Chapter 290 - 157: Landing

Chapter 290: Chapter 157: Landing

"..."

The middle-aged man and the young Architect exchanged a look, and both saw the excitement in each other’s eyes.

"This way, please."

"I’ll lead the way!"

...

The Guandong Plain and the Guanxi Plain.

These were two vast plains. Either one of them was larger than the Four Areas Jiangbei combined. The two plains were separated by a "dilapidated defensive line."

This defensive line was called Zhen Ghost Pass.

It stretched for 237 kilometers.

Long since abandoned, the winding City Wall, a veritable natural barrier, had stood on the plain for an unknown length of time.

The City Wall had almost completely collapsed, leaving only ruins.

It had lost nearly all of its defensive capabilities.

The Guandong Plain was often referred to as "inside the pass."

The Guanxi Plain, on the other hand, was called "outside the pass."

Just as the people of Guanxi looked down on those from Jiangbei, the people of Guandong looked down on those from "outside the pass."

North of the Guandong Plain was the Guanxi Plain.

North of the Guanxi Plain was Jiangnan.

And further north from Jiangnan was Jiangbei.

The main base of the Mortal Realm.

Recently, Jiangbei had been developing quite rapidly, driving the growth of the Four Areas Jiangbei as well. The Four Areas Jiangbei had been separated by a great river, which had originally hindered trade. But now, with the opening of the Mortal Realm High-speed Rail, commerce had become extremely active.

It wasn’t just the smaller influences.

Even some of the poor could take the High-speed Rail to Jiangnan and find a job with a decent monthly salary.

However, the completion of the High-speed Rail also brought about many consequences.

For example—

Many people in Jiangnan began cursing their mothers. After those outsiders arrived in Jiangnan, the first thing they’d say was, "Sir, whatever monthly salary you offer a Jiangnan local, I’ll work for one Ghost Stone less."

As a result, the direct impact was that monthly salaries in Jiangnan, which had originally been slightly higher than in other regions, rapidly dropped until they were on par.

This only slightly curbed the mass migration of people to Jiangnan.

The people of Jiangnan, who had been living comfortably, were forced to accept the same level of monthly salary as people from other regions.

The various influences in Jiangnan, however, were grinning from ear to ear.

The work was the same as before, but their labor costs were much lower. Naturally, they were delighted.

This was especially true for Medicine King Valley.

Today, Medicine King Valley was developing exceptionally well. Its Elixir Shops had spread across the four areas of Jiangnan. By offering lower prices and better Elixirs, it had nearly monopolized the entire Elixir market in the Four Areas Jiangbei.

It forced other Alchemy Influences to either change their business or become... Alchemy Workshops for Medicine King Valley.

That’s right.

Medicine King Valley had offered them a deal.

"They could retain their original organizational structure."

"Their autonomy would be recognized."

"They would receive a large volume of orders every month, allowing them to continue earning Ghost Stones."

Although they didn’t earn as much as before.

The upside, however, was that it was much less stressful. They no longer had to worry about the market and could focus solely on Alchemy. They didn’t need to consider sales, as Medicine King Valley would purchase their entire stock.

There was just one catch...

An inspection process had been added.

The "substandard Elixirs" that could previously enter the market were now all filtered out.

Now, in the Four Areas Jiangbei, there was only one Alchemy Influence:

Medicine King Valley.

Using a nearly suicidal strategy, Medicine King Valley burned through a massive amount of Ghost Stones in just a few short months to thoroughly establish its reputation. Now, almost every influence and Loose Cultivator needing Elixirs considered Medicine King Valley first.

Not only that.

Purchasing even a single Elixir from Medicine King Valley earned points, which could be exchanged for all sorts of Rare treasures, further increasing customer loyalty.

The Mortal Realm was developing at an extremely fast pace.

But as the Mortal Realm developed, it also spurred the rapid growth of many other influences.

"Father."

Qi Feng, the Young Master of Medicine King Valley, put down the "Mortal Realm Briefing" in his hand and couldn’t help but laugh. "The Furnace Fire Sect of Jiangnan, an Artifact Refining influence that was once as famous as our Medicine King Valley."

"These days, they’ve been trying to copy us, using low prices to seize the market."

"But..."

"It seems they burned through too much cash. All their shops are unsustainable, and the Sect Leader of the Furnace Fire Sect has already started selling off his assets. Otherwise, forget about developing his influence; he might not even survive this year’s rainy season."

"Tsk."

The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was already advanced in years, but as the saying goes, good fortune rejuvenates the spirit. These days, it was as if he was experiencing a final burst of life—his face was glowing, and his laughter could be heard long before he was seen.

Hearing this, his face was all smiles as he continuously stroked his beard.

"Those who learn from me shall live."

"Those who imitate me shall die."

"They only saw the surface."

"Oh, right—"

"Didn’t we promise the Mortal Realm that we would hand over fifteen percent of our profits? A quarter has already passed. I want you to personally take this quarter’s profits to the Mortal Realm, and bring the account books with you."

"As long as the Mortal Realm stands, no one will dare to touch our Medicine King Valley."

Massive profits require immense power to protect.

It’s like a small child walking through a bustling market holding an Exotic Treasure. Within three steps, the Exotic Treasure would vanish. As for whether the child’s life could be spared, that would depend on the kindness of the thief’s heart.

Medicine King Valley, with its current strength, could not protect such wealth.

It takes time to convert wealth into a deep foundation.

But with the Mortal Realm’s protection, no one dared to make a move against them.

"Alright."

Qi Feng smiled. "Domain Lord Chen probably can’t even guess how many Ghost Stones we’ve earned in these three months. Even at just fifteen percent of the net profit, it’s a full 320,000 Ghost Stones."

"Maybe Domain Lord Chen will be shocked by this."

"Monopolies are just too profitable."

The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley sighed with emotion. "This is only the beginning. As the market fully opens up, our future earnings will only increase. But I’m afraid this isn’t enough to truly shock the Mortal Realm."