Lingxian Sect General Store

Actually, hiring rogue cultivators had its advantages, and everyone present knew it perfectly well.

It was just that, for them—or rather, for them at this stage—the benefits were not substantial enough to make changing the status quo worthwhile.

So they were not particularly eager to hire rogue cultivators and pay them wages.

Some of them did not really approve of the proposal. They felt that these people were not members of their own sects, and hiring them would amount to letting valuable resources flow into outsiders’ hands.

After all, these rogue cultivators had previously had no channels whatsoever through which to obtain resources.

However, they also knew that this was not the time to voice such thoughts openly.

Yet Sect Master Bai Yu of Luoshen Mountain seemed to have seen through the minds of those present and spoke frankly:

“There is a channel in Lingxian Sect’s hands that allows it to trade with the cultivation world at low prices. It could have kept that channel to itself, but instead, it established Xiushui City, opened a commercial district, and invited all of our sects and royal families here to do business. Lingxian Sect is giving us a share of the benefits.”

“Then why can’t we give the lower-level cultivators a share of the benefits as well?”

Qingrou’s gentle voice was like a fine needle, slowly piercing everyone’s heart.

The sects and royal families invited to Xiushui City this time were all on friendly terms with the Li royal family or had generally good reputations. Even those who did not fully approve of the idea weighed Sect Master Bai Yu’s words and decided that hiring rogue cultivators might not be unacceptable after all.

It would only mean slightly smaller profits and a little more trouble.

If these rogue cultivators discovered some potential after obtaining resources, they could even recruit them into their own sects. That would make the arrangement worthwhile.

Thus, with the proposal from the Qinghe Sect and the support of Luoshen Mountain, those who had initially been opposed soon managed to convince themselves.

None of them wanted to be the first to step forward and voice opposition, nor did they want to stand apart from the group.

They looked left and right, and when no one said anything else, the matter was settled.

In an office tucked away in a corner of the Transaction Affairs Center, Qin Jianghe asked Han Weishu, “How did it go? Did Sect Leader Han receive the message?”

Han Weishu nodded. “He said they’ve already reached an agreement. They’ll hire rogue cultivators to help out afterward.”

Because Han Weishu was the daughter of the Qinghe Sect Master, Liu Yunan had, after first asking for her opinion, arranged for her to work at the Transaction Affairs Center.

This would give her more opportunities to interact with her father and the Qinghe Sect, while also making it more convenient to deepen the relationship between Lingxian Sect and the Qinghe Sect.

“But Elder Liu, why do they have to hire rogue cultivators?” Han Weishu asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Heh heh, you don’t know?” Liu Yunan gave her a smug look before explaining, “The mortal world has been stagnant for far too long. The establishment of this entire commercial district in Xiushui City is a crucial move toward revitalizing it.”

“Only when the mortal world as a whole becomes active can our commercial district and Xiushui City truly become the central hub of the mortal world. But if we want to completely revitalize the mortal world, relying solely on us and the sects in the guest hall to proceed bit by bit won’t be enough. The effort could very well collapse halfway because the timeline gets stretched out for too long.”

“So we have to spread this influence across the mortal world as quickly as possible and bring most of its cultivators onto the path we’re taking. Only then will this path become a broad road leading to prosperity.”

“Don’t underestimate rogue cultivators just because their cultivation levels are low. There are a great many of them. If they can also obtain a certain amount of cultivation resources, they’ll become an enormous force.”

After several years of cultivation and experience, Liu Yunan no longer needed Lin Xiao to explain everything to him. He had learned to use the ideas he had absorbed from Lin Xiao to assess how matters would develop, and many decisions no longer required Lin Xiao to make them personally.

His sudden request today for Han Weishu to send a message to the Sect Leader Han had been his own decision.

Of course, he had not acted rashly or made the decision on a whim. He had discussed the idea with Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe beforehand, and only came to carry it out after both of them agreed that it was a good plan.

Although it was the first day of operations, Li Zhouxuan worked very efficiently. By noon, he had already finalized a large number of orders with all the sects regarding the delivery and receipt of goods.

The Transaction Affairs Center had also arranged for disciples to escort the sects and royal families to First Street in the commercial district. After showing them their respective shops one by one, the disciples handed over the shops’ jade tokens.

The shops here did not use traditional locks. Each one was equipped with an isolation array, and only the corresponding jade token could open the array protecting it.

“Each establishment has been given five jade tokens. Please keep them safe. If any are lost or damaged, or if you would like additional ones, you will need to spend five spirit stones at our center to obtain replacements,” the Lingxian Sect disciple leading them said.

Upon hearing this, all the managers carefully placed the five jade tokens they held into their storage bags.

Five spirit stones were not much to them, but they were accustomed to living frugally and were unwilling to waste even a single spirit stone.

With everything settled, the managers did not linger in Xiushui City. They hurried back to their respective sects or royal capitals.

As for the shops in the commercial district, they were in no hurry to open.

After all, they had nothing at present. What could they sell?

And there were hardly any customers.

Although Lingxian Sect had already made a considerable name for itself in the Pusi Kingdom, and news of the establishment of Xiushui City had attracted quite a few mortals and cultivators to settle there, the cultivators among them were still lacking both in numbers and financial means.

Moreover, Lingxian Sect’s own shops had already opened. Although they mainly focused on agricultural matters, they also sold some particularly basic items. These sects and royal families would inevitably have to offer products related to whatever they specialized in producing.

That was right—Lingxian Sect had also opened shops in the commercial district, and not just one.

At the very end of First Street, Lingxian Sect had opened a small general goods store.

A tiny Lingxian Sect emblem was printed in the corner of the shop’s signboard, so inconspicuously that it was easy to miss.

The goods sold inside were not as luxurious as those Lingxian Sect supplied to the various sects and royal families. They were all basic items, such as universal communication talismans, Gale Talismans, spirit swords, alchemy cauldrons, Rejuvenation Pills, and protective array plates. Their quality and grades were both quite ordinary.

These items had been made by the disciples of the four great technical halls as practice. Since their quality was not high, their prices were naturally low as well. And because the disciples of the four technical halls had practiced diligently, the general goods store had an ample supply, making it very suitable for less affluent minor cultivators.

As long as the other sects and royal families maintained the quality of the goods in their own shops, their operations would naturally not suffer too much of an impact.

On the contrary, the existence of this general goods store could even help regulate prices in the commercial district to some extent.