Chapter 429: That Would Not Be Necessary

Chapter 429: That Would Not Be Necessary

"I finally made it back."

Chu Liang raised his hand, unleashing a torrent of sword qi that effortlessly shattered the wine-jar monsters in the river. Upon doing so, a wave of satisfaction washed over him. Although he was now the wealthiest person on Mount Shu, he still very much enjoyed the struggling progress of grinding for rewards. From the first lantern monsters to the venomous bees, thorny black spheres, and wine-jar monsters... This process of gradually collecting items was addictive.

He hadn’t seen the thorny black spheres for quite some time, ever since the wine-jar monsters appeared. Nevertheless, Chu Liang didn't mind.

By now, the fruit garden had become self-sufficient. Its slow and steady growth was fine as long as he had no plans for expansion.

The Fragrance of Enlightenment had become the top priority.

At present, the fields of Intoxicating Spirit Flowers were still limited in scale, allowing for only a few leaves to be harvested each day. Although the production of Fragrance of Enlightenment was gradually increasing, the current rate was still insufficient to meet even the demands of the people on Mount Shu. After all, this item truly helped with cultivation—something the berries couldn't match. While the Fragrance of Enlightenment was far more expensive than the berries, it remained one of the more affordable natural treasures that could help with Dao Comprehension. As soon as a batch of Fragrance of Enlightenment hit the market, it sparked a frenzy among the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect. Disciples from other sects, having heard of its effects and eager to purchase some, would arrive only to discover that it was impossible to obtain any.

The precious resource was obviously first offered to the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect.

Wen Yulong himself could not keep up with the production on his own. And so, he followed Chu Liang's footsteps, in which he hired two senior brothers from the Hall of Weapons at a high price to get them to help with refining the Fragrance of Enlightenment.

When Chu Liang learned of Wen Yulong's actions, he was quite pleased. To Chu Liang, Wen Yulong's approach indicated that he was ready to take on the role of a business owner.

The Mount Shu Sect was not developed well enough, which was why its disciples had to take on such production tasks. But Chu Liang believed that these menial jobs could eventually be outsourced to smaller sects, allowing the disciples of Mount Shu to focus solely on their cultivation.

Even if they chose not to cultivate, they could simply relax and do nothing, comfortably living off the generous benefits provided by Mount Shu.

And all of this would be thanks to the foundational work laid by Chu Liang's generation.

"Huh?"

Chu Liang made his way up the river, shattering one wine-jar monster after another.

But then, he noticed that one jar was missing again!

Why is it that every time I go a few days without hunting, a wine-jar monster goes missing? Chu Liang thought, furrowing his brow in growing frustration.

"Your concerns are understandable," Chu Liang replied calmly. "I was planning to explain everything once things settled down. Rest assured, we won't face any issues with this wagering agreement."

"Oh?" The elders all showed expressions indicating they were eager to hear more.

Chu Liang continued, "I won't be relying solely on Taotie City's investment. There could be three or four more investors, possibly even more if the contributions are smaller. As long as I hold the majority of shares, we'll be fine. If the subsequent investments cover the debt of six hundred thousand Vermillion-Bird coins, we're guaranteed to profit. Once Red Cotton Peak flourishes, the later investors will bring in even more funds, and the terms of the agreements will be less stringent. We won’t be signing any more wagering agreements with those investors."

Chu Liang explained everything in detail.

"So you're essentially taking down the east side of the wall to repair the west side of the wall," the Conservation Master was the first to grasp Chu Liang's strategy. He quickly added, "This means you'd be in perpetual debt. As long as you keep securing more investments to cover previous losses, it won't matter if the businesses are losing money... It wouldn't matter as long as we continue to claim that we're making a profit."

Whoa. Conservation Master! Very smart! As expected of the guy who studied the most in the Mount Shu Sect, Chu Liang thought, acknowledging the Conservation Master's sharp insight. Within such a short time, he figured out that this was a strategy that could land someone a seven-year prison sentence.

"You mustn't do that," Venerable Wen Yuan said, shaking his head thoughtfully. "You're not focusing on true development. Resorting to such schemes is not the right path. This will eventually lead to a dead end, and when that time comes, the Mount Shu Sect could find itself at odds with the entire world."

"Conservation Master, your wisdom is indeed remarkable, and Venerable Sect Leader, I respect your vision," Chu Liang flattered them both, then continued, "The most important thing is that Red Cotton Peak can develop. Now that we've taken the first step, I'm confident in its success."

"The elders and I all have high hopes for you," Venerable Wen Yuan nodded slightly and added, "If you're short on funds, the sect can also provide support."

Hearing this, Chu Liang immediately grasped the real reason behind his summons today.

The so-called "providing support" was simply a way for the high-ranking members of Mount Shu to get in on the investment action after seeing that Taotie City was able to make a return on their investment. They just didn't want to say it outright.

They saw that Red Cotton Peak was thriving and that Taotie City's investment was yielding returns. Now, the higher-ups of the Mount Shu Sect wanted to get a piece of the action too.

After all, Red Cotton Peak still belonged to Mount Shu, and Chu Liang had been leveraging the sect's credibility. It wouldn’t sit well if all the profits were taken by outsiders.

Chu Liang blinked upon hearing this, his smile unwavering, and quickly responded with a wave of his hand, "That will not be necessary."

The elders, who had been prepared to show an expression of approval, suddenly paused.

"Hmm? Huh?"