52 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

The arrival of mortal servants brought much relief to those from the Chu and Qin sects, finally allowing them to put aside tedious mundane affairs and focus the majority of their energies on cultivation and the management of sect matters. Before the arrival of spring, Qi Xiu had already established a marketplace in a chosen location. Regardless of what may come, it was necessary to first test the waters. Two short streets crisscrossed at the heart of this market. At this intersection were four storefronts: one was given to Zhao Liangde of the Beast Taming Sect to sell spirit beasts, one to Wang Guan of the Qi Clan for selling spiritual pills and herbs, another to Chu Youmin for an auction house, and the last had the first floor designated as a ghost market for rogue cultivators, managed by Yu De’nuo. The second floor was the Chu and Qin sect's property, offering food and lodging, overseen by Zhan Yuan. Essentially, this layout mirrored that of the small marketplaces in the cultivation world and was nothing groundbreaking. This entire project, along with the protective array for the marketplace, exhausted the Chu and Qin sect’s resources entirely. They even had to borrow a substantial amount of spirit stones from Zhao Liangde, using next year's pig and fish yields as collateral. Predictably, Zhang Shishi initially objected, but Qi Xiu proceeded decisively to complete the undertaking. Since this venture came at no initial cost, and with Qi Xiu having persuaded Zhao Liangde to pass on the message, Wang Guan also raised no objections, freeing Qi Xiu of any moral burden. Zhao Liangde stood to gain the most. Since rogue cultivators never ventured into the Beast Taming Sect territory, he couldn’t profit commercially until now. Not only did he gain a foothold within the former Southern Chu Sect territory, but he also started earning interest even before the shop opened. Although Chu Youmin harbored deep resentment toward those in the Chu and Qin sect following a prior grievance, his offered free property, a zero-cost auction house, was too tempting to reject, so he sent a late-stage Qi Refinement disciple to manage it. In this manner, Qi Xiu formed an alliance of interests with the most powerful neighboring Foundation Establishment cultivators, smoothing out all surrounding relationships through what appeared to be a massive concession. As early spring arrived, at the cultivation site, the "Black-hearted Lotus" began to show tender buds, and the Black River Market officially launched. Cultivators passing overhead, whether day or night, would be drawn by the dazzling light of the Black River Market’s protective array. This strategy was also Qi Xiu’s idea. As the weather grew hotter, the foul mist of the Black River intensified, and the market’s location—a minor unnamed peak—not as tall as the Black River Peak, wouldn’t pique the interest of passing cultivators otherwise. Since the relationship between Chu Youmin and Wang Guan, as well as Zhao Liangde, wasn't the best, there were no grand openings, fireworks, or guests invited—just a low-key launch of the Black River Market. Apart from the operatives sent by Wang Guan, who had a decent relationship with the Chu and Qin sect, the cultivators dispatched by Chu Youmin and Zhao Liangde virtually ignored the local presence, focusing solely on their businesses. Qi Xiu took it in stride. Being disregarded was nothing new to him. After paying respectful visits, he returned to his second-floor quarters with Yu De’nuo and Zhan Yuan for tea and conversation. "Very few people know of this place right now, so we’ll have to persevere and slowly build popularity," said Yu De’nuo, highly enthusiastic about the matter. He had transformed from a wandering high-tier rogue cultivator into the manager of a ghost market. Even though the first floor of the ghost market was currently devoid of people, his manager role was mostly titular; however, securing a base salary from the Chu and Qin sect meant a stable future for him. Zhan Yuan’s feelings were complicated. Qi Xiu assigned him, Shen Chang, and Pan Rong to the market due to the ongoing conflict with Zhang Shishi. This move effectively exposed the internal rift to Qi Xiu, turning the assignment into a clear warning by separating the factions. "It seems the sect leader favors those with the potential for great achievements on the path of Dao like Zhang Shishi and He Yu..." While feeling a pang of jealousy, Zhan Yuan didn’t display it, opting instead to use his administrative expertise to win Qi Xiu over once more. "The operations by the Wang, Zhao, and Chu families at this market incur costs half an increment higher than in their hometowns. This could hinder the build-up of foot traffic," he remarked. Yu De’nuo and Qi Xiu furrowed their brows upon hearing this. "This is tricky! We hold no sway over these three families, and if this continues, others might not want to come here," Yu De’nuo declared, now speaking in terms that firmly identified him as part of the Chu and Qin sect. If not for the pride typical of a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, and with Qi Xiu showing no signs, Yu De’nuo might already have officially joined the sect. Qi Xiu was apprehensive about the potential for unrest from adding a more highly cultivated member, so he continued feigning ignorance of Yu De’nuo’s implicit requests. "Let's not meddle in other families' affairs; we couldn't even if we wanted to. We should just focus on doing our part well. I chose this seemingly unprofitable endeavor so that, as long as someone comes to do transactions at the ghost market, we can collect some modest stall rent. And meals and lodging are unavoidable for lower-tier cultivators, so with proper management, there will be some returns. This is a market, after all, and should not be expected to draw the same traffic as a full-fledged plaza at this point." Yu De’nuo and Zhan Yuan nodded in agreement after considering his reasoning. By assigning the market’s management to Zhan Yuan and others, Qi Xiu essentially attempted to mitigate the internal strife from escalating between the rival factions. "Why can’t they just get along?" Qi Xiu wondered with a mix of admiration for Zhan Yuan's insightful administration and thoughts about how much hope he had placed on Zhang Shishi and He Yu. Both his hands ached with the familiar pain of familial conflict. After parting with Zhan Yuan and Yu De’nuo, Qi Xiu returned to the Black River Peak, where, aside from the mortal servants, he found only Gu Ji idly playing with the "Gold Threaded Monocular Monkey." Upon inquiry, he learned that Zhang Shishi had led the others to the cultivation site to clear away wild beasts again, ensuring no disturbance to the "Black-hearted Lotus" during sprouting. Despite his disapproval of certain decisions for expanding resources, Zhang Shishi was diligent to the point of endangering himself, almost losing his life in the last encounter with the "Black River Lizard." Qi Xiu nodded in satisfaction, albeit with self-deprecating humor, as he realized he was the only one with no pressing obligations. Smiling to himself, he entered the sect leader’s private chamber, immersing in the crafting of "Life Concealing Talismans." Last time, after Yu De’nuo sold the "Life Concealing Talismans" in White Mountain with surprisingly good profits, fetching prices on par with common shields talismans—at one second-tier stone per talisman, against a crafting cost of little over thirty first-tier stones—Qi Xiu was inspired. Finding potential within his sect, he began acquiring various low-tier talisman papers and materials, encouraging disciples to experiment with talisman crafting. Sadly, except for He Yu, no one showed significant talent, and He Yu himself couldn’t afford to compromise his cultivation for talisman crafting, even if he wanted to. Qi Xiu and Zhang Shishi would never agree to it. In the quiet room, Qi Xiu concentrated on inscribing the talisman’s delicate lines when suddenly, Gu Ji reported the arrival of an unexpected visitor at the sect's gate.