Chapter 642: Transaction and Cost

Of course, he didn't need to chase trends; he was already at the top.

Guards stood watch around the National Master's tent, but the sandbar was unusually crowded today. Beyond the cordon, people thronged, providing He Lingchuan with excellent cover as he blended in.

Soon after, Li Qingge arrived.

She wore a fiery red cloak with a white fur collar, her lips were crimson, and a brilliant red coral hairpin adorned her dark, cloud-like bun. Despite her graceful beauty, she walked with an air of imposing authority. Nian Zanli, dressed in a purple-blue brocade robe, also approached with a resolute stride.

They stood about ten feet apart, both appearing aloof.

A guard entered the tent to announce their arrival.

Soon, a figure emerged from the tent: a man with a white jade crown, frost-red robes, long eyebrows, and phoenix eyes, his posture tall and dignified. The moment he appeared, even the autumn wind rustling through the trees seemed to slow.

A murmur rippled through the surrounding crowd:

"The National Master! National Master Frost Leaf has appeared!"

While Beijia was once prosperous and powerful, it maintained a strict limit of only four National Masters. To most common folk, these masters, who managed Beijia's primordial energy, were reclusive, mysterious, and highly revered, appearing publicly only at the grand Grass Sea gathering.

He Lingchuan also fixed his gaze on the man.

So this was the renowned National Master Frost Leaf, Xi Yunhe's powerful patron?

Although second only to National Master Qingyang in age, National Master Frost Leaf appeared much younger, around twenty-five or twenty-six. He was handsome, refined, and as graceful as a jade tree. He Lingchuan recalled that the National Master was, in fact, a demon who merely appeared human. Given that great demons typically had longer lifespans than cultivators, his youthful appearance was not surprising. He wondered what kind of demon "Dusu" truly was, and why its appearance could be indistinguishable from a human's.

National Master Frost Leaf spoke, his voice clear as colliding jade: "General Nian, how have you been?"

From his words, it was clear that Nian Zanli had not seen National Master Frost Leaf in a long time. He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. It appeared Nian Zanli had been consistently rebuffed over the past two months, with National Master Frost Leaf even refusing to grant him an audience.

Nian Zanli stopped, clasped his hands, and bowed: "May the National Master be well!"

Li Qingge also performed a graceful curtsy to National Master Frost Leaf, saying, "Li Qingge of Songyang Manor pays her respects to National Master Frost Leaf."

"You are the Lord of Songyang Manor?" National Master Frost Leaf murmured, observing both of them with an air of dawning realization.

Li Qingge gently parted her lips, saying, "Pardon my presumption in seeking this audience; I hoped to ask the National Master to serve as a witness."

Nian Zanli added, "And to verify its authenticity."

National Master Frost Leaf smiled. "A witness? It seems to me you want me to act as a guarantor." He turned, gestured towards the tent, and said, "Come in."

His demeanor clearly indicated he understood their intentions. Nian Zanli, seeing this, felt considerably relieved.

As National Master Frost Leaf turned, his gaze swept over the crowd. His eyes, sharp as frost and blades, were so piercing that no one dared meet them, yet his expression held a faint, ambiguous smile. He Lingchuan felt as if the National Master's gaze had instantly locked onto him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, then shifted away.

National Master Frost Leaf turned and strode into the tent. He Lingchuan, however, let out a wry smile—

National Master Frost Leaf's glance at him had been profound, almost as if it contained a hint of approval?

This was truly... well.

Nian Zanli and Li Qingge followed him into the tent.

He Lingchuan focused his true energy into his ears, attempting to discern any words amidst the surrounding clamor. Inside the tent, however, there was complete silence. Evidently, a barrier had been activated within.

He Lingchuan turned to look at Old Dan, whose restless eyes betrayed his underlying anxiety.

"Nineteen will succeed," He Lingchuan said, patting Old Dan's shoulder. "No need to worry."

Barely fifteen minutes later, the tent flap was drawn back, and Li Qingge and Nian Zanli emerged in quick succession. The shadow lifted from Nian Zanli's brow. He let out a long sigh, looking up at the sky, and his steps as he left were noticeably lighter than before. Li Qingge's beautiful eyes gleamed, and the corners of her lips curved upward; her grace was captivating as she surveyed her surroundings.

He Lingchuan understood at a glance: the negotiation was successful, and she had finally gotten what she wanted.

Li Qingge's gaze swept over the crowd, and she spotted him instantly. However, in plain view, it was inappropriate for them to interact. She offered a subtle, knowing smile and turned to walk towards her carriage. The little squirrel on He Lingchuan's shoulder scampered off.

He stood for a moment. Seeing that National Master Frost Leaf did not emerge, he then turned and left.

Li Qingge's carriage was parked halfway up the slope, not near Songyang Manor's official station. In Lingxu City, her noble title held no sway; her primary identity was that of a merchant, followed by her role as a Taoist sect leader. Thus, she would not be seated in the front rows on the sandbar. Although there were still people all around, it was less conspicuous than being directly on the sandbar, and the surrounding woods provided some cover.

As He Lingchuan passed by, she already had visitors, and a lively discussion was underway. He didn't stop, instead walking past to queue at a small vendor's stall about thirty meters away, intending to buy mixed-grain pancakes. Normally, the Grass Sea was a desolate expanse, with more birds than people. But today, it was teeming with citizens from Lingxu City. With boundless business opportunities, how could small vendors afford to stay away?

Among the four or five pancake stalls there, only this one had a long queue, a sure sign of its deliciousness. He Lingchuan waited for the duration of an incense stick before it was finally his turn to choose toppings, either meat or egg. At that point, he decided to lavishly order both.

Upon tasting it, he realized the pancake's true magic lay in its sauce, which came in sweet-sour and hot-sour variations. The sour base was made from fermented wild tree fruits, yielding a distinct flavor that, combined with various peculiar seasonings, formed their unique secret recipe. The sauce, however, was a light green. He Lingchuan examined it for a while, convincing himself it wouldn't upset his stomach.

He had barely taken two bites when Squirrel Qiao leaped onto his shoulder from an unknown tree, pointing at a nearby vendor and chattering, "This one!" The vendor sold dried fruit.

He Lingchuan bought it half a catty of strangely flavored broad beans. As the squirrel munched, it chattered, "The Songyang Manor Lord asked me to tell you that everything is settled on her end. She's recovered the bamboo tube and verified it."

He Lingchuan exhaled, unsure if it was from relief or from the spicy food. The exchange of the token for the bamboo tube appeared smooth and simple on the surface, completed in only a quarter of an hour within National Master Frost Leaf's tent. In reality, how much behind-the-scenes negotiation had He Lingchuan orchestrated? If it had been easy, why couldn't Li Qingge have managed it on her own? Nian Zanli was overly cautious and suspicious; he never would have handed over the bamboo tube without National Master Frost Leaf's powerful guarantee.

"So the token was also handed over to them?"

"Yes, it was exchanged. With National Master Frost Leaf acting as guarantor, they didn't haggle much. Furthermore, National Master Frost Leaf informed them that the token could only be used by Nian Zanli himself."

He Lingchuan understood: the military token National Master Frost Leaf provided was exclusively for Nian Zanli's personal use. The Baling Kingdom recognized only him, meaning only Nian Zanli himself could command those tens of thousands of troops.

"That's how it should be," he mused. "Lending troops wasn't like lending salt; it couldn't be done casually."

"National Master Frost Leaf also asked the lord to pass on a message to you: to get things done as quickly as possible."

He Lingchuan nodded.

National Master Frost Leaf had kept his word, exchanging tens of thousands of foreign troops for Li Qingge's crucial artifact. This grand gesture underscored his intense desire to topple National Master Qingyang. Now, it was He Lingchuan's turn to fulfill his promise. National Master Frost Leaf's patience was finite; he wouldn't tolerate endless delays.

He Lingchuan instructed the squirrel, "Go tell the Songyang Manor Lord that now that the bamboo tube is secured, she should proceed with the next step as quickly as possible." The squirrel leaped onto a high branch and scurried away. This patch of woods was its domain, where it could come and go as it pleased.

Previously, Li Qingge had always been wary when confronting Nian Zanli, fearing he would crush the gu worm. With the bamboo tube now safely in her possession, her life was no longer threatened, allowing her to act freely.

Nian Zanli had already obtained National Master Frost Leaf's token, so He Lingchuan needed to ensure he couldn't actually borrow the troops, or the Yuan Kingdom would face catastrophe. Their main advantage was that Nian Zanli's army remained in Xunzhou, with only a few personal guards accompanying him. This was Lingxu City, where strictly speaking, both Nian Zanli and He Lingchuan were strangers in a foreign land, holding no home-field advantage whatsoever. In fact, Nian Zanli was not as well-established here as He Lingchuan. This was one of the circumstances He Lingchuan could leverage.

Nian Zanli strode back to his tent, his face flushed with delight. Upon seeing his expression, his advisors immediately clasped their hands and bowed, exclaiming, "Congratulations, General, on successfully securing the troops!"

Nian Zanli laughed heartily. "It's too early for congratulations. We can celebrate once I have He Chunhua's head!"

Only one advisor, however, looked anxious and could not bring himself to smile. The others noticed and asked, "Lu Huansheng, is something amiss?"

Nian Zanli's smile faded, and he also looked his way.

Lu Huansheng immediately replied, "Of course, it's excellent that the General has secured elite troops. The corrupt emperor of Yuan Kingdom is wicked and unworthy of his throne! It's just... it's just that..." He glanced at the others, then lowered his voice. "The terms National Master Frost Leaf put forth are truly harsh. An annual tribute of one hundred thousand taels of silver, one hundred thousand bolts of silk, three hundred catties of Xuanjing ore, and three hundred fine horses from the northwest pastures every year."

At this, the smiles silently vanished from everyone's faces. National Master Frost Leaf was guaranteeing the Songyang Manor's transaction, yet he was demanding substantial benefits for himself! He was clearly banking on Nian Zanli having no choice but to borrow these troops.

"I've calculated it," Lu Huansheng continued, counting on his fingers. "This annual tribute amounts to nearly half a percent of Yuan Kingdom's normal annual income! Moreover, Yuan Kingdom has very few pastures and produces very few good horses, yet we're expected to provide so many each year. National Master Qingyang never demanded such exorbitant terms!"

That last sentence made Nian Zanli's face darken instantly. He had gifted National Master Qingyang to the brink of destitution, just to secure her intervention with the Emperor, only for the effort to end in failure! National Master Frost Leaf's demands in his letter were equally exorbitant; Nian Zanli had felt a suffocating pressure in his chest upon first reading them. But the man could deliver.

An advisor, noticing Nian Zanli's expression, quickly interjected, "The war is paramount; everything else is secondary. How could borrowing troops come without a cost? Furthermore, these terms aren't solely from National Master Frost Leaf; they also include demands from the Baling people."

They were borrowing troops from the Baling people through National Master Frost Leaf, so both parties required appeasement.

Lu Huansheng shook his head. "National Master Frost Leaf and the Baling people are demanding benefits. When Beijia learns of this, will they also demand a share? How lean was Yuan Kingdom, like a sheep, to endure being fleeced by three parties in rotation?"

Nian Zanli said coldly, "Are you suggesting I return the troops and abandon this war?"

Lu Huansheng hesitated before replying, "Zhao Pan has already been dispatched to the Northwest by the corrupt emperor to counter the Grand Marshal. Your humble servant still believes that our Xunzhou army can easily capture Xiazhou before next spring. After half a year of rest, then marching south directly to the Yuan Capital after the autumn harvest is not an impossible feat!"