Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 356 Business Opportunities
"President Zhao, please go ahead."

Li Xiangming's expression remained unchanged, and Zhao Jindou quickly pressed his advantage, saying, "I have a batch of goods that I need to transport from Dahuang Town back to Daishan, but I don't have enough manpower. Could you introduce me to some reliable and skilled guards? Don't worry, I will make sure they don't make a wasted trip."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming showed a hint of surprise.

As far as he knew, Zhao Jindou was a man who associated with all sorts of people and had a wide network of connections. He never expected that there would be a time when he was short of manpower.

This also indirectly reflects just how tense the situation is in Daishan.

"I wonder what Chairman Zhao's requirements are?"

Li Xiangming inquired.

"It would be best to find a demon-hunting team like Xu Buxiu's, who knows them inside and out!"

Zhao Jindou answered very cautiously, but the meaning behind his words was self-evident.

Li Xiangming immediately snorted. He understood, of course, that Zhao Jindou was eyeing the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group, which was currently enjoying great popularity in Puyin Mountain.

The Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group is exceptionally powerful, but it has intricate connections with the Li family.

Even if Zhao Jindou spent a lot of money, he still couldn't recruit them.

That's why he thought of using his connections to directly recruit them.

However, once Lü Mao and the others are transferred out of Puyin Mountain, whether they can return is another matter entirely.

As a traveling merchant, Zhao Jindou made at least dozens of trips between Dahuang Town and Daishan.

Even he wasn't confident and needed to request outside help, which shows that this shipment was of great importance and had attracted attention.

Normally, Li Xiangming would be willing to do someone a favor.

But upon learning of the turbulent situation in Daishan, he was far from pleased.

What if Shengyimen has its eye on this batch of goods?
Wouldn't that mean they'd end up fighting tooth and nail?
Li Xiangming immediately replied perfunctorily, "I have been away from Puyin Mountain for a long time and am now serving as a deputy in the Foreign Affairs Hall. I am truly powerless to do so. I'm afraid Chairman Zhao will have to find another way."

My promotion to hall master is a recent event.

It's likely that Zhao Jindou didn't know either.

Li Xiangming then poured out his grievances, claiming that he had no authority and suggesting that Zhao Jindou go to Li Xiangfeng.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou's expression turned rather unpleasant. He had already approached Li Xiangfeng, but Li Xiangfeng insisted that he couldn't make the decision and that he had to wait for feedback from his family.

However, after waiting and waiting, there was still no definite answer.

Zhao Jindou knew perfectly well that this was just Li Xiangfeng's excuse.
However, this shipment was so important that he had to humble himself and make repeated attempts.

Even though Xu Buxiu betrayed the Soul Suppressing Sect and deserted in the face of battle, he was willing to risk being punished by the Soul Suppressing Sect to chase after him, all in order to completely win over these people.

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Jindou continued, "If Hall Master Li is willing to lend me a hand, I am willing to reveal a rare business opportunity to Hall Master Li."

"Oh?"

Curiosity immediately appeared in Li Xiangming's eyes.

What Zhao Jindou calls a business opportunity must not be a small-scale operation.

"Please grant my request first, Master Li."

Zhao Jindou, however, was unwilling to elaborate.

Li Xiangming laughed and patted the other man on the shoulder, saying, "President Zhao is a big shot in Puyin Mountain. I'm sure many demon-hunting groups will be willing to lend a hand. President Zhao, you can rest assured."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou frowned, pondering the meaning behind the words.

He, Zhao, is indeed somewhat famous, but he can't command outsiders, especially those demon-hunting teams that have joined the Demon-Hunting Guild.

The only one who can command them is the true master of Puyin Mountain.

Suddenly, Zhao Jindou realized something.

Li Xiangming's implication was that agreeing to his request was not unreasonable.

However, the demon-hunting teams he sends out may not necessarily meet his expectations.

How can we get the Li family to willingly send the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Team?
Naturally, we need to consider the value of the business opportunities he offers.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jindou felt as if a thorn had fallen into his heart, causing him great discomfort.

He originally wanted to keep something under wraps and release an ambiguous message, since many things are impossible to verify anyway. But Li Xiangming was not the kind of person who could be easily fooled.

After a long silence, Zhao Jindou said with a wry smile, "Master Li is truly shrewd. Compared to Master Li, I, a mere businessman, seem rather foolish."

"Not at all. Zhao, the great merchant, has traveled all over the country and has met more people than I have eaten meals."

"He's just a few years older."

Zhao Jindou sighed and said, "I'm not afraid to tell Hall Master Li that the Soul Suppressing Sect has been buying up spiritual herbs and medicines on a large scale recently. In order not to cause market turmoil, they have kept it a secret. Apart from the people of the Soul Suppressing Sect, no more than a handful of people know about this."

"I learned about it by chance, so I stockpiled a lot of spiritual herbs in Dahuang Town, planning to transport them back to Daishan in batches. But the first few trips were all robbed, and the identity of the murderer is still unknown."

At this point, Zhao Jindou became somewhat dejected: "I dare not hope to retrieve the spirit herbs, but the remaining spirit herbs cannot be lost. If I cannot transport them to Dai Mountain successfully, I am completely finished this time."

Li Xiangming raised an eyebrow. The Soul Suppressing Sect was producing a large number of pills due to the war, which led to a shortage of spiritual herbs and medicines.

However, their own ambitions were too great, and once they made a move, it would easily trigger vicious bidding by Shengyimen. Therefore, they wanted to use the connections of outside merchants to purchase the resources they needed.

This approach is not surprising. When the Geng family and the Qin family were at war, they had the same idea. However, instead of seeking out merchants, they hoped to cooperate with the Li family to smuggle goods from Puyin Mountain.

Compared to the Geng family, the Zhenhun Sect has a wider family business and network of connections, and more choices.

Partnering with businessmen is likely just a backup option for them.

However, as a long-time acquaintance of the Soul Suppressing Sect, Zhao Jindou still managed to secure this opportunity.

The so-called accidental discovery is utter nonsense.

Having sorted things out, Li Xiangming immediately asked the question he was most concerned about: "What price did the Soul Suppressing Sect offer for the acquisition?"

Zhao Jindou hesitated for a moment, then held out one palm: "Fifty percent higher than the market price!"

"hiss"

Li Xiangming gasped in shock. The Soul Suppressing Sect was actually willing to pay half the price to buy the spirit herbs?
Zhao Jindou explained, "This is a tactic used by the Soul Suppressing Sect to win over merchants. After all, we are not their stewards who use spirit stones to purchase spirit herbs. Instead, we have to pay a large sum of money upfront and bring the goods back to Daishan ourselves. If there were no incentive, who would be willing to do this kind of business?"

After listening, Li Xiangming nodded knowingly.

The Li family also has a purchasing office, which is responsible for purchasing various resources needed for the family's daily operations.

To save costs, buyers naturally compare prices from multiple vendors, trying to balance the relationship between price and quality.

However, in the event of war, a family cannot rely solely on purchasing housing.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows.

At this time, friendly chambers of commerce and a large number of itinerant merchants became the targets for courting.

Their individual strength may be far less than that of the Li family.

But all of these together form a massive distribution network capable of transporting huge quantities of supplies into Danggui Mountain.

But they are outsiders after all. The Li family can't possibly provide them with spirit stones in advance like they would with the purchased house. What if they run away with the money?
But the Li family had to rely on them, so they had no choice but to raise the purchase price to entice people.

Paying a 50% premium may seem like a loss, but it actually saves a lot of trouble.

Take Zhao Jindou's goods as an example. Even if the Zhenhun Sect were to escort them themselves, there would still be a risk of them being robbed.

If that happens, the losses will be enormous.

But now, they don't have to bear that part of the loss.

Because all the procurement costs and the risks of transporting goods are passed on to those merchants.

As long as the goods are not delivered to Daishan, the Zhenhun Sect will not have to spend a single spirit stone.

Nevertheless, merchants flocked to it. Once the goods were successfully delivered to the Soul Suppressing Sect, they could make a fortune.

Zhao Jindou, a former itinerant merchant, had always been fond of taking unconventional paths and naturally could not resist such temptations.

Upon hearing that he had stockpiled spirit herbs in Dahuang Town, Li Xiangming knew that this guy was buying cheap spirit herbs from Qingshui County in order to earn a higher reward.

It's just that people's calculations are not as good as God's calculations.

The spiritual herbs that Zhao Jindou went to great lengths to buy were blocked in Dahuang Town.

Although low-level spiritual herbs are worthless, they are quite valuable when there are many of them.

Zhao Jindou had several batches of spiritual herbs robbed, but he didn't dare to get angry. Instead, he anxiously guarded the remaining ones.

This demonstrates the sheer size of his purchases.

No wonder he's in such a hurry now.

Zhao Jindou sighed, "I'm now in a bind, and only Hall Master Li can save me. If Hall Master Li lends a helping hand, we can cooperate. The Soul Suppressing Sect doesn't trust outsiders, but as long as Hall Master Li has the ability to transport the spirit herbs to Daishan, I will take care of it for you. I will not keep any of the spirit stones I earn for myself, nor will I dare to take a single commission."

Li Xiangming picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and did not speak immediately.

To be honest, Zhao Jindou's request was very tempting.

Because he had just established the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild. Currently, Jiang Liang should be on his way to Baicao Fang in Pushui Market to purchase spirit herbs.

This action was intended to contact Hua Lun and obtain further information about the Thousand-Jun Grass from him.

Regardless of how they operate, the Spirit Serpent Merchant Guild will inevitably purchase a batch of surplus spirit herbs.

Originally, Li Xiangming was thinking of selling it to the Li family gradually, from one hand to the other, to ensure that he would not suffer any losses.

Now that he heard that the Soul Suppressing Sect was offering a premium for spiritual herbs, he naturally couldn't contain himself.

However, this move is risky.

Shengyi Sect isn't stupid; how could they just stand by and watch these merchants transport large quantities of supplies to Zhenhun Sect?

Zhao Jindou thought he had seen a business opportunity, but little did he know that his name might very well be hanging in front of Shengyi Gate.

Those who ambushed his caravan were most likely connected to the Shengyi Sect.

If Zhao Jindou hadn't hidden himself in the Zhenhun Sect instead of going with the caravan, he probably wouldn't be alive now.

If Li Xiangming cooperates with him, even if they can catch someone off guard and successfully send one or two batches of spiritual herbs to Daishan.

Once Sheng Yi Sect sees that the caravan's protection capabilities have improved, it will naturally send out more and more powerful "robbers".

If both sides keep scrambling internally, the business becomes meaningless.

After all, it's only a 50% profit.

Only when there is no risk can one truly make a fortune.

Given such high costs, Li Xiangming would rather make a little money than go through all that trouble.

He looked at Zhao Jindou with a troubled expression: "Chairman Zhao's information is very sincere, but I am on the important task of capturing Liu Xiongyu. This villain is cunning and treacherous by nature, and his strength is not bad. I am afraid I am too busy to cooperate with Chairman Zhao."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou immediately became anxious: "What about the Li family?"

Li Xiangming shook his head: "The Li family is not interested in the affairs of Daishan. Since the spirit herbs are prepared for the Zhenhun Sect, the Li family will not get involved."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jindou turned pale and hesitated to speak.

Li Xiangming immediately comforted him, "President Zhao, don't be anxious. You are, after all, the president of the Puyin Mountain Association. For the sake of our past relationship, how can I sit idly by and watch you suffer losses? Don't you want Lü Mao to come out and help you? I agree."

"what?"

Zhao Jindou was stunned, and it took him a while to react before he hurriedly asked, "Really?"

"It's true."

Li Xiangming chuckled and then said, "Only about Daishan."

Zhao Jindou's face immediately fell. He knew Li Xiangming wasn't so easy to talk to, but getting the funds back was more important. After a slight hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "I'm willing to give up 20% of my market share in the Daishan pill market to Hall Master Li."

He emphasized the word "Master Li" when he spoke of it.

Li Xiangming's eyes flickered for a moment before he replied, "President Zhao, there's no need for that. I only need the market share of the Burning Fiend Pill."

"The Burning Fiend Pill?"

Zhao Jindou kept making plans in his mind.

He had been in the business of elixirs for a long time, and the Burning Demon Elixir was no exception.

The Li family once controlled more than 60% of the Burning Fiend Pill market, but because they reduced the number of Burning Fiend Pills they shipped, their market share flowed out, and the biggest beneficiary was their Golden Bucket Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, the Li family retains only about 30% of the Burning Evil Pill market, while Zhao Jindou owns 40%. Another 20% is divided among the members of the Puyin Mountain Guild, and the last 10% is in the hands of other itinerant merchants and vendors.

The Burning Fiend Pill is extremely important to demon hunters; in fact, it can be said to be indispensable.

However, once a single Burning Fiend Pill is refined, it is enough to protect one from fiendish energy for two to three months.

Demon hunters purchase Burning Fiend Pills far less frequently than healing pills like Blood Coagulation Pills and Heart Nourishing Pills, and even less frequently than cultivation pills like Yellow Sprout Pills and Qi-Inducing Pills.

Zhao Jindou was willing to give up 20% of the pills, and had already planned to sacrifice his own resources to ask for help.

Unexpectedly, Li Xiangming only set his sights on the Burning Fiend Pill, which offered a small share of the profits.

From this perspective, it doesn't seem unacceptable.

After thinking it over, Zhao Jindou couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he quickly cupped his hands and said, "If Hall Master Li can persuade the Mad Lion Demon Hunting Group to help me, I will immediately cut off the supply of Burning Fiend Pills to Puyin Mountain and transfer all my main customers to Hall Master Li. As for the source of goods, Hall Master Li will have to find a solution himself."

Li Xiangming immediately smiled and said, "Then I wish Chairman Zhao's medicinal herbs a safe delivery to Daishan."

"I accept Hall Master Li's auspicious words."

Both parties appeared reluctant to part, and then quickly said goodbye.

Li Xiangming got out of the sedan chair and immediately saw Xu Jin squatting by the sedan door waiting.

"Let's go."

After giving the order, Li Xiangming did not stop, and Xu Jin hurriedly followed.

At this moment, Xu Buxiu, who was also waiting outside, walked over.

"Please wait a moment, Hall Master Li!"

Xu Buxiu took a deep breath and presented a storage bag with both hands: "These are the relics left behind by Qiu Wen and other traitors. They are all here. I dare not keep them for myself, so I am returning them to Hall Master Li."

Li Xiangming looked at him with some surprise, then smiled and said, "Don't take the previous misunderstanding to heart."

"I don't dare."

Xu Buxiu lowered his head.

Li Xiangming took the storage bag, weighed it in his hand, and then handed it back to him, saying, "Since Brother Xu's demon-hunting team came from Puyin Mountain, then you and I are practically old acquaintances."

Xu Buxiu was stunned for a moment and didn't dare to answer.

Li Xiangming, on the other hand, had the opportunity to observe Xu Buxiu's appearance. He saw that the other man was quite handsome, but his face, neck, and chest below his collarbone were covered with scars, revealing a fierce aura.

"Take it. This storage bag is just icing on the cake for me, but it has a different meaning for Brother Xu."

Li Xiangming waved his hand, then stuffed the storage bag into Xu Buxiu's hand and turned to leave.

"Boss, what's this?"

The burly man with stubble next to him leaned closer.

Xu Buxiu remained silent, but took out an extra jade slip from his storage bag and kept rubbing it in his hand.

(End of this chapter)