Chapter 260: The Economic Potential of Tourism

Fang Ting felt the urge to cry, but not a single tear could be shed.

He had intended to use this fight to show the capabilities at the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm.

He wanted to show everyone on Mount Shu the power of his Heavenly Golden Core of Five Lightning! This was meant to be the fight that would make him famous!

Yet, he was suddenly defeated in such a manner.

The injuries were of minor concern. It was mainly the feeling of something being lodged in his throat that he couldn't swallow or spit out.

But as Fang Ting spent more time pondering what had just happened, he realized that the moment of distraction shouldn't be the reason why he couldn't react to the sneak attack.

It was really because Chu Liang's attack was too swift, fierce, and precise, allowing him to defeat his enemy with one strike.

Clearly, Chu Liang wasn't weak.

As Fang Ting cast his glance over at Chu Liang, he saw Chu Liang smiling and cupping his hands while saying, "Senior Brother Fang, thank you for letting me win."

Pfft.

He had just calmed down, but now he felt his qi and blood boiling with anger again. He wanted to spit a mouthful of blood in Chu Liang's face and shout, "Your mama should be thanking me Ahhhhhh..!"

But ultimately, he had lost. The elder hosting the fight announced in a stern tone, "Chu Liang from the Silver Sword Peak...won!"

As the elder said this, he averted his gaze downward, clearly showing some unwillingness.

The area around buzzed with quiet chatter.

"Hey, isn't that the guy from Silver Sword Peak who took the top spot in the Stairway to the Heavens event? I thought he was pretty tough. Why does he keep pulling moves like that?"

"Well, it hasn't been too long since he formed his core. He's no match for Fang Ting in sheer strength yet. Guess that's why he went for those tactics."

"But there are so many people watching. How can he be so..."

"His teacher is Di Nufeng..."

"

Ah

, that explains it... So he's a shameless punk."

Chu Liang, however, remained nonchalant. He landed gracefully as Lin Bei approached, giving him a thumbs up and remarking, "You're the first to earn a bad reputation point with every victory."

"It can't be helped," Chu Liang said with a chuckle. Without dwelling on the matter, he changed the subject, asking, "How are sales?"

"I sold out long ago. Not sure about the others," Lin Bei answered with a smile.

A new match soon started on the stage, drawing the audience's attention. Chu Liang moved over to a corner of the square and a few figures immediately gathered around him.

Along with Lin Bei, there were Liu Xiaoyu'er, Shang Ziliang, Lackey A, and Lackey B—core members of Chu Liang's team.

Each of them wore a basic storage enchanted tool, filled with candied fruits, sweetened tea, and boxes of Dragon Breath Golden Vein Berries..

These candied fruits, sweetened tea, and snacks were perfect to eat while spectating the fight. These snack choices were specially made by Chu Liang after he descended the mountain and did a survey of the surroundings. He then made arrangements with the vendors nearby.

The Dragon Breath Golden Vein Berries were considered high-end specialties of the Mount Shu Sect, perfect gifts for disciples from the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten immortal sects to take back to their family and friends. The Golden Vein Berry brand had already made a name for itself within Mount Shu; fellow disciples recognized it as a premium product.

When the disciples of the other immortal sects saw these berries, they asked the disciples of Mount Shu and found out that the berries were good. And soon, word began to spread.

The Mount Shu Summit organized by the Mount Shu Sect provided Chu Liang and his team a rare opportunity.

"Lin Bei sold out the earliest today, so he is undoubtedly the sales champion for the day," Chu Liang remarked. "How about the rest of you?"

"I'm almost sold out too," Liu Xiaoyu'er said with a smile, raising her hand.

The little girl looked adorable and charming. She didn't have to exert much effort in selling her items as people naturally gravitated towards her, eager to make a purchase.

Shang Ziliang and Lackey A didn't fare as well, only managing to sell about half of their stock.

Lackey B was the only one left to answer. He blinked his eyes and uttered, "Mine is gone too..."

"Sold out?"

"Ate it all..."

Chu Liang gazed at Lackey B and let out a sigh. "If you keep doing that, I can't pay you," he said.

Ever since they teamed up for the Mountain God Memorial Ceremony, Chu Liang decided to officially organize the crew for future convenience. He discussed it with Shang Ziliang and the others, and they were all willing to follow his lead. Now, they were considered unofficial members of Silver Sword Peak.

When they were eliminated from the fighting tournament, Chu Liang shared his plan with them.

Chu Liang proposed taking advantage of the Mount Shu Summit organized by the Mount Shu Sect to start a small business. If they agreed to be his seller, he would pay them a base wage of fifty sword coins per day plus a twenty percent commission on sales. Additionally, the top seller each day would receive a bonus of fifty sword coins.

If anyone consistently performed well, they could be promoted to partner, allowing them to share in the overall profit with Chu Liang. This excellent offer was very enticing to the group members.

Sales for the first two days were mediocre, and Chu Liang had to pay their wages out of pocket. However, as they gradually tapped into the market, he anticipated making a profit today. According to his calculations, in a couple more days, once they had fully established their foothold in the market, his daily income could reach several hundred sword coins.

Chu Liang came up with this idea after seeing visitors from far and wide converging to celebrate the Mount Shu Summit with the sect. Yet, the Mount Shu Sect had neglected to harness the economic potential of tourism, which pained Chu Liang deeply.

The snack business was small-scale. These items were not worth much and couldn't be sold for a high price. However, they were just what people needed, and Chu Liang could use this business to create a good impression. The real money-makers were the gift boxes of berries, which had low costs and high profits. The deluxe gift boxes were almost pure profit. The disciples of the Mount Shu Sect knew the original price of the berries—although it was already quite high, the gift boxes were priced even higher. Naturally, the locals wouldn't buy the gift boxes themselves. After all, these gift boxes were meant to scam... no, to be bought as gifts for the families of the tourists visiting Mount Shu.

Mount Shu currently didn't have any must-try foods or must-buy items for visitors. Chu Liang planned to turn the Golden Vein Berries into a renowned brand of the Mount Shu Sect. In the future, people who visit would want to buy a few boxes home for their friends and family, ensuring a steady stream of profits in the future.

"By the way," he reminded them, "Make sure to tell them that there's a discount if they use Mount Shu Sect's sword coins."

This puzzled Shang Ziliang and the others.

In the world of immortality cultivators, the most commonly used currency was the Taotie City's Four-Animals coins[1], followed by Penglai Supreme Sect's Penglai coins. The former was widely accepted because Taotie City was the most convenient place for transactions, while the latter was considered the safest to hold due to the Penglai Supreme Sect's immense power.

As for the sword coins of the Mount Shu Sect, these coins generally circulated within Mount Shu itself.

"Those disciples from the other sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten don't have sword coins. If they need to exchange them, it will be quite troublesome," Lin Bei added.

"Even though it might be a hassle, we must advocate for the use of our coins. We're on Mount Shu after all. What else would they use if not sword coins?" Chu Liang remarked. "But let's not rush into it. Let's take our time."

As he spoke, his eyes sparkled with hope.

...

Chu Liang then sent them all out to sell more items. Suddenly, he felt a tremor in his enchanted storage tool.

Chu Liang's expression tightened. He exchanged knowing glances with Monk Pushan and Luo Yao, each understanding what weighed on the others' minds. Without a word, they all took off towards Silver Sword Peak, gathering there with a shared purpose.

[Eastern-Route Guider]: "I have found a new way to infiltrate the White-Bone Hall again. Time is tight; can you all gather by tomorrow?"

The three of them took out their Soul Subjugator Tokens and saw the message.

"Good timing," Chu Liang said as he nodded, appearing rather pleased with the timing. "The Spirit-Pet Combat Tournament is tomorrow, and I won't need to participate."

"Alright." Luo Yao nodded and sent a reply.

[Sixtieth]: "Noted."

[Fifty-Ninth]: "Wow, here we go again! Another thrilling undercover mission! It feels like ages since our last raid on White-Bone Hall. Honorable Guider, you're incredible. Always finding a way to infiltrate."

Chu Liang glanced curiously at Monk Pushan, wondering how he managed to send such a long message within such a short time.

After a moment, he replied as Fiftieth-Eighth.

[Fiftieth-Eighth]: "Noted."

Fortunately, the Soul Subjugator Token didn't show the sender's location. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain if all three of them were shown to be at Mount Shu.

[Eastern-Route Guider]: "Alright, meet tomorrow at the usual place. My subordinate will meet up with you."

1. The collective term for the Azure-Dragon coin, the Tiger-Head coin, the Vermillion-Bird coin, the Black-Tortoise coin ☜