radicalducati Page 109
Page 109
Therefore, it was fate that, out of respect for the Hu women and Persians, the sacred fire token, which had been preserved within the sect for a hundred years, was passed down, allowing it to see the light of day again!
"I see!"
Even Arans was somewhat bewildered upon hearing such a bizarre and convoluted story.
He couldn't quite tell what was true and what was false, but he knew that Zhang Xiaoshan had the Sacred Flame Token and that someone was practicing the supreme art of the Persian sect—the Sacred Flame Token Divine Skill!
That's enough!
Chapter 150 Tong Guan Wants Treasure, Zhang Xiaoshan's Grand gesture
Arans left, leaving behind the sword of Vasuki.
From the moment the Longquan Sword revealed its power, the Vasuki Sword had already been abandoned by Arans.
The Zhang family possesses numerous divine weapons, so they certainly don't need this one.
On the contrary, what I saw and heard today completely shattered Alan's previous understanding.
It can be said that the shock brought to him by the origin of the Sacred Flame Token fabricated by Zhang Xiaoshan was no less than what he asked for this time, and it also caused him to make a huge mess.
However, this was Zhang Xiaoshan's deliberate act to cover up the Black Mountain Envoy's true intentions.
How can a mere black slave compare to the perfect Holy Flame Token?
The value of the Black Mountain Envoy, once refined into a bronze-armored warrior, surpasses that of Ghost One and Ghost Three.
Moreover, the price those Persians paid for these six Sacred Flame Tokens was at least ten times the price they paid for information about Dai Qisi.
Otherwise, Zhang Xiaoshan would not have given up these six Xuan Tie Sacred Flame Tokens.
As for Dai Qisi and the others who have mastered the Sacred Flame Token martial arts, the Sacred Flame Token itself is no longer important. They can just forge a set using Xuan Iron later, which will only cost a little merit.
To avoid the fact that once the Sacred Flame Token is issued, not only will the Persian headquarters cause trouble, but the Zoroastrian sect in the Central Plains will also be attracted.
···
"How could the Zhang family refuse to give face to the Prime Minister!"
Is Your Majesty interested in Akhal-Teke horses and dragon-elephant steeds? How about this: the Zhang family will offer four Akhal-Teke horses and six dragon-elephant steeds as tribute.
Furthermore, two hundred forged goose-feather swords will be donated to the Imperial Palace to express gratitude for His Majesty's long-standing care for the Zhang family!
"Good! Good! Good..."
Tong Guan came here to test the Zhang family's intentions.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaoshan's first move involved ten fine horses and two hundred sharp blades forged from Uzi steel.
Even if the emperor knew, he would surely be overjoyed.
It should be known that the Akhal-Teke horse is already rare, but the Dragon Elephant Steed is unheard of before, and the two hundred Uzi steel goose feather knives are absolutely precious swords.
"By the way, this is a gift from the Persian merchant to the boy yesterday, the Vasuki Sword."
This sword is exceptionally ornate and incomparably sharp, but I am not skilled in swordsmanship. Therefore, I offer it as a token of my appreciation to Your Majesty!
Ask Liu Sheng Piaoxu to bring over a magnificent divine sword.
Even Tong Guan was immediately impressed; the sword's appearance was undoubtedly top-notch, especially after he effortlessly sliced through ten copper coins, which made him extremely delighted.
Its condition and sharpness are perfect!
"His Majesty will surely remember the Zhang family's kindness!"
To survive in the Song Dynasty, it was essential to be on good terms with the emperor. Therefore, Zhang Xiaoshan was generous in giving away almost anything he could, even things that were useless.
Despite their seemingly powerful Shire horses, their speed is inferior to that of ordinary horses.
Although Akhal-Teke horses are precious, the Zhang family only has two direct descendants, father and son. Two Shire horses each are enough to pull the RV, so there is no need for Akhal-Teke horses.
The remaining six Akhal-Teke horses are bestowed upon the Zhang family, as they have many skilled riders who frequently roam the wild. This would demonstrate the Zhang family's benevolence.
As he left, Zhang Xiaoshan took a small box of rubies and slipped it into Tong Guan's sleeve.
This made Tong Guan even more satisfied.
These gems are far more precious than gold, and they are all the finest pigeon blood red.
It's worth at least tens of thousands of gold!
"Is a mere emperor worth all this flattery?"
Lianxing looked at Tong Guan as he left, her eyes showing surprise.
The Zhang family gave away almost half of their treasures this time, showing how much they invested.
But the Zhang family neither vies for power nor participates in court affairs, so why would they need to spend so much money to curry favor with the emperor?
"This is something you ethereal fairies who don't understand the ways of the world can't comprehend."
If the Zhang family were a martial arts family, the emperor would naturally not need to pay attention to them, but the Zhang family are merchants.
On the surface, businessmen must abide by the law and value harmony!
But competition is everywhere. The business world is like a battlefield. Every businessman doesn't just earn a certain amount of money; at least half of it is spent on cultivating relationships.
The biggest network of connections was with the emperor.
"As for those things, most of them are useless to the Zhang family."
Whether it's a Ferghana horse or a dragon-elephant steed, it's just something novel to look at.
Leaving behind the four dragon-elephant steeds was merely a plan to build two motorhomes, using them to make pulling the vehicles easier.
These horses are also highly ornamental.
"The real gems, look which one is locked up."
"Is it?"
Lianxing wasn't interested in any of these things.
However, it is also known that the Zhang family are businessmen, and there are many places where they need to be greased.
Looking at Zhang Xiaoshan's completely unconcerned expression, it was clear that he had already taken it all in stride.
When Tong Guan returned to the palace with ten fine horses and an exceptionally magnificent sword, the emperor immediately bestowed rewards upon him the following day.
· ········Requesting flowers· ········
Brocade, jade discs, pearls... these are heartfelt gifts from the Zhang family.
The Zhang family sent useless things to the palace, and it's clear that this person also intends to send things that are about to rot in the palace to the Zhang family.
There were ten bolts of Yun brocade alone, each inch of which was worth its weight in gold; the pearls and jade discs were all top-quality goods, tributes from various regions…
Moreover, under the emperor's boundless grace, the Zhang family was exempted from taxes for three years.
The emperor greatly admired the dragon-elephant steed's divine power.
A single Shire horse can easily drag a bronze cauldron weighing thousands of kilograms, moving with incredible speed.
The power of the dragon and elephant is unparalleled!
Therefore, the three pairs of dragon-elephant steeds exempted the Zhang family from three years of taxes, and this huge tax burden amounted to at least a million gold coins.
........ ......
Once the imperial edict was issued, it reached the Zhang family before the Ministry of Revenue could even intervene.
Therefore, the Minister of Revenue was filled with remorse.
"What a Zhang family! They're nothing but lackeys and scoundrels!"
Under the Emperor's boundless grace, news of the Zhang family's contribution quickly spread throughout Lin'an Prefecture.
Undoubtedly, under the emperor's "boundless grace," officials would naturally give the Zhang family face, which was exactly what Zhang Xiaoshan wanted.
In this way, the Zhang family's business will basically not encounter any difficulties from the authorities.
But the atmosphere in the underworld was the opposite: spineless cowards, sycophants, and lackeys...
Almost all negative comments came rushing in. Those in the martial arts world, besides being wary of the Zhang family's strength, were extremely disgusted by the Zhang family's actions.
Or, to put it another way, it's like saying the grapes are sour because you can't have them!
BMW, precious sword, divine sword—which of these isn't a treasure coveted by martial arts practitioners? Yet, Zhang Xiaoshan sent half of them to the palace, where they were left unused and stored away!
Driven by envy, jealousy, and hatred, everyone harbored deep resentment towards the Zhang family.
Even after Zhang Xiaoshan sensed those emotions, he couldn't help but smile calmly.
Even those in the martial arts world might not appreciate the Zhang family's good deeds.
Moreover, having given them these, he probably wants more, especially the Dragon Balls in his possession.
But the emperor only wanted those seemingly 'magnificent' treasures, which could bring many benefits to the Zhang family, and there were no taboos in business.
Moreover, if the Zhang family is targeted by the authorities, the matter can generally be resolved through the emperor.
Chapter 151 Heroes Arrive, Four Great Masters
"Now that you're all here, why hide?"
Inside the study, Zhang Xiaoshan, who was designing a motorhome, looked outside. With Murong Jiu as an example, Zhang Xiaoshan had set up many traps around the area.
These mechanisms are not killing devices, but rather sound resonance similar to a stethoscope.
Combined with some seemingly dangerous setups in the surrounding area that are actually just designed to make people easily alarmed, this can trigger warnings to the greatest extent possible.
With all the sounds coming together, Zhang Xiaoshan, who was in his study, could sense what was happening outside.
After all, this place is full of women. If someone were to sneak in, even if all the women were experts, it would cause a lot of inconvenience.
"···"
Following Zhang Xiaoshan's invitation, the attendees showed up one after another.
Especially those experts, who did not expect to be discovered as soon as they appeared. It was obvious that Zhang Xiaoshan had set up a trap that they could not see.
As for "853" being a falcon or something similar? They hadn't heard anything about eagles or falcons.
Many people came, but there were only four true protagonists.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to have remained inactive for so long before suddenly appearing now. Most people are just there to watch the excitement and pick up bargains.
"Chai Yuguan, the Happy King of Loulan in the Western Regions!"
"It is the Child Granny of the Lingjiu Palace in Tianshan!"
"I am Zhu Yuyan, the Demonic Empress of the Demonic Sect!"
"Dongfang Bubai of the Sun Moon Cult!"
The moment the four masters unleashed their power, three figures in golden armor flashed within the villa and slowly emerged from the hall.
Bronze-armored warrior!
Those around glanced at him, their expressions all grave.
The reputation of the three bronze-armored warriors was such that even after dominating the martial arts world for decades, no one dared to claim they could defeat them in a one-on-one fight.
These bronze-armored warriors' achievements can only be described as illustrious.
His first moment of fame in the martial arts world was when he overwhelmed Yi Jian Fei Xue and Ba Han Ge Long, causing them to flee in disarray.
Afterwards, they fought against the enemy, the Moon Invitation of the Flower Palace, and the battle ended in a draw; most recently, the three of them joined forces and severely injured a giant-like master of external martial arts from the Persian Grand Master with a single move.
Faced with such a terrifying existence, no one has an absolute chance of victory against three opponents.
"Guests are welcome, but isn't it a bit much for you all to make such a grand entrance so late at night?"
"What a brat! He dares to lecture his grandmother! Does he really think he can intimidate her with just a few unknown bronze-armored experts?"
The Heavenly Child Granny's arrival was not solely for the purpose of seizing the Dragon Pearl or advancing to the Grandmaster level.
Instead, he was rumored to have supernatural powers and wanted to see if the Dragon Balls could cure his dwarfism and help him get through his next life-threatening ordeal.
But having lived to be over ninety years old, how could he possibly be willing to be scolded by a young upstart like Zhang Xiaoshan?
Enraged, she moved with lightning speed, most people only seeing a white blur, as fast as teleportation, a small hand slapping towards the leader, Ghost One.
The hands, seemingly childlike and delicate, actually contain a terrifyingly powerful palm force.