"I wonder what price this esteemed patron has offered," Teng Yunlong said with a chuckle, looking at the leader in the black fox fur.

The leader chuckled softly. "You handle all the materials; for the price, let's settle on a round number: one hundred taels of silver per Bihan Saber! I trust that won't be an issue for you, will it?"

"One hundred taels?" Teng Yunlong frowned. Although one hundred taels of silver was a considerable sum, the Bihan Saber was the exclusive secret art of the Teng Family Village. The materials were extremely expensive, and the forging difficulty was immense. Sold externally, they fetched at least a hundred taels, often more. Selling them for just one hundred taels meant the profit would be meager.

"Esteemed sir, that seems a bit low, doesn't it?" Teng Yongfan remarked.

The leader sneered. "Enough! Don't treat us like fools! If we were willing to pay more, we wouldn't need to come all the way here ourselves! One hundred taels of silver. Do you accept or not?"

"We accept!"

Teng Yunlong forced a smile, flattering him, "Esteemed sir, this is a large order for us—182 Bihan Sabers. The Teng Family Village has never taken on business this size before. The materials we currently have stored are only enough to forge two Bihan Sabers. Acquiring the necessary materials will cost a great deal of silver... Could the sir advance us the money first?"

"You want the silver before we have the goods in hand?" the black fox fur leader scoffed.

Teng Qingshan, who had been watching everything quietly from the side, started in alarm. Does this leader intend to renege on payment? One hundred silver taels per saber—that's a deal worth nearly twenty thousand taels! Even if the village pooled all its spare cash, they could barely scrape it together. Does this leader plan to use force? Teng Qingshan was already tensing, preparing for the worst.

"The esteemed sir jokes. How much money could a humble place like the Teng Family Village possibly possess? We can't even afford the materials to start forging the weapons for the sirs," Teng Yunlong said with a laugh. "Please understand our predicament."

The leader’s face darkened.

Teng Yongfan, standing nearby, quickly chimed in with a smile, "Esteemed sir, with your status, are you truly worried that a simple village like ours would abscond with your silver? Our Teng Family has been here for generations; we can't just run away. If the sir advances the funds, we will certainly deliver the Bihan Sabers."

The black fox fur leader hesitated for a moment, then sneered coldly, "It seems hard for this poor village of yours to raise such a sum."

With that, he reached into his robes and produced a stack of bank notes, tossing them onto the table.

"Here are eight thousand taels in bank notes. They bear the official seal of the Yangzhou Bank. Examine them closely," the black fox fur leader said.

The Yangzhou Bank?

Teng Qingshan looked closely; it was the first time he had ever seen a bank note.

The note bore the large seal reading 'Yang Salt,' accompanied by complex serial numbers like 'One, Two, Three, Four.' At the very bottom was a line of text: 'By the decree of the Eight Great Sects of the Nine Provinces: those who counterfeit these notes shall be executed without mercy.'

Teng Qingshan felt a shock in his heart. The Eight Great Sects of the Nine Provinces? Are there eight ultimate powers controlling this world?

"Bank notes? This..." Teng Yunlong frowned. "Sir, exchanging these notes at a bank incurs fees. Furthermore... this transaction is for nearly twenty thousand taels. This amount is far from sufficient. For a small village like ours, perhaps..." Teng Yunlong trailed off hesitantly.

The leader suddenly stood up with a sharp 'Hoo,' his face grim.

"Hmph, eight thousand taels in bank notes, not a single copper coin more! We will draw up a contract. When you deliver the goods to Yicheng, we will pay the remainder," the leader stated coldly. The two subordinates behind him also had their hands resting on the hilts of the long sabers at their waists, while numerous cavalry outside the courtyard watched the proceedings keenly.

Teng Qingshan drew a sharp breath, ready to move at any moment.

Teng Yunlong and Teng Yongfan exchanged a glance.

"Since the esteemed sir insists, we shall draw up the contract," Teng Yunlong said with a burst of laughter.

"That's more like it," the leader smiled.

Both parties immediately signed and sealed the contract, which meticulously detailed the delivery location, time, and final payment terms.

"Oh? Esteemed sir, you want us to deliver the goods to the Yangzhou Commerce Association in Yicheng?" Teng Yunlong expressed surprise. "So, you gentlemen are from the Yangzhou Commerce Association."

"It's good that you know. Don't try any tricks on us. Also, every single Bihan Saber will be inspected upon delivery. If there are any quality issues, hmph..." The leader finished, snatched the contract, and without another word, strode out of the courtyard.

"Brothers, move out!"

At the command, the group of cavalry swept away in a magnificent rush.

"Father, what is this Yangzhou Bank all about?" Teng Qingshan asked his father, pointing at the bank note with confusion.

Teng Yongfan smiled and explained, "Qingshan, in this world of Nine Provinces, the wealthiest are the salt merchants of Yangzhou and the magnates of Yuzhou. After all, Yangzhou and Yuzhou are the two most prosperous regions. Therefore, truly trustworthy banks in this world are only two: the 'Yangzhou Bank' and the 'Yuzhou Silver House.' Only the notes issued by these two can circulate freely across the land. However, we common folk generally do not accept bank notes."

"Why not?" Teng Qingshan was puzzled. Aren't bank notes convenient for storage?

"These notes are essentially 'proof of remittance' obtained by depositing gold and silver into the banks or silver houses. They all have unique serial numbers and special manufacturing processes to prevent counterfeiting. Since the bank is storing your money for you, they naturally charge a fee. So, while this looks like eight thousand taels in notes, if I were to withdraw it, I might not receive that exact amount."

Teng Qingshan understood immediately. In modern society, deposits earned interest, but in ancient times, depositing money actually cost you. This was understandable; carrying large amounts of gold and silver while doing business was cumbersome, whereas bank notes were easier to transport and conceal, offering greater security.

"Surely no one dares to counterfeit the bank notes?" Teng Qingshan countered.

His maternal grandfather, Teng Yunlong, standing beside him, burst out laughing. "Haha, who would dare? Didn't you read the final line... 'By the decree of the Eight Great Sects of the Nine Provinces: those who counterfeit these notes shall be executed without mercy.'"

"What are the Eight Great Sects?" Teng Qingshan pressed.

Teng Yongfan explained, "Qingshan, I told you before that in Yangzhou, the most powerful sect is 'Green Lake Island.' In the other eight provinces, there are similar supreme sects. In this world, there are eight supreme powers, known as the Eight Great Sects. If anyone defies their joint decree, they will have nowhere to hide in the world!"

There are only Nine Provinces, but only Eight Sects. This implied that one province lacked a supreme sect, or perhaps one supreme sect controlled two provinces.

These Eight Great Sects are practically eight great feudal lords! Teng Qingshan thought to himself. Sects represented the pinnacle of martial might in this world, each commanding formidable armies. Recall that even the Guiyuan Sect possessed six thousand Black Armored Troops! How many forces did those eight supreme sects command?

"The Yangzhou salt merchants have limitless wealth and many experts under them; they aren't afraid of us embezzling this money," Teng Yunlong chuckled dismissively. He then turned to Teng Yongfan and instructed, "Yongfan, tonight, quietly find that Wang Laosan and place the order! Tell their boss the materials we need and urge their boss to deliver the materials immediately."

"Understood," Teng Yongfan nodded.

"The most pressing issue now is time!" Teng Yongfan frowned. "Master, we have just over a month to forge 182 Bihan Sabers; it’s truly difficult. Moreover, the other brothers haven't fully grasped the Bihan Saber forging technique; we have no one else in the clan who can help."

"It's alright. Once the materials arrive, you and I will forge them together," Teng Yunlong stated.

"Master..." Teng Yongfan was greatly alarmed.

"What, do you think I'm too old?" Teng Yunlong laughed heartily. Teng Yunlong was already over sixty; his strength and energy had declined, yet forging the Bihan Saber demanded high arm strength and skill. "Don't worry, I'll only assist. You will still forge the majority of the 182 Bihan Sabers."

"En." Teng Yongfan then turned to Qingshan. "Qingshan, I have a task for you. Tomorrow, lead your hunting team back into the mountains. Go to the 'Bihan Pool' to fetch water."

"Where is the Bihan Pool?" Teng Qingshan asked, confused. However, given the names Bihan Saber and Bihan Pool, he guessed there was some connection.

"Don't worry, the veteran members like Qinghu all know the way. Tell them, and they will take you. The quenching agent used for forging the Bihan Saber must be water from the Bihan Pool. Take two water tanks and fill them completely," Teng Yongfan said with emotion. Teng Qingshan knew nothing about refining artifacts, so he simply nodded: "Don't worry, Father."

This order had a significant impact on the clan. Given its value of nearly twenty thousand silver taels, the Teng Family Village dared not be careless. The very next morning, Teng Qingshan led the hunting team into the mountains.

"Qingshan, our Teng Family clan members live well and dress well because we rely on the Bihan Saber," Teng Qinghu explained with a smile in the Great Yan Mountains. "The secrecy of the Bihan Saber's forging technique is one factor, but the other is the water from the Bihan Pool. Qingshan, you have no idea... the water in the Bihan Pool is unbelievably cold."

Teng Qingshan was somewhat surprised.

"Even in the summer, that water is icy, much colder than winter snow, yet bizarrely, it never freezes!" another clansman added. "Using this water for quenching makes the resulting weapons incredibly sharp and tough."

"If you put your hand into the cold pool, it goes numb instantly."

"Last time, a wild pheasant I was chasing fell in, and as soon as it hit the water, it froze to death. It couldn't climb out at all."

The surrounding clansmen spoke one after another, clearly having witnessed the miracles of the Bihan Pool.

"That amazing?" Teng Qingshan was very surprised.