Douluo Continent: Kunxu Descends, Second-Player Players Are Stunned

Chapter 81 The Work of the Spirit Hall, the Strongest Job on the Continent

Bibi Dong glanced at him, then slowly pulled out a small notebook from her bosom, opened it to a page, and read aloud: "Last month, Cardinal Salas of the Spirit Hall sold three Jade Marrow Fungus to the Heaven Dou Royal Family through private channels for 6,300 each. The buyer was Emperor Xue Ye's purchasing steward, who paid on the spot without any haggling."

Zhou Mazi: "————"

Bibi Dong closed her notebook, looking at him with a half-smile: "Uncle Zhou, do you think this price leaves you enough profit?"

Zhou Mazi wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and chuckled dryly, "Not at all, not at all. Miss Dong's price is very fair. Five thousand it is, five thousand in total, twenty-five thousand for five trees."

"Six Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills."

"Wow, this is real money!" Zhou Mazi's eyes lit up.

This pill is a new product. It is said to increase the speed and success rate of a Soul Master absorbing Soul Rings, weaken the mental shock of a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, and help Soul Masters concentrate on cultivation when taken daily. One pill can last for a week, and it can temporarily enhance comprehension immediately after taking it.

"Miss Dong, this batch of goods—"

"The Spirit Hall's internal price is three thousand per coin. I'm selling it for ten thousand, is that too much to ask?"

Zhou Mazi rubbed his hands together, a troubled look on his face: "Miss Dong, as you know, business is tough these days."

"Two months ago, the Spirit Hall introduced a new rule requiring all pill sellers to register their information with the Spirit Hall, supposedly to prevent counterfeit medicines from tarnishing the Spirit Hall's reputation. But think about it, every household has its share of problems, right? This forces buyers to flock to black markets like ours. With less stock, prices naturally rise. But when prices go up, repeat customers complain, accusing us of being heartless. It's tough!"

Bibi Dong listened to his complaints expressionlessly, and finally said indifferently, "Twelve thousand."

"This is high-end stuff; you could sell it for 20,000 gold soul coins and someone would still want it!"

Zhou Mazi's face fell, but he still obediently wrote it down: six Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills, each priced at 12,000, for a total of 72,000.

"Eight Xuanbing Grasses."

"Well—Miss Dong, Xuanbing Grass isn't selling very well. Right now, wood and fire attribute pills are all the rage; nobody wants ice-attribute ones—"

"Four thousand and one."

"make a deal!"

Next, Bibi Dong took out seven or eight kinds of supplies, including medicinal herbs, pills, and a small number of soul tool parts. All of them were special supplies for the Spirit Hall and were things that could not be bought on the market.

As Zhou Mazi kept the accounts, he wiped his sweat. By the time he finished counting everything, the ledger was already filled with dense notes.

"Miss Dong, the total has been calculated." He held the ledger carefully and said, "The total price of this batch of goods is 394,000 gold soul coins."

Bibi Dong nodded and took out a piece of paper from her pocket: "This is the Spirit Hall's shipping order. Please check it."

Zhou Mazi took the order, checked it carefully, and after confirming that it was correct, he grinned, but his smile was more like a grimace.

"Miss Dong is always reliable. Do you want the money now, or the usual payment?"

Bibi Dong held out her hand, "Deposit 300,000 into my account, and I'll give you the rest in cash."

Zhou Mazi was taken aback: "Miss Dong, isn't it unsafe for you to carry so much cash on you?"

Bibi Dong glanced at him, said nothing, and simply pointed to the storage soul tool.

This is a record of the invoice from the Temple of the God of Wealth, bearing the temple's seal.

This is what she owes the Spirit Hall!

I ask you, who dares to steal it!

Zhou Mazi had obviously also seen the sign of the God of Wealth Temple. He swallowed hard, too frightened to ask any questions. He quickly opened the secret door of the cellar, took out a pile of gold soul coins, and several stacks of gold notes. He counted them carefully twice, and handed them to Bibi Dong along with the deposit slips.

"Miss Dong, please order."

Bibi Dong took it, quickly checked it, then stuffed it into her storage bag and tied it back around her waist.

Watching her skillful movements, Zhou Mazi couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss Dong, your skill has truly broadened my horizons. When I was your age, I was still running errands for people on the street, earning less than a hundred gold soul coins a month."

Bibi Dong rarely showed a smile: "Uncle Zhou, you're too modest. You're a big shot on this street now, with dozens of people working for you."

Zhou Mazi waved his hands repeatedly and sighed, "What big shot? I'm just a beggar. You don't know, business is getting harder and harder these days."

Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow: "How so?"

Zhou Mazi sighed, plopped down on a nearby stool, and began to complain: "You see, before, our line of work was all about buying low and selling high, making a profit from the price difference. But ever since the major sects sent people into the Martial Soul Academy, they can get their goods from the inside, at prices even lower than mine. How can I compete with them? I can only make money off those unlicensed rogue cultivators. But how much money do rogue cultivators have? They're so stingy they'd have to stretch every penny. And when I try to earn a little money through hard work, they call me heartless."

Bibi Dong listened quietly without interrupting.

The result of a monopoly is that those with connections get insider prices, while those without go for market prices.

It's the ordinary Soul Masters who suffer the most.

Zhou Mazi continued, "Let's talk about the supply channels. Before, although the Spirit Hall's goods were scarce, some could always leak out through various channels. Now, things are different. The Spirit Hall is cracking down hard internally, and any violation of regulations or 'damage to the Spirit Hall's interests' is considered a crime. Those caught are dismissed and fined. Those without connections have all shrank back, afraid of getting into trouble. Only someone like you with connections can still get some good goods."

Bibi Dong smiled slightly but did not reply.

"And then there are those big merchants, like Qibaoge and Lanshangdian, who rely on the support of sects to set up branches everywhere and steal business. They have abundant funds and can buy goods in large quantities at low prices, and sell them cheaply. How can small businesses like ours compete with them? If we can't compete, we can only lower prices, and if we lower prices, we won't make any profit, and if we don't make any profit, we'll starve."

"What's most infuriating is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School! Their trading posts are all over the continent! Before, we could take advantage of the information gap to buy things from the Seven Treasure Pavilion and make money from the rich in remote areas through trade. But now? Every sect is scrambling for money, turning into scavengers just to earn a few coins, and their fees have plummeted!"

Bibi Dong asked curiously, "Is it profitable?"

"They charge by the piece! The unit price is lower, but the quantity is huge! The big chambers of commerce have so many orders, how come they're not making any money?"

Bibi Dong remained silent.

Old Zhou sighed to himself.

"These days, who isn't struggling? Those disciples from sects may seem glamorous, but once they enter the Martial Soul Academy, they still have to compete fiercely every day."

I heard the competition among students is fierce; they're fighting tooth and nail for a few spots in the Martial Soul Academy!

"And those who took out loans to buy elixirs, they're drowning in debt. How many years will it take to pay it back after graduation? They might end up working for capitalists their whole lives."

Bibi Dong's lips twitched as she thought of the debt she owed.

Zhou Mazi, oblivious to her expression, continued, "And those rogue cultivators, they're even more difficult!"

"Without a background or resources, if you want to climb the ladder, you can only desperately earn money to buy pills. But how easy is it to earn money? If you work, you can only earn a few hundred gold soul coins a month, which is enough to buy a few pills. If you start a business, where will the capital come from? If you take out a loan, the interest rate is terrifyingly high, and if you can't pay it back, you'll have to sell your house, land, or even your blood."

Zhou Mazi sighed: "In this world, you either accept your fate or fight tooth and nail."

"Working at the Spirit Hall is the best; once you pass the exam, it's a secure job!"