The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 1036 - 566: Fire! (Part 2)

Ning Xiaoxian specifically chose a spot facing the direction of the Li Mansion. She was dual-tasking, distractedly saying, "East Sea?"

Huainanzi nodded, looking serious, "The islands dotting the surface of the East Sea are star-studded, with numerous indigenous tribes and Immortal Sects residing there. They particularly adore the customs of the Southern Continent and pride themselves on imitating the clothing and cuisine popular in the Central Province. Currently, the trend of drinking Spiritual Tea is emerging in the Central Province, and it’s likely that the people from the East Sea will soon follow suit."

What he was speaking about was indeed a huge business opportunity. Ning Xiaoxian snapped back to reality, turning to look at him, "Ningyuan Hall doesn’t have any outlets in the east, nor does it have a planned trade route. Besides, the alternation between sea and land in the East Sea makes travel very inconvenient, with colossal transportation costs." To date, most people only possess small storage spaces, so the distribution of large-scale goods still relies on large merchant teams for transport. The islands of the East Sea are each surrounded by seawater. How can merchants travel?

Huainanzi, being well-versed in the business scene, caught the laziness implied in her words and quickly laughed, "Indeed, due to transportation issues, the East Sea region has always been excluded from mainstream trade routes, but the resources there are quite abundant." He paused for a moment before lowering his voice, "To be honest, my initial fortune was made by importing specialties from the East Sea to Xingzhou."

She caught the hidden implication in his words, "Daoist, do you have another means of transportation in the East Sea?"

Huainanzi allowed a slight smug look to appear on his face, "Barely so. In my early years, I befriended a tribe on the East Sea that excels at taming Crocodile Sparrows, allowing free movement between the islands."

After hearing this, even Ning Xiaoxian was slightly moved.

Although the Crocodile Sparrow has the word "sparrow" in its name, it is not a bird of the sky but an exotic beast living in the East Sea. It has a body like a crocodile, with a sharp beak and teeth, short and stout limbs, and it likes to ambush prey in the water. Crocodile Sparrows are much bulkier than crocodiles, with a flat body that can swim long distances, unlike crocodiles which tire easily. Most importantly, Crocodile Sparrows are amphibious, able to go in and out of the sea. If one could use them to transport goods, it would be much more convenient than using ships.

It’s simply unheard of to tame such a fierce creature on a large scale, so it is likely the proprietary secret of the tribe associated with Huainanzi.

She pondered for a while before leisurely saying, "I’ve always been hesitant about establishing a trade route on the eastern path. This might be feasible." Ningyuan Hall has only been in existence for less than a year and is developing rapidly but still has a shallow foundation. Every time it comes to opening new routes, careful consideration is needed. Put crudely, taking too big a step can cause troubles. This is like how small and medium-sized enterprises cautiously invest in new projects, apprehensive because they don’t have the financial muscles of state-owned enterprises.

Huainanzi was very pleased to sense no rejection from her. For merchants like them, no business deal is finalized with just one hammer. Even if there’s intent, negotiations over goods, profits, and shares must be drawn out.

He gave Ning Xiaoxian a cursory glance and abruptly changed the subject, "Elder Ning, you seem to be staring at the window art behind me frequently. Is there really such a great view I am unaware of?"

This person’s five senses are indeed sharp, and Ning Xiaoxian was slightly caught off guard. As a guest in someone else’s home, she refrained from using Divine Thought to avoid disrespecting the host. She observed the Li Mansion across the way using great skill to ensure her gaze mostly rested on Huainanzi. Even under these conditions, he could tell her heart was elsewhere. His Spiritual Sense is indeed very keen.

She smiled, going along with his words, "The view outside your window is indeed quite nice." Before Huainanzi could respond, her eyes suddenly sharpened, "Wait a minute, why is there a firelight rising from that house?"

Huainanzi turned his head to look, his face immediately darkening, "Oh no, the Li Mansion is on fire!"

The fire at the Li Mansion nearly exploded in intensity instantly, with sparks flying from everywhere within the house, and in just a few moments the sky was filled with thick smoke, flames painting the sky red. So when Ning Xiaoxian and Huainanzi stepped outside, many nearby families had already been alarmed, and cries of "fire, fire" echoed for miles around.

Mind you, apart from influential people living in the Inner City, there were also countless cultivators, and with the Bai Yujing auction about to begin, many more cultivators had gathered in the area. One person quickly tamed a tool to fly high above, pinched a Water Dragon Technique, and poured a torrential downpour over the Li Mansion.

The flames at the Li Mansion were suppressed but continued to blaze fiercely in the downpour.

A sudden "boom" resounded as one of the side rooms in the Li Mansion had its beams burned through, causing the entire side to collapse.

These flames are truly ferocious.

"This isn’t a mortal fire, luckily it’s not Samadhi True Fire either," muttered Ning Xiaoxian, turning her head to issue a command, as the Fire Lion Hidden Guard leaped out from the crowd, transformed into its Fire Lion form, standing in front of the Li Mansion. It took a deep breath, opened its mouth wide, and inhaled deeply!

The creature’s breathing was naturally long and deep. As it inhaled, it sounded like a long whale sucking in water, echoing with a sound akin to tearing silk. The commotion was so great that everyone on the ground and in the air paused, turning their heads to look.

They saw the fierce flames occupying the Li Mansion suddenly seem summoned, abandoning their beloved wooden structures, and in a display of spiritual behavior, the fire jumped over the courtyard walls, compressed into a single stream, and snaked into the mouth of the Fire Lion Hidden Guard! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)