Free Web NovelChapter 57: Chapter 517: Lanshan’s Ambition
Lanshan’s fingers flew with a series of CLACKS. Only when he didn’t hear the visitor announce himself did he turn his head.
"Well, well! It’s Shopkeeper Bai!"
"What brings you here? I don’t have any tea to offer..."
Lanshan got up from his seat, looking left and right for something.
Bai Mo quickly stopped him.
"No need, no need. I’m here to stay for a few days. The tea isn’t important."
Lanshan was a little surprised to hear this.
"What happened?"
"Nothing major." Bai Mo briefly explained the situation at his shop.
Realization dawned on Lanshan. "Stay as long as you like! Go back whenever the shop is cleaned up!"
The two sat down, and Bai Mo’s gaze fell on the ledger.
"What are you busy with, Brother Lanshan?"
Lanshan said nonchalantly, "Just the Demon Hunting Team’s accounts."
"Got to keep track of who buys Demon Beast parts at a fair price..."
Bai Mo chuckled.
"I thought someone else in your team was responsible for this stuff."
Lanshan pursed his lips.
"You mean Shen Yang, Shopkeeper Bai?"
"He’s alright at reading, but forget about bookkeeping."
’But what’s the use of reading for a brawler from a Demon Hunting Team?’
After a bit more small talk, Bai Mo brought up something that had been on his mind.
"I saw a lot of people from other Demon Hunting Teams on my way over."
"Brother Lanshan, are you planning something?"
Lanshan was silent for a moment, then began talking about what he’d been working on for the past few days.
"Shopkeeper Bai, look. Celestial Barrier Mountain is so vast that if you threw everyone from Immortal Arrival City into it, you wouldn’t even see a splash."
"I was thinking of uniting with a few other Demon Hunting Teams with good reputations, so we can all make a living together..."
Bai Mo looked at Lanshan, somewhat astonished.
’With Lan Ru away, he’s really letting loose.’
’If he really pulled it off, they’d become a force to be reckoned with in the city. Everyone would get a piece of the action and skim a lot off the top.’
But a moment later, Bai Mo’s thoughts turned to the key issue.
"Are you planning to give up the final say?"
’With a force like that, the question of who calls the shots is a problem.’
"The one whose word is law can only be me, of course."
Lanshan said seriously, "I plan to share the Mountain Entrance Map!"
"We don’t have the manpower of a major clan. Maintaining the routes on the Mountain Entrance Map is unrealistic, so we might as well trade this short-term benefit for something else."
He spoke with conviction.
Bai Mo could feel Lanshan’s resolve. Setting aside everything else, the profits from the Mountain Entrance Map were substantial.
Take this last time, for instance. When Lanshan and his people entered the mountain, they were swarmed by poisonous hornets and badly poisoned.
But they had no other physical injuries and were in no danger of losing their lives.
Even for those who understood the logic, few could actually make such a decision, let alone convince their own men.
"The only problem is, the leaders of those other teams are only a step below me in strength."
"When we run into each other in the mountains, no one gives anyone else any face."
Lanshan glanced at Bai Mo’s expression.
"In that case, there’s no guarantee everyone will be on the same page..."
Bai Mo noticed Lanshan’s expression; it held a hint of caution and probing.
"Brother Lanshan, are you hoping I’ll get involved?"
Bai Mo asked with a smile.
Seeing that Bai Mo had brought it up, Lanshan became more direct.
"Exactly. If we had a Pill Master, things would be different."
"For the sake of the Pills alone, everyone would have to think of the group’s best interests."
Bai Mo was silent for a moment. He didn’t want to get too bogged down by trivial matters.
"I’ll say what I’ve said before: if you really manage to form this alliance, Brother Lanshan, you’ll have my full support!"
"But I won’t officially join. When you come to me for Pills, I’ll give you a twenty percent discount. Furthermore, I can also be your exclusive supplier for certain Pills..."
Lanshan’s spirits lifted at his words, and he immediately started discussing the details with Bai Mo.
He had originally planned to make some progress first before approaching Bai Mo, but now the matter was settled ahead of schedule.
The two talked for a long time before they had a preliminary plan.
They wanted to continue, but Han Meng’s voice calling from outside interrupted them.
The meal was ready.
Lanshan put away the ledger and walked outside with Bai Mo.
However, there was one thing Bai Mo was curious about.
"Brother Lanshan, you’ve made quite a stir, attracting the attention of many." freēwēbnovel.com
"I assume it’s not just because you have my support?"
Lanshan nodded.
"If you hadn’t agreed, Shopkeeper Bai, I would have had to resort to other means. In Celestial Barrier Mountain, people don’t always get along peacefully."
"It has its own set of rules!"
The two walked out together and were warmly welcomed by the crowd outside.
During the meal, Qin Ying asked about Celestial Mountain City.
Bai Mo picked a few things to talk about, with Lanshan adding details here and there. freewёbnoνel.com
Everyone listened with great interest.
Celestial Mountain City didn’t have a place for people like them who risk their lives, so no one compared the two cities to see which was better.
They just asked about many of the rumors, like the one about the Third Layer for Pill Master certification.
Lanshan didn’t know much about such eye-opening matters, so they had to ask Bai Mo, who had experienced it firsthand.
Qin Ying, on the other hand, was clearly not interested in the Pill Pavilion. She was only keen on the Xuandao Sect and the city’s Weapon Refining Workshop.
Everyone present could see it.
Bai Mo gained a bit more understanding of this female Cultivator who loved armaments.
The crowd dispersed.
Bai Mo returned to his room, took out a Qi Absorption Pill, and consumed it.
There were no facilities for Alchemy here, so for once, he could focus wholeheartedly on his cultivation.
He circulated the Clear Spirit Qi Guiding Skill he’d obtained from Mingding Tower in Celestial Mountain City. Spiritual Qi slowly flowed into him, carrying a cool, silken sensation.
His cultivation progress was very slow. Even with the new Qi guiding skill, Bai Mo estimated it would take him about another year to advance to the next level.
And that was with a constant supply of Qi Absorption Pills. An ordinary Cultivator without other means would be even slower.
His first night at Lanshan’s place passed just like that.
「Early the next morning」
Bai Mo was awakened by a commotion.
Right in the courtyard, a Cultivator with a booming voice was speaking, and he didn’t sound very polite.
’This first step isn’t going to be easy.’
Bai Mo closed his eyes again, not getting up.
Lanshan had already said he was inviting the leaders of three other Demon Hunting Teams to negotiate today.
It seemed the other party wasn’t easy to deal with; they were already trying to put Lanshan in his place the moment they arrived.
"Lame-ass Ma!! Cut the damn crap!!"
Lanshan’s impatient voice rang out.
"If you’re not convinced, we can have a go at it. Stop being so damn sarcastic."
"Grown men shouldn’t be so shifty!"
After Lanshan spoke, the commotion in the courtyard died down.
That these people had appeared so early in the morning was all thanks to the Jing Ren and Jing Yi brothers, who had pulled an all-nighter running errands.
It was clear how urgent Lanshan was.
’Could it be that the routes on the Mountain Entrance Map have changed?’
Bai Mo guessed.
If that was the case, it would make sense for Lanshan to make his move now, while the Mountain Entrance Map was still valuable and before its worth greatly diminished.
With that thought, Bai Mo’s mind gradually sank, and his consciousness faded into nothingness.
He drifted in a daze, unsure how much time had passed.
BAM!
A loud noise startled Bai Mo awake again.
’How long was I asleep?’
Bai Mo sat up and looked through the window, just in time to see several burly men leaving through the gate.
Two of them were staggering, their faces grim as they cursed under their breath.
’Did they end up fighting after all?’
Bai Mo blinked and finally got out of bed.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Lanshan standing in the courtyard, as firm and imposing as a mountain. His expression was unchanged, but his puffed-up chest suddenly deflated.
His normally ruddy, rugged face turned pale.
Several stone locks were scattered to the side.
Seeing his haggard expression, Bai Mo took out a Condensed Dew Pill and tossed it to him.
The Pill went into his mouth, and the color returned to Lanshan’s face.
"It really wasn’t easy to put those guys in their place."
"But the result was good in the end..."
