"How dare you! Behold my Mountain-Pushing Hand!" The words had barely left his lips when a gigantic, visible hand shot out. With a deafening boom, it smashed the roof away. A flood of sunlight streamed in, instantly illuminating the dark study.
However, despite the impressive display of force, the actual effect was rather underwhelming. It missed completely, and upon jumping onto the roof, they found that Yuwen Huaji had already vanished.
Seeing this, Shi Long smiled slightly. It was good that he had escaped. Only if Yuwen Huaji successfully escaped could tens of thousands of imperial guards be brought back. Otherwise, if he were really killed, Yangzhou City might not be able to hold out under such dire circumstances.
Furthermore, upon returning, Yuwen Huaji should carefully consider who leaked the information. Suspicion will inevitably extend beyond the Yuwen family, ultimately leading to suspicion of the incompetent emperor. At that point, he will be even less concerned about Yangzhou City.
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Chapter Eleven: The Chosen Ones' Three Choices: Gold, Title, or Favor?
Good heavens! Shi Long, the top martial arts expert in Yangzhou, has rebelled!
Yuwen Huaji, the top young expert of the Yuwen family and the chief bodyguard of Yang Guang, has been defeated!
Yin Kaishan has also rebelled, and he has personally killed Yuchi Sheng, the governor of Yangzhou!
Master Shi has broken through to the Grandmaster level! Now we have a Grandmaster expert in Yangzhou!
A series of messages quickly spread throughout Yangzhou. The entire city then became like a giant powder keg, ready to explode at any moment. Spies from all sides used their abilities, and soon news of what had happened at Yuchi Sheng's residence spread far and wide.
Rumors circulated that a tyrannical emperor was coming to Yangzhou and planned to deal with the local forces beforehand. They also claimed that Yuwen Huaji was no match for Shi Long, fleeing after a single blow. Such rumors only added to the already chaotic atmosphere of Yangzhou.
Then, the disciples of Shilong Taoist Temple, who had temporarily taken over the gates of Yangzhou, discovered that there were a lot of people going out today.
These people were a diverse group: some said they were fishermen going out to fish, some said they were farmers going out to farm, and some said they were merchants going out to trade. But upon closer inspection, it became clear that these were all skilled in martial arts; none of them were ordinary people. Remembering the instructions from above, they said nothing and simply let them go.
Standing on high ground, looking at the spies from afar, Lin Yang smiled and said, "No matter what, we've finally succeeded. For the next month or so, we'll have complete freedom to do as we please."
"By the way, do you have any ideas? And what should we do to maximize our benefits?" Shi A asked upon hearing this. After all, he preferred wielding a sword to thinking things through.
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan turned around and asked curiously, "Yes, Fei Peng, do you have any good suggestions?"
"There are so many things we can do."
Seeing the two looking curious, Lin Yang paused and continued, "For example, the simplest thing is that you must have some kind of spatial artifact, like a storage ring."
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan and the other person nodded. Storage rings weren't particularly valuable in the main world; at least they could be bought with money. Things that could be bought with money weren't considered valuable. At least, that was the case for the two of them.
"So, we have three choices." As he spoke, Lin Yang held up three fingers.
"The first option is to just pack some valuables, such as gold, ginseng, or secret manuals. These things are considered hard currency and are very valuable even in the main world."
"This option is the first choice for truly penniless people, and it's most suitable for them. But you two are clearly not poor, nor do you lack this little bit of money. Therefore, this method is not advisable."
“That’s right, my necklace is only about ten feet in diameter. Any bigger and I won’t be able to use it. If such a large space were filled with gold, it would easily be worth tens of millions of taels. If I had that much money, I would be rich. But even the entire city of Yangzhou couldn’t be plundered that much.” Cai Yan said with a hint of discouragement, her small eyes gleaming.
“Yes, even if the people in this city are very wealthy, in such a short time, even with all sorts of methods, they could only manage to get around ten or twenty thousand taels of gold at most. If they go too far, they might even rebel, which would be a complete loss,” Shi A said, shaking his head.
Suddenly, upon hearing about tens of millions of taels of gold, Shi A was also very tempted. But after thinking about it, how much gold could be unearthed from a mere city like Yangzhou, even if it were searched from top to bottom? After all, storage space is only so big; if it's used to store silver, it wouldn't be worth much.
Hearing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but smile. Indeed, if you really had that much gold, even in the main world, you would be considered a rich person, but the problem is you don't.
"Therefore, there is a second option."
"That is to carefully compare the differences between the main world and this world, and see if there are any things that are very valuable in the main world but very worthless in this world."
"Or rather, are there any local specialties in this world that don't exist in the main world? These local specialties could be some valuable medicinal herbs, some inconspicuous tools, or even the seeds of some high-yield crops. If these were taken to the main world, they wouldn't be worth as much as gold," Lin Yang said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan's eyes lit up, and she said directly, "Yes, if we find high-yield seeds that can increase the yield of grain per mu from two shi to three or four shi, it is possible that a count or even a marquis with a fiefdom could be obtained."
This wasn't just Cai Yan making things up. Back during the first cycle of reincarnation, which was at the turn of the Qin and Han dynasties, there was a guy who, before entering reincarnation, was a farmer. In the mission world, he always liked to plant something.
Later, through planting and planting, they successfully cultivated a miraculous rice, for which he was granted a title of nobility. However, his descendants were unlucky; they encountered the utterly ruthless Emperor Wu of Han, who found a pretext to confiscate the miraculous rice and nationalize it…
Unlike Cai Yan, Shi A's first instinct was to find the medicinal herbs of this world. After all, medicine and martial arts are inseparable, and this wasn't just a saying. Shi A himself was also proficient in medicine.
If they were to find some rare and useful herbs and cultivate them in the main world, that would be a foundation for generations to come. With these herbs, a thousand-year-old family could easily emerge. Thinking of this, Shi A's breathing quickened.
It wasn't that he lacked vision, but rather that the temptations Lin Yang spoke of were simply too great. Whether it was the prospect of being a nobleman for generations or a family with a thousand-year history, they all filled Shi A, who originally came from a poor background, with envy.
"So, what is the third option?" Cai Yan suddenly smiled and looked at Lin Yang.
Upon hearing this, Shi A also perked up his ears. Yes, the second option is better than the first, so is the third option also better than the second?
"If the second one represents a vague and uncertain future, then the third one is the very real present."
"What is the most valuable thing in this world? It's not gold, nor is it any rare or precious material. No matter how much wealth you have, it will eventually run out. Therefore, for the whole world, the most valuable thing is knowledge," Lin Yang said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Shi A frowned. The argument was logically correct, but that was about it. It might fool elementary school students, but what real adult would take such profound truths seriously?
Suddenly, Cai Yan realized something and, as if she had thought of something, smiled broadly and said, "Does Fei Peng mean to sell these books to those fourth- or even fifth-tier powerhouses?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but laugh. Truly worthy of being a famous talented woman from the Three Kingdoms period, able to draw inferences from one instance to another—it sounds simple, but how many can actually do it?
These insights and knowledge from different worlds, or to use a more sophisticated term, civilization, are merely a glimpse into the world for ordinary people, holding little practical use. However, for those powerful individuals stuck at the fourth or even fifth tier, they are incredibly valuable.
Just like the book "Tao Te Ching," which is completely incomprehensible to ordinary people. But for a Taoist priest, it is invaluable wisdom. For a high-level cultivator, it is an extraordinary treasure, if he has never encountered this book before.
Moreover, the *Tao Te Ching* in different worlds will inevitably have some slight differences. These differences are insignificant to ordinary people. But for people like Zhang Jiao, Zhang Lu, Zuo Ci, and Yu Ji, they are priceless.
It can be said that if you give them the Tao Te Ching of this world, you will absolutely receive many unexpected benefits.
Similarly, if you take Xunzi from this world and go to the Xun family to pay them a visit, wouldn't that bring you some benefits?
It's fair to say that gaining the favor of these powerful individuals, and having them lend you a hand in crucial moments, is far more valuable than anything like gold.
Hearing Cai Yan's words, Shi A also realized something. Wasn't his master, the Great Swordsman Wang Yue, stuck at the fifth level, unable to make any progress for a long time? If he obtained this martial arts knowledge from another world and saw the world from a different perspective, would he find an opportunity to break through?
"Thank you very much, Feipeng. Once we return, as long as you come to the capital region, we wandering knights will be extremely grateful. At that time, whatever you need, just give me a call. Within my power, I, Shi A, will never go back on my word." As he spoke, Shi A patted his chest. After speaking, he reluctantly handed over a token.