Chapter 235 - Ambition
Chen Chen quickly helped him up.
When one is outside, keeping a low profile is the most important. Although Green Bean can be considered invincible in the Boundless Sea and it'll be by my side, it's better to be careful when outside.
It was especially true when his appearance had been exposed.
Money is the root of all evil.
In the eyes of outsiders, the mysterious man who was able to manipulate the great sea demons and lead them into a frenzy had incredible power.
'There are actually so many hidden shocking benefits?'
It was simply unimaginable!
It was inevitable for some inland big shots to harbor different thoughts about him.
At the thought of this, Chen Chen regretted his decision of not changing his appearance when he boarded the giant ship the other day.
"Keep a low profile? Is everyone talking about my appearance now?"
Chen Chen said, keeping his voice low.
Nan Pinghai seemed to have realized that he had been careless. After taking a casual look at his surroundings, he said calmly, "Generally, only the cultivators that have been on my ship know your appearance. Lord, let's go to the restaurant to discuss in detail."
"Okay."
Nan Pinghai was overjoyed to see that Chen Chen did not refuse and immediately led the way. Soon, they reached the familiar restaurant.
The two of them sat in a separate private room.
Chen Chen wasn't fooled by Nanpinghai's innocent look.
Since he could own a giant ship in the Boundless Sea and had built a significant reputation for himself, he definitely wasn't a simple person. Although Chen Chen looked calm on the surface, he was actually keeping his guard up.
"Lord, it's not that I deliberately told everyone about your appearance, but well, I'm sure you know that I can't keep those passengers from spreading the word about it."
"But don't worry, I've already instructed my men to spread some false information. I believe no one will be able to determine which piece of news is real and what you truly look like."
Nan Pinghai had a solemn expression on his face but a fawning gaze in his eyes.
Hearing his words, Chen Chen glanced at Nan Pinghai, who was an Essence Soul realm expert. 'I knew it, he's not really as careless as he seems.'
"What do you intend to do?" Chen Chen asked, getting straight to the point.
Nan Pinghai originally wanted to say some pleasantries, but when he saw Chen Chen's shrewd gaze, he immediately stopped himself.
"Lord, I've completely offended that organization this time, and I can't go out to the sea again in the future. However, I'm feeling indignant... Last night, I tossed and turned in bed and felt that you're the only person I can rely on to continue having a place within the territory of the Boundless Sea. Hence, I've been waiting near the port today, and I didn't expect to have met you so soon."
"Rely on me? Do you want to come back to the mainland with me?" Chen Chen asked indifferently.
Nan Pinghai was extremely shocked to hear that.
It was unbelievable to him that a terrifying existence that could manipulate the great sea demons did not want to develop in the Endless Sea but wanted to return to the inland instead.
Not surprised to see his expression, he continued to speak profoundly. "There's now a war between the two clans, and I'm still a disciple of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan while my Dao partner is the future Clan Master. My brother is probably going to become the leader of the Seven Lethal Demon Clan in the future. With so much karma, how can I not go back to participate in the war?"
Nan Pinghai was stunned by his words.
Although the islands of the Boundless Sea were not connected to the inland, they were influenced by the four major clans all the time.
At the end of the day, the cultivators of the Boundless Sea were all in disunity. Although they had a large number of treasures, the cultivation methods, alchemy, and Qi refinement standards of the cultivators in the Boundless Sea were far inferior to those on the mainland.
In the end, the wealth obtained by those cultivators of the Boundless Sea would still have to go to the mainland. In particular, the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan absorbed nearly half of the wealth of the Boundless Sea.
'Yet, the man in front of me...is the disciple of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan. He's also so powerful in the other clans.'
'Although he didn't say anything because he's keeping a low profile, he probably has a high status in the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.'
Thinking of this, his expression became more and more respectful.
"I am just an itinerant cultivator in the Endless Sea, I'm too narrow-minded and I've embarrassed myself. As for returning to the mainland..."
At this point, Nan Pinghai shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Lord, please pardon me for being blunt. This is the Boundless Sea. I still have some power here, but once we get to the mainland, I'll just be an ordinary Essence Soul realm cultivator who can't do much."
Chen Chen frowned slightly after hearing that and felt that it made sense too.
If Nan Pinghai was just going to be a fighter, it would be a waste of talent.
The thought of the fact that he could manipulate the sea demons made Chen Chen feel a little displeased.
'If I remember correctly, that force seems to also demand protection fees from the giant ships. Nan Pinghai didn't pay the protection fees, so the mysterious man appeared.'
'Isn't he trying to poach me?'
'If I can replace that force and collect the protection fees instead... That'd be a stable source of income.'
...
Chen Chen gradually brainstormed, and he soon came up with a majestic business blueprint in his head.
He would protect the safety of the giant ship and collect protection fees from them.
The Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan would then acquire the treasures and give Spirit Stones to the cultivators.
The cultivators would most likely spend those Spirit Stones on elixirs produced by the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.
After their strength was increased, they would continue to go out to the sea and hunt for treasures while still paying him protection fees.
He would be able to benefit from each cultivator at least thrice.
Of course, these benefits are not the key. The important thing was that he would be able to gradually control more cultivators of the Boundless Sea.
Although there were no Void Refinement realm cultivators in the Boundless Sea, most of the cultivators were mobile, and if they gathered together, they would form a large force.
Anyway, they would be dozens of times stronger than the State of Zhou and the State of Jin. There probably wasn't such a large force among the human race, except for the four clans and the four imperial dynasties.
Besides, it was all under the premise that he could protect the safety of the giant ships.
At the thought of this, Chen Chen secretly contacted Green Bean.
He wanted to see if Green Bean had a way to get a token or a symbol that would serve as a signal for the giant sea demons to not attack.
...
A moment later...
Chen Chen gradually relaxed. By the time he raised his head to look at Nan Pinghai again, his eyes were full of confidence.
"Nan Pinghai, I want to unify the islands of the Boundless Sea. Do you think I can do it?"
Nan Pinghai's eyes were immediately filled with excitement.
Both of them whispered in the private room for a while and were soon satisfied.
...
After setting a general direction with Nan Pinghai, Chen Chen stayed in the inn for the night. He then flew towards the inland.
The strategy that they decided on was to build a trade union.
They would strive to pull all boats of various sizes into this trade union within the shortest time possible.
In the future, as long as the ships were from the alliance, their safety at sea would be guaranteed. As for the other ships that did not belong to the alliance, their fate would have to depend on God.
In addition, the sales of all the treasures and elixirs would be included in the system of the trade union.
Those who sold their treasures to the trade union would obtain a certain discount when they buy elixirs.
In the long run, the cultivators of the islands of the Boundless Sea would definitely be influenced by the trade union.
After all, the development of those islands was dependent on the Boundless Sea. If Chen Chen was in control of the Boundless Sea, it meant that he was in control of their lives.
As for the mysterious force, it would be difficult for them to continue developing without their greatest reliance.
Of course, according to Chen Chen's idea, it was better to destroy it directly when there was an opportunity to do so.
Although his methods seemed essentially similar to that of the mysterious force, Chen Chen would eventually contribute the benefits back to the human race. However, no one knew whom the benefits gained by the mysterious force went to.
"Hey, I'm doing it for the good of future generations. With my talent, how many years can I showboat in this world? At the end of the day, I'll still be letting the later generations benefit."
Chen Chen comforted himself while flying.
Chen Chen decided that he would be the one to create a better world for future generations!
...
He planned carefully along the way and gradually perfected the plan in his mind.
He couldn't trust Nan Pinghai entirely, and he thought that he had to get a few more people to join him and strike a balance.
There were many islands near the Boundless Sea, and he didn't expect to see immediate results in a short time.
According to his plan, it would be considered good progress if the trade union could rise within a year or two.
...
After flying for most of the day, Chen Chen saw the familiar gate of the Jade Tripod Alchemy Clan.
He had informed Yu Qiong of his impending arrival before returning to the sect.
During the trip, he found the last treasure that Yu Qiong needed. He could imagine how much it meant to Yu Qiong, but he wouldn't give the treasure away easily, no matter what.
Chen Chen planned to take this opportunity to test Yu Qiong and see just how wealthy she was!
'It shouldn't be too much for her to give me something in return for the treasure she takes from me, right?'