Vol. 1 - Ch. 321 - The Deal Is Struck

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After pondering for a moment, Chen Tianjing looked at Chen Tianyu.

Seeing his elder brother's expression, Chen Tianyu instantly understood. Without hesitation, he tossed the squirming White Moon Ant Egg into his mouth.

Across from them, Cui Yan’s eyes flickered with admiration. Such boldness swallowing his Cui Clan’s treasure without examining it first showed that these Chen Clan members truly possessed courage.

However, Cui Yan did not know that Chen Tianyu’s decisiveness came entirely from the Divine Tree’s power. If there had been any danger, the Divine Tree could have destroyed his organs instantly to purge the threat.

Still, Chen Tianyu, though well-traveled and experienced, could not help but frown as he felt the egg writhing and struggling in his mouth. He chewed it roughly a few times before swallowing.

As the White Moon Ant Egg slid down his throat, the frown on Chen Tianyu’s face quickly eased and was replaced by astonishment.

A surge of rich Qi and Blood welled up within him immediately.

He hurriedly circulated the clan’s secret cultivation art to refine it. However, it would take time for the Qi and Blood granted by the egg to be fully transformed into his own strength.

After sensing the effects of the White Moon Ant Egg, Chen Tianjing nodded.

This item was indeed superior to the Bitter Lotus he had consumed before.

"May I ask how many White Moon Ant Eggs your clan can trade each year?"

"Fifty."

Cui Yan answered without hesitation.

Hearing this, a trace of difficulty showed on Chen Tianjing’s face. Yet, after a brief pause, he spoke. "Agreed."

Cui Yan’s expression remained calm and unsurprised, as though he had foreseen this outcome.

However, after agreeing, Chen Tianjing continued: "Your clan's requirements are considerable. Ours may not be able to supply enough in a short time. Would it be possible to conduct the trade once every six months?”

"That will do."

After a slight hesitation, Cui Yan nodded.

The two sides then discussed the finer details of the exchange. This was not tribute, and Cui Yan assured them that his clan would not regularly send people to Yong’an City.

They agreed that the trading site would be a small village near Yunmeng City, equidistant from both clans. The first exchange was set for ten days later.

Cui Yan left behind a token representing the Cui Clan and departed swiftly, his figure vanishing from sight.

In the grand hall, only Chen Tianjing and Chen Tianyu remained.

After a brief silence, Chen Tianjing spoke. "Brother, why do you think the Cui Clan is in such a hurry to exchange so much Blood Rice and Blood Rice Fruit?"

For a mid-tier family like the Cui Clan that has developed over many years, there should be ample cultivation resources for martial artists in the Body Tempering and Blood Coagulation realms. Even if they were short on resources, they wouldn't need to travel all the way to Yong'an City to trade with the Chen c6lan.

After all, the distance between the two territories was considerable, and the items the Cui Clan offered were extremely precious. The surrounding smaller clans would surely be eager to trade with them.

Such trades would strengthen ties with the Cui Clan and provide those families with the resources they needed.

Unless... the Cui Clan did not want anyone else to know!

Both men considered this possibility, and their expressions grew solemn.

Moreover, the White Moon Ant Eggs presented by the Cui Clan were indispensable to any family. Even for the Cui Clan, producing dozens of such eggs in a short time was no simple matter.

If the Cui Clan truly possessed such resources, they would probably keep them for themselves rather than trade so many away.

This suggests that the Cui Clan is urgently seeking to increase its members' overall strength—perhaps to address an issue that even they find troublesome.

However, the Chen Clan had too little information to draw any firm conclusions.

"Regardless of the Cui Clan's intentions, this matter benefits our family. For the time being, we shall not concern ourselves with it."

After some thought, both men came to the same conclusion.

According to Chen Tianjing’s earlier reasoning, trading with a mid-tier clan like the Cui family was risky because there were too many factors beyond their control.

However, the Zhou Clan's resources were precisely what the Chen Clan lacked.

Most importantly, the Zhou Clan’s Bitter Lotus alone was insufficient to meet their people's cultivation needs.

Having another clan to trade with gave the Chen Clan an additional path forward. They would not need to worry about either the Zhou or Cui Clans unilaterally breaking the agreement and halting exchanges.

Even with trades to both families, the Chen Clan would still have a surplus of Blood Rice and Blood Rice Fruit. That was the advantage of abundance.

If it were a resource like the Five-Leaf Flower, the clan would barely have enough for themselves, let alone trade it.

Chen Tianjing’s earlier hesitation had merely been for show, meant to mislead Cui Yan. If the Cui Clan learned how abundant the Chen Clan’s Blood Rice and Blood Rice Fruit truly were, it could lead to complications. Trading once every six months was troublesome but safer.

"This transaction is of great importance. Brother, take some clansmen and oversee it personally.”

"Understood."

Aware of the gravity of the matter, Chen Tianyu nodded immediately and left the hall to prepare for the upcoming exchange.

Though the agreed-upon time was ten days away, the Chen Clan would need several days to reach the trading site. Since this was their first transaction with the Cui Clan, caution was warranted.

After Chen Tianyu left, Chen Tianjing remained deep in thought.

The clan had sent members to sell Blood Rice in the surrounding areas. He had not expected so many families to respond.

This trade would draw attention to the Chen Clan’s Blood Rice. However, once the family demonstrated its strength, he believed there would be little trouble.

The only unexpected development was the sudden appearance of the Cui Clan. However, the outcome was favorable for the Chen family.

After three years of accumulation, the clan had an abundance of low-tier resources, but they still needed to be transformed into strength. A powerful clan foundation is worth more than any resource because it is the sole pillar during times of crisis.

…

"Clan Leader, Clan Leader! Brother Qingyu has sent a letter!"

In the ancestral hall, Chen Xingzhen was stunned by the news but quickly stepped outside.

The messenger was none other than Chen Qingcheng, who had returned to the clan only two days earlier. Several young boys and girls stood beside him.

Though still young, their eyes shone with curiosity and excitement.

Years ago, even with the aid of the Divine Tree in awakening their spirits, they were still infants. Only in recent years had their intelligence matured, the effects of the awakening fully manifesting.

To them, the clan’s foremost figure, Chen Qingyu, was someone they deeply admired.

Even a single letter from him stirred their wonder.

Looking at the special envelope before him, Chen Xingzhen showed no surprise.

Truthfully, this was not the first letter Chen Qingyu had sent. Over the past few years, he had written several times.

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