Chapter 44: The Dao Discussion Platform, Eighteen Death Matches

It was another market day, and Luo Chen arrived at his stall early.

This surprised Old Taoist Chen quite a bit.

"Haven't you been coming once a month since you started refining that stuff?"

"I'm short on spirit stones lately, so I'm selling a batch first," Luo Chen said indifferently, placing two types of pills on the stone slab.

He scanned his surroundings, looking somewhat puzzled.

"Where is Wang Yuan?"

"No way, don't tell me you don't know about that matter?" Old Taoist Chen's expression was exaggerated.

Luo Chen was stunned. *Should I know?* I don't exactly have a character archetype that enjoys listening to gossip.

Spending all his time in the alchemy room, most of his news from the outside world came from two "socialites," Gu Caiyi and Bai Meiling.

"A fight is about to break out."

"You mean the Mountain-Breaker Gang and the Great River Gang! Aren't they annoying? They just finished a whole ordeal two months ago, and now they're at it again?"

Old Taoist Chen shook his head. "No, this time is different from before."

Under Old Taoist Chen's explanation, Luo Chen finally grasped the general gist of the situation. Or rather, if one had the intention to inquire, they would naturally know the current state of affairs.

The ceasefire two months ago wasn't a true peace. It was merely the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion stepping in to organize a reconciliation between Mi Shuhua of the Mountain-Breaker Gang and Wang Haichao of the Great River Gang, both of whom were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After all, if they kept this up, the Outer City would eventually be torn to pieces. Whether it was the Outer City or the Inner City, both were territories where the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion collected rent. If people were killed, who would they collect rent from?

However, when it came to the channels in the mountains, the interests involved were simply too massive. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators would naturally not give up easily.

But they couldn't ignore the prestige of the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion; after all, they were the masters of the market and represented the Jade Tripod Sword Sect.

Therefore, they settled on a martial duel. Each side would send nine top experts to compete at the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion's Dao Discussion Platform, with no restrictions on life or death. The cultivation realm of the combatants was limited to below the Foundation Establishment stage.

If the Great River Gang lost, they would forfeit their business in the mountains, retreat to manage the Lancang River properly, and cede a waterway to the Mountain-Breaker Gang. If the Mountain-Breaker Gang lost, it would be even simpler: they would transfer five of the secure passages they currently controlled to the Great River Gang.

The two-month ceasefire was intended to give the two gangs time to mobilize their experts.

"So that's why there have been so many unfamiliar cultivators in the market lately—they're all experts invited by the two gangs!" Luo Chen realized.

His hands didn't stop moving as he casually handed several jade bottles to a returning customer. After collecting the spirit stones, he watched as Chen Xiuping shook his head.

"The two gangs are significant here, but in the context of the entire Jade Tripod Domain, they aren't much."

"Uh..."

"It was news intentionally leaked by the cultivators of the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion, which is why it attracted people from many other places."

Luo Chen blinked. Why would the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion do that? Weren't they worried that these outsiders would cause trouble and make management difficult?

But Old Taoist Chen quickly answered his doubt.

"The Six Sects of the Far East each have their specialties and respective fields of business."

The Hehuan Sect specialized in matters of men and women, a business that had been prosperous since ancient times. The Divine Talisman Pavilion specialized in talismans, standing unrivaled in the Six Domains in that field. The Medicine King Sect specialized in pills and spiritual herbs, earning massive profits. The Five Elements Divine Sect specialized in spiritual plant techniques, which was equally flourishing. Tianfan City specialized in magical tools and formations, with its subordinate Wanbao Pavilion being unique across the Six Domains.

So, what about the Jade Tripod Sword Sect?

To the unsophisticated rogue cultivators, did the Jade Tripod Sword Sect have any business worth mentioning?

The answer was: No!

The Jade Tripod Sword Sect reigned supreme through combat prowess, and most of its members were sword cultivators. Yes, sword cultivators were indeed very strong among their peers, but they didn't produce anything!

Although the Sword Sect possessed impressive sword-casting techniques, they were nothing compared to Tianfan City. In particular, the swords forged by the Jade Tripod Sword Sect were mostly "Sword Pills," which required wholehearted nurturing. Most cultivators pursued diversity in combat methods; who would want to traverse the world with just a single sword? In comparison, versatile flying sword magical tools were much more compatible.

As for alchemy, talismans, and formations, although the Jade Tripod Sword Sect dabbled in them, they were far less impressive compared to the other sects.

"If you put it that way, are the cultivators of the Jade Tripod Sword Sect all just living on air?" Luo Chen still found it hard to believe.

"It doesn't come to that. At least this entire region belongs to them," Old Taoist Chen spoke eloquently, clearly well-versed in this gossip. "For example, the Zhongding family—the Dao Discussion Platform and such are their business."

Restaurants? Aren't arenas? How much spirit stone can they make from that?

"Our monthly rent and stall fees are also sources of income for them. Additionally, there is another major source of income: the Jade Tripod Domain is closest to the Million Mountains. Most of the heavenly treasures produced in the mountains are preferentially purchased by the Jade Tripod Sword Sect. Then, they sell these raw materials to the other sects in the Six Domains."

Luo Chen grimaced. "But it still sounds a bit meager!" He pointed to several prominent buildings in the city center. "If that's the case, why don't the people of the Sword Sect drive the other sects' industries out of the Jade Tripod Domain and run those businesses themselves?"

Even if the Sword Sect's pills and talismans were mediocre, they would surely be better than those of cultivation families and rogue cultivators. With the swords in their hands, if they wanted to sell, who would dare refuse to buy?

"They wouldn't dare!" Old Taoist Chen whispered. "The Jade Tripod Domain wasn't conquered by the Jade Tripod Sword Sect alone. The other five great upper sects, as well as all the large and small sects currently in the domain, all played a part."

Understood. He finally understood.

If the Jade Tripod Domain were a company, the Jade Tripod Sword Sect could be considered the largest shareholder and the executive director. The other sects each held shares. However, the profits of this company were not distributed equally. How much money one could get depended on their own ability. The Sword Sect simply had the home-field advantage.

It must be said that after Old Taoist Chen's explanation, Luo Chen fully understood the current situation.

The Dao Discussion Platform itself was an important business for the Jade Tripod Sword Sect. Now that they had the spectacle of a gang war, inviting eighteen experts to fight to the death, they would certainly maximize the value of this match. Therefore, they spread the news so that they could make a fortune just from ticket sales. If they organized other activities in the middle, such as an auction, they could make even more.

"As expected, there are no fools among cultivators!" Luo Chen remarked.

It looked like a conflict between two gangs, but as the mediator, the Jade Tripod Sword Sect stood to profit the most. Furthermore, regardless of whether the Mountain-Breaker Gang or the Great River Gang won, the items they obtained from the mountains would still be preferentially purchased by the local Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion.

The meat stays in the pot; it's better to let the aroma waft out to attract more wild dogs to be slaughtered.

Unfortunately, none of this had anything to do with Luo Chen, who was only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement.

Wait, actually, it did have something to do with him.

His big brother Wang Yuan was the top expert representing the Mountain-Breaker Gang this time.

Yes, he was the Mountain-Breaker Gang's "Double-Flower Red Pole"!

"Should I go and support Wang Yuan when the time comes?"