Master of Strange Dao

The reception lasted one entire day, and on the second day, they started discussing the main topic.

"Brother Qing, we in Dali will provide all the materials, artifact embryos, and the transport; we've got it all covered. For each filth bucket, we'll add an additional eight thousand Spirit Jade."

"Elder brother, you're being too generous, eight thousand is too much. What's the need for so much Spirit Jade?"

"How about this, Jinlan Mountain is currently short on resources. If you use the filth buckets, just give us a thousandth of the production from each place. Don't worry about the filth buckets; I'll provide them for free."

Yu Ziqing waved his hand grandly, as if discarding a Spiritual Jade Mountain.

Jiang Baigei's eyes widened as he looked at Yu Ziqing.

Goodness, this appetite isn't ordinary at all.

"Brother Qing, do you know how much that thousandth could be?"

"Ah, is it a lot?"

"A lot, enough to support a major sect."

"Oh dear, look at the situation; I'm not sensitive to numbers. I didn't know Dali's production was so vast, so never mind." Yu Ziqing waved his hands vigorously.

Then Yu Ziqing slapped his thigh.

"How about this, for each piece of land, of whatever is produced above the usual amount, I'll only take one percent of the extra. Well, make that a thousandth. So if it increased by a thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine would be yours, and I only need the one."

"You can't say that even this doesn't work, then you'll have no sincerity. I haven't even gone to Dazhen and Daqian yet."

Jiang Baigei calculated quietly, reviewing the summarized data.

Going by this calculation, indeed, it wasn't much.

After all, this extra portion was certainly brought by the filth buckets.

Moreover, many spirit fields, if not continually burning Spirit Jade to maintain grade and only using fertilizer, the yield per acre might even be lower than before.

The reason it was worthwhile was merely the convenience and the reduction in the amount of Spirit Jade needed to maintain the spirit fields.

After estimation, it's less than giving Spirit Jade directly, but the advantage is an annual gain.

In the long run, this was more beneficial for Jinlan Mountain, and Dali could accept it too.

After a whole day of negotiation, Jiang Baigei left satisfied, just waiting to finalize the contract.

Yu Ziqing was also quite pleased.

Although, at a glance, it seemed not too much, it was better than just receiving Spirit Jade directly.

They needed directly usable resources because nobody in Jinlan Mountain practiced Qi Refinement, so what use would Spirit Jade be? Some things couldn't even be bought.

Besides, Yu Ziqing had toured the western, northwestern, and northern parts of Dali many times.

Especially in the west, where there was more flat land and less mountainous terrain, and although there were fewer people now, once stability settled, the population would only increase.

The lands reclaimed for fields would also increase.

Vast lands with sparse population meant that the supply of fertilizer was limited, but all that was gained freely.

Just the new production from Dali's west would be enough to support Jinlan Mountain.

Moreover, it would grow ever more.

The proportion seemed small, but there were so few people in Jinlan Mountain.

In the future, there would be more than enough to support one Ninth Tier cultivator.

The days when people from Jinlan Mountain used low-tier Spiritual Medicine as food could return again.

A few days later, Yu Ziqing signed a contract with Dali's Ministry of Revenue, finalizing the relevant details.

For any existing land within Dali's territory, if later yields were not as much as before, then Yu Ziqing wanted none of it. But if the yield surpassed the former amount, regardless of how much more, Yu Ziqing would take one-thousandth of the surplus.

Yu Ziqing left perfectly content, though Gansweet Rain didn't continue the talks, merely stating that the output was uncertain and couldn't be given in advance.

As the negotiations concluded, everyone grew accustomed to Yu Ziqing carrying a compass everywhere, greeting people with it.

The only explanation was that the Evil Dao Demon had left a psychological shadow on Yu Ziqing.

Accompanying Su Li on a leisurely stroll through the streets, flaunting a VIP status, Yu Ziqing acted rather recklessly, at least regarding the blatant use of the Compass.

Both Emperor Li and the Crown Prince had tacitly approved of this, to the extent of even encouraging it, intentionally allowing Yu Ziqing to greet people everywhere with the Compass.

Their subordinates all pretended not to notice.

Roaming through the capital city with Su Li taking the lead, they indulged in a food spree, while Yu Ziqing, with his Compass perpetually active, scanned many individuals en route.

Passing by a courtyard, Yu Ziqing noticed someone in the distance missing an arm and a leg, engrossed with the Compass in one hand and snacking on a freshly bought treat with the other.

The third one.

A spy of the former Shadow Department, heavily injured during a mission, cultivation almost entirely crippled, leaving no room for advancement, and subsequently given a new identity by the Shadow Department to sustain them under watchful eyes.

Compass checks showed no issues; even the rusty sword confirmed directly.

This decision by the Old Chief Venerate proved meticulous, with no hidden subplots.

The former spies of the Shadow Department might be better understood by the Shadow Department than themselves.

Even minute incidents forgotten by them would be recorded meticulously by the Shadow Department.

Anyone they came into contact with, conversations with significant individuals, past missions, their cultivation methods, strength, specialties—these were all meticulously documented.

The Shadow Department recorded everything in personal dossiers.

For a time when even an insignificant sentence might become useful.

The casualty rate in the Shadow Department was high, but to ensure loyalty, beyond showing them present prospects, the department also ensured to provide a vision post-damage.