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Chapter 429: That Would Not Be Necessary

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.

This wretched wine-jar thief has already stolen two whole wine-jar monsters... The losses it's caused me are enormous. This is too much! But why does it only steal one at a time? Besides, without the White Pagoda to exchange for rewards, stealing these things is useless, right? Chu Liang pondered, perplexed by the thief's strange behavior.

He couldn't help but begin pondering another possibility.

The wine-jar monsters seem capable of accumulating yin qi. Could it be that, once they gather enough of it, they undergo some kind of transformation? Maybe they leave this place, or even gain intelligence? Chu Liang speculated, his mind racing with the possibilities.

After considering his options, Chu Liang decided to leave this last wine-jar monster alone, carefully placing a tracking talisman on it. This way, he could always sense its location.

Let's see where it ends up, he thought,

...

The next day, a message arrived from the Boundless Palace, summoning Chu Liang. Obviously, it was Venerable Wen Yuan who wanted to see him.

Chu Liang had no idea what the summons was about, but he quickly set aside his tasks and made his way over. Upon entering the quiet room of Boundless Palace, he found the Four Guardian Elders of Mount Shu already present, smiling as they looked at him.

"Venerable Sect Leader, esteemed elders," Chu Liang greeted each of them with a respectful bow.

Venerable Wen Yuan began with a note of praise, "The development at Red Cotton Peak has been progressing well lately. When we entrusted you with the peak, there were some concerns, but it seems those were unfounded. You've managed everything with a steady hand."

"It's all thanks to the Sect Leader's wise leadership and the elders' strong support," Chu Liang replied humbly with a smile. "I merely played the role of executing the tasks."

Venerable Wen Yuan smiled and shook his head. "Credit should go where it's due. Mount Shu does not encourage flattering your superiors."

Although you say that, you're still smiling happily... Chu Liang thought to himself.

"I heard that a few days ago, you let Taotie City invest ten percent? You gave them a share of the business?" the Weapons Master asked bluntly. "That won't cause any issues, right?" So this is what they wanted to ask about

, Chu Liang muttered inwardly before replying with a smile. "It's not an issue. The agreement with Taotie City is only for ten years, which aligns with the time Red Cotton Peak is under my management. Once the ten years are up and Red Cotton Peak is no longer under my control, the collaboration with Taotie City will also come to an end."

"But I also heard you agreed to some sort of... wagering agreement?" the Alchemy Master inquired, his tone laced with concern. "If the business at Red Cotton Peak doesn't make that amount of money by then, you'll have to pay them six hundred thousand Vermillion-Bird coins..."

The Alchemy Master paused, seemingly too embarrassed to continue, and it was the Discipline Master who stepped in. "If you can't repay that amount, they might come to the Mount Shu Sect for it. Isn't this approach a bit reckless?"

"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?"