Chapter 442 - 402: Drastic Measures (Part 1)

Chapter 442: Chapter 402: Drastic Measures (Part 1)

"Twenty jars of low-grade Spirit Tea, two jars of mid-grade Spirit Tea, two hundred and twenty jin of Spirit Rice, eleven Clear Heart Talismans, seven warning talismans, nine ordinary jade slips..."

After a busy day, the shop finally quieted down in the evening. Zhao Lin and Gu Dezhao went over the ledgers, taking stock of the day’s revenue.

"Thirty-two bottles of Fasting Pills, five bottles of Jade Marrow Liquid, seven bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills..."

Zhao Lin put down the ledger and gently shook his head. "These are all low-priced goods. We haven’t sold a single magical robe, and the same goes for the Sword-Hiding Spirit Fish."

Gu Dezhao agreed. "We sold over twenty jars of Spirit Tea, but only two were mid-grade."

"I just did the math. Our revenue is 4,130 Spirit Coins, which is equivalent to over four hundred Spirit Stones."

Zhao Lin asked, "What about Merit?"

Gu Dezhao took a small stack of Merit Slips and counted them. "Thirty-six."

Neither of them looked pleased. Only high-value goods required Merit Slips. With an income of over four thousand Spirit Coins and only thirty-six in Merit, it was clear they had only sold cheap items.

The first day of business is always the busiest. It’s normal for the grand opening day to be as busy as ten regular days, or even half a month, combined.

An income of over four thousand Spirit Coins seemed like a lot, but it couldn’t be like this every day; sales were bound to drop sharply.

Moreover, because of the discounted sales, the profit margins were squeezed quite a bit.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Lin broke into a relaxed smile. "Every beginning is difficult. For a first day, this revenue isn’t too bad. Besides, we’ve gotten our name out there. I’ve heard a lot of people talking about our shop."

Hearing this, Gu Dezhao’s expression softened. He forced a smile and said, "You’re right. Business is built up slowly. The market hasn’t been open long, so it’s not bustling enough yet."

"That’s true."

Zhao Lin stood up and stretched. "Let’s call it a day. Thank you for your hard work, Old Gu."

Gu Dezhao quickly replied, "It was no trouble at all."

The two of them put away the ledgers and returned to the rear courtyard, each beginning their meditation and cultivation.

As cultivators, one could not neglect their daily practice. Even for someone like Gu Dezhao, whose hopes of reaching Foundation Establishment were slim, consistent cultivation could maintain his cultivation level and slow the decline caused by aging.

The marketplace was built over a subterranean Spirit Vein, so the Spiritual Qi was quite abundant—enough to support the cultivation of Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

There were also special Spirit Cultivation Rooms, with effects comparable to a Spirit Cave. However, one needed to exchange Spirit Stones and Merit to cultivate in them.

The following days went just as Zhao Lin and Gu Dezhao had predicted. The second day’s revenue was only half of the first, and it dropped slightly again on the third day.

By the fourth day, the new store’s promotional event had ended, and even fewer goods were sold.

However, they had certainly chosen the right name for the shop. Passing cultivators would often wander in out of curiosity, for no other reason than to figure out what ’Golden Core Hall’ meant.

Unfortunately, the shop couldn’t keep them. Most would come in, take a quick look around, and then leave.

The businesses of West Talisman Hall next door and Linglong Pavilion were becoming more and more prosperous. From this, it was clear there was nothing wrong with the shop’s location.

Two months later, Tang Zhengquan piloted a Spiritual Vessel back to Han Chi County to restock on Spirit Rice, Fasting Pills, Clear Heart Talismans, and other cultivation supplies.

Although these items were cheap, the shop relied on them to attract customers, so they had no choice but to ship more over.

The only good news was that Zhao Lin had finally mastered the first revolution of his Nine Revolutions God Condensing Skill and had begun cultivating the second.

Building upon his foundation at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, his Divine Sense range increased by thirty zhang, reaching a total distance of eighty zhang.

In the blink of an eye, another two months passed...

This morning, the shop was quiet. Gu Dezhao sat at the counter, looking over the account books.

Gu An came over, leaned against the counter, and said in a low voice, "Uncle Dezhao, do you think our shop can stay open?"

Gu Dezhao looked up at his words. "What do you mean?" ℯℯ𝑙.

Gu An turned and glanced at the empty hall. "We haven’t sold a single thing all morning. If this keeps up, I think we’re in trouble."

Gu Dezhao’s face darkened. "What, did we short you on your salary?"

Gu An chuckled. "No, not at all. I’m just worried the shop won’t make it, and I won’t be able to find such a good job again."

He then jutted his chin toward the rear courtyard. "And our manager here is a real hands-off Shopkeeper. He’s either wandering around town or practicing in the backyard. He doesn’t manage the shop at all, leaving the whole burden on you, Uncle Dezhao..."

Before he could finish, Gu Dezhao cut him off. "He has a Purple Mansion elder for a backer. Do you?"

Gu An was choked speechless. "No."

Gu Dezhao snorted coldly. "If you don’t, then just do your job honestly. If you keep gossiping, I’ll send you back. There are plenty in the clan who would love to take your place!"

Gu An quickly pleaded for mercy. "Please don’t! I’ll behave, I promise!"

Just then, a customer walked into the shop. Gu An quickly plastered on a smile and hurried to greet them. "Welcome, esteemed customer! What can I help you find? Our shop is fully stocked with everything you could possibly need..."

A short while later, Zhao Lin walked out from the inner hall.

"Old Gu, what are you busy with?"

"Just reviewing last month’s accounts." Gu Dezhao started to say something more, but hesitated.

"You carry on. I’m stepping out for a bit."

Zhao Lin pretended not to notice and leisurely strolled out of the shop.

’In truth, he had heard the entire conversation between the uncle and nephew, but he didn’t take it to heart.’

’He didn’t interfere with the shop’s operations because he didn’t want a layman leading an expert. For the past four months, he had been quietly observing and learning.’

’His daily outings weren’t just idle wanderings, either. He was observing how other shops operated, studying the flow of people in the marketplace, and learning about the shopping preferences of cultivators.’

’Only by understanding all this could he determine whether some of the business philosophies from his previous life could be applied here.’

"This shop buys and sells Nourishing Essence Pills and Blood Replenishing Pills. Bulk quantities preferred, excellent prices offered. Interested parties, please come to Jingxin Studio on West Street for details."

"Prime street-front shop for lease transfer. All furnishings included for free. Interested parties, please proceed to First-grade Source on East Street to discuss."