Chapter 44

It was another small market gathering, and Luo Chen arrived at his stall early.

This actually made Old Daoist Chen quite curious.

"Ever since you started refining that stuff, haven't you been coming only once a month?"

"I'm short on spirit stones lately, so I'm selling a batch first."

Luo Chen said indifferently, placing the two types of pills on the stone slab.

He scanned his surroundings, feeling a bit puzzled.

"Where is Wang Yuan?"

"No way, don't tell me you don't know about that matter?" Old Daoist Chen's expression was exaggerated.

Luo Chen was stunned; should he know?

He isn't the type of person who likes to listen to gossip.

Spending his days in the alchemy room, most of his news from the outside world comes from Gu Caiyi and Bai Meiling, those two socialites.

"A fight is about to break out."

"You mean the Poshan Gang and the Dajiang Gang! How annoying, they just made a fuss for half a day two months ago, and they're at it again?"

Old Daoist Chen shook his head, "No, this time is different from before."

Under Old Daoist Chen's explanation, Luo Chen finally got a rough idea of the ins and outs.

Or rather, as long as one has the heart to inquire, one will naturally know the current situation.

The ceasefire two months ago wasn't a real ceasefire.

It was merely the Yuding Sword Pavilion stepping in to organize a peace talk between the two Foundation Establishment leaders, Mi Shuhua of the Poshan Gang and Wang Haichao of the Dajiang Gang.

After all, if things continued like that, the outer city district would be destroyed sooner or later. Whether it's the outer city or the inner city, they are all places where the Yuding Sword Pavilion collects rent.

If everyone is killed, who will they collect rent from?

But when it comes to the channels in the mountains, the interests inside are simply too great.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators naturally wouldn't give up easily.

However, they couldn't ignore the face of the Yuding Sword Pavilion; after all, they are the masters of the market, and behind them stands the Yuding Sword Sect.

Therefore, they decided on a method of martial combat.

Both sides will each send out nine top experts to compete at the Yuding Sword Pavilion's Dao Discussion Platform, where life and death are not considered.

The cultivation realm of the participants is limited to below Foundation Establishment.

If the Dajiang Gang loses, they will give up the business in the mountains, roll back to properly manage the Lancang River, and also cede a waterway to the Poshan Gang.

If the Poshan Gang loses, it's even simpler: they must transfer five of the several safe channels they currently control to the Dajiang Gang.

The two months of ceasefire before this were for the two major gangs to gather experts.

"No wonder there have been so many strange cultivators in the market lately; they are all experts invited by the two major gangs!"

Luo Chen suddenly realized.

His hands didn't stop moving, and he handed a few jade bottles to a returning customer.

After collecting the spirit stones, he saw Chen Xiuping shaking his head.

"The two gangs are significant here, but in the entire Yuding Domain, they aren't worth looking at."

"Uh..."

"It was the Yuding Sword Pavilion cultivators who deliberately spread the news, which is why it attracted so many people from other places."

Luo Chen blinked; why would the Yuding Sword Pavilion do this?

Aren't they afraid these outsiders will cause trouble and be hard to manage?

But soon, Old Daoist Chen answered his doubt.

"The Six Sects of the Far East each have their own strengths and areas of operation."

The Hehuan Sect does the business of men and women, which has been enduring since ancient times.

The Divine Talisman Pavilion does the talisman business and is peerless in the six domains in the way of talismans.

The Medicine King Sect does the business of pills and spirit herbs, earning a fortune.

The Five Elements Divine Sect does the business of spirit plants and spells, which is also booming.

Tianfan City does the business of magic tools and formations, and its subsidiary Wanbao Tower is unique in the six domains.

So what about the Yuding Sword Sect?

If you ask these loose cultivators with limited knowledge, does the Yuding Sword Sect have any business worth praising?

The answer is, no!

The Yuding Sword Sect is known for its combat power, and most of the sect members are sword cultivators.

Yes, sword cultivators are indeed very strong among those of the same rank, but they don't engage in production!

Although the Sword Sect also has a decent sword-casting technique, compared to Tianfan City, it's nothing at all.

Especially the sword weapons forged by the Yuding Sword Sect, which are mostly sword pellets, requiring one to nurture them with their whole heart.

General cultivators pursue a variety of combat methods; who would be willing to roam the world with just one sword?

In comparison, general flying sword magic tools are much more compatible.

As for the way of pills, talismans, and formations, although the Yuding Sword Sect has dabbled in them, they are even less impressive compared to other sects.

"If that's what you say, then all the Yuding Sword Sect cultivators are drinking the northwest wind?"

Luo Chen was still somewhat incredulous.

"That's not quite the case; at least this entire region belongs to them." Old Daoist Chen talked eloquently, as if he knew these gossip stories by heart. "For example, the Zhong Ding family, the Dao Discussion Platform—these are all their businesses."

Restaurants? Gladiatorial arenas?

Can this earn a few spirit stones?

"Our monthly rent and stall fees are also their sources of income."

"There is also a major source of income: the Yuding Domain is the closest to the Million Great Mountains, and most of the rare treasures produced in the mountains are also given priority for purchase by the Yuding Sword Sect. Then, they sell these raw materials to other sects in the six domains."

Luo Chen grinned, "But it still sounds a bit shabby!"

He pointed to the conspicuous buildings in the center of the city, "Since that's the case, why don't the people of the Sword Sect drive the industries of other sects out of the Yuding Domain and do these businesses themselves?"

Even if the Sword Sect's pills and talismans are refined poorly, they must be better than those of immortal families and loose cultivators.

Relying on the sword in their hands, if they want to sell, who would dare not buy?

"How would they dare!" Old Daoist Chen said quietly, "The Yuding Domain wasn't conquered by the Yuding Sword Sect alone; the other five major sects, including other large and small sects in the Yuding Domain now, all contributed."

Understood, now he understands.

If you compare the Yuding Domain to a company, the Yuding Sword Sect can be considered the largest shareholder and executive director.

Other sects have their own shares in it.

But the profits of this company are not distributed equally.

How much money one can get from it depends on one's ability.

The Sword Sect just happens to have the home-field advantage.

It must be said that after Old Daoist Chen explained it this way, Luo Chen fully understood the current situation.

The Dao Discussion Platform itself is an important business for the Yuding Sword Sect.

Now that there is a gimmick of a dispute between two gangs, inviting eighteen experts to fight to the death, they will definitely maximize the value of this competition.

Therefore, they spread the news, and just by collecting tickets, they can earn a fortune.

If they organize other activities in between, such as auctions, they can earn another sum.

"Sure enough, there are no stupid people among cultivators!"

Luo Chen sighed.

It seems to be a dispute between two gangs, but as the mediator, the Yuding Sword Sect earns the most.

And no matter whether the Poshan Gang or the Dajiang Gang wins, the things they finally get from the mountains will still be given priority for purchase by the local Yuding Sword Pavilion.

The meat is rotten in the pot; it's better to blow the fragrance out and attract more wild dogs that can be slaughtered.

Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with Luo Chen, who is at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

No, it has a little bit to do with him.

His good brother Wang Yuan is the number one expert the Poshan Gang is sending to fight this time.

Well, he is the double-flower red pole of the Poshan Gang!

"Should I go to support Wang Yuan when the time comes?"