I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1450 - Chapter 1450 Chapter 712 Pure Desire

Chapter 1450: Chapter 712: Pure Desire Chapter 1450: Chapter 712: Pure Desire Currency is a system, as well as a rule: the stability of currency implies the stability of the situation.

Places like Zhongzhou and Tian Nan, which are rich and prosperous, have already developed alternatives to metal currency, such as banknotes, IOUs, and exchange bills.

Merchants, too, thrive, connecting east with west; vast cities home to millions animate countless more.

And so, as a port city neighboring Yan Fu City, Danmu Town naturally attracted many young people dreaming of wealth.

Some were beguiled and swindled into ruin, while others struck it rich and filled their coffers.

The once colossally wealthy Zhen Clan of Danmu Town had grown rich through ceaseless trade.

But with great wealth, the hearts of the people scattered, and after the death of old Lord Zhen, his three sons divided the estate, and the Zhen Clan’s fortunes plummeted.

Thinking themselves exceptional, the three brothers encountered setbacks at every turn without the support of the family, and within a few years, they squandered the fortune that took decades to build.

By the time the brothers realized their plight, they faced the grim prospect of huddling together for warmth.

Once a giant among riches, the Zhen Clan became an ordinary traveling family, struggling to maintain their position by relying on the connections old Lord Zhen had established in his lifetime.

But competitors who had carved up the Zhen Clan’s business were naturally loath to see its revival and pressed down unrelentingly.

Guards, shipping routes, and passes all saw the Zhen Clan as a piece of fat, hiking up prices and shaving the Zhen merchants’ profits.

Besides the business pressures, the Zhen Clan’s luck was also abysmal.

There were dozens of routes leading from Danmu Town to Yan Fu City, with the most reliable naturally being the official road under the control of the Wang Family.

But travel on the official road required tax payments, and to maximize profits, many small traveling merchants chose the mountain paths.

After all, there were no significant bandits lurking around Yan Fu City, and a few hired guards could easily settle any minor thieves and bandits.

Even some major merchants did not need to hire guards but could dispatch their own family warriors and proceed without incident.

But whether it was fate’s turn, the Zhen Clan’s first united venture encountered the Fierce Realm Wolves.

Not only were the goods unrecovered, but the only Fierce Realm fighter of the Zhen Clan also perished, leaving them exposed in the eyes of all the establishing clans of Danmu Town.

Just when everyone thought the Zhen Clan would fall into utter decline, the eldest daughter, Zhen Ping’er, stepped forward, offering her hand to anyone who could solve the Zhen Clan’s predicament.

It was then that the various factions of Danmu Town realized that the Zhen Clan’s eldest daughter, so well hidden by the clan’s patriarch, was shockingly beautiful.

Lord Zhan, over a hundred years old, was smitten and forcefully took Zhen Ping’er as his concubine, celebrated across the city with a lavish feast, and even a refined scholar composed a poem in their honor:

“Eighteen-year-old bride, a groom one hundred and eight, snowy white hair to red wedding array. The bridal chamber covered in mandarin duck quilts, a pear tree in bloom overpowers the crabapple’s grace.”

The intricacies of this were not for outsiders to know, but with the intervention of Danmu City’s leading clan, the Zhan Clan, the Zhen family finally caught a breath in their struggle for survival.

But perhaps due to Zhen Ping’er’s exceptional skills in bed, Lord Zhan’s indulgence in her was extreme; the diligence that left her reluctant to leave the bed soon became the hottest gossip after meals in Danmu Town.

Merely mentioning the flower-like, jade-like Zhen Ping’er would make men breathe heavily.

Yet, this was merely fantasy; after all, the Zhan Clan was the first clan of Danmu Town, never to be crossed.

From concubine to wife, it took Zhen Ping’er only three short years, and Lord Zhan cherished her above all else.

To indulge his favorite within the clan was one thing, but he was particularly generous to her kin, entrusting many external businesses to the Zhen Clan. He even actively supported the Zhen Clan’s younger generation, offering them the same resources and martial instruction as the disciples of the Zhan Clan itself.

Upon this news, the several clan elders of the Zhan Clan were suddenly up in arms. They could tolerate Lord Zhan’s doting over Zhen Ping’er, as she was considered a mere plaything, her favor causing no significant waves.

But martial training was different; a standout talent from the Zhen Clan could make a significant impact in decades to come.

The combined persuasion of these elders eventually dissuaded Lord Zhan from his decision, but as compensation, they allocated even more substantial business shares to the Zhen Clan, to which the Zhan elders raised no further objections.

Until ten years ago, when Lord Zhan passed away, the bigwigs of the Zhan Clan came to blows over who should foster the orphan.

In truth, everyone knew what these elders desired: the beautiful woman known as Zhen Ping’er.

How they reached an agreement remains unknown, save that Zhen Ping’er returned to the Zhen Clan, assuming the title of Lady Zhan, and the Zhan Clan ceased support for the Zhen family.

From then on, Lady Zhan became the number one beauty of Danmu Town, the object of pursuit by all the noble families.

The job that Kaba found for Old Ying Xu was to guard a small trade team from the Zhen Clan, traveling from Danmu City to Yan Fu City.

With a twenty percent deposit and the remaining eighty percent upon arrival, the total payment was one thousand Gold Coins, a job neither too relaxed nor too challenging.

But upon reporting to Zhen Mansion, Old Ying Xu was surprised to discover Kaba was also in the team lineup, winking and making faces at him.

“Old Ying, brother, I’m counting on you to take extra care of me on this trip!”

Seeing Old Ying Xu, Kaba came over with a grin, then whispered in his ear, “I’ve already spoken with the Steward; it’s just the two of us escorting this mission, with a reward of five thousand!”

“So you’ve pocketed four thousand?”

Without bothering to use Tongyou Intention, Old Ying Xu rolled his eyes and was about to take his leave with a bow.

“What are you thinking, brother Old Ying!”

Kaba sighed, holding up five fingers, “I’m taking five hundred.”

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