Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 140 The Patriarch's Visit
"Manager, all the spirit stones have been collected."

At the animal trapping camp, Li Xiangfeng respectfully presented a heavy cloth bag containing 700 spirit stones.

With Zhang Zhi'ang's statement, the traveling merchants wavered, and even the most resolute Lady Feng gave in.

Ultimately, everyone wants to join the Puyinshan Association. It was one thing before there was no such thing, but now that there is, why are we standing on the sidelines, waiting to be ostracized?

The reason for my previous hesitation was simply to try and bargain, since 100 spirit stones is not a small amount.

But Zhang Zhi'ang broke this deadlock, and the remaining people, fearing they would be too slow, responded one after another.

Of the final nine itinerant merchants, seven stepped forward.

The remaining two were not unwilling to step forward; on the contrary, as low-level itinerant merchants, they were among the few who most wanted to join the guild.

However, for them, suddenly having to take out 100 spirit stones was too much of a burden, so they had to reluctantly give up the opportunity.

Li Xiangming didn't say much about it and kindly saw them off.

The Puyinshan Guild Hall then reserved eight seats.

Of the eight seats, apart from Li Xiangming, each person paid a seat fee of 100 coins, which adds up to 700 spirit stones.

Keep in mind that this is 700 spirit stones! How long would it take a Qi Refining cultivator to save up 700 spirit stones?
Li Xiangfeng couldn't believe it, but the man before him, chatting and laughing, had managed to extract 700 spirit stones from a money-grubbing traveling merchant, all for the price of giving up a room in the Monkey Tavern.

Li Xiangfeng, who witnessed this scene firsthand, was utterly awestruck.

He was initially somewhat resentful of this new manager, who was also from the fourth branch of the family and of similar age.

Now, all the resentment has vanished with the cloth bag in my hand.

Li Xiangming took the cloth bag, weighed it in his hand, and was quite pleased.

This was precisely his main purpose in building the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall. The Li family did not need to chase after any business opportunities; as long as Puyin Mountain had a stable business environment, they could continuously obtain spirit stones.

Of course, the Li family could also infiltrate the guild hall to obtain the intelligence and resources they wanted.

Has Zhao Jindou returned to Daishan?

Li Xiangming asked.

"Yes, it seems they got some information from Madam Feng, and the two of them went to Dai Mountain together."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming nodded.

This is a good thing. The members of the association are willing to cooperate and grow together. In the end, the association and the Li family behind the scenes will benefit.

"Manager, isn't it a bit too easy for Zhao Jindou to take the position of chairman?"

Suddenly, Li Xiangfeng seemed to remember something, and his expression became hesitant.

Li Xiangming glanced at him and asked, "What do you think is the role of the president?"

The Puyinshan Guild Hall is not a chamber of commerce, but a platform for decision-making.

The so-called operation was simply a meeting held at the Monkey Tavern.

For example, if the meeting decides to raise the price of Achyranthes bidentata to 1 spirit stone per flower, then who will ensure that this decision is implemented?

It was the traveling merchants who actively bought up Achyranthes bidentata at high prices, driving the price of Achyranthes bidentata up to the price the guild hall wanted.

What if someone doesn't want to abide by this resolution, or tries to evade it?
That's the only option; we can't expect the chairman to buy up all the achyranthes flowers on his own, can we?

“I understand. There is no hierarchy in the association. The president cannot lead others, let alone control their money. Even if he comes up with many ideas, it will be useless if he does not get everyone's support.”

Li Xiangfeng pondered: "This position is a double-edged sword."

Li Xiangming was speechless. Calling it a "chicken rib" was a bit of an exaggeration. Sometimes, a reputation is also a kind of resource.

At least Zhao Jindou longed for it.

The reason I didn't become the president was simply a decision made after weighing the options.

In his vision, the Puyin Mountain Guild Hall would encompass the upper, middle, lower, and lower sections of Puyin Mountain. If the guild hall's chairman's surname was Li, it would be too sensitive. At the very least, the Geng and Qin families in the south would not be able to join the guild hall and work for the Li family.
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In the days that followed, Li Xiangming stayed in Monkey Valley, diligently cultivating his skills while overseeing the construction of the Monkey Tavern.

As for exploring Puyin Mountain and capturing demonic beasts, he entrusted this task to Li Xiangchuan, Li Xiangting, and others. It's worth mentioning that with the complete end of the turmoil in Puyin Mountain, demon-hunting groups sprang up like mushrooms after rain in the vicinity.

With more demon-hunting groups, conflicts naturally increase.

Almost every two or three days, you can hear about certain demon-hunting groups fighting each other over demon beasts.

In just two months, more cultivators died near Puyin Mountain than they had in the previous two years.

Many rogue cultivators with low cultivation levels had no choice but to leave Puyin Mountain.

But at the same time, even more people flocked in.

Even the animal trapping huts that are permanently stationed here don't know where so many cultivators came from.

Gradually, fighting, trading, scrambling, and plundering became the main themes of Puyin Mountain.

In such an environment, the Monkey Tavern, which resembles a paradise, is loved by many independent cultivators and various demon-hunting groups.

Monkey Tavern quickly became an important business for the Li family. The spirit wine alone brought in tens to hundreds of spirit stones every month, comparable to the "Purple Qi Comes from the East" tavern in Pushui Market.

It's important to know that "Auspicious Purple Qi Comes from the East" is located in a prime location and caters to distinguished guests with huge spending potential.

The independent cultivators at Monkey Tavern mostly order ordinary wines that are paid for with silver, and only a very small percentage order spirit wines.

Even so, Monkey Tavern's revenue is still comparable to "Purple Qi Comes from the East," demonstrating the astonishing customer traffic and frequency of consumption at Monkey Tavern.

Even Li Qianxiong couldn't resist leading the clan elders to come and inspect.

"Xiangming, you've opened this tavern at the perfect time."

Li Chenglu sighed, "A little further ahead, there's no one on Puyin Mountain; a little further back, Monkey Tavern has lost its advantage."

Li Xiangming's ability to establish the Monkey Tavern at the perfect time, coinciding with the first wave of large-scale influx of independent cultivators into Puyin Mountain, demonstrates his wisdom and capability.

"It's all thanks to the support of my family that Xiangming was able to fulfill his responsibilities."

Li Xiangming chuckled softly, "The Monkey Tavern is a huge establishment; it would have been impossible to set it up without the support of my family."

Even if he wanted to claim credit, he had to give half of it to the high-ranking officials in front of him.

To be honest, the influx of a large number of cultivators into Puyin Mountain in a short period of time was also beyond Li Xiangming's expectations.

Prior to this, he had also coerced traveling merchants to set up shop in Monkey Valley in order to increase the popularity of Monkey Tavern.

But now, whether it's traveling merchants, demon-hunting groups, or even some cultivators who have undergone tribulations, they all come here because of its reputation. The rise of Monkey Tavern seems to be in line with the times.

Seeing how sensible Li Xiangming was, the elders all laughed.

Li Chengzhi saw the potential of Monkey Valley and inquired whether it was possible to develop other industries.

"Of course. There is a market for pills, magical artifacts, talismans, and arrays. It just so happens that my family can produce a small amount of pills, magical artifacts, and talismans. Rather than competing with the major merchants in Pushui Market, it is better to sell them to the rogue cultivators who roam Puyin Mountain."

Upon hearing this, the elders whispered among themselves, discussing the details.

Seeing this, Li Qianxiong glanced at Li Xiangming without saying a word: "Take me to see the animal trapping room."

Animal trapping house?
Li Xiangming was surprised, but dared not delay. He got up and led Li Qianxiong to the animal trapping station.

Compared to the Monkey Tavern, the Beast Catcher's Quarters were much simpler, with only a few scattered houses.

The most conspicuous places are the two large animal farms—where monsters that cannot be transported to the Beast Breeding Peak in the short term are housed.

"Homeowner!"

The disciples stationed there were part of the patrol team. Upon seeing Li Qianxiong, they quickly came out to greet him.

"How's Xianghua? Is he feeling any better?"

"much better."

Hearing the commotion, Li Xianghua also hurried out.

(End of this chapter)