506: Chapter 373 506: Chapter 373 The furnishings at home were even more so, all just rooms filled with things of no use.
For a person on the path of cultivation, these held little to no value.
Long Hong understood this, of course.
Ye Tian, with his high abilities, utilized spells and cultivation techniques, as well as magical treasures, that were beyond the reach of ordinary people, so their value was naturally different.
Long Hong was all too aware that although he was the King, he was actually inferior to some noble clans, with treasures that were merely common trifles.
Like now, desiring the supreme elixirs, he still had to beg others.
It was just that the means by which he, with power, begged differed.
He dared not demand tributes from those of greater abilities, which for a King, was terribly frustrating.
Shouldn’t his subjects be willing to offer up their finest possessions to him?
In reality, it wasn’t quite so.
Aside from some regions that were required to pay taxes and others expected to present tributes, they had no worries about their daily needs.
However, when it came to items they currently required, they couldn’t obtain them the moment they were needed.
“Your Majesty, I’m afraid that even this little stuff wouldn’t be appealing enough for that supreme alchemist to exchange for a pellet or two,”
Ye Tian finally spoke his mind, not wishing to beat around the bush, yet not wanting to reveal his intentions outright.
Long Hong was cunning and sly, and he couldn’t afford not to whet the King’s appetite.
“Young General, you know your friend’s character.
You see what he needs.
Whatever my Imperial Palace has to offer, I’m willing to bestow upon him.
Aside from my position as King, even making him the State Preceptor is fine,” Long Hong, despite being cunning and crafty, still took the bait.
Long Hong lost his usual calm, revealing his urgent need.
This pertained to a major life affair for him, causing him to abandon all the cunning schemes that usually dominated his thoughts.
At this moment, all his concerns became apparent in front of Ye Tian.
Ye Tian smiled knowingly in his heart.
It seemed that whether they were cultivators from the Cultivation World or those pursuing cultivation techniques, like Long Hong faced with something so vital for longevity and beyond precious, even a King could not remain indifferent.
“Your Majesty, in my view, Jiang Tang would not covet the position of King, nor would he care for the title of State Preceptor.
Both you and I understand that for those on the path of cultivation, cultivation itself is paramount.
Achieving immortality and becoming an Immortal is the ultimate goal.
All the glory and wealth one possesses now are like passing clouds once ascending to the Immortal Realm is possible.”
Long Hong nodded vigorously and settled back onto his Dragon Throne, somewhat restless and uneasy.
He knew that the two supreme elixirs he had could at best repair his body a bit.
They might allow for a slight enhancement, but they were far from providing true longevity and even further from achieving immortality.
Long Hong could not be unaware of his own lifespan.
If not for possessing these two supreme elixirs, he might not have had long to live.
And why was his lifespan so short despite his level of cultivation?
It was partly because he had too many beauties in his harem, leading to a lack of focus in his cultivation practices.
Additionally, he was always preoccupied with worldly affairs.
If he could have many, many supreme elixirs, he felt that relinquishing the throne to the Prince wouldn’t matter.
As long as immortality was attainable, one’s perspective would change.
Besides, after years of enjoying wealth and honor, he was already caring less for such things.
It’s like when someone is very poor, they need money and yearn for wealth, but once a rich man reaches a certain level of affluence where wealth is no longer of much use to him, indulging in life’s pleasures also loses its charm, and they seek more thrilling pursuits.
“Your Majesty, I know Jiang Tang wishes to establish the Saint Sect and desires two tracts of land, each hundreds of miles long.
Those areas are not someone else’s property and aren’t rich in resources within the Cultivation World.”
“To bestow lands for building the Immortal Sect is easy.
Any area with good resources that remains unclaimed in the Cultivation World is fine, and even if it’s someone’s property, as long as it can be bought, I approve!”
Upon hearing that someone had a request, Long Hong was delighted.
What he feared most were those who wanted nothing; they were the most troublesome.
After all, land was just land.
To him, it was a matter easily decided with a single utterance.
Whether or not they paid taxes in the future was immaterial.
Could it compare to supreme elixirs?
“Then as your subject, I shall decide.
Bring forth the pen and ink!”
Long Hong nodded, giving the eunuch a look.
The eunuchs, standing not too far away with their heads bowed in silence, had rather keen ears despite the distance.
Someone immediately fetched paper and ink.
A eunuch placed pen and ink before Ye Tian.
Working from the addresses of the two bases Jiang Tang had provided him, he drew a map.
Of course, there was a purpose to his cartography.
Not only was this to show Long Hong the locations of these two fiefs, but also to have him affix his seal.
As long as the king had approved, these places belonged to Jiang Tang; even the most powerful individuals could not pressure him with official orders.
Before Ye Tian’s soul had crossed over, he had been a university student from a prestigious school; drawing a map was a simple task for him, and quickly, he completed two maps.
He treated these two maps as if they were deeds to the properties, and once he finished the drawings, he subtly moved his sleeves, and the traces of ink dried instantly.
Ye Tian signaled the eunuch with his eyes to have the maps stamped by the king.
The maps that Long Hong, the eunuch, had brought over described lands that were just a few hundred miles in one place and combined, were comparable to the fief of a county lord or a clan leader.
The good places had all been picked by others, and seemingly no one wanted this spot that he had been consistently eyeing, but he still had to ask the eunuch to confirm.
“Chief Eunuch, please check these two locations to see if they’ve been granted to anyone and if there are any major industries there?”
The chief eunuch glanced at Ye Tian, then stared intently at the map.
Ye Tian knew, Jiang Tang had already provided him with footage; what major industries could there be?
Not to mention any resource mines, there were hardly a few people around.
Jiang Tang had told him the reasons—it was all deliberately done by that monkey.
Long Hong was so cautious, and the eunuch wore such a meticulous expression.
Ye Tian couldn’t help but smirk internally—if there really were resources readily available, someone would have bought and mined them already, not waiting until now!
But Ye Tian did not urge them; he could not appear too eager.
Knowing that Jiang Tang had ascertained that the two locations actually possessed resources, others would inevitably find out sooner or later, and then they could accuse him of not being transparent.
If the king went back on his word, that too could become a big problem; sometimes, with just a word from the authorities, being right doesn’t clarify the situation.
Ye Tian considered himself a law-abiding person but also knew that some abused their power, especially in a nation ruled by a king.
Where they could alter laws at will.
The Cultivation World was utterly unlike the ordinary world; one might kill for treasure without legal consequences.
As long as the person had a strong backing, a powerful individual could crush many lives with ease, rendering others as nonentities in their presence.
Even if a person died, they might be brought back to life; in the Cultivation World, a realm of boundless possibilities, Ye Tian understood that with resources and capabilities, one could have everything.
“Chief Eunuch, I drew these maps based on information sent by a friend of mine.
These two areas were previously shrouded in dense fog and had gone unnoticed.
No resources had been discovered, not even the faintest trace of Spiritual Energy.
They were uninhabited lands.”
The chief eunuch was not the king; he knew that even if Supreme Elixirs existed, they would not end up in his hands, but if he mishandled the matter, he could be blamed later.
“Young General, then may I ask, why would your friend choose such a useless place?”
With a mysterious smile, Ye Tian said, “Do you know how advanced my friend’s cultivation is?
Have you ever heard about some powerful beings who can move mountains and seas, soar to the skies and delve into the earth, beings who can tear open a realm with their hands?
For such people, even if it seems useless, they can turn it into a resourceful place, making treasure from trash.”
“Those are but figures of legend; our men have never seen such beings.
Could the Young General please elaborate on your friend’s level of cultivation?”
The chief eunuch was not a powerless waste without any abilities; he himself was a martial artist who, while acting as the chief steward in the palace, was not merely an eunuch.
He practiced a martial art that turned him into a person akin to an eunuch.
His subordinates, the men in the Imperial Palace, were also his disciples.
Even if they had not learned martial arts, he insisted they practice it.
Such abilities were vital for strengthening the body, and any man moving through the Imperial Palace was required to cultivate this technique.
Unless it pertained to watching over a position, those individuals would only serve guard outside the palace.
The security of the women in the harem was a chief concern for the king or princes, mostly to avoid the trouble of being cuckolded.