When the rogue cultivators heard the Peerless Emperor say this, they thought it over carefully and had to admit that his reasoning made perfect sense.
If a treasure wasn't outstanding enough at the auction and failed to find a buyer, it would inevitably diminish the item's true worth — a loss far greater than any gain.
"Young Lord Zhen, we all know you've always been fair. It's rare for you to consider us rogue cultivators so thoughtfully. We'd like to take the liberty of entrusting you, Young Lord Zhen, to come up with a solution for us."
"That's right. Go anywhere else, and those people will do everything they can to lowball you — not a single one of them is truly impartial. Young Lord Zhen, we all trust you. How about this — just make the offer yourself and buy everything from us outright."
This suggestion immediately won the unanimous approval of everyone present.
"Exactly, Young Lord Zhen. We don't trust anyone else. These treasures, we'll trade them to you, Young Lord Zhen. Even if it means letting you make a little profit, that's fine."
"Right. As long as we don't lose too much, we'll accept it."
"You're all too foolish. Why would Young Lord Zhen ever let us lose out?"
These rogue cultivators were, one and all, shrewd and calculating people. Between the lines, they all hoped Jiang Chen would offer them a fair price and take everything off their hands.
Jiang Chen looked over the list. These items were all decent treasures. Forty in total — with his appetite, he could indeed swallow them all.
However, he obviously didn't have enough Ling Shi on hand to purchase all of them, and many of these items weren't essential for him either.
Jiang Chen made a rough estimate. These treasures were all at the Heaven-grade level. Judging by the price of an ordinary Heaven-grade spiritual medicine, each one would cost at least thirty million.
When he had purchased the Eight-Treasure True Cordyceps, he had offered a staggering one hundred million — but that was because the Eight-Treasure True Cordyceps could generate several times that value in his hands.
As for these items, while some could produce added value, the appreciation wasn't particularly dramatic, and many of them were consumables.
Purchasing them all would cost upward of a billion.
Seeing the blazing gazes of each rogue cultivator, Jiang Chen understood that for them, the treasure in their possession represented their entire life savings — the greatest guarantee of their martial cultivation careers.
Most of these rogue cultivators were at the Saint realm, with a few Emperor-realm powerhouses among them.
The Emperor-realm experts were relatively composed, but the Saint-realm rogue cultivators were each brimming with anticipation.
For them, the valuable items they possessed were few and far between. This single treasure was their lifeline — their greatest hope.
"I understand what these treasures mean to each of you. Most of these items are of little use to me personally. They hold minimal significance in my hands. But for you, they may well determine your future and your fate."
These warm, empathetic words sent a surge of warmth through the hearts of the rogue cultivators.
Rogue cultivators lived by the sword, scraping by on the razor's edge. Their living conditions were nothing compared to those of the great sects and mighty factions — they were utterly brutal. A single treasure could absolutely change their fate.
"Here's what I'll do. I'll evaluate each of these treasures according to my own appraisal and give you a formal offer. I swear this offer will be completely fair. As for whether you sell or not, I won't force anyone. I can only guarantee that I will never lowball you or exploit you. I may even offer a premium above market value."
With that, Jiang Chen picked up the list and studied it in detail.
After a while, he marked a price on each of the rejected treasures.
"Everyone, here is my offer. Pass it around among yourselves. There's no need to haggle — every price I've listed already includes a premium."
Jiang Chen's tone was sincere. "However, this transaction cannot be completed immediately. It will take some time before we can finalize everything."
At that moment, Cloud-borne Minghuang walked over. "Young Lord, may I have a word in private?"
Jiang Chen saw the look on Cloud-borne Minghuang's face and followed him aside.
"Yunzhong, what is it?"
"Young Lord, you are now the Young Lord of Peacock Sacred Mountain. The treasury and wealth of Peacock Sacred Mountain are entirely at your disposal. Since His Majesty has appointed you as Young Lord, he certainly wouldn't mind you making use of Peacock Sacred Mountain's resources." Cloud-borne Minghuang had clearly noticed that Jiang Chen was short on Ling Shi.
Ever since becoming the Young Lord of Peacock Sacred Mountain, Jiang Chen had been contributing to it ceaselessly without ever taking a single benefit for himself.
Hearing Cloud-borne Minghuang's words, Jiang Chen was momentarily stunned. It had genuinely never occurred to him.
The treasury of Peacock Sacred Mountain?
"Young Lord, please don't worry. The four of us Great Emperors recognize you as our Young Lord. Everyone on Peacock Sacred Mountain, from top to bottom, supports you. The wealth in that treasury is yours to command as you see fit. The four of us Great Emperors were once His Majesty's attendants; from now on, we are yours. Don't forget — you are the future master of Peacock Sacred Mountain. Whatever you wish to do, whatever funds you need, you don't need our permission."
Cloud-borne Minghuang's attitude made it perfectly clear: as the Young Lord, he was the master of Peacock Sacred Mountain, and its wealth was naturally his to control.
"Yunzhong, how much does our Peacock Sacred Mountain treasury actually hold?" Jiang Chen genuinely had no idea.
Cloud-borne Minghuang replied, "Our Peacock Sacred Mountain oversees countless subordinate forces and enterprises, generating considerable revenue. The annual profit shares from the various lords of Glazed Glass Royal City, along with tax revenues, are extremely generous. Moreover, our Peacock Sacred Mountain lineage is the foremost power in Glazed Glass Royal City. The wealth involved is truly staggering."
"How much exactly?" Jiang Chen couldn't help asking.