97: Preparing for new business

After his Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the medicinal meals that could previously reduce drug resistance during the Qi Refinement Stage no longer had any effect on him.

After three months of cultivating while taking the Qi Gathering Pill, he clearly felt that the speed at which his cultivation progress increased had decreased.

The longer one takes Medicinal Pills, the more the speed of cultivation progress improvement will decline.

In the Xiaoyao Sect, the only Medicinal Pill currently capable of increasing the cultivation speed of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is the Qi Gathering Pill.

If this problem could not be solved, once the Qi Gathering Pill ceased to be effective, his cultivation speed would drop significantly.

Even if he cultivated the Foundation Establishment Stage Longevity Skill to Perfection, it would likely take over a hundred years to reach the Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Just as Zhang Qingxiao was pondering how to solve this problem and feeling completely at a loss, Luo Fei and Lin Ying simultaneously sent him messages using Message Talismans.

After reading the messages, he immediately stood up, steered his Flying Sword, and arrived in Xiaoyao City.

He met Luo Fei and Lin Ying in the residence allocated by the Sect.

"How many Foundation Establishment Families have started doing the business we were doing before?"

Upon seeing the two, Zhang Qingxiao asked directly.

"According to the latest information I received, besides the Wu Family and the Kang Family, three other families have started doing our business."

"The Wu Family and the Kang Family's business hasn't been very good lately; they aren't earning nearly as much as we are, and they have already started secretly inquiring about our situation."

"..." Lin Ying reported the situation in detail.

The Wu Family and the Kang Family were not like them; they did not acquire different Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Magical Artifacts based on market changes.

As time went on, they accumulated a significant backlog of Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Magical Artifacts.

It was precisely for this reason that they had set their sights on Zhang Qingxiao.

Following that, Luo Fei also explained the current status of their business operations.

Since more and more families were now engaged in this business, the Utility Disciples had more options for potential partners.

However, Zhang Qingxiao had very strict requirements in all aspects, which caused many of the Utility Disciples they had previously collaborated with to voluntarily terminate their partnerships.

Because he had previously instructed that they must not force these skilled Utility Disciples.

Therefore, the Spirit Stones they earned each day were far less than before.

Now, they couldn't even guarantee a profit of one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per day.

Zhang Qingxiao had long anticipated this and did not feel any surprise.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "Since so many families have started doing this business, from now on, we will engage in open and normal competition with these families that have Foundation Establishment Cultivators."

"Lin Ying, Luo Fei, the two of you will now diligently conduct market research according to my requirements."

"Make a list of all the restaurants in Xiaoyao City, as well as shops selling ingredients, medicinal herbs, and daily necessities."

"At the same time, conduct a random survey to see how interested Outer Sect Disciples and Utility Disciples are in a delivery service."

"..." Since the reselling business was no longer profitable, he would try to see if the food delivery business was viable ahead of schedule.

If this business was viable, the income would at least not be worse than the previous reselling business.

"Elder Zhang, are we going to provide a delivery service?"

"How should we go about doing this?" Luo Fei asked with some confusion.

"First, go do the market research, then report the situation to me. Once I understand the situation, I will explain it to you in detail."

"Right, also go talk to the shops that sell Talisman paper and ink to see how low the cost of producing Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans can be reduced."

Zhang Qingxiao did not answer Luo Fei's question. Remembering that providing a delivery service would require the use of Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans, he added another instruction.

Currently, purchasing Talisman paper for making Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans costs about one tael of gold for ten sheets, and the lowest price for the ink needed to make these two types of Talismans is one tael of gold per bottle.

One bottle of ink can basically be used to make one hundred Message Talismans or Sound Transmission Talismans.

Calculating it, one tael of gold can produce nine Message Talismans or Sound Transmission Talismans.

Of course, this is because his success rate in making Talismans is one hundred percent.

Other Talisman Makers cannot guarantee reaching his level.

Those who can achieve a success rate of over ninety percent are as rare as Phoenix feathers and Dragon horns.

Most Talisman Makers have a success rate of about seventy to eighty percent when making Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans.

After all, making Talismans is delicate work; a slight lack of attention can lead to errors.

Calculating based on a seventy percent success rate, the production cost for these Talisman Makers is about six Sound Transmission Talismans or Message Talismans per tael of gold.

The selling price will certainly not be lower than two Sound Transmission Talismans or Message Talismans per tael of gold.

Talisman Makers also need to earn Spirit Stones; they cannot work for free.

This cost is still a bit high.

To get the delivery service up and running, it will certainly be necessary to give Sound Transmission Talismans or Message Talismans to Cultivators in the early stages.

Furthermore, for large-scale deliveries, if the cost of these two types of Talismans is too high, the amount of Spirit Stones required in the early stages will be substantial.

The time to recoup the investment will become long.

Therefore, no matter how one looks at it, the cost of these two types of Talismans needs to be reduced.

After instructing the two, Zhang Qingxiao found the Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

He briefly explained his business affairs to him.

He expressed his intention to cooperate with the Li Family.

Now that more and more families were getting involved, he, as a Foundation Establishment First Layer Cultivator, might not be able to hold the ground on his own.

Only by cooperating with the Li Family could he maximize the deterrence against other Foundation Establishment Families doing this business.

This would prevent these Foundation Establishment Families from going too far.

"Can your business really earn that many Spirit Stones?"

The Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator had never paid attention to this aspect and really did not know that Zhang Qingxiao had a business that could earn three to five thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones a month.

Such a large amount of Spirit Stones was not a small sum even for him, a Foundation Establishment Third Layer Cultivator.

"If it weren't for being targeted by other families, the Spirit Stones earned each month would be even more..."

"As long as our two families cooperate, we can deter most Foundation Establishment Families and keep them from acting recklessly."

"With open and fair competition, the Spirit Stones earned from this business could even double."

"Fellow Daoist Li, you know I like to Cultivate in peace and don't want to deal with these matters..."

"If you are willing to cooperate with me, I can share thirty percent of the profits."

The relationship between the two families was quite close, so Zhang Qingxiao did not hide his thoughts.

"Good!"

"I agree to this matter."

"From now on, I will send Cultivators from within the Family to assist Luo Fei."

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, rest assured, I will not let the Cultivators from my Family inquire about the ins and outs of this business."

The Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator pondered for a moment and then agreed.

Thirty percent of the profits was already quite a lot.

According to what Zhang Qingxiao said, out of a profit of three thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, he would also be able to receive nearly one thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

This was almost equal to the remaining monthly profits of their Li Family's business.