Within the Sky Sword (Tianjian) Sect, Ning Rongrong completed her eighth trial, and her soul power level broke through to the eighty-fifth rank, achieving the title of Soul Douluo.
The ninth trial could only be activated once her soul power reached the ninety-ninth rank, and the process of cultivation in between would be a long journey.
On the other hand, neither Ning Fengzhi nor Tian Ruyang opposed the unification of the continent, so Ning Tianchen naturally felt at ease.
Deciding to take advantage of this, he left the sect with Ning Rongrong to travel the world.
Auxiliary soul masters had slower cultivation speeds, and given that Ning Rongrong had been constantly on the move recently, it was indeed time for her to rest.
Moreover, gaining occasional insights during their travels could also expedite breakthroughs in strength.
After breaking through to the hundredth rank, Ning Tianchen's speed of travel underwent a qualitative change.
If not for Ning Rongrong's appreciation of the scenery along the way, he might have directly torn open space and teleported to their destination.
Their first stop was none other than Tang San's place of origin—Nuoding City.
Arriving at a dense forest a couple miles outside the city, the two disembarked from the Coiling Dragon Seven Kill Sword and entered the city on foot.
Nuoding City was merely a small border town. During the previous standoff between the two empires, it hadn't been considered a strategic target, sparing it from the ravages of war.
Tang San's background was no longer a secret.
However, they hadn't come here for Tang San—they simply wanted to experience the local culture and customs.
When the two entered the city, the guards intended to approach them to collect an entry fee. But just as they took a step forward, the transcendent aura emanating from Ning Tianchen caused them to halt, swallowing nervously.
After the two entered the city, the captain of the guards noticed that no one had stopped them and came to inquire about the situation.
"Boss... Boss, this person's presence is incredibly strong—he must be a powerful soul master," the guard said earnestly.
As the captain of the city guards, his considerations naturally extended beyond surface-level matters.
The appearance of a powerful individual within the city should be reported to the city lord to avoid trouble caused by those who were unaware of their status.
…
Everything within the city was within Ning Tianchen's perception, including the actions of the captain of the guards.
But Ning Tianchen didn't care—it wouldn't cause them any trouble.
As before, Ning Rongrong carried a money pouch at her waist and wandered casually around the city.
Whenever she saw something she liked, she never haggled and often paid several times the value of the item.
Her extravagant behavior attracted the attention of many vendors, and to gain her favor, these vendors eagerly approached her.
For Ning Rongrong, this trip was meant to relax her mind. Having all the goods presented before her saved her the trouble of searching everywhere.
Ning Tianchen followed behind her, shaking his head slightly.
For them, spending a little extra gold soul coins might not mean much. But for these ordinary vendors, it could amount to several months' income.
The extra money spent could be seen as boosting the local economy.
Not long after, he noticed an elderly man at the back of the crowd.
The old man was hunched over, carrying a basket of fresh vegetables on his back.
He tried to push his way into the crowd but couldn't compete with the younger vendors.
Moreover, he believed that the vegetables he sold wouldn't catch Ning Rongrong's attention.
After all, noble children never cared about vegetables—their meals were prepared by dedicated staff.
Seeing the old man walk away, Ning Tianchen didn't call out to stop him but instead marked him with his spiritual force.
About fifteen minutes later, the vendors surrounding Ning Rongrong gradually dispersed.
Holding a large bag of souvenirs, Ning Rongrong wore a satisfied and joyful smile on her face.
Taking a pair of dolls from the bag, she walked up to Ning Tianchen and laughed, "Big Brother Tianchen, look! Doesn't this piggy look just like you?"
Ning Tianchen chuckled and countered, "Where does it look like me?"
Ning Rongrong giggled and explained, "Sometimes Big Brother Tianchen can be as dumb as a piggy. This piggy doll suits you perfectly."
Ning Tianchen shrugged, gave a light laugh, and pulled Ning Rongrong into his arms.
After a moment of tenderness, he pointed to a spot not far away. "Earlier, I saw an old man who should be enjoying his twilight years but is still struggling to make ends meet. Should we go help him?"
Without hesitation, Ning Rongrong replied, "Following Big Brother Tianchen's ideals, isn't the goal to let common people live better lives in the future? If we can help others, why not?"
Amidst their lighthearted banter, the two headed toward the old man's stall.
With the spiritual marker in place, they soon arrived at the eastern part of the city.
This was a long street.
The city lord had specifically designated this area for villagers from nearby areas to sell their vegetables.
Over time, it had developed into a small vegetable market.
Based on Ning Tianchen's perception, there was a larger vegetable market elsewhere in the city.
Upon arriving here, they could see many vendors from the city's main vegetable market purchasing produce.
Small vendors were very particular about quantity and price, constantly nitpicking to drive down costs.
The farmers from the countryside weren't as quick with their words and, in order to sell their vegetables, had no choice but to agree to the low prices offered.
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong felt deeply dissatisfied. "These people are practically exploiting these rural folk!"
Ning Tianchen lightly patted her shoulder and shook his head. "Don't meddle in others' affairs."
People living in other parts of the city wouldn't travel far to buy vegetables here.
The rural folk were simple and didn't know how to clean or water their vegetables regularly—their produce looked far less appealing than what was available in the city's larger markets.
These vendors coming here to purchase their goods could be considered a form of support for these farmers. Without them, most of these farmers' produce would remain unsold.
Vegetables had a short shelf life, and without proper preservation techniques, anything unsold within a day or two would rot.
Compared to losing everything, being able to sell even a portion of their produce meant they made some profit.
"Merchants have their own ways. These vegetable buyers aren't wrong," Ning Tianchen remarked.
A vendor standing nearby overheard his words and couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "This brother speaks the truth. Many of the vegetables these farmers grow are infested with pests. After we buy them, most can only be sold to wealthy households as pig feed."
The concept of pesticides didn't exist on the Douluo Continent, so pest-infested vegetables were a common occurrence.
Moreover, the farmers only knew that using manure could accelerate plant growth but were unaware that it needed to be fermented—and they couldn't control the fermentation time either. As a result, the quality of their vegetables varied greatly.
"Brother, you're also in business—where do you work?" the young man asked Ning Tianchen.
After a moment's thought, Ning Tianchen smiled and said, "If you really want to say, I suppose I am."
He was the hidden boss behind both the Seven Treasures Merchants Guild and the Tianjian Merchants Guild, responsible for setting general business strategies.
However, these were large-scale operations, quite different from small vendors.
After a brief conversation, he found that this young man had unique insights into commerce—an exceptional talent.
Ning Rongrong noticed his thoughts and decided to test the young man. "You seem to know a lot about business. Let me ask you something."
"My name is Wang Meng—you can call me that," the young man said with a smile.
Ning Rongrong nodded and continued, "Suppose Nuoding City suffers from flooding this month, causing the people to lose their homes and the rural population to flood into the city. What should be done if there isn't enough food?"
Wang Meng scratched his head. "That's more of a political question than a business one. But I do have some rough ideas—listen if you'd like."
"If the city lord's office actively inflates grain prices, this situation could be resolved. When grain merchants from various regions enter Nuoding City, it'll become a massive trap. At that point, they're bound to lose everything."
This strategy had already been used several times across the continent.
But merchants were profit-driven—they knew that only by entering the city early and selling their grain at inflated prices could they make a fortune.
What they didn't realize was that while they were focused on profits, others were eyeing their principal investment.
Of course, there were also cases where the city lord's office led the charge in profiteering, driving up grain prices.
Thus, how to differentiate and when to maximize profits were the real concerns of merchants.
After briefly summarizing the situation, Wang Meng shared his opinion: "During times of famine, small vendors like us shouldn't sell our grain—regardless of the price."
Ning Tianchen became intrigued and countered with a question: "And how do you propose this?"
Wang Meng replied, "We don't have much grain in hand, and we still need to take care of our own food and lodging. While it's true that we could sell high and buy back low, who can guarantee that we won't end up as the ones being slaughtered?"
A single small vendor might not amount to much, but harvesting hundreds or even thousands of small vendors at once wouldn't yield less profit than taking down a large merchant guild.
Wang Meng's thinking was simple—never become the fish on the chopping block, and at the same time, protect one's own modest livelihood.
Ning Tianchen was quite satisfied with his response.
Small vendors could still make a profit by selling grain at normal prices. Being able to control their greed and avoid ill-gotten gains was already commendable.
Moreover, small vendors had no officials backing them. If they tried to profit from national calamity, there was an eighty percent chance they'd be held accountable afterward.
After finishing his explanation, Wang Meng clasped his hands toward the two and asked, "May I ask your names? It seems you're involved in big business, right?"
Ning Tianchen returned the gesture. "My name is Ning Tian."
Ning Rongrong also adopted a pseudonym. "Zhang Meirong."
Ning Tian was the son of Ning Fengzhi, and Zhang Meirong was Ning Tian's official wife.
"By the way," Ning Tianchen couldn't help but ask, "why are you chatting with us here instead of going to purchase fruits and vegetables?"
Wang Meng scratched his head and awkwardly replied, "My business is small. After they've finished buying, I'll go pick up whatever's left."
He raised pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese at home. Buying cheap, rotten vegetables was for feeding the livestock. His family's main business was selling livestock and meat.
As they spoke, Ning Tianchen approached the old man's stall from earlier.
When the old man saw Wang Meng, he quickly rummaged through his basket. After a moment, he said apologetically, "Young man, I don't have any rotten vegetables today. You should check elsewhere."
"Old Jack, today I'm mainly accompanying these two friends. Pick out some good-looking vegetables—they want to buy some to take back."
Old Jack?
Ning Tianchen's interest was piqued.
If he remembered correctly, Old Jack was the village chief of Holy Spirit Village and had taken care of Tang San.
However, after Tang San rose to prominence, he never returned.
Old Jack noticed Ning Rongrong and exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, aren't you..."
Ning Rongrong smiled faintly and bent down. "Old sir, are you saying you don't welcome us coming to support your business?"
Old Jack's face lit up with a broad smile, and he quickly picked out the better-looking vegetables from his basket.
Just as Ning Rongrong was about to pay, a group of soldiers hurried over.
"Old Jack, how dare you set up your stall here?"
Tang San had been branded with the crime of regicide, and his background had long been thoroughly investigated by the Heavenly Fighting Empire.
Holy Spirit Village, where he had grown up, inevitably bore the brunt of the fallout.
Prohibiting the "rebels" of Holy Spirit Village from coming into the city to sell vegetables was one of the punishments.
Old Jack had often helped Wang Meng, so at this moment, Wang Meng stepped forward and placated the soldier with a smile. "Master, please calm down. I'll escort him out of the city immediately."
The leader wasn't convinced and shoved Wang Meng aside. "Get lost! The people of Holy Spirit Village are guilty of treason. Their villager Tang San committed regicide—a crime that cannot be forgiven!"
"The fact that the Holy Spirit Village still exists is already due to His Majesty's mercy!"
"On ordinary days, setting up stalls in the city might be tolerated, but today, important guests have arrived in the city. If traitors disturb these noble guests, the entire Holy Spirit Village wouldn't be enough to atone for their sins!"
The "important guests" referred to by the leader were undoubtedly Ning Tianchen himself.
His strength far surpassed that of the local city lord, naturally drawing significant attention.
These law enforcement teams were likely sent out to intimidate those causing trouble in the city.
The name of Holy Spirit Village was insignificant. When this matter was handled, it probably never reached the emperor's desk, so Ning Tianchen was unaware of how much they had suffered.
After some thought, Ning Tianchen stepped forward. "Enough. This matter regarding Holy Spirit Village ends here. In a few days, the empire will pardon Holy Spirit Village for its associated crimes."
Seeing Ning Tianchen's expensive attire, the leader didn't dare speak rudely but questioned, "How do you know His Majesty plans to pardon them? Even if they are to be pardoned, it will only happen in a few days. Today, the people of Holy Spirit Village violated public order laws and should be detained by us."
"Judging by your fine clothes, you must be from a prominent family. Are you really willing to stand up for traitors?"
Old Jack bitterly interjected, "We've said it countless times—Xiao San left Holy Spirit Village long ago, and we haven't seen him in ages."
"He hasn't returned, so why accuse us of conspiring with him in treason?"
Clearly, Holy Spirit Village had been severely implicated by Tang San and had endured much slander because of the accusation of treason.
The leader raised his fist and cursed, "What are you all standing around for? Arrest him already!"
With that, the law enforcement team behind him moved forward.
Ning Tianchen grabbed the leader's fist and casually threw him aside.
The law enforcers' faces changed drastically, and they pointed their weapons at Ning Tianchen.
"You! Don't think that just because you have influential elders backing you, you can do as you please in Nuoding City. Helping traitors—do you intend to commit treason yourself?"
Treason was a grave offense in any dynasty, and accusing someone of it was enough to crush anyone.
Old Jack hastily pleaded, "Young master, please leave. This is my problem—it has nothing to do with you. Don't get involved!"
Ning Rongrong stepped in front of him. "Don't worry, they won't take you away."
Xue Qinghe was merely a puppet emperor; all his decisions were orchestrated by the Spirit Hall behind the scenes.
As an ally of the Spirit Hall, Ning Tianchen could naturally command them in secret.
Within his soul-guidance device, he possessed blank imperial decrees pre-stamped by Xue Qinghe—and not just one.
With a thought, his spiritual force seeped into the soul-guidance device, inscribing words onto the decree.
When he pulled out the imperial decree, everyone present turned pale and immediately knelt to listen to the divine edict.
Without much emotion, Ning Tianchen announced, "I'm too lazy to read it aloud. Take the decree back and show it to your city lord."
The leader trembled as he took the decree and caught a glimpse of the words pardoning Holy Spirit Village. He quickly apologized profusely and rushed back to the city lord's residence with his men.
"Old man, thank His Majesty, and thank this young master," Old Jack knelt and expressed his gratitude.
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