Returning customers have always been of great importance to Luo Chen!
He's been trying to cultivate his own returning customers, instead of always relying on customer sources from Elder Chen.
However, Fasting Elixirs are common commodities, even if he had previously produced medium-grade ones, they would not bring many returning customers, and his production capacity was also limited.
The Allure Pill, on the other hand, gave him an opportunity.
After a brief chat, Luo Chen set out all the elixirs.
Elder Chen glanced over again this time. The quantity was clear at a glance. He secretly thought that Luo Chen's pill refinement skills must have indeed improved.
The quantity he brought out for his stall each time was increasing.
Of course, his "Spirit Stone Loan" should be credited for part of this.
The sun was rising and more cultivators were coming to the market. Luo Chen and Elder Chen opened their stalls one by one.
"Friend Xiao Luo, what a coincidence!"
"Yeah, quite a coincidence!"
Luo Chen enthusiastically greeted Zeng Wen, pointing to the bottles and jars in front of him, "Want the full set?"
"Sure!"
Zeng Wen picked up five bottles of Fasting Elixir and said whilst playing with them, "Your skills are impressive. After trying the Fasting Elixir last time, I found it to be at the ascendant grade level, which is far better than others."
"It's enough as long as it keeps you full, thanks for your praise."
"Can you also throw in two bottles of Allure Pills?"
"Sure."
Luo Chen silently handed two bottles of Allure Pills from the stall to Zeng Wen, they exchanged smiles, their understanding unspoken.
A cultivator choosing talismans nearby seemed to know Zeng Wen.
"Brother Zeng, the striped tiger slaughtered at butcher Li's house yesterday was your trophy, wasn't it? Your hunting trip was fruitful!"
"Ah, the demon tiger was plaguing the world, I merely did my duty. It's not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning."
"You're too modest. What are you buying here?"
Zeng Wen sneakily put the Allure Pills into his storage bag, holding a bottle of Fasting Elixir.
"Buying some Fasting Elixir, stockpiling it for convenience the next time I go into the mountains. Brother Duan, I've got to go, I'm in a hurry."
Zeng Wen hastily left.
The cultivator he called Brother Duan was somewhat puzzled.
He then saw Luo Chen take out two exquisite jade bottles from below and place them on top.
Did Zeng Wen also buy this stuff just now?
"What's this elixir?"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up, "It's the Allure Pill. Are you interested in learning more about it?"
...
Customers come and go, but the conversation topic remains the same.
High asking price, low sell price.
I boast about how good my stuff is, they pick out a bunch of flaws.
Then we agree on a price that both of us can accept, and a deal is made.
Unlike those cool rogue cultivators who meditate quietly once they've set up their stalls, the atmosphere at the bluestone stall is much livelier, and both the old and the young are thick-skinned and quick-witted.
When Luo Chen has some free time, he also helps Elder Chen hype up and sell a few talismans.
Perhaps because it was a big market day, Luo Chen's elixir business went quite smoothly.
By noon, he'd almost sold out.
All thirty bottles of Fasting Elixirs were sold, earning six lower-grade spirit stones.
All twenty bottles of Allure Pills were sold, bringing in one hundred lower-grade spirit stones.
The gap between the two was huge.
But if viewed from a profit perspective, the Allure Pill's current earnings stand at zero, barely breaking even.
On the contrary, the Fasting Elixirs, after deducting the cost, have a net profit of three spirit stones.
In reality, with his proficiency at the grandmaster level in Fasting Elixir production, Luo Chen could possibly earn more if he ramped up production.
But, the Fasting Elixir market and its demand are what they are. The excess earnings would only amount to a few spirit stones.
He could take this opportunity to increase his proficiency in producing the Allure Pills, and then start making a large-scale profit.
Industrial transformation, opening up new channels.
A brief period of pain can be tolerated!
Elder Chen kept urging him to repay, Luo Chen, left with no choice, repaid him fifty on the spot.
Then, after repaying, he coaxed for a while, and borrowed it back.
"Don't worry, I can surely pay you back. You've seen my recent earnings. Consider it as providing assistance to a poor cultivator. Once I make it big, I'll definitely repay your generosity!"
"How about this? After I finish selling my elixirs, I'll work for you in the afternoon and help you sell talismans!"
"Trust me, the quicker I help you sell out, the more time you'll have to make additional talismans, and that will offset the cost."
After much pleading, Luo Chen managed to save the hundred and six spirit stones in his pocket.
The trade-off was that he had to be a temporary worker for the afternoon.
"Hmm, what's happening at Brother Wang's stall?"
While selling talismans, Luo Chen looked up and saw a crowd at Wang Yuan's stall nearby.
He was interested in checking out the happenings, but Elder Chen held him back.
"Don't go!"
"Why not?"
"Have you forgotten what happened the last time something like this occurred?"
Luo Chen halted his steps, recalling a scene from two years ago in the previous host's memory.
The scene from then and the scene from now were strikingly similar.
"The enemies have come?"
Elder Chen looked at the events unfolding with complex emotions, "Although most rogue cultivators are loners, there are still some who have friends and relatives."
"It's fine if they die, but their magical tools and robes are being sold off. If their friends or family find out, they will inevitably feel a grievance."
Luo Chen suddenly understood and noticed that the crowd was indeed bristling with tension.
It seemed like they were on the verge of a fight.
Wang Yuan was at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Stage. Those who dared confront him were probably not far behind in their cultivation levels.
If a fight broke out and he went over there to meddle, he could easily get caught in the crossfire.
"There won't be a fight, don't worry. The Inner City forbids disputes."
Elder Chen shook his head. He had seen too many incidents like this.
It could be said that people like Wang Yuan, who live dangerously, are bound to encounter trouble sooner or later.
Sure enough, after hurling out a few harsh words, three cultivators left the market in a huff.
Wang Yuan still maintained his cool expression, sitting cross-legged in front of his stall, his eyelids drooping as if he was half-asleep.
"Selling these blood-stained magic tools entails a great risk!" Luo Chen muttered, "Why not sell them directly to Wanbao Pavilion?"
Elder Chen scoffed, "Wanbao Pavilion buys at half the price and sells at a higher price than the original after barely refurbishing them. Why would you earn less by selling it at your own stall?"
So that's the reason!
Luo Chen finally understood. The quality of magic tools in the rogue cultivators' market varied widely, and it was completely dependent on the cultivators' judgment.
Also, without refurbishing, they stood out too much and could easily be recognized by the original owner's friends.
The only advantage, perhaps, was that they were much cheaper than the official price.
"Right now, I only have one sword, and it's rusty."
"When I have money in the future, should I buy from the market or from Wanbao Pavilion?"
Rubbing his chin, Luo Chen, was plunged into a dilemma akin to choosing between a BMW or a Benz.
Daydreaming is momentary.
Work, on the other hand, lasts all afternoon.
After helping Elder Chen deal with the talismans, he quickly scrambled to buy the raw materials he needed.
After several large-scale purchases, he had negotiated with the sellers in advance to reserve the goods for him.
Although time was short, in the end, he managed to spend all his hundred or so spirit stones.
He literally didn't save a penny!
Going all in is a form of wisdom.
Luo Chen never lacked the courage to go all in, especially in the early stages. There was nothing to lose since he could always start over if he failed.
When he was walking home with a big bag of snake skin, it was dark once again.
Luo Chen stepped onto the dirt road of the Outer City, humming a tune from time to time.
"I can't drift with the tide, for my beloved pursuit of longevity."
Suddenly, Luo Chen stopped.
Under the moonlight, four people stood in front of him.
With the wind high and the night dark, the intent for murder and robbery, is it finally my turn?
Luo Chen's heart sank into an abyss, as deep as the Lancang River.