While Jiang Youfu was quite skilled in culinary arts, there were areas of food preparation he hadn't ventured into, such as tea roasting. However, Ma Changlong, an experienced gourmand, didn't limit his expertise to just cuisine—he had also spent considerable time learning about tea crafting techniques. After becoming Jiang Youfu's disciple, Ma helped the Lingxian Sect's Spiritual Food Hall expand into various branches of food preparation.
Li Zhouxuan had tasted Lingxian Sect's spiritual tea before, as the Li family had frequent dealings with Lingxian Sect. He was familiar with Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe, who would often send him some privately.
But this time, Mo Yuanjiao had assured him that the tea he had grown himself was of higher quality than previous years' teas from the sect.
Li Zhouxuan opened the tea canister and used a small wooden clip to scoop a small amount of tea into the purple clay teapot. After placing the tea canister back on a small display shelf beside his desk, he sat down to prepare for the day.
His small kettle continued to boil quietly on the desk, and he took out the proposal booklets and jade slip contracts he had recently discussed with Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe. He organized them neatly on his desk's document rack.
Though the storage ring provided by the sect was spacious, Li Zhouxuan didn't put everything into it—only critical items and various office documents. Everyday items were still kept in his storage pouch, which Mo Yuanjiao had crafted for him. These days, most disciples used storage rings, and storage pouches were becoming rarer. They were mainly used for transporting large quantities of goods.
Li Zhouxuan's desk was equipped with all the necessary tools: inkstones, brushes, and specialized cinnabar for signing contracts. After confirming everything was in order, the kettle on the small stove began to bubble.
The water was ready.
He lifted the kettle and poured the hot water into the purple clay teapot. As the steam rose, the fragrant aroma of spiritual tea filled the room, creating a refreshing atmosphere.
Just then, two fellow Qingyun Peak disciples, who shared the office and assisted him with the work, entered. Smelling the fragrance, they smiled and greeted him, "Good morning, Brother Li. Already brewing tea so early?"
"Good morning," Li Zhouxuan replied warmly with a smile. He poured three cups of tea and offered them. "Come, have a taste."
The two thanked him and went to their desks.
Soon after, a couple of gongs rang outside the courtyard, signaling that the Trade Affairs Center's doors were about to open.
Before long, there was a knock on the door of Li Zhouxuan's office, labeled "External Trade."
Outside stood a long line of people—sect leaders and elders from various clans and royal families.
Initially, they had crowded to rush in all at once, but a gatekeeper—an elder from the original Shuishui Village—had reminded them to form an orderly line. Reluctantly, they complied.
Li Zhouxuan and the two Qingyun Peak disciples got to work.
"Next, please!" Li Zhouxuan called out.
Though he had been an emperor for many years, he quickly adapted to his new role, having shed the lofty identity of the mundane world.
At his call, two individuals stepped forward.
They were the Sect Master of Chixiao Sect, the Revered Xunfang, and the second elder of the sect.
"Please, have a seat," a disciple directed them to sit opposite Li Zhouxuan's desk.
Once seated, Li Zhouxuan asked, "What brings you here today? What service do you need?"
The second elder glanced at the Revered Xunfang, signaling for him to speak.
"I am Xunfang, Sect Master of Chixiao Sect. I'm here to lease a shopfront in the city's commercial district for our sect," Xunfang replied.
Li Zhouxuan swiftly jotted down the Chixiao Sect's information in his booklet and explained, "Currently, only the shops on Street One in the commercial district are available for lease. Each shop is 50 square meters in size, and locations are assigned by drawing lots. This year's rent is waived, but rent will be charged starting next year."
With that, he tore out the page with the sect's information and handed it to Xunfang. "This is your sect's lease voucher. You can take it next door to the leasing office to sign the rental contract and draw lots for your shop's location."
Xunfang accepted the slip of paper, which simply listed their sect's information and a number—"One."
Li Zhouxuan continued, "Does your sect have any interest in taking on Shuishui City's trade orders?"
"Of course," Xunfang nodded. This was one of the main reasons they had come. After Lingxian Sect raised the topic on the night of New Year's Eve, they had been passed off to the Li family for follow-up, but the Li family hadn't been fully prepared and couldn't provide detailed information. They only gave a vague overview of the usual trade arrangements, without settling anything concrete.
Li Zhouxuan then pulled out a stack of order forms and handed them over. "These are the purchasing orders from our Trade Affairs Center for next month. The items, prices, and quality requirements are all listed. If your sect wishes to take on any orders, please check the appropriate box and indicate the quantity your sect can provide."
Xunfang took the order sheet and scanned it with his spiritual sense, quickly understanding its contents before passing it to the second elder.
The list was extensive, with some items the Chixiao Sect could provide, but others were products they had only ever purchased from the cultivation world at high prices, as they lacked the knowledge to produce them themselves.
What surprised him most was the purchasing prices listed on the sheet.
They were unexpectedly high.
Lingxian Sect knew that many of these items weren't yet within the production capabilities of the sects in the mortal realm. They planned to sell the production methods for these items at a fair price later, but not just yet.
The goal was to wait until these sects had built a degree of trust with Shuishui City's trade center. Only then would it be the right time to offer these methods for sale. There was no point in rushing and risking some sects overextending themselves on orders they couldn't fulfill.
Li Zhouxuan pulled out another sheet and handed it to Xunfang. "This one lists the items we are selling. If your sect is interested in purchasing anything, you can check the corresponding box and indicate the quantity. Of course, these items are also available for retail at the shops opening today in the city. However, this list reflects our bulk purchase prices, which are lower than retail."
Xunfang took the second sheet and scanned it with his spiritual sense.
The items listed and their prices astonished him even more.