I didn't get it....... I see

"Brother Yi, I still don’t quite understand what this 'false inflation of value' means?"

Violet Cat perched on Chen Yi’s shoulder, watching Chen Dalei study how to uproot the Loveflower Gu’s roots, her eyes flickering with confusion.

What did this have to do with what Brother Yi called "false inflation of value"?

Though the Loveflower Gu was deeply tied to the local ecosystem, at its core, Chen Dalei’s current work was just a normal research project!

And "false inflation of value," as the name suggested, should be related to the manifestation of the region’s overall fortune!

But after staring for a long time, she couldn’t spot any issues...

Yet she knew full well—if Brother Yi said there was a problem, then there had to be one. She just couldn’t see it yet!

"Look at you, always so impatient." Chen Yi shook his head and sighed. "Fine, since the old man’s already playing around, I doubt he’ll get to the main point anytime soon. Let me explain it to you properly."

"First, due to the upheaval ten years ago, the Daughter Kingdom has been sealed off ever since, and its internal development has stagnated for a full decade!"

"You could say it preserves the most basic ecological environment from ten years ago. While the outside world has undergone earth-shaking changes, none of that has touched this place. Have you noticed any differences between the Daughter Kingdom and the outside world?"

Violet Cat pondered for a moment. With the ultra-powerful processing core of her Starflight Talisman, she quickly compiled the disparities between the two.

"The differences are massive. Outside, with the progression of time, the refinement of the Incense God System, shifts in production structures, the emergence of new industries, and the establishment of high-efficiency transport routes—all of it has greatly fueled the flourishing of fortune..."

"But in the Daughter Kingdom, due to its decade-long stagnation, even though young deities with new knowledge and ideas arrive to take office every year, the entrenched class divisions rooted in the local ecosystem remain unchanged. As a result, the fortune within the kingdom’s borders has been in a prolonged state of decline, barely sustained by constant external support..."

"But Brother Yi, I don’t get it!"

"The Daughter Kingdom is just an isolated case, with limited impact. The broader environment’s fortune is still surging upward—almost reaching its peak, in fact. If we don’t seize this moment to ascend and carve out a new realm, the momentum of rapid development will rebound once it hits the ceiling. That’s when things will get difficult, no?"

"See? Still impatient!" Chen Yi chuckled, tapping the cat’s head lightly. "A sponge soaked with water is heavy—say, ten pounds on a scale. But if you squeeze all the water out, will it still weigh ten pounds?"

With a wave of his hand, Chen Yi conjured a projected scene.

It showed a real-time event unfolding somewhere in the Daughter Kingdom.

In the scene, Sun Kongkong, who was searching for carriers of the Loveflower Gu’s roots, had grown so wary of the kingdom’s ravenous women that he draped himself in a loose black robe, completely concealing his masculine aura to move about discreetly.

Alas, it was futile.

A monkey as dashing as Kongkong stood out no matter where he went—like a firefly glowing brightly in the night.

His burly frame, brooding gaze, the few coarse hairs peeking out, and that long, gleaming Golden Cudgel... all of it ensnared the hearts of every woman in the city.

"Is that... a man? Not sure, let me look closer..."

"Pfft, you’re really desperate for a man, huh? Since when does the Daughter Kingdom have men?"

"Who says there aren’t any? The City God enshrined at Yufen Avenue’s temple is male! So handsome and divine—just a shame he’s a spirit and can’t, you know..."

"Enough yapping! I don’t care, that robed figure has to be a man. Let me check..."

A female rogue whistled and sidled up behind Sun Kongkong, raising a delicate, jade-white hand.

Slap!

"Oho! Such a firm feel—quit pretending! Let’s see what’s under that hood!"

Sun Kongkong: "......"

Bold.

He wasn’t sure before, but now that you’ve come to me...

"Eh? A monkey?"

The moment the hood was yanked off, the rogue froze, then shuddered, her expression shifting dramatically.

Sun Kongkong dropped the act. "Hah! You fiend! Still gawking? Your Grandpa Sun is here to claim you!"

"Brother Yi, honestly... I didn’t follow that."

Violet Cat was baffled, watching Sun Kongkong unleash his might in the projection. She couldn’t grasp what Brother Yi was trying to convey.

This looked... suspiciously like Brother Yi’s twisted sense of humor.

"If you didn’t get it, that’s fine. I was just enjoying the show—this monkey’s hilarious." Chen Yi’s lips curled into a faint, amused smile.

Violet Cat: "......"

Yep. Definitely his mischief.

He’s as petty as ever. Five hundred years later, he still remembers how Sun Kongkong wreaked havoc in the Illusory Star Cave, and he loves seeing the monkey humbled...

That said, as the Violet Heavenly Dao, she knew Brother Yi well. The more he delayed and dodged explaining something, the bigger the matter was.

And now her curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

"Aiya, Brother Yi, quit teasing! Just tell me already—I really want to know what 'false inflation of value' means!"

Violet Cat deployed her ultimate weapon—acting cute!

She nuzzled Chen Yi’s cheek relentlessly with her fluffy head, refusing to stop until he surrendered.

"Sigh, you’re hopeless..." Chen Yi pressed a hand atop her head. "What comes next might shatter your understanding. Brace yourself—we’re setting off!"

"Meow!" Violet Cat excitedly clasped her tiny paws.

In the next instant, the projection shifted away from Sun Kongkong, focusing instead on a grain store in the street.

A professional weaver entered and bought ten pounds of grain for twenty coins.

After cooking and eating the grain at home, she regained her strength and began weaving a dress.

She spent most of the night crafting a gauzy gown, then priced it at twenty coins.

Soon after, the grain store’s owner came to the weaver’s home and bought the gown.

The scene ended there.

Chen Yi asked quietly, "What do you see in this process?"

The Violet Heavenly Dao pondered before answering, "A simple cycle of supply and demand. Ten pounds of grain cost twenty coins. The woman’s labor produced something of equal value—twenty coins. The store owner spent twenty coins to buy the gown, but that twenty coins was originally hers from the grain sale..."

"It’s basic equivalent exchange—each party gets what they need. The consumed materials are provided by the world, and labor is compensated accordingly, generating corresponding value... Wait!"

Violet Cat’s eyes suddenly lit up. "I get it now! This is what you meant by 'inflation of value'!"

Chen Yi arched a brow. "Oh? Then tell me—what have you realized?"