Upon approaching the vicinity of the Wu Family marketplace, sensing some ill-intentioned cultivators, Lu Xuanji and his companion became increasingly cautious.
Loose cultivators, very poor.
Because of poverty, for loose cultivators, killing and looting are frequent occurrences.
Many loose cultivators have rich combat experience, powerful fighting capabilities, and are extremely vicious.
Without much hesitation, Lu Xuanji stepped forward, paid two spirit stones, received an iron token, and entered the Wu Family marketplace.
The Wu Family marketplace, situated at the foot of the Spiritual Mountain, has a mid-level second-grade spirit vein here, capable of nurturing ten Foundation Establishment cultivators for cultivation.
Upon entering, Lu Xuanji took a deep breath, feeling the rich Spiritual Qi.
The concentration of Spiritual Qi is more than three times that of the outside world, not comparable to Purple Sun Mountain. Settling in the Wu Family marketplace, absorbing the spirit vein here, will greatly increase cultivation speed. Estimating based on the richness of this spirit vein, he would need eight years to advance one layer.
Here, there are scattered human cultivators, dispersed in various locations.
In the marketplace, shops are set up, there are taverns, and various trading venues, there are cultivators here, and there are low-level cultivators, many cultivators are just at Qi Cultivation first layer, and some cultivators' families making it appear very lively.
In the marketplace, fighting is prohibited.
Even bold people would not commit violence here.
Walking around, on the left of the square there is a big stone stele with the marketplace's rules, approximately eighteen items;
On the right, it lists the prices for the cave mansions (housing prices), categorized into three levels; first-level cave mansion costs ten spirit stones per year, second-level cave mansion costs twenty spirit stones per year, third-level cave mansion costs thirty spirit stones per year.
There are also some advertisements and tasks below.
For example, renting spiritual fields near the marketplace offers a free third-level cave mansion, an annual salary of ten spirit stones, and thirty percent of the spirit rice in the spiritual field as rent, seventy percent belongs to the cultivator;
For instance, a certain alchemy master teaches refining elixirs, wouldn't do it for free;
For example, a certain master teaches refining talismans for free, wouldn't do it for free.
For instance, recruiting excellent alchemists, array masters, Qi cultivators, etc., not only offers an annual salary of thirty spirit stones, but also various subsidies, and provides a beautiful servant.
For instance, a team recruits members to go out and hunt demon beasts, offering a preemptive base salary of a hundred spirit stones.
There are various preferential policies, which for a cultivator, almost offer excellent conditions, including free food and lodging, and various preferential policies, etc.
A hundred years ago, when an ancestor from the Wu Family implemented these policies, many laughed mockingly.
Free teaching of various skills to loose cultivators, the Wu Family is too idle; providing free cave mansions to live in for loose cultivators, giving spiritual fields to plant, what fools; giving a hundred spirit stones as a deposit before going out to hunt demon beasts, truly idle.
A year later, those who laughed at the Wu Family were dumbfounded.
After implementing these policies, the traffic in the Wu Family marketplace increased;
Loose cultivators at the bottom level had living security, and the spirit rice production was increasing;
Loose cultivators at the bottom learned alchemy, artifact refining, talisman making etc., although their level was low, they acquired a skill, their spirit stones increased, their purchasing power increased;
Every time cultivators go out, team up to hunt demon beasts, due to the existence of deposits, cases of looting and killing decreased, and security in the vicinity improved;
In just a year, the revenue of the Wu Family marketplace increased by as much as five layers.
Soon after, other marketplaces gradually emulated, increasing their benefits greatly.
"The old ancestor of the Wu Family was truly extraordinary."
Lu Xuanji sighed in his heart.
In the past, loose cultivators and family clans were oppositional, those cultivation clans often exploited loose cultivators, and loose cultivators often ambushed family cultivators, causing tense relations.
But after that Wu Family ancestor treated loose cultivators kindly, relations eased somewhat.
With eased relations, there was more order.
In an orderly environment, it is also easier to make money,
As for the various preferential policies given to loose cultivators, on the surface it seems that loose cultivators benefit, but the Wu Family gains more.
Shearing wool, too, requires waiting until the sheep grows fat.
At that time, shearing wool is more enjoyable.
...
After glancing at the stone stele, he wandered leisurely in the street.
The shops here are very flourishing, but each shop only sells one type of elixir.
Stepping into a shop, Lu Xuanji inquired and examined the elixirs, these elixirs are all Jade Emperor Pills, Fasting Pills, Vein Opening Pills, Qi Blood Pills, Blood Circulation Pills, etc., low-grade elixirs, but all are top-grade in terms of quality.
Their quantity is large, and prices are inexpensive.
These elixirs are all refined by loose cultivators.
Family cultivators focus on the grade in alchemy, enhancing the grade of elixirs, a high-grade elixir can sell for thousands, tens of thousands of spirit stones; but loose cultivators focus on quantity and quality, refining only one type of elixir, often refining it, elevating the pill-forming efficiency and grade to the extreme.
The quality of these low-grade elixirs refined by loose cultivators even makes some high-level alchemy masters feel inferior.
Lu Xuanji made a purchase, buying Jade Emperor Pills, Qi Blood Pills, Blood Circulation Pills, etc., totaling eight bottles, each bottle containing ten pills, the price was only five spirit stones.
Leaving there, he went to find a dwelling cave mansion.
The land here, along with the spiritual fields, all belongs to the Wu Family and cannot be bought, only rented.
Walking along, he arrived at a central shop in the marketplace.
The shop is not luxurious, but very grand, with four large characters on the signboard: Wu Family Shop.
Upon entering the shop, at the counter, there was a woman in a white palace dress, calculating something at the counter, yet her aura indicated she was already at Qi Cultivation seventh layer.
"Fellow Daoist, are there any vacancies for cave mansions to rent?"
Lu Xuanji inquired as he approached.
"Of course there are." The palace-dressed woman said: "The Wu Family marketplace is rich in Spiritual Qi, having opened many cave mansions, but what grade of cave mansion do you want? If you want spiritual fields, you can rent a cave mansion for free; if you don't want spiritual fields, you need to pay spirit stones, rent is paid every ten years, and for spiritual fields, at least a hundred acres must be planted, you can't let the fields grow barren."
"I want a cave mansion with spiritual fields."
Lu Xuanji stated.
"Fellow Daoist, you're already at Qi Cultivation seventh layer, choose a second-level cave mansion." The palace-costumed woman asked again, "Fellow Daoist, what is your profession?"
"I am a Spirit Plant Cultivator."
Lu Xuanji said.
"Spirit Plant Cultivator?" The palace-dressed woman felt a trace of astonishment and asked curiously: "Being a Spirit Plant Cultivator is challenging, requiring cultivators to have Earth and Wood Dual Spirit Roots, to keenly perceive the fertility of soil, as well as being familiar with the growth conditions of spirit plants, excellent Spirit Plant Cultivators are rarer than alchemists or array masters."
"For example, the yield of White Sun Rice per acre is two hundred jin, what's your yield per acre?"
"My yield per acre is two hundred and thirty jin."
Lu Xuanji said.
The yield per acre actually being two hundred and fifty jin, he stated two hundred and thirty jin merely to avoid shocking people.
"Two hundred and thirty jin, impressive."
The palace-dressed woman said with a hint of amazement: "Next, you will cultivate three hundred acres of spiritual fields, can you manage well? If you cannot manage them well, you will be penalized, for the production of spirit rice, there will be penalties if production does not meet the standard; but if the production meets or exceeds a certain standard, you will be rewarded."
For people, food is as important as the sky is vast.
With spiritual fields as the base, industries like elixirs, artifact refining, talismans, arrays, etc., all expand and thrive due to the increase in production of spirit rice and spirit medicine in the spiritual fields, without such a boost, these industries cannot flourish and expand.
"If that's alright, sign the deed. I'm Wu Yueqin, what's your name, fellow Daoist?"
Handing over the deed, the palace-dressed woman directly provided it, detailing the location of the cave mansion, its size, its furnishings, and the three hundred acres of spiritual fields, in duplicate, one kept by the Wu Family.
Taking the deed, Lu Xuanji carefully examined it, the lease duration is ten years, and it includes various clauses, which seem quite reasonable.
After reviewing it carefully, he signed his name, Lu Xuanji.
Looking at the name on the contract, the woman in the palace dress slightly furrowed her brow and curiously asked, "Fellow Daoist, could you successfully tend to three hundred acres of spiritual fields? Failing to take good care of them will result in penalties, there will be a reward if the production meets or exceeds certain standards."
Food is as vital to people as the sky is vast.
With spiritual fields as the base, industries like elixirs, artifact refining, talismans, arrays, etc., all extend and develop. Without the increase in production of spirit rice and spirit medicine from the spiritual fields, these industries cannot expand and thrive.
Accepting the contract, Lu Xuanji carefully reviewed it. The contract duration was ten years, full of various clauses and conditions, but seemed fairly reasonable, without any slave terms.
He signed his name directly on it, Lu Xuanji.
On the side, there was the name of the woman in the palace dress, Wu Yueqin.
Looking at the name on the contract, the woman in the palace dress slightly frowned, and with curiosity asked, "Fellow Daoist?"
Lu Xuanji smiled and nodded, "Yes, a Spirit Plant Cultivator, just like you said."
Many people cause trouble because they talk too much.