I Have A Cultivation World

Chapter 588: Chapter 383: Yuhu Market_2

“Master, these beautiful talisman papers must take a lot of effort to refine. Shouldn’t we name a price?”

As a talisman maker herself, Zhuo Ming once worked in a small talisman workshop with her father during her childhood. There, they produced the lowest-grade talisman papers circulated amongst loose cultivators. The papers were dull yellow in color, and you could even see unprocessed tree bark in the paper, signifying their poor quality.

A slightly more advanced talisman maker who could refine middle and upper-level Rank-1 talisman papers would usually opt to buy spiritual objects to serve as talisman paper substitutes, like bamboo slices, Lingye, or beast skins.

Even though these substitutes require soaking in specific medicinal solutions, they can ensure smooth transmission of spiritual power and stable solidification of spells.

Zhuo Ming also once assisted her father in making beast skin talisman papers. It was a strenuous process, taking at least ten days or half a month to successfully produce a single sheet.

At present, the stack of talisman papers in her hand seemed to be of even higher quality than the best beast skin paper she had ever created. She thought they’d be sold for at least two spirit stones a dozen.

“Let’s not be too unreasonable to our fellow talisman paper businesses within the sect. We should stick to market pricing,”

Chen Mobai made a somewhat cryptic statement, which left Zhuo Ming puzzled, though Liu Wenbo and Luo Yixuan seemed to have gained some insights.

None of his three disciples asked where these talisman papers originated from.

“Wen Bo, get ready. Tomorrow, you will accompany your master on a tour of the five major markets of the Founding Nation.”

“Yes, master.”

Liu Wenbo had been anxiously waiting for this day.

“Master, since I don’t have much to do either, why don’t I accompany you and elder brother?”

At this moment, Luo Yixuan chimed in. After thinking for a bit, Chen Mobai nodded in agreement.

This trip was primarily to set the distribution channels for his talisman paper and ink. Liu Wenbo alone might not be able to manage it all in the future, so bringing along a clever disciple could be beneficial.

Zhuo Ming also appeared intrigued. After arriving at the Divine Wood Sect from Southstream Market with Chen Mobai, she had not stepped out of the Giant Tree Ridge, which made her yearn.

She had spent four demanding years, but after being accepted by Xiao Nanshan, she was extremely content and felt a sense of happiness she would only dare dream of.

“Ming, you stay home.”

“Yes, master.”

Zhuo Ming earnestly nodded her head, but she felt a hint of embarrassment in her heart. She blamed her lack of skills in magic duels and her dull social skills. In the future, she pledged to correct these weaknesses and share her master’s worries and difficulties, just like her senior and junior disciples.

The next day.

When Chen Mobai descended the mountain, Liu Wenbo and Luo Yixuan were already waiting for him at the mountain’s base.

Zhuo Ming was also present, dressed in coarse linen clothes and a woven bamboo basket tied around her waist, filled with an assortment of farming tools. After sending her master and fellow disciples off, she planned to head to the spirit fields to check on the young seedlings, which she had sown at the beginning of spring.

“I’m leaving everything in your hands. If something arises that you can’t solve, look for Brother Yue in Divine Wood City.”

After instructing Zhuo Ming, Chen Mobai, on his “Red Misty Cloud Silk”, took his two disciples and flew out of the Giant Tree Ridge.

Their first stop was Yuhu Market, closest to the Divine Wood Sect.

“Before I achieved the Foundation Establishment, I left the sect and went west. I initially intended to return to my hometown in Yun Country. However, during my journey, experiencing the beauty of nature gave me further insight. I ended up renting a cave dwelling in Yuhu Market and consumed a Foundation Building Pill, successfully establishing my foundation,” Chen Mobai, while pointing at the Yuhu Market below, began repeating the same words he used to tell scholars E Yun and Yuan Chiye.

“Master’s talent is indeed miraculous. We’re nothing compared to you.”

Liu Wenbo sighed from the bottom of his heart, while Luo Yixuan looked on with admiration.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Chen Mobai let out an embarrassed chuckle and guided the “Red Misty Cloud Silk” down.

At the entrance of the market, several loose cultivators and Qi practitioners acting as guides milled around, but they all showed respect and avoided Chen Mobai as he descended from the sky.

As everyone knew, the only cultivators capable of flying were at the Foundation Establishment level.

Such characters were not something these Qi practitioners could even approach.

Furthermore, the three disciples under Chen Mobai were extraordinary in terms of appearance and temperament. Luo Yixuan was especially enchanting, which clearly indicated that they were from a powerful and large sect.

The survival rule widely circulated among the Loose Cultivators states that it’s best to keep a respectful distance when encountering such important figures to avoid unnecessary trouble.

“Let’s go, if I’m not mistaken, our sect’s administrator has a shop in the center of the market.”

Chen Mobai, recalling his previous experience at Yuhu Market, led his two disciples towards the highest three-story building in the Fang Market.

“Greetings, Town Guard.”

In the Fang Market, the Divine Wood Sect’s administrator named Pang Guangmin, a Qi Practitioner at the ninth level, was now a subordinate of Chen Mobai.

In the coming ten years, all disciples of the Divine Wood Sect in the five major markets of the Founding Nation would fall under Chen Mobai’s command.

“How many of our sect’s disciples are there in the Market?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“What about the properties?”

“Out of Yuhu Market’s thirty-six shops, our sect controls twelve. Four are used by the sect while eight are rented out at a rate of one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones each. In addition to the shops, there are forty-eight Rank-1 cave dwellings and twenty-four Rank-2 cave dwellings atop the Market’s Spirit Vein, all of which belong to the sect and can bring in about eight hundred Spirit Stones a year. Moreover, the Large Formation protecting the Market is maintained by our sect, and the shops in the Market pay us three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones annually as maintenance fees.”

Pang Guangmin is a pragmatic person, completely familiar with the sect’s assets in Yuhu Market.

“According to this, our sect can earn more than two thousand Spirit Stones from this market annually.”

Chen Mobai mentally calculated and roughly estimated this income.

“Town Guard, when Guard Liu went back to report at the end of last year, the total income on the report I made was 4,587 Spirit Stones.”

Pang Guangmin said this cautiously, as he didn’t know whether Liu Ruzhong would eventually report this income truthfully to the sect.

“Wen Bo.”

Chen Mobai called to his senior disciple. Recently, he had been busy with the puppet factory and had tasked Wen Bo with reviewing various sect materials in the Merit Transmission Department, which the Town Guard of Founding Nation could peruse.

“Master, the numbers are almost correct.”

With outsiders present, Wen Bo spoke in a more tactful manner. Chen Mobai, understanding his meaning, nodded and didn’t say much more.

Pang Guangmin, however, was sweating coldly.

“Master, as for the income of the industries in the Market mentioned by Pang here, since it is fixed, there is less likely to be any discrepancy in accounting. However, in shops run by the sect itself, it’s much easier to be creative with the accounts.”

Luo Yixuan, with a teasing gaze, looked towards the continuously sweating Pang Guangmin. Before joining the Divine Wood Sect, she had spent a few years in Yun Country’s Market and had some knowledge about such matters.

“Town Guard, I have kept records of the accounts for the sixteen years since my arrival. If you want to check them, I can bring them to you.”

Pang Guangmin didn’t hesitate at all and immediately started to prove his innocence.

“That won’t be necessary. After all, these things happened during Brother Liu’s term. If I were to investigate them, wouldn’t it be unsettling for the previous Town Guards?”

There were not only Liu Ruzhong among the Town Guards of the Founding Nation, and as the Divine Wood Sect was based here, every Town Guard had a profound background. Chen Mobai sure didn’t want to make enemies with these people.

“Let’s go to the sect’s shops. By the way, the eight shops would still be unrented if I hadn’t come this year, correct?”

As Chen Mobai walked and asked, Pang Guangmin immediately followed him and quickly replied.

“Town Guard, the sect’s rules state that if cultivators who rented the shops the previous year wish to continue and their business doesn’t harm the sect’s reputation, they are allowed to renew the lease.”

“Then, could you arrange a shop for me if I want to lease one this year?”

Pang Guangmin’s forehead was covered in more sweat at Chen Mobai’s words. Those who could rent the Divine Wood Sect’s shops were no small figures. They were either from cultivation families or from the merchant powers of the Eastern Wilderness.

“If the Town Guard wants it, I can arrange a shop right away.”

Being faced with his superior’s demand, Pang Guangmin only hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and agreeing.