Partnerships

Alf raised his hand and began to lay down the main points of the discussion that were the unimportant parts. "So the biggest issues are our suffering business thanks to the warlord sects position that is getting in the way of or causing us to have less profits from our business with several influences from the central lands. The rampaging beast waves that occasionally target the surrounding villages but also the lack of resources that continue to diminish while we have poorly managed farm lands that is not of any help."

The scarred man with the braided hair and beard sighed. "Pretty much yes. Although we can request aid from the capital there is a limit to how much they can do for us before everything repeats itself and we will be forced to give in to the higher nobles demands."

Everyone wanted their own independence and wished to pursue their own dreams and fortunes but if things continued on this path then they may have no choice to request support.

Once the nobles in the capital get a hold of their weakness they will begin to squeeze at it until they get everything out of these people as they possibly can.

Ki thought for a moment and then spoke. "How about satisfying their vanity?"

The scarred man's eyes coldly looked over to her and asked. "Your meaning?"

She began to lay out her thoughts. "If you have something they need and there is also something they need then a trade can be made. All you need to do is find out what they may wish for or what is popular among the nobility to make them wish to help. One would be high quality products never seen before while another would be symbols of wealth like old relics, gems or jewellery. My family can assist with such items that would catch their eyes at a price of course."

Over the years Ki had been trying to sell the many types of gems, jewellery and relics discreetly on the black market and through various aliases but in order to not attract attention she had not yet scratched the surface in selling them all.

After hearing their discussions she got a vague understanding of the northern nobility within the capital.

They would offer assistance to the people of their land but if it did not benefit them too much or prove to be pointless to help many noble families would begin to withdraw their support or wish to receive more benefits for their assistance even if the emperor himself had voiced not to do so.

Everything is about self preservation in the north and if they give out too much they would only be weakening themselves.

However Ki was able to figure out one thing that was important for those in high positions and status…

It was the need to show off their status, wealth and power to let others know that they are above them.

Fancy clothing, jewels, expensive and rare food and drink, old and well preserved relics and other items that the common folk would not be able to get their hands on are things that would satisfy their vanity.

While they may have their own sources to get such things, how could they match the financial and trading abilities of the Bombyx family and its connections?

Although the Bombyx family could not be considered the leader in the business world within the central lands they still control the merchant city called Wolfden city and have their businesses spread out providing them with many profits and connections.

Many wished to join hands with the family in the central lands so if a hand was extended to the north would they be able to look past the bloodline differences and do business with her?

The scarred man looked a little suspicious and then coldly responded as if in an authoritative position within those of the group. "We will take your words and consider them but what makes you think that everything will go the way you say? Even if the nobles are solved this time there is also a next time and then there is the sects, the various villagers or tribes to deal with and then the beasts. Then finally we still have the toll problem caused by the warlord sect.. it was so much easier to reduce the fees to pass through and transport several traded goods back and forth when the divine ice sect was around because they had very low needs and wants. All they ever asked for was the occasional donation of young females, ice herbs or some food."

Many people who had wished to abandon their baby daughters in the cold mountains to freeze to death or be eaten by wild beasts held off on their thoughts because they had hope to sell their daughter to someone who wished to cooperate with the divine ice sect.

This may have helped to prevent many tragedies but it did not mean that it did not completely stop or that the child entering the sect was what was best for them.

Nobody could say whether it was better for them to grow up with their family or if it was better that they grew up enduring the harsh training and challenges within the sect but themselves.

Ki tilted her head and spoke calmly as her voice was still quite hoarse. "First comes making use of the abandoned but fertile lands and trying to develop them further to promote further food supplies, productivity of the people and a way of life to help provide for many lives. Warriors of various tribes who wish to earn glory or a reward of some kind can join in on the beast hunting and dealing with the best waves but I am sure cooperation can be made with the capital or even maybe the warlord sect. If the price and meaning behind the cooperation is worth it for them then they may act out of your expectations. Whether it is a warlord, hero, warrior or whatever they have many things in common and that is their motivations, give them a chance at glory, honour and to gain many things then they may be more cooperative. As for the trading route issue it may be that way for now but I will be trying to establish a deal with them to sort this out in the future. If the ice attribute herbs are going to waste and only ever being used to trade within the capital then I would be willing to use my families name to purchase them for research purposes and we also have many orphanages under our name that would gladly accept unwanted daughters that have been sold to you."

It was hard to say how they had dealt with the daughters they had purchased from various families over the years since they could no longer use them to make deals with the divine ice sect but it would not hurt to put her hand outward to offer them an alternative solution.

Little did they know that she in fact had the main inheritance of the divine ice sect and their recipes for various types of pills and uses for their ice attribute flowers to help assist their practice speed.

With the addition of her poison and medicinal knowledge she was able to research several frost poisons and also several medicines or pills that would prove useful to the rising of the sect but now she still needed a steady supply of herbs.

Another man who looked to be half north and central lands bloodline looked intrigued and then carefully asked. "Then what is it that you can offer to make these things happen?"

The scarred man looked over and scowled as he crossing his arms over his chest while a couple of others with pure northern bloodline began to take some interest in her words.

Ki opened the box and introduced several items. "My family is looking for partners to work with in the north. We wish to set up a medicinal pavilion within the city and maybe even within the capital in the future for various other types of trade or business. What we need most are connections to purchase or trade for buildings or lands to start this up and those that can ensure that these businesses continue to operate and get the supplies and goods that have been transported."

Alf had already somewhat witnessed Ki's way of handling the people at the gates near the border and had the chance to witness her thoughtfulness and her ability to see farther and wider than most people within the room who were busy arguing among themselves so he spoke up. "Although I cannot speak for the whole of the group behind me right now I hope that I can offer my assistance and become a partner."

He had enough experience in dealing with people and trading matters to know that Ki was someone that had planned thoroughly for the future and even if some of her plans did fail for various reasons the overall profits earned in the long run would be huge.