Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

Chapter 284 - 226: Selling Shares

"So these are the Floating Battleships from the Artifact Talisman Alliance."

Dozens of Cultivators followed behind Fang Qingyuan. Further away, numerous Qi Refining Disciples watched, unable to get closer due to their status.

Fang Qingyuan was dressed in crimson robes. Before him were three cyan, shuttle-shaped vessels, each over a hundred feet long.

These were the Flying Boat Hovering Ships delivered by the Artifact Talisman Alliance back then. There had been ten in total, but Fang Qingyuan had later decided to give three of them to Yuanling Mountain. These were those three.

Zhang Yuan and She Xi Yu stood on either side of Fang Qingyuan, with She Xi Yu adopting a particularly respectful posture.

This was the first time Fang Qingyuan had returned to Yuanling Mountain in years. After such a long time, a hint of distance had grown between the three of them.

Zhang Yuan was fine; his personality had always been carefree. She Xi Yu, however, was different. He humbled himself completely in Fang Qingyuan’s presence.

"It’s all thanks to you, sir. Ever since Yuanling Square acquired these three Floating Battleships, the number of troublemaking Cultivators has dropped significantly. Our days have become much more peaceful."

A Floating Battleship, crewed by an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a dozen or so Qi Refining Disciples, could pose a threat even to a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With three such vessels, Yuanling Square effectively gained three combat units comparable to Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, greatly increasing its security.

Of course, operating these Floating Battleships consumed Spirit Stones like running water, so Yuanling Square Marketplace rarely deployed them.

Furthermore, in terms of mobility, the Floating Battleships couldn’t compare to the freedom of movement and diverse methods of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. They only offered increased firepower, and their shortcomings were quite obvious.

She Xi Yu continued to flatter Fang Qingyuan. Over the past few years, his She Family had been living quite comfortably.

Ever since Fang Qingyuan became the Vice Master of Miscellaneous Affairs Peak for the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect, Yuanling Square Marketplace had benefited from his prestige. Without any explicit instructions from Fang Qingyuan, interested parties in the surrounding areas had increased their investments in the marketplace.

Today, Yuanling Square Marketplace had expanded to over ten streets, and the monthly collection of rent and taxes amounted to around ten Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Fang Qingyuan held a fifty-percent share, giving him an annual income of sixty Top-grade Spirit Stones. This money was the greatest support for his cultivation of the Five Elements Undying Body.

But Body Refining was a money pit as deep as the sea; once you started, Spirit Stones became a fleeting memory. The rate at which Body Refining consumed Spirit Stones was faster than Fang Qingyuan had ever imagined.

In the later stages, a single medicinal bath to consolidate his foundation and recover from physical damage cost over a thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Body Refining was powerful, but the further one progressed, the more resources it consumed. One could continuously cultivate it without being hindered by realm bottlenecks, but the price was the sheer amount of resources required. The same amount would be enough for a Qi Refining Cultivator to achieve Foundation Establishment three or four times over.

When Fang Qingyuan first began practicing the Five Elements Undying Body, Tier One Lower Grade spiritual materials for his medicinal baths were sufficient. Now, however, the medicinal efficacy of anything below Tier One Upper Grade materials was drastically reduced for him.

He was on the verge of cultivating the Foundation Establishment Level of the Five Elements Undying Body, and the Tier One spiritual materials he had been using were starting to become ineffective.

On top of that, a few days ago, Fang Qingyuan had spent eighty Top-grade Spirit Stones to forcibly purchase Jia Changqing’s Spirit Turtle Shell, leaving him extremely short on Spirit Stones.

After capturing Jia Changqing, Fang Qingyuan hadn’t forced him to hand over all his wealth. He was still counting on Jia Changqing to work for him. What kind of leader robs his own subordinates before even dealing with his enemies?

A Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator like Jia Changqing had to be shown sufficient respect. Although he was currently under control and forced by circumstances to serve, his dignity had to be preserved.

If he had robbed Jia Changqing of his wealth, then at a critical moment in the future, Jia Changqing might be willing to risk his life to take them both down together. That would be a classic case of being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Although Jia Changqing was currently in a frustrating position, he still had hope for the future. The contract he signed stipulated that he only needed to serve the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect for fifty years, after which he would be free to go.

Moreover, if Jia Changqing performed exceptionally during this period, his term of service could be shortened.

’Only with hope can one find the motivation to act. If someone is just struggling to survive, they’re bound to snap one day.’ Fang Qingyuan had no desire to see Jia Changqing succumb to madness.

One maddened Cultivator like Huo Hu was more than enough.

.....

After inspecting the three Floating Battleships, Fang Qingyuan followed She Xi Yu back into Yuanling Square Marketplace. He sat in his usual seat, looking at She Xi Yu, hesitating for a moment.

But after a few breaths, Fang Qingyuan spoke.

"Spread the word. I’m preparing to sell off my twenty-percent share in Yuanling Square Marketplace. All interested parties are welcome to bid."

The moment he said this, She Xi Yu’s expression changed drastically. He exclaimed in surprise:

"Vice Master, why would you even consider such a thing? Yuanling Square Marketplace is a goose that lays golden eggs! Selling it now is like killing the goose to get the egg."

Fang Qingyuan snorted coldly, replying with displeasure:

"Are you telling me what to do? I have my own considerations. Just follow my orders."

She Xi Yu’s expression turned to one of panic, but he still gritted his teeth, desperate to know the reason. He had poured too much of his heart and soul into this Marketplace.

Fang Qingyuan stared at She Xi Yu silently, only speaking again after a few breaths:

"Several powers have approached me in the past, wanting a piece of Yuanling Mountain, and I’ve refused them all."

"Now that Yuanling Mountain has developed to this extent, it’s too conspicuous for me to continue holding a fifty-percent share. Selling off some of it will let the other powers have a taste, which will prevent them from building up resentment that could cause a backlash later."

"Secondly, my Body Refining Technique cultivation is rather short on Spirit Stones, and I urgently need a large sum to continue."

"Are you satisfied with these reasons?"

Only then did a hint of a smile return to She Xi Yu’s face. He had been flustered out of concern. If Fang Qingyuan hadn’t explained, he would have been too anxious to eat or sleep.

After She Xi Yu left, Fang Qingyuan added another reason in his mind:

’Zhao E Lian is no pushover. Once he makes a move, he’ll be sure to tear off a chunk of flesh to fill his belly. I don’t have a good feeling about Lechuan’s current situation.’

’If Zhao E Lian succeeds, it will be too late for me to sell off these assets. It’s better to cash out a portion of them now and secure my gains.’

’This way, even if Lechuan is defeated, I’ll still have Spirit Stones on hand and won’t end up with nothing.’

’Of course, there’s no need to tell She Xi Yu any of this.’

Currently, the shares in Yuanling Square Marketplace were divided as follows: he himself held fifty percent, Lechuan held thirty percent, Zhao Liangde held ten percent, and She Xi Yu held ten percent.

As for Zhao Liangde’s ten percent, the dividends had always been paid out on time over the years and were not canceled just because he had fallen into a coma.

After all, Zhao Liangde was his senior brother and had taken good care of him in the past. At the very least, out of respect for Lechuan, he couldn’t stop paying the dividends.

He would now sell twenty percent for Spirit Stones, and of the remaining thirty percent, Fang Qingyuan planned to give ten percent to Yuanling Mountain.

When establishing Yuanling Square Marketplace back then, Fang Qingyuan had relied heavily on Yuanling Mountain’s power. Now that Jiang Kui had returned, it was time to clearly separate what belonged to Yuanling Mountain and what belonged to him.

If Zhao E Lian did fight his way back, then as Lechuan’s closed-door disciple, he would certainly have no place left in the Southern Border. Yuanling Mountain was a different matter. Even if the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect changed its Sect Leader, it wouldn’t make much difference to Yuanling Mountain.

At this point, Fang Qingyuan was already subconsciously making preparations to cut his losses. If Huo Gan didn’t return, he feared Lechuan would not be able to defeat Zhao E Lian.

Gazing at the empty meeting hall, Fang Qingyuan sighed, then closed his eyes and began his daily cultivation.

....

The news that Fang Qingyuan was selling his shares in Yuanling Square Marketplace instantly stirred the hearts of many powers within the marketplace.

Over the past few years, Yuanling Square Marketplace had attracted many major businesses. In particular, rumors were spreading like wildfire about an impending Pioneering War to open up the Barbaric Wilderness deep within White Mountain, making Yuanling Square’s location increasingly coveted.

Among the reasons Fang Qingyuan gave to She Xi Yu, the pressure from major businesses and powerful factions was very real.

Five days later, the auction house was packed with Cultivators who had come to bid. Of the two to three hundred attendees, Foundation Establishment Cultivators accounted for a third.

Treasure Pavilion, Vast Collection Pavilion, Spirit Medicine Pavilion, Qi Yun, White Mountain... Fang Qingyuan even saw Cultivators from Black Wind Valley.

’Who knows how many of these people are concealing their cultivation level,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. He wouldn’t have been shocked to learn there were even Golden Core Cultivators hidden among them.

With the sound of a gong, the curtain rose on the grand finale of the auction.

She Xi Yu stood on the stage with a solemn expression, but his heart was pounding with excitement as he looked out at the crowd. He had never witnessed such a grand occasion in his entire life.

"Next up for auction is the twenty-percent share of Yuanling Square Marketplace held by Fellow Daoist Fang Qingyuan, the Vice Master of Miscellaneous Affairs Peak of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect."

"Due to the immense value of this item, the twenty-percent share will be split into five lots for sale. Each lot represents a four-percent stake in Yuanling Square Marketplace. The starting bid is one hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than one Top-grade Spirit Stone. Please begin bidding!"

The moment She Xi Yu finished speaking, someone below shouted:

"One hundred and fifty stones!"

A four-percent stake in Yuanling Square Marketplace yielded a dividend of about five Top-grade Spirit Stones per year. A bid of one hundred fifty Top-grade Spirit Stones was merely the equivalent of thirty years of returns.

And if the Pioneering War truly did break out here, the investment would pay for itself in an instant.

"One hundred and eighty stones!"

"Two hundred stones!"

In the blink of an eye, the price for the first four-percent stake surpassed the high price of two hundred Top-grade Spirit Stones, and that wasn’t even the final price.

After round after round of bidding, the first four-percent stake of Yuanling Square was finally sold for the price of three hundred and seventy-seven Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Immediately after, the second lot went up for auction.

The buyer of the first lot was Treasure Pavilion, the second was a Golden Core Clan from Qi Yun, and the remaining three lots went to powers from White Mountain.

When all five lots were sold, Fang Qingyuan instantly pocketed nearly two thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones. It seemed like a lot of Spirit Stones, but it was simply Fang Qingyuan cashing in on the next fifty years of Yuanling Square Marketplace’s future profits.

If Zhao E Lian hadn’t appeared, Fang Qingyuan would never have chosen to sell. As long as the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect didn’t fall, the shares of Yuanling Square Marketplace would only become more and more valuable.

Nearly two thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones didn’t even come close to filling up his Ten-direction Storage Bag.

Holding the Ten-direction Storage Bag, Fang Qingyuan felt a surge of excitement. But beyond the thrill, a question began to form in his mind: how was he going to get this enormous fortune back to Celestial Gate Mountain safely?

Two thousand Top-grade Spirit Stones would be enough to tempt even a Golden Core Cultivator into taking a desperate risk, especially when the target was just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. And the nearby White Mountain was crawling with cash-strapped Tribulation Cultivators.

Just as Fang Qingyuan was pondering this, he suddenly felt a stir. A Token in his robes was vibrating.

There were two of these Tokens. The other one was in Huo Hu’s possession.

It seemed Huo Hu had completed his mission and found him. The thought of that fierce man, Huo Hu, calmed Fang Qingyuan’s nerves considerably.

Seeing the Token continue to vibrate, Fang Qingyuan thought for a moment and decided to go out and meet Huo Hu.

Thus, Fang Qingyuan announced he was entering seclusion. He then quietly changed his appearance, disguising himself as a pale scholar. Finally, he secretly concealed his tracks and left Yuanling Square Marketplace alone, heading toward the location of Huo Hu’s signal.

Because of Huo Hu’s madness, Yuanling Square Marketplace was crowded and full of prying eyes. With so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators coming and going, there was no guarantee that some sharp-eyed expert with powerful Divine Techniques wouldn’t spot them. For this reason, Fang Qingyuan and Huo Hu always met in secluded places.

But what Fang Qingyuan didn’t know was that even though he had changed his appearance and hidden his tracks, he couldn’t fool those who were already watching his every move.

So, just as Fang Qingyuan stealthily slipped out, three separate groups of people followed him out of Yuanling Square Marketplace.

However, none of this escaped the perception of Fang Qingyuan’s Mind Map.

In response, Fang Qingyuan simply sneered inwardly and sent a special signal to Huo Hu.