Chapter 36: Advancing Boldly

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After Liu Yunyan and his wife left the Su family, Chen Fei also departed.

Liu Yunyan and his wife were about to obtain two third-grade elixirs. Even with the 100% conversion efficiency of the Void Heaven Cauldron, Chen Fei estimated that it would only allow him to reach the mid-stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm, seventh level at most.

Seventh level of the Spirit Transformation Realm?

For Chen Fei, who might have to risk his life in a secret realm at any moment, and who constantly lived under the looming threat of the Su family and the City Lord’s mansion, this was far from enough.

“I’m broke!”

Chen Fei had never felt so impoverished. The faster his cultivation progressed, the more resources he required, and their value increased exponentially.

To quickly acquire resources, Chen Fei needed to take full control of the merchant fleet under his command. This fleet had once been the foundation that elevated the Qin family to one of the three great families.

At Huangyue Tower, Chen Fei gathered sixteen managers of the merchant fleet. They controlled nearly seventy percent of Huangwu City’s trade network, excluding the City Lord’s mansion.

Every day, the goods flowing in and out under their supervision were worth hundreds of thousands of spirit stones!

These sixteen managers were all old subordinates of Chen Fei. Their current status and strength were entirely due to his guidance and cultivation.

Seeing him again, they were overwhelmed with emotion, even to the point of tears. Finally, they could once again follow Chen Fei to build the merchant fleet’s empire.

“Young Master!”

“We’ve been waiting for you for so long!”

“Without you, our merchant fleet has stagnated.”

“Young Master, tell us what to do next! Just give the order, and we will go all out!”

The sixteen managers surrounded Chen Fei, their eyes burning with anticipation. They were like starved beasts, waiting for him to set a direction and goal for them.

Chen Fei looked at the intelligence reports they had gathered and smiled in satisfaction. They had not forgotten his teachings. Even in his absence, they had actively gathered intelligence from across the Great Qing Kingdom, especially the capital.

What was the core of the merchant fleet?

Information!

In this otherworldly continent, where communication was underdeveloped, intelligence was monopolized by the ruling elite.

The merchant fleet’s rapid rise was due to its ability to obtain information ahead of time. By combining that with Chen Fei’s knowledge from his past life, they could quickly assess which cities had material shortages and surpluses.

Resource imbalances caused massive price fluctuations, and the merchant fleet profited by facilitating trade between cities.

After analyzing the intelligence reports from his sixteen managers—covering thirty-six cities centered around the capital—Chen Fei quickly identified several shocking opportunities.

Cultivation materials such as refining ores, alchemical ingredients, and training resources; daily necessities such as grains, fruits, vegetables, alcohol, and tea…

In the end, Chen Fei made a decisive decision, selecting three key commodities for trade:

Black Copper Ore for refining
Dustless Cloud Crystal for alchemy
Miaoquan Lin Wine for daily commerce

“These three goods will be your primary focus for the next month.”

“Successfully handling this transaction will elevate the merchant fleet’s influence to a new level.”

“By then, your dream of establishing yourselves in the capital will likely become a reality.”

Chen Fei addressed the sixteen managers.

Their faces lit up with excitement. They had expected that with Chen Fei leading them again, the fleet would overcome its decline and rise once more.

However, when they received Chen Fei’s specific trade orders, they were completely stunned.

“Young Master, Black Copper Ore?”

“Isn’t that too difficult? The Tianyan City authorities might not give us this opportunity.”

Fatty San, one of the managers, found it hard to believe.

Black Copper Ore was a crucial refining material with extensive applications and high demand. If they could secure the transportation rights, the profits alone would be immense—not to mention the increase in influence.

“Young Master, are you serious about Dustless Cloud Crystal?”

“This stuff is incredibly expensive. If we miscalculate and get stuck with unsold stock, we could lose everything we’ve built over the years.”

Another manager, Chen Laoda, frowned deeply, feeling the immense weight of the risk.

“Young Master, Miaoquan Lin Wine? But this is the royal-designated national liquor! Do we even have the qualifications to handle this?”

“Aren’t we being too reckless?”

Yang Lao’er, another manager, was equally shocked.

All three of Chen Fei’s choices were extremely challenging. One required political influence, another required massive capital investment, and the last required royal authorization.

Although they trusted his judgment, these goods seemed beyond their reach.

Chen Fei had anticipated their doubts. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t take such bold risks. One wrong step could not only destroy the merchant fleet but also cost them their fortunes and possibly their lives.

Securing Black Copper Ore required the City Lord’s approval—one mistake, and they would fall into a trap.

Handling Dustless Cloud Crystal demanded vast sums of money. Even with their current assets, they would need loan agreements with heavy penalties. Any mishap could bankrupt them.

Miaoquan Lin Wine had the lowest financial risk but was the hardest to obtain, requiring royal endorsement.

“These three deals are indeed risky. One misstep could ruin us.”

“So let me make it clear: If anyone wants to back out, you can leave now. I won’t blame you.”

“But if you stay, there is no turning back. However, if we succeed, you will secure a legitimate foothold in the capital and rise as official merchants.”

“It’s your choice—take the gamble or retreat.”

Chen Fei addressed the sixteen managers with a serious tone.

It wasn’t that he wanted to be reckless, but he had no other choice. If he wanted to obtain rare cultivation resources quickly, taking risks was unavoidable.

More importantly, he wanted to turn his merchant fleet into the largest trading network in the Great Qing Kingdom—a foundation that would sustain his future cultivation and establish his commercial empire in this foreign land.

The sixteen managers didn’t rush to answer but instead huddled together for a discussion.

After half an hour, Chen Laoda was the first to speak.

“Young Master, you saved my life. Since you’ve chosen to expand boldly, I will follow you to the end!”

Chen Laoda declared firmly.

“Good!” Chen Fei nodded in satisfaction and looked at the others.

“Young Master, without your guidance, I would still be just an ignorant guard. You gave me an opportunity, and I will trust you again. No matter the outcome, I’m with you!”

Yang Lao’er also stepped forward without hesitation.