Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 428 - 367 Analysis of the Merchants Council_1

Chapter 428: Chapter 367 Analysis of the Merchants Council_1

The screen shifted, and they were now at a blood-red mountain peak. Two riders, along with a ghostly Giant Dragon descended from the sky, opening a magic barrier and delving into the Dragon’s Nest.

The mountainous piles of treasure within made the members of the Sambiyan Merchants Council green with envy.

But what happened next was even more horrifying. The shadow of the warrior came to life, transforming into a monstrous shadow monster that not only swallowed the ghostly Giant Dragon but also engulfed the mountainous treasure.

They finally understood how the Red Dragon’s Nest had been emptied.

From start to finish, the perspective of the footage was secret filming.

The warrior who could control shadows obviously possessed terrifying perception power and seemed to sense something, glancing towards the location of the secret filming.

Then there was the sound of panicked footsteps running away, and everything came to an abrupt end.

The entire Merchants Council did not continue their discussion but fell into silence.

Because what had happened was beyond their comprehension.

No one could recognize what spell had been used to swallow both the ghostly Giant Dragon and the mountain-like Gold Coins.

People always hold a sense of awe towards the unknown.

Oudes’ voice leisurely rose again, "That’s the whole story. Let’s hear your thoughts; what do you make of this?"

"I think we’ve been a bit too aggressive with our approach to Weizemay Manor this time. It contradicts our usual way of doing things. We should try a few more times and attempt to obtain the manor from his hands through monetary means."

"Forget about trying to buy Weizemay Manor. Haven’t you seen the reality yet? That young man named Gaven, with his advanced business thinking, made a bold move to collaborate with Regina’s opera troupe. Do you think they’d stop such a partnership after tasting success?

No, absolutely not. They will only build it bigger.

Under this operation, even ordinary wine could be sold for three to four times its original price.

And I have reason to suspect that they might have mastered the craft of making Ghost Grape Wine.

No, initially, I only had my suspicions, but now I am one hundred percent certain."

A loud and passionate voice declared.

Oudes’ gaze fell on the tall man, and he asked curiously, "Councilor Kendrick, why are you so certain?"

"Because of the shadow he controlled. Haven’t you noticed that shadow resembles something?" Councilor Kendrick did not answer directly, but instead posed a question.

This question plunged all the council members deep into thought.

"The manor, that shadow looked just like the shadow a manor would cast on the ground."

"Exactly, I remember now. It indeed looks very much like the shadow of a manor."

Many council members shouted in agreement.

"I guarantee that it is Weizemay Manor!" Kendrick spoke with utmost certainty, "It’s not as simple as becoming a Ghost Manor; it has become an extraordinary Mage Tower, one that has a connection with its owner. Trying to take over a strange Mage Tower with an owner when we don’t fully understand it—we’re bound to suffer losses."

Hiss...

In the grand hall, a collective gasp was heard.

Kendrick’s conjecture was indeed astonishing.

But the rationality of it was undeniable.

Only such an explanation could clarify the uniqueness of Weizemay Manor.

It could explain the series of extraordinary events.

Seizing a manor was one thing.

Seizing a Mage Tower was quite another.

Even if they managed to take it, they wouldn’t dare live there.

Who knows what dark, dangerous mechanisms were hidden within, one wrong move could mean death.

Uh, even if it wasn’t a Mage Tower, no one dares to live there now, because it has become a haunted estate.

In Sambia, there are always about ten or eight incidents each year where wealthy merchants die in haunted estates, Ghost Castles, or houses with malevolent spirits.

Only a very few are interested in such places; the majority are deeply wary of them.

This is why, in the valleys nearby, with so many Ghost Manors or Ghost Castles, they don’t reclaim them as Gaven did, but instead spend a lot of money and effort to slowly build their own estates, castles from scratch—the reason being safety.

Fearing death is not a disease that only Oudes had, but a common ailment among most people.

Especially those with wealth and power, they fear death more than the average person.

Oudes stared at Councilor Kendrick’s murky eyes as a glint of surprise flashed through them, seemingly astonished by the other’s conjecture, and then he asked, "Councilor Kendrick, is it based on this reason that you believe they can mass produce Ghost Grape Wine?"

"Yes," Kendrick nodded and said, "I once had Priests skilled in channeling Negative Energy try to artificially produce Ghost Grape Wine, and found the difficulty far exceed expectations. It’s not as simple as directing Negative Energy into the wine.

If we did that, we’d end up with nothing but bottles of rotten Evil Water that would cause one’s insides to decay, not the uniquely effective Ghost Grape Wine."

Kendrick’s gaze swept over the other members of the Merchants Council, "Don’t tell me you haven’t conducted such experiments."

"Indeed, the creation of Ghost Grape Wine is not as simple as just infusing Negative Energy; it likely involves arcane secrets and processes we have yet to master."

"But I have meticulously studied the emergence of Ghost Grape Wine, and it seems to materialize out of nowhere. Duke Kolonfer is merely a moderately famous wine merchant, whose limit should be making quality Crystal Wine; he shouldn’t have the capacity to produce Ghost Grape Wine, particularly not in large quantities."

"The appearance of Ghost Grape Wine coincided with Weizemay Manor being reclaimed. That Half-Elf named Gaven probably just lucked out, reaping benefits made by others, instead of making it himself. Therefore, the key to Ghost Grape Wine lies in Weizemay Manor."

"According to normal reasoning, if one were to reclaim a manor, the first thing to do would be to hire Priests or Paladins to thoroughly cleanse it. However, this new Lord of the Manor, despite having good relations with the Hammer of Holy Light, did the opposite and continued to promote the Manor’s ghostly reputation, even opening it to outsiders for visits.

I believe there’s an ulterior motive; after much thought, I can only come up with one explanation that makes sense and fits all the clues: that it’s used for producing Ghost Grape Wine. Only by keeping the manor grim and filled with dense Negative Energy can Ghost Grape Wine be mass-produced. That, I think, is why Councilor Kendrick guessed they have the means to produce it in bulk,"

"Hiss... You mean to say that replicating Ghost Grape Wine isn’t that easy and that in the short term, it remains an exclusive product of Weizemay Manor? If so, the value of Weizemay Manor is far greater than we imagined.

It can produce at least twenty thousand bottles of Ghost Grape Wine a year, and even if the market price stabilizes, with a monopoly, they could sell it for a minimum of one hundred fifty Nu Bao each. With an annual output of three million, that’s the total annual production of a large caravan with thousands of horse carts and ten thousand employees."

"I’ve heard that several Dignitaries are sending people to look for similar Ghost Manors and Ghost Castles while actively stockpiling wine. You aren’t trying to mimic the initial loss of Weizemay Manor, to see if you can produce Ghost Grape Wine, and by the way, study its production process and secrets, are you?"

"So what if we are? Don’t you want to master the production methods of this precious Magic Wine?"

"Of course, I do, but I fear that such a method would take too long. By the time you’ve worked it out, Weizemay Manor’s Ghost Grape Wine will have already captured the entire market share, and what you produce won’t sell."

"Councilor Aligo, why do I feel there’s an implication in your words?"

"Previously, we were only considering the problem of Weizemay Manor producing its own wine, but we forgot—if this wine is not the result of a unique production process, but a consequence of magical aberration caused by the external environment, they don’t necessarily have to use their own wine. They could entirely take in external wine for processing.

I heard that during the Ghost Grape Wine Auction, they took the opportunity to purchase up to fifty thousand bottles of ordinary wine. Once transformed into Ghost Grape Wine, who can distinguish whether the wine is actually produced by Weizemay? Or by other manors? Or for that matter, who would bother to make the distinction?"

"Fifty thousand bottles? Hiss... That amount is shockingly large. If indeed all are transformed and released into the market, it will deal a fatal blow to the prices. The market for this Magic Wine is relatively narrow, only affordable to a specific group.

The ten thousand bottles that flowed into the market were enough to satisfy the entire market for a year and a half, not to mention, these Ghost Grape Wines were not all that Weizemay Manor produced. It was said that Lord Ilmet and the Hammer of Holy Light have both received thousands of bottles, and the manor’s stockpile is estimated to be even greater."

"Monopoly! This is a shameless monopoly! We must break this monopoly! Weizemay Manor should not be in the hands of one person, but in the hands of a collective like our Merchants Council!"

"Exactly, it should be so!"

Kendrick said angrily, "What time is it now? And you are still coveting someone else’s property? Even if the annual output of Weizemay Manor reaches ten million, it doesn’t have the slightest thing to do with us!"

"Has our Lord Kendrick’s knight addiction flared up again? If we’re not concerned about the property of Weizemay Manor, what are we doing gathering here? We might as well be at home, snuggling with lovers and wives, having a good sleep!"

"Are you scared just because the other party has shown a bit of extraordinary strength, and you’re ready to let go?"

"Do you have a better plan?"

"Not at the moment!"

After the initial shock, the members of the Sambiyan Business Council gradually regained their composure.

They weren’t strangers to big storms and waves; it was just that the opponent’s performance was too unexpected. It didn’t really scare them into retreating.

If just a ninth-circle spell and the death of a young Giant Dragon were enough to utterly terrify them, Sambia would have crumbled apart long ago.

Or perhaps, do nothing at all and stick to being honest merchants.

After a round of discussion and deliberation, they became even more certain of the unique short-term status of Weizemay Manor, and the huge potential commercial value it held.

Although they were looking for suitable substitutes, not to mention how hard these were to find, even if found, replicating the uniqueness of Weizemay Manor was also a big question.

Ultimately, this only intensified their coveting of Weizemay Manor.

Oudes’s gaze still rested on Kendrick, he continued to ask, "Councilor Kendrick, what do you think we should do next?"

Without a second thought, Kendrick replied, "Stop all foolish hostile actions. We should proceed as we originally planned, and follow the legal process, putting pressure on Lord Ilmet. After all, the purchase agreement with Duke Kolonfer was signed with him, and he has the responsibility to ensure our interests in Battle Valley."

In the Sambiyan Merchants Council, one must appear to be fair and impartial, but there is no true fairness and impartiality.

If that were really the case, he wouldn’t be here, but rather at a monastery becoming a Holy Warrior.

Kendrick simply disagrees with the actions of the other members of the Merchants Council in style, it doesn’t mean he is on Gaven’s side.