Chapter 637
“Out of stock again? I've been waiting for seven days!”
“Exactly! I didn’t leave last night! I sat here meditating all night, and still couldn’t get any?”
The crowd was filled with complaints, their voices rising like a storm, more intense than the blazing sun on Wanxian Island.
“I can’t help it! Tiangong Pavilion can only produce so much in a day!” The disciple seemed used to the complaints and explained loudly, “It’s not just you; even among us disciples of Jiushan Sect, some haven’t received theirs yet!”
“Not to mention the orders from the Hundred Immortals Alliance; I heard that if you place an order now, you won’t get it for another six months!”
“Seven days isn’t that long!”
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze toward the dock.
As the Shenxiao warship landed, a group of disciples rushed forward.
“Is the cargo checked? Is anything missing?” Han Qi shouted.
“Nothing’s missing!”
“Is there any extra Tongjian? We need it urgently!”
“Senior brother, just kill me!”
Han Qi looked a bit disappointed, but before he could say more, he didn’t even step off the gangplank and flew the fleet out of the Jiushan Realm.
Watching this scene, the cultivators stuck at the shop entrance exchanged glances, realizing that the production of Tongjian was indeed insufficient, and they gradually dispersed.
Yan Wushuang curiously asked, “Are these all cultivators from the Hundred Immortals Alliance?”
“Mostly loose cultivators,” Xie Qingxue, now an elder of Jiushan Sect and well-informed, explained. “The production of Tongjian can’t keep up; right now, it’s mainly focused on our sect’s disciples.”
“What about them?”
“They’re offering too much.”
Xie Qingxue looked at the reluctant loose cultivators and sighed, “The Tongjian given to our sect’s disciples has many functions but is sold at cost price.”
“But they… their functions are simple, and they’re charging ten times the price.”
“The sects in the Hundred Immortals Alliance are even more outrageous. Some have declared that as long as there’s enough Tongjian, they’re willing to buy fifty percent more pills and magical tools!”
Yan Wushuang was astonished. “It can be like that?”
“I heard Zheng Fa call it something like ‘allocation’…” Xie Qingxue shook her head. “I don’t understand it either, but later Zheng Fa decided to limit the supply to the market and the Hundred Immortals Alliance each day.”
“The quantity is extremely small, yet it’s becoming more and more popular. The lines are getting longer every day; it’s crazy.”
Old Han suddenly laughed. “These people are making a killing.”
Yan Wushuang looked at Old Han with curiosity.
“Some of them genuinely want it, but others… do you know? They buy Tongjian and resell it for eight to ten times the profit!”
Even Xie Qingxue was taken aback.
“Really?”
“Of course! If I didn’t have the intel, would I dare to say this?”
Old Han’s expression was confident, but his words were hard to believe.
“It’s already expensive here; they sell it for eight to ten times the price? Are the buyers fools?”
Old Han gave him a deep look, as if he thought he was narrow-minded. “Some of them aren’t even from the Hundred Immortals Alliance, and they wouldn’t dare enter the Jiushan Realm.”
Yan Wushuang suddenly realized, “From Chongxuan Sect?”
“There are indeed some from Chongxuan Sect, and there are also Yuanying cultivators from Haori Mountain secretly buying this. As for some others, I don’t even know their backgrounds.”
Yan Wushuang grew anxious. “Did they buy it? Does Zheng Fa know?”
Old Han’s face showed confusion. “Of course he knows; I told him right away…”
“Then why is he still selling it?”
“He was grinning like a Cheshire cat at the time.”
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 454: Illegal Gathering, Excessive Loyalty**
At the foot of Huoshenshan, Chongxuan Sect.
The night was dark and silent, with distant crows cawing, making the place feel even eerier.
A figure slipped out of the night, silent as a shadow.
This person was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to discern their features, gender, or age.
At the foot of the mountain, someone quietly emerged from behind a large rock, speaking urgently, “Is the cargo here?”
The newcomer nodded silently.
“Really?”
“First, hand over the spirit stones.”
“You!”
“This treasure won’t have trouble selling.”
The person who stepped out from behind the rock hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a large handful of spirit stones from their storage bag.
The spirit stones glowed faintly, illuminating her face: it was Ye Shimei, a disciple and relative of the Ninth Elder, Zheng Fa’s assistant.
Her face was filled with reluctance as she finally, with trembling hands, handed the spirit stones to the person opposite her.
The other party leisurely counted the spirit stones before nodding in satisfaction and pulled out a storage bag from their sleeve.
Seeing her reluctance to part with the spirit stones, they chuckled, “Don’t think I’m heartless, Ye Xianzi. This treasure’s price changes daily. If I take this many from you today, tomorrow’s price might be different.”
Ye Shimei took the storage bag and opened it to find a Tongjian lying inside.
“Moreover, this is something from the Jiushan Realm. Selling it to you Chongxuan Sect, I’m also taking a risk.”
Ye Shimei had no words in response, watching as the person laughed lightly and then dissipated like smoke in the wind.
---
At Huoshenshan, in Ye Shimei’s cave dwelling.
The Tongjian on the table projected a half-zhang high light screen in the center of the cave.
The light screen illuminated the wall opposite, casting shadows of several figures.
Ye Shimei sat cross-legged on a couch, with several other men and women seated beside her.
They watched the figure of Yuan Shijie on the light screen, their expressions focused and serious.
“Hello, dear audience! You’re now watching Jiushan News.”
“The first resource allocation announcement has concluded. Disciples with questions can submit materials within three days to apply for a review.”
“According to the data from the Bureau of General Affairs, our sect’s monthly exports have increased by 108%, with Tongjian being the most exported item.”
“Monthly imports have increased by 50%.”
“Last month, the average distribution of merit points was 140 points per person, a 34% increase, and it’s expected to continue rising this month.”
Yuan Shijie’s voice was soft, as if she feared those outside the cave would hear.
Ye Shimei felt it was still a bit unsafe, glancing toward the cave entrance from time to time while also sizing up the others.
She didn’t want so many people watching the Tongjian together.
But she had no choice; the Tongjian was considered a communal asset, just under her care.
After all, with such a large sum of spirit stones, even as the Ninth Elder’s disciple, she couldn’t take it out all at once and had to pool money with these few people.
Fortunately, they had all known each other for many years.
Entering the cave required a solemn oath, and they couldn’t bring any recording or communication talismans.
Since everyone had a stake in this, if it were exposed, no one could escape.
That gave her some peace of mind.
“Senior sister, what can Jiushan Sect’s merit points be exchanged for?”
A young female disciple, sounding a bit confused, interjected.
The others, engrossed in the news, were somewhat displeased at being interrupted, and a male disciple huffed, “Don’t you have ears? Didn’t yesterday’s news say that ten merit points are roughly worth one spirit stone? The prices vary for different materials.”
The female disciple stuck out her tongue and mumbled, “I didn’t come yesterday because I was on a mission. So, does that mean Jiushan disciples can earn over ten spirit stones every month?”
There was a hint of envy in her tone.
“... Our Chongxuan Sect isn’t lacking either.”
“Not even close!” the female disciple retorted. “The spirit stones we received recently were a bit more, but now we have to set up a large formation, so it’s less. How can we compare to Jiushan Sect’s monthly growth? I’ve worked myself to the bone this month and only earned five spirit stones!”
“That’s one thing, but I can accept that Jiushan Sect is better than us.”
“Even those five spirit stones were cut down by the disciples of the Transformation God Elders, two of them!”
“Yesterday, they even took half of my mission rewards!”
The previous disciple wanted to argue back, but the female disciple pressed on, “Senior brother, I’ve grown up in the sect too. When it comes to loyalty to the sect, I’m not lacking! But the facts are the facts; we’re just not as good as Jiushan Sect. Why pretend?”
At her words, the cave fell silent, with only Yuan Shijie’s voice reporting the news.
The news about Jiushan Sect’s growing prosperity only made the silence more uncomfortable.
“Alright, what’s all the fuss about? We’re not from Jiushan Sect; what does it have to do with us?” Ye Shimei suppressed her unease and said to the two, “Watch the news! Huh? Is there a new program?”
Hearing this, the two disciples paused, their expressions shifting to curiosity as they looked at the light screen.
On the screen, Yuan Shijie smiled, her voice bright and lively, instantly lifting spirits.
“Dear audience, starting today, we will launch a brand new program, Jiushan Interviews.”
“The purpose of Jiushan Interviews is to focus on current events, engage in honest communication, and confront issues head-on without holding back.”
“Today’s special guest is the mentor from the Pill Academy, Master Song from Qingmu Sect. Master Song, hello!”
“Hello, everyone!” Master Song’s voice was slightly tense.
Table of Contents
