Chapter 946: The Free Trade Prefecture
Having subtly changed his features, Li Fan settled into a corner, listening intently to the conversations among the cultivators in the fortress.
"Did you hear? It seems the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has scrapped its plans to build a floating city in Nine Mountains Prefecture."
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
"It's all because of the unstable space here. Even after the Heavenly Venerate's manifestation scoured the entire Nine Mountains Prefecture, it didn't alter its fundamental spatial properties. Teleportation arrays are still too unreliable to use."
A ripple of understanding passed through the crowd of cultivators at his words.
"No floating city... But surely the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance isn't just going to abandon such a vast territory, are they?"
"It's hard to say. Before, they could use the terrain to their advantage, building cities nestled among the mountains. Now, it's a wide-open plain with no natural defenses. More importantly, without reliable teleportation arrays, any settlement would be cut off if besieged, unable to receive swift reinforcements. The cost and effectiveness of defending such a place would be abysmal."
"What do you lot know?" a third cultivator scoffed. "The Five Elders Council was beaten so badly by our Alliance that they came begging for a truce! You really think they'd dare launch an attack? What danger could there possibly be?"
"A bit naive, don't you think, fellow Daoist?" another countered. "Haven't you heard that the tides of power are ever-shifting? You can't judge the final victor by a single battle. We only won last time because the Alliance took them by surprise. If we were to clash again, I believe the outcome would be far from certain."
...
The cultivators in the fortress were engrossed in their debate about the state of the Xuanhuang Realm.
Each clung stubbornly to their own opinion, arguing back and forth without yielding an inch. The atmosphere was quite lively.
Li Fan scanned the room, his gaze landing on another cultivator who, like himself, was merely listening without joining the discussion.
The man appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in a long black robe with his hair tied back in a silver-white clasp. As he listened to the others argue, a flicker of disdain crossed his face.
He clearly held little regard for the opinions being thrown about.
A slight smile touched Li Fan's lips. He purchased a flask of fine spirit wine and took a seat opposite the man.
"What should I call you, friend?" Li Fan asked, his smile widening as he poured a cup for the silver-haired cultivator.
"Hmm?" The silver-haired cultivator was immediately wary of Li Fan's unsolicited kindness.
Instead of answering, he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the overly familiar man who had just sat down before him.
"Haha, no need for suspicion, my friend," Li Fan said amiably. "I could tell at a glance that you're a man of extraordinary character, not one to follow the herd. Since I'm quite curious about the future of Nine Mountains Prefecture myself, I thought I'd be so bold as to ask for your insights."
The silver-haired man studied Li Fan's sincere expression for a long moment before finally lowering his guard.
He drained the cup in one go and replied via voice transmission, "Heh, you've come to the right man!"
"My name is Xin Hongzhang. When it comes to being well-informed, no one here even comes close!"
Upon hearing this, Li Fan quickly refilled Xin Hongzhang's cup.
Xin Hongzhang, quite pleased with Li Fan's demeanor, continued via voice transmission, "Since fate seems to have brought us together, I'll let you in on something. Just be sure to keep it to yourself."
Li Fan nodded eagerly.
"Those fools were right about one thing—the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has indeed decided against building a floating city in Nine Mountains Prefecture. But that doesn't mean they're abandoning the territory."
"On the contrary, the Alliance plans to establish the first-ever free trade prefecture right here."
"Oh? A free trade prefecture?" Li Fan's interest was genuinely piqued by the man's serious demeanor. "What exactly does that entail?"
Xin Hongzhang explained with a hint of pride, "You've heard of the World Chamber of Commerce, I assume? The Alliance and the Five Elders Council have been at odds for years, banning trade between their territories. But the World Chamber of Commerce in Nine Mountains Prefecture was situated in a neutral buffer zone, beyond the reach of either faction. This allowed them to openly sell all sorts of rare treasures. They charged outrageous prices, of course, but that didn't stop a constant stream of cultivators from traveling vast distances to do business with them."
"But that's all in the past now," Xin Hongzhang said, shaking his head. "The Heavenly Venerate's manifestation razed the entire prefecture to the ground. The World Chamber of Commerce wasn't completely annihilated, but they suffered devastating losses. It'll be a long time before they can operate like they used to, if ever..."
"However, the leader of the World Chamber of Commerce is quite the character. He somehow managed to persuade the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance to lift all trade restrictions here in Nine Mountains Prefecture. Cultivators from both the Alliance and the Five Elders Council will be able to come here and freely trade for whatever they need, paying only a small tax."
"The Alliance will oversee it, with the experienced World Chamber of Commerce assisting. I've heard they've already reached a secret agreement with the Five Elders Council, ensuring that even if hostilities resume, neither side will turn Nine Mountains Prefecture into a battlefield..."
"You understand what a guaranteed safe, free-trade zone means, don't you?" Xin Hongzhang fixed his gaze on Li Fan.
Li Fan nodded, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
"Imagine it. This desolate wasteland will soon become an incredibly prosperous hub. It might even surpass the Central Four Prefectures. Anyone who seizes this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could change their destiny forever..." Xin Hongzhang downed another cup of spirit wine, unable to contain his excitement.
"Why else would I have traveled so far to this remote borderland?"
Li Fan fell silent for a long moment, his head bowed as if digesting the staggering news.
He finally looked up, his face full of gratitude. "To think you would share such vital inside information with a complete stranger you just met..."
Xin Hongzhang waved a dismissive hand. "Heh, if you hadn't struck up a conversation and bought this fine wine, I wouldn't have said a word."
"Besides, it's not exactly a state secret. The Alliance is bound to make an official announcement soon. This just gives us a bit of a head start."
"By the way, if you have the contribution points to spare, you should keep a close eye on the sale of cave residences in Nine Mountains Prefecture."
"I'd wager that within ten years, the prices here will at least double! They might even triple or quadruple. If you could buy a few residences now, at the very beginning, and then sell them off later..."
"It's practically a guaranteed fortune!"
Xin Hongzhang added in another quiet voice transmission.
"Your foresight is truly remarkable, Daoist Xin!" Li Fan exclaimed, looking as if he'd just been jolted awake. He slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"
He immediately followed up with a stream of effusive praise.
After a bit too much wine, and buoyed by Li Fan's flattery, Xin Hongzhang started to feel a little light-headed.
Suddenly, he noticed Li Fan seemed to be hesitating about something.
Finally, as if having made a difficult decision, Li Fan sent a secretive voice transmission: "Daoist Xin, you have been so generous to me. I can't be stingy in return."
"To be honest, I possess a secret technique called 'God Descends Upon the Body'. If you're interested, I would be willing to teach it to you."
Seeing how serious Li Fan was, Xin Hongzhang just chuckled, thinking little of it.
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