Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World

Chapter 555: Chapter 293: Commerce Association Procurement (2)

Ji Lin also chimed in, "That’s right. If we discuss our insights, we might find a Cultivation technique that suits us better. Otherwise, it’s truly difficult for us to even reach the Beginner stage."

Cheng Zongyang chuckled and said, "That’s something you three will have to explore and discuss among yourselves. By the way, I should be heading back in a few days. Is there anything you three need me to pass on?"

The three of them exchanged glances upon hearing this and all shook their heads. Yu Wenlin said, "The reason we took an extra month to reach the Immortal City was to deal with various loose ends. We have no remaining ties."

"That’s right." Ji Lin and Shentu Li also nodded in agreement.

They had already settled matters with their families and friends from the Commerce Association, so there was no need to send any messages.

"Alright, then I’ll be taking my leave. I won’t disturb you three seniors from comprehending your Cultivation Techniques." Cheng Zongyang cupped his fist.

The other three also cupped their fists in return.

Business was business, but they were still grateful to Cheng Zongyang. At the very least, he had given them a place to stay, saving them from having to worry about various matters.

After leaving the Cheng Mansion, Cheng Zongyang went to a Commerce Association in the West District to inquire about the price for bulk purchases of Ice Spirits and Fire Spirits.

The Commerce Association bought from Loose Cultivators or commoners, and although they lowballed the prices, their acquisitions were ultimately for resale.

If he bought in bulk, even at market price, he could still make a profit by reselling them at his market stall.

As for the Spirit Rice, he had handed that task to Zhao Yonglong, and had also asked him to inquire about the price of Exotic Beast Blood. He expected to have results by today.

If he could smoothly wrap up these loose ends today, he could head straight back.

It wasn’t unheard of for Martial Artists to go to the West District to buy items from Cultivators, but it was rare. The moment Cheng Zongyang, a Martial Artist, entered the Cyan Dragon Commerce Association, several probing streams of Divine Sense landed on him.

Although Cheng Zongyang didn’t have Divine Sense, he could still see several people looking his way.

He paid it no mind and headed toward a counter.

"Hello, what can I help you with?"

Behind the counter was a woman with delicate features. She could tell Cheng Zongyang wasn’t a Cultivator, so her attitude lacked its usual reverence, though she still treated him normally.

"What’s the price for a bulk purchase of your Commerce Association’s Ice Spirits and Fire Spirits?"

The woman was somewhat surprised, but she immediately asked, "How large a quantity, specifically?"

After a moment’s thought, Cheng Zongyang said, "An order worth no less than fifty thousand Spirit Stones."

He had considered saying one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, but decided to be more conservative to avoid shocking her too much.

The woman was truly stunned; this was a quantity of over ten thousand units of materials. Her tone and demeanor instantly grew much more courteous. She gave Cheng Zongyang a slight bow and said:

"For a quantity that large, we can offer you a price of three Low Grade Spirit Stones each."

Cheng Zongyang frowned. "That price is no different from what the market stalls outside are charging. There’s no advantage to buying from you."

The woman smiled faintly and explained, "Our Commerce Association normally sells Ice and Fire Spirits for three and a half Spirit Stones each. The quantity you require just meets our threshold for a bulk discount, which is why I offered that price. Besides, the stalls outside wouldn’t be able to fulfill an order of this size all at once, now would they?"

Cheng Zongyang gave a dry laugh. "Then go find someone who can actually make the decision, so we don’t waste time haggling like this. Or just take me directly to a Steward in your Commerce Association who has the authority to negotiate."

The woman was taken aback for a moment, but she quickly put her professional smile back on and said:

"Please, sir, don’t be hasty. It’s true that I don’t have the authority to adjust the price, but I can go and ask our Steward. If you’ll just wait a moment, I’ll be right back."

With that, the woman turned and hurried off, leaving Cheng Zongyang to wait.

A moment later, the woman returned and said to Cheng Zongyang, "Sir, please come with me."

Cheng Zongyang nodded and followed her toward the back.

At that, many people in the Commerce Association’s main hall looked over at Cheng Zongyang. Even more streams of Divine Sense than before landed on him.

Many of the Cultivators couldn’t help but grow curious.

’A Martial Artist is actually receiving this kind of treatment from the Commerce Association?’

Cheng Zongyang was, of course, aware of the many eyes on him, but he paid them no mind.

He dared to make such a large purchase because he wasn’t worried about being targeted.

Soon, he had followed the woman to a reception-style room in the rear courtyard, where he met a middle-aged man with a calm composure, dressed in an exquisite robe.

"Steward, I’ve brought the guest," the woman said, bowing to the middle-aged man.

"Good. Serve tea."

"Yes." The woman acknowledged the order, then gestured for Cheng Zongyang to enter.

Inside the spacious room, the man stood up and smiled at Cheng Zongyang. "I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of learning your name. I am the Steward here, Baili Xi. I hear you have some opinions on our prices. Please, let’s sit and discuss this properly."

Cheng Zongyang didn’t stand on ceremony. He cupped his fist and said, "Thank you. I am Luo Dingran."

Cheng Zongyang sat straight in his chair. With no one else present, he didn’t beat around the bush. His expression was calm and resolute as he spoke first:

"Steward Baili, there is definitely room for negotiation on your Commerce Association’s prices for Ice and Fire Spirits. The volume I’m purchasing is not insignificant, and other associations would offer a better price for such an order. A friend told me the Cyan Dragon Commerce Association’s prices were fair, which is why I came. If you’re just going to offer the market rate of three Spirit Stones, then that doesn’t show much sincerity."

Baili Xi smiled faintly and replied in a calm, unhurried tone:

"Fellow Daoist Luo, the bulk price of three Low Grade Spirit Stones we offered is already quite generous. After all, our Ice and Fire Spirits are guaranteed to be undamaged and of a consistent size. In that regard, other Commerce Associations can’t necessarily compare with us."

Cheng Zongyang shook his head. "I understand, but this isn’t a one-time deal. I plan to be a long-term buyer, so there should be some flexibility on the price. I can promise that if the price is right, there will be more orders to follow—and they will only get larger."

"How much do you need this time, specifically?" Baili Xi asked.

"That depends on the price you offer. A better discount means a larger quantity, and vice versa," Cheng Zongyang replied, deflecting the question.

At this, Baili Xi stared at Cheng Zongyang, as if trying to see right through him.

He could confirm the man was a Martial Artist, but a Martial Artist obviously couldn’t afford such a large purchase on their own. That meant he was buying on behalf of someone else.

Either another Commerce Association or a Cultivation Immortality Influence.

’Could there be some change happening in the Fire Realm and Ice Realm? Has some faction gotten wind of it and is now buying in bulk to hoard goods and drive up the price?’

Baili Xi couldn’t help but make such a guess.

Although Ice and Fire Spirits had wide applications, it was still very rare for anyone to purchase these materials in such large quantities.

Baili Xi frowned slightly. After a moment of thought, he said, "Fellow Daoist Luo, how about this. I can give up a little more profit and lower the price by another twenty Spirit Crystals each. That’s the biggest concession I can make."

Cheng Zongyang considered it. While the price wasn’t ideal, it was progress. He responded, "Steward, I can accept this price for now. However, I hope that if my purchase volume increases in our future dealings, the price can be discounted further."

Baili Xi chuckled. "But of course. As long as Fellow Daoist Luo continues to work with our Commerce Association, we can definitely adjust the price according to the circumstances."

’He hadn’t made a solid commitment,’ Baili Xi thought. ’Adjusting according to the circumstances meant that if the market price went up, he could naturally raise his own price as well.’

"Alright. At this price, how about thirty-six thousand units, Steward Baili? That should come out to an even one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, correct?" Cheng Zongyang said with a grin.

’A discount of twenty Spirit Crystals per unit over thirty-six thousand units saves me 7,200 Spirit Stones. I’m already quite satisfied,’ he thought. ’But I’ll keep pushing the price down when I buy more in the future. Every bit I negotiate off is pure profit.’

Now it was Baili Xi’s turn to be stunned.

He had only heard about a transaction of at least fifty thousand, but the man had just proposed a deal worth one hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

"Done!!" This time, no matter how composed he normally was, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

One hundred thousand Spirit Stones was a massive transaction. ’Reporting this will be a testament to my business acumen!’

But his mind was even more occupied with speculating on what was happening with the market for Ice and Fire Spirits.

He stood up and said politely to Cheng Zongyang, "Then I must ask Fellow Daoist to rest here for a moment. I will have someone prepare the order immediately."

"Alright." Cheng Zongyang gave a slight nod.