Chapter 96
Zheng Fa pondered, "We need to make the market more vibrant."
Zhang Shijie nodded, but her expression showed little expectation; it was clear she didn’t think Zheng Fa had any good ideas.
"Go ahead, tell me."
"Shijie, you know that the decline in market revenue is fundamentally due to the waning of spiritual energy," Zheng Fa began. "But the immediate issue is that the vendors and shops within the sect are struggling to make a profit."
The market's income primarily came from these vendors and merchants; if they had no business, the market would naturally see no revenue.
"Especially since we have too many talisman masters in our sect, and spiritual talismans are becoming harder to sell. Han Qi and his friends have been selling talismans for me, but now they have to bundle them with low-grade talismans just to make a sale."
Zheng Fa's expression was a bit peculiar.
This idea was actually Han Qi's own invention; he had a knack for business and was doing quite well.
But in reality, this approach was spiraling out of control, nearly overwhelming the talisman stalls in the market.
Zhang Shijie nodded in agreement. "In recent years, some stalls have been quite difficult to rent out."
Her expression didn’t change much; this issue was not just on Zheng Fa's mind; the higher-ups of Jiushan Sect had already figured it out.
However, with the entire cultivation world experiencing a downturn, they had no good solutions.
"Shidi, I think the way to increase their income boils down to two words: open up and save," Zheng Fa shared his thoughts. "I don’t have any ideas for saving, but I do have some for opening up."
"Oh?"
Zheng Fa pulled out a small booklet from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Shijie.
She took the booklet, flipped through it for a moment, and when she looked up, her gaze sparkled with interest. "You want us to send out ferry boats to attract customers from the various sects in the Baixian Alliance and the market? And offer free rides?"
"Exactly," Zheng Fa replied. "I believe the reason we have so many talisman masters is that we have too few customers. We could also arrange for staff on the boats to take orders from those who can’t come in person, and we can deliver the goods to them."
In essence, this was akin to the free shuttle services offered by supermarkets.
The elderly who are reluctant to spend money would love it.
Plus, we could add a simple mail-order system.
It wasn’t a difficult concept, but no one in the Xuanwei Realm had ever tried it.
This model had only emerged in modern times—requiring a certain level of commercial civilization and service awareness.
In the Xuanwei Realm, every market was essentially a landlord, only concerned with collecting rent and protection fees.
In Zheng Fa's plan, the market's role was more akin to that of a modern shopping mall—responsible for marketing.
Especially for those vendors and small shopkeepers, who lacked marketing skills and relied entirely on the market.
This line of thinking required a service-oriented mindset from the market towards small businesses, which was clearly difficult for a market backed by a large sect.
"This idea... is quite interesting. It targets those lower-tier cultivators who don’t have much money," Zhang Shijie said, lightly tapping the booklet in her hands, her eyes reflecting appreciation. "We can give it a try."
Zheng Fa nodded. "Shijie, you’re brilliant. I believe that since we have too many low-grade talisman masters in our sect, the largest audience will be those lower-tier cultivators who can’t easily come here. Our spiritual talismans are relatively inexpensive, and if we waive the travel costs, they might be quite willing to come, at least to browse."
As for whether they would buy once they arrived—there’s a saying, "Once you’re here, you might as well take a look."
Zhang Shijie glanced at the booklet again and noticed it contained quite a bit of information.
There were suggestions for nearby sects or markets to pilot the idea.
There were ideas for promotion—like writing and decorating on the boats.
And there were plans for arranging staff to assist with the ferrying—Zheng Fa recommended Han Qi, who had potential as a black-market tour guide and could also sell some goods on the boat.
"You’ve put a lot of thought into this booklet," Zhang Shijie said, looking at Zheng Fa with admiration. "I initially just wanted you to hold this position, but you’ve surprised me."
Zheng Fa shook his head, remaining cautious. "This plan does come with some costs, which is why I wanted to discuss it with you first."
"Trying it out won’t hurt; I’ll make the arrangements," Zhang Shijie said, handing the booklet back to Zheng Fa. "You can go ahead and implement it in the market."
...
Today was the day Zheng Fa would meet the disciples of the market for the first time.
He arrived at the small building in the market.
Yuan Shijie had been waiting there for a while.
"Are you nervous, Shidi?" she asked curiously. "I was so nervous when I first took over the market management position!"
Zheng Fa smiled and shook his head.
He had prepared as much as he could.
He had condensed his efforts into the Frost Blade Talisman and gained further support from Zhang Shijie with that business plan booklet—whether the plan succeeded or not wasn’t the most important thing; what mattered was that Zhang Shijie recognized his abilities and efforts in this area and was willing to help him remove some obstacles.
He felt confident enough to handle some challenges and exclusion now.
As for any further malice, Zheng Fa was mentally prepared.
After all, his background had faced plenty of hostility, both in the village and in the modern world.
Not liking conflict didn’t mean he feared it.
Seeing him shake his head, Yuan Shijie pouted, seemingly a bit disappointed.
Soon, the disciples under Yuan Shijie began to arrive.
There weren’t many—less than thirty disciples.
Standing together, they filled the first floor of the small building to capacity.
What surprised Zheng Fa was that every disciple in the room seemed a bit intimidated upon seeing him.
He scanned from left to right, and not a single person dared to meet his gaze.
Whether they were in the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stage, when they caught his eye, they would lower their heads.
If he stared at someone for too long, they would cautiously raise their heads, revealing a tentative smile.
...What was going on?
Yuan Shijie watched with a smile for a while before clearing her throat. "Now, let me introduce everyone. This is Zheng Shidi, who will be co-managing the market with me from now on."
Zheng Fa hadn’t even had the chance to show a friendly smile before the senior brothers began to speak.
"I’ve heard so much about Zheng Shidi!"
"The market needs someone like you to manage it!"
"Ever since I heard this news, I’ve been eagerly waiting for your arrival!"
...Wait, why do you all look like you’ve just seen the light?
He looked at this unusually enthusiastic group of senior brothers and humbly began, "I’m just a novice..."
"Don’t sell yourself short!" an older-looking senior brother interrupted him. "Age doesn’t determine ambition! So what if your cultivation is low? We have high cultivation!"
"Exactly! If there’s anything that needs doing, Zheng Shidi, just leave it to us!"
"Right!"
"…And who is this senior brother?"
"My surname is Yang!" the enthusiastic senior brother replied. "If anyone steps out of line, just let me know!"
Zheng Fa realized that Zhang Shijie’s faction was much more united than he had imagined!
"Well then... I have an idea I’d like to discuss with you all, senior brothers."
Zheng Fa thought for a moment and shared the measures he had discussed with Zhang Shijie.
To be honest, he wasn’t very confident in his business acumen—after all, he had never run a business in the modern world.
Moreover, this was a different realm altogether.
So he had written cautiously in the booklet—starting with a small pilot program and keeping the investment minimal.
He genuinely wanted to hear the opinions of these senior brothers.
After all, their familiarity with the market far surpassed his own.
"Brilliant!"
But before he could finish, Senior Brother Yang clapped his hands and laughed.
"…"
"This plan of yours, Shidi, addresses the urgent needs of the vendors in the market!"
"Compassionate and kind-hearted!"
"I think those vendors should erect a longevity tablet in your honor!"
"Don’t you all have any objections?" Zheng Fa asked sincerely, puzzled.
"Shidi, your plan is flawless; we have no objections, none at all!"
"…"
Watching the senior brothers gradually drift away, Zheng Fa slowly furrowed his brow and turned to Yuan Shijie. "Shijie, are the disciples in our market all this... friendly?"
"…What? You don’t like it?"
"Not exactly..." Zheng Fa shook his head and smiled. "I thought there would be some conflict; I had prepared some measures just in case."
"You’ve already faced some conflict."
"Huh?"
Zheng Fa turned to see Yuan Shijie smiling, a hint of pride on her face.
"These people have been coming to me in groups over the past few days, trying to sow discord," Yuan Shijie said, pouting. "I’ve dealt with each of them."
"…"
"For the next six months, as long as I’m here, they’ll behave themselves," Yuan Shijie said, patting her chest. "If they act up after I leave, Shidi, just call me, and I’ll come back to teach them a lesson."
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