Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

"My master's wife is too perceptive. She can react to my every glance. Luckily, she can't sense me."

Chu Mingkong dared not look directly at her again, and could only catch glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing his master's wife, Shen Xuejun, staring at his jade dildo, Chu Mingkong felt ashamed and embarrassed.

Shen Xuejun asked, "Does it have a special origin? Such a large piece of spirit jade, of extraordinary quality, why is it carved in this way?"

Faced with Shen Xuejun's indifferent gaze, which seemed to see right through her lies, Qingse dared not make up any more stories to increase the product's added value. She could only find another reason, and Qingse forced a smile:

"This item was entrusted to me by a client. He saw that the quality of the spirit jade was extraordinary and offered it at the price of spirit jade. I saw that such a large piece of spirit jade was really rare, so I bought it to use for exhibition."

This thing is now considered a treasured item in the collection. Among all the jade dildos that Chu Mingkong has provided, this one truly has the best spiritual jade base. Its appearance is a bit strange, but its quality can cover up many other aspects.

If it weren't for being a collectible, it would have been bought by some woman for a large sum of money long ago.

"I've heard that Qingse Pavilion Master's Immortal Treasure Pavilion occasionally sells spirit jade with this kind of appearance. Do you still have any?"

Chu Mingkong really wanted to give Qingse a meaningful look, urging her to refuse immediately!

However, Qingse thought that if she could make friends with Shen Xuejun, a sect leader, that would be great.

"Yes, we can get the goods today. If Sect Master Shen needs them, Qingse can reserve a few... a few pieces of spirit jade for you."

Shen Xuejun's thoughts drifted to the neighboring sect, and she asked, "You can get the goods today? Okay, I'll come over later."

After leaving her words, the busty sect leader vanished, leaving only a few snowflakes drifting down.

Chu Mingkong appeared with a deathly expression, looking at Qingse with a pained expression, unsure of where to begin, his little fists clenched as if he wanted to hit someone.

Qingse, still basking in the relief of Shen Xuejun's departure, was not surprised to see the elusive Chu Mingkong. Instead, she patted him on the shoulder.

"I've brought you a big client, someone of extraordinary status. You're welcome!"

Chapter Ninety-Three: A Stinking Reputation

Although Chu Mingkong did indeed obtain a lot of spirit stones from the jade-selling activity, it was ultimately not a business that could be openly discussed.

Chu Mingkong didn't want things to become common knowledge, but it was probably too late to talk about it now.

The master's wife's reaction just now clearly showed that she had guessed about 70-80% of it, and might even have recognized him just by looking at him.

If you then use your connections to inquire further, the true identity of the person behind the embarrassing little stories that Qingse initially fabricated to sell the jade dildo will become even clearer.

Here, Chu Mingkong should also thank the elders who initially bought the jade penis, for not spreading the story around. Therefore, most of the disciples of Xiaoxiang Qin Academy currently view him with normal eyes.

"After that, I'll inevitably have to shrink back to my master's wife's size and then offer my essence as an apology..."

Seeing Chu Mingkong sigh in despair, Qingse asked solemnly:

"What's with your reaction? What unexpected situation happened? Did the jade dildo get stolen? How am I supposed to explain this to my customers?!"

Who the hell robbed and stole the jade dildo?!

Chu Mingkong took a breath, suppressing his urge to complain, and went straight to the point. He clattered out a large pile of goods waiting to be dealt with from his storage ring, including jade dildos of varying quality, demon tail ornaments that unexpectedly had some practical effects, and underwear that had more effects the less fabric used.

Qingse looked at the precious goods scattered on the ground by Chu Mingkong, who had so rudely moved them around. She really wanted to scold him as a "vulgar brute." However, she then realized that she had unconsciously regarded these strange things as the treasures of the pavilion. Her feelings were complicated and she was overcome with sadness.

In the past, Qingse only wanted to escape the marriage control imposed by her cultivation family. However, after getting involved, she found that this profession was quite suitable for her. She didn't have to suffer from cultivation, didn't have to face fighting and killing, and could see all kinds of treasures. The booming business of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion brought her immense satisfaction.

She even set a goal for herself: to hold an auction that cultivators from all walks of life would not dare to miss, which would be the highest stage in this industry.

Judging from the current situation, if she really holds an auction in the future, what is the most likely thing to be placed on the auction stage?

Qingse sadly picked up a jade dildo, no longer wanting to imagine it...

"Chu Mingkong, you have tarnished my innocence!"

Chu Mingkong quickly dodged and warned:

"Speak properly, don't suddenly have a fit of hysteria. Who defiled you? It was my master who was scratching you with his fingers, not me. I don't care if you spread rumors, but I suggest you let me scratch you first, then I won't feel so unbalanced."

Qingse picked up the jade dildo, wanting to throw it at him, but then worried about breaking it, so she put it down in a huff. These days, the business of Xianzhen Pavilion was indeed getting better and better, but she spent every day struggling with this inner conflict.

Her alluring and seductive image gradually evolved into that of a quirky, eccentric woman...

She bought everything Chu Mingkong brought, settling on 800,000 spirit stones, rounding it up to a total of one million spirit stones. She casually recorded the transaction and handed it to him. Nowadays, Qingse no longer haggles over such a small amount of money, because the business has developed significantly thanks to Chu Mingkong's strange clothing ideas and special supply of goods.

The paper-selling business brought her many stable, large clients, such as cultivators who practiced alchemy, who were big spenders.

Chu Mingkong cleared out a wave of inventory, feeling relieved. He pulled up a chair, sat down, and said:

"I understand your current predicament. There is actually a solution. Would you like to know?"

My Fairy Pavilion has now become a women's private care business, and it has become deeply ingrained in people's minds. What can we do to solve this problem?

Qingse was furious, but she was also willing to believe in Chu Mingkong's crazy idea. Who would have thought that making socks look like pants could bring about such a huge change in popularity?

She said sullenly, "Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"Establish a subsidiary and set up a separate business strategy."

"Oh, so there's such a way..." Qingse nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "What do you mean? I don't understand a single word?"

Chu Mingkong: "..."

Brand effect, or brand reputation, really has a significant impact on the development of a business. When a brand that makes cost-effective products wants to move upmarket, it's not advisable to continue using the original brand name. At this point, they might want to start a new business, revamp their image, and go upmarket, but this new business should still be under their control.

This kind of thinking is inconceivable in this world, because most businessmen today would love for their "XXX time-honored brand" to be used elsewhere. To put it bluntly, they are reluctant to give up the reputation they have already established and always want to use this reputation to benefit their other businesses. It is a typical "one person attains enlightenment and all his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" mentality, not realizing that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

Qingse is clever because she is good at absorbing information. Although Chu Mingkong's insights are always unheard of, she doesn't rush to deny them, but instead tries to figure out the reasons behind them herself.

But she still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps Chu Mingkong still had a way to save them?

"Is it possible for me to distribute the business of selling women's private items to another business, and then let my Immortal Treasure Pavilion continue to grow and become stronger?"

"Hahaha, that's impossible! Your reputation is already utterly ruined..."

Chu Mingkong waved his hand directly, but noticing that Qingse's face darkened and she was about to lash out, he had no choice but to change his words and say tactfully:

"What I mean is, your reputation as a jade merchant is already well-established, and it's hard for anyone to shake your position. Why not start a new business and hold auctions? This Immortal Treasure Pavilion should honestly follow the route of female private friends. Others would be begging for it. With this capital and network, isn't it easier for you than those who start from scratch and build their businesses?"

Qingse nodded silently, agreeing that his thinking was indeed very impressive.

"So, are there any ideas for improving these socks that look like pants? Those predecessors from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion who used to criticize our strange clothes are now imitating us. I feel like I've run out of originality."

She took out other stocking designs from the Fairy Treasure Pavilion, feeling extremely anxious. She was already a latecomer, and now these seniors were actually turning the tables and taking away her advantage!

Chu Mingkong took the design drawings and spat out a mouthful of tea.

"What kind of design is this? It's one thing to be all colorful, but why are there even yellow ones? I think you don't need to worry. They simply don't understand how important black and white stockings are in terms of aesthetics."

Actually, yellow stockings aren't a problem; there are always people who like this style. But the problem is that the fabric and dyeing technology of stockings in this era were limited. The feeling that this yellow color conveyed on slightly transparent stockings was not the golden glow of wealth, but rather something like excrement and urine.

Qingse's worries remained: "But I'm still very worried. There must be a backup plan, right? If socks are so popular when they're made into pants, could they be made into clothes?"

Chu Mingkong nodded: "It really works. This is called a one-piece black (white) stocking. It's perfect for fairies who are fasting, so they don't need to open their crotches. It's also a very conservative design!"

As the two were chatting happily, Qingse suddenly received a telepathic message from her deputy, and her expression changed:

"Oh no, the senior from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, who is in charge of the Crescent Moon Kingdom area, has come to cause trouble."

In charge of the Crescent Kingdom...?

Chu Mingkong raised an eyebrow.

------

P.S.: Although it's a bit late, it's still roughly a 10,000-word update for today, lol.

Chapter Ninety-Four: Naturally, the Best Should Be Served

Chu Mingkong concealed himself and followed Qingse out to meet the senior from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw a man with a very businessman-like appearance. His face resembled that of the Wind Shadow, and he had some features of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. His features were three-dimensional, but this man's eye sockets were more deep-set. Incongruous with this was his plump figure. It was quite surprising that a man with a thin face had such a bulky body.

He wore a shawl and a simple white robe, not out of frugality, but because the clean color better highlighted the gold jewelry he wore.

Chu Mingkong felt a pang of regret, thinking with pity:

"If I had changed into that Moonlit Royal Family 'skin', I could have made some differences in appearance for this senior."

Qingse dropped her eccentric act, composed herself, and became calm and charming, exuding a noble allure.

The loud sound of heels echoed in the lobby of Xianzhen Pavilion, and the female guests coming and going quieted down, looking in the direction of the sound.

Qingse walked out gracefully, meeting everyone's gaze. The hem of her cheongsam swayed, revealing two long, straight legs in black stockings.

"Senior Amaterasu, what brings you here in such a fierce manner? Could it be that my maids have failed to provide adequate service?"

Upon seeing the younger man emerge, Amathai put his hands behind his back, a gesture that accentuated his belly. He no longer acted foolishly as before, but instead adopted the demeanor of an experienced elder.

"I happened to be passing by today and heard that a younger generation was staying nearby, so I came to take a look. What I saw made me furious. The name 'Xianzhen Pavilion' was built up by a few of us old folks. We've always prioritized ensuring the quality and cherishing our products. Now, seeing a younger generation using the name of Xianzhen Pavilion to sell flashy clothes and neglecting our core business, it pains me deeply! It's even made some of my customers doubt the true essence of the name 'Xianzhen Pavilion'!"

Qingse's smile remained unchanged, completely unconcerned about the senior's criticism. His Immortal Treasure Pavilion was indeed poorly managed, which was related to its location. The Crescent Moon Kingdom was rich in resources and could be considered a prosperous land, but prosperity requires a stable environment and nurturing, which the Crescent Moon Kingdom lacked, resulting in mediocre performance.

They basically relied on the consumption of some alchemists to maintain their dignity, but the convenience of Qingse's paper notes caused one or two customers who originally belonged to Amaterasu to switch to Qingse's side.

Qingse felt it was normal for Amaterasu to come looking for trouble, and she even felt a little guilty. However, when she thought about how this person had once taken advantage of his position to withhold the help she received from Xianzhen Pavilion when she was still a newcomer, Qingse felt that she had nothing to be ashamed of.

Amathai is a very strong verbal fighter. He can talk a lot without using a single swear word, but he always uses his status to intimidate, criticize, and lecture people, with the core message being that "Qingse is not doing his job properly, uses tricks to attract people, and can't produce anything good, only knows how to deceive people."

"Qingse, you're taking advantage of the fact that our guests are too lazy to travel far to do whatever they want. What kind of rubbish are you selling at Xianzhen Pavilion? I don't even want to talk to you anymore. Do you want to hold an auction in the future and stand on the stage to auction off that kind of stuff?"

Chu Mingkong glanced at Qingse and sensed that she wanted to argue, but was ultimately stung by the last words of this thin-faced, big-bellied senior.

"Back when I was personally in charge of my own Immortal Treasure Pavilion, cultivators from far and wide would come to visit. Even if it was just an Immortal Treasure Pavilion with a certain reputation, it was worth going from afar. Look at your Immortal Treasure Pavilion, it seems prosperous, but are discerning cultivators actually willing to come?"

These words were so hurtful that Qingse could no longer remain silent. If she remained silent, everyone present would think that she was not protecting her guest.

Qingse, with a stern face, said coldly:

“My Immortal Treasure Pavilion welcomes all women, regardless of their status, knowledge, or cultivation level. As long as they sincerely want to buy things, I am happy to entertain them. Does a cultivator not even have the qualification to enter the Immortal Treasure Pavilion to buy things if they don't become a great power?”

Amtai was speechless for a moment. He had intended to belittle Qingse's Xianzhen Pavilion for lacking foundation, but Qingse had instead used his words to turn the tables on him.

Just as he was about to refute Qingse, a woman appeared, leaving Amattai speechless. His wife had appeared.

"Amathai, what are you doing here? This is a place for women. Aren't you ashamed to be here? Pavilion Master Qingse, I've heard that you sell high-quality spirit jade here. I'd like to buy a piece for myself, to make some jewelry or something. Do you still have any in stock?"

Making jewelry is a pretense; personal use is the real purpose.

Having learned a lot about Qingse's slang from the gossip, Amathai knew that his wife had come to buy a jade dildo. When Amathai saw the intense desire for the jade dildo, his face turned green with embarrassment.