Chapter 445 - 403: Bold and Drastic Measures (Part 2)

Chapter 445: Chapter 403: Bold and Drastic Measures (Part 2)

Zhao Lin thought for a long time before saying, "For now, it seems Spirit Tea is our best bet for a signature product. When you’re all helping customers, make sure to mention it. We’ll have to rely on word of mouth to start."

Gu Dezhao’s spirits lifted. "Excellent. I’ll have the tea room ready in the next couple of days!"

...

A battered Spiritual Vessel slowly descended, coming to a stop at the docks of the Dongfu District. Two dust-covered cultivators disembarked.

The cultivator on the left was short and stout, with dark skin. He wore a satin robe and looked to be in his forties. He had a high, rounded forehead, small, narrow eyes, and a comically pleasant face.

The other man was slightly older, with a fair complexion. The flesh of his cheeks drooped slightly, and his hair was a little curly.

"This district is pretty big!"

The older cultivator remarked in admiration, gazing at the tall walls and the constant stream of people flowing in and out.

The short, dark-skinned cultivator looked smug. "Brother Yu, is this your first time in the Dongfu District?"

The cultivator surnamed Yu nodded. "If Younger Brother Guo hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known a new district had opened here."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator chuckled. "The district’s been open less than half a year, so not many people know about it besides cultivators from the three southeastern provinces. But it’s growing at an incredible pace and getting more and more popular. I’m sure it won’t be long before it’s famous throughout the whole sect."

The cultivator surnamed Yu also laughed. "Well, in that case, I’ll have to take a good look around."

The two chatted as they walked, soon entering the district proper. As they passed a notice board, they saw a few cultivators gathered beneath it, arguing loudly.

"They could have written all this on one sign, but no, they had to use six. Is the Shopkeeper an idiot?"

"Must have more money than sense."

"Golden Core Hall. Heh. What a shameless boast!"

The two men looked up and saw six wooden plaques hanging together on the right side of the notice board.

"Golden Core Hall: Your path to the Golden Core."

"For great deals, come to Golden Core Hall on Ding’an Street."

"For medicinal pills, come to Golden Core Hall on Ding’an Street."

"For Spirit Tea, come to Golden Core Hall on Ding’an Street..."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator and the cultivator surnamed Yu exchanged a look, both thinking, ’What kind of gimmick is this?’

Just then, an old man in a wide-sleeved robe walked over. Hearing the crowd’s chatter, he laughed and said, "I’ve been to that shop. Their business is booming!"

Several cultivators turned their heads in unison. One of them asked, "Are you serious, fellow Daoist?"

The old man chuckled. "Of course it’s true. Would I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, take a look. I even have a coupon from the shop."

With that, he pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve and waved it in front of them.

Everyone squinted to get a closer look. In the middle of the slip was a large, red number: 20.

Beside it was written: Deductible on purchases over 200 Spirit Coins, valid on all items in Golden Core Hall.

Valid: From the tenth day of the fifth month to the ninth day of the eighth month of the Yisi Year.

And underneath, in a line of small print: Golden Core Hall reserves the right of final interpretation.

"So that’s a coupon?"

"You can use it like Spirit Coins?"

"Is it for real?"

None of them had ever seen such a strange thing before, and they all started asking questions at once.

The old man smiled faintly, speaking with the air of an expert. "A coupon is like Silver Notes. Take mine, for example. If you spend 200 Spirit Coins, this lets you take twenty off. You only end up paying 180 Spirit Coins."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator couldn’t help but cut in, "So how do you get one of these coupons?"

The old man carefully put the coupon away. "I bought two talismans at the shop, and they gave me one."

"For free?"

"That’s right. For free."

"Then those two talismans you bought must have been expensive, right?"

"Not at all. One hundred and fifty Spirit Coins for both."

Hearing this, the other cultivators were intrigued. After a quick discussion, they decided to go check out the shop. They thanked the old man and hurried off.

The cultivator surnamed Yu tugged on the short, dark-skinned cultivator’s sleeve. "We’ve got time. Why don’t we go have a look? We won’t buy anything."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator was thinking the same thing and agreed without hesitation. "Alright!"

The two arrived on Ding’an Street and saw a shop bustling with activity from a distance. Cultivators were constantly going in and out. Getting closer, they saw the plaque above the entrance, which sure enough read: Golden Core Hall.

"Linglong Pavilion! Number one in Artifact Refining, our magical treasures are second to none!"

"West Talisman Hall! A thousand-year-old establishment! Honored guests, please come in!"

The clerks from the neighboring shops on either side called out, trying to draw them in.

The two paid them no mind and walked straight into Golden Core Hall.

"What’s that smell? It’s amazing!"

The moment they stepped inside, they were hit by a fresh, sweet aroma.

Following the scent, their eyes landed on a square table about waist-high. On it sat a large, shallow wooden tub filled with gleaming yellow Spirit Rice.

It was unclear what spices had been added to the Spirit Rice, but the aroma was incredibly enticing.

A cultivator dressed as a clerk stood by the tub, holding a rice paddle.

About a dozen small stools were arranged around the table. Seven or eight cultivators sat on them, each holding a bowl of Spirit Rice and eating with great relish.

"Another bowl, please."

A cultivator stood up and handed his bowl to the clerk.

"You got it!"

The clerk took the empty bowl and heaped it full of Spirit Rice.

The short, dark-skinned cultivator swallowed hard, his feet feeling rooted to the spot. He stepped forward and asked, "How much for a bowl of Spirit Rice?"

The clerk replied, "Five Spirit Coins."

’That’s not expensive...’

The short, dark-skinned cultivator thought that while he had brought his own roasted Spirit Rice, it was dry, hard, and difficult to swallow—nothing at all like this hot, steaming bowl.

A meal at a restaurant would cost at least several dozen Yuan Spirit Coins.

Seeing his companion was tempted, the cultivator surnamed Yu smiled. "We’re weary from the road. Let’s have a bowl, too."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator nodded. "I’ll follow Brother Yu’s lead!"

The clerk served each of them a bowl of Spirit Rice and thoughtfully added a bamboo tube filled with water.

The short, dark-skinned cultivator picked up his bowl and eagerly took a bite. His mouth flooded with a rich flavor that was so much more than just ’fragrant’.

Curious, he asked, "Hey, clerk, what did you put in the Spirit Rice? It’s delicious!"

The clerk smiled. "We added a little Spiritual Castor Oil, a specialty of Han Chi County. We sell it here, too. If you’re interested, you can keep an eye out for it or ask one of the clerks in the main hall."

"Got it."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator gave a casual reply and went back to devouring his Spirit Rice. He ate so fast that he started to choke and quickly raised the bamboo tube to take a few gulps.

Only after drinking did he realize it wasn’t plain water in the tube. It had the fragrant aroma of tea and contained faint traces of Spiritual Qi.

The short, dark-skinned cultivator exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of Spirit Tea is this? It’s really good."

The clerk replied, "That’s Spirit Tea from Songyu Peak in Han Chi County. It’s our Golden Core Hall’s specialty."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator grunted in acknowledgment and scanned his surroundings. Not far off, he spotted a mortal clerk holding a tray.

On the tray were numerous bamboo skewers, each threaded with a small piece of jerky.

An idea struck the short, dark-skinned cultivator. He waved the mortal clerk over and asked, "What’s on that tray?"

The mortal clerk replied, "Hidden Sword Cold Fish, from Qingyi Lake in Han Chi County. It’s rich in Spiritual Qi and has a smooth texture..."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator frowned, cutting him off. "Hidden Sword Cold Fish? You have the nerve to sell a piece this small? What a ripoff!"

The mortal clerk replied politely, "It’s not for sale, sir. They’re free samples."

"Free?"

The short, dark-skinned cultivator and the cultivator surnamed Yu were both stunned, thinking, ’There’s really such a thing?’

"Let us try one!"

Since they were free, the two didn’t hold back. They each took a piece. The moment it entered their mouths, they were met with an exquisitely fresh flavor that made their mouths water uncontrollably.

After finishing his piece, the short, dark-skinned cultivator wasn’t satisfied. Noticing that no one was paying attention, he brazenly said, "I ate that one a bit too fast, I didn’t really get a good taste. Let me try another."

The mortal clerk said nothing, simply handing him another piece of Spirit Fish Meat. He gave one to the cultivator surnamed Yu as well.

The two finished their bowls of Spirit Rice with the Spirit Fish Meat but were too embarrassed to ask for more. After all, as cultivators, it would be a huge loss of face to be looked down on by a mortal.

"I never thought Spirit Rice cooked with Spiritual Castor Oil could be this delicious."

The short, dark-skinned cultivator patted his belly, speaking with deep satisfaction.

"And the Spirit Fish and tea were excellent, too,"

the cultivator surnamed Yu added in agreement.

Hearing this, the short, dark-skinned cultivator was secretly shocked. ’The shop’s methods are really something!’ he thought.

Just one simple meal had made him want to buy the Spirit Rice, Spiritual Castor Oil, Hidden Sword Cold Fish, and Songyu Peak tea.

’No, I have to be strong! I need to keep a tight grip on my coin purse. I’m not buying a thing!’