Before the tomboyish girl left, she reluctantly but with lightning-fast chopsticks devoured half a plate of donkey intestines.
Zhou Yingxi thought to herself, 'It slls pungent but tastes amazing. Delicious.'
It was also Old Tang's fault for being so dense. How could a refined young lady eat donkey intestines? He should have been more mindful when bringing out the dishes.
However, Yulou did not take Zhou Yingxi's attitude to heart.
He preferred practical action over empty talk.
No matter how Zhou Yingxi treated him, it would not alter his established plans.
As long as a person keeps moving forward, many things naturally fall into place, and the companions around them will be carried along by the montum.
As for what others thought, they could think whatever they pleased; Yulou did not care.
Those whose hearts wavered just because of a female cultivator were destined never to beco true great cultivators!
Late at night, inside the Patriarch's bedroom at Fortune Source Residence, the prominent figures of the Wang Clan in Clear Stream Market gathered to refine their strategy for the Clear Stream Market Talisman Master Competition.
This was the first ti Yulou had organized such a complex event, and it was also the first ti the Wang Clan truly stood at the center of the stage as a unified force.
Both Yulou and the Patriarch wanted to execute everything flawlessly, so they decided to pool their wisdom and see where things could be optimized.
In the past, Yulou had been indifferent to many matters in this cultivation world. But after enduring the grueling process of reviving the racetrack from the brink of failure, he now only desired to put forth his absolute best effort to master everything within his control.
He who is capable shall be the teacher. Every senior with more pedigree and experience had their own unique insights. As long as he carefully listened to the advice from all sides, the final outco could hardy be disastrous.
"Patriarch, our Wang Clan has poured so many resources into this competition. If the first-place winner isn't one of our own, won't we suffer a massive loss?"
Old Tang offered his counsel to the Patriarch. His logic was simple: since the Wang Clan provided the funds, they naturally deserved the top prize.
To him, this wasn't rigging the match; it was only natural!
Wang Yulou did not express his opinion, but in his heart, he understood Tang Nianqiu's perspective.
Old Tang was a man who fussed over every single penny. If a cook at the Flavorful Bistro dared to put an extra piece of donkey at into a at burger, Tang would point at the cook's head and lecture him for half an hour.
"First place? How is first place enough? This competition was organized specifically to make Hundred Treasures Pavilion famous.
"The goods at Hundred Treasures Pavilion are supplied by the Wang Clan. If you ask , we should sweep the top three spots for the Wang Clan. Only then will the pavilion's goods sell even better. Considering our investnt this ti, if only one person from the Wang Clan makes it into the top three, the family loses money!"
Tang Nianqiu only wanted to secure the championship, but when it ca to Wang Rongsheng, the man went a step further, directly demanding that the top three positions all belong to the Wang Clan.
Because his talent was diocre, this elder uncle had left ho at a young age to make a living, drifting through the ruthless world of cultivators for half his life. When it ca to penny-pinching, he was even more extre than Tang Nianqiu.
It wasn't fair to call these two seniors shortsighted, as the advice they offered was firmly rooted in the interests of the Wang Clan.
However, Yulou truly did not believe that Hundred Treasures Pavilion or the Wang Clan would lose out. The calculation of hidden costs was rely a shift in accounting figures, whereas the potential, unquantifiable returns were imasurable.
With the endorsent of three Foundation Establishnt masters, the reputation of Clear Stream Market was also being utilized. If this competition could be sustained as a long-term event, the Wang Clan's status within the surrounding region of Clear Stream Market would receive a significant elevation.
Of course, once it beca a regular event, the rewards would have to be scaled back slightly to ensure sustainability.
The power dynamics and benefit-distribution models between factions were incredibly complex coupling chanisms. Prestige and reputation could not be quantified, yet they truly existed.
It was precisely because the Patriarch saw the potential of this competition that he supported Yulou so heavily, rather than out of re doting or blind faith.
Affection and trust had their limits, but a shared ambition to expand the family was boundless!
"Alright, this is our first ti hosting such an event, so we must maintain basic fairness.
"However, we can tilt the scales slightly. We can't have our Wang Clan build the stage only to let outsiders perform all the lead roles.
"At the very least, our own people must beco prominent figures and secure a spot in the top three!"
The Patriarch chose a compromise. The charm of a compromise lay in the sense of security it provided to the decision-maker.
In the process of collective decision-making, a compromise strategy aligned with the lowest common denominator of the group, thereby diluting the specific responsibility of the person who made the final call should any problems arise in the future.
"Yulou, tell us your thoughts."
Hearing the Patriarch address Yulou, Tang Nianqiu and Wang Rongsheng turned their heads as well.
Indeed, Yulou was the creator of the Talisman Master Competition, so his opinion was vital.
"I agree with the Patriarch's view."
Since it was a collective decision and the Patriarch had already made the call, what other opinion could Yulou have?
The current situation was simple: he had conceived a brilliant idea, the clan had taken over the leadership, and because they did not trust him completely yet, Yulou could only comply.
A person with an overabundance of individualism could not survive in a collective group.
The collective interest was the bigger picture. Yulou had not yet reached the point where he embodied the bigger picture himself, so he had to hide his sharp edges.
Furthermore, having the clan assu control was not entirely a bad thing.
The law of the unity of opposites dictated that if any accidents occurred or if the competition yielded poor results, the clan would naturally help shoulder the pressure for Yulou.
With his current fragile standing, his ability to withstand pressure was still insufficient.
————
Half a month later, Cui Baihao, the sect master of the Redwood Sect, arrived at Clear Stream Market in a horse carriage, accompanied by the sect elder Du Zhongnian.
"Sect Master, this crowd is comparable to the Clear Stream Grand Gathering from years ago," Du Zhongnian remarked as he chatted with Cui Baihao while sitting at the front of the carriage.
"It's far from that level, but there are indeed more people than usual," Cui Baihao evaluated.
After parking their carriage at the designated lot, the two led their disciples to Fortune Source Residence.
"Sect Master, this Fortune Source Residence is an inn equipped with spiritual energy, so staying here requires spirit stones. Should we switch to a tavern that doesn't cost spirit stones?"
"Hahaha, it's fine. The Wang Clan's Fortune Source Residence is quite decent; they offer discounted small rooms."
Leading his disciples inside, Cui Baihao cast aside his majestic deanor as a sect master and spoke to the attendant at the counter.
"Young man, give us eight small rooms—the smallest kind will do. We'll be staying for two days."
"That will be two spirit stones. Fellow Daoist, here are your room tokens."
Accepting the tokens, Cui Baihao led the Redwood Sect disciples into the backyard.
"Disciples at the Qi Induction realm will share two to a room. Deacons and elders at the Qi Refining stage will get a single room each. Co over and take your tokens.
"The washing area and restrooms are outside. The conditions are a bit basic, but there is plenty of spiritual energy, no worse than inside our own sect."
Once the sect's cultivators were settled, Cui Baihao headed toward the racetrack alone. The invitation Wang Rongsheng had given them earlier contained a general schedule of events.
He needed to secure the Redwood Sect's viewing positions in advance.
Yet, the mont he stepped into the racetrack, he realized that things were far more grand than he had anticipated.
This was Cui Baihao's first ti entering the interior of the racetrack. It was so magnificent and imposing that he stood dazed for a long ti.
He had heard that this was also a property of the Anbei Kingdom's Wang Clan. Was this the sheer grandeur of an clan?
After tracking down the manager on duty at the racetrack, Cui Baihao received the spectator number plates for the Redwood Sect.
"When you bring your disciples tomorrow, rember to advise them not to bet on horses carelessly. Since it's your first ti here, it's best to just watch first."
The racetrack manager offered a thoughtful reminder, which was another change brought about by Yulou.
Harvesting wealth from the masses was one thing, but one had to maintain an elegant appearance while doing so.
The distribution rights system of the racetrack dictated that villains like Lao Gui would handle the dirty work, while the racetrack, as the platform behind the scenes, needed to play the role of a fair referee perfectly.
'As expected of the famous Clear Stream Market horse racing. It truly is extraordinary,' Cui Baihao thought to himself.
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