Ten days later, the clamor of voices once again filled the racetrack at Clear Stream Market.
Yu'an's beloved Gourd Cylinder didn't pull off an upset this ti. It finished dead last, solid as a rock. However, Yu'an wasn't present today.
He was in the middle of tight preparations, manufacturing the budget-version spiritual artifacts needed for the mystery boxes.
"Fellow Daoists, though the horse racing has concluded, I have a piece of good news to share with everyone.
The Hundred Treasures Pavilion, a new talisman and spiritual pill shop opened by the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom in Clear Stream Market, has recently comnced business.
As long as you can gather three people to go together, you can enjoy a ten percent discount and purchase the Wang Clan's unique Donkey-Hide Thousand-Li Talisman.
The Hundred Treasures Pavilion also..."
"Daoists, opportunity knocks but once! The Wang Clan must be out of their minds to offer so many discounts.
Everyone, hurry over! If the Hundred Treasures Pavilion can't keep its doors open, those Daoists who arrive late won't be able to take advantage of it!"
Yang Qi's advertising could be described as an utter disaster, but sohow, this stuff actually worked.
After all, this was an unprecedented event since the creation of Clear Stream Market. How could these cultivators understand anything about advertising?
In the past, the absolute limit for shops in Clear Stream Market was hiring people to spread the word in major restaurants, inns, and teahouses.
Yulou's wave of advertising essentially tapped into the private traffic pool built by the Yang clan.
By borrowing the top-tier traffic from the Clear Stream Market horse racing activities and using the Hundred Treasures Pavilion discounts as a leverage point, he fully mobilized user contact points and achieved cross-industry marketing.
This was fundantally a crude version of ecological synergy. To the other competitors of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, it was nothing short of a dinsional strike.
Cui Baihao only learned about this new shop, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, through Yang Qi's promotion.
He was an elder of the Redwood Sect, a low-tier sect. An elder at the ninth stage of Qi Refining sounded absurd, but considering that the Redwood Sect had only produced two Foundation Establishnt cultivators since its founding, it wasn't surprising for a ninth-stage Qi Refining cultivator to serve as an elder.
His primary mission during this visit to Clear Stream Market was to sell the sect's specialty, grade-nine redwood. After finishing his business, he dropped by the racetrack to watch the races.
However, upon learning that the shop of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom offered discounted Thousand-Li Talismans, his interest was piqued.
The juniors in his sect needed Thousand-Li Talismans. Buying three to keep in reserve and bestowing them upon the juniors when the opportunity arose would be just perfect.
Thus, he followed the crowd and arrived at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Yes, a crowd. Many cultivators who had been watching the horse racing had co over.
"Fellow Daoists, please form a line. For those wishing to purchase the three-person, ten percent discount Thousand-Li Talismans, please note that you must gather exactly three people to enjoy the ten percent discount, and one person can buy a maximum of two talismans!"
Hearing the words of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion shop assistant, Cui Baihao felt a bit annoyed.
'You Wang Clan have a grand family and great business, yet you're reluctant to let us buy a few more. Too stingy, simply too stingy!'
Though he cursed in his mind, Cui Baihao had no intention of leaving. After all, a ten percent discount on the Wang Clan's Donkey-Hide Thousand-Li Talisman was truly enticing.
This was precisely where the value of a traffic-driver product lay. Moreover, the Wang Clan raised donkeys themselves, so they naturally didn't lack Donkey-Hide Thousand-Li Talismans; they could still make a profit even when selling at a ten percent discount.
Soon, it was Cui Baihao's turn. Under the guidance of the assistant, he and two other custors ford a three-person group, and each bought two Donkey-Hide Thousand-Li Talismans.
Those two custors turned and left imdiately after buying their talismans, but Cui Baihao was stunned by the magnificent ancestral tablets inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Beneath Patriarch Mangxiang, Wang Yinghua of the Wang Clan was actually of the sa generation as Xuanzhuan and Danri.
Furthermore, three Foundation Establishnt cultivators of the Wang Clan had regular entry under the tutelage of Xuanzhuan, ranking among the True Disciples of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
Thinking of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom, and his own Redwood Sect, Cui Baihao felt an unprovoked pang of sorrow.
Cultivation was hard. Cultivation was incredibly, incredibly hard.
If a rogue cultivator returned to the mortal world, they could enjoy a very good life, but who would be willing to give up the hope of achieving eternal life?
Even though that hope was so desperately minuscule, no one wanted to abandon it.
"New mystery boxes have been stocked! Twenty boxes in total. Inside, we have placed three lower-grade spiritual artifacts and three bottles of Qi Transformation Pills, with six pills per bottle.
Fellow Daoists, the old rules apply: once purchased, the transaction is final. No exchanges allowed!"
Qi Transformation Pills?
Cui Baihao didn't know what a mystery box was, but he certainly knew about Qi Transformation Pills.
A single Qi Transformation Pill sold for five spirit stones. It could help a Qi Refining cultivator who consud it triple their cultivation speed for the next five days, making five days of practice equivalent to fifteen days.
After asking clearly what a mystery box was, Cui Baihao stared at those wooden boxes with eyes glowing, his heart burning with intense fervor.
If he bought two boxes, whether he drew a Qi Transformation Pill or a lower-grade spiritual artifact, he wouldn't lose out and might even make a small profit.
But out of the twenty mystery boxes, only six contained high-value goods. To get a payout, one had to buy more.
He grit his teeth, waving his hand and shouting.
"Give five mystery boxes! Yes, the mystery boxes, five of them!"
"I'm sorry, we have a purchase limit. Each person can buy a maximum of two. Furthermore, Fellow Daoist, you shouted too late. There is only one mystery box left now."
The assistant's reply left Cui Baihao completely dumbfounded. How could there be only one left so quickly?
"Daoist, do you still want it? If you don't, I will sell it to other Daoists."
However, because there were too many people today, the assistant had absolutely no ti to let Cui Baihao hesitate.
"Yes, yes, giving just one is fine too."
Buying just one was good as well; a small gamble was pleasant entertainnt.
Buying five at once was indeed too risky. Although the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom wouldn't go so far as to ruin their own reputation, it was still more prudent to be cautious.
Receiving the mystery box, Cui Baihao stroked the wooden box painted in red lacquer, feeling a bit of anticipation as he prepared to open it.
However, he noticed that the other cultivators who had bought mystery boxes were all bowing before the tablet of Patriarch Mangxiang, seemingly praying for the Patriarch's blessing.
With the mindset that he wouldn't lose anything anyway, Cui Baihao also bowed twice, his movents and expression perfectly in place.
It could be said that this was the most respectful mont of his life toward Patriarch Mangxiang.
Since he had bowed to the Patriarch, washing his hands was naturally sothing he couldn't miss. After all, everyone else had washed theirs. If he alone didn't, what if his luck fell just a tiny bit short because of it?
But just as Cui Baihao extended his hand toward the water basin, the assistant stopped him.
"Spiritual water hand-washing pass! One spirit stone buys a five-use hand-washing ticket. Fellow Daoist, you haven't bought a ticket yet, right?"
Cui Baihao's eyes widened. He pointed at the people who had already washed their hands and were preparing to open their boxes, saying, "Did they all buy tickets?"
The assistant nimbly pulled out a wooden, carved card that also bore the relief engraving of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
"Yes. Look, this is the spiritual water hand-washing pass. We punch a hole for each wash. Would you like one?
Of course, we also have free hand-washing water, but it's just mortal rootless water. The rootless water can be provided as a complintary extra."
Looking at the wooden, carved spiritual water hand-washing pass in the assistant's hand, Cui Baihao, coming from a small background, was just about to decline.
"Hahaha! I pulled it! I pulled it! Hahaha, I got it!"
A rogue cultivator who had just washed his hands with the spiritual water had opened a lower-grade Purple Copper Spell-Breaking Pestle. At this mont, he was excitedly dancing in circles around the main hall of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
The words at the tip of Cui Baihao's tongue were swallowed back down.
"Can I pack up the spiritual water I used to wash my hands and take it with ?"
The Redwood Sect was poor. Although Cui Baihao was an elder, he still needed to economize where he could.
The spiritual water used for washing hands could be taken back to brew tea.
"Yes, of course you can. We provide complintary packing. Daoist, are you buying?"
"I'll buy it!"
Soon, Cui Baihao finished washing his hands, picked up the packed spiritual water, and left with his mystery box.
He was an old hand in the martial world; there was no way he would open the mystery box in front of a grand crowd. If he happened to pull a lower-grade spiritual artifact, it would arouse the envy of others.
Returning to the small room he rented at the Fortune Source Residence, Cui Baihao sat on the bed, where it was difficult even to turn over, and looked at the red-lacquered mystery box in his hands.
An excited heart, trembling hands.
Upon opening it, embedded right in the center of the wooden box was a jade bottle.
A massive profit!
Unscrewing the stopper of the jade bottle, he placed it beneath his nose. Inhaling the fragrance of the Qi Transformation Pills, Cui Baihao lanted in admiration.
"So the scent of a Qi Transformation Pill is actually this refreshing. A spiritual pill is truly extraordinary, truly extraordinary."
In the past, he could only afford to use Qi Transformation Powder and had never purchased a Qi Transformation Pill.
Pouring one out from the bottle onto his palm, Cui Baihao looked at the entirely brown, cherry-sized pill, swallowed his saliva, and put it back inside.
He would consu it after returning to the sect!
With these six Qi Transformation Pills in hand, his path toward the tenth stage of Qi Refining could be traversed a bit faster.
On the second floor of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Wang Rongsheng was smiling very happily.
"Yulou, I didn't expect this mystery box to be so highly sought after. Hahaha, back then, it was this old man who lacked vision."
With the business of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion being so spectacular today, he naturally understood that this was inseparable from Yulou's contributions.
The three-person, ten percent discount group, the ti-limited auctions, and the racetrack advertisents were all for driving traffic.
Only the mystery box sales genuinely expanded the net profit.
With these four moves executed, Yulou's position as the shop manager was naturally secure. He no longer needed to worry about being dismissed due to poor performance.
However, a man without distant worries will surely face imdiate anxieties.
"Clan uncle, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion could not have achieved today's success without your full support. It's just that we now have a new problem."
Yulou first praised his clan uncle before seeking assistance.
"The mystery boxes sell well because their total product value calculates to roughly a two percent discount overall.
Consequently, there will always be cultivators who feel they got a bargain returning as repeat custors, so the sales path for the mystery boxes naturally smoothed out.
But selling too quickly isn't entirely a good thing. I predict that the Hundred Treasures Pavilion will soon face a supply shortage.
Right now, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion has snatched so much business from other shops. We need to compromise and collaborate with them. We can't rely solely on our own family's supply. What do you think?"
Stabilizing the supply chain while simultaneously avoiding hogging all the profits, which would draw unwanted attention.
Yulou's mystery box strategy actually achieved an increase in sales volu within a unit of ti through high turnover, thereby raising overall profits.
But market demand was limited. Since the business of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion had improved, its competitors wouldn't have enough to eat.
Therefore, certain asures were required to achieve a win-win situation.
Soone like Patriarch Mangxiang had a massive faction and profound strength; he didn't need to fear anything even if he ate until only bones were left for those below.
But the Wang Clan didn't have such a large mouth. Eating too much would invite disaster!
Faced with Yulou's suggestion, Wang Rongsheng felt imnsely moved. He nodded and said, "Yulou, I finally understand why the Patriarch wanted to appoint you as the manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
You are absolutely right. However, you can leave these matters to ; those old fellows are not easy to deal with.
Fortunately, I can be considered an old hand in the martial world as well, so I can still be of so help to you, haha."
At this mont, a spiritual crane raised by the Wang Clan flew outside the window of the second floor of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
With a face full of impatience, it repeatedly pecked at the window with its beak, signaling the two chatting inside to hurry up and open the door for it.
Wang Rongsheng raised his hand in surprise, the window opened, and the spiritual crane flew inside.
After dropping a bundle, it walked over to the edge of the table and began drinking the spiritual tea on it, which Wang Rongsheng had originally prepared for Yulou.
"Is this He Lao'er or He Laosan?"
He Lao'er and He Laosan looked too similar, and Yulou couldn't tell them apart for a mont.
The spiritual crane pecked at Yulou twice more, then proudly opened its beak—this grandfather is hungry.
Wang Rongsheng picked up the bundle and, after examining it, said, "It's the Seven-String Zither customized by Mu Yingxi. The Patriarch crafted it personally, and he also specified that you should go to Mu Chunzer's Warden Cultivator's Manor to deliver it."
Yulou, who was feeding He Laosan with pastries, was sowhat surprised. Letting deliver the zither?
Imdiately afterward, he finally realized sothing was amiss.
Sure enough, not a single Foundation Establishnt cultivator who could catch the eye of a Purple Mansion expert to beco a True Disciple was a fool.
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