The trip had been going on for quite a while now, and Kai tried to get as much information as possible, so that he would know what to be prepared for.
Kai had learned a lot of interesting details during the trip, for example, that the Border City had a currency in the form of energy stones. Gold was completely useless there, no one was interested in it. Since eighty percent of the people in the city were martial artists, the things they were most interested in were cultivation, as well as magic items or various herbs. Each of the aforementioned items helped in some way or another to raise one's strength to the next level.
The problem was that you couldn't pay for a magic item with gold, because you would need to bring a mountain of gold in exchange. Spiritual stones, on the other hand, had a more practical application, they were essentially blobs of energy that crystallized into a solid substance. That is, a master could absorb energy directly from them, and it was much faster than from the external environment. Thus, all martial artists needed them, for they increased their cultivation speed!
Moreover, they had a very convenient function. The stone had an outer shell that had to be broken with one's energy so that one could absorb energy from it. Once you started this process, you had to absorb everything until the stone lost all of its energy and collapsed, because if you absorbed only a part of it and left the stone alone, the energy would continue to dissipate on its own. So currency manipulation when someone absorbed half of the energy and paid with a half-used stone was ruled out.
There were mines on the border with spiritual veins where these stones were mined. Almost all of it went to the Shadow Sect, and a small portion went to the Capitals of the Four Empires. The salaries of all the workers in the mines, as well as the military personnel who performed various tasks, were also given in energy stones.
Thus, energy stones were the perfect currency. Everyone needed them, they were mined in limited quantities, and they couldn't be counterfeited.
Because of this, there was a constant influx of traders to Border Beast City, willing to exchange goods for energy stones or other rare items to resell for more money at their outlets throughout the Shadow Sect. Barring the fact that most of the loot went to the Shadow Sect, Border City was essentially like a separate small state, with its own economy, government, and army.
Kai realized that the city mostly kept so many troops in the city for the safety of resource extraction and localized turf battles with ferocious beasts.
Full-scale wars were extremely rare, they might occur once every few years. If some incredible treasure or rare material was discovered in the Endless Wasteland, a real massacre would begin over it. And it could be said that in such battles, Generals and people from the top of the Glory Ranking were the main force. Ordinary soldiers could only die from the residual energies from fighting these monsters from the higher realms of cultivation.
Ordinary soldiers were mostly engaged in guarding workers, hunting beasts, or scouting out into the wasteland to explore the lands and discover rare items.
When Kai talked about the balance of power in the Border City, he learned that warriors mostly formed large alliances or small groups, to accomplish different missions and earn money, as well as to defend themselves from the attacks of others. For within the city the law of the jungle reigned, the strong devour the weak! Through very high competition and struggle for resources, warriors tried to group together to make it easier to confront other forces.
Your material condition was also very important, as energy stones could buy a lot of different wonders. What attracted Kai the most was the special cultivation zones! It turned out that there were areas in the city that had been created by Masters of higher level Arrays!
Such places could, for example, gather the energy of a certain attribute, or create incredible pressure that would make training twice as fast. There were even illusory arrays where one could train in combat, it seemed to be something similar to his Asura Hell, but from the descriptions, he realized that in fact it was just a place to train reflexes, pain was dulled and the energy was not exhausted like his cultivation techniques. It was said that there were even more mysterious areas!
- Listen Diso, we'll have to look at the situation for the first time and don't get into any trouble... In Border City, there are many alliances that might want to scare us or recruit us as their henchmen. - Kai reasoned.
- Yeah, you tell yourself that! Before I met you, I enjoyed a life of peace and bliss! It's you among the two of us, the master of finding problems on your ass! - The fat man grumbled.
- I've been thinking about a strategy for getting into town. And I think we need to start by keeping you safe. Even though you're joking about me, I could get into a confrontation with someone, and I don't want to drag you down with me. - Kai said thoughtfully.
- I wasn't joking, what are you talking about?! I wasn't joking! Okay... I'm starting up again. What are your ideas brother Kai? - Rubbing his temples, Diso asked.
- In the city, there are so many merchants and outlets. But as I found out, every outlet needs a permit and a right of ownership. No one can just trade and no one can take your point away from you. This is very clearly monitored by the responsible law enforcement agencies in the city! Through this, many warriors begin to cooperate with merchants and sell through them the items they got in the wasteland. - Kai explained.
Sometimes the strong warriors would kill ferocious beasts or find rare herbs, but because they were always on missions they didn't have time to sell the items. They would make a contract with a merchant and the merchant would sell their items, taking a percentage of the proceeds. It was a very convenient system of cooperation. The craftsmen had a constant outlet, and the merchant had a constant influx of new quality goods, so everyone benefited!
- So, fatty... It's pointless to take you on missions, you'd rather die there, but if I could get you a sales outlet! Hehehe. - Kai laughed slyly.
- I'm listening to you, go on... - The fat man said with burning eyes, beginning to understand something.
- There is also a nuance in the goods you will sell... Your supplier will naturally be me, and I need to increase my rank as soon as possible to take missions on the outing. With an initial rank five, we can only guard the mines... That's too slow, we need a higher starting point... - Kai thought aloud.
- In the Border City, power is very important! You can increase your rank either by earning reputation points by completing missions, or you can just fight for rank! If you can put up a decent bid, you will be accepted to fight, and if you win, you will automatically get your opponent's rank. I'm sure that almost no one in the Cultivator realm will be able to resist me! - Said Kai.
- Where are you going with this? - The fat man asked a little irritated, he was getting tired of Kai's long monologue.
- I can kill two birds with one stone! We need to find someone with a trading point and a higher rank! We get him to put his title up for bid. And when I win, we automatically get what we want! - Kai said with a sly smile.
- When I win, I'll get you your own trading point, and I'll also immediately increase my rank! That way, you'll be safe to do your business, and I can take more dangerous and profitable missions and sell our loot through you! Money and power, that's what rules in Border City and we'll cover both problems in one move! - Looking at the fat man, Kai smiled evilly, he looked like some kind of evil genius.
- That's all well and good, but what's your bet? Nobody gives a shit about gold, and I don't have anything of value on me. I didn't know when I went to the banquet that I'd be sent to the fucking border! - The fat man's starting to get excited again.
- Don't worry, I have some ideas, hehehe... - Kai laughed wickedly and looked at Diso, giving him a thumbs-up, as if he had everything in hand.
The fat man didn't realize if he was messing with him again or not. Kai had a pretty bad sense of humor... Looking at him, Diso started thinking about something and pouring sweat.
- Brother, you're not offering me as a slave as a bargain, are you?! - Shouted the fat man.
- Hehehe, have you learned to read my mind? - Angrily said Kai.
- Brother, how can it be, I understand, you're confident, but if you lose? - Already starting to get paranoid asked Diso.
- Hahaha, relax fatty, you're not worth a trading post. Who the fuck needs you? - Kai started laughing loudly and gave Diso a friendly pat on the back.
- Fuck you! - The fat man realized that Kai was just messing with him again and laughed in relief.
The caravan had been moving for almost two months now, they realized that in a few days they would already have to arrive at the Border Beast City. Kai was already planning and preparing the ground for a comfortable existence and development in the Border City of the Beast.