Fang Ting was on the verge of tears.
He had intended to showcase his prowess as a mid-stage Golden Elixir cultivator, to let everyone within and beyond Shu Mountain witness the formidable power of his Shenxiao Five Thunder Golden Elixir. This was the battle he had prepared to make a name for himself!
Yet, he was defeated in such a sudden manner. The physical injuries were secondary; what truly hurt was the feeling of an old clot of blood stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
But upon further reflection.
Even though he had been momentarily distracted, it wasn’t that he was completely unable to react to the sneak attack. It was just that Chu Liang’s move was too fast, too fierce, and too accurate, allowing him to overpower his enemy in one strike.
His own strength must be formidable.
Fang Ting looked towards Chu Liang, only to see the latter still smiling and cupping his hands in salute: “Brother Fang, thank you for letting me win.”
Pfft.
The blood that had just calmed within him surged again. He really wanted to spit out a mouthful of blood onto his face and say, “I let your grandma’s leg… Ahhh!”
But a loss was a loss. The presiding elder announced solemnly: “Silver Sword Peak… Chu Liang wins!”
As he spoke, some gazes shifted downward, seemingly reluctant.
Whispers spread all around.
“Isn’t this the disciple from Silver Sword Peak who topped the Heavenly Ladder Path? I thought he was strong, how could he resort to such tactics?”
“He hasn’t been forming his Golden Elixir for long, so in terms of raw strength, he definitely can’t compare with Fang Ting. That must be why he resorted to such trickery.”
“With so many people watching, how could he…?”
“His master is Di Nvfeng…”
“Ah, that explains it… Turns out he’s a shameless wretch.”
Chu Liang, however, was indifferent. He turned around and gracefully landed on the ground. Lin Bei approached, giving him a thumbs up: “The more you win, the worse your reputation gets. You’re the first.”
“It was a necessary move,” Chu Liang said with a light laugh, not dwelling on the subject. Instead, he turned to ask, “How are the sales?”
“I sold out early,” Lin Bei replied with a smile.
On the stage, a new battle had already begun, drawing the audience’s attention. Chu Liang walked to a corner of the plaza, where several figures gathered.
Including Lin Bei, there were Liu Xiaoyu, Shang Ziliang, Follower A, and Follower B. They were all core members of Chu Liang’s team.
Each of them wore a basic storage artifact on their hands, filled with candied fruits, sweetened drinks, and boxed Dragon Breath Gold-Striped Berries.
The candied fruits and other sweet snacks were perfect for eating while watching the matches, chosen by Chu Liang after scouting the businesses at the foot of the mountain.
The Dragon Breath Gold-Striped Berries were a high-end specialty of Shu Mountain, meant as gifts for disciples from the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands to take back to their friends and family. The brand effect of the Gold-Striped Berries had already been established within Shu Mountain, and now, fellow disciples recognized it as a quality product. When disciples from other sects saw it and asked around, they too learned of its value. This influence was spreading just right.
The Shu Mountain Summit was a rare opportunity.
“Lin Bei was the first to sell out today, making him the undisputed sales champion,” Chu Liang inquired, “How about the rest of you?”
“I’m almost sold out too,” Liu Xiaoyu said with a raised hand and a smile.
The young girl looked naive and cute, and her goods sold themselves without much effort.
Shang Ziliang and Follower A were slightly behind, having sold about half of their stock.
Only Follower B blinked and mumbled, “Mine’s gone too…”
“Sold out?”
“Eaten up…”
Chu Liang sighed at him: “You can’t get paid if you do that.”
After the Mountain God Festival, Chu Liang planned to formalize the team for convenience in future endeavors. He discussed it with Shang Ziliang and the others, who were naturally willing to follow Chu Liang. Now, they were even considered external members of Silver Sword Peak.
After everyone else was eliminated, Chu Liang shared the plan with them.
They would take advantage of the Shu Mountain Summit to do some small business. They would help Chu Liang sell goods, earning a basic salary of fifty sword coins a day, plus a twenty percent commission from the income. The day’s top seller would receive an additional fifty sword coins.
If someone consistently performed well, they could become a partner and share in the total profits with Chu Liang. This generous offer was quite tempting for the team.
The sales for the first two days were mediocre, and Chu Liang was actually losing money by paying them. However, as the market gradually opened up, today should see a slight profit. According to his calculations, once the market was fully established in two days, he should be making several hundred sword coins a day.
Chu Liang came up with this idea upon seeing the Shu Mountain Summit attracting visitors from all directions. It pained him to see such a prime tourism economy undeveloped.
The snack business was just a small venture; these mundane items were not worth much, and even at high prices, they couldn’t go too high. It was just that people needed them, and they could use this to spread goodwill in the market. The berry gift boxes were the real low-cost, high-profit items. The deluxe gift boxes were almost pure profit. The Shu Mountain disciples knew the original price of the berries—although also very high, the gift boxes were priced even higher. They naturally wouldn’t buy them, aiming instead to fleece the tourists… no, to provide benefits for the visitors’ families back home.Shu Mountain currently doesn’t boast any must-try delicacies or must-buy items for visitors, but Chu Liang plans to turn the Gold-Patterned Berries into a renowned brand of Shu Mountain. He hopes that outsiders will want to take several boxes back home to share with friends and family, ensuring a steady stream of profits in the future.
“Right,” he reminded, “make sure to tell them that there are discounts for transactions made with Shu Mountain Sword Coins.”
This was something that puzzled Shang Ziliang and the others.
In the current cultivation world, the most commonly used currency is the Four Symbols Coin from Glutton City, followed by the Penglai Coin from the Upper Sect of Penglai. The former is undoubtedly popular because it’s the most convenient for purchasing a wide variety of items. The latter is preferred for its strong backing, making it a stable currency to hold.
However, Shu Mountain Sword Coins are mostly circulated internally.
“Disciples from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths don’t carry Sword Coins. It’s quite troublesome to exchange for them,” Lin Bei also said.
“Even if it’s troublesome, we should still promote it as much as possible. If we don’t use Sword Coins on Shu Mountain, where else would we use them?” Chu Liang said, “There’s no need to rush this matter; we can take our time.”
As he spoke, his eyes shimmered with hopeful anticipation.
……
Just after he had dispatched them to sell goods again, he felt a tremor in his storage magical device.
Chu Liang’s expression tightened. He exchanged glances with Pǔ Shàn and Luo Yao, who were far away, and they all understood each other’s intentions, swiftly flying towards Silver Sword Peak to gather together.
【Eastern Guide】: “I’ve found a new way to arrange for your return to the Bone Palace. Time is pressing. Can you all gather by tomorrow?”
The three of them took out their Soul Summoning Orders and saw the message.
“Tomorrow is the Spirit Pet Combat Competition, and I don’t need to participate,” Chu Liang nodded, satisfied with the timing.
“Okay,” Luo Yao nodded and turned to reply.
【Sixty】: “Received.”
【Fifty-Nine】: “Wow, is it happening again? The tense and thrilling undercover operation, it’s been a long time since the last crackdown on the Bone Palace. It’s impressive that Lord Guide can still find a way.”
Chu Liang looked at Pǔ Shàn curiously, wondering how he managed to send so much information in such a short time.
After a pause, he replied.
【Fifty-Eight】: “Received.”
Fortunately, the Soul Summoning Order didn’t display the location from which the message was sent. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain if it showed that all three addresses were on Shu Mountain.
【Eastern Guide】: “Good, meet at the usual place tomorrow. My people will come to receive you.”