MTLNOVEL Chapter 205: Lei Zhen
The integration of the array pattern meant that this seemingly ordinary banknote was actually a magical weapon.
Without specific refining techniques, who else could possibly forge it?
"Boss, listen to me." Blogs spoke earnestly. "Although this banknote is a special magical instrument, the array pattern itself is simple. Any cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, as long as they are proficient, can engrave it in an instant."
"That's right!"
"Yes, it's really simple!"
"..."
Luis listened to the crowd's enthusiastic responses but remained unconvinced.
"How simple are we talking about?" he asked.
Hearing this, Blogs quickly handed him a jade slip.
Luis took it and immersed his spiritual consciousness inside.
The next moment—
A strange expression flashed across his face as he withdrew his consciousness from the jade slip.
The formation pattern was indeed shockingly simple.
If Blogs hadn't explicitly stated that this was a formation pattern, Luis would have doubted such a basic design could even be considered an array.
However, no matter how simple an array pattern was, once integrated into a weapon, even the most powerful cultivator wouldn't be able to see its true structure.
Otherwise, wouldn't family cultivators be able to reverse-engineer the refining techniques of high-level spiritual armor just by purchasing one?
That was obviously impossible.
"With our research team's efficiency, we can convert these semi-finished banknotes into finished ones at a rate of one hundred per cup of tea."
A cup of tea for a hundred banknotes.
If they worked five hours a day, that meant producing 6,000 banknotes daily.
At a face value of 100 Spirit Coins per banknote, the total would be 600,000 Spirit Coins per day.
That was a staggering 18 million Spirit Coins per month.
And if they expanded their workforce, the production speed would increase even further.
With the current circulation demand of Sea View City, approximately 30 million Spirit Coins were needed to sustain normal operations.
Of course—
The denomination of Spirit Coins couldn't be limited to just one hundred.
Based on his past-life experience, Luis had divided Spirit Coin denominations into thirteen different types.
There were thirteen denominations of Spirit Coins:
1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 SC (Spirit Coin), 2 SC, 5 SC, 10 SC, 20 SC, 50 SC, and 100 SC.
Some people might wonder—
"Can a single cent, just one-hundredth of a Spirit Stone, actually buy anything?"
The truth was, The purchasing power of Spirit Stones was incredibly strong.
The reason it seemed like Spirit Stones were hard to spend was because Luis usually bought precious treasures—items that were extremely valuable to cultivators.
However, if Spirit Stones were used to buy bulk supplies for ordinary people, even a single Spirit Stone could purchase a massive quantity of goods.
In fact, It was difficult to estimate exactly how much food a single Spirit Stone could buy for an ordinary person.
That's why using cents as the smallest unit of currency made sense.
Even independent cultivators had many slaves and servants under them. These ordinary people needed food, water, shelter, and other essentials, which consumed resources.
When these bulk resources were traded, they were purchased using Spirit Stones.
While small transactions among mortals still used gold, silver, and copper, large-scale trade between cultivators did not recognize these metals as valid currency.
For example—
The Zhou family, responsible for feeding millions of people, relied on independent cultivators in Guang'an Prefecture to grow their food using slave labor.
And the currency used to purchase this grain? Spirit Stones.
No cultivator would farm for the Zhou family in exchange for a handful of gold or silver—those metals were worthless to them.
The Next Step: Currency Implementation
If Luis wanted to mass-produce all thirteen denominations of Spirit Coins, the time required would increase several times over.
But, He couldn't afford to wait.
So, he would mobilize more people and accelerate production.
By the end of this month, his currency replacement plan would begin.
The Evolution of Currency
Anyone familiar with economics understood that currency developed in stages.
From a geographical perspective, it would start as a pilot program, expand regionally, and eventually achieve full-scale adoption.
From an international perspective, currency went through four major phases. The first phase?
Free convertibility for international payments under the current account.
Simply put In the future, Spirit Coins would be freely exchanged in trade among the major forces in Guang'an Prefecture.
And that was only the first step.
If one day, Spirit Coins fully replaced Spirit Stones and became the sole currency in circulation throughout the cultivation world. It would mean that Luis had unified everything.
A true unification—Economically, Militarily, Culturally.
Now, Luis needed to launch a pilot currency injection—the simplest step for any sovereign government.
In other words, Spirit Stone Coins would first be introduced within Sea View Fairy City.
To make this happen, several key factors were essential:
Public acceptance of the currency
Monetary security
Military support
Cooperation from the major families in Guang'an Prefecture's Immortal City
The backing of the Western Defense Zone Coalition Forces
So far—
Luis had already solved two problems:
Public acceptance of Spirit Coins
Ensuring the currency's security
Now, he needed the major families of Guang'an Prefecture to cooperate with him in implementing this plan.
But before that—
He had to fully conquer the Western Defense Zone Coalition and turn it into his private army.
In truth—
Luis had been planning this from the very beginning, ever since the Western Defense Zone Coalition was established.
Anyone paying close attention would notice—
Among the high-ranking officers of the coalition, very few came from noble families.
Luis had ten directly commanded captains stationed in the city.
The rest?
They were all Foundation Establishment cultivators recruited from independent cultivators.
This was no coincidence.
Luis had deliberately chosen independent cultivators to fill key leadership positions within the Western Defense Zone Allied Forces.
His goal?
To completely take control of the army and make it a private force under the Hartmann family.
----
Redwood Island – Sea View Fairy City
Western Defense Zone Allied Forces Headquarters – Main Hall
A streak of light shot through the sky, heading straight for the grand hall.
The figure landed.
It was a middle-aged cultivator clad in armor. Tall and broad-shouldered, his imposing frame made him look more like a seasoned warrior than a monk.
He pushed open the doors and stepped inside.
Standing within the hall was a Taoist priest dressed in a green robe, a jade crown atop his head. His hands were clasped behind his back as he gazed into the distance.
Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
This man was none other than Luis, his direct superior.
Luis turned, his eyes settling on the armored cultivator.
"Lei Zhen, recruited in the 957th year of the Qianyuan Calendar, served as a captain commanding a hundred soldiers at Yunmeng Pass, on the front lines of Izumo Kingdom. After five years, you retired and returned."
Luis smiled.
"General Lei, when you were doing so well on the front lines, why did you choose to return to Guang'an Prefecture—a place where progress has long stagnated?"
Lei Zhen's Response
Lei Zhen fell silent.
A long pause followed.
Then, he stepped forward and bowed.
"Commander, most of the troops stationed at Yunmeng Pass are from Jingzhou. I am a cultivator from Cangzhou. Over time, I was ostracized. I appealed to the higher authorities many times, but they always sided against me. Frustrated and disheartened, I chose to return."
Luis studied him closely.
He could tell—
Lei Zhen was telling the truth.
Ever since the fall of Zhennan Pass, cultivators from Cangzhou had no choice but to serve in garrisons stationed in other regions.
And ever since the news of Cangzhou's defeat at Zhennan Pass had spread—
The cultivators of other states looked down on them.
Serving as a soldier in another's territory is humiliating enough.
On top of that, Lei Zhen's personality isn't particularly likable, making him more prone to exclusion.
Hearing this, Luis felt a heavy weight in his heart.
The fall of Zhennan Pass remained a deep wound for all cultivators of Cangzhou, one that had not faded with time.
On the contrary, it had only worsened due to the continued decline in their reputation and interests.
Luis took a few steps forward, patted Lei Zhen on the shoulder, and said, "General Lei, don't worry. We Cangzhou cultivators will reclaim Zhennan Pass!"
Lei Zhen's eyes reddened as old memories resurfaced. He nodded silently.
Sensing the somber atmosphere, Luis reached out and clasped Lei Zhen's hand. After they both took their seats, he spoke again.
"General Lei, let's not dwell on unhappy matters. If I recall correctly, you've been with my Western Defense Zone Coalition for nearly a month now, haven't you?"
Lei Zhen thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes."
Luis smiled, his tone calm. "The zombie tide on Lotus Island has weakened, and the Western Defense Zone coalition won't last forever. Have you thought about what comes next, General Lei?"
Lei Zhen hesitated, opening his mouth as if to speak but falling silent.
After a while, he sighed bitterly. "Maybe I'll return to my island and teach the mortals how to farm.
Besides cultivation, I don't know alchemy or crafting. I suppose the only option left is to grow food for the great families and exchange it for a few spirit stones."
Luis was taken aback.
"With your cultivation level, General Lei, is there truly no noble family in Guang'an Prefecture willing to invite you as a guest cultivator?"