Dongjun Commandery City, a Profitable Market

Dongjun Commandery City, a Profitable Market

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Fairy Xu."

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Sheng agreed.

"Daoist Jiang, there's no need to be so courteous. I came to Qingshan County in the first place at Qing'er's request. Now that the matter has been settled, I naturally need to return to my sect."

"Dongjun Commandery City happens to be on the way, so it's no trouble at all," Xu Xiao said with a smile.

Jiang Sheng took a blue talisman inscribed with cloud sigils from his storage pouch and offered it to Xu Xiao. "No matter what, Fairy Xu has helped this poor Daoist. I have no valuable items on hand at present, only this blue talisman to express my gratitude."

Xu Xiao accepted the blue talisman and smiled. "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. There are still some matters to settle in Qingshan County Seat. Daoist Jiang, come find me in the county seat three days from now."

After setting the date, Jiang Sheng escorted Xu Xiao to the mountain gate. Only after watching her leave did he turn and return to the Daoist temple.

"Ming'an."

Hearing Jiang Sheng call for him, Tian Ming'an hurriedly set aside his studies and came over. "Master."

"Three days from now, I will be making a trip to the commandery city. While I am away, look after the Daoist temple well. Do not let idle people disturb its peace," Jiang Sheng said.

Tian Ming'an froze for a moment, then said, "Please rest assured, Master. This disciple will certainly guard the Daoist temple well."

Seeing Tian Ming'an's confident look, Jiang Sheng could not help but chuckle. "Heh. You have yet to draw qi into your body, and your martial skills are not even equal to an innate mortal's. At best, you count as second-rate. Where does your confidence in guarding the Daoist temple come from?"

Tian Ming'an replied, "This disciple naturally has no such ability, but this Daoist temple is Master's cultivation ground. In all of Qingshan County, would anyone dare set their sights on your Daoist temple?"

"Clever enough. Go on, continue your studies." Jiang Sheng waved a hand, and Tian Ming'an obediently withdrew.

Strolling into the rear hall, Jiang Sheng looked around and muttered, "I still lack a pill furnace and several spirit herbs. Not only do I need to refine Tiger Bone Essence-Nourishing Pills, I also need to refine a batch of Essence-Gathering Pills for cultivation. This venture was truly a loss."

"If I had not also gained a formation array, I would probably have lost everything in this demon-slaying venture.

"In the future, I must investigate such matters thoroughly. Acting before calculating the other party's worth makes it far too easy to lose money."

In truth, whether it was slaying demons and eliminating evil or exploring the cave abodes of predecessors, effort and reward had always been disproportionate.

No one could guarantee that a predecessor's cave abode contained a legacy rather than a trap, nor could anyone guarantee that an infamous fiend would surely possess a vast fortune.

Before dying, many cultivators would set all manner of traps within their cave abodes to kill those who came after them. Moreover, most cultivators generally carried their entire fortunes on their persons.

Many times, after expending countless efforts to open a cave abode, one might find nothing more than an empty shell.

Thus, when Rogue Cultivators explored predecessor cave abodes and sought resources, they generally faced an eighty-twenty split, or even a ninety-ten split. There was only a ten percent chance they would not lose money.

Jiang Sheng was now keenly experiencing the hardships of a Rogue Cultivator.

Since arriving at Qingping Mountain, he had formally acted three times in total. Yet only the tiger demon at the beginning had contributed a Foundation Establishment demon corpse to Jiang Sheng.

The Eight Wolves of Dongjun had left nothing behind. They had poured their entire fortunes into forging that magic artifact, only for Jiang Sheng to destroy it in the end.

As for the River God, there was even less to mention. A great demon of the Purple Mansion Realm, yet its cave abode was so empty mice could run through it. It seemed all its resources had gone toward maintaining that sinister formation.

If not for the third-grade formation array, and the gifts of Flower Crimson Fruits Zhang Qingyun had given him, Jiang Sheng feared even his Dao Heart would have suffered damage.

This only further strengthened Jiang Sheng's resolve to leave home less often when there was nothing necessary to do.

On New Year's Eve, Jiang Sheng let Tian Ming'an go down the mountain to celebrate the new year with his family. Watching the fireworks fill the skies beyond the mountain, Jiang Sheng felt little stir within his heart.

He did not have much time to idle around. Besides his daily cultivation, he had to draw an additional batch of talismans to sell. Jiang Sheng needed to stockpile resources.

After that, Jiang Sheng intended to devote himself to cultivation and ignore worldly affairs. He would speak of other matters only after opening the Purple Mansion between his brows.

The first day of the new year was the day Jiang Sheng had arranged with Xu Xiao, and Jiang Sheng summoned Tian Ming'an.

After giving him a few instructions, Jiang Sheng handed Tian Ming'an three talismans. "This is a second-grade Water Arrow Talisman drawn by your master. If someone comes to attack, use this talisman against them. This is a Profound Water Talisman. If the intruder is too strong, use it to preserve your life. This is a Hundred-Li Escape Talisman. Once you have used the Profound Water Talisman to protect yourself, use this talisman to flee and wait for your master's return."

"This disciple understands." Tian Ming'an carefully tucked the three talismans close against his body.

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly, then rose into the air and flew toward Qingshan County Seat.

By noon, Jiang Sheng had reached the county seat.

The county seat was also filled with lanterns at this time. Lanterns, peach branches, and bamboo were everywhere, and the festive atmosphere had scattered the panic and sorrow brought by the River God's rampage.

Xu Xiao was whispering with Zhang Qing. Only after the two women had finished talking did Xu Xiao leave with Jiang Sheng.

After Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao discussed matters, the two changed their appearances once more and adopted different forms of address.

Jiang Sheng removed his Daoist robe and changed into a flowing white robe. A brocade sash encircled his waist, while his Daoist topknot was replaced with a jade hairpin. Combined with his face, fair as polished jade, he looked unworldly, like a graceful young gentleman amid the dusty world.

Even Xu Xiao could not help smiling when she saw him. "Young Master Yuanchen, with such outstanding bearing, who knows how many young ladies of Dongjun's great families you will leave utterly spellbound."

Jiang Sheng merely smiled and said nothing more.

Qingshan County was not far from Dongjun Commandery City, only about three days away.

Along the way, Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao did not linger much. When they reached Dongjun Commandery City, it was precisely noon on the fourth day of the new year.

Dongjun Commandery City was far larger than Qingshan County Seat. Its city walls stood lofty and majestic, etched with some obscure formation arrays.

Besides the several city gates guarded by ordinary soldiers, there was another tall city gate guarded by several early Qi Refinement cultivators.

Xu Xiao explained, "Those soldiers guard the gates for mortals entering the city. Peddlers, porters, ordinary merchants, and travelers all use those gates. The gate guarded by those Qi Refinement cultivators is for cultivators, and the cultivation families within the city generally use it as well."

Dongjun Commandery City was unlike Qingshan County. It housed more than a million people, and its markets and lanes were too numerous to count. Gentry, wealthy merchants, commoners, peddlers, and porters each had their own streets, while cultivators and great families had dedicated lanes in which to reside.

Though cultivators and mortals coexisted within the commandery city, they were as clearly divided as the Jing and Wei Rivers.

When Xu Xiao and Jiang Sheng flew down to the city gate, the Qi Refinement cultivators guarding it had already respectfully come forward to greet them.

Anyone capable of flying through the air and remaining aloft for long periods was undoubtedly a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Not to mention that this man was handsome and spirited, while the woman was as beautiful as an immortal. At a glance, their immortal bearing was anything but ordinary. And they were so young—perhaps they were distinguished figures from some great family, or true inheritors of some sect.

"Please enter, honored Foundation Establishment seniors." The leader, an old man only at the third layer of Qi Refinement, bowed and scraped with a smiling face as he invited Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao into the city.

Once inside the commandery city, they saw bustling streets and flourishing crowds. The markets thronged with people, shops stood in endless rows, merchants and peddlers could be seen everywhere, and carts and horses streamed through the roads without end.

With the new year at hand, the commandery city was especially lively.

Xu Xiao led Jiang Sheng down the city's main road, and before long they arrived at the cultivation market within the commandery city.

This market had clearly been specially designed for cultivators' convenience, located very near the district reserved for cultivators. Standing guard at its entrance were two mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.

The two cultivators wore identical attire, with the character "Cha" embroidered over their chests.

Xu Xiao introduced it, saying, "This market is actually jointly operated by the Cha Family and the various Foundation Establishment families within the commandery city. The Cha Family holds half, while the remaining Foundation Establishment families share the other half."

"Those guarding the market are not merely Qi Refinement cultivators from the Cha Family. Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Cha Family and the various Foundation Establishment families of Dongjun take turns stationed within the market."

"To enter the market, the rule is two spirit stones per person. If one sells goods within the market, the market collects an additional twenty percent in spirit stones. It may seem expensive, but all transactions within the market are guaranteed by Dongjun's great families and the Cha Family, so its reputation is reliable."

Jiang Sheng sensed the auras within the market. The vast majority belonged to Qi Refinement cultivators, fluctuating greatly in strength, while two auras were particularly conspicuous. They were inside the most eye-catching tall building in the market—two early Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Those were clearly the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in the market by Dongjun's great families.

When Xu Xiao and Jiang Sheng arrived at the market entrance, Xu Xiao paid four spirit stones. The Qi Refinement cultivator on guard took out two tokens and handed them to Xu Xiao.

Xu Xiao gave one token to Jiang Sheng. "This is proof of entry and exit. You receive it upon entering and hand it over when leaving, so keep it safe."

Jiang Sheng accepted the token. Looking at the finger-sized token in his hand, he smiled. "This market is indeed thorough."

"There is no room for carelessness here. Does Young Master Yuanchen know how much profit this market brings Dongjun's great families every year?" Xu Xiao asked with a smile.

Jiang Sheng thought for a moment and shook his head. "Though I cannot guess the exact figure, it must surely be an astonishing number."

Xu Xiao said, "Every cultivator pays two spirit stones to enter and leave. Not to mention that shops must pay annual fees, while Rogue Cultivators setting up stalls are taxed twenty percent. This market brings Dongjun's great families at least several hundred thousand spirit stones every year!"

Several hundred thousand spirit stones!

That figure truly startled Jiang Sheng. An annual income of several hundred thousand spirit stones—even after the shares were divided, each family's gains would be considerable.

"These great families control the market. After collecting spirit stones, they go to the provincial prefecture to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills and all kinds of magic artifacts and medicinal pills to sustain their families. That is why every generation of theirs has Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"As for the Cha Family, there is even less need to say. The spirit stones they invest in medicinal pills and magic artifacts each year are an enormous sum," Xu Xiao continued.

Jiang Sheng nodded. These great families had many members, and the cultivation resources they supplied their clansmen every year were no small amount.

Not to mention that they had to maintain Foundation Establishment cultivators in every generation, as well as the consumption of all manner of Foundation Establishment-stage magic artifacts and medicinal pills. So although they appeared to earn much, they did not actually have much left over.

Across all of Qing Province, the ones truly making money were still the three great sects at the very top.

After all, they each controlled most of the resources for Foundation Establishment Pills and for opening the Purple Mansion. Though these great families seemed to earn plenty each year, more than half of it flowed back into the hands of the three great sects.

As days and years accumulated, the resources in the hands of the three great sects must be staggering!