Inside the Vast Sea Bookshop at Wuyan Market.
"Haha... Brother Chen, long time no see! You haven't been here in over two months! If you'd stayed away any longer, I would've gone into the mountains to look for you."
Over the past two years, Chen Mu had brought talisman papers to sell to Hou Sailei once a month on average. This year in particular, he had sold at least several hundred each time, all with five lines or more. Hou Sailei had made quite a profit from them, so he had naturally become even more attentive to Chen Mu.
"Hehe, Boss Hou, I didn't make you wait these two months for nothing. I've got a big business deal for you this time."
Chen Mu looked around the bookshop, hinting at something.
Hou Sailei was perceptive and immediately understood what Chen Mu meant.
"Sorry, sorry! Please, come into a private room. We can take our time talking there."
Every time Chen Mu came, he had conducted their transactions right there in the shop, but this time he had asked to speak in a room. Coupled with what Chen Mu had said, Hou Sailei felt a flicker of anticipation.
Chen Mu had brought only A Huo with him this time. A Huo stood guard outside the door, leaving only Hou Sailei and Chen Mu in the room.
"Brother Chen, you're making me a little nervous with all this! How many talisman papers did you bring this time? Surely not over a thousand?"
Hou Sailei brewed Chen Mu a cup of tea, then sat down on the other side of the tea table and spoke with a smile.
Chen Mu was in no hurry. He took a sip of tea and gathered his words before speaking at an unhurried pace.
"Boss Hou, I'd like to know: if I increased my supply of talisman papers, what's the most you could take?"
"Well..."
Hou Sailei was a little puzzled, but then he smiled as though he understood and patted his chest.
"I can't promise too much, but I can definitely take one or two thousand talisman papers with nine lines or fewer each month!"
A trace of disappointment flashed in Chen Mu's eyes when he heard that.
He thought for a moment and asked, "What about more? Would you dare take more?"
Hou Sailei could no longer sit still. He stood up.
"More? Brother Chen, you're not joking with me, are you?
"Two thousand talisman papers a month-even if ten talisman masters worked day and night, they might not be able to make that many in a month.
"Unless they all made low-level talisman papers, but I don't imagine you'd try to fob me off with one- or two-line papers, Brother Chen."
At present, there were probably fewer than ten talisman masters in the entire Wuyan Mountain Range combined. He simply didn't believe Chen Mu could supply two thousand a month.
They had worked very well together over the three years he had traded with Chen Mu, so he didn't want to put it too harshly. Had it been anyone else, he very likely would have thrown them straight out.
"You don't need to worry about how I get them! In any case, I guarantee they'll have at least six lines. A little later on, I should be able to make most of them nine-line papers."
Chen Mu spoke calmly, but his words were earth-shattering.
Hou Sailei was so shocked he couldn't speak. It took him a long moment to come to his senses.
"Are you serious? You're not joking with me?"
He stared into Chen Mu's eyes, compelled to make sure once more.
"No!"
Chen Mu's expression did not change in the slightest.
For some reason, he actually began to believe what Chen Mu had said, and he felt his heart start pounding.
"All right! If that's the case, I can report it to my Lineage. They'll very likely open a dedicated shipping route here just for you, specifically to transport your talisman papers out for sale."
Hou Sailei paused, then continued, "But you must guarantee a steady supply. If you promise it and can't deliver, the consequences will be very serious!"
Chen Mu nodded, looking confident. "Of course. But you also have to guarantee that our dealings will remain absolutely secret. If you let word get out, I'll cut off all future dealings with you."
"Of course! You may not have heard of our Vast Sea Bookshop elsewhere, but if you go to the Central Land and ask about the Eight Directions Chamber of Commerce, it's an organization that can make the entire business world tremble three times over. And the Eight Directions Chamber of Commerce stands behind my Lineage!"
Hou Sailei spoke at length, but Chen Mu's expression did not change at all, leaving him no choice but to give a helpless, wry smile.
"All right! I won't waste any more words. Brother Chen, let me confirm this with you: exactly how many talisman papers with six lines or more can you supply me each month?"
Chen Mu hesitated for a moment, then held out one hand.
"Five thousand. That's the current number. If our cooperation goes smoothly, I don't rule out increasing it later."
"Gasp..."
Hou Sailei sucked in a breath of cold air. He had thought two thousand was already Chen Mu's limit, but there were far more than he had imagined.
"All right! I'll send word to my Lineage right now. As long as you can supply the agreed quantity, I can make the decision right now to increase the price I pay you by ten percent!"
"No problem! Today is the fourteenth, so starting today, I'll send someone to trade with you on the fourteenth of every month!"
Hou Sailei pondered for a long moment, then gritted his teeth. "Then I won't drag my feet either! I'll draw up a cooperation contract with the details of our agreement right now, and we'll both sign it."
Hou Sailei could no longer wait for a reply from his Lineage. After all, given its strength, it could certainly handle this deal.
A strategic resource like talisman paper was in short supply wherever one went. A major deal for five thousand six-line talisman papers a month would definitely raise his standing in the Lineage by a considerable amount.
"Good!"
Chen Mu had no objection. He had come this time intending to sign a cooperation contract with Hou Sailei.
Commercial contracts were strongly binding. If someone was treated unfairly, they could report it to one of the major chambers of commerce, which would generally help see that justice was done. After all, none of them wanted the business climate in the market to deteriorate.
Half an hour later, Chen Mu and Hou Sailei signed the cooperation contract, bringing the whole matter to a successful conclusion.
Chen Mu also sold Hou Sailei all the talisman papers he had brought this time, over a thousand in total, and received a large quantity of spirit stones.
After leaving the Vast Sea Bookshop, Chen Mu visited some other shops and purchased supplies before riding his Dragon-Horned Horse out of Wuyan Market.
After Chen Mu left the Vast Sea Bookshop, Hou Sailei immediately went back inside and found the old man who often used to read in the bookshop, in the courtyard behind it.
"Elder Guo, it looks like I'll have to ask you to take action this time. Sorry for the trouble."
Hou Sailei was actually a member of the Hou Lineage's main branch. He had chosen of his own accord to open a bookshop in the Wilderness.
Though the Wilderness was primitive, it also offered many opportunities. Take this talisman paper business: he made more than twice his money simply by reselling the papers, something impossible in the Central Land.
Three years ago, when he had just arrived in the Wilderness and his bookshop had only just opened, he had even been forced to set up a street stall to attract more business. But he had no complaints or regrets; he had grown a great deal during those days.
Elder Guo had once been his father's attendant and was the only person he had brought with him from the Lineage.
He knew Elder Guo's strength was unfathomable, so he had always treated him with courtesy. This was the first time in three years that he had taken the initiative to ask for his help.
Elder Guo had been lying in a recliner with his eyes narrowed, basking in the sun. He opened his eyes when he heard Hou Sailei.
"Little Fat Monkey, you know I don't like killing people."
Hou Sailei smiled, waved his hand, and explained.
"There's no need to kill anyone! It's like this: you've probably seen the child just over ten years old who usually sells us talisman papers.
"He told me today that from now on, he can supply me with five thousand talisman papers with six lines or more every month. With a deal this big, I really can't put my mind at ease without finding out where he comes from!"
Even Elder Guo's pupils contracted when he heard what Hou Sailei said.
"Five thousand?"
Hou Sailei nodded and continued, "Yes! That's why I came to you.
"All I want is for you to follow him and find out which tribe he belongs to. I can gather the rest of the information myself.
"If I have someone else do it, I'm worried he might discover them. That would put a rift in our cooperation. Only if you go, Elder Guo, can I rest easy!"
"Hehe, that little fellow is rather interesting."
Elder Guo stood up with an interested look and stretched his muscles and joints.
"All right. I haven't been out in a long time anyway, and it's no good eating and drinking for free every day. I'll follow him and have a look..."