Chapter 20: Even the Xianxia Version of Double Eleven Needs to Balance the Books!

Ascending the Jade Palace

Seeing Yulou and Yu'an enter from the backyard, the shop assistant who had been slacking off at the counter hurriedly stood up.

"Young Master Yulou? Are you heading out this late?"

Yulou shook his head.

"Have the kitchen prepare some food. Yu'an got hungry from cultivating."

Yu'an: 'Actually, you didn't need to mention that last part, did you?'

"Right away!"

After sitting down in the main hall, Yu'an pulled a jug of wine from his robes.

"Big brother, I was in the wrong today. This is eighth-grade Monkey Spiritual Wine. My treat!"

Staring at the jug, Yulou froze.

Yes, it was still there.

Lao Gui (gritting his teeth version): 'Thank you, I sponsored all of this!'

Shortly after, Yulou chuckled.

"Let's skip the drinks. It's too late, and besides, I didn't take it to heart."

He was not about to casually drink the eighth-grade Monkey Spiritual Wine. He had already hit his cultivation limit for the day; drinking more would simply be a waste.

Furthermore, this wine was obviously given to Yu'an by his father. How would it look if he just took it?

He wasn't the type to hoard all the good things for himself. How could he take advantage of every situation?

Yu'an waved his hand. Looking utterly pained yet feigning generosity, he pushed the wine toward Yulou.

"Brother, if we aren't drinking tonight, then I'll just give this to you. You can drink it whenever you want in the future."

At that moment, Bailu hurried out from the kitchen with the food.

It was obvious the girl had been roused from her sleep at a moment's notice. Her eyes were barely open, her hair was tied in a messy flying-immortal bun, and a single stubborn strand clung to the side of her face.

She set down the wooden tray and politely explained as she arranged the dishes.

"Young Master Yulou, Young Master Yu'an, this is all we have left tonight. Please bear with it."

Pushing the wine back in front of Yu'an, Yulou looked at Bailu and asked.

"You still aren't resting at this hour?"

It was nearly midnight. Not everyone was as erratic as Yu'an, deciding to torment their older brother in the middle of the night just to have a drink.

Bailu finished arranging the bowls and chopsticks, lowering her head nervously as she answered.

"I instructed the assistants to notify me immediately if the two young masters needed anything. Those mortals don't understand the affairs of cultivators, and I was worried they might mess something up."

Yulou nodded and pointed to an empty chair next to them.

"Sit down and eat with us. You're part of the Wang Clan as well, so there's no need to call us young masters. Just Yulou will do."

"This..."

Bailu hesitated. Her instinct was to decline, yet a part of her wanted to accept.

"Yu'an, what do you think?"

Yulou's reasoning was that he and Yu'an would be studying in Clear Stream Market for a long time, which meant they would be dealing with Bailu quite often.

Given the long days ahead, it was necessary to build a closer relationship.

Cultivation was not merely about raising one's cultivation base; understanding the ways of the world was also part of the journey.

"Sister Bailu, sit here with me and join us for a drink."

Yu'an actually thought Yulou, much like himself, had taken a liking to this female cultivator named Bailu. He chose to ruthlessly create an opportunity for Yulou without a second thought.

'Brother, having a younger brother like me is your blessing!'

Before Yulou could stop him, Yu'an had already poured him half a cup of Monkey Spiritual Wine and gave Bailu another half cup.

When it came to himself, he held the jug hesitantly before finally forcing himself to pour a quarter of a cup—he had also reached his daily limit for absorbing spiritual energy.

"This is Yu'an's Monkey Spiritual Wine, an eighth-grade spirit wine. With your cultivation at the fifth layer of Qi Induction, one sip is equivalent to at least two hours of cultivation."

Her hands trembled as if she had been shocked. Bailu was completely stunned by Yulou's introduction.

"This is far too precious, I..."

"Drink! Let's drink together!"

Yu'an waved his hand grandly, acting as if he could easily afford such luxuries, looking rather comical in his attempt to play the big spender.

Bailu carefully raised her cup and took a tiny, tentative sip.

The Monkey Spiritual Wine wasn't harsh at all, carrying a faint, pleasant fruity aroma.

The moment the energy-rich eighth-grade spirit wine slid down her throat, she subconsciously began refining it.

"A lot of rogue cultivators have arrived in Clear Stream Market lately. Have there been any changes to the security?"

Yulou asked Bailu, interrupting her rhythm of absorbing spiritual energy. She hurriedly replied.

"Senior Gao Jian patrols every day with the Clear Stream Market security team. No rogue cultivator dares to provoke him right now.

Moreover, the rogue cultivators are all here for the Hongdengzhao's Merit Hall branch, so they naturally won't cause trouble."

"Our Wang Clan can afford the exchange costs at the Merit Hall, but rogue cultivators possess next to nothing. What can they possibly exchange for?" Yu'an asked.

He and Yulou had been discussing this during the day, but neither could figure it out.

Bailu's expression turned slightly odd as she answered.

"Hongdengzhao needs Qi Induction and Qi Refining cultivators to test cultivation methods and medicinal pills. These testing tasks are rewarded with merit points, which is what many of the rogue cultivators are after.

Additionally, it's said that exquisite Qi Refining stage spells and cultivation methods will be available for exchange at the Merit Hall branch.

Unlike the exchanges for Hongdengzhao disciples, once rogue cultivators exchange for these methods and spells, they are allowed to teach them to others.

Most rogue cultivators consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They've saved up a sum of spirit stones or are preparing to take on tasks, hoping to exchange for their desired methods."

Yulou nodded repeatedly. He finally understood.

Even without any capital, one could become a test subject in exchange for merit points. Once they had enough merit points, they could trade for the complete ownership rights to a cultivation method.

If Hongdengzhao were viewed as a massive corporation or a monopolistic enterprise in the cultivation world, then this special event of decentralizing the Merit Hall to vassal markets could be seen as a Xianxia version of Double Eleven.

It was just that...

The mighty power of cultivators belonged to the individual. Every low-level rogue cultivator was, in a sense, a potential production participant, and monopolized cultivation methods were special means of production.

As long as they exchanged for a suitable method and found a way to monetize it to create value, those rogue cultivators would have a foundation to stand upon.

While it seemed to only impact small clans—such as the Qi Refining immortal clan, Wu Shi—this shockwave would ripple upwards layer by layer.

The Wang Clan wouldn't be able to stay out of it, and neither would Purple Palace sects like Dripdrop Cave and Wondrous Peak Mountain.

If the rogue cultivators went all in, they would be forced to go all in as well.

In fact, this special Xianxia-style economic stimulus—releasing the inheritance rights of monopolized methods—might eventually backfire on Hongdengzhao itself.

Logically speaking, Hongdengzhao's decision to push its secret sect methods down to the bottom of the production chain would heavily overdraw the stability of its monopoly in the future.

Coupled with the fact that Hongdengzhao's new sect master hailed from a prominent merchant family in Wunan...

The waters were very deep.

——

At Forge Peak Residence, Zhong Ningyao's eyes lit up the moment she saw Yulou walk in.

"You two are finally here. Why are you so late today?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, Senior Martial Sister." Yu'an subconsciously assumed he had done something wrong.

Women were indeed his tribulation.

Zhong Ningyao didn't bother explaining as she hurriedly made arrangements.

"Yulou, you watch the front of the shop for me. Yu'an, come to the back and help me."

Leave the smart one at the front as the face of the shop, and drag the blockhead to the back as a workhorse. Zhong Ningyao had it all meticulously planned out.

"What exactly happened?" Yulou asked.

Zhong Ningyao complained with a look of utter disgust.

"That animal Jiang Baobian collected over ten thousand spirit stones in Unity Fees, then found a fellow Foundation Establishment stage cultivator to help him balance the books by designing a flashy firework artifact to fool people.

But the artificer Gao Jian hired is crafting them too slowly. This morning, he abruptly approached my father, asking Forge Peak Residence to help craft a batch so they can balance the books before True Person Danri arrives with the Merit Hall."

Yulou was left utterly dumbfounded.

Good, very good. Jiang Baobian truly lived up to being an expert that Yulou couldn't see through—he certainly knew a thing or two about balancing books.

Finding a fellow Foundation Establishment stage cultivator to design it would balance out a portion of the funds through 'design fees.'

A firework artifact would be destroyed upon use. It looked lively, yet left behind absolutely no evidence.

He was far too professional!

But it was just too similar—even the Xianxia version of Double Eleven needed to balance the books!

Yulou directed the question to Bailu, intentionally interrupting her absorption of spiritual energy. She quickly replied.

"Senior Gao Jian leads the Clear Stream Market security patrol on their daily rounds. No rogue cultivator dares to provoke him right now. Besides, the rogue cultivators are all here for the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Merit Hall branch, so naturally, they won't stir up trouble."

"Our Wang Clan can afford the exchange costs at the Merit Hall, but rogue cultivators rarely have much to their name. What exactly can they exchange?" Yu'an asked.

He and Yulou had discussed this earlier in the day, but neither could figure out the underlying logic. Bailu's expression turned slightly odd as she answered.

"The Red Lantern Illumination Sect needs Qi Induction and Qi Refining cultivators to test their techniques and pills. These testing tasks are rewarded with merit points, and many rogue cultivators are here specifically for that. Furthermore, it's said that the Merit Hall branch will offer profound Qi Refining spells and techniques for exchange. Unlike the internal exchanges for Red Lantern Illumination Sect disciples, rogue cultivators who acquire these arts are allowed to teach them to others. The majority of rogue cultivators view this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They have saved up spirit stones or are preparing to take on tasks, all hoping to secure their desired methods."

Yulou nodded, finally grasping the situation. Even without capital, someone could act as a test subject to earn merit points.

Once they amassed enough merit points, they could trade for the complete rights to a technique. If the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was viewed as a massive corporation or monopoly in the cultivation world, this unique event of delegating the Merit Hall to a subordinate market town was essentially a Xianxia version of Double Eleven.

However... a cultivator's power belonged to the individual.

Every bottom-tier rogue cultivator was, in a sense, a potential participant in production, and these monopolized techniques were special means of production. As long as they exchanged for the right method and found a way to monetize their created value, those rogue cultivators would have a solid foundation to stand upon.

On the surface, this seemed to threaten only minor families like the Qi Refining Wu Shi, but the impact would cascade upward. The Wang Clan would not remain unaffected, nor would Purple Palace sects like Dripdrop Cave or Wondrous Peak Mountain.

If the rogue cultivators went all in, the established powers would be forced to follow suit. In fact, this unique Xianxia-style easing of restrictions—releasing the monopoly on technique transmission—would eventually backfire on the Red Lantern Illumination Sect itself.

Logically speaking, by releasing their strictly guarded methods to the bottom of the production chain, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was massively overdrawing the future stability of its own monopoly. Coupled with the fact that the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's new sect master came from a family of wealthy Wunan merchants...

The waters were incredibly deep. At Forge Peak Residence, Zhong Ningyao's eyes lit up the moment she saw Yulou walk in.

"You two finally made it. Why are you so late today?"

"Ah? I'm sorry, senior martial sister."

Yu'an instinctively assumed he was at fault. Women were truly his tribulation.

Zhong Ningyao didn't bother explaining, immediately doling out assignments in a frantic rush.

"Yulou, you watch the front of the shop for me. Yu'an, come to the back and help me."

Leaving the smart one out front to serve as the face of the shop, and dragging the simpleton to the back to work like a mule—Zhong Ningyao had it all calculated perfectly.

"What exactly is going on?" Yulou asked.

A look of utter disgust crossed Zhong Ningyao's face as she complained.

"That animal Jiang Baobian collected tens of thousands of spirit stones in Unity Fees, found a fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator to help him balance the books, and designed some shoddy firework artifact to fool everyone. But the artificer Gao Jian found was refining them too slowly. This morning, he suddenly came to my father, asking if Forge Peak Residence could help refine a batch to balance the books before True Person Danri arrives with the Merit Hall." Yulou was left utterly speechless.

Well played. Jiang Baobian was indeed a profound figure whose depths Yulou could not fathom; he certainly had a knack for cooking the books.

He hired a fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator for the design, using the design fee to write off a portion of the funds. The firework artifacts would be destroyed upon use, putting on a good show while leaving absolutely no evidence behind.

He was simply too professional at this! But the resemblance was uncanny—even the Xianxia version of Double Eleven needed balanced books!