In truth, everyone present understood that hiring rogue cultivators had its benefits.
However, the benefits weren't significant enough in the short term for them to consider changing the current system. Therefore, many weren't eager to hire rogue cultivators, especially since it meant paying them wages.
Some felt it wasn't worth it—why let outsiders benefit from resources that could be kept within their sects? After all, these rogue cultivators had previously had no access to such resources.
Yet, knowing it wasn't the right moment to express such thoughts, they remained silent.
Sect Master Bai Yu of Luoshen Mountain seemed to read the minds of those hesitant. She spoke directly, "Lingxian Sect has access to a channel that allows them to trade with the cultivation world at low costs. Instead of keeping it to themselves, they built Shuishui City, created a commercial district, and invited us here to do business, openly sharing the profits with us."
She continued in her soft voice, "So why can't we, in turn, extend some benefits to the lower-level cultivators?"
Her words were like a fine needle, quietly piercing the hearts of everyone present.
The sects and royal families invited to Shuishui City were either closely aligned with the Li royal family or were known for their good reputations. Even those who weren't entirely convinced found themselves reconsidering after hearing Bai Yu's words.
The benefits might be small and the process more troublesome, but if these rogue cultivators received resources and showed potential, they could always recruit them into their sects. That would be worth the effort.
Thus, with the proposal from Qinghe Sect and the support of Luoshen Mountain, even those who had initially disagreed quickly convinced themselves otherwise.
No one wanted to be the first to oppose the idea or seem out of step with the group.
Glancing around and seeing no further objections, the matter was quietly settled.
In a corner office of the trade center, Qin Jianghe asked Han Weishu, "How did it go? Did Sect Master Han convey the message?"
Han Weishu nodded. "Yes, he said they've agreed to hire rogue cultivators for assistance."
Due to her status as the daughter of Qinghe Sect's Sect Master, Han Weishu had been assigned to work at the trade center, following Liu Yunan's suggestion and with her agreement. This gave her more opportunities to interact with her father and Qinghe Sect, deepening the relationship between Lingxian Sect and Qinghe Sect.
"But Elder Liu, why is it so important that they hire rogue cultivators?" Han Weishu asked, puzzled.
"Heh, you don't understand yet, do you?" Liu Yunan smiled proudly. "The mortal world has been stagnant for too long. The creation of Shuishui City's entire commercial district is a critical move to reinvigorate the mortal world."
"Only if the mortal world truly starts to thrive can our commercial district, and Shuishui City itself, become the hub of the entire mortal realm! If we rely solely on ourselves and those sects in the waiting room, progress will be slow and could fail halfway through due to the drawn-out process."
"That's why we need to rapidly expand our influence across the mortal world. By bringing most of the cultivators along with us, this path will become a wide, prosperous road."
"Don't underestimate rogue cultivators. Their cultivation may be weak, but there are a lot of them. If they gain access to cultivation resources, they could become a considerable force."
After years of cultivation and experience, Liu Yunan no longer needed Lin Xiao to explain everything to him. He could now make decisions based on the principles he had learned from Lin Xiao.
Today, his sudden suggestion for Han Weishu to relay a message to her father was entirely his own decision.
Of course, he hadn't acted rashly—he had discussed the idea with Lin Xiao and Qin Jianghe beforehand, and after they approved, he set the plan in motion.
Though it was only the first day of work, Li Zhouxuan's efficiency was impressive. By noon, he had confirmed a substantial number of orders for both purchases and deliveries with the various sects and royal families.
The trade center also arranged for disciples to escort these sects and royal families to Shuishui City's 1st Street, showing them their respective leased shops before handing over the store tokens.
Each shop had a protective formation, which could only be accessed with the corresponding store token.
"This token comes with five copies per store. Please ensure they are properly safeguarded. If lost or damaged, or if you wish to request additional copies, it will cost five spirit stones per token from our center," explained the Lingxian Sect disciple leading the group.
Upon hearing this, the sect leaders carefully stored their tokens in their pouches.
Although five spirit stones wasn't much, they had long developed habits of thriftiness—every stone mattered.
With everything settled, the sect leaders and royal representatives didn't linger long in Shuishui City. They quickly returned to their sects or capitals.
As for their shops in the commercial district, there was no rush to open them.
After all, they had nothing to sell yet.
And there were few customers at this time.
Though Lingxian Sect had gained a decent reputation within the borders of Puzi Kingdom and the news of Shuishui City's establishment had attracted both mortals and cultivators, most of the cultivators didn't have the wealth or numbers to sustain a bustling market.
In fact, Lingxian Sect had already opened several of its own stores in the district, although their focus was primarily on agricultural supplies. They also sold some basic items, though the other sects and royal families needed to bring their own specialized goods to the market.
That's right, Lingxian Sect had opened shops in the commercial district, not just one, but several.
At the far end of 1st Street, Lingxian Sect had opened a modest general store.
The sign bore a small Lingxian Sect emblem in one corner, barely noticeable.
The goods sold inside were far from the luxurious items that Lingxian Sect supplied to the other sects and royal families. Instead, they were basic items like common transmission talismans, wind speed talismans, basic spirit swords, alchemy furnaces, rejuvenation pills, and low-tier protective formations. The quality and grade were ordinary.
These were all crafted by the disciples of Lingxian Sect's four major craft halls as practice, so their quality was not high, and their prices reflected this. However, the disciples were diligent in their practice, so the store's inventory was well-stocked, making it an excellent option for lower-level cultivators with limited funds.
As long as the sects and royal families ensured the quality of their own products, the presence of this general store wouldn't pose much of a threat.
In fact, the store's existence could even help regulate prices within the commercial district to a certain extent.