Li Banfeng was inside Xiaoyao Lodge, drawing a map—specifically, a map of Cheap Person Ridge.
Wan Jinxian knew Li Banfeng had employed the Thousand Mile In A Step Technique, which meant he knew Li Banfeng possessed Ninth Layer Cultivation.
Wan Jinxian had been sent by Li Banfeng to Knife Ghost Ridge, which was currently located at Cheap Person Ridge.
Previously, under the influence of the Saint’s Layered Mountain Range Technique, Cheap Person Ridge was a confusing place. Its entrance was hard to find, and its exits were undiscoverable. Directions were confounded, and terrains overlapped. Consequently, no complete map of Cheap Person Ridge existed in Puluo State.
Now that the Saint was gone, the influence of the Layered Mountain Range Technique had also vanished. However, Cheap Person Ridge had since become the territory of the Knife Labor Ghost. Ordinary people dared not set foot there, making the prospect of a map even less hopeful.
Fortunately, Li Banfeng had previously traveled through every village in Cheap Person Ridge. With the Traveling Cultivator’s innate gift for orientation and distance, the framework of the map quickly took shape.
He was still carefully recalling several details when Ma Wu suddenly burst through the door. "Old Qi, we’ve got a big deal on our hands!"
"What big deal?"
To manage Qi Qiu City and Loess Bridge, Ma Wu had been so busy he could barely cope. Today, for some reason, he had rushed back to Xiaoyao Lodge in a great hurry.
Ma Wu said, "A merchant named Chen took the initiative to find me, wanting to do business with us. Old Qi! Our business has reached the Outside Provinces!"
He had heard before that major clans and the Outside Provinces had business dealings, but what kind of business could Puluo State possibly have with the Outside Provinces?
Ma Wu explained, "The Outside Provinces call cultivation level ’Dark Energy’ and refer to Magical Treasures, Spiritual Objects, and Elixirs as Dark Energy carriers. The Dark Energy carriers used in the Outside Provinces are all purchased from us, and this merchant named Chen is in this trade."
Li Banfeng frowned. "Isn’t this just arming the Outside Provinces?"
Ma Wu shrugged. "Old Qi, we are businessmen. This isn’t our concern. Besides, we can’t control it. If we don’t sell, other clans will sell to the Outside Provinces."
Li Banfeng put away the map. "I’ll gather all the major clans tomorrow. From today onward, this business must stop. Anyone who continues this will be getting in my way."
Ma Wu tried to persuade Li Banfeng, "Even if you stop the major clans, it won’t work. The Defense Agency is still here. They also have channels to obtain Magical Treasures and Elixirs, and sometimes they even hire hunters to hunt in the New Land."
"If the Defense Agency has its own channels, why would they deal with us through this merchant named Chen? Are they using a middleman to profit on both sides? How does this benefit the Outside Provinces?"
Ma Wu explained, "This merchant is quite unique. He is not from Huan Country but from Amikan Country. Huan Country has given him the Puluo State business to handle, and in return, Amikan Country’s business will be opened to Huan Country. This is the result of a multilateral gambit."
In Huan Country, very few people were aware of Puluo State. Before Li Banfeng came to Puluo State, he had no idea such a place existed.
"Old Five, this merchant named Chen might be a fraud."
Ma Wu nodded. "I also suspected fraud, but he’s holding a letter from the Defense Agency, and the letter is real. I’ve inquired with an insider from the Defense Agency. This matter is also true. Old Qi, we can’t afford to miss out on such a big transaction."
As he spoke, Ma Wu glanced around discreetly, signaling to Li Banfeng if there were any hooks in the room.
Li Banfeng shook his head. He had cleansed this room multiple times using his wife’s techniques; there were definitely no hooks. Ma Wu whispered, "You’re from the Outside Provinces. You understand these matters better than I do. We need to discuss this business together."
「Two days later.」
Ma Wu hosted a banquet in Xiaoyao Lodge, specifically to entertain this Mr. Chen.
When all guests had arrived, Ma Wu first introduced the parties: "Old Qi, this is Mr. Dick Chen from Amikan Country."
From his appearance, this Dick Chen was a typical Easterner. He seemed not very old, around twenty-five or twenty-six, with delicate features that looked possibly cosmetically altered. He always wore a faint smile—one that carried a hint of contempt and mockery.
When introducing Li Banfeng, Ma Wu made sure to stress, "This is the President of our Qi Qiu Group. He will be the one making the decisions in this business transaction."
Li Banfeng looked at Ma Wu, puzzled about his new title.
Ma Wu came from a wealthy family. For various reasons, he had never been to the Outside Provinces, yet he wasn’t completely ignorant regarding their affairs. He was making an effort to communicate with Dick Chen in a way the latter could understand.
Dick Chen gave Li Banfeng a slight nod, showing no intention of shaking hands.
This suited Li Banfeng, as he also wasn’t accustomed to shaking hands.
Li Banfeng didn’t nod in return, merely observing Dick Chen quietly.
After exchanging pleasantries, Ma Wu quickly got to the point: "We’ve reviewed the list of goods Mr. Chen proposed, and we’ve calculated our offer. We have a pricing scheme ready. Of course, if the cooperation goes smoothly, we’re willing to make some concessions on the price."
Ma Wu was a businessman, but this wasn’t his usual way of doing business. He had gone to great lengths to accommodate Dick Chen.