Chapter 232

After Hua Changxi left Feng'an Ward, she first went to see Tong Yao and gave him three copies of the finalized wholesale list for spirit pills, two of which she asked him to pass on to Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen, before heading straight back to the Medicine Department.

After Tong Yao looked at the spirit pill price list, his gaze flickered slightly, and he then sent messages directly to Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen.

Soon, the three of them met at the pre-arranged restaurant.

Both Yan Zhenzhen and Jing Le were somewhat surprised after seeing the spirit pill prices.

There was no other reason: Hua Changxi's spirit pill prices were far below the market rate.

Yan Zhenzhen: "With Fellow Daoist Hua giving us such low prices, won't she be at a loss?"

Tong Yao smiled: "A loss is unlikely, but it's true that she won't be making much profit."

Jing Le nodded: "Fellow Daoist Hua is so sincere, we shouldn't take advantage of her."

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhenzhen put away the price list she had prepared for array discs, array flags, and the like: "I need to go back and revise my price list."

Jing Le indicated that he also needed to revise his spirit talisman price list.

Seeing that both of them had taken the initiative to propose revising their price lists, Tong Yao felt a sudden sense of relief.

The price lists they had formulated were all based on market prices, and market prices were artificially inflated!

Nowadays, most of the cultivation resources circulating on the market flow out from the hands of the powerful and wealthy, and the selling prices are far higher than the cost prices.

With high prices, there are few cultivators who can afford to buy them, and in the long run, this is actually very detrimental to developing the markets for pills, talismans, artifacts, and arrays.

This point runs contrary to the duty of the Four Great Sacred Lands to promote the Dao of Pills, Artifacts, Talismans, and Arrays.

Previously, when he traded with others, although he would appropriately lower prices, they would never be too far below the market rate.

Firstly, the partners would not lower prices like Fellow Daoist Hua.

Secondly, the items the partners wanted were not as large-scale as Fellow Daoist Hua's, making it impossible to achieve small profits but quick turnover; he had to consider the development of the Artifact Sacred Palace and support its disciples, so reality did not allow him to set prices too low.

Now, collaborating with Fellow Daoist Hua, in the process of buying and selling, the price of purchasing pills is not high, so the price at which he sells spirit artifacts does not need to be too high either.

The same goes for the spirit talisman and array disc trades in the hands of Jing Le and Fellow Daoist Yan.

Although they might not make much profit, as long as the costs are covered, he is willing.

There is no other reason: as the benchmarks for the hundred arts of immortal cultivation, the Four Great Sacred Lands also shoulder the duty of maintaining market order.

Now that the spiritual energy recovery has fully entered the public eye, the market for buying and selling cultivation resources is very chaotic; someone must stand up to set market standards and regulate market behavior, which will then be beneficial to the positive development of the Four Spirit Realms.

This is the reason why Tong Yao called Jing Le and Yan Zhenzhen over the moment he received the spirit pill price list from Hua Changxi.

Limited by the pressures of reality, the Five Great Sacred Lands are all still in a dormant stage, but as successors of the sacred lands, they cannot do nothing.

In Tong Yao's view, Hua Changxi seeking them out for cooperation is a very good opportunity.

The four of them represent the Four Great Sacred Lands respectively, and with the Four Great Sacred Lands joining forces, one day, they will be able to standardize the market for buying and selling cultivation resources and truly contribute to the development and prosperity of the Four Spirit Realms.

After confirming that they would revise their price lists, the three of them began discussing other matters.

Yan Zhenzhen: "I heard that the Pill Sacred Hall is going to open three public secret realms, and all cultivators who want to learn medicine and the Dao of Pills can enter and exit."

Tong Yao: "How could I not have heard? Nowadays, every cultivator in the capital knows about this. These days, outside the Medicine Department, there are cultivators everywhere inquiring about news of the secret realms."

Yan Zhenzhen: "I also heard that opening the public secret realms was proposed by Meng Qingyao of the Meng family, and Fellow Daoist Hua gave her full support. Because of this, many cultivators without connections or backgrounds are grateful to them from the bottom of their hearts."

"I'm not surprised that Fellow Daoist Hua would do this; after all, the Hua family's status is not high, and Fellow Daoist Hua must know how difficult it is for ordinary cultivators to obtain resources."

"But that Meng Qingyao could also think of ordinary cultivators and speak up for them, that surprises me a bit."

Tong Yao nodded along: "It's not that all descendants of the powerful and wealthy only care about themselves."

Jing Le looked at the two of them: "The news you heard has been misled."

"Hmm?"

Tong Yao and Yan Zhenzhen looked over in unison.

Dixiu Temple and Xiangguo Temple have a close relationship, and Xiangguo Temple had people on-site during the competition for the Divine Wood Secret Realm at the Medicine Department on New Year's Eve, so Jing Le knew the true situation that day.

"The public secret realm was proposed by Fellow Daoist Hua. While there was maneuvering by various parties before it could be finalized, if no one had proposed it, this matter certainly wouldn't have succeeded."

"The current rumors concentrate the credit for the public secret realm on Meng Qingyao. Firstly, there are people who don't want Fellow Daoist Hua to stand out, and secondly, it is the promotion by the Xia family and the Meng family."

"The Xia family, along with other guardian families, as well as reclusive cultivation families like the Meng family, appearing in a high-profile manner, is to occupy a place in the great struggle to come."

"To take root and establish a foothold among the complex and intertwined forces, the fastest way is to push someone forward and let them gain fame."

"Meng Qingyao is the person pushed out by the guardian families led by the Xia family!"

After learning the truth, Yan Zhenzhen frowned and sneered: "I didn't expect that even guardian families would step on others to climb up and play such underhanded tricks!"

Jing Le was silent for a moment: "Guardians are people too!"

Tong Yao sighed: "I hope Fellow Daoist Hua won't be affected."

"So there are actually so many cultivators in the capital!"

On her way back to the Medicine Department, Hua Changxi saw many cultivators on the street.

In the past, when she wanted to make friends with cultivators, she couldn't meet a single one; now, she finds them everywhere.

The closer she got to the Medicine Department, the more cultivators there were, as if in an instant, all the cultivators in the capital had popped out.

When Hua Changxi arrived at the Medicine Department, she didn't go in immediately, but stood at the intersection, watching countless cultivators coming and going.

Most of these cultivators wore uniform attire, and one could tell at a glance which force they belonged to.

Among the cultivators entering and leaving the Medicine Department, those from the five great guardian families—Xia, Bai, Wu, Zhu, and Long—were the most numerous.

Following them were people from the Meng family, the four great non-surname Prince Prefectures of the East, South, West, and North, and then the disciples of the Tai Su Palace.

Other cultivators without force insignias mostly lingered and watched around the Medicine Department.

Watching this scene, Hua Changxi's brows furrowed directly.

It was very clear that the secret realm masters who had obtained the Divine Wood Secret Realm were managing their realms by using people from their own families.

"Hey, which handsome young man is our Pavilion Master Hua looking at, to be so entranced?"

Huo Yunxiao appeared in Hua Changxi's line of sight with a cheeky grin.

Hua Changxi glanced at him sideways: "None of your business." After saying this, she walked straight into the Medicine Department.

Huo Yunxiao wasn't annoyed and followed with a smile: "With such a temper, could it be that you're envious of the other secret realm masters?"

Hua Changxi stopped: "Me, envious of other secret realm masters? What do they have that's worth me being envious of?"

Huo Yunxiao clicked his tongue twice: "Pavilion Master Hua, your tone is truly unparalleled."

"Most of the other secret realm masters come from large clans with deep foundations. Not to mention anything else, the cultivators they can mobilize can get the Divine Wood Secret Realm on the right track within a month or two."

"And you? A lone individual. Have you thought about how you're going to manage your secret realm?"

Seeing that this was what he was talking about, Hua Changxi sneered and turned to walk away.

This reaction was somewhat unexpected for Huo Yunxiao, who chased after her again: "What are you laughing at?"

Hua Changxi ignored him until she reached the square and saw many people on Jiujie moving things in and out, at which point she stopped.

"What are they doing?"

Seeing this, Huo Yunxiao said with a smile: "It's obvious, they're moving house." Knowing that Hua Changxi was poorly informed, he explained further.

"The Xia family brought so many people, they have to be settled somewhere."

"And those few pavilion masters who were forced to give up their Qihuang Pavilions also need to find new places."

"Prince Shou and the Department Head discussed it and decided to clear out Jiujie."

"The medicine pavilions on the left side of the Pilgrimage Road will be used to settle the people brought by the Xia family; the pavilion masters who lost their Qihuang Pavilions on the right side of the Pilgrimage Road were each given a courtyard."

Listening to Huo Yunxiao's words and watching the Jiujie moving in and out, Hua Changxi's gaze flickered.

It seems everyone knows now that Jiujie is the most prestigious existence among the Jiujie.

Otherwise, why not have First Street or Second Street vacate their space?

One must know that First Street and Second Street have ignited pill fires, which are more conducive to the cultivation of alchemists.

"What about the people who were originally on Jiujie? Where were they arranged to go?"

Huo Yunxiao was taken aback by the question, then smiled: "Those with connections have their own places to go, and those without... people trained by the Medicine Department have real skills, so they don't have to worry about going hungry."

Hua Changxi: "Before it was the Menial Labor Hall, now it's Jiujie. Where will it be next time?"

Huo Yunxiao looked at Hua Changxi, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes, but he quickly put on a smile again: "That's not something for small fry like us to consider."

Hua Changxi didn't say more and walked towards Qihuang Pavilion No. 13. Seeing that Huo Yunxiao was still following her, she thought for a moment and asked: "Which pavilion masters were replaced?"

Huo Yunxiao: "Those who didn't have wooden plaques and didn't obtain a Divine Wood Secret Realm were all replaced."

"By the way, Zhu Qinghuan voluntarily gave up Qihuang Pavilion No. 12."

Hua Changxi looked surprised: "Are you sure it was Zhu Qinghuan who voluntarily gave it up?"

Huo Yunxiao smiled and said nothing.

Zhu Qinghuan's Qihuang Pavilion No. 12 is now headed by the Wu family, and whether there were any private deals involved, he didn't know.

"Actually, Zhu Qinghuan voluntarily giving up the position of pavilion master is a good thing for her."

"Since she gave it up voluntarily, the higher-ups, for the sake of appearances, also arranged a courtyard for her on Jiujie."

As they spoke, the two arrived at Qihuang Pavilion No. 13, just in time to see a group of Wu family members carrying various items into the neighboring Qihuang Pavilion No. 14.

Looking at the glaring family attire on the Wu family members, Hua Changxi frowned: "Huo Yunxiao, tell me, do those Wu family members actually count as people of the Pill Sacred Hall?"

Huo Yunxiao was stunned: "What do you think?"

Hua Changxi didn't answer and stepped into Qihuang Pavilion No. 13.

Just as Huo Yunxiao was about to follow, he heard a cold snort drift into his ears.

"Guardians are nothing more than a bunch of people who steal from the very place they are supposed to protect!"