Great River Market Has Its Own National Conditions

Before the azure stone slabs, an old man held a strip of spicy beef jerky, his eyes brimming with irrepressible thirst for knowledge.

Before him stood a tall, handsome, dashing young man. One hand was clasped behind his back, while the other held a long strip of beef jerky as he spoke with great flourish.

"Don't understand? I'll teach you!"

"So-called Brand Value is the additional value artificially added to a product beyond its inherent worth."

"Still don't understand?"

Seeing the old man's muddled expression, Luo Chen sighed and pointed his beef jerky at the Rogue Cultivator Market.

"In this market alone, there have to be at least three people who sell low-tier talismans year-round, right?"

"Mm-hmm. Lu Heng, Mao Wuya, and me—we're the ones who sell talismans regularly." Seeing a chance to join in, Old Taoist Chen hurriedly spoke up.

"Then what do you think of them? And what do you think of yourself?"

Old Taoist Chen gave a disdainful snort. "That brat Lu Heng lacks skill. He even gets his talisman skins from me. He isn't worth mentioning!"

"What about Master Mao?"

"A latecomer to the trade. His skill is about on par with mine, but he's already ninety-three—a withered bone in the grave, nothing more!"

"And what about Fellow Daoist Chen himself?"

Old Taoist Chen stroked his grizzled beard, speaking complacently. "This old man entered Divine Talisman Pavilion at twenty to do odd jobs. After five years, I learned the craft of making talisman skins, and after another fifteen, I first stepped into the Talisman Dao. Ever since I hung out my shingle, I have set up my stall here through wind and rain for twenty-five years. I am young and strong, and my skills have reached the pinnacle of perfection. Whenever rogue cultivators enter the market to buy talismans, they must first come take a look at my stall!"

Clap clap clap!

Luo Chen applauded, a gratified smile appearing on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, that's exactly it. Your talismans already possess basic Brand Value. It is forged from your experience doing odd jobs at Divine Talisman Pavilion, your twenty-five years of unbroken stallkeeping reputation through wind and rain, and your consistently reliable talisman quality."

Old Taoist Chen was rather pleased with himself, but after thinking it over, he felt something was wrong.

"But these past decades, my talismans still haven't been able to command high prices!"

"High prices are indeed rare, but compared to others, aren't your prices generally a little higher?"

"That does seem to be the case, but I still can't compare to Divine Talisman Pavilion. Customers who want to buy large quantities of talismans still prefer going there."

Luo Chen rolled his eyes. "Divine Talisman Pavilion has the Divine Talisman Sect behind it, one of the Six Great Upper Sects of the Far Eastern Six Domains. Their Brand Value is bestowed by Golden Core Immortals and Nascent Soul True Persons one after another. You want to compare yourself to them?"

"That's true." Old Taoist Chen finally gained some self-awareness.

"So, the Brand Value of your stall can only grow so far. Under such circumstances, you need to seek another path!"

"For example?"

"Give your individual products Brand Value."

"Be more specific!"

"Make up a story for it!"

Chen Xiuping froze. "All Wonders Pill? Yun Zhonghe? Cloud Crane Supreme of the Joyful Union Sect?"

"You can be taught!"

It hardened!

It hardened!

His fists hardened again!

After his fists had hardened, Old Taoist Chen entered the sage-like state of crystal-clear understanding.

"You mean I need to tell stories about my talismans, like you did?"

"Mm."

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple!"

"Then why did you prattle on about all that nonsense before?"

"If I'd said too little, wouldn't I have been letting down your fifty-Spirit Stone loan?"

Huff! Inhale!

After taking a deep breath, Old Taoist Chen decided not to get angry. He was already sixty-five; he needed to take care of his health.

"But how am I supposed to tell this story?"

Luo Chen looked over his stall. He knew every variety of Old Taoist Chen's talismans like the back of his hand.

There were six types in total: the lowest-tier Cleanliness Talisman and Wind Riding Talisman; the mid-tier Fireball Talisman and Earth Spike Talisman; as well as the Earth Wall Talisman and Aura Concealing Talisman.

The Fireball Talisman and Earth Spike Talisman sold the most, but their unit prices were low—one and a half Spirit Stones each.

The Earth Wall Talisman and Aura Concealing Talisman were the most expensive.

The former cost two Spirit Stones apiece, while the latter started at three Spirit Stones. When demand was tight, they could sell for five or six Spirit Stones, or even more.

Talismans had a great market among low-tier cultivators.

Their power was slightly weaker than spells, but they activated quickly and consumed very little spiritual energy.

Those related to defense and saving one's life were especially popular.

Pointing at the Aura Concealing Talisman, Luo Chen's mind turned. Combining it with the Six Domains Customs Record he had read before, he came up with a story outline for it.

But Old Taoist Chen would have to fill in the specific details himself. His experience was broader than Luo Chen's.

Luo Chen also gave him a suggestion: tell the story to new customers, but treat old customers as before.

The Aura Concealing Talismans also needed to be redecorated. They could no longer look so dull and gray; without affecting their use, he should draw two gold borders onto them.

That way, even without telling stories to old customers, he could still try raising the price a little.

Once he had finished giving his pointers, Luo Chen could no longer restrain himself.

Like a gust of wind, with a huge sum of money tucked against his chest, he charged into the Rogue Cultivator Market.

Shopping! Shopping! Shopping like mad!

The night had deepened, and moonlight spilled brightly across the ground.

A young man carrying two enormous snakeskin sacks on his back hurried down the road.

The sacks were made from real snakeskin—tough and capable of holding plenty!

He had gone to the market today to sell All Wonders Pills, and his conversation with Old Taoist Chen had delayed him for quite a while.

By the time he finished shopping in the evening, it was already this late.

Walking along the dried Yellow Earth Road, Luo Chen's breathing was somewhat heavy.

His feet moved swiftly, but his eyes constantly swept around, paying particular attention to the shadows between the wooden houses.

Fighting was strictly forbidden in Great River Market, but only within the Inner City Area.

As for the rogue cultivators in the Outer City Area, no one cared.

The Spirit Stones collected every month only ensured that the important figures of the Inner City Area would step in to deal with demonic beasts when they charged in.

Thus, powerful men blocking the road to rob others and murder them for treasure often appeared in the Outer City Area.

Things were still all right during the day, but after nightfall, such incidents sprang up one after another.

One could only say that Great River Market had its own national conditions.

Luo Chen did not have a single Spirit Stone on him now. His entire fortune was in those two enormous snakeskin sacks on his back.

But frankly speaking, it was worth only a hundred Spirit Stones.

And it was all odds and ends; selling it again would be especially troublesome.

Thinking it was worthless was one thing. Whether someone would be tempted by the sight of wealth was another.

"Damn it, once I have Spirit Stones in the future, I'm definitely moving into the Inner City Area!"

Luo Chen cursed inwardly as he walked down the dirt road with his heart in his throat.

Perhaps it was because the moonlight was so bright tonight. Perhaps it was because he wore tattered clothes, and even the two snakeskin sacks on his back were so ugly.

In any case, Luo Chen returned home safely.

Sometimes, when a person had sunk low enough, even robbers could not be bothered to rob them.

Luo Chen did not feel bitter. After catching his breath for a moment, he sorted the various materials from the sacks and placed them on the shelves.

With one hundred Spirit Stones, he had bought nineteen batches of All Wonders Pill ingredients, spending ninety-five Spirit Stones.

Of the remaining five Spirit Stones, he spent three on ingredients for Grain Avoidance Pills. Based on his success rate, he could refine at least thirty bottles of Grain Avoidance Pills. If sold at one Spirit Stone for five bottles, they would bring in six Spirit Stones—roughly three Spirit Stones in net profit, nearly half.

Of the other two Spirit Stones, one bought ten jin of Spirit Rice, while the other was paid to the City Lord's Mansion as two months' rent.

Mm, this house of his at the very edge cost half a Spirit Stone per month, so he paid every two months.

After pouring the Spirit Rice into the rice jar, Luo Chen slumped onto a wooden stool in the sitting room. Smelling the medicinal scent filling the house, he grinned.

Though he was exhausted, he was in a very good mood.

Tomorrow, he could begin to Expand Production!