Uniting the Clans with Profit

Baixi Residence

Zhou Minghu and Wang Dashi were sitting inside the shop taking a brief rest when they saw Huang Zhengqi walk in. He cupped his hands and laughed.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, Fellow Daoist Wang, it has been many days. Your trade is flourishing so vividly; it truly makes one envious."

Zhou Minghu stood and returned the greeting. "Not at all, not at all. It is merely a humble livelihood cobbled together from this and that. Hardly worth mentioning."

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist jests. Your family's Baixi Brew is absolutely unmatched. It has forced me to empty my own purse on more than one occasion," Huang Zhengqi teased.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a time. Wang Dashi, seeing that he need not concern himself with the talking, leisurely pulled some snacks from his pocket and began to eat.

After a long moment, Zhou Minghu finally asked, "May I ask what brings Fellow Daoist to our door today? There hasn't been an upheaval in the market, has there?"

Huang Zhengqi waved his hand and laughed. "No, no. A senior of my clan is hosting a banquet at Clear Wind Pavilion and cordially invites all fellow daoists from the immortal clans."

"Will there be spirit delicacies?" Wang Dashi asked, his eyes gleaming.

"Haha, indeed there will be." Huang Zhengqi smiled, cupping his hands. "At noon today, we hope both fellow daoists will grace us with your presence."

"I, Zhou, will certainly attend."

Afterward, Huang Zhengqi took his leave to visit the other immortal clan residences.

Although Zhou Minghu did not know why the Huang family was hosting a banquet for the immortal clan cultivators, he lived by the proverb: when soldiers come, block them with generals; when the flood arrives, dam it with earth. There was nothing to fear.

By noon, Clear Wind Pavilion was bustling with activity. Cultivators from the immortal clans stationed across the markets of the four counties had all gathered here in high spirits.

Just as Zhou Minghu and Wang Dashi arrived at the entrance to Clear Wind Pavilion, a servant boy rushed up to greet them, bowing obsequiously.

As they crossed the threshold, Zhou Minghu caught sight of two unfamiliar shops at the far end of the street. Puzzled, he asked, "Dashi, which clans do those two shops belong to?"

"Huh?" Wang Dashi followed his gaze, then broke into a smile. "Those belong to the Li family and the Song family from the commandery. They moved down here two months ago to purchase spirit plants in our area."

He glanced around cautiously and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Brother Minghu, all that White Marrow Grass you gave me was bought up by those two families, and at ten percent above the market price."

"Hmm?" Zhou Minghu frowned in confusion. Those two families were deeply established immortal clans of Zhaoping Commandery, having dominated the northern territories for over a century. Their strength was formidable. Yet they were hundreds of li away from Qingshui County. Why had they come all this way?

Then again, the surrounding four counties housed a total of eight immortal clans. Although the quality of their spirit plants and treasures might pale in comparison to those from the commandery's inner clans, the combined quantity from all eight was considerable. Not to mention the rogue cultivators from the four counties who also frequented the market to sell spirit grasses. It was perfectly reasonable for the two families to establish a foothold here.

Zhou Minghu rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Previously, Pingyun Market had been too small in scale. Even though the Purple Gold Vine possessed miraculous growth-promoting effects, the Zhou family only dared to sell low-grade spirit plants in modest amounts, terrified of attracting covetous eyes.

After all, the Purple Gold Vine was far too precious for a Qi Condensation immortal clan. It could nourish vast fields of low-grade spirit plants; calling it a vine of endless wealth was no exaggeration.

Now that these two grand families had arrived, could his own clan safely sell a bit more?

There was no need to rush the matter. Zhou Minghu set the thought aside and followed Wang Dashi up to the second floor of Clear Wind Pavilion.

In a simple, elegantly rustic private room on the second floor, over a dozen people were seated. At the head of the room sat Huang Zhengming alongside a refined, scholarly man in green robes.

Though Zhou Minghu did not recognize him, he could keenly feel the formidable aura the man had yet to fully restrain. His expression shifted drastically. The Huang family had actually produced a third Qi Condensation cultivator.

"Junior Zhou Minghu pays his respects to Senior."

Huang Zhengming nodded slightly and gestured for Zhou Minghu and Wang Dashi to take their seats.

Zhou Minghu swept the room with his peripheral vision. He noted that cultivators from all eight clans were present, save for the Li and Song families. His heart suddenly sank with a heavy clang.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Huang Zhengming released a sliver of his imposing spiritual pressure, instantly plunging the room into absolute silence.

"Today, I have invited you all here to share a matter of great fortune."

A cultivator from the Zhao family mustered his courage and asked, "May I ask what matter Senior wishes to discuss?"

"A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to obtain the formula for the Green Jade Pill. I have now successfully refined it, allowing my clan brother to achieve Qi Condensation."

Before his words even settled, Huang Zhengqing, seated beside him, suddenly flared his aura. The cultivators who still harbored lingering doubts were shaken to their cores, instantly adopting a much more fearful and reverent posture.

On the wooden table, a wooden box was suddenly thrown open, revealing a bright green, vibrant pill. A faint, pure medicinal fragrance drifted freely through the air.

"A Green Jade Pill!"

Moments ago, they had been cautious and intimidated, but the instant the Green Jade Pill appeared, every single pair of eyes burned with feverish heat. If not for their dread of Huang Zhengming's power, they might have simply lunged to snatch it.

After all, while a single Green Jade Pill could theoretically be exchanged for eighty Spirit Stones, the meager quota offered by the Immortals' Directorate was never enough to satisfy the immortal clans of an entire commandery. If an immortal clan truly wished to secure a Green Jade Pill, they were forced to seek it from the Baishan Sect or the Li and Song families at exorbitant rates, often bleeding over a hundred Spirit Stones, or even more.

And Huang Zhengqing's successful breakthrough proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Green Jade Pill on the table was genuine. Furthermore, unless the Huang family wished to throw their entire reputation into the mud, they would never dare to deceive and mock the gathered clans over such a critical matter.

Huang Zhengming spoke softly, "I wish to sell this pill to you all. Are you willing?"

"May I ask the price?" a cultivator eagerly inquired.

"Eighty Spirit Stones."

A cultivator surnamed Fan immediately roared, "Senior, my clan wishes to buy it!"

The others, snapping out of their daze, hurriedly began to shout over one another.

"My clan offers eighty-one Spirit Stones!"

"To hell with that! My clan offers eighty-five Spirit Stones!"

...

For a time, the room descended into the chaotic noise of a mortal marketplace, terribly grating on the ears.

Zhou Minghu gazed at the Green Jade Pill without much desire. Unlike the other clans, who all possessed cultivators with fourteen or fifteen strands of Spiritual Qi waiting for a breakthrough, the Zhou family currently had fewer than ten cultivators in total. What use did they have for a Green Jade Pill right now?

Moreover, the Zhou family possessed White Marrow Wine. Although its medicinal efficacy fell short of the Green Jade Pill, it remained a reliable breakthrough treasure that perfectly filled the clan's current void.

Of course, the most glaring reason was simply that the Zhou family could not afford it!

Over the past two years, the Zhou family's coffers had been bled entirely dry by the Jade Rock Green Origin Pills. Where would they find the spare Spirit Stones to fight over this?

Before long, the price had been driven up to one hundred and thirteen Spirit Stones. Zhou Minghu was so shocked he clicked his tongue. Wang Dashi, on the other hand, had few thoughts on the matter; he merely stared at the delicacies on the table, drooling endlessly.

Huang Zhengming lightly tapped the table. The room instantly fell dead silent as all eyes snapped back to him.

He smiled at the cultivator surnamed Fan. "Fetch eighty Spirit Stones later, and this Green Jade Pill shall belong to your clan."

A cultivator beside him urgently protested, "Senior, I clearly offered a higher price! Why are you selling it to him?"

Huang Zhengming spoke with slow, deliberate weight. "I did not refine the Green Jade Pill to fleece my peers, but to cultivate welfare for my fellow daoists across the four southern counties of Zhaoping."

"Our four southern counties have languished in weakness for far too long, starved of cultivators. We are routinely plundered and bled dry by the great clans of the commandery. It is a tragedy that deeply pains my heart."

"Now that my Huang family is gradually growing in strength, it is only natural that we raise the banner, establish this market, and distribute spirit pills. Every action we take is meant to break the miserable predicament of our four southern counties."

The cultivators' expressions turned utterly solemn. They cupped their hands deeply toward Huang Zhengming and shouted, "Senior is truly righteous!"

Even Zhou Minghu was swept up in the sentiment. Everything the Huang family had enacted so far genuinely served the welfare of the local immortal clans; it commanded true respect.

Suddenly shifting his tone, Huang Zhengming sighed with bitter regret. "However, the raw materials for the Green Jade Pill are rare and precious. Worse still, another faction is viciously sweeping the market to hoard them. As it stands, even my family struggles to gather enough complete portions, let alone refine further pills."

The crowd jolted as realization dawned on them. They remembered the Li and Song families aggressively hoarding medicinal herbs in the market over the past few days. The truth was blindingly clear: those two commandery families had caught wind of the Huang family's pill refinement and were attempting to sever their supply chain, starving their furnaces of materials.

"Please offer us your guidance, Senior," the cultivator surnamed Fan asked respectfully, bowing with cupped hands.

Having just been promised a Green Jade Pill, his clan was naturally completely biased toward the Huang family.

"How about this: each of your clans cultivates one or two types of the required raw materials. My Huang family will pledge to purchase them at ten percent above the market rate. In return, the Green Jade Pills we refine will always be sold to you at a fair, flat price. What do you all say?"

The moment these words fell, a blazing light ignited in the eyes of the gathered cultivators.

Not only could they earn a premium in Spirit Stones for their crops, but they would also secure a guaranteed, fairly priced channel for Green Jade Pills. This was truly a twofold blessing.

One after another, they cried out praises for the Senior's righteousness, flooding him with flattery while secretly employing various means to contact their patriarchs, desperately maneuvering to strike an agreement with the Huang family first.

Watching from the sidelines, Zhou Minghu strongly suspected that the White Marrow Grass his clan cultivated was a core ingredient for the Green Jade Pill. Otherwise, the Huang family would never have secretly bound his clan to an exclusive contract years ago, terrified of the wind carrying the secret.

With just a few casual sentences, Huang Zhengming had seamlessly bound several rival clans into his own personal herb gardens. A single word-profit-was truly a terrifying weapon!

Even if the more astute immortal clans realized this arrangement would firmly shackle them to the Huang family's chariot, they could never bear to cut themselves off from the herb profits, nor could they abandon the lure of fairly priced Green Jade Pills.

And if they refused to cooperate? Not only would they lose these immense benefits, but the Huang family might casually drive them out of the market altogether, crippling their clan's future.

Huang Zhengming swept his gaze over the feverish crowd, nodding with a faint, satisfied smile.

Even if he sold the Green Jade Pills at a strict flat rate, his clan would still reap an ocean of wealth.

After all, a single complete set of raw materials for the Green Jade Pill cost only fourteen Spirit Stones. Even raised by ten percent, it amounted to a mere sixteen Spirit Stones. Unless his furnace failed multiple times consecutively, he would never bleed wealth. And the moment he succeeded just once, it was a massive windfall-because a single successful refinement yielded far more than one pill!

In truth, dropping the price slightly further for these local clans meant absolutely nothing to him. As long as he could firmly choke the immortal clans of the four counties within his grasp, turning them into the Huang family's secure backyard, every concession was worth it.

As long as this foundation remained unbreakable, he could wield the Green Jade Pill like a scythe to reap the wealth of the immortal clans in the outer counties. Wouldn't that be truly magnificent?

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