Chapter 2093: Mutual Need and Mutual Struggle

All three items were fried. One was a sesame ball, crispy on the outside and hollow within, collapsing inward with each bite. Another was a taro fritter, wrapped in sweet taro paste and filled with a savory mixture of winter bamboo shoots, dried tofu, green onions, and minced meat, offering a wonderfully balanced sweet and savory flavor.

The last item was a cabbage box, which burst with juice on Xin Yi's first bite.

If it were spring, it would have been a chive box instead.

He Lingchuan also placed two green bamboo tubes on the table.

Xin Yi asked curiously, "What is this?"

"The freshest bamboo sap sea buckthorn juice," He Lingchuan replied. He pulled out the stopper and took a sip. "It's not easy to find sea buckthorn in the Panlong Wasteland these days."

Sea buckthorn is a drought-resistant, barren-tolerant plant that primarily grows in dunes and Gobi deserts. It used to be abundant throughout the Panlong Wasteland. However, in recent years, with the revival of spiritual energy, the wasteland has transformed into forests and grasslands, and sea buckthorn's ability to claim territory has lagged far behind other plants.

Drinking this in cold weather was invigoratingly tart. Fortunately, neither of them was bothered by the cold, and the tart drink helped cut through the richness of the fried food.

"The taste is absolutely superb! And only three coins each," Xin Yi exclaimed, finishing a cabbage box before giving a thumbs up. "General He, you should try some too."

He Lingchuan knew that Xin Yi was particularly fond of fried foods, and the most famous small shop in western Panlong City was Granny Xue's fried food stall.

"This cabbage box has already gone up to four coins, and the taro fritters are two coins each, with rumors of further increases next month," He Lingchuan said, slowly eating a taro fritter. "I've only been away for a month or two, but prices have already surged by twenty to thirty percent. Even during wartime, prices in Panlong City hardly ever rose."

Since Panlong City opened up and began trading with the outside world, prices had remained stable due to official efforts, despite dozens of battles. This was unlike other nations, where prices soared and goods became scarce as soon as war broke out.

"It's certainly not cheap," Xin Yi said, seemingly missing the implied meaning as he dipped a taro fritter in some chili sauce. "No wonder you can still get Granny Xue's fried goods; I remember people used to queue up before dawn."

He Lingchuan smiled and asked more directly, "Do you know what the reason is?"

Xin Yi swallowed his food, glanced at He Lingchuan, and then took a big gulp of sea buckthorn juice. He mumbled, "I knew it, you wouldn't invite me to breakfast for nothing!"

"If we settle this matter first," He Lingchuan said, "I wouldn't mind treating you to breakfast for a whole month afterwards. Aunt Xiang's five-spice fried vegetarian meatballs—Granny Xue's arch-rival—are also a Panlong City specialty."

"You haven't been back in a long time; the best fried vegetarian meatballs in Panlong City aren't from Aunt Xiang's anymore," Xin Yi corrected him. Having been stationed in Panlong City for nearly a year, he was practically a local and, in some respects, more familiar with the place than He Lingchuan. "I'm still a bit surprised that you're the one discussing this with me."

Their last discussion with Commander Zhong Shengguang hadn't gone well for either side. Xin Yi had assumed Commander Zhong would send one of his strategists or a deputy commander next, given the specialized knowledge involved in finance and resource extraction.

To his surprise, it was General Huyi.

It seemed the labels he'd assigned to General Huyi—besides being alert, strategic, skilled in battle, and handsome—would need another addition.

He Lingchuan also took a sip of sea buckthorn juice. "I hear many other sects and factions are also providing offerings to Spirit Mountain?"

Not to mention those nearby, even the Disc Mountain Sect, where Qiu Hu and his companions originated, had to pay to support Spirit Mountain.

The term "offering" or "support" is not considered derogatory by immortals and gods. From ancient times to the present, the lofty immortal sects, seemingly detached from worldly affairs, have always relied on humanity's devout offerings. As for gods, their temples can be seen all over the world today.

However, Spirit Mountain's existence holds significant meaning. For instance, countless interconnections, transactions, and collaborations among various Daoist sects worldwide rely on Spirit Mountain for mediation, bridging, and witnessing.

At critical moments, Spirit Mountain can also provide powerful combat support. Any force facing Beijia and the Sky Demons feels an innate sense of powerlessness, instinctively seeking another powerful ally. That's when Spirit Mountain steps forward.

Of course, none of this is provided free of charge, and Panlong City has gradually come to understand the burden of this entanglement.

"That's right," Xin Yi said casually. "But it's entirely up to each individual; Spirit Mountain never forces anyone."

The more casually Xin Yi spoke, the more He Lingchuan knew there were deeper schemes and hidden implications. "Commander Zhong's proposal is nine hundred catties of top-grade profound crystals annually," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Although the amount is a bit small, Panlong City faces the threat of Beijia and must continuously improve military equipment and train its army. Furthermore, a continuous influx of outsiders has entered the wasteland in the past two years, and Panlong City needs to settle them and provide living subsidies, which is also an astonishing expense."

"Understandable, understandable," Xin Yi said, nodding in agreement.

But he was also shrewd and cunning; he wouldn't agree unless Panlong City offered a figure that satisfied Spirit Mountain. The frequent occurrence of Imperial Dew in recent years meant that obtaining profound crystals would no longer be as difficult as before. Xin Yi had also received secret reports that several profound crystal veins had actually appeared in the Panlong Wasteland, and Panlong City was secretly mining them.

Therefore, an annual quota of nine hundred catties was truly not much. The Sky Heart Island teleportation array in Lingxu City alone consumed at least five hundred catties of low-grade profound crystals daily. If converted to top-grade profound crystals, the nine hundred catties proposed by Panlong City were merely two months' worth of travel expenses for Spirit Mountain.

It was important to remember that Panlong City was no longer the isolated wasteland city it had been seven years ago. Its territory had expanded by more than threefold, and the land irrigated by Imperial Dew was becoming increasingly fertile. The trade routes in Maohe Plain were also bustling, with both residents and merchants prospering—it was a golden goose laying eggs.

Nine hundred catties of top-grade profound crystals was simply too stingy.

Both sides understood that Spirit Mountain's exorbitant demand wasn't just about money, but also a test. Panlong City, however, was somewhat reluctant. If they failed the test, Spirit Mountain would be displeased.

In Xin Yi's view, however, Panlong City also had reason to be proud. While there was more than one force resisting Beijia in the world, Panlong City remained the local power most favored by Spirit Mountain. It was also one of the bridgeheads against Beijia, its will to resist the Sky Demons even more resolute than Spirit Mountain's, with effective governance, harmonious people, and a bright future.

If Panlong City were under Spirit Mountain's jurisdiction, Spirit Mountain would even be willing to spend money and great effort to subsidize it.

To smooth out this relationship, Spirit Mountain couldn't appear to be only taking advantage without giving. Xin Yi immediately continued, "We deeply understand Panlong City's difficulties. With the revival of spiritual energy in the world today, we should have deeper interactions and mutual assistance going forward. At the very least, ancient divine arts and spells from the Middle Ages can be given to Panlong City for study, to cultivate more skilled military personnel."

Strong military power was the foundation for Panlong City's standing and its confidence to confront the threat of Beijia.

He Lingchuan nodded, agreeing profoundly.