With the addition of three new shops, Clan Wang's income grew more than tenfold compared to the past. As their reputation solidified, profits continued to climb! This caught the elders' attention, and they assigned a Foundation-stage cultivator to permanently oversee the main shop, while sending two elders to manage the new branches.
They also adopted Wang Hao's suggestion: all attendants and receptionists would be young, attractive cultivators. If Clan Wang lacked sufficient personnel, they would even hire errant cultivators! Today, the three establishments employ twenty staff members, eight of whom are errant cultivators.
Of course, external pressure rose in kind. Many envied Clan Wang's success and sought to suppress them. But Wang Hao knew exactly how to counterattack. For instance, their restaurant needed spirit wine—and Zhao Clan thrives on wine trade. Why not invite Zhao Clan to invest?
The commission services, which had been limited to spirit-herb gathering, now saw demand for talisman materials and weapon forging. That presented a perfect opportunity to involve Li and Lei Clans!
Moreover, those families—who had their own talisman and weapons experts—could learn from the "Pavilion of Myriad Treasures" model. They were new to this market and lacking experience; better to partner and share knowledge (and profits) with Clan Wang than be left out.
Sure, each clan could operate independently, but it would be far more efficient to join an already established, reputable commission enterprise. If the Five Great Clans united, smaller Qi Refiners and errant cultivators would have no chance. In the end, they'd be relegated to secondary roles, surviving on leftovers.
Wang Hao even dreamed of, one day, integrating the five clans into a single corporation—extending their influence far beyond Qingniu City!
He knew it was a lofty goal. Clans are clans, and any alliance would remain superficial unless Clan Wang became drastically more powerful than the other four…
"Stop overthinking," he chided himself. "If I were a typical 'protagonist' who could crush all enemies, I wouldn't be worrying about such trifles."
With that resolved, he set out. Today he had an appointment with Manager Cui of the Four Seas Trading Company to collect a first-rate alchemy furnace—his old one was on the brink of collapse after years of use.
He'd already ordered this furnace some time ago. Initially, he'd wanted a first-rate green-origin furnace, but that clan never sold theirs. In contrast, Four Seas Trading prized profit above all, so they'd sell anything if you paid enough spirit essence.
Their Purple-Light Furnace was special: slightly superior to a common top-grade first-order furnace, in fact a cast-off from an attempt to refine a low-grade second-order furnace. The alchemist salvaged the remaining high-grade spirit materials to create this remarkable first-order furnace. Rare indeed is the craftsman who risks second-order materials on a first-order product!
As for the price—it was more than double a high-quality furnace. Alchemy furnaces always cost far more than magic items of the same tier: a high-quality furnace typically equals the cost of a low-grade spirit artifact, while a first-rate furnace can reach 1,000 spirit stones!
By now, Wang Hao was practically a celebrity in Qingniu City. Errant cultivators greeted him along the way, and he returned their salutations with a smile. Before long, he arrived at Four Seas Trading.
"Manager Wang, you're here! He's on the second floor—please, go up!" chirped the shop attendant.
Wang Hao nodded cheerfully and climbed the stairs. Manager Cui Yuan was finishing with another client, so Wang Hao waited patiently. Once Cui sent that client away, he greeted Wang Hao:
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Brother Wang!"
"No problem at all," Wang Hao replied. "Has the furnace I ordered arrived?"
"Yes, yes! Just a moment." Cui Yuan disappeared into a back room, then returned carrying a small purple furnace, roughly the size of a palm.
He placed it on the table:
"Brother Wang, this is the Purple-Light Furnace. What do you think?"
Wang Hao took the little furnace and infused it with a spark of spiritual power. Instantly it expanded to the size of a large vat, dropping to the table with a metallic thud.
Intricately carved on its body was a living, proud purple phoenix, while its lid bore sculpted clouds of flame. He opened it and inspected the interior: the walls were smooth, gleaming with deep violet radiance. He nodded in satisfaction.
Cui Yuan explained with pride:
"This furnace is made from Violet-Cloud Stone, a second-order spirit material. Had the refiners been more skilled, it would have become a low-grade second-order furnace instead!"
Truly an exceptional item—albeit an expensive one. Fortunately, Wang Hao was prepared.
"Thank you, Brother Cui. I'm very pleased!" he said, handing over 500 spirit stones.
Cui Yuan pocketed the stones and then fixed Wang Hao with an earnest look:
"Ah, Brother Wang, have you thought about my proposal? You'd be wasting your talents if you stayed in this little Qingniu City. Join our company—my father's recommendation will make you at least a regional manager. With your abilities, you could boost any branch's profits. Soon the board will notice you. Then obtaining a Foundation-Establishing Pill from Clan Wang would be a mere trifle!"
Wang Hao offered a polite bow:
"Thank you very much, Brother Cui, but I don't intend to leave Qingniu City—at least for now."
After so many years of living quietly, he was resistant to exploring the unknown. Four Seas had far greater resources than Clan Wang, even Essence-Condensing Fruits wouldn't faze them. Yet in the cultivation world, personal power was everything. At his current advanced Qi Refinement level, the best he could hope for would be managing a small branch in Qingniu. Was there truly anything better?
As for standing out and catching attention? Wang Hao lacked any backers. A corporate hierarchy like that was rife with factions and intrigue—he didn't want his life risked in their power struggles.
Cui Yuan sighed:
"If you say so, I won't press you. But let me offer one more piece of advice: with your talent, even if you reach Qi Refinement Grand Perfection, I fear you'll still struggle to get a Foundation-Establishing Pill from Clan Wang. Better to strike out on your own!"
Wang Hao again bowed:
"I deeply appreciate your concern, Brother Cui."
"It's nothing," Cui Yuan smiled. "If you ever change your mind, our doors are always open!"
They exchanged farewells, and Wang Hao departed the shop.
As he stepped out, a woman in yellow approached the back door. Though veiled, her graceful silhouette and clear eyes hinted at extraordinary beauty.
She spoke softly:
"Brother, is it really worth all this effort to woo a five-root cultivator?"
"That is no ordinary five-root cultivator," Cui Yuan replied, admiration in his voice. "His sales of low-grade pills have decimated the competition!" He recounted Wang Hao's achievements over the past two years.
The woman nodded:
"If his business acumen could serve my family, my father's path forward would be assured!"
Indeed the ideas of Wang Hao were ingenious. If he could establish his Foundation, his future would be limitless! Yet he remained so determined to stay put and showed no interest in joining Four Seas…