Free Web NovelChapter 432: Chapter 240: The Procurement Position; Huangfu Family Intelligence (Part 2)
This is the first year of our trial cooperation. There’s only one requirement: two million catties of rice seed. Not a bit less! If the first year is a success, we’ll sign a long-term contract next year."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Zongyang was both pleased and concerned. He adopted a pensive expression, mulling it over.
He was pleased because population was no longer a problem, which meant he wouldn’t have to worry about the source of corpses for Soul Crystal Stones in the future.
His concern was that he didn’t have enough Points. This meant he couldn’t procure enough Soul Crystal Stones, which in turn slowed the accumulation of his Soul Power, leading to a shortage of Soul Slaves.
As for the demand for two million catties of rice seed a year, that wasn’t a problem at all.
With the boost from the intensive cultivation Talent that some Soul Slaves possessed, this meant planting no less than 600 mu of land, and at the quality level achieved by using rotten-flesh soil!
He only had a little over a hundred Soul Slaves. After subtracting the personnel for the Collection Hunting Team, the crews excavating the village, town, and county ruins, the miners, and the heads of various key departments, only about forty people were free for farming.
To manage 600 mu of land, that would be thirteen mu per person. It was doable, but it would be significantly slower.
Fortunately, this was a demand for a full year, not a single season. In the Wilderness World, they could harvest three times a year. As long as they could bring in 700,000 catties in one season, they could easily meet the annual quota.
In other words, with just 200 mu of land, they could fully satisfy the annual demand of two million catties. This way, with about forty people farming, each would be responsible for only four or five mu, which was more than enough!
They could even clear more land later on, and the number of Soul Slaves would also continue to grow. The amount of farmland would only increase, so he wasn’t worried even if they continued the cooperation next year and the demand increased.
After deliberating for a short while, Cheng Zongyang looked at Chen Kaishan and nodded. "Alright. As long as we have enough manpower, we can manage it if we work hard. But for this first batch of people, let’s stick to the nine hundred we discussed earlier."
Chen Kaishan smiled. "As expected, you are a man of daring. Let’s move on to the third matter, then: the information you wanted on the Huangfu Family’s ancestral lands."
"Out with it," Cheng Zongyang said, suddenly energized.
’Although the contents of the stone carving have already been translated, I want to find that original translation. That way, I can cross-reference it with the translation I commissioned to check for accuracy, and I also want to see if the original contains translations of any other text.’
’On top of that, I need to know if there are any Demon Beast Bones at that ancestral land!’
’At the same time, I’ll also have to investigate whether any of the factions that carved up the Huangfu Family’s assets back then took the Demon Beast Bone.’
’If the Huangfu Family did take the Demon Beast Bone from the first host, I’m certain they didn’t understand its true purpose. They probably just used it to scare away animals, which is why it was broken into so many pieces.’
A smile touched Chen Kaishan’s lips. "Consider this information payment for your help in establishing the Da Yi Commerce Association’s branch. Otherwise, we generally don’t sell this to just anyone. Even if you could buy it, the price would be no less than one hundred thousand taels."
Cheng Zongyang was secretly astounded. ’I knew selling information was profitable, but I never imagined it was *this* profitable.’
’A single piece of intel worth over a hundred thousand taels, and it’s not even available to the general public!’
Just then, Chen Kaishan’s expression turned serious as he said:
"Currently, the Da Yi Commerce Association has identified five ancestral lands of the Huangfu Family. Two of them are the publicly known ancestral halls where the Huangfu Family held ceremonies many times. These two sites have been almost completely dismantled. Aside from the spirit tablets, nothing remains but a pile of rubble.
"However, there are three other ancestral lands we’ve investigated. The first is in Linchuan Prefecture, in a town called Cyan Ox Town under the jurisdiction of Lingtun Prefecture, but the town is now deserted. The second is also in Linchuan Prefecture, in a place called Cyan Cloud Village under the jurisdiction of Guang’an Prefecture, which is also deserted. We couldn’t find anything related to an ancestral hall in either of these locations. The third is in Xiangyang Prefecture... right here!"
"Here?" Cheng Zongyang was taken aback and didn’t react for a moment. "What do you mean?"
Chen Kaishan shook his head slightly. "I mean Jade Peak County. This is also a suspected location of a Huangfu Family ancestral land. But this is all just speculation and legend. It can’t be verified, because we can’t find anything related to the Huangfu Family here at all. It’s a conjecture the Da Yi Commerce Association made based on some documents the Huangfu Family left behind."
After speaking, his eyes locked onto Cheng Zongyang, as if trying to read something in his expression.
There was something he didn’t tell Cheng Zongyang. This was one of the reasons the Da Yi Commerce Association had agreed to open a branch here. Cheng Zongyang’s proposal had simply given them a convenient opportunity to go along with it.
And he was aware of these three pieces of intelligence, but he had never found any leads.
Cheng Zongyang was now frowning.
’Cyan Ox Town and Cyan Cloud Village... I’ve never even heard of them, so I have no idea what the situation is there.’
’As for the two discovered sites, knowing the nature of those other factions and the Da Yi Commerce Association, the only things they would have left behind are probably bricks and timber.’
’But could Jade Peak County really be the location of a Huangfu Family ancestral land?’
Cheng Zongyang shook his head slightly. "That will be very difficult to find."
But then he suddenly asked, "Uncle Chen, do you know anything about the first Huangfu Clan Leader? Or rather, when did he die? Where is his tomb?"
At this, Chen Kaishan narrowed his eyes. A strange look appeared on his face as he asked curiously, "Why are you asking about him? He’s just a man who’s been dead for nearly sixty years."
Cheng Zongyang was taken aback for a moment, only then realizing that the Huangfu Family had only existed for about two hundred years.
’Based on the circumstances, the first Huangfu Clan Leader must have obtained the stone carving and started practicing the Innate Qi Technique. If his Talent was decent, he would have cultivated all the way to the Innate realm. He probably died because he couldn’t break through the Innate realm.’
"What was his Cultivation level back then? And where is he buried?" Cheng Zongyang asked again.
Chen Kaishan continued to stare at Cheng Zongyang as he replied:
"That’s not much of a secret. Anyone who has seriously investigated the Huangfu Family knows that the first Huangfu Clan Leader was named Huangfu Ren. He was also a Martial Arts genius.
"He reached Innate Great Perfection at the young age of seventy. But in his bid for Breaking Innate, he stepped down as Clan Leader and went into seclusion in the ancestral hall. In the end, he died without ever making the breakthrough. That part is what makes it so hopeless. His tomb was supposedly sent back to the ancestral land for burial, but no one has ever found it."
Cheng Zongyang fell into thought once more, but this time not for long. He said to Chen Kaishan, "Uncle Chen, thank you very much for your help this time. Shall we proceed with the construction of the Commerce Association’s transit warehouse and shop according to the plan?"
He didn’t dwell on the things he couldn’t figure out right now. ’I’ll just ask some people about it later.’
As for the location of the transit warehouse and shop, it was just as Li Yihuo had planned. Thanks to Cheng Zongyang’s efforts, they would be built in Area Three, the zone on the other side of the main road.
The shop would occupy seven mu of land. They already had the blueprints, so all they had to do was build according to the design.
"Alright. As for the people, when do you need them?" Chen Kaishan asked calmly.
After a moment of thought, Cheng Zongyang replied, "Anytime. Let’s set the number at 900 people. When they arrive, just send someone to let me know, and I’ll have a place arranged for them."
"Good." Chen Kaishan stood up, not intending to stay any longer.
Cheng Zongyang walked him to the door. Just as he was about to leave, Chen Kaishan suddenly looked back at Cheng Zongyang, a slight smile on his face. "Do you have any thoughts about the ancestral lands and the tomb we just discussed? If your ideas have merit, the Commerce Association would be willing to purchase them."
Cheng Zongyang laughed. "Uncle Chen, you think too highly of me. The Da Yi Commerce Association has so many think tanks, and even they can’t find it. How could I? I’m only looking into the Huangfu Family because I heard a legend. A legend that the Huangfu Family has treasure hidden in the mountains, and another that says their ancestral lands hold even more riches. I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about."
"Hahaha. So that’s how it is. Well, I’ll be on my way then." Chen Kaishan waved and departed in his horse-drawn carriage.
Cheng Zongyang watched the carriage depart with a faint smile. ’That old fox is a crafty one.’
’He clearly didn’t believe a word I just said.’
’But it doesn’t matter. He can believe me or not.’
