Versatile Mage - Chapter 1440
Chapter 1440 Filthy Men
translated by xephiz
edited by aelryinth
the most valuable loot in a fire vein was the raw material for awakening stones.
they had a say in how to sell these raw materials, but they would most likely end up in the hands of the magic association, since only the magic association could turn these raw materials into awakening stones that young people around the age of ten could use.
the other thing that was just as valuable as the awakening stones was the fire magic ore.
magic ores were the source of magic technology. magic ores were the most important resources supporting the development of human cities. a b-grade fire vein would mostly produce b-grade magic ore; the energy they could provide was unimaginable. many of the huge magic ore veins in the country were owned by the government and the military. the magic association would not interfere with them.
awakening stones and magic ores were resources that would always have a higher demand than supply, guaranteeing a continuous profit, and were the true value of an elemental vein. in addition to the raw materials needed to produce awakening stones and magic ores, there were also elemental seeds, elemental pieces, and elemental crystals, things that precipitated over a long period of time.
mo fan had learned the value of a fire vein from mui guangqing along the journey.
mui guangqing was a real scholar. his eyes had glittered at the mention of the topic, and were no longer as dull and lifeless as usual. the others might have found his prolonged speech annoying, but mo fan was very intrigued. he was nodding like he was mincing garlic while mui guangqing was explaining things to him.
“doesn’t that mean things like spirit-grade seeds, soul-grade seeds, and fundamental crystals are more valuable? a spirit-grade seed is worth a full truck load of the raw materials to produce the awakening stones, not to mention the soul-grade seeds and fundamental crystals that are even rarer?” mo fan was playing the studious man. mu ningxue always asked him to study more, so as a good man who listened to his wife, he must become more knowledgeable!
“haha, only an amateur would think that! the disciples of renowned clans like us know the truth. the things you mentioned might be valuable, but they are more like a one-time profit. for example, things like spirit-grade seeds, soul-grade seeds, and the fundamental crystals of this fire vein are gone once they are taken. let’s say they are worth ten billion in total.
“but the raw materials of awakening stones and magic ores are constantly being excavated from the fire vein. it can easily provide us with over a thousand tons of them every year. we might only make two to three billion a year, but in three years, the profit will be the same as the total worth of the things you mentioned. what if the mine lasts for ten, or even twenty years? there is no faction that isn’t interested in continuous sources of income. besides, the market is constantly changing. in the current era, things that are closely related to magic are very valuable, but does that mean things related to our lives aren’t valuable? no, they are actually worth more!” mui guangqing told him.
mo fan immediately understood when he learned the raw materials and magic ores were constantly being mined from an ore vein. it explained why a fire vein was enough to keep three clans going. it was basically a gold mine!
no wonder these factions put so much focus on securing ore veins for themselves!
“now you know how important the fire vein is. if it wasn’t because our clan is having trouble excavating it, there’s no way we would be willing to share it with you guys, hahaha!” mui guangqing said honestly.
“that’s reasonable. if i could do it on my own, i wouldn’t share it with someone else, either,” mo fan agreed.
the fire vein turned out to be a money-making mine. he had to clear the blockage at all costs, as he would be able to make money just by sleeping comfortably. he would no longer have to worry about how many elements he had. he could even take care of a few more elements!
that being said, it was impossible to eat such a huge cake alone. sharing it with others was the right move. a real businessman understood that money was meant to be earned together. earning money with partners was like multiplication, but trying to earn money alone was only like addition. it was difficult to achieve greatness by oneself!
the mui clan had discovered the fire vein, and were currently managing it. the dongfang clan was in charge of transportation and production. after all, the resources were related to the fire element. the dongfang clan was definitely the best candidate to process the raw materials and maximize the profits.
fanxue mountain was in charge of selling the products. it was part of a headquarters city very close to the south maritime battlefield. the shelves would be emptied as soon as they were filled… the three could work together to earn big bucks while helping society, what more could they ask for?
fanxue mountain was running short on funds. a few days ago, mo fan had heard from mu linsheng about the money they were spending on hiring the patrol squads to ensure the safety of the new city.
they were able to make a name for themselves, but construction was struggling to keep up, as they were running short on funds. if they could not find a way to solve the financial crisis, the new city of fanxue mountain was going to end up as a bandit fortress instead, as no one would be willing to settle in an underdeveloped place…
as such, this operation was extremely important to mo fan. not only would it determine if he could find the soul-grade seed he desperately needed, it would also decide fanxue mountain’s fate! luckily, he had brought zhao manyan and lingling along. otherwise, he would not feel confident enough to take on the job!
“speaking of which, we also need an impressive ice mage. our dongfang clan doesn’t really have any ice mages, and the mui clan is unable to find a suitable candidate, either. is there any chance that fanxue mountain has… it would be perfect if mu ningxue was able to make it. she will definitely be of great help to us!” dongfang mo said.
“oh, we’ve already made the arrangements, he should be here soon…” mo fan was just about to say more when he saw a well-dressed young man with glossy hair and a temperament that clearly did not suit the village. he was standing in a corner with a proud look on his face. mo fan immediately yelled, “green tea man, here! over here!”
the young man’s face immediately sank when he heard mo fan’s shout.
he started heading toward mo fan, who was still calling him green tea man. he finally ran out of patience and grunted, “one more time and i’ll be going. you guys can have all the fun yourself!”
“oh, brother mu bai, why so serious? you must be tired after coming all the way here. should i find you a young innocent girl from kunlun to rub your shoulders, hammer your legs, and provide you with the full-package service?” mo fan blathered.
“that won’t be necessary!” mu bai’s forehead was covered in black lines.
“oh, you’ve already treated yourself to it. that’s right, it’s very important to be looking after your kidneys,” mo fan smiled.
“piss off!”
mu bai rarely cursed after he graduated from tian lan magic high, but he just could not control himself when mo fan was around. the guy was still the same assh*** he was in high school. he could not understand why so many people in the ancient capital wanted to betroth daughters that were still in kindergarten to a jerk like him!
“alright, let’s get back to the point, i only learned you were coming on my way here. it’s a very dangerous operation, and you might lose your life because of it…” mo fan said.
“i knew everything already, you don’t have to say it again!” mu bai interrupted him.
he already knew mu ningxue and mu zhuoyun were planning a comeback. many old residents of bo city that had moved to the ancient capital had already left for fanxue mountain. the ancient capital was not their own place, after all. they still felt like they were lodging under someone else’s roof. as such, when fanxue mountain took the initiative to invite these old residents of bo city to move to the new city and offered them lots of benefits, they did not hesitate to move there!
mu bai was feeling a little guilty, as he had not returned to his clan. he had heard about the fire vein when he gave mu zhuoyun a call. he believed he had to contribute something if he was planning to return to the clan, or he would not feel at ease. thus he had shown up at kunlun mountain to fill the vacancy of an ice mage.
it had been a long time since mo fan last saw mu bai. he occasionally heard zhang xiaohou mention that mu bai’s strength had improved significantly. he was quite reputable in the ancient capital now.
mu bai had gone through a lot of things, just like mo fan and the others, and been sharpened into an impressive sword. when he mentioned that he was interested in joining fanxue mountain, mo fan, mu ningxue, and mu zhuoyun all welcomed him with open arms. it was extremely tough for a person to be wandering around alone. however, they were unable to tell if he had finally walked out from under the terrible pain mu he had brought him.
“seriously, why are they allowing anyone to join the team? don’t forget that we are only willing to cooperate with you because you promised to open up the fire vein. i hope you won’t end up dying in there. you’re treating it as if it’s normal training during high school,” dongfang ming said, twisting his lips. he seemed to have a grudge against mu bai.
“xiao ming, why are you coming with us if you are so worried? stop sneering at us. if you don’t have the guts to come with us, just behave yourself like a little baby waiting to take over the clan and hold on tight to your baby nipple!” mo fan promptly retorted.
“why would i bother getting myself killed? only people like you have to worry about things like that, i can just sit back and enjoy life instead!” dongfang ming proclaimed proudly.
the two renowned clans were unwilling to risk the lives of their successors. even though mo fan was the leader of fanxue mountain, he still had to attend to a lot of matters himself, since fanxue mountain was still at its starting point.
mo fan turned to dongfang mo and asked, “old mo, are you going to intervene if i have an urge to beat the crap out of your son?”
“it’s fine as long as it’s nothing serious. it’s time for him to learn some manners. didn’t i already say i might need your help to teach him some manners?… he’s too arrogant. he actually improved a lot after you taught him a lesson in the past,” dongfang mo replied with a smile.
dongfang ming almost lost his mind when he heard those words. was this man really his father!?
the others burst out laughing, too. dongfang ming was greatly shamed, since even his own father was not willing to stand on his side. he left angrily and did not forget to curse at the filthy relay station.
“what the heck is this shitty place? it’s worse than the most underdeveloped village in hangzhou!”
—
“since everyone is here, we’ll depart tomorrow morning. we can’t afford to wait any longer.” dongfang mo was very concerned about the operation, and was going to take part in it, too.
dongfang mo did not just come to supervise the operation; he was playing an important role, too. his job was to keep an eye on the ruling creature at sun ridge. he would have to lure the powerful creature away if necessary.
“alright, let’s rest up for the night…” mo fan agreed.
——
the team split up. after dinner, zhao manyan raised his brows and said to mo fan softly, “there should be little bars around. why don’t we find some local passionate ladies and talk about life?”
“great idea, i doubt there are other kinds of entertainment around here. besides, no one would recognize us,” mo fan said.
“you two can go ahead,” mu bai said.
“stop acting like you’re innocent. let’s go, we are just talking about life, it’s not as dirty as you think,” mo fan dragged mu bai with them. he told lingling, “lingling, go back and do your homework. we’re going to have some drinks!”
lingling watched them go with utter disdain. “filthy men,” she murmured, before taking her leave.