At the exact mont Yulou finalized the cooperation between Hundred Treasures Pavilion and the Clear Stream Market horse racing track, Hundred Treasures Pavilion's competitors were also considering how to deal with them as if facing a formidable enemy.
"They are going too far! It's one thing to copy our na.
But they are actually selling talismans too? This is outright bullying!"
In the backyard of Hundred Talisman Hall, a Che Clan Qi Refining cultivator dressed as a shopkeeper was complaining.
He was the shopkeeper of Hundred Talisman Hall, Che Zengye.
The Qi Refining stage talisman market in Clear Stream Market was only so large. Through generations of operation, the Che Clan had established a reputation for Hundred Talisman Hall, allowing it to capture a third of the market in Clear Stream Market.
A third might sound small, but for a fully competitive business district, this kind of dominance was already quite high.
Yet out of nowhere, the Wang Clan had suddenly erected Hundred Treasures Pavilion. The na was almost identical to Hundred Talisman Hall, and their business overlapped heavily. How could Che Zengye not be anxious?
"They really are bullying you, but what can you do about it?
"Zengye, tell how you plan to respond instead.
"I didn't travel all the way to Clear Stream Market just to listen to your complaints."
The patriarch of the Che Clan, Che Zengshu, spoke to his younger brother with so helplessness. He quite disagreed with Che Zengye's words just now.
The Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom had a massive business and deep foundations; they wouldn't deliberately copy the na of the Che family's shop. However, how to handle the aggressive challenge of Hundred Treasures Pavilion was indeed a difficult problem.
Clear Stream Market was only so big. With the reputation of the Wang Clan behind them and quite a few innovations in their operations, Hundred Treasures Pavilion naturally lacked no custors.
But every extra bite they took ant a bite less for the Che family's Hundred Talisman Hall. This issue was monuntal!
How could Che Zengshu not worry? That was why he had rushed over in such a burning hurry.
"Patriarch, we can also launch a three-person ten-percent-off group buy to snatch custors back from Hundred Treasures Pavilion."
Che Zengye had no qualms about copying Hundred Treasures Pavilion's strategy. After all, it was Hundred Treasures Pavilion that had copied Hundred Talisman Hall's na first.
"You're thinking too simply. Our model is to buy low and sell high.
"We collect large quantities of cheap talismans from rogue cultivators and small families, and then slowly sell them off.
"The model of Hundred Treasures Pavilion relies on the Wang family drawing the talismans themselves, and then selling them through their own shop after completion.
"Hundred Talisman Hall cannot compete with them in a price war!
"If we compete on price, we will undoubtedly lose. We must think of other thods."
A single grain of dust from an era, when falling upon an individual's shoulder, becos a mountain.
To attain Golden Core, Patriarch Mangxiang was aggressively driving pressure down through the hierarchy of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
As a vassal of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and a minor force under the Mangxiang lineage, the Wang Clan had actively been squeezed to their very heels.
Amidst these changes, in order to ensure the family's financial balance, Wang Xianmao had established Hundred Treasures Pavilion in Clear Stream Market.
Consequently, the Che family's Hundred Talisman Hall was left in a terrible bind.
The price paid by Patriarch Mangxiang was naturally borne by the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
When facing pressure, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect could directly find nurous vassals to share the burden.
The pressure faced by the Wang Clan could be passed down through various thods to be borne by rogue cultivators and small families.
But for a tiny Qi Refining family like the Che Clan, what could they do?
As the tides of the era transmitted layer by layer down to the Che Clan, the Hundred Talisman Hall they had accumulated and operated for many years was as fragile as a sheet of paper.
The disparity between the Che Clan and the Wang Clan was imnse. Many thods that might have been useful in the past lost their efficacy when facing Hundred Treasures Pavilion, which stood backed by the Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clan of the Wang Clan.
Che Zengye thought for a long ti before whispering.
"Patriarch, don't you know a few bandit cultivators? On the surface, their identities have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
"We can use these people to spread rumors that Hundred Treasures Pavilion's talismans are defective, striking a blow to their reputation!"
Che Zengshu was startled. He looked around and quickly realized that only the two of them were here, allowing his hanging heart to ease slightly.
Leaning his head toward Che Zengye, he suppressed his voice and scolded.
"Do not speak nonsense! Supplying those people is just supplying them; after all, supplying goods is a normal business transaction.
"If we ask those people to do things for us, wouldn't we be mixing ourselves up with bandit cultivators?"
Good heavens, there was a reason why Hundred Talisman Hall's business stood out uniquely within Clear Stream Market.
Aside from selling normally in the shop, the Che family also possessed a special covert sales network specifically designed to provide talismans to bandit cultivators.
"Patriarch, Hundred Treasures Pavilion is pressing hard at every step. Backed by the Wang Clan, the quality of their goods is top-tier.
"Moreover, they also supply various spiritual pills. With their rise and our decline, Hundred Talisman Hall's business will be in grave danger.
"We must take action. We need to cut cleanly when making decisions!"
In Che Zengye's eyes, there was helplessness, struggle, and madness, but there was absolutely no hesitation.
The business of Hundred Talisman Hall concerned the life and death of the Che family; he had to protect it!
Under his brother's intense gaze, the Che clan patriarch fell silent for a long ti before finally saying.
"I will arrange it. Do not concern yourself with these matters. Right, just tell the shop hands that I only ca to stay for a single day."
The 'Immortal Alliance - Ten Sects' system had only mobilized slightly, yet it forced normal cultivators to dance with bandit cultivators.
Over the past few years, many things had beco different from the past.
Compared to Jiang Baobian, who still cared sowhat about formalities and appearance, the new Town Guardian Cultivator, Mu Chun泽, was so corrupt he would try to dilute water with water.
Diluting water with water—an ordinary person could never even conceive of such a thing.
Is that not why he was able to take a Purple Palace cultivator as his master?
Yulou had originally intended to wait until Hongi sorted through his thoughts before going back to Forge Peak Residence to continue studying the artificing path.
After all, Hongi was currently facing imnse psychological pressure, and Yulou worried that this kind-faced but dark-hearted master might snap and ruin them all.
But when Ningyao Shijie ca to visit them yesterday, it indicated that Hongi might have already adjusted his state of mind.
Thus, Yulou and Yu'an arrived at Forge Peak Residence early today.
"Is my master here?" Yulou asked the hand in the front hall.
"He went out early this morning. Fairy Ningyao is here, though. She's currently in the side hall discussing a custom spiritual artifact with a female custor."
Hearing the hand's reply, Yu'an looked toward his elder brother.
"Brother, we might as well take this chance to forge the Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle."
The two brothers still owed Wu Jinyan a debt and needed to pay it back as soon as possible.
Although Yulou was now the shopkeeper of Hundred Treasures Pavilion, he could not simply deploy the spirit stones on the pavilion's account books at whim.
Without disturbing Ningyao, the two ca before the artifact refining furnace.
Yu'an tended the fire while Yulou fetched the water, quickly getting everything ready.
"This is our first ti refining an artifact entirely on our own. Yu'an, why don't you go first?"
Yulou's request was sowhat unexpected. Yu'an was puzzled for a mont but did not refuse.
In truth, what Yulou was considering was that his own attainnt in the artificing path was higher than Yu'an's.
If he went first, failing multiple tis would affect his own condition and, worse, drag down Yu'an's mindset.
By letting Yu'an go first, given the boy's competitive youthfulness, he would refine with greater focus.
At the sa ti, with Yulou—soone with slightly higher artificing attainnt—standing behind to back him up, the pressure in Yu'an's heart would be significantly lessened.
When combined, the value inherent in the decision to let Yu'an go first beca clear.
Yulou calculated everything down to the finest detail, which was why he spoke up to let Yu'an go first.
Cultivating immortality was just like this.
Two pieces of purple copper cost nearly three hundred spirit stones just for the raw materials. When adding up various other miscellaneous auxiliary materials, completing the refinent would consu at least three hundred and ten spirit stones.
Three hundred and ten spirit stones to refine six Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestles ant the cost of each piece was around fifty-two spirit stones.
Exploding the furnace just once ant losing fifty-two spirit stones. How could Yulou not be careful?
On the surface, he rely seed to be agonizing over a tiny detail.
Even if Yulou sold two hundred Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestles, the spirit stones earned wouldn't be enough to buy the mid-grade spiritual belt around his waist.
But a tree that takes both arms to span grows from a tiny sprout; a nine-story tower rises from a heap of earth.
One must remain steadfast and resolute, for the burden is heavy and the road is long.
Neither Yulou nor Yu'an lacked grand ambitions, but the young lad Yu'an clearly did not comprehend the deeply hidden fortitude within Yulou.
He simply stood before the artifact refining furnace and, without a second look, tossed the purple copper straight into the fire, saying simultaneously, "I feel like I can forge five layers of restrictions into it. Brother, can I try?"
Evidently, his competitive nature had been accurately predicted by Yulou.
"Of course you can, but if it blows up, we lose fifty-two spirit stones.
"Give it a try. Fifty-two spirit stones isn't much; it's rely our clan allowance for two and a half years."
Since Yulou put it that way, Yu'an naturally dared not act overconfident or take unnecessary risks.
Thus, Yulou took charge of tending the fire while Yu'an handled the refining.
Under the cautious cooperation of the brothers, the first Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle was quickly forged.
Except, the pestle Yu'an produced contained only three layers of restrictions.
The original design called for four layers: apart from the three foundational restrictions, an additional spell-breaking restriction was supposed to be forged inside.
But clearly, when Yu'an refined down to the fourth layer, his strength fell short of his desires.
It was too small; the volu of a third of a piece of purple copper was simply too small for him to manage.
"Who was it that just said they could forge five layers into it?"
Yulou subrged the Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle into mandrill blood to quench it, smiling as he asked and answered his own question.
"Oh, I can't recall clearly. In any case, it wasn't , haha."
Mandrill blood could enhance the spell-breaking properties. Though Yu'an's Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle was refined to an awkward diocrity, the inherent nature of purple copper determined that it could provide a certain degree of spell-breaking capability on its own.
It followed the sa logic: if a spell cast with ten parts of spiritual power ca flying over, a Purple Copper Dharma Sword enhanced with five layers of spell-breaking restrictions could slash it apart using only three parts of power.
When breaking through various protective spells, it possessed a decisive advantage like a hot knife through butter.
As for this clumsy version of the Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle, it could achieve the feat of breaking a ten-part spell with eight parts of power. From this perspective, it still held value.
Teased by Yulou until his face turned thoroughly red, Yu'an stopped speaking entirely.
He calculated the spiritual power remaining in his body, tossed another small piece of purple copper into the artifact refining furnace, his eyes filled completely with solemnity.
'This ti, I will definitely succeed in forging a four-layered Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle!'
Since Yu'an could refine dark jade into a mid-grade spiritual artifact core, he did possess so talent in the artificing path. Of course, this was likely also due to Yulou's spurring and guidance.
Just as Yu'an channeled his spiritual power to contend with the purple copper inside the furnace, Ningyao Shijie entered the back hall leading a female cultivator covered in a veil.
"Fellow Daoist Yingxi, our Forge Peak Residence truly does not accept orders for wooden spiritual artifacts. My father excels in tals and minerals, and fire-based artificing thods are not suited for wooden tools.
"However, I can introduce you to a suitable place. Look, they are sons of the Anbei Kingdom's Wang Clan. The Wang Clan's expertise in wood-attributed thods is well-known even within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect."
Ningyao Shijie seed to be introducing the Wang Clan to this female custor?
Yulou didn't find the ti to pay attention to the two won; instead, he looked toward Yu'an.
'Good, excellent. This kid Yu'an truly has so innate wisdom within him.'
With two female cultivators right beside him, he didn't even spare them a glance; his refining hand movents remained remarkably steady.
'Yu'an, you boy will surely achieve great things!'
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