Investing in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's Shopkeeper

A bitter look appeared on Jin Wuxu's face, and his tone changed as well.

When he had met Li Yunjing before, Jin Wuxu had treated him as a junior.

After all, Li Yunjing was younger than Jin Wuxu, and his cultivation was lower too.

Jin Wuxu was, after all, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.

Now, Li Yunjing had also entered the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

And he was the leader of a sect.

If one really counted, Li Yunjing's status was actually a little more distinguished than Jin Wuxu's.

As such, Jin Wuxu had to change his attitude toward Li Yunjing.

"Shopkeeper Jin, there's no need to be so restrained," Li Yunjing said with a smile.

A bitter look appeared on Jin Wuxu's face.

How could he not be restrained?

Li Yunjing had reached Foundation Establishment at his present age,

and his potential far surpassed Jin Wuxu's.

Though Jin Wuxu looked only thirty or forty,

he was actually ninety-seven years old.

Foundation Establishment cultivators lived only two hundred and fifty years.

Although he still had more than a hundred years left to live,

Jin Wuxu had reached Foundation Establishment fifty years ago.

Fifty years had passed, and Jin Wuxu was still at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

There was no hope in sight of reaching the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage,

let alone Golden Core.

Li Yunjing was different.

Li Yunjing had every hope of reaching Golden Core.

Seeing that Jin Wuxu remained restrained, Li Yunjing sighed inwardly.

A thick barrier now stood between them.

"Shopkeeper Jin, I came today because I wanted to discuss something with you," Li Yunjing said.

Jin Wuxu sat up straight. "Please, go ahead."

"From now on, please have the Golden Millet Pavilion deliver thirty jin of Blood Fang Rice and one hundred and fifty jin of Golden Jade Rice to the Luozhen Sect every month," Li Yunjing said.

Now that Li Yunjing had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, it was time to improve the Luozhen Sect's standard of living.

Previously, the staple food Li Yunjing and the other members of the Luozhen Sect ate every day

had been a steamed mixture of Golden Jade Rice and ordinary rice.

Li Yunjing did not intend to keep eating like that.

Starting today, Li Yunjing planned to have the Luozhen Sect members eat Golden Jade Rice at every meal.

Blood Fang Rice was spirit rice of a higher quality than Golden Jade Rice.

It was shaped like a fang and blood-red all over, hence its name.

Blood Fang Rice was a high-grade first-tier spirit rice, and its price was somewhat high.

A single jin sold for five Spirit Stones.

Li Yunjing planned to mix some Blood Fang Rice into the Golden Jade Rice at every meal from now on,

just as he had mixed Golden Jade Rice with ordinary rice.

The Golden Jade Rice Li Yunjing had planted earlier had not yet ripened.

It would need another half a month or so to mature.

So Li Yunjing could only buy Golden Jade Rice.

Even when the Golden Jade Rice matured, the yield would be only around two hundred jin.

That was enough for one month, but certainly not two.

Golden Jade Rice also needed time to mature.

He still had no choice but to buy Golden Jade Rice to eat.

And once the Spirit Field reached a higher grade,

Li Yunjing did not plan to grow Golden Jade Rice anymore.

He intended to grow crops with greater economic value,

such as Blood Fang Rice.

Blood Fang Rice sold to Li Yunjing for five Spirit Stones a jin.

The purchase price was lower, but still three or four Spirit Stones.

That was much better than selling Golden Jade Rice.

After all, as the Spirit Field's grade rose, the crops' growth cycle could become shorter.

Li Yunjing could harvest large quantities of highly valuable crops in a short time.

What Li Yunjing regretted, however, was that the Spirit Field still had not gained an effect that increased yields.

If it had that effect, that would be wonderful.

After listening, Jin Wuxu made some calculations in his head.

Then he smiled at Li Yunjing. "Sect Leader Li, no problem.

"I've already worked it out. The Golden Millet Pavilion has plenty of Golden Jade Rice. For one hundred and fifty jin a month, the Luozhen Sect need only pay fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

"As for Blood Fang Rice, at thirty jin a month, let's make it a round number. The Luozhen Sect can pay fifty Spirit Stones for that too, for a total of one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones to the Golden Millet Pavilion each month.

"The Golden Millet Pavilion guarantees that it will deliver enough spirit rice to the Luozhen Sect every month."

Hearing this, Li Yunjing immediately frowned.

"Shopkeeper Jin, at that rate, you won't make anything at all. You'll even have to cover some of the cost yourself."

The normal selling price for Golden Jade Rice was one and a half Spirit Stones per jin.

One hundred and fifty jin of Golden Jade Rice came to two hundred and twenty-five Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Yet Jin Wuxu was charging only fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

This was a complete loss-making deal.

He was also charging only fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones for the Blood Fang Rice.

That was likewise a loss-making deal.

Could a merchant like Jin Wuxu accept a deal that lost him so much?

Jin Wuxu chuckled.

"Sect Leader Li, just consider it an investment in you.

"I previously thought you wouldn't be able to break through within the allotted time.

"I never expected you to slap my face till it stung. I admit defeat.

"I expect your future will be boundless, Sect Leader Li. I can afford this small loss. I only hope that if you prosper in the future, you'll still remember me, Jin Wuxu, and the Golden Millet Pavilion."

Jin Wuxu was open about it and stated his purpose outright.

Hearing this, Li Yunjing nodded gently.

"Very well. I, Li Yunjing, will remember this favor."

After reaching an agreement with Jin Wuxu, Li Yunjing had intended to take out one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones and give them to him.

Unexpectedly, Jin Wuxu refused.

He said that the Luozhen Sect still needed Spirit Stones for reconstruction.

As for the Spirit Stones for the spirit rice, it was fine to put the payment on credit for a while.

Jin Wuxu was in no hurry.

Li Yunjing did not insist on leaving the hundred Spirit Stones.

After leaving the Golden Millet Pavilion, Li Yunjing went to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

As before, Duan Yang came to receive Li Yunjing.

Duan Yang likewise sensed Li Yunjing's Foundation Establishment presence.

Duan Yang was stunned.

Once he recovered, Duan Yang hurriedly led Li Yunjing to a private room on the second floor.

"Sect Leader Li, it's truly astonishing that you reached Foundation Establishment."

Once Li Yunjing had sat down in the private room,

Duan Yang immediately brought him a cup of spirit tea.

"Sect Leader Li, this is Mind-Calming Tea, brewed with second-tier tea leaves. It tastes quite good. Please have a taste."

Li Yunjing smiled.

He recalled his previous visits to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

He had never been served second-tier spirit tea before.

Sure enough, after his cultivation increased, his treatment in every respect improved considerably.

Duan Yang left the private room.

Li Yunjing had thought that Li Mingjie would receive him again this time.

Unexpectedly, after a while, a prosperous-looking middle-aged man entered the room.

He was dressed in gold and silver, and wore an imperial-green jade thumb ring on his right hand.

Li Yunjing's gaze was drawn to the imperial-green thumb ring at once.

It was no ordinary thumb ring.

It gave off traces of spiritual power, and its surface was shrouded in a faint glow.

It was a Law Artifact.

He just did not know whether it was a first-tier Law Artifact or a second-tier Spirit Artifact.

As for a third-tier Law Treasure, Li Yunjing thought that impossible.

"Sect Leader Li, I am Luo Qiyuan, and I have the honor of serving as the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's head shopkeeper."

The prosperous-looking middle-aged man smiled and cupped his hands at Li Yunjing.

Hearing the man introduce himself, Li Yunjing was immediately startled.

Luo Qiyuan was a legendary figure in Xunxian Town.

He had built himself up from nothing, starting as a Qi Refining Rogue Cultivator, becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even founding the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

The Treasure Gathering Pavilion had now become one of Xunxian Town's three great treasure pavilions, with far-reaching influence.

It had even opened a branch in a distant immortal city.

Besides that, there were Treasure Gathering Pavilions in some small marketplaces as well.

Its commercial reach was vast.

And Luo Qiyuan was the one who had created it.

Li Yunjing hurriedly stood up.

According to earlier information, Luo Qiyuan's cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

That information was already twenty years old.

In the twenty years since, Luo Qiyuan had kept a low profile, and no new information had surfaced.

Li Yunjing did not know whether his cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Even if it had not, Li Yunjing did not dare put on airs.

"Greetings, Senior Luo. This junior did not expect you to appear in person."

Luo Qiyuan chuckled. "The impulse simply came over me. I heard that you had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, Sect Leader Li, so I came especially to meet you."

Hearing Luo Qiyuan call him Sect Leader Li, Li Yunjing felt considerable pressure.

As everyone knew, there were only three kinds of people in the cultivation world:

ants, fellow Daoists, and seniors.

Luo Qiyuan had addressed Li Yunjing as Sect Leader Li,

clearly treating him as a peer.

But Luo Qiyuan was more senior, and his cultivation was higher than Li Yunjing's.

He was clearly the senior between them.

Li Yunjing quickly composed himself.

"I'm just an ordinary fellow. Since you came especially to see me, Senior Luo, I'm afraid I've disappointed you."