As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Lü from Qinghe Sect slapped the table in excitement and declared, "Qinghe Sect will take it all!"
Five hundred Quieting Talismans a month—if each person only made five a day, it would only take four people to easily exceed that number. For a sect as confident as Qinghe Sect, providing that many talismans was a simple task.
Moreover, there was no longer a need to worry about a shortage of materials for talisman-making. The supply list that Li Zhouxuan had provided earlier included all the basic materials needed for making talismans, and at extremely affordable prices. Purchasing those materials and using them to create Quieting Talismans for resale would easily net them a profit of over a thousand spirit stones!
A thousand spirit stones in monthly income—this was a deal worth taking!
Having quickly calculated the benefits in his mind, Elder Lü made his decision immediately. Good opportunities wait for no one, and there was no time to return to the sect for lengthy discussions.
This also highlighted the advantage of Elder Lü's considerable authority—unlike the representatives of other sects who, despite their anxiety, did not dare to make such a decision on behalf of their sects without consulting them first.
On the other side, a representative from Yunyan Sect immediately spoke up, "Elder Lü, opportunities like this should be shared. Isn't it unfair for Qinghe Sect to monopolize it?"
Elder Lü glanced at him and replied, "First come, first served. What's the problem? If you have the authority, you can make a decision right now, and I'll let you have a hundred of the talismans."
The representative from Yunyan Sect huffed, "Our Yunyan Sect has rules and discipline. Such decisions must be made collectively after a meeting."
"Oh, well, take your time then," Elder Lü replied nonchalantly before turning his head away to address Li Zhouxuan once more, "Qinghe Sect will take all five hundred. Shall we sign the contract now, or what? I can have our sect master come over to seal the deal."
Li Zhouxuan smiled at him and said, "Elder Lü, no need to rush. Just to be clear, although the Quieting Talisman isn't particularly difficult to make, our purchase will still be subject to quality checks. Any talismans that don't meet the standards won't be accepted."
Elder Lü waved his hand confidently, "While our talisman makers at Qinghe Sect may not be the best, you can rest assured that we are meticulous and thorough. I'm very certain about this order—we'll take the whole lot."
Seeing Elder Lü's enthusiasm, Li Zhouxuan nodded and said, "Very well, once your sect master arrives, we'll finalize the contract."
He then turned to the now anxious representatives from Yunyan Sect and Shangyang Sect, as well as to Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe, who were mimicking their expressions, and said, "Rest assured, this will not be the only business opportunity... There will be many more chances for cooperation in the future. I hope we can continue to support each other and move forward together."
Upon hearing this, the representatives from Yunyan Sect and Shangyang Sect were relieved. This implied that there would likely be similar opportunities in the future, so there was no need to be envious of Qinghe Sect. Smiling, they replied:
"Then we shall await further good news from the court."
"Let's hope we don't have to wait too long."
"And please don't forget us at Lingxian Sect when the next good opportunity arises!"
...
With that, all matters were discussed and concluded, and it was soon midday. After a shared lunch hosted by the court, Liu Yunan and Qin Jianghe took their leave. However, the representatives from the three major sects remained, as they still had to discuss the matter of launching a campaign against Huan You Nation.
Thanks to the highly favorable prices on the supply list provided earlier, the three major sects now felt much more confident about the campaign. While the upcoming bulk purchases would surely be costly, the potential profits from the Quieting Talisman deal reassured them that they could eventually recoup their expenses.
As they made their way back, Liu Yunan was brimming with excitement, though he refrained from showing it openly while still out in public. Occasionally, he would glance at Qin Jianghe with eyes full of excitement, much to the latter's annoyance.
It wasn't until they returned to their quarters and carefully set up isolation arrays that Liu Yunan finally allowed himself to relax. He plopped down into a chair by the tea table, filled a cup to the brim, and gulped it down before sighing with satisfaction, "Today was really something!"
Seeing his behavior, Qin Jianghe shook his head with a smile and sat down across from him, also pouring himself a cup of tea.
"Dealing with cultivators for the first time is quite the experience," Qin Jianghe remarked, despite not having taken center stage.
Liu Yunan looked at him and asked, "So, why do you think Brother Xiao did it? Not only did he offer them goods at prices comparable to those in the cultivation world, but he also gave them the method to make Quieting Talismans for free and agreed to purchase them at market value, all while handing over the middleman's role to the royal court."
Qin Jianghe smiled and asked, "Do you think we lost out?"
Liu Yunan shook his head, "Not at all. We're definitely making a profit."
The question was just a matter of how much profit. Given their control over the supply, they were in a position to set the price however they wanted. As long as it was lower than what the sects could obtain through their own channels, there would be no shortage of business.
Seeing the look on Liu Yunan's face, Qin Jianghe could tell what he was thinking and asked, "So why do you think Brother Xiao wanted us to do it this way?"
Liu Yunan pondered for a moment, frowning slightly, "For mutual benefit?"
Qin Jianghe nodded, "Brother Xiao said that we are not in competition with other sects in the mortal realm. We are companions. Of course, this relationship doesn't need to be recognized by the other sects; it's more about our own mindset."
"Moreover, given our sect's current situation, it's not suitable for us to be in the spotlight, which is why we handed the middleman's role to the royal court. And..."
"Brother Xiao once told me something."
"What did he say?" Liu Yunan asked eagerly, leaning in.
Qin Jianghe paused, as if remembering something significant, then looked Liu Yunan in the eye and said, "He said that we were born and raised in the mortal realm. Now that we have the power, he doesn't want to use it to become another exploiter. What he wants is for the mortal realm to become a second cultivation world—one that is even better than the original."
As he spoke, Qin Jianghe's eyes shone with a different kind of light.
"Brother Xiao said that whether we earn a lot or a little, it's all profit for us. What he's aiming for is something far more long-term."