When Lin Xiao mentioned needing to send people to Yuanling City regularly, and that he was comfortable sharing this information with an outsider, Yuan Bi, as the head of the Yuan family who had managed their business affairs for years, immediately thought that the most likely reason was for conducting business.
Lin Xiao nodded in response:
"Exactly. Our sect is small and lacks resources. We're hoping to expand a bit, but with limited resources, we have no choice but to seek ways to increase our income."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Bi pondered for a moment before carefully replying:
"What kind of business does your sect plan to engage in? If there's an opportunity, perhaps we could cooperate?"
Yuan Bi also realized that Lin Xiao might be subtly hinting at a desire to cooperate with the Yuan family, as working with the Yuan family in Yuanling City would undoubtedly be beneficial.
Lin Xiao smiled modestly and said:
"Thank you for your consideration, Family Head Yuan. Our sect has limited resources, so it's impossible for us to monopolize any particular business. However, in our region, there are many small sects and families that rely on each other. It's difficult for them to travel long distances, but they have some needs and can also produce certain goods.
As a result, our sect thought we could serve as a middleman, running errands to earn some hard-earned money, which would also provide us with some income."
After listening to this, Yuan Bi nodded in understanding.
He didn't pry further or try to find out exactly where Lin Xiao's sect was located, as the location of small sects, which were vulnerable to being wiped out, was often kept secret.
There were many such small sects and families in seclusion, but few came to Yuanling City to do business.
After all, compared to other cities in the Southern Spirit Region, Yuanling City was relatively remote. If one wanted to do business, it would make more sense to go a bit further to other cities, especially if they were already closer to other locations.
"This is actually a perfect opportunity. We have a few basic supply lines, and if Daoist Lin is interested, we can discuss cooperating."
Yuan Bi made the decision on the spot.
His quick decision was only partially influenced by the recent favor Lin Xiao had done for their ancestor.
The main reason was that due to the extermination of the Wu family, several major suppliers of basic goods in Yuanling City had stopped operating.
It was likely these suppliers wanted to avoid trouble, and Yuanling City, to them, was merely a marginal market they could afford to abandon. They had larger supply lines in the Southern and Northern Spirit Regions, and giving up Yuanling City wasn't a significant loss.
As a result, with these major suppliers pulling out of the city, several of the local families' businesses had already been affected, although the full impact hadn't yet become evident.
But as the head of the Yuan family, Yuan Bi had a keen eye for these things.
In the future, while families capable of self-sufficiency might fare better, the numerous smaller sects and wandering cultivators in the city would suffer.
It wasn't hard to foresee that, once the current stock in Yuanling City was depleted and the available goods couldn't meet demand, the prices of basic cultivation supplies would no longer remain so affordable.
Therefore, upon hearing that Lin Xiao's region had many small sects and families capable of supplying goods, Yuan Bi made up his mind.
Even if the supply was small, every bit helped.
As the leading family in Yuanling City, Yuan Bi naturally didn't want the city's prices to rise dramatically, disrupting the environment and atmosphere.
Yuanling City had a large number of low-level cultivators, and it was obvious that a major shift wouldn't be beneficial. These low-level cultivators chose to settle in Yuanling City because of its remote location, the lack of pressure from high-level cultivators, and the low, plentiful supply of basic goods.
In contrast, the more prosperous cities had little room for low-level cultivators to survive, with shops mainly catering to high-level cultivators, whose items were more profitable. The basic supplies used by low-level cultivators were priced differently, divided into various grades depending on the city.
For example, a basic talisman might cost three or four spirit stones in Yuanling City, but in Jinshan City, where the selection was smaller and the quality lower, a similar talisman would cost at least five or six spirit stones.
For those with a wealth of resources, this difference of one or two spirit stones might seem trivial, but for most low-level cultivators, this price difference was significant.
Yuan Bi didn't hold back and shared these concerns with Lin Xiao.
"Daoist Lin, as you can see, with the current situation in Yuanling City, business opportunities will surely arise. How about we agree to a price that's 30% above the usual market price for now?"
Hearing this, Lin Xiao quickly understood that Yuan Bi was offering him a discount, and he immediately refused:
"Family Head Yuan, that wouldn't be right. Let's keep it strictly business. A healthy business relationship is the key to longevity, wouldn't you agree?"
Seeing Lin Xiao's stance, Yuan Bi smiled and no longer insisted. He said:
"Still, the supplies from your sect won't be enough to fully meet the needs of the large number of low-level cultivators in Yuanling City. Prices for basic goods will likely increase. Let's proceed as you suggested: we'll maintain regular market prices and adjust them based on changes in the city. How about we start with a 10% increase over the previous rates and revisit it if necessary?"
This price was within Lin Xiao's expectations, so he nodded in agreement.
With a smile, he said to Yuan Bi:
"Then it's settled. We'll finalize the details later. Here's to a successful partnership."
"To a successful partnership."
Jiang Youfu, who had been silently observing their conversation, saw that the discussion had concluded smoothly. He pulled out a large pile of food from his storage pouch and said:
"Since everything went so well, why don't we have something to eat?"
At the Blue Wave Hot Spring, Liu Chun, having just arrived, took a moment to survey his surroundings.
The area was surrounded by a stone forest, with only the side facing the mountain's exterior open, offering an excellent view of the beautiful scenery.
Despite the lack of barriers, the isolation array ensured that no one outside could see in.
The stone forest likely separated the other parts of the Blue Wave Hot Spring.
In this area of the hot spring, between the bamboo hut and the spring itself, there was a space of about ten square meters. Liu Chun looked around, thinking that he could set up his talisman crafting station here and accompany his sister while she soaked in the hot spring.
He carried Liu Qin into the bamboo hut for a quick inspection.
The interior was sparse, with only a small bed and nothing else, clearly having been abandoned for some time.
After confirming the surrounding environment, he approached the Blue Wave Hot Spring and reached out to test the emerald-green water.