There is a saying that you don't worry about thieves stealing as much as you worry about thieves plotting. Yet, unable to locate the person hiding in the shadows, Li Fusheng was hardly going to spend every day in nervous panic.
He was confident that unless Kage-level masters from the various Shinobi Villages attacked or an entire army invaded, his current cultivation level should allow him to handle it.
Therefore, he kept up with his daily cultivation and continued to nurture his romance with Sara.
Although the two of them were engaged in name, building an emotional foundation beforehand would make their wedding night truly perfect. Otherwise, if they looked at each other and felt mutual disgust, he could not imagine how discordant their wedding night would be.
When Sara finally succeeded in smoothly reciting the Calm Heart Incantation, she discovered that the chant she had thought was just a simple rhyme actually possessed a powerful hidden effect.
Putting aside everything else, at least her daily wake-up chant ensured that no matter how long she had slept the night before, she was always full of spirit and radiating vitality.
She had even decided that she must chant this rhyme often in the future. When she had children, she would not end up like her mother, who, having recently ascended the throne, had to handle a massive amount of official business and had no time to accompany her during her early childhood.
She truly possessed the innate constitution of a lifelong laborer; her very first thought was having more time to work.
On the other side, Minister An Lushan had everything arranged. Today, he would quietly get rid of the disobedient queen.
The guards of the Queen's Palace had already been replaced by him with puppets over this period. Queen Saya, who possessed no combat power, remained completely oblivious to this.
In An Lushan's eyes, the only threat was that mysterious ninja—likely a hired hand—who might possibly discover his puppets. However, his scouting revealed that the fellow never went anywhere near the Queen's bedchamber.
If there was ever business to discuss, it was the Queen who went to the man's guest room instead. It was utterly preposterous—even more absurd than going to the Queen's bedchamber to talk business.
Yet that suited him better, as his arrangements would not be discovered prematurely.
After the morning assembly, An Lushan brought up a trivial proposal, deliberately getting it rejected by the Queen. Then, feigning a look of deep dissatisfaction, he flicked his sleeve and stormed out, locking himself in his home.
In reality, he slipped through a secret tunnel and infiltrated the Queen's study. Every day after the morning council, the Queen would go to the study to handle miscellaneous official duties.
As the meeting time drew closer and closer, a look of elation began to appear on An Lushan's face, along with the fanaticism of someone about to successfully orchestrate a unified Shinobi World.
"Fusheng-kun, are we still training the usual way today?" Having experienced the benefits of the Calm Heart Incantation, Sara had sprinted over to Li Fusheng's room bright and early.
She didn't care whether he was awake or whether he was wearing clothes under the blanket. Anyway, the two of them were engaged; even if she caught a glimpse of something, it wouldn't matter, right? Sara thought with a blushing face.
Upon entering, however, she found that Li Fusheng was already fully dressed and sitting in meditation. A trace of disappointment flickered in her heart.
"No cultivation today!" Li Fusheng opened his eyes upon hearing Sara enter and spoke slowly.
Having already decided to stay in Loulan, Li Fusheng intended to bring about some changes to the place. If for no other reason, it was simply so he could live more comfortably afterward.
For someone who had lived in the modern world for twenty years to be suddenly dropped into the middle of a vast desert—even if the surrounding yellow sands didn't interfere with daily life—very few people could actually endure it.
What was the point of Li Fusheng's cultivation? Aside from pursuing the illusory goal of longevity, it was naturally to live more comfortably. If he had to live a life of extreme poverty, what meaning would it have?
Therefore, last night, he had been pondering what things might exist in the desert that could alleviate poverty. Only by solving the problem of poverty and putting money in his pocket could he pursue a higher quality of life.
And truly, he had thought of a few things.
The greatest potential wealth in a desert was naturally petroleum. But extraction wasn't the issue; the problem was how to refine crude oil and break down more valuable derivatives. Otherwise, crude oil could probably only be used to make ink blocks or liquid ink, and items like that wouldn't sell well in the Shinobi World. The worst part would be the waste, so the petroleum option was temporarily shelved.
Aside from that, there were crops that could be grown in sandy terrain. Food was of paramount importance even in modern society, let alone in the frequently war-torn Shinobi World. Of course, sandy soil and deserts were somewhat different, and whether the vicinity of Loulan held the crops he needed remained to be seen; he would have to go out and survey the area first.
Apart from these, he had thought of something else—something that the desert definitely possessed, and whose processed products should have no trouble finding a market.
That was poison—scorpion venom.
Naturally, he wouldn't just sell purified scorpion venom directly. In the Shinobi World, this stuff was considered strategic material; if he dared to sell it directly, Sunagakure would march an army over. He didn't yet have the strength to cross swords with a Shinobi Village.
What Li Fusheng was considering was processing the scorpion venom into an external ointment primarily used to treat skin conditions. The main target demographic would be civilians and low-ranking ninjas in places like the Land of Rain and the Land of Water, where the environment was cold, damp, and gloomy.
The living conditions of these people were definitely subpar. Even growing up in such humid environments from childhood, the likelihood of them suffering from eczema and other skin ailments was quite high.
An ointment that relieved itching and moisturized the skin would have no trouble selling. Since it was a livelihood product and didn't affect the military strength of the various villages, it wouldn't draw the hostility of the major Shinobi Villages.
Being weak and keeping a low profile wasn't shameful; when it came to making money, what couldn't be sold?
Anyone who had ever suffered from eczema knew how agonizing it was when it flared up—that maddening, skin-scratching itch simply could not be endured through sheer willpower alone. Once an ointment appeared that could quickly relieve the itch and improve the affected skin, even if only civilians bought it, it would be enough to generate a massive amount of capital.
With money, his other plans could proceed much more smoothly.
Therefore, he didn't plan to cultivate today. Instead, he wanted to go tell Sara that he was heading out first to inspect the crop situation, after which he would send someone to Sunagakure to discuss a partnership.
When it came to scorpion venom, those people were the professionals. Besides, regardless of whether Sunagakure was short on money right now, in a few years when the Fourth Kazekage took power, they would spend more time panning for gold in the sand than handling official business. Thus, they certainly wouldn't turn down a business venture that delivered money right to their door.
"We're going out? Yay!" Sara happily grabbed Li Fusheng's arm and pulled him toward the door.
Diligent as she might be with her cultivation, she was still an underage girl after all. Cooping herself up in her room every day was stifling, even if Loulan City had no entertaining places to speak of.
"Fusheng-kun, walk faster. Ogasans should be heading back to the study by now." Sara acted even more impatient than Li Fusheng, skipping and hopping the entire way, completely shedding the steady demeanor Saya had taught her.
Meanwhile, inside Saya's study, a completely different scene was unfolding.
Saya was tightly bound to her chair by chakra threads, while sitting across from her was Loulan's Prime Minister, An Lushan, staring at her with a malicious gaze.
"Your Majesty the Queen, your subject does not wish to be driven to this point either. As long as you agree to open the Dragon Vein seal for me and help me master the Dragon Vein Puppet Technique, you may continue to be your queen," An Lushan said indifferently.
Of course, this queen would be one controlled by puppet techniques, but at least she would still be alive, wouldn't she?