Chapter 118: The Inquiry

(Page 1 of 3)

“Oh.”

After Lin Shu had been thoroughly berated by Lin Yang, he finally sat up properly.

Seeing that Lin Shu had quieted down, Lin Yang began discussing the serious matter.

“Next, I plan to recruit a large number of disciples and independent cultivators in order to gather abundant resources. These disciples will live at the foot of the mountain.”

“This matter requires someone to step forward, but it would not be convenient for me to handle it personally. Besides, I need to spend most of my time refining pills and cultivating in seclusion.”

“So I intend to entrust this task to Ting’er. Do any of you have any objections?”

Lin Yang told them his plans. After all, they were the people closest to him in this world, and he felt he should inform them before taking action.

Moreover, matters like this could only be entrusted to people he truly trusted. He had originally considered taking Yun Ting to the Chaotic Star Sea, but after giving it some thought, he decided that sending a woman of relatively low cultivation there would make things difficult to manage.

In the State of Yue, nearly everyone would show him some respect, so he decided to give Yun Ting the easier assignment.

As for the Chaotic Star Sea, Lin Yang had decided to take Lin Hu and Lin Shu there so they could gain some experience.

He would have them follow Ji Longyue and try their hand at managing the Pill Formation Pavilion. It would serve as early training, and once they inherited the family business, the experience would prove invaluable.

“I heard you.”

Lin Shu sounded somewhat impatient. From his restless expression, it was obvious that he wanted to slip away and wander about again.

“Shu’er, come with me later. I’ll take you somewhere fun.”

Lin Shu grew curious about the place Lin Yang had in mind and turned his attention back to the conversation. Just as he was about to ask, Wang Ling’er shot him a glare, and he immediately fell silent.

“Husband, what requirements will there be for recruiting disciples?”

Once no one else spoke, Yun Ting began asking about the main issue.

“Only recruit disciples who have no ties to any family. Independent cultivators with good aptitude or honest character may also be recruited.”

“As for what they will do, simply negotiate with the other families and purchase all their finished products at a uniform price.”

“Then distribute those goods elsewhere for sale, again at a uniform price.”

“And Ting’er, remember this: the prices must be the same everywhere. Even if others raise their prices, you must not raise yours.”

“Likewise, when others lower their prices, you must not lower yours. As long as you keep the prices stable, people will come to the merchant association of their own accord.”

(Page 1 of 3)

(Page 2 of 3)

“At the same time, you can organize certain activities to attract other independent cultivators and encourage them to make purchases.”

“You can also go to the sect’s Alchemy Hall and buy pills directly from the disciples. At the same time, gather large quantities of materials and let them choose what they need.”

“By accumulating small gains over time, you will be able to earn a great deal of spirit stones.”

What Lin Yang described was essentially the operating model of a supermarket. In his previous life, such businesses only needed to operate within the law.

In this world, however, anyone who wished to establish such a merchant association needed either overwhelming strength or a powerful background.

Furthermore, because of the limitations of the era, once a merchant association of this kind appeared, it would inevitably attract countless customers. That would be when the true difficulties began.

Fortunately, things were somewhat easier in the State of Yue. Lin Yang’s reputation here was simply astonishing.

He was known as the unrivaled master of both alchemy and martial cultivation. Surely, not just anyone would dare provoke him.

Moreover, many Nascent Soul cultivators within the State of Yue had benefited from Lin Yang in one way or another, so they would not casually turn against him. Besides, although Lin Yang’s plan would cut into the business of other merchant associations, the losses would amount to little more than a drop in the ocean for Nascent Soul cultivators once spread across the entire market.

Although this would inevitably earn him some enemies, it would affect only certain low-level families. Independent cultivators would still be the beneficiaries. As a result, those minor families lacked the ability to resist.

At that moment, Lin Yang continued explaining his vision before everyone, while the others watched him with bright, animated expressions.

His ideas were far ahead of their time, yet immensely appealing. Yun Ting was also somewhat worried, afraid that the venture might lose money.

After Lin Yang repeatedly assured her that it would succeed, she finally decided to establish the merchant association according to his plan.

Lin Hu thought for a moment before asking directly, “What if those disciples embezzle the profits? That is something they often do.”

Although Lin Hu was Lin Yang’s junior, he had once been assigned an undesirable position because he had not offered spirit stones.

He knew all too well what those disciples with authority were like, which was why he had raised the concern.

“Devise a flawless system of rewards and punishments. For example, if someone embezzles funds and fails to report it, then once the crime is discovered, the people around him should also be punished.”

“Those who remain incorruptible should receive rewards. Anyone who reports another person’s misconduct should also be rewarded. That will greatly reduce embezzlement.”

“On top of that, inspect the account books regularly and familiarize yourself with the merchant association’s affairs. Then you will be able to determine which areas are functioning properly and which are not.”

Lin Yang knew that every human being possessed greed. Eliminating it completely was impossible. The only solution was to strengthen supervision while improving the rewards and待遇.

As for anyone who still dared to reach into Lin Yang’s purse under such circumstances, they could not blame him for being ruthless.

(Page 2 of 3)

(Page 3 of 3)

“All right, it is settled. Ting’er and I will go together later. As for the rest of you, cultivate if you should cultivate, and do whatever else you need to do.”

“And Shu’er, stop fooling around with me. Focus on your cultivation. If you fail to break through to Foundation Establishment within two years, I will let you experience the pleasures of the dark room.”

After issuing his warning, Lin Yang took Yun Ting and flew toward the nearest marketplace, intending to conduct an inspection with her in person.

…………

Although the marketplace was not very crowded, it was small yet complete, with all manner of goods available.

The marketplace, which served more than a thousand people, contained three small shops. Most of the remaining vendors simply operated stalls.

The shops themselves were extremely modest. After entering one, it became clear that most of the merchandise had been purchased from the stallholders and placed on the counters for resale at inflated prices.

Their principle was simple: if they could take advantage of someone, they would. The only products they could truly call their own were the goods manufactured by their respective families.

The first shop, for instance, belonged to the Li family and specialized in selling talismans drawn by the family themselves. Most of the other items they carried were miscellaneous goods purchased from independent cultivators.

The second shop belonged to the Wu family. Most of its merchandise consisted of demon beast meat. The entire family made its living hunting demon beasts, so their business primarily dealt in demon beast materials and meat.

The third shop sold ordinary pills. It had been opened by an alchemist who was himself an independent cultivator.

He had little competitiveness in the market. He knew how to refine only ordinary pills that aided cultivation, along with such things as Qi-Gathering Pills and Antidote Pills.

“Tell me this: if we establish a merchant association that sells everything carried by these three shops, would you rather buy from a store with stable prices and a complete selection, or from one that might take advantage of you at any moment?”

After Lin Yang and Yun Ting had finished touring the entire marketplace, he put the question to her. Yun Ting fell into deep thought and considered it for a while.

“The former, naturally.”

“Exactly. That is what we intend to become. Once the time comes, recruit several disciples to investigate prices in marketplaces throughout the State of Yue, then secure reliable supplier families.”

“When that happens, the other families will lose their competitive edge, and our wealth will come rolling in.”

………………

(Page 3 of 3)