A giant, fond of drinking, had his eyes widen in surprise upon seeing the vast variety of spiritual wines within.
He hurried to the Nascent Soul cultivator managing the wine pavilion and asked, "Brother, how are the wines here sold? What is needed in exchange? I have many good things, would you consider a trade?"
...
"I apologize, honored guest. While the spiritual wines in this pavilion are for sale to the public, we do not accept bartering. This pavilion only accepts Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills."
The person in charge of the pavilion was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He had already received his instructions and was responding with great adroitness.
With a smile, he said, "The prices of the wines here are all similar, around three hundred Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills each..."
Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills were a type of pill specially refined by Wu Tao for the Giant race. In truth, the refining cost of these pills was not high, even quite affordable. They were made by improving upon original grain-pills with various spirit herbs that replenished Qi and blood. Although their refinement was simple, capable of being produced by ordinary alchemists, the Giants, unfortunately, did not know how to make them. They were unaware of this fact.
Vast jars of spiritual wine like these were simply beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. However, for these adult Giants, who possessed combat power comparable to Nascent Soul cultivators, a mere fraction of their spoils from the Heavenly Race and Golden Crow Race could purchase quite a bit.
"Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills? That little thing that just became popular?"
"But that little thing is just gaining traction, I don't have much of it?" the adult Giant, who enjoyed drinking, replied somewhat sheepishly, rubbing his head.
...
"Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills are the circulating currency of our Moonflower City. In Moonflower City, no matter what you buy, you need these pills. If you, honored guest, do not have Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills, you can also exchange for them elsewhere. We have a dedicated place for exchanging them!" The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in charge maintained his smile, showing no hint of displeasure.
...
"Oh, you have a place specifically for exchanging Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills? Where is it? I'll go take a look!" Upon hearing this, the adult Giant immediately pressed.
"Leave here and walk straight ahead. The largest and tallest building is the Exchange Pavilion for Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills," the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator enthusiastically gave directions.
Without much hesitation, the wine-loving Giant immediately headed towards the Exchange Pavilion. To his surprise, upon arriving, he saw a long queue outside the pavilion, and everyone in the line was a Giant. Various discussions arose from the crowd.
"Brother, this newly built Moonflower City is truly filled with treasures everywhere. Normally, to find a suitable weapon, we have to beg the Great Priests, and even then, the weapons aren't very effective."
"If we want a weapon that fits us well, it's incredibly difficult. I can't believe I just saw a hundred-zhang greatsword in the weapons pavilion. I tested its material, it's very tough and feels great in hand. I must buy it."
...
"Indeed, there are so many good things in the weapons pavilion. In my entire life, I've never seen such a diverse range of exquisite weapons. Today, I must buy one. If it weren't for the requirement of Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills to purchase things here, I would have bartered on the spot."
"I still have a complete corpse of a Golden Crow. That should be enough to exchange for quite a few Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills, right?"
"There's good wine for sale here too. They let me taste it, and it's far better than the wine brewed in our tribe."
The Giants, having toured Moonflower City extensively, were instantly abuzz. The sight of numerous weapons and fine wines stirred the hearts of these simple-minded, strong-limbed Giants.
Although the Giants specialized in physical cultivation, weapons were still very important to them. While they couldn't use magical artifacts or treasures like other races, they could use specially crafted, durable weapons. Unfortunately, the Giant race was not skilled in such fine craftsmanship. A good weapon had to be refined by the Great Priests of their tribes, using inherently hard ores and secret shamanic arts, which made weapons extremely expensive. This resulted in Giants possessing many precious ores or treasures, but these items had little practical use for them.
Now, discovering that Moonflower City had a vast array of things they needed, and at prices that were not prohibitively high, they naturally became very excited. Having recently emerged from a great battle and gained much from the Heavenly Race and Golden Crow Race, the Giants were naturally flush with treasures. Those coveting weapons and good wine began to bring out their treasures to exchange for Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills at the Exchange Pavilion.
Giant after Giant brought out their hoarded treasures to exchange for Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills, then excitedly rushed off to buy the items they desired. The corpse of a Heavenly Race member or a Golden Crow could fetch a considerable number of Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills. Considering the sheer number of Giants, one could imagine how many treasures they would produce. The Exchange Pavilion instantly transformed into a treasure trove.
Moreover, through this process, Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills were spreading among the Giant race at an astonishing rate. Since Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills were specifically refined for the Giant race, the Giants had no resistance towards them. After all, for the Giants, Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills were not merely currency; they also possessed a certain practical value.
Everything was proceeding according to Wu Tao's plan, in an orderly fashion. The circulation of Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills was progressing smoothly. If all went as expected, in the future, trade and business within the Giant race would completely abandon bartering and fully implement the grand policy of using Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills as currency. Once things reached this stage, the Giant race would be utterly unable to escape Wu Tao's control. If Wu Tao pointed east, the Giant race would have to go east; if he pointed west, they would have to go west. While this was beneficial for Wu Tao personally, it was a tragedy for the Giant race, a tragic fate for an entire race. Without their own currency, no matter how powerful this race was, they would ultimately be mere fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.
Setting aside the commotion among the Giants in Moonflower City for the moment.
In the City Lord's mansion of Moonflower City, Wu Tao and the leaders of various tribes were feasting and drinking. Here, Wu Tao was the host, and the others were naturally guests; this was self-evident and part of the established order.
...
Wu Tao sat in the main seat, while other tribal leaders took their seats according to their status. As soon as they sat down, many strongmen brought out plate after plate of specially prepared, abundant food for the Giants, including the meat of various divine beasts. The aroma from this meat was intoxicating, and the wine was of the finest spiritual quality; the standards were exceptionally high. Each tribal leader's table was piled high with all sorts of exquisite dishes. While these items were not exceedingly rare, their sheer quantity was impressive. The tribal leaders were not fools; a quick estimate revealed the considerable value of this food. They were all secretly astonished, impressed by the wealth of Wu Tao's provisions. Under Wu Tao's warm hospitality, the tribal leaders relaxed, raising their cups to drink heartily and eat sumptuously.
After several rounds of drinks, Wu Tao observed that the tribal leaders' faces were slightly flushed, and they were showing signs of intoxication. He then spoke.
"Everyone, please pause, please pause. I have something to say."
Upon hearing this, the tribal leaders all put down their oversized wine cups, knowing that the main event was about to begin. The guardian of the Sun-Shattering Divine Bow had convened them, so it was surely for something of great importance, not without reason.
...
"Fellow tribal leaders, I wish to propose the formation of a Giant army of around ten thousand men. I would like these ten thousand slots to be filled by Giants from your respective tribes. What do you think?"
"Please don't look at me like that. I'm not asking you to do it for free."
"How about this: one thousand Qi and Blood Replenishing Pills per Giant per month? I believe this salary is quite generous. What do you say?"
As soon as Wu Tao finished speaking, the tribal leaders erupted in astonishment. In the eyes of some of the great tribal leaders, a flicker of cunning flashed, and they looked at him thoughtfully. The tribal leaders, by virtue of being leaders, were naturally not foolish. They understood Wu Tao's intentions perfectly.
Wu Tao's proposal was essentially to utilize the Giants from their tribes for his own benefit. This method was truly ingenious; by merely offering pills, he could command their service. Although, due to their lack of experience and other factors, they did not grasp how insidious this method truly was. Once this method was initiated, it would become impossible to stop. At that point, Wu Tao's commands would undoubtedly hold more weight than those of their own leaders.
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