Survival and Living

Two days before the scheduled trade between Nine Bamboo Mountain and SITONG Trading Company at the beginning of the month, another distinguished guest, surnamed Zhu, arrived at Sanqing Peak.

Zhu Kui.

Of the two Zhu brothers, Zhu Bo was skilled in practical matters, but when it came to business, it was Zhu Kui who truly shone.

A few days prior, Lu Bei had rounded up the stubborn elements in one fell swoop. Upon hearing the news, Zhu Bo had swiftly dispatched Feng Si back to Dasheng Pass, while Zhu Kui rushed to the scene to stabilize the situation.

Thanks to Ding Lei's exceptional efficiency, Lu Bei had managed to seize five mountain peaks: Four Scenery Peaks, Five Heng Peaks, Six Yang Peaks, Eight Goose Peaks, and Nine Pine Peaks. Excluding Sanqing Peak, which had only a short Spirit Bamboo, only three of the eight peaks still maintained cooperative ties with SITONG Trading Company.

Zhu Kui's objective was to entice them with profit, using monetary means to push SITONG Trading Company out.

He was confident in this endeavor.

No matter the business, once the Zhu family entered the arena, others could only concede.

In open competition, where money was the deciding factor, the Zhu Family Trading Company far surpassed SITONG Trading Company. As for underhanded tactics...

Zhu Kui welcomed them.

In Wu Zhou, the Zhu family held sway, from the imperial court that governed the land to the Huangji Sect that oversaw cultivation sects. Within Wu Zhou, anyone who dared to strike from the shadows or obstruct someone of the Zhu surname would inevitably be met with self-destruction.

Zhu Kui had high hopes for Nine Bamboo Mountain's Spirit Bamboo industry. There were so many details that could be manipulated; with proper management, it could absolutely become a pillar industry for the Zhu Family Trading Company.

Not looking too far ahead, ensuring several generations of comfortable living was certainly achievable.

A person in good spirits is naturally refreshed. Zhu Kui cheerfully ascended Sanqing Peak, slung an arm around Lu Bei's shoulder, and chuckled, "Brother Lu is truly a remarkable fellow. Not only does he possess the elegant seclusion of Yuanshan, but he also keeps a den of glossy, sleek red foxes. You truly know how to enjoy life."

"Oh, come on, Brother Kui, that's what you call living. This is just surviving for me," Lu Bei said, handing a roasted goose to a little fox and idly stroking one of them.

"Yingyingying—"

After a month of Lu Bei feeding them elixirs and delicious cooked food, his efforts were not in vain. The little foxes, having shed their initial wariness, now trusted him completely, allowing him to pet them without resistance.

The first little fox demon had also let down her guard. Gifted with intelligence, she had already learned many human characters under Lu Bei's tutelage and was currently striving for transformation, with becoming human just around the corner.

Incidentally, shortly after learning to read, the little fox demon had written her name for Lu Bei: Hu Jiao.

Demon race names were formed after gaining sentience, a heritage hidden within their bloodline, something humans could not envy.

This was a good thing. Otherwise, given Lu Bei's naming abilities, which ranged from the upper limit of Mei'er, Lili, and Number 8, to the lower limit of Gangpao, Wangcai, and Laifu, it was difficult to guarantee whether this den of foxes would rebel in the future.

"Haha, Brother Lu is being modest again. Still so humorous."

Zhu Kui paid no mind to Lu Bei's talk of survival. As they transitioned to serious matters, he stated directly, "My elder brother mentioned that besides Spirit Bamboo, you're also interested in other businesses?"

"That's right. I was hoping to consult with you, Brother Kui."

Lu Bei narrowed his eyes slightly. "If I were to refine finished medicinal pills, in very large quantities, do you have any good sales channels, Brother Kui?"

"What level of pills are we talking about?"

Zhu Kui said, "If it's consumables like Qi Ling Pills or Qi Gathering Pills, Brother, don't waste your time. This business won't work."

"What do you mean? Doesn't the Huangji Sect also purchase them?"

"They do, but..."

Zhu Kui organized his thoughts and, without further ado, explained in detail, "Refining consumables like Qi Ling Pills and Qi Gathering Pills isn't difficult. Taking Dasheng Pass as an example, it can cooperate with other sects, allocating quotas monthly, with payment upon delivery. They can even delegate authority to various counties, such as Langyu County. However, while it's reasonable and logical, it's not in accordance with the rules."

"Slow down, take your time."

"Brother Lu spent some time in the alchemy rooms at Dasheng Pass. You know how much margin there is between raw materials and finished pills. That's one layer of profit. Dasheng Pass reports the total monthly amount, and after it's stored, it's distributed to various regions. The complexities in between represent a second layer of profit. As for whether there are other profits, I wouldn't dare to speculate."

Zhu Kui chuckled and continued, "Everyone knows that direct purchase of finished pills by the counties would reduce expenses, at least saving time, effort, and cost in transportation. But cutting into people's livelihoods... everyone would be unhappy. It's a thankless task, Brother. Don't bring trouble upon yourself."

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Kui. I understand now."

Lu Bei nodded in agreement, then his brow furrowed. "Then, hypothetically, if some people aren't interested in money, and you don't take the profit from raw materials to finished products, but instead you directly purchase and then centrally deliver them to Dasheng Pass, would that be feasible?"

"Of course, it's feasible. Both layers of profit are still there. How it was earned before, it can still be earned now, even more easily. It's reasonable, logical, and in accordance with the rules. Most importantly, it's more legal than before, and no one can find fault."

Zhu Kui looked at Lu Bei with confusion. "But the problem is, Brother, you'd be working for nothing, wasting your time. What's the point?"

Lu Bei smiled nonchalantly and said solemnly, "The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every common man."

"..."

Zhu Kui remained silent, looking at Lu Bei as if he were an idiot.

He had seen it all, and it wasn't his fault for being provocative; Lu Bei had insulted his intelligence first, which was why he retorted.

"Brother Kui, to be honest, it's still profitable. It's about small profits and quick turnover, a concept you should understand."

"I don't," Zhu Kui replied, shaking his head like a rattle drum. "Brother, money isn't made that way. I sell raw materials for alchemy by passing off inferior goods as superior, which doesn't affect the final quality of the pills... it does affect it somewhat, but it's still within the standard range of quality. You could say it doesn't affect its use. But passing off finished pills as inferior goods is punishable by death according to the law. It wouldn't matter even if my surname were Zhu."

"Brother Kui misunderstands. Do you think I would engage in passing off inferior goods as superior? I genuinely make a profit, I assure you, the quality of the pills is absolutely not an issue!" Lu Bei said with a mysterious smile.

"What, Brother Lu has developed a new alchemy technique that saves on raw materials?"

Zhu Kui's eyes lit up. "Tell me more, quickly."

Lu Bei produces the pills, he resells them, attaching the official label of the Huangji Sect from Dasheng Pass. The profit potential was considerable.

As a merchant, hearing about such high profits was hard to resist.

"It's a trade secret. I cannot disclose it."

Lu Bei resolutely shook his head. He made an agreement with Zhu Kui: as long as Lu Bei could refine consumable pills that met the quality standards and were produced in large quantities, Zhu Kui would be responsible for purchasing them and selling them to downstream clients.

"What about the specific timeframe? When can you deliver?"

"No rush on that, just wait a bit longer. The latest will be early next year!"

Lu Bei stated with certainty. He remembered very clearly that the public beta was scheduled for the 824th year of Wu Zhou, which was this year. It was already the middle of the year, so it wouldn't be long before the internal testing began.

That night, they drank heartily on Sanqing Peak. Zhu Kui brought roasted goose from Bright Moon Tower, Lu Bei's favorite.

Accompanying them were five fox spirits. If one ignored their current inability to fully transform and their greed for wine, the story of 'Three Men and Five Foxes Getting Drunk' sounded quite thrilling.

At the wine table, Zhu Kui patted his chest and guaranteed that if Lu Bei helped the Zhu Family Trading Company secure this major deal, the Zhu brothers would repay him handsomely. From then on, Lu Bei would receive a share of the net profit from the Spirit Bamboo business every month.

As for who would cover this cost...

Dasheng Pass would purchase the goods at the original price. Zhu Kui stated he would still make a profit, and the sect masters of Nine Bamboo Mountain also said they wouldn't lose out.

Business matters weren't meant to be discussed in detail. As long as everyone profited and was happy, that was all that mattered.

The next day, Zhu Kui rushed to several peaks, visiting a few sect masters. On the trading day, in front of the manager from SITONG Trading Company, he used a large sum of money to acquire the Spirit Bamboo from several peaks.

On this trip, the sect masters were overjoyed, and Zhu Kui was ecstatic about spending his money. Everyone was satisfied, except for the manager of SITONG Trading Company. He was also beside himself, but with anger.

He went to Langyu County to complain to Master Li's household, but was met with a few sighs and shown the door, reluctantly swallowing the bitter pill.

Meanwhile, on Lu Bei's end, by the end of the trading day, he had transformed from a disliked rogue in the eyes of the various peaks into an honored guest of the sect masters. Even Pang Miaosong, with whom there had been previous friction, began addressing Lu Bei as "brother" and "sister" now that she had accepted his gifts.

After seeing off the Zhu brothers, Lu Bei made plans to meet them again at Dasheng Pass another day. He instructed the little foxes to guard the front and back gates and the courtyard walls, and then, using the well rope, they slid down to search for the abandoned map.