[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-the-jade-palace":3,"chapter-ascending-to-the-jade-palace-ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-72":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to the Jade Palace",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2320534,4538,"Chapter 72: Mu Chunze and Wu Jinyan Were Cut Down So Thoroughly They Lost Even Their Heels","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>The rising morning sun illuminated the Qingxi Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou bought two portions of donkey meat buns and took Yuan to the Da Huofang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a representative of innovation within the Hongdengzhao’s sphere of influence, Yulou was genuinely surprised that the Hongdengzhao had taken over Da Huofang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had anticipated others seizing it, that all kinds of people might snatch it—but never once imagined the Hongdengzhao would pay to acquire it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter was quite intriguing, revealing at least two points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the Hongdengzhao possessed active expansionist momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the Hongdengzhao treated its subordinate factions with relative fairness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for how much influence the Mangxiang’s Jin Dan breakthrough had played in this, no one could say for certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did we come so early?” Yuan asked, still half-asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou opened the shop’s door; golden light spilled onto the ground. He stepped forward, entering the war materials contract exchange he had founded himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, the name was Da Huofang, but what it actually traded in were contracts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know why the Hongdengzhao took over Da Huofang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To this younger brother, Yulou always held deep regard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bond was already strong, and Yuan’s talent was no slouch—he could become one of Yulou’s greatest future allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yuan’s father, Wang Rongwen, successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, then Yulou’s standing within the Wang clan would be significantly elevated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next Clan Chief would have nothing to do with Wang Yulou, but in the future, Yulou would certainly hold a major share of influence within the Wang clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because it makes a lot of spirit stones?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, does the Hongdengzhao lack these few spirit stones?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Huofang’s profits aren’t even the highest in Qingxi Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Hongdengzhao has over a dozen alley markets just like Qingxi Alley!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention their own merchant guilds and sect-produced spiritual goods—when you add it all up, Da Huofang is barely half a hair on a nine-ox’s hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s half a hair?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not even a single hair!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Yuan’s turn to be annoyed—he’d been treated like livestock helping Yulou generate income in Qingxi Alley; Da Huofang and Baibao Pavilion’s success bore his sweat too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big brother, you’re talented, but saying our joint venture doesn’t even count as a single hair—isn’t that going too far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not that much? Our Da Huofang has earned nearly twenty thousand spirit stones since its founding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big brother, that’s a lot—it could buy a decent Foundation Establishment pill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, three inferior fire-attribute Foundation Establishment pills surfaced at Qingxi Alley’s ghost market. The hermits drove the price up to eighteen thousand spirit stones per pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan’s face flushed and his heart raced—he’d once believed he’d surely achieve Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, seeing the cost of Foundation Establishment resources skyrocketing, how could he not panic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this only strengthened his resolve—he must cling tightly to his big brother’s leg!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, yes, we’ve earned plenty—but the Hongdengzhao doesn’t lack spirit stones; it lacks resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What makes Da Huofang truly valuable—or what the sect truly values—is its target clientele and business model.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is something entirely new to the Hongdengzhao as a whole, and it also helps stabilize price fluctuations and protect profit margins from sales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why we’ve earned the sect’s attention, and why the Elder of the Hongdengzhao’s Merchant Guild Hall has come here today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou’s explanation was straightforward and easy to grasp; Yuan understood it clearly—but he was even more astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean this shop is the only one of its kind in the entire Hongdengzhao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not—nearby alley markets already have similar setups. We made money, others saw it and copied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we were the first—that’s undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough of this. Let’s rehearse: you play the Elder of the Merchant Guild Hall, and I’ll introduce Da Huofang’s business model.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou came this early precisely to prepare in advance, so he could properly present to the Hongdengzhao when they arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou was a member of the Wang clan of Anbei Nation; the Wang clan was a vassal of the Hongdengzhao, and the Merchant Guild Hall was one of its core departments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preparing thoroughly for the report was part of upward management in the workplace—seeming like empty formalism, yet its prevalence held objective value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hongdengzhao’s goal in absorbing Da Huofang was simple: to adopt its contract and futures trading model to generate greater value for the sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yulou delivered a strong report today, this would become a favorable connection for his future within the Hongdengzhao—perhaps one day it would prove useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By midday, Bai Lu had been standing guard at Da Huofang’s entrance for half the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To give Yulou a little psychological preparation before the sect’s Foundation Establishment elder arrived, she had watched the road all morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Details may not determine success or failure, but doing them well always increases your chances—this was unquestionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for details, the Wang clan never lacked them—and Wang Yulou especially didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What seemed trivial concealed the true principles of conduct necessary for great achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was called entering the game personally, forging ahead with grit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re here!” Bai Lu called out. Yulou immediately placed his quadruple-checked ledger beside the counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, he stepped from behind the counter to stand before the display board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The board displayed a simple line graph showing Da Huofang’s income and profits over recent years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liang Zhuo, I was sent young to Qingxi Alley to learn the trade, and growing up in the market, I naturally became more interested in business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I founded Da Huofang—achieving only minor success, yet fortunate enough to catch the sect’s attention,” Wang Xianmao said humbly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Liangzhu thought: This isn’t just “catching the sect’s attention”—it’s your Mangxiang lineage eating too greedily!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You pushed your man to the position of Sect Master, and now you abuse the Master’s orders to funnel benefits to the Wang clan... but whatever, none of this concerns me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the disciples sent two days ago already swept up a massive volume of contract orders—future profits are guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s enough. The Wang clan eats meat; I, Zhou Liangzhu, get a sip of broth. Let no one speak ill of another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One can only say the Clan Chief understands the art of hiding his light—his humility made Zhou Liangzhu believe him, which suited Wang Xianmao perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou truly is a divine qilin—but divine qilins must be well-hidden, never too sharp or exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, excessive growth invites collapse; excessive rigidity invites breakage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? This setup… interesting. Xianmao, you respect the Mangxiang Ancestor well. Your Wang clan is good—very good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering Da Huofang, Zhou Liangzhu of the Zhou clan was startled by the ancestral tablet of the Mangxiang Ancestor inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurriedly bowed three times before speaking in a tone of mock solemnity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, we Wang clan never forget the Ancestor’s teachings. This is Yulou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou, come here and pay your respects to Elder Zhou Liangzhu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some polite exchanges, Yulou was about to begin his presentation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhou Liangzhu waved him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to explain so much. The Master’s orders are binding—the Merchant Guild Hall will comply. That’s it. You may leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’ll send someone to manage the shop’s future operations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou and Yuan exchanged glances. Yuan felt resentment, but he hid it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao understood Zhou Liangzhu’s mindset and invited,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. Then, Liangzhu, shall we go eat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chunze told me you were coming—I had the family send over a fresh donkey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your kindness is hard to refuse, but I have urgent business—a pill batch is still refining and I must return to the sect promptly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhou Liangzhu was so dismissive, Wang Xianmao naturally didn’t press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Foundation Establishment elder departed, Yuan let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew his big brother had prepared thoroughly—but no one expected all that preparation to go unused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems you’re both confused?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao remained calm, even amused enough to tease his juniors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are all senior sect disciples like this?” Yulou asked thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt Zhou Liangzhu was immature—not a matter of posture, but sheer arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Jiang Bao and Mu Chunze, this man seemed far worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These people… hah, they’ve been coddled too much. Since you prepared so much today, tell me about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clan Chief smiled warmly at the two young qilins—Yulou, the true qilin; Yuan, a half-qilin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it—I don’t think Da Huofang will outperform its rivals under the sect’s management.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulou understood the Clan Chief’s meaning—he didn’t want the children to be disheartened. But he and Yuan were no longer children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, in the Clan Chief’s eyes, most of the clan were still children—and he wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget about that. Let them ruin it if they want. But what new business plans do you have next?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Clan Chief felt a faint pang of loss—his children no longer sought closeness—but he adjusted quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yulou’s achievements these past years are the result of the clan’s long-term accumulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baibao Pavilion was a material transformation; Da Huofang was a transformation of reputation and prestige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We were also fortunate enough to catch the wave of the Wolong Alley’s disappearance and the war’s impact, which enabled such success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This transformation had already reached its limit. Its prolonged success depended entirely on the war between Miaofeng Mountain and Gushen Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, I have no new business plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, as long as Baibao Pavilion successfully hosts the Qingxi Alley Talisman Master Competition and builds its reputation, business will remain strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xianmao paused, then asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve chosen three Qi Refining cultivators as judges; the participating talisman makers may not accept that. Why not have myself, Chunze Daoist, and Jinyan Daoist serve as judges together? What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your words hold merit, Elder, but Yulou has his own considerations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder, I spent six hundred spirit stones to invite Hongmei, Rongsheng Uncle, and Zhou Yingxi as judges.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we invite Elder Chunze and Elder Jinyan, the competition’s expenses will soar—when you add in the prize for the winner, the total cost becomes too high.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accounting is the core of organizing events; as the organizer, Yulou must budget carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, that dog Mu Chunze—my Wang clan has poured plenty into the racetrack, and the Great Goods Emporium is doing well too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These shops have brought many new customers to Qingxi Fang. As the town’s guarding cultivator, even if he doesn’t take a single spirit stone, he should repay you for your contributions to Qingxi Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for Jinyan Daoist, he won’t refuse my invitation—so if you replace these three with three Foundation Establishment judges, you won’t spend a single spirit stone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bargaining? The Wang clan are professionals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yulou’s shock, the Elder showed him what true bargaining mastery looks like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Mu Chunze and Wu Jinyan were bargained down to nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely speaking—not even half a hair’s worth of payment!\u003C\u002Fp>",1809,"2026-06-20T15:48:26.995Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","58d615ac818345e371875e46a70445c103181b4a48746c68990edde6d732465d","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-73","ascending-to-the-jade-palace-chapter-71",243,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-the-jade-palace-cover.jpg"]