An iron-eating worm fled madly, constantly burrowing through the soil below.
Three days had passed since the encounter with Xiu Yi, yet the sense of fear continued to erode the iron-eating worm, driving it tirelessly.
Finally, the iron-eating worm veered its body and completely submerged itself in the burrow.
Not long after.
A fissure opened on the back of the iron-eating worm, and Zhang Wei, sticky and gooey, crawled out.
"That was close, almost discovered."
"Those two guys are outrageously strong!"
That day, knowing escape was impossible, Zhang Wei had a sudden idea and burrowed into the body of a worm, using medicine to help it heal.
The worm's biological magnetic field interfered with the perception of Cetus, preventing it from detecting Zhang Wei.
As for the human-skin doll, Zhang Wei had already placed her in the right side hall, waiting to release her when it was safe.
...
Three hours later.
Zhang Wei, impeccably dressed, appeared in a village at the foot of the Hengduan Mountain peak.
The residents here had already received news and had prepared a banquet to welcome him.
"The elders of the Three Cities, Five Villages, and Seventy-two Forts once again respectfully await Mr. Zhang Wei, wishing you prosperity and good fortune!"
Zhang Wei was slightly speechless: "Is it really that grand?"
A tribal leader stepped forward and whispered, "The deeds of Chef Zhang in Wolf Valley have spread far and wide. Everyone is very... respectful of you!"
Respectful?
More like afraid!
To cause such a stir the moment he went to Wolf Valley, with such a brilliant record, who wouldn't fear someone like that?
They all had families and livelihoods. What if Zhang Wei arranged some sordid scheme of succession for their second sons? Would they be able to handle it?
"Well, I'm not that kind of villain."
"Mr. Zhang Wei, you don't need to say more, we understand!"
With that, a large stack of contracts was brought forth.
Zhang Wei perused them. These were various agreements, where each tribe was willing to unconditionally gift 15% of their tribal shares to Zhang Wei and provide him with flying beasts and ferocious creatures annually.
"Mr. Zhang Wei, we also have a family to feed. We beg for your compassion; this is all we can offer!"
Zhang Wei was speechless.
He had come to discuss business, but it felt like he was being treated like a bandit or a tyrant.
However, these people were too good at reading the situation.
Zhang Wei said, "How can I accept this? I came to discuss business, perhaps I should..."
"No, no, no, you don't need to do anything. As long as you are willing, we will sign the transfer agreements now."
Zhang Wei refused, "Cut the nonsense. I'm not a great villain, what do I want with your shares? Just providing me with enough flying creatures is sufficient!"
"You truly don't want the shares?"
"I only want flying creatures!"
The tribal leader gritted his teeth!
With a pained expression, he said, "Alright, we will revise the contract. This year, we will provide you with 35% of our flying creatures, and in the future, you will also hold an 18% share. What do you think?"
"Agreed!"
Although it was still not enough.
But given their sincerity, Zhang Wei felt awkward about haggling.
"How much?"
The tribal leader said, "It is our honor that Chef Zhang can accept our flying creatures. How dare we mention money? If you truly wish to pay, then two million Beili."
Two million Beili.
At market price, that could buy about sixty two-headed flying dragons. However, in the tribal leader's list, there were over a thousand various flying beasts and ferocious creatures, many of them high-grade.
Zhang Wei carefully calculated; this batch of flying camel beasts was worth at least 120 million Beili!
A colossal sum!
Zhang Wei rummaged through his valuable ingredients; he truly had few items worth over 100 million.
After some thought, he took out the bronze apple peels he had preserved over the past few days and the holy silver smelted from his collar, presenting them all.
Zhang Wei said, "These are two legendary metals with properties rarely found in the mortal realm. Consider them as payment."
The tribal leader's face contorted with bitterness as he respectfully accepted the pile of metals.
Zhang Wei chuckled lightly.
When you discover the value of these metals, you'll regret your current demeanor.
In addition, Zhang Wei took out some loose change from his treasury, totaling several million Beili, items he usually didn't use.
The tribal leader said, "Thank you, Chef Zhang, for your donation. This money will be used to aid the disaster-stricken Four Southern Forts."
"Disaster-stricken?"
"Yes, seven days ago, for unknown reasons, floods descended from the sky, completely submerging the four southwestern counties, affecting over ten thousand people!"
Zhang Wei fell silent.
The southwest direction, wasn't that where I released water from the canal...
There were still people living below!!
Who knew!
Zhang Wei cleared his throat, "Well, as the King of Northern Chefs, I have a responsibility to care for the disaster victims."
Saying that, Zhang Wei summoned a pile of stored ingredients, collected from the Cloud Kingdom and various other places. Although not perfectly replicated, they were still of considerable value.
In an era where the average daily wage was 3 Beili, a common person's total annual income was no more than 1000 Beili, with savings not exceeding 350 Beili.
Zhang Wei's initial valuation of these ingredients was around 60 million Beili, equivalent to the annual income of sixty thousand people. With this money, the lives of tens of thousands of disaster victims would be greatly improved.
...
After leaving the Hengduan Grand Cliff, Zhang Wei also traveled to the four regions of Sweet Snow. The situation was similar to that of the Hengduan Grand Cliff, and the transactions were very smooth.
Zhang Wei couldn't help but sigh; sometimes a bad reputation was more useful than a good one.
During this time, the human-skin doll suddenly received a summons from the Black List. Although she was reluctant to leave Zhang Wei, she chose to prioritize her duty.
The human-skin doll had achieved her current status through her own efforts and was a role model for strong women; she didn't display too much of a girlish demeanor.
She glanced at the calendar.
"There are only seven days left until the end of the month."
"All the external matters have been settled. It's time to return to the Great Glacier!"
The supply issue for the Gourmet Bank had been resolved.
What remained was the customer flow. What could attract chefs besides ingredients was also the exchange and collision of techniques.
Coincidentally, when Zhang Wei was in the Cloud Kingdom, he had taken hundreds of senior chefs who participated in the competition as his disciples. Using them as the foundation for development would be perfect.
As for these matters, Zhang Wei had already entrusted them to Tang Zhi Hun, and with the assistance of the old fox Xi Feng, there shouldn't be any problems!
Lightning Control Technique, Semi-Elementalization!
Lightning Leap!
This skill, used for combat and instantaneous flashes, consumed an immense amount of stamina, yet Zhang Wei used it for travel...
This was also one of the reasons for Zhang Wei's power. He spared no effort in honing his skills, supported by ample resources. Hundreds of Lightning Leaps per day significantly increased his proficiency.
An ordinary family couldn't afford such high food expenses!
The weather turned cold.
As Zhang Wei sped along, the air became increasingly frigid.
"Such a familiar temperature. After months apart, I've truly missed this place."
Zhang Wei suddenly felt a sense of returning home.
This deadly cold evoked warmth and tranquility in Zhang Wei's heart.
Heartfire began to kindle...
The control of the Heartfire skill was not yet proficient, occasionally leading to emotional leakage.
"My emotions have become more abundant recently..."
Following the path in his memory.
Zhang Wei arrived at the Great Glacier.
Then...
The Heartfire erupted fiercely!
"What the hell!!!"