Chapter 102: Chapter 99: Business Opportunity

What Si Houqing said gave Shen Changchuan a moment of sudden realization.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but marvel at the man’s keen business sense. This was indeed a golden opportunity!

After all, there were no Workshops in the nearby Border Desolate Land.

If one wanted to trade, they either had to go to the Wu Family Collection during the market days after the annual Spirit Grain harvest, or travel to Qing City, which was a thousand li away.

A distance of a thousand li was by no means short for Cultivators in the Qi Introduction Realm who couldn’t fly.

Even if a Cultivator at the Qi Introduction Middle Stage traveled at full speed, a round trip would still take about ten days.

After all, people needed to rest; it was impossible to use Magic to travel constantly.

Furthermore, they might be attacked by Demon Beasts or run into Tribulation Cultivators and other dangers along the way. They would have to keep their Heart Spirit on high alert to prevent any accidents.

Spending over ten days on the road for a round trip was clearly very inconvenient.

It was also too much of a delay.

What if they went to Qing City to sell their spoils and restock, only for someone else to discover the great secret of the Cyan Essence Water Grass and beat them to it?

’Wouldn’t that mean their trip was for nothing?!’

Besides, the outside Cultivators entering the mountains to explore wouldn’t just be focused on the illusory rumors of the Cyan Essence Water Grass.

For most Loose Cultivators, although they dreamed of finding some trace of the Cyan Essence Water Grass and getting rich overnight, they would certainly not hesitate to stop and claim the benefits before them if they encountered a Demon Beast they could kill or saw some Heavenly and Earthly Treasures along the way.

And this Border Desolate Land, though not particularly wealthy, had been a remote area rarely visited by Cultivators for many years. Many places remained undeveloped and unexplored, so it was bound to contain a fair number of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.

This meant that in the near future, there would be a large output of marketable materials like Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.

The urgent need for a trading market was almost self-evident!

At a time like this, if the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce were to set up a temporary trading post in the Border Desolate Land, and if they could secure this business, Shen Changchuan could imagine just how much profit they would make!

"Shopkeeper Si, why choose me? Wouldn’t a place like the Wu Family Collection be better? At least it has the infrastructure from past market days, and the security is much higher."

Faced with Si Houqing’s proposal, Shen Changchuan did not agree immediately.

He thought it over while asking his question.

"Young Friend Shen, my hands are tied," Si Houqing said with a bitter smile.

"Ever since the incident that day, the Wu Family Collection has been completely sealed off. Even the Wu Family’s past allies by marriage can’t get in, let alone merchants like us."

Perhaps the turmoil this time was simply too great.

To this day, not a single member of the Wu Family has shown their face.

As a result, two or three months later, rumors began to circulate that during the great upheaval that night, Patriarch Wu, Wu Yuanzhi, had actually been killed, taking his enemy down with him.

Their clan’s Soul Emergence Realm ancestor was also said to have died in the incident.

’Otherwise, why would they be hiding like cowards, afraid to show their faces?’

An undercurrent was stirring in the shadows, but the Wu Family remained motionless, showing no reaction. They kept themselves tightly sealed away, with not even a single family member venturing outside.

It was said that some impatient individuals had even joined forces to launch a night raid on the Wu Family Collection.

Of course, the result was like a clay ox sinking into the sea; they were said to have vanished without a trace after secretly entering the Wu Family Collection, never to be seen again.

Amidst all this chaos, how could Si Houqing possibly have the means to open a branch of the chamber of commerce in the Wu Family Collection?

’Does anyone really think I don’t want to?’

’Not to mention, with two True Cultivators of the Soul Emergence Realm standing guard next door, the security would skyrocket!’

’But alas, it was impossible.’

’Completely impossible.’

Left with no other choice, Si Houqing could only turn his attention elsewhere.

And at this moment, Shen Changchuan’s Dawan Village naturally came into his view.

Whether Dawan Village’s location was good or not didn’t matter.

What mattered was the banner of the Tian Nan Shen Clan flying over Dawan Village and Shen Changchuan!

This point alone—the deterrent force it carried—was, in some circumstances, no less than that of the Wu Family in their Wu Family Collection!

"Shopkeeper Si, it’s not that I don’t want to give you face, but this matter... it could be a little difficult..."

Shen Changchuan pondered for a long moment before speaking hesitantly.

If a chamber of commerce were to set up shop here, although it would attract many customers and make trade prosper, it would also certainly bring a lot of trouble.

More people meant more chaos.

It might even attract some unforeseen dangers.

And he didn’t possess the strength to suppress any and all trouble.

For him, this was not a good thing.

Moreover, he was about to break through to the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak.

He really didn’t want to manage such miscellaneous affairs.

Weighing all the factors, Shen Changchuan was not very supportive of the idea.

Then, after a round of friendly negotiations, Shen Changchuan ultimately made the decision to welcome Si Houqing’s Sanhe Chamber of Commerce to set up and do business with the incoming Loose Cultivators.

He had originally wanted to refuse.

But what Si Houqing offered was simply too much.

’No, it was that my friendship with Si Houqing is too deep, so much so that such minor problems are nothing at all!’

Besides, letting the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce set up shop and having outside Cultivators come to trade was a pretty good thing.

It just so happened that he needed to gather the latest news for Shen Tingchu.

With more outsiders around, it would be easier for him to gather information.

’This is all for the public good, of course. It certainly isn’t for Si Houqing’s rental fee of three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, or any of the other various preferential terms.’

After another round of amicable discussion, Shen Changchuan finally designated an area in the eastern part of the village, near the east wall’s gate, as the site for the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce. It was a region relatively far from the village’s residential center.

The surrounding area would also be developed into temporary living quarters.

These would be for the members of the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce and the outside Loose Cultivators to use as temporary lodging.

It was a pity the village had no local specialties, so there was no way to further develop the village’s own commerce.

But that couldn’t be helped.

’So be it.’

As for the residents living nearby, they would be relocated to other areas.

Shen Changchuan planned to follow the example of the Wu Family Collection and separate the area where Cultivators walked and traded from the mortal residential area.

This would save him the trouble of managing all sorts of problems that could arise from Cultivators and mortals living together.

He had no choice.

A benefit of three thousand five hundred Spirit Stones was at stake.

This was a sum that Dawan Village might not even earn after ten years of operation.

Even the Spirit Stones in the Storage Bags of the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer Cultivators that Shen Changchuan had killed didn’t add up to this much.

This was a huge amount of income!

For this, even if it meant a little more work, it was worth it.