Chapter 119: Drawing to a Close

Perhaps due to Lin Yang’s reputation throughout the State of Yue, the news that he was looking to recruit subordinates caused a massive sensation.

Many people were eager to try their luck. After a thorough screening process, Lin Yang recruited over 200 Qi Condensation cultivators and four Foundation Establishment cultivators. All four Foundation Establishment cultivators were disciples of the Yellow Maple Valley, and among the more than 200 Qi Condensation cultivators, over 100 were also from the valley.

Most of the independent cultivators were of uneven quality, and some were even trying to fish in troubled waters. To put it simply, they were mostly dregs, and only the few sent by Sect Leader Zhong were decent. This greatly irritated Lin Yang; after all, what powerhouse isn't surrounded by a crowd of followers? Yet, when it came to him, everyone was merely standing on the sidelines watching.

What irritated Lin Yang even more was that of the hundreds of people who showed up, most were spies from other sects. If they were meant to be cannon fodder, he could accept them. The problem was that the chamber of commerce he planned to open was highly replicable. As long as one followed Lin Yang’s methods and copied the process step-by-step, anyone could impact his business; this business model was simply too easy to imitate.

Consequently, Lin Yang had to weed out the spies from other sects during the screening process, which left him speechless. If not for the fact that the Yellow Maple Valley itself did not have many disciples to spare, he would have liked to recruit another hundred or so from within the sect. However, these 200-plus people were sufficient for the time being. Lin Yang decided to use four marketplaces as a pilot program. He would have each of the four elders take 50 disciples to establish a chamber of commerce in these four marketplaces. Once more Foundation Establishment cultivators joined, he would use the same method to copy and paste the operation.

At the same time, to prevent the four elders from embezzling funds, Lin Yang secretly placed a mark on them without their knowledge. This mark had no special function other than ensuring these cultivators remained within his range of perception. It was essentially a tracking device, so the elders did not notice anything unusual and continued their lives as usual.

...

"Is this the legendary teleportation array?"

Lin Shu stood on the dilapidated teleportation array, looking at the patterns carved into it with great curiosity. Lin Yang had brought Lin Shu, along with Lin Shuang'er, to the teleportation array below, having decided to take the two of them to the Chaotic Star Sea. Lin Yang’s focus should now be on the Chaotic Star Sea, as he had gained significant returns there in a very short amount of time. Therefore, he needed to ensure he was always present at the auction house, while also taking the opportunity to broaden their horizons.

"Yes. When the teleportation starts in a moment, hold onto my hand tightly."

"Understood, Father."

Lin Yang took out several spirit stones and placed them into the slots of the teleportation array. Holding Lin Shuang'er, they were soon enveloped in white light, and with a distortion, they vanished into thin air.

In a flash, the three of them arrived in a secret chamber within the auction house.

"Wah!" Lin Shu, never having experienced a teleportation array before, threw up on the ground, caught off guard. Lin Yang looked at him with disdain, waiting for him to slowly recover. "Clean the floor before you leave."

After saying this, Lin Yang carried Lin Shuang'er out. Pushing open the large doors, a passageway came into view. He followed the passage up to the secret chamber where he practiced in seclusion, though this chamber served merely as a facade. Pushing open its doors, he stepped out into the magnificent, gold-adorned auction house. The auction house was still bustling with activity. Although there was no auction taking place, various items were still being sold. It seemed Ji Longyue was doing an excellent job.

"Wait for me, Father!"

Lin Shu recovered and hurried out, catching sight of the massive auction house and its astonishing scene. "Wow, it’s so big!" Lin Shu exclaimed, looking at everything around him. At that moment, several maids noticed Lin Yang and quickly walked over.

"Master Lin."

The beautiful maids bowed respectfully before Lin Yang.

"Someone go call Master Ji; I have something to discuss with her. The rest of you may go."

After Lin Yang spoke, the maids departed. As they left, they chatted curiously about the Lin Shu beside Lin Yang and the Lin Shuang'er in his arms.

"Do you think the girl in the Master's arms is his daughter?" one maid asked curiously, and the other stopped what she was doing to look at her.

"How would I know? But the higher a person's cultivation, the harder it is to tell their age. Maybe she's the Master's granddaughter!"

"That can't be, the Master looks so young."

"Who can say for sure? You don't know how old the Master really is. Anyway, stop talking. We'll be in trouble if someone hears us discussing the Master."

They resumed their work, but their mouths kept chattering away. Soon, Ji Longyue arrived and saw Lin Yang, Lin Shu, and the others.

"Master Lin, I wonder why you summoned me?"

Ji Longyue looked curiously at Lin Shu and Lin Shuang'er. Lin Yang understood her gaze.

"This is my son, Lin Shu. He has been idle, so I brought him here to gain some experience. My intention is for him to follow you, Fellow Daoist Ji, to learn how to manage the chamber of commerce. Once his cultivation improves, I will send him out on his own. Shu'er, greet Master Ji."

"Master Ji."

Ji Longyue looked at Lin Shu with curiosity, which made the boy feel quite embarrassed. However, Ji Longyue readily agreed. "I will certainly take good care of your son and introduce him to the business dealings. Master Lin need not worry."

Seeing that Ji Longyue had agreed, Lin Yang gave Lin Shu a nudge on the back. Lin Shu thus followed Ji Longyue to learn the ropes of managing the auction house. Although he was only fifteen, he was considered an adult in this ancient world of cultivation.

Lin Yang took Lin Shuang'er for a stroll through Heaven Star City to play, as he rarely had free time, and this was the perfect opportunity to spend with her.

"Father, I want that!"

Lin Shuang'er pointed to a glowing, furry ball on the ground. It was a peculiar magical beast—not aggressive at all, but its fluffy, glowing appearance held great appeal for young girls. Lin Yang crouched down and looked at the stall owner.

"Fellow Daoist, how much for this fur-ball?"

"You have a keen eye, fellow daoist! This is a Fluff-Beast we brought back specifically from the Outer Star Sea. These beasts are extremely docile and have no offensive capabilities. They are an essential tool for coaxing children and young ladies. It’s only ten spirit stones."

"Here you go."

Lin Yang took out ten spirit stones, handed them to the stall owner, and picked up the fur-ball to give to Lin Shuang'er, who hugged it happily. Just then, Shui Miao'er seemed to spot him and walked over, patting Lin Yang on the shoulder.