Chapter 231: Management Framework

Hua Changxi, Tong Yao, Jing Liao, and Yan Zhenzhen settled on a preliminary cooperation, then parted ways. She went directly to Shennong Herb Shop in Feng'an Ward and asked Pu Cao for a list of market prices for spirit pills.

This list had been gathered by Yu Gui through Zhuo the merchant's ten herb shops.

After reading the price list, Hua Changxi fell silent.

The spirit pills currently traded on the open market were mainly first-grade and second-grade pills—not only were there few varieties, but their prices were exorbitant. Pills of third grade and above were almost nowhere to be seen.

Hua Changxi knew that the reason for this situation was simply that there were too few alchemists.

Training an alchemist was no easy task; it required not only a proper lineage of knowledge but also a great deal of spirit herbs for practice. Even the imperial family and the major powers, who had seized cultivation resources first, did not necessarily have many alchemists in their hands.

With few alchemists, the number of pills flowing onto the market naturally dwindled.

"Changxi, little sister, you called for me?"

Yu Gui walked into the herb shop with a smile. Although he still addressed Hua Changxi as before, his demeanor carried a hint of respect.

The present-day little sister Changxi was no longer the lowly handyman from the Chore Hall who had once needed his help.

Hua Changxi looked at Yu Gui. She hadn't seen him in a while. Glancing at his body refining cultivation, she smiled and said, "Not bad, you've already reached the perfected Flesh Refining stage. You should soon advance to the third realm of Body Refining—the Bone Refining chapter."

Yu Gui chuckled, "I could only step onto the path of cultivation thanks to you, little sister, for giving me a leg up."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Yu Gui, Hua Changxi began asking about the herb shop.

"I've been rather busy and haven't really checked on the shop. The capital is turbulent these days—is the shop's operation still smooth?"

Yu Gui replied with a smile, "Everything is fine. Most of what we openly sell in the shop are mortal medicines. Spirit pills for cultivators are only sold to acquaintances, so we haven't run into any trouble."

Back when Hua Changxi taught at the Chore Hall, she had trained a group of people. Among them, those with spirit roots became qi cultivators, while those without became body cultivators.

After these people left the Medical Department, they were all assigned to work at the herb shop, and they are now the backbone of the establishment.

Among them, Zhou Qiuyu and others, who had considerable talent for alchemy, became alchemists themselves. Though they could only refine first-grade spirit pills, it was enough to supply the shop's sales.

Hua Changxi nodded, "If you ever encounter something you can't handle, send me a message in time." As she spoke, she looked at the pill list in her hand.

"Are the spirit pills on the market really only these?"

Yu Gui: "Ordinary cultivators with no backing or connections can indeed only buy these, but those with access and influence have other channels to obtain pills."

Hua Changxi: "What channels?"

Yu Gui: "Zhuo the merchant told me that some powerful factions have their own auction houses."

"They say that auction houses carry life-saving spirit pills, breakthrough pills, and even pills of third grade and above."

"However, entering those auction houses has requirements—you also need an introduction. They are simply not accessible to ordinary cultivators."

"Besides auction houses, one can also take the risk of going to the Ghost Market, where pill exchanges can also be made."

Hua Changxi’s eyes flickered. The capital certainly must have auction houses, yet she had never even heard of them. Aside from her narrow social circle, there was also the fact that the major powers deliberately suppressed information.

"Brother Yu, do you know which auction houses exist in the capital?"

Yu Gui looked embarrassed. Had Zhuo the merchant not told him about the auction houses, he would never have touched that level of existence.

Seeing his expression, Hua Changxi thought for a moment and said, "Help me keep an eye on matters related to auction houses, but don't be too obvious."

Yu Gui immediately agreed, "I'll keep my eyes open."

Hua Changxi then asked about the sales of spirit pills at other herb shops in the capital, and learned that every herb shop currently selling spirit pills had the backing of some powerful figure.

Yu Gui: "The selling price of spirit pills is very high, yet when herb shops acquire spirit herbs and spirit plants, they offer very low prices."

Hua Changxi listened and said, "This situation won't last long. Once there are more alchemists, the prices of spirit pills will drop."

Yu Gui was not very optimistic in his heart.

The alchemists trained by the powerful usually only supply their own clans; only a small number of pills ever flow out.

Ordinary alchemists, lacking spirit herbs to practice on, simply cannot grow.

To make the price of spirit pills fall—who knows how many years that will take.

Hua Changxi flipped through the account book Yu Gui had brought, found no issues, and told him to return for now.

After Yu Gui left, Hua Changxi took out brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, ready to compile a price list for spirit pills.

She originally wanted to refer to market prices, but now the spiritual pills circulating on the market are almost monopolized by the powerful and noble, with very high prices and no real reference value. She had to set the prices of spiritual pills herself based on the cost of alchemy.

If this collaboration went well, she could establish a long-term partnership with Tong Yao, Jing Liao, and Yan Zhenzhen.

After all, she not only had the Divine Wood Secret Realm but also the Lingguang Hall and the Five Finger Mountain.

Thinking about the Lingguang Hall and Five Finger Mountain she had left to their own devices, Hua Changxi found her head aching.

At this moment, she clearly realized how limited one person’s strength could be. Fighting alone hadn’t felt like much, but when it came to launching projects, with no one under her command and no one to help, she had to do everything herself.

"I’ll first use the Divine Wood Secret Realm to practice, then manage the Lingguang Hall and Five Finger Mountain."

She could only tackle them one at a time; otherwise, she feared she would exhaust herself to death.

After repeated consideration and weighing of options, Hua Changxi set a wholesale price for spiritual pills.

The selling price of the spiritual pills was 50% lower than the market price, and there were many more varieties.

However, for first- and second-grade spiritual pills, each type required a minimum purchase of ten thousand pills; for third-grade pills, each type required no less than one thousand.

This was set by Hua Changxi based on the output of the Divine Farmer Cauldron. For first- and second-grade pills refined with the cauldron, she could produce ten thousand pills per batch; for third-grade pills, she could only refine a thousand per batch at present.

After setting the prices for the spiritual pills, Hua Changxi began to think about how to operate the secret realm.

The secret realm was so vast, and even if only the first and second layers were opened, it would still require a large number of people.

She also had to form her own management team!

Hua Changxi started scribbling and drawing on paper, racking her brains for three days before temporarily finalizing the framework for operating the secret realm.

Drawing from her past life experience, she established eight management departments: the Personnel and Administration Department, Finance Department, Mission Hall, Law Enforcement Hall, Logistics Department, Planting Department, Processing Department, and Pill Hall.

With the management framework in place, she still had to set recruitment standards and corresponding compensation for each department, and then consider the arrangement and selection of management personnel...

Hua Changxi found that solving one problem only led to another; she really felt like she was losing her hair.

When Pu Cao came knocking, saying it was already the sixth day of the first lunar month and reminding her it was time to report for duty at the Medical Office, Hua Changxi immediately packed up the business plans spread all over the floor.

She would first go to the Medical Office to see how other secret realm masters managed and operated their secret realms!