The glass furnaces of the Li Family Chamber of Commerce burned day and night.
Within two weeks, the first large shipment was ready.
Raw glass slabs.
Pure.
Transparent.
Delicate.
Total value in Sevenrock markets—100 gold blocks.
Production cost?
Barely 10 gold blocks.
A tenfold margin.
But transporting glass was far harder than producing it.
Unlike coal, silk, or paper—
Glass could shatter with one careless strike.
Which meant the route had to be chosen carefully.
---
The Official Route
Li Tian obtained permission directly from the Fifth Princess.
The shipment would travel through the official mountain trade road between Azure Flame Empire and Sevenrock Continent.
The caravan was heavily protected.
Shadow Veil assassins moved silently among the guards.
The Shadow Veil leader himself accompanied the convoy.
Half-Saint Realm.
Enough to frighten most threats.
But mountains had their own rules.
Bandits ruled the high passes.
---
The Ambush
The attack came at dusk.
Arrows rained down from rocky cliffs.
Men appeared from both sides of the narrow path.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Four times more than Li Tian's guards.
Their leader stepped forward.
A tall man carrying a massive iron blade.
His aura expanded across the road.
Peak Transcendent Realm.
Not weak.
But not terrifying either.
The real problem was numbers.
And the cargo.
Behind Li Tian's carriage sat dozens of wooden crates filled with raw glass.
One clash.
One stray blade.
One falling cart—
And the entire fortune would shatter.
---
The Negotiation
Li Tian raised his hand.
The Shadow Veil halted instantly.
The bandit leader laughed.
"Smart merchant."
Li Tian spoke calmly.
"I will pay toll."
"Ten thousand silver coins."
The bandits exchanged glances.
The leader shook his head.
"Too little."
Li Tian increased it.
"Twenty thousand."
Still no.
"Thirty thousand."
The leader's grin widened.
"You carry something more valuable than silver."
Greed.
Pure and simple.
Li Tian tried one final attempt.
"Take gold and let us pass."
The bandit leader lifted his blade.
"Kill them."
Negotiation ended.
---
The Saint Appears
Just as both sides moved—
A sudden pressure descended from above.
Heavy.
Overwhelming.
Every cultivator froze.
The bandit leader's face paled.
A figure landed silently on a rock above the road.
A young woman.
Tall.
Beautiful.
Long dark hair tied behind her shoulders.
Her eyes were calm.
But her aura—
Crushed the entire battlefield.
Saint Realm.
Even the Shadow Veil leader felt his breathing tighten.
The bandits sensed death.
The woman looked down coldly.
"Mountain thieves attacking trade caravans."
"Pathetic."
Then she moved.
---
Absolute Power
Her sword flashed once.
A bandit collapsed.
Another flash—
Two more died.
She moved like lightning.
Clean.
Precise.
Brutal.
Within seconds, bodies covered the road.
The bandits tried to flee.
None escaped.
Even their Peak Transcendent leader lasted only three exchanges before his chest split open.
The Saint stood calmly among the corpses.
Her aura slowly faded.
Silence filled the mountain pass.
Even the Shadow Veil assassins were stunned.
Because a Saint Realm cultivator had just wiped out an entire bandit army alone.
---
The Daughter of Long Fang
She turned toward Li Tian.
Her gaze was sharp.
Calculating.
"You are the merchant who sold glass to Sevenrock."
It was not a question.
Li Tian stepped forward calmly.
"I am Li Tian."
She studied him briefly.
Then said simply—
"I know."
She was not just any cultivator.
She was the First Princess of Sevenrock Continent.
The eldest daughter of Emperor Long Fang.
Strong.
Clever.
Respected by generals and ministers alike.
But never considered for the throne.
Because she was born a woman.
Ironically—
Her nine brothers were far weaker.
Yet tradition bound the empire.
So instead of fighting for the crown—
She chose a different path.
To become the shield of Sevenrock.
The sword that defended its borders.
Even Long Fang himself admired her more than his sons.
But tradition was stronger than affection.
---
A New Interest
The princess glanced at the caravan.
Glass crates.
Trade seals.
Li Tian's calm posture despite danger.
Interesting.
Most merchants would have panicked.
He negotiated.
Calculated.
Even now—
He looked more curious than afraid.
Li Tian, meanwhile, was observing carefully.
This woman was the strongest cultivator he had met so far.
Stronger than the Shadow Veil leader.
A true Saint Realm powerhouse.
And more importantly—
A royal.
An opportunity.
He bowed slightly.
"Thank you for protecting our caravan."
She looked at him again.
"Bandits were simply in my way."
Then she added quietly—
"But you are interesting."
Li Tian smiled faintly.
That was enough.
Because merchants did not chase power.
They built relationships with it.
And today—
On a remote mountain road—
Li Tian had just encountered the most powerful ally Sevenrock could offer.
---
The convoy resumed its journey.
Broken bandit corpses scattered across the pass.
Behind them—
A Saint walked silently beside the caravan.
And Li Tian knew something important.
Sometimes the most valuable deals were not made in palaces—
But on dangerous roads.
---
End of Chapter 42