The Household Branches Out and Relocates!

Yuan Continent, the Northern Protectorate.

After a long journey of several months, Zhao Yanchuan and his group finally arrived at their destination.

The Origin Return Gate's headquarters is located next to a market town called "Tianyuan City" in the northern part of the Yuan Continent.

This city is quite large, second only to White Cloud Immortal City in terms of prosperity, and is an important transportation hub, controlling the trade route to the Liang Kingdom, with a constant stream of caravans coming and going.

As soon as the Zhao Household's convoy entered the market, it was surrounded by a group of cultivators.

"From the Zhao Household? Introduced by the White Cloud Temple?"

A middle-aged monk squeezed to the front, his face beaming with smiles.

"Indeed." Zhao Yanchuan jumped out of the carriage, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Zhao Yanchuan, and I have come to the Yuan Continent to explore trade routes on the orders of my elder brother."

I've heard so much about you!

The middle-aged cultivator nodded repeatedly, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "I am Li Changfeng, a steward of the Origin Return Gate. The sect leader has already instructed us that the Origin Return Gate will fully cooperate with the Zhao Household's affairs."

Zhao Yanchuan nodded in agreement, which was quite polite of him.

Although Origin Return Gate only has one Golden Core True Person cultivator in charge and about thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators, it is a small sect, but it still wields considerable influence in the Yuan Continent.

Due to geographical reasons, he has a wide circle of friends.

They have trade relations with various sects in the Clear Azure Kingdom. Although the sect is not as powerful as White Cloud Temple, it is still quite strong.

What the Zhao Household needs to do is, under the protection of the Origin Return Gate, expand their trade routes, establish a firm foothold, and take advantage of the local resources to grow stronger.

Li Changfeng led them through the market and arrived at a secluded courtyard.

"This is the place the sect leader specially arranged for the Zhao Household. It's a three-courtyard house, with shops in the front and living quarters in the back, and it's also connected to a branch of a second-tier Spirit Vein."

"We'll have to make do with these accommodations for now."

Zhao Yanchuan looked around and nodded in satisfaction.

The courtyard wasn't large, but its location was superb, right next to the main street of the market, with a high volume of foot traffic. It was more than enough as a starting point.

Thank you very much, Brother Li.

"When we're traveling, we can't talk about making do. Brother Li has already done us a great favor by arranging accommodations for us."

Zhao Yanchuan took out a Storage Bag and stuffed it into Li Changfeng's hand:

"Just a small token of my appreciation."

Li Changfeng felt the thickness of the Storage Bag, his smile widening, "Brother Zhao, you're too kind. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. Our Origin Return Gate will never hesitate to help."

After seeing Li Changfeng off, Zhao Yanchuan gathered the clansmen together and assigned them tasks.

"You guys are responsible for counting and storing the goods."

"Go a few more people and wander around the market to see if there are any suitable shops for rent. The rest of you, come with me to visit the sect leader of Origin Return Gate."

Everyone agreed and dispersed.

Zhao Yanchuan, accompanied by two Foundation Establishment cultivators and a disciple of the Origin Return Gate, headed towards the sect's headquarters...

The mountain gate of Origin Return Gate is located on a low hill to the north of Tianyuan City.

The mountain is not high, only a few hundred feet high, but it is full of Spiritual Qi. The mountain is covered with lush vegetation, and several palaces are hidden among them, giving it a somewhat celestial atmosphere.

The sect leader's surname is Zhou, given name is Yuanshan, and his Daoist name is True Person Returning to One!

He was a thin, elderly man dressed in a gray robe. He appeared unremarkable, but his aura was deep, reserved, and composed.

"The younger generation of the Zhao Household does have some guts."

Zhou Yuanshan sized up Zhao Yanchuan: "Coming all the way from Ming Province to the Yuan Continent to do business, that's quite a journey. I wonder what Fellow Daoist Bai was thinking."

"Could it be that they see your Zhao Household growing stronger again and fear you regain control of the sect, so they are eliminating dissidents in advance to benefit the Yun Clan?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yanchuan could only give an awkward laugh.

"Sect Master is joking."

"Businessmen go wherever there's money to be made. Yuan Continent is located on the border between Clear Azure and Liang Kingdom, with bustling trade routes, making it an ideal place to do business."

Hehe~

Zhou Yuanshan picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip. "I've heard a bit about the Zhao Household's background."

"You don't need to play these tricks on me."

"It's good that young people are energetic, but in this Yuan Continent territory, I hope you can be strict with yourself and abide by the rules."

"Rest assured, senior, the Zhao Household has always abided by the rules and would never cause trouble for the Origin Return Gate."

"That's good."

Zhou Yuanshan put down his teacup and continued, "If your Zhao Household wants to establish a foothold here, the name of White Cloud Temple alone is not enough."

"Yuan Continent is a very murky place. Merchant caravans from the Liang Kingdom, Rogue Cultivator, and even remnants of Devil Cultivator often cause trouble."

"If your Zhao Household runs into trouble, you can come to me, but I won't help you for nothing."

"Clear."

Zhao Yanchuan nodded. "The Zhao Household will hand over 30% of its annual profits from this area to the Origin Return Gate as tribute."

"Fifty percent." Zhou Yuanshan held up five fingers.

Zhao Yanchuan's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Sect Master, 30% is too much. Our Zhao Household is new here; we haven't even recouped our initial investment yet..."

"Forty percent, the absolute minimum."

Zhou Yuanshan made the final decision. Seeing this, Zhao Yanchuan remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Deal, forty percent it is."

As we walked out of the Origin Return Gate.

The smile on Zhao Yanchuan's face vanished, replaced by a gloomy expression.

"Elder Yanchuan, that senior is too greedy! That's a 40% profit margin..."

The tribespeople beside him couldn't help but complain.

"This is for peace money, so forty percent it is, that's all we can do."

"We're new here and our foothold isn't stable yet. If we don't appease the local bullies, we'll never have a peaceful life."

"Without being ripped off, how could one so easily integrate and settle down here?"

"Once we've established our trade routes and built up our network, we can try to lower the price later."

"Be a grandson first, then a grandfather."

"To achieve great things, you have to endure some humiliation; that's normal."

The clansmen seemed to be deep in thought, nodding repeatedly.

Zhao Yanchuan looked up into the distance, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

His ancestor gave him a clear task: to establish a firm foothold in the Yuan Continent, solidify the Zhao Household's roots, and at the same time, to establish a captive breeding program for Demon Beast in this area.

If conditions and timing are right, we should designate another Beast Pasturing Mountain to raise various kinds of animals...

This task may seem easy, but the key is patience.

In the eastern part of Tianyuan City, the Zhao Household's new shop opened for business.

The shop wasn't large, with only two storefronts, but its prime location attracted the attention of many cultivators as soon as it opened.

The Zhao Household sells a wide variety of items, from low-grade pills to mid-grade talismans, from Law Artifact to spirit beast cubs—they have everything.

The price is also reasonable, 20-30% lower than the market price.

Therefore, it quickly made a name for itself in the market.

Zhao Yanchuan personally oversaw the shop, dealing with the passing caravans, and within a few days became acquainted with several Lineage who regularly traveled the Liang Kingdom trade route.

One of the families, surnamed Qian, is a local family in the Yuan Continent with a long Aristocratic Clan of Foundation Establishment.

The clan has several Foundation Establishment cultivators who specialize in business dealings with the Liang Kingdom. The head of the Qian Household is Qian Guangjin, who holds the highest status.

He was a short, stout middle-aged man who smiled like Maitreya Buddha, but he was shrewd to the core.

"Brother Zhao, I've heard that your Zhao Household comes from White Cloud Temple in Ming Province? I've heard of you before."

"I've heard that White Cloud Temple is extremely skilled at raising all kinds of mythical beasts."

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Zhao could possibly bribe a batch of spirit rats for me, preferably the kind with comprehensive life-saving abilities."

"As for the price, that's negotiable."

"You have no idea, things have been extremely turbulent in the Liang Kingdom lately. There's infighting among four factions at the top, and the evil cult, the Sacred Blood Sect, is wreaking havoc everywhere at the bottom."

"This is truly a source of immense suffering for us business people."