I Can Reincarnate Infinitely

Even with his award-winning acting skills, Du Youqian almost let his expression crack when he heard Jinrong’s words.

Three pebbles?

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

’Just listen to that. What an honest person... er, an honest chicken.’

He quickly did the math.

Bi Fang Gravel pebbles were typically the size of a soybean, with a density close to that of silver.

In that case... "Friend Jinrong, we’re friends. Since you’ve made the offer, I have to show you some respect. Let’s not count pebble by pebble. How about this: one tael of Bi Fang Gravel per trip. One tael for the trip there, and one tael for the trip back. What do you say?"

Jinrong blinked. It could only sense that this person had no ill intent and seemed very happy.

It couldn’t sense anything else, nor did it think too much about it. After exchanging a look with the other Demon Kings of its race, it bobbed its head and said, "Friend Shuai Xiao, you are very good. I recognize you as a friend. You humans have a saying: a gentleman’s word is his bond. We don’t believe in those human contracts and whatnot. Everyone here today is a witness. As long as you are alive, and as long as one of us is alive, this pact will be valid."

"Good!" Du Youqian extended his hand. Jinrong paused for a moment, then stuck out a wing and quickly tapped it against Du Youqian’s hand.

Feeling the powerful muscles in its wing, Du Youqian thought, ’These wings would be amazing if they were roasted...’

Jinrong violently retracted its wing and screeched angrily, "I thought you were my friend, and you want to eat me!"

Du Youqian coughed awkwardly. "Look into my eyes. Do I look like I want to eat you? Of course, I won’t deny that my mind might wander to food-related things... but it’s just a random association, you understand? I absolutely have no intention of eating you!"

Jinrong stared at Du Youqian for a long moment with its beady, cock-eyed gaze before slowly bobbing its head. "I really don’t sense any killing intent from you."

’Phew, dodged that bullet!’

Du Youqian breathed a sigh of relief.

It would have been a real joke to strike a deal one second and start a fight to the death the next.

Of course, it wasn’t that Du Youqian was worried about his own escape. Surrounded and pursued by so many Tier Four Demon Kings—and Flying Demon Kings at that—he definitely wouldn’t be able to get away. He would have no choice but to burn through his lifespan and reincarnate.

What he was worried about was his grand plan being dead in the water.

Thankfully, the Long-tailed Golden Chickens are so simple-minded.

’I just love the Demon Race!’

For the rest of the time, Du Youqian didn’t dare relax for a second. He constantly monitored his thoughts, snuffing out any that seemed off.

He had to avoid another slip-up where some absurd thought popped into his head and angered the perceptive Long-tailed Golden Chickens again.

After a feast where both hosts and guests were thoroughly pleased, a tipsy Du Youqian returned to the Immortal City Alliance’s military camp.

He had just returned to his small courtyard when Kai Feng Master paid him a visit. The master sized him up and chuckled, "Younger brother, you’re looking quite pleased with yourself. It seems your plan is progressing smoothly."

Du Youqian smiled faintly. "The Long-tailed Golden Chicken race is very simple-minded. They’re relatively easy to communicate with."

After a moment of silence, Kai Feng Master sighed. "Sometimes, I truly feel the Demon Race is much simpler than our Human Race."

"Indeed," Du Youqian laughed. "That’s why the Human Race has been the dominant power for so many years, and why this realm is called the Human World. It’s why, after tens of thousands of years of strife among the Ten Thousand Races, the Human Race remains the strongest. All the other races combined can barely contend with the perpetually infighting Human Race. You can’t become the dominant power by being simple-minded."

Kai Feng Master nodded in agreement.

He then asked, "So, younger brother, have you found a place that produces Bi Fang Gravel, or a place where Thorny Insects breed and live? As far as I know, Ruihan City doesn’t produce either of these. In fact, the entire Immortal City Alliance doesn’t."

Du Youqian smiled. "Everyone has their little secrets, don’t they?"

Kai Feng Master laughed heartily. "That’s right, everyone has their secrets. For you to rise so quickly, younger brother, you must have quite a few. I’m not one to pry."

After a pause, he couldn’t help but ask, "Younger brother, do you have connections deep within the Endless Desert Sea?"

Du Youqian asked, surprised, "Why do you ask?"

"To win over the Long-tailed Golden Chicken race, you either need a source of Bi Fang Gravel or a way to get Thorny Insects. Thorny Insects prefer yin environments—the more extreme the yin, the more they like it. Looking at the area for hundreds of thousands of li around, only the Ghost Kindom to the south might have a place suitable for Thorny Insects to grow. But you certainly don’t have connections in the Ghost Kindom, right? If the relationship between the Demon Race and the Human Race is one of intermittent war and peace—fighting openly while having tangled private dealings—then the relationship between Ghost Cultivators and the Human Race is one of complete separation. There are no ties, nor could there ever be."

’Not necessarily,’ Du Youqian thought.

’If the Ghost Kindom does have a place suitable for Thorny Insects, I actually have a candidate... a ghostly candidate who could go take a look.’

Kai Feng Master continued his analysis, "Therefore, younger brother, you must have found a source of Bi Fang Gravel. And Bi Fang Gravel is a type of stone that only forms when an Emperor Level Bi Fang falls. That’s not a common occurrence."

The so-called Emperor Level now refers to Tier Seven, but in ancient times, it referred to Tier Eight.

Kai Feng Master continued to enlighten Du Youqian. "The Bi Fang Race is very rare these days. Whether there are any Emperor Level Bi Fang left is a big question. However, rumor has it that when the Ancient Celestial Court fell, several Emperor Level Bi Fang were slain in the depths of the Endless Desert Sea. Therefore, it’s highly likely that Bi Fang Gravel can be found there."

"Moreover, this Bi Fang Gravel is useless to the Human Race, and even to most of the Demon Race. Its quality is too poor even for Artifact Refining Materials. It only holds special significance for a few races, like the Long-tailed Golden Chickens. So, it’s very possible that for tens of thousands of years, those Bi Fang Gravel pebbles have just been lying there quietly, with no one bothering to dig them up."

’Yes,’ Du Youqian thought to himself, ’you’re actually spot on.’

To the people of the Endless Desert Sea, Bi Fang Gravel is just useless junk. They can’t even be bothered to bend down and pick it up.

Only some Mortals living nearby might gather some, mix it with other materials, and use it to build walls and houses.

He smiled. "Then why hasn’t anyone gone to the Endless Desert Sea to find some Bi Fang Gravel before? There must have been plenty of people who wanted to build a relationship with the Long-tailed Golden Chicken race."

Kai Feng Master gave a derisive laugh. "The Endless Desert Sea... is not so easy to get to. The Eastern Domain of the Endless Desert Sea has so many powers with tangled roots; opening a trade route is incredibly difficult. You can’t expect a Nascent Soul Master to personally establish a trade route and lead a caravan searching for Bi Fang Gravel in some unknown location, can you? With that much free time, a Nascent Soul Master could probably break through to the next realm. Why waste it on something with such an uncertain outcome? But..."

Kai Feng Master looked at Du Youqian and said seriously, "But... if you, younger brother, truly know where to find Bi Fang Gravel without having to search blindly, then this matter is indeed feasible."

Du Youqian smiled. "I was thinking that Ruihan City alone can only offer a limited range of goods. It’s hard to make the business big that way."

Kai Feng Master nodded. "Indeed."

Du Youqian looked at him. "How about it, Brother Kai Feng, would you like a share? We can pool our goods, bring them to the Endless Desert Sea, sell them together, and then split the profits according to our respective investments."

Kai Feng Master was clearly tempted. "But you’re the one who opened the channel to the Long-tailed Golden Chicken race. I’d feel a bit bad just taking a share. Besides, to be honest, the Seven Cities Alliance has its own channels for trade with the Endless Desert Sea."

"With all Four Domains of the Endless Desert Sea?"

"How could that be possible? Naturally, it’s only with the Eastern Domain of the Endless Desert Sea. The Western, Northern, and Southern Domains are too far, there are too many variables, and then there’s the Qingxu Commerce Association. We can’t compete with a behemoth like them."

"Who said anything about competing with them? The Qingxu Commerce Association can’t just do business and forbid everyone else in the world from doing the same. That makes no sense. Besides..." A smile played on Du Youqian’s lips. "I’m inviting you, Brother Kai Feng, to take a personal share, not asking the Seven Cities Alliance to join. I’m confident I can get the goods to the other three domains of the Endless Desert Sea, and even acquire some local specialties at a fair price. Even though the Western and Northern Domains have few specialties... it’s not like there’s no room for profit."

’The most crucial part is, the shipping is practically free... just digging up some gravel counts as the shipping fee.’

’Looked at it that way, this is incredibly promising!’

As for pulling Kai Feng Master into the venture, it was, of course, to use his name for backing.

Kai Feng Master was not only a Nascent Soul Cultivator with a Celestial Spirit Root, considered one of the Cultivators most likely to reach Divinity Transformation, but he was also a core junior cultivated by the Seven Cities Alliance, holding a pivotal position.

The Seven Cities Alliance’s position within the Immortal City Alliance could be simply compared to that of France and Germany within the European Union.

Never mind that the European Union has dozens of countries; its core is France and Germany.

The United Kingdom has already left. If France and Germany were to leave as well, the European Union would have trouble even funding its operations.

Kai Feng Master was still undecided. "I’ll think about it some more. You’re not in a hurry for my answer, are you, younger brother?"

Du Youqian smiled. "I still have a few years of service left, and then I’ll have to personally establish the trade route. So, Brother Kai Feng, there’s no rush. Take your time and think it through."

「Some time passed peacefully after that.」

Du Youqian was able to dedicate a great deal of time to his Cultivation.

Although the quality of the Spirit Vein at the front lines wasn’t high, it was better than nothing.

Besides, he could always take elixirs.

Du Youqian would occasionally refine a few batches of Elixirs himself. On one hand, it saved on costs; on the other, for something he would be ingesting, he felt more at ease if he refined it himself.

It also helped him stay in practice and prevent his skills from deteriorating.

As for the war, what did that have to do with him?

If it ever got to the point where Nascent Soul Masters had to take the field, it would mean the war was already collapsing.

「And so, time flew by.」