A Path to Wealth!

"How long can your Candy Beans be stored after they're made?"

Shao Xin's hands paused, and he looked at Ma Hongjun with some surprise.

"Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Just curious," Ma Hongjun said. "How long can things made by a Food System Martial Soul be kept? Do they spoil?"

Shao Xin set down the pot in his hands, wiped his hands clean, and answered seriously, "That depends on the level of the soul skill and the user's Soul Power. At lower levels, the food produced can only be stored for a short time and loses its effect within a few hours. But as Soul Power rises and more Soul Rings are acquired, the storage time gets longer and longer."

He paused, raising his right hand as a soft glow lit up in his palm.

"I'm currently a six-ring Soul Emperor. If properly stored, the Candy Beans I make can last for over three months without losing their effectiveness. Their medicinal effects gradually weaken over time, but during the first month, they can basically retain more than ninety percent of their potency."

Three months.

That long!

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up slightly.

"What about Oscar's?" he pressed. "How long can his Sausages be stored?"

Shao Xin thought for a moment. "His Soul Power is currently level twenty-three, with two rings. The Sausages he makes can probably last around three days. After too long, their medicinal effects will dissipate, and the taste will worsen as well."

Around three days.

Although that was far shorter than Shao Xin's, if the issues of transportation and storage could be solved, that window was enough.

"Hongjun, what exactly are you getting at?" Shao Xin saw through his thoughts.

Ma Hongjun took a deep breath and voiced his idea.

"Teacher Shao Xin, I was thinking—could we auction off the Candy Beans you make and the Sausages Oscar makes?"

Shao Xin froze.

"Think about it," Ma Hongjun said, growing more fluent as he went on. "You're a six-ring Soul Emperor. The Candy Beans you make can restore physical strength, Soul Power, and mental energy. How many people outside would kill to get something like that? Soul Masters training away from home, soul hunters risking their lives in soul beast forests—who wouldn't want something that could save their life?"

"And Oscar's Sausages. His second soul skill is the Strength Sausage. Eating one can greatly increase strength and defense. For auxiliary-system Soul Masters and control-system Soul Masters who lack offensive ability, having one is like gaining an extra life."

Shao Xin's brows furrowed slightly as he fell into thought.

"Besides," Ma Hongjun added, "you can produce them in batches. Make a large batch of Candy Beans at once, store them properly, then send them to auction in portions. Isn't that far better than staying here and cooking porridge for us?"

Shao Xin was silent for a while before slowly speaking. "It's not as if I've never considered what you said. But selling products made by Food-Type Soul Masters isn't anything new on the continent. The question is—would anyone really buy our things?"

"Of course they would," Ma Hongjun said firmly. "You're underestimating yourself. How many six-ring Soul Emperors on the entire Douluo Continent can make Recovery Candy Beans? Put something like that in an auction house, and Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings would fight over it."

"As for Oscar's Sausages, although their level isn't high, they're treasures to low-level Soul Masters. For those stuck at a bottleneck who need to hunt soul beasts but lack the strength to do so, one Strength Sausage could mean the difference between life and death."

Shao Xin looked at Ma Hongjun's sparkling eyes and suddenly laughed.

"Hongjun, how did you grow such a brain?"

Ma Hongjun scratched his head but did not answer.

Because he knew that the average intelligence of people on Douluo Continent was not very high.

But he couldn't say that aloud and make enemies.

"However," Shao Xin said, changing the subject, "I can't make the decision on this myself. We need to discuss it with Headmaster Flender first."

"That's only right."

--

When Shao Xin relayed Ma Hongjun's idea to Flender, Flender was in his office, worrying over a worn old ledger.

The academy's expenses had gone over budget again this month.

The medicinal ingredients for the two children's medicinal baths, food expenses, repairs for training equipment... every item cost money.

His savings were nearly depleted. If this continued, he would not even be able to afford the ingredients for the medicinal baths next month.

"Selling Candy Beans and Sausages?" Flender looked up at Shao Xin.

Shao Xin repeated Ma Hongjun's analysis in full.

Flender remained silent for a long time.

He was not someone overly concerned with pride, and it was not as though he had never thought of ways to make money.

But the only things he could think of were taking commissions to hunt soul beasts or working as a guard for wealthy families. Those jobs brought money slowly and took up time, affecting his ability to teach his students.

But selling Candy Beans and Sausages...

That was a way to make money without even leaving home.

"Shao Xin, can you make your Candy Beans in batches?" Flender asked.

"I can. But making too many consumes Soul Power, and I need time to recover," Shao Xin answered truthfully.

"That's fine." Flender waved a hand. "I'm not asking you to make a thousand in one day. Take it slow. Small amounts add up."

He rose to his feet and paced back and forth through the office.

"I'll handle Oscar. His Sausages can only last two or three days, but if we contact buyers in advance and make them and deliver them on the same day, it can still work."

Flender stopped and turned his gaze on Shao Xin.

"This idea came from Hongjun?"

"It did."

Flender was silent for a moment, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"That brat not only has talent for cultivation, but he's sharp too."

He walked to the window and looked out at Ma Hongjun and Oscar soaking in their medicinal baths in the courtyard, warmth in his eyes.

"We'll do as he said. Tomorrow, make an extra batch of Candy Beans. I'll take them to the auction house in Suotuo City and ask about the price."

Shao Xin nodded and turned to leave, only for Flender to call him back.

"Oh, right." Flender's voice sounded somewhat unnatural. "Let Hongjun and Oscar be involved too. Hongjun came up with the idea, and Oscar has a share in making the goods. Once we make money, give them each ten percent."

Shao Xin froze for a moment, then smiled.

"Flender, when did you become so generous?"

"I've always been generous," Flender said with a stern face.

"Fine, you're generous." Shao Xin left the office with a smile.

Suotuo City, Douhun Auction House.

This was the largest auction house in Suotuo City. Backed by the Balak Kingdom, it had an excellent reputation, with Soul Masters from all directions coming here every day to trade rare items.

From Soul Bones to Soul Tools, from medicinal herbs to soul beast materials, as long as one had money, there was nothing one could not buy.

Flender stood at the entrance of the auction house, looking up at its golden signboard with some unease in his heart.

He carried fifty Candy Beans that Shao Xin had rushed to make overnight. Each one was separately stored in an exquisite jade bottle, its mouth sealed with wax to ensure none of the medicinal effects escaped.

There were also twenty Strength Sausages and ten Recovery Sausages made by Oscar, wrapped in oiled paper and stored in a temperature-controlled storage Soul Tool.

"Come on, let's go in."

Flender, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar strode into the auction house.

By coming here today, Ma Hongjun and Oscar were getting their first real glimpse of the world.

Oscar asked worriedly, "Hongjun, do you think our things can really sell?"

"They can," Ma Hongjun said with certainty.

"How can you be so sure?"

Ma Hongjun did not answer, merely smiling.

Of course he was sure.

Recovery Candy Beans made by a six-ring Soul Emperor were priceless treasures that could not be bought on the open market.

Forget fifty. Even five would attract a crowd of people fighting over them.

Inside the auction house's main hall, Flender was invited into a VIP room.

Compared to a Soul Emperor's Candy Beans, Recovery Sausages might not be especially welcomed, but Strength Sausages would definitely sell well.