Chapter 39: Chapter 39 – Sunken Treasure.

“Alert! Alert! Money making opportunity available.” The system interrupted at an inopportune time. Their boat was moored for the night in-between two sandbanks. Many such sand banks surrounded the coastline of the kingdom effectively creating a channel of calm water surrounding the Kingdom.

It was not usual for boats to drop their anchors next to such places at night. This was not their lucky night though as a group of Spirit Seals had chosen to attack them. The seals were not overly strong, but it was still taking time for Yen Wen and the Guards to take care of them.

Xiulan had also asked her Parrot to help out and the spirit pet was diving in and out of combat. Noticeably not helping were the Princess and her bodyguard. Them and Xiulan.

“You are not going to help your own people to fight?” said Qi Shen with distaste.

The Princess gave him an annoyed look but herself asked, “I can feel your cultivation and I am sure you can fight so why not join in for the practise if nothing else?”

Xiulan yawned before replying, “I am a merchant not a fighter. I employ guards to protect me and my goods. Let others specialise in fighting. I only want to make money.”

Xiulan casually started looking around for some highlighted object. The system had highlighted Zheng Ling’s pills the last time it had alerted her to a money-making opportunity.

“That sounds very ignoble, but I know that your Combine had greatly improved the lives of those in the interior,” probed the Princess, “those do not seem like the actions of a heartless money focused merchant.”

Xiulan finally caught sight of a glow that seemed to be coming from the water underneath the boat. Smiling she turned to the princess and countered, “I never said I was heartless. I care about my people. You must understand one thing though Princess. The Combine does not help people for no profit. The business model is actually quite exploitative. One thing that is true though is that I offered the people of the interior a product that they desperately wanted and needed. Supply meeting demand, that how you make money.”

Punctuating Xiulan’s speech, the last spirit seal gave an awful cry of pain. Xiulan’s Parrot had buried its beak it its eye and blood was gushing from the wound.

“What about slavery are you indifferent to that suffering in the face of profits as well?” The Princess snapped at Xiulan.

Xiulan looked at the woman but deflected the question, “we can discuss the policies of your family at length later Princess for now I have something I must attend to.”

Qi Shen growled at Xiulan’s tone but made no other aggressive moves.

Xiulan tiptoed her way around the bodies of the seals, avoiding pools of blood as she went. Looking over the side Xiulan squinted into the water to try and find out what the system was highlighting. The water was still dark, but Xiulan managed to appraise whatever the highlighted object was in the water:

Soul Calming Seaweed – This rare plant only grows in places of tragedy where the souls of the dead need to be calmed. Once a plant has grown it can be reproduced through farming. Its effects are reduced but still much in demand. When ground in to a paste and burnt, the seaweed releases a scent that calms the mind for improved cultivation efficiency.

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That would certainly be a useful product to market to the coastal cultivators.  Xiulan called over to Yen Wen who was wiping blood off of herself, “there is some kind of shipwreck down there. In the morning can you and some of the stronger guards dive in to check it out. There might be some treasure to uncover.”

At least Xiulan assumed it was a shipwreck she was not sure how else tragedy could have struck out here in the ocean.

Xiulan wanted to take the seaweed right away, but she did not entirely trust the Princess and her bodyguard not to covet the plant. A better plan would be to send back some Golden Hand members to remove the seaweed when she reached Silver Bay. Some members had already infiltrated the city at the mouth of the western river in preparation for her arrival. Besides the bay was the only place that Xiulan could think of farming the plants. Presumably they required Sea Water to survive.

“Any salvage from the waters of the sea is property of the Royal family,” a sudden discordant voice sounded out. Qi Shen looked smug after denying Xiulan profit.

Xiulan sighed and said, “oh, then I suppose I will just leave the spoils of the royal family to rot out here in the ocean. I am sure that they will send someone to fetch it sometime in the next century.”

Princess Lijuan gave Qi Shen a withering look and said, “I have the authority to grant salvage rights. A fee of a single copper will be sufficient. Qi Shen looked embarrassed at his own pettiness. Although it was more the fact that the Princess was displeased with him.

The next morning Yen Wen and a few guards dove down into the water. There was indeed a shipwreck down there. For cultivators holding their breath for extended periods was not a problem.

The ship was not very deep down and could actually be seen from the surface in the light of the day. A massive chunk had been taken out of the hull. There were no distinguishing Marks to identify the wreck’s origin and there was only a small chest of gold in the Captains quarters.

What was present, was a lot of was skeletons. It was no wonder that the Seaweed had grown here. Xiulan made a mental note of the Sand Bars location and then ordered the crew to cast off when they were aboard.

The chest only had about fifty pieces of gold in it and Princess Lijuan commented, “sorry it was not a bigger find.”

Xiulan smiled and answered, “it is okay Princess. It is always worth investigating opportunities like that. You never know what you will find that is of value.”

Internally Xiulan thought to herself, “I know now for example that you need me for something. Why else would you offend your bodyguard.”

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