tense atmosphere, Bai Che continued, "Father, you are the pillar of Cyan Stone Castle. The Fishmen could attack at any moment, and it’s safer over with the Qin Alliance than it is here.
"As for Cyan Stone Castle, my brother and I will stay behind to defend it. At a critical time like this, someone from the main family has to stand firm. If we all left, our people would lose heart."
Bai Shu closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them again. "I’m too old for that journey. Zheng’er, you’ll stay here with me. Che’er, you go choose a few trusted subordinates and head to the Qin Alliance."
Bai Che looked like he wanted to say more, but Bai Shu waved a hand. "Go now. Zheng’er, you stay."
After Bai Che had left, Bai Shu said to Bai Zheng, "Eldest son, do you know why I am sending your brother to the Qin Alliance?"
Bai Zheng shook his head. "This son is dull-witted. I hope Father will enlighten me."
Bai Shu spoke slowly. "Your brother is too naive. While we may be allies with the Qin Alliance, the true extent of that alliance remains to be seen. If I, the head of this family, were to go over to their side, it would expose the true state of Cyan Stone Castle’s strength and vulnerability."
Bai Zheng lowered his head. "I understand, Father."
"It’s good that you understand. You must realize that our Bai family has survived on this border for a hundred years not by relying on allies, but on the blades in our own hands. Your younger brother is still too immature. As his older brother, you must try harder."
Bai Zheng raised his head. Seeing the earnest concern in his father’s eyes, he clasped his fists and declared in a resonant voice, "I understand!"
「 ... 」
「 ... 」