Chapter 333 - 164: This... How Long Will It Take to Dig... Dig... Dig... Dig

Chapter 333: Chapter 164: This... How Long Will It Take to Dig... Dig... Dig... Dig

As for Jiangbei...

Few people in the Guanxi Plain even knew a place like Jiangbei existed.

Most common folk only cared about their own little patch of land.

An incessant rain, like a gray mist, shrouded the entire Guanxi Plain, bringing with it a considerable chill.

"Winter is coming again."

"As soon as the weather gets cold, my feet start sweating."

A middle-aged man sat on a carved mahogany chair. Attended by two Maids, he removed his socks and placed his feet into a wooden bucket of hot water.

Hot steam drifted into the air.

His feet quickly turned bright red.

The middle-aged man leaned back in his chair with a look of pure bliss. He closed his eyes, thoroughly intoxicated by the sensation, and murmured, "When the weather gets cold, a hot foot bath is just so comfortable... ahhh..."

The two Maids beside him, both wearing veils, stood on either side and repeatedly pressed forward, rubbing against him with their chests.

Generating warmth through friction.

This was one of his favorite ways to keep warm in the winter.

After a long moment.

He finally beckoned with his hand and said casually, "Bring me a serving of that... what’s it called... braised food."

Soon—

A servant entered carrying a silver platter. On the platter were many small silver dishes, each holding a portion of the braised food.

The portions were minuscule.

The middle-aged man leaned back in his chair and opened his mouth. A Maid beside him used chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised kelp and place it in his mouth.

"Not bad."

The middle-aged man chuckled as he chewed. "I’ve tasted just about everything in my life, but this braised food is truly something special. The person selling it... where did they say it comes from again?"

"The Jiangbei Mortal Realm."

His subordinate reported in a low voice.

"Jiangbei?"

The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed slightly as he fell into thought.

’Jiangbei seems to have made a lot of progress in the culinary arts these past few years. I wonder if it’s clean, though.’

’However... is this Mortal Realm the strongest faction in Jiangbei?’

’To be able to reach across Jiangnan and do business all the way in the Guanxi Plain... they’re really extending their reach.’

"It’s not the Mortal Realm’s business."

His subordinate hastily explained, "It’s the Jiangnan West Lake Tower’s business. They source their goods from the Mortal Realm and then transport them to the Guanxi Plain to sell."

"The Jiangnan West Lake Tower?"

The middle-aged man was taken aback. He glanced down at the familiar logo on the silver dish—it was indeed the mark of the Jiangnan West Lake Tower. "Doesn’t the Jiangnan West Lake Tower sell Skeleton Horses? Since when did they start getting into this kind of petty business?"

Compared to a strategic resource like Skeleton Horses...

...selling braised food...

...couldn’t even be called petty business.

It was a sign they had truly fallen from grace.

The Guanxi Plain is not Coastal, so it doesn’t face the pressure of large-scale Ghost Tide landings. Consequently, warfare between the factions there was frequent, and the demand for Skeleton Horses was high. It was a stable business.

"They’ve pivoted."

The subordinate immediately answered again. This was all just gossip, things that had nothing to do with his master, who usually couldn’t be bothered with such matters.

But he cared.

For underlings like them, their favorite topic of gossip was which faction had risen to power and which had fallen into decline.

"Starting before the rainy season, a steady stream of Skeleton Horses began arriving in the Guanxi Plain at a low price. They came from several Jiangnan factions, and their prices were much lower than Jiangnan West Lake Tower’s."

"So, the Jiangnan West Lake Tower pivoted."

"They started specializing in selling this braised food. Business is quite good at the moment. The price isn’t cheap, and many influential figures in the Guanxi Plain are regular customers."

"..."

The middle-aged man nodded thoughtfully. He picked up another piece of the braised food with his chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and savored it. The taste was still excellent.

It didn’t have the feel of being reheated too many times.

Nor was there any hint of spoilage or other off-putting smells.

Transporting something like braised food from Jiangbei to the Guanxi Plain was no short journey; it would take many days.

The Jiangnan West Lake Tower didn’t make this food themselves but procured it from the Jiangbei Mortal Realm. ’What kind of preservation method are they using?’ He was suddenly quite curious about this Jiangbei Mortal Realm.

After a long moment.

He finally put down his silver chopsticks, waved his hand to have the dishes cleared, and dabbed his mouth with a handkerchief, saying with satisfaction.

"If West Lake Tower can do this business, so can we at Riyue Square."

"After the rainy season ends."

"You will personally take some men on Skeleton Horses to Jiangbei. Find the person in the Jiangbei Mortal Realm who makes this braised food and bring them back."

"Offer him a sufficiently high monthly salary."

"He’ll follow you back willingly. If he doesn’t agree... just tie him up."

"Understood."

After his subordinate had left.

The middle-aged man savored the aftertaste of the braised food, still wanting more. He had eaten delicious braised food before, like the kind made by the Guanxi Master of Braised Food from the Divine Artifact Sect, which was also quite good.

But eating that didn’t feel as satisfying as this.

It felt a bit like something a poor person would eat.

Unfulfilling.

And while the flavors were somewhat similar, it ultimately wasn’t as delicious as this braised food.

It was just a bit of a shame.

The rainy season was here, and he had just finished the last portion of braised food he’d bought before it began. He’d have to wait until after the rainy season to buy more.

...

「Jiangnan.」

「West Lake Tower.」

This faction, which had once relied on selling Skeleton Horses as its main source of income, had resolutely decided to pivot after the Mortal Realm’s Skeleton Horses completely seized the market with their extremely low prices.

He had several established trade routes in the Guanxi Plain and was familiar with many of the factions there.

If he were to procure Skeleton Horses from the Mortal Realm and sell them in the Guanxi Plain, he would have had an advantage over the other Jiangnan factions doing the same.

But he had abandoned that path.

Instead, he chose to pivot to selling "Braised Food from the Jiangbei Mortal Realm."