Zi Tianjun glanced at the tearful Bao Gu and said, “Tomorrow, I’ll be teaching the art of crafting.
We’ll cover the creation of life-bound artifacts.
You can come and listen.”
Bao Gu’s eyes lit up, and she asked, “Grandmaster, will you be teaching how to refine high-level spirit swords that are far beyond one’s own realm as life-bound treasures?”
Zi Tianjun glanced at Bao Gu’s dantian and said, “If you’re thinking of refining the Xuantian Sword, you should focus on advancing your cultivation level first.”
Bao Gu clasped her hands in a salute and said, “Grandmaster, I…
I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave!”
Zi Tianjun waved her off, saying, “Go ahead.”
Bao Gu, feeling a bit embarrassed, lowered her head and went to the Xuantian side hall to write a notice.
The notice briefly mentioned exchanging spirit stones and spirit herbs for pills and using spirit stones and refining materials to trade for artifacts, with a detailed price list.
As for the artifacts, she figured the ones her senior brothers and sisters had crafted wouldn’t be impressive enough, so she only listed a rough price.
She also attached a recruitment notice, looking to hire two people to manage the shop within the sect for purchasing matters.
They were required to sit in the shop for an hour after morning lessons, and to not affect their cultivation, they could take turns.
The compensation was twenty Foundation Establishment Pills and fifty low-grade spirit stones per month.
As soon as Bao Gu posted the recruitment notice, someone came to apply.
Those who could enter the Xuantian Sect were either heavenly spirit roots or dual spirit roots.
Apart from Bao Gu, who was an anomaly with five spirit roots, there wasn’t even a three-spirit root to be found.
Despite their lack of worldly experience due to constant cultivation within the sect, they were all exceptionally talented and intelligent.
Bao Gu didn’t worry about their ability to handle such a simple task and kept the first two who applied.
She led them into the Xuantian side hall, took out two blank account books, and said, “With large transactions, the accounts must be clear.
Every transaction, every pill, every spirit herb must be clearly recorded.
Let me be clear, if the accounts are unclear, I will hold you accountable.”
After she finished speaking, she noticed the two standing awkwardly at the door, hesitant to enter, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
One of them frowned and said, “Bao Gu, this side hall is where the sect leader handles affairs.
Isn’t it inappropriate for you to enter without permission?”
Bao Gu peeked over at Zi Tianjun, who was focused on watching the senior brothers practice alchemy, not paying attention to her side at all, and said, “This is with the Grandmaster’s tacit approval.
Come in.
Did you hear what I said about the account books?”
The two nodded.
Bao Gu briefly taught them how to keep accounts in her preferred style and explained some details.
Finally, she took them to see Zi Tianjun.
She intended to ask Zi Tianjun for the two rooms closest to the Xuantian Square, where Foundation Establishment disciples lived, to use as a business location.
Zi Tianjun said, “A place of cultivation cannot be used for trade.”
After a moment of thought, he added, “There’s a piece of land between the courtyards where the Golden Core disciples and Foundation Establishment disciples live.
From now on, that area will be designated for internal sect disciple trade.”
Hearing it was “land,” Bao Gu realized she would have to build a house.
The business hadn’t even started, and now she had to build a house.
But in front of so many senior brothers and sisters, she couldn’t very well ask the Grandmaster to build it for her.
She could only respond, “Yes, as you command,” and then pulled the two senior brothers aside to have them gather the disciples to build the house.
The two senior brothers agreed readily without a word.
Bao Gu thanked them and was about to leave when one of the senior brothers, who practiced alchemy, called out to her, “Bao Gu, can we start exchanging pills before the house is built?”
Bao Gu thought for a moment and said, “Yes!”
She immediately took out some spirit stones and materials commonly used for refining pills, put them in a storage bag, and handed it to the two, saying, “Before the house is built, keep them in the storage bag.
Once it’s built, store them in the shop’s warehouse.”
She then took out her account book, recorded the transaction, and had them record the items she gave them.
Finally, she wrote a receipt and had them imprint it to confirm receipt.
These steps couldn’t be skipped; otherwise, it would be hard to track profits or losses, excess or shortage of goods, and the business would be difficult to sustain.
After finishing these tasks, she returned to her courtyard and used the communication talisman given by Sun Dilong to contact him about doing business at the Angry Demon Market.
She offered Sun Dilong a commission-based deal, with a one percent commission on the value of goods handled.
She gave him a day to consider and respond.
If he agreed, they would discuss the details further.
A day later, Sun Dilong agreed to cooperate with Bao Gu.
Bao Gu invited Sun Dilong to visit her at the Xuantian Sect.
The patrol disciple on duty led the visiting Sun Dilong to the Xuantian side hall, where Bao Gu spent an entire day discussing and finalizing all matters with him.
They covered topics like the price range for purchasing various items, Sun Dilong’s authority in large transactions or valuable rare treasures, and the timing and method of their transactions.
Bao Gu meticulously recorded every agreed detail in writing and reviewed it with Sun Dilong.
Her thoroughness and precision left Sun Dilong in awe, thinking to himself, “What a genius!”
Once everything was settled, Bao Gu had the patrol disciple escort Sun Dilong out.
She then found the Duobao Spirit Monkey and gave it detailed instructions to set up formations in the shop at the Angry Demon Market according to her directions.
After completing these tasks, Bao Gu felt a bit tired and was about to rest when she noticed activity from her communication token.
She infused it with spiritual power and asked, “What’s the matter?”
As soon as she spoke, she heard the roars of beasts, the desperate cries of children, the screams of women, and the shouts of men.
A stranger’s voice came through the communication talisman, “Immortal, save us—ah—” She flipped the token over and saw the coordinates and village name engraved on the back.
It was one of the villages she and Yu Mi had visited when they first arrived at the Two Realms Mountain.
She guessed the village was in trouble and hurriedly took the token to the Xuantian Hall.
Not finding Zi Tianjun, she rushed to his living quarters in the rear hall, shouting, “Grandmaster, Grandmaster!”
Her shouting alarmed the patrol disciples, who quickly gathered.
Zi Tianjun appeared beside Bao Gu and asked, “Why the panic?”
He heard the commotion from the communication token in Bao Gu’s hand and frowned, asking, “This communication token is…”
Bao Gu explained, “This communication token was given to the villagers at the foot of the Two Realms Mountain when I first arrived, so they could call for help in danger. Grandmaster… it seems they’re under attack by beasts. As cultivators, we should protect their safety.”
Zi Tianjun called out, “Elder Feng!”
Feng Yi gracefully appeared beside Zi Tianjun and saluted, “Sect Leader.”
Zi Tianjun instructed, “Quickly lead a team of disciples to investigate.”
Bao Gu exclaimed, “I’ll go too!”
Zi Tianjun glanced at Bao Gu, tossed her a protective jade, and said, “Go.”
Feng Yi turned and selected a team in the square, asked Bao Gu for the coordinates, and activated a teleportation array to rush over with the Xuantian Sect disciples.
The distance was short, and they arrived in an instant.
As soon as Bao Gu appeared, she felt the aura of a fierce beast rushing at her.
She reached into her oversized storage bag for a Golden Core stage sword, ready to strike, but Feng Yi had already kicked the beast, sending it flying with a “boom” and crashing to the ground, dead without a struggle.
She quickly looked around and realized this was a village she had visited before, mostly inhabited by people with the surname “Wu,” hence called Wu Village.
At this moment, the village’s crude formation was already damaged, houses collapsed, and chaos reigned, with blood everywhere and screams still echoing.
A pack of beasts was rampaging through the village, including wolves, tigers, and leopards, all land animals.
At the village entrance stood a leopard as sturdy as a bull, which roared and fled.
The rampaging beasts in the village heard the roar and sensed the arrival of powerful cultivators, prompting them to turn and flee the village.
A crystal-clear longsword shot out from Feng Yi’s body with a “clang,” slicing through the air like an arrow, and flew into the forest.
The sword energy struck the fleeing bull-like leopard, cutting it in half on the spot.
After slaying the large leopard, the sword didn’t return but sped through the forest like the wind.
It moved like a phantom, passing by fleeing beasts, which immediately spewed blood and died!
Any beast that reacted slowly or moved slightly slower didn’t escape the village before being surrounded and killed by the Xuantian Sect disciples.
Bao Gu, holding her Golden Core stage sword, was about to slay a beast when she found a target, but before she could move, a fellow disciple rushed ahead and killed the beast.
Turning to find another target, another disciple charged in and killed it without a word!
She could only watch.
In just a few breaths, not a single beast remained from the attack.
Bao Gu was stunned by the sight.
With the beasts slain, Feng Yi recalled his sword and turned to a disciple, saying, “Go find out what happened.”
The disciple obeyed, while the others spread out to aid the injured villagers.
Bao Gu looked at the dead beasts and noticed their strength wasn’t high, with most not even forming demon cores.
Their power was roughly equivalent to Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators.
She found it strange that these beasts suddenly attacked the villagers.
Soon, the surviving villagers began to emerge.
Some were injured, and the Xuantian Sect disciples had already treated their wounds.
The Wu Village chief, missing an arm, approached Bao Gu and Feng Yi, kneeling in gratitude.
Bao Gu couldn’t bear to let the elderly village chief kneel to her, fearing it would shorten her lifespan.
She quickly helped the old chief up and asked, “What happened?
Where are the young and strong villagers?”
“The young men went hunting.”
Bao Gu thought for a moment and asked, “Why did so many beasts attack the village?”
The Wu Village chief replied, “I don’t know.
It’s rare for beasts to come to the village.
Even if a beast occasionally intrudes, it’s only one or two, or at most three to five, and we can safely fend them off with the formation.
This is the first time so many beasts of various kinds have suddenly attacked.”
Bao Gu said, “There must be a more powerful beast or even a demon cultivator behind this.”
She looked at Feng Yi and said, “Feng Martial Uncle, this is quite strange.”
Feng Yi nodded and said, “I’ll set up a formation to protect the village for now and report to the sect leader for further action.”
He took out formation materials and set up a protective formation in Wu Village before leaving with the disciples.
