Promotional Campaign

The Lin Family junior replied, "Talismans! Defensive talismans!"

Lin Qingbai's expression changed sharply. Alarm surged through him, and he hurriedly asked, "What kind of defensive talismans? How much are they selling for?"

The Lin Family junior quickly answered, "The Meng Family's notice didn't say. It only said that all their old defensive talismans qualify for this promotional campaign! Each defensive talisman costs only three Spirit Stones!"

At those words, Lin Qingbai's face suddenly went pale, and he slumped onto the wooden stool.

Lin Qingshan also shut his eyes tightly. After slowly opening them again, he lightly waved at the Lin Family junior and said weakly, "All right, we understand. Go back to your work first."

After the Lin Family junior left, Lin Qingbai looked dejectedly at Lin Qingshan and asked, "Qingshan, what should we do now?"

"Our Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talismans originally sold for five Spirit Stones. Now that the Meng Family has their Spirit Taming Talismans, our Lin Family can no longer secure the market at that price."

Lin Qingshan let out a heavy breath and replied in a deep voice, "But now that we've lowered the Five Elements Defensive Talisman's price to four Spirit Stones, the Meng Family has launched a promotional campaign for their old talismans, dropping the price straight to three Spirit Stones. With that, the advantage our Five Elements Defensive Talismans had after the price cut has vanished into thin air!"

Lin Qingbai raised his head and looked toward the sky beyond the room, in the direction of Xinghua Meng Pavilion.

"Heh, Meng Luohai is trying to cut off the Lin Family's talisman market!" Lin Qingbai said bitterly.

Lin Qingshan looked at Lin Qingbai and said softly, "Qingbai, don't concern yourself with Meng Luohai anymore. Go back to Xinghua Village and rest properly for a few days."

Lin Qingbai frowned, asking in confusion, "Qingshan, what's wrong? I've been doing fine here. Why are you suddenly telling me to return to the Lineage?"

"The patriarch has spoken. Jiang Ye has been gone for so many days, yet you've been running back and forth between both sides—taking care of Xinghua Lin Pavilion one moment and working with the county constables to find Jiang Ye's murderer the next. He feared you wouldn't be able to endure it, so he specifically sent me to take a look. As expected, the patriarch was right. Your energy has been spread too thin. What happened with the talismans today is a perfect example."

Lin Qingshan said bluntly, "It isn't impossible to produce large quantities of new talismans, but the prerequisite is proper market research. You should have looked into whether the other Lineages' trading pavilions had the ability to compete with our Lin Family for the market. Yet not only did you fail to conduct any market research, you even stockpiled more than four thousand Five Elements Defensive Talismans, leaving nearly twenty thousand Spirit Stones unable to be converted into cash or circulated. You should never have done that!"

Lin Qingbai nodded and said, "I was wrong. Jiang Ye's sudden death threw my mind into chaos."

Lin Qingshan sighed faintly, patted his shoulder, and consoled him, "Qingbai, although you shouldn't have done this, it is understandable. Still, you are no longer suited to serve as the master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion. Go back to the Lineage and rest for a while first."

"Qingshan..."

Lin Qingbai had struggled for most of his life before finally reaching the position of master of Xinghua Lin Pavilion. Now that position was being taken from him, and for a moment, he could not accept it.

Lin Qingshan casually waved his hand. "Qingbai, I know the bitterness in your heart. But everything must put the Lineage's greater interests first. I hope you will think it through."

With matters already brought to this point, Lin Qingbai could no longer bring himself to plead.

After a brief farewell with Lin Qingshan, Lin Qingbai turned, mounted his horse, and headed toward Xinghua Village.

Watching Lin Qingbai's retreating back, Lin Qingshan slowly entered the front hall of Xinghua Lin Pavilion and called out, "Put up a notice. Announce to the public that each Five Elements Defensive Talisman is selling for four Spirit Stones!"

The reason he continued selling the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talismans this way was because he still clung to a sliver of hope.

The more Five Elements Defensive Talismans they could sell, the better. That way, they could still slow the Lin Family's current losses.

Xinghua Meng Pavilion, rear courtyard side room.

Meng Luohai sat with his eyes closed, resting his mind as he hummed a little tune.

Beside him, Meng Haoran was pouring him a cup of chilled tea.

After setting the tea before Meng Luohai, Meng Haoran smiled. "Clan Uncle Luohai truly sees through everything! The Lin Family actually put up a notice for a promotional campaign as well!"

Meng Luohai opened his eyes, took a sip of tea, and replied, "It isn't that I see through everything. I've fought the Lin Family for most of my life, so I can still grasp a thing or two about what they're thinking."

Looking again at Meng Haoran, Meng Luohai instructed, "Haoran, if I'm not at the pavilion, you must remain on guard against the Lin Family's moves. Although our Meng Family's old defensive talismans are only three Spirit Stones each, some well-off Rogue Cultivators may still weigh their options and buy the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talismans. You must remember that."

Meng Haoran clasped his hands in salute. "Haoran understands."

Although the Meng Family's old defensive talismans were cheaper than the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talismans, some Rogue Cultivators were not short of Spirit Stones.

Since the Lin Family's Five Elements Defensive Talismans were more effective than the Meng Family's original defensive talismans, those Rogue Cultivators would still weigh their options before heading to Xinghua Lin Pavilion to buy Five Elements Defensive Talismans.

Meng Luohai did not yet know that Lin Qingshan had arrived at Xinghua Lin Pavilion and replaced Lin Qingbai as its master.

He only said, "We don't know where Lin Qingbai obtained the method for creating Five Elements Defensive Talismans, but now that our Spirit Taming Talismans are out and the market response has been good, the Lin Family will definitely rack their brains trying to find the person who made the Spirit Taming Talismans. So for the next few days, stay honestly in the rear courtyard. Unless something major happens, don't show your face in the front hall!"

"So what if they find out? The person who ultimately developed the Spirit Taming Talisman wasn't me, but you, Clan Uncle."

Meng Haoran smiled. "Even if they come looking for me, they'll have found the wrong person."

"Although I only cracked the Five Elements Defensive Talisman's production method after repeatedly testing the amount of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy within it, and only then created today's Spirit Taming Talisman, whether it was cracking the Five Elements Defensive Talisman or developing the Spirit Taming Talisman, you played a part in both."

Meng Luohai shook his head and replied, "Without your suggestions and line of thought, trying to crack the Five Elements Defensive Talisman and develop the Spirit Taming Talisman in merely three days would have been nothing but a fool's dream. So in this matter, you are our Meng Family's great contributor!"

As he spoke, Meng Luohai took a Storage Bag from a wooden cabinet nearby and placed it before Meng Haoran.

Meng Haoran's heart jumped at the sight. The scene felt strangely familiar.

"Clan Uncle Luohai, this is..."

Meng Luohai sat down and smiled. "You are a great contributor to our Meng Family, with great merit to your name. Your Clan Uncle is not some petty fool who cannot tell right from wrong. These are all rewards for you. Open it and take a look!"

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Meng Haoran stepped forward and slowly opened the Storage Bag.

.:wap.

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author. It may simply have been renamed!