99: Increasing drug resistance

"Elder Zhang is truly thoughtful."

Luo Fei's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly flattered him.

After explaining the home delivery business in full detail, Zhang Qingxiao instructed the two to go and prepare for it immediately.

After leaving Zhang Qingxiao's Immortal Cave, Luo Fei first gathered Zhao Si and several other subordinates, giving them detailed instructions.

Then, he had them take their most loyal Cultivators to negotiate with the major restaurants.

At the same time, he instructed Zhao Si and the others to contact Cultivators who knew how to make the Talisman paper and ink required for Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans.

To get this business off the ground, they had to stockpile a large number of Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans in the early stages.

Without these items, there would be no way to implement their business.

To ensure Luo Fei proceeded steadily, Zhang Qingxiao suggested starting with restaurants and limiting the delivery range to a single area initially, conducting a small-scale trial first.

After getting the meal delivery work running well, they could slowly expand to other shops.

Luo Fei naturally obeyed Zhang Qingxiao's orders without question or objection.

After instructing his subordinates, he immediately began to take action.

Because they were helping the restaurants deliver meals for free at the beginning, which could increase the restaurants' orders, the negotiations were very easy.

In just three days, they had negotiated with over a dozen restaurants around the marketplace where they were located.

Then, they recruited forty to fifty Qi Refining First or Second Layer Cultivators from outside the city, paying them five taels of gold per day to deliver meals.

To ensure timely delivery, Luo Fei specifically had these Cultivators familiarize themselves with the surrounding route maps for two days.

Only then did they begin distributing Sound Transmission Talismans and Message Talismans to the nearby Cultivators, promoting the meal ordering and home delivery service.

On the first day of official delivery, they only received ten orders.

The second day, orders reached thirty.

The third day, orders reached one hundred and fifty.

Half a month later, the number of cooperating restaurants reached fifty-eight, and the daily number of orders had risen to over one thousand.

Because new Cultivators were constantly being recruited and these people were not yet skilled enough at the work, the delivery speed was slightly slower.

Otherwise, the number of orders would have increased even more.

The major cooperating restaurants, seeing that their daily orders increased significantly and their profits grew substantially, and knowing Luo Fei's identity, readily agreed to the cooperation terms he proposed.

The food delivery business gradually began to get on the right track.

During this time, Zhang Qingxiao had also been closely monitoring this business.

Every day, he would have Luo Fei and Lin Ying report the details.

While the business was up and running, it had also caught the attention of other Foundation Establishment Families, and some problems had arisen.

He had already anticipated this situation when he was preparing to start this business, so he was not too surprised.

Having confirmed that the business could earn Spirit Stones, Zhang Qingxiao once again found the Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Then, he had him introduce a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Late Stage with whom he was on good terms, and Zhang Qingxiao ceded a portion of the profits, reaching a tripartite cooperation.

This time, he yielded a total of forty percent of the profits.

Twenty percent of which was given to the Li Family Cultivator, and another twenty percent to the cooperating Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Late Stage.

With the participation of these two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, other Foundation Establishment Families, not knowing the specific profits of this business, did not dare to rashly follow suit.

This secured a tremendous development opportunity for Luo Fei.

In half a year, their food delivery business had spread throughout the entirety of Xiaoyao City.

Due to the considerable fame of the Xiaoyao Sect, after Xiaoyao City was built, it attracted a large number of Loose Cultivators to enter.

The arrival of these Loose Cultivators made the number of Cultivators within Xiaoyao City increasingly large.

Up to now, on the basis of the original five hundred thousand plus Cultivators of the Xiaoyao Sect, nearly two hundred thousand Loose Cultivators had been added.

Counting the maidservants, servants, and slaves of the Cultivator Families, the entire population of Xiaoyao City had already exceeded one million.

Moreover, Mortals outside the city also liked to enter Xiaoyao City to join in the excitement, making the entire Xiaoyao City appear extraordinarily prosperous every day.

Now, the daily food delivery orders had long since exceeded five thousand.

On the busiest day, it even reached eight thousand orders.

The daily profit had already exceeded two hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Adding the original reselling business, Zhang Qingxiao's daily income now reached over two hundred and fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

After more than half a year of cultivation, his Realm had also grown to Foundation Establishment First Layer 96/100.

At most, in another month, he would be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer.

However, as he took more and more Qi Gathering Pills, his body's drug tolerance became stronger and stronger.

Originally, it only took about three days to increase his cultivation progress by one point.

Now, it took more than four days to increase his cultivation progress by one point.

And this was still with his Cultivation Technique proficiency reaching the Great Master level.

Before his Cultivation Technique proficiency had improved, it took him five days to increase his cultivation progress by one point.

Recently, Zhang Qingxiao had already begun preparing items for self-defense when going out.

Once his Realm broke through to the Foundation Establishment Second Layer, he would head to Ancient County City to take a look and purchase some Purple Spirit Pills and Spirit Enhancing Pills in advance, to use interchangeably with the Qi Gathering Pills.

In order to slow down the rate at which his body developed tolerance to any one type of Medicinal Pill.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, are you in?"

On this day, while Zhang Qingxiao was cultivating, a Sound Transmission Talisman on his person suddenly rang with the voice of the Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

He hurriedly got up, opened the gate of his Immortal Cave, and invited the Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator into the Immortal Cave.

"Fellow Daoist Li, what brings you here today?"

Arriving at the reception hall, Zhang Qingxiao had a maidservant brew a pot of Spirit Tea before asking with curiosity.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, I heard from Wanqing that you are planning to go to Ancient County City recently and are preparing Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and other treasures for self-defense?"

"It just so happens that in three days, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators will organize a small-scale trade fair. I have received an invitation and wanted to ask if you, Fellow Daoist Zhang, would like to go together."

The Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator stated his purpose.

Over the past half year, he had collaborated with Zhang Qingxiao and earned quite a few Spirit Stones, so he placed even greater importance on Zhang Qingxiao.

Only after learning from Li Wanqing that Zhang Qingxiao was going to Ancient County City did he come over specifically.

"A small-scale trade fair?"

"Will there be any danger?"

Zhang Qingxiao asked cautiously.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Zhang, they are all Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Xiaoyao Sect, so there will basically be no danger."

"It is said that there are quite a few good things this time."

The Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator explained with a smile.

"Since that is the case, I will go along with you, Fellow Daoist Li, and join in the fun."

Upon hearing that it was a small-scale trade fair organized by the Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the Xiaoyao Sect, Zhang Qingxiao felt relieved.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Zhang, Fellow Daoist Wu Gaoqi is also preparing to go to Ancient County City in a few days. Do you need me to ask for you so that you can travel together..."

The Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator suddenly thought of this and said it directly.

"Many thanks for your kind intentions, Fellow Daoist Li, but I may need some more time before I go to Ancient County City, so there is no need to trouble Fellow Daoist Wu to wait for me."

Zhang Qingxiao hesitated for a moment before declining the Li Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator's kind offer.

He did not have a good impression of Wu Gaoqi, and the two of them had a grudge, so it was naturally impossible for them to travel to Ancient County City together.

However, he could take advantage of this opportunity to see if he could get rid of the other party.

Otherwise, he would always feel uneasy in his heart.

PS: Attribute Panel

【Name: Zhang Qingxiao】

【Identity: Xiaoyao Sect Foundation Establishment Elder, Deputy Hall Master of the Planting Hall】

【Aptitude: Ordinary】

【Lifespan: 37/242 years】

【Realm: Foundation Establishment First Layer, Progress: 96/100】

【Cultivation Technique: Foundation Establishment Stage Longevity Skill, Proficiency Great Master: 65/800, Barbaric Body Refining Art, Proficiency Great Grandmaster: 1235/3200】

【Skills: Alchemy: Pi Gu Pill, Proficiency Great Master: 468/800, Yellow Dragon Pill, Proficiency Grandmaster: 83/1600, Golden Marrow Pill, Proficiency Grandmaster: 665/1600, Detoxification Pill, Proficiency Great Master: 438/800, Qi Condensation Pill, Proficiency Grandmaster: 765/1600, Qi Gathering Pill Proficiency: 325/400】

【Talisman Making: Dust Removal Talisman, Proficiency Great Master: 1/800, Spirit Arrow Talisman, Proficiency Great Master: 1/800, Fireball Talisman, Proficiency Great Master: 1/800, Light Body Talisman, Proficiency Grandmaster: 805/1600, Message Talisman, Proficiency Great Grandmaster: 358/3200, Sound Transmission Talisman, Proficiency Great Grandmaster: 426/3200, Body Protection Talisman, Proficiency Grandmaster: 308/1600, Golden Light Talisman, Proficiency Grandmaster: 185/1600, Defense Talisman, Proficiency Great Master: 324/800, Spirit Sword Talisman, Proficiency Great Master: 156/800】

【Spells: Fireball Technique, Proficiency Perfect, Dust Removal Spell, Proficiency Perfect, Spirit Detection Technique, Proficiency Perfect, Spirit Arrow Technique, Proficiency Perfect, Ice Technique, Proficiency Great Grandmaster: 2860/3200, Wind Riding Technique, Proficiency Great Master, 186/800】

【Swordplay: Chong Ling Swordplay, Proficiency Grandmaster: 1586/1600, Elementary Sword Control Technique, Proficiency Great Grandmaster: 1588/3200, Elementary Sword Flight Technique, Proficiency Grandmaster: 955/1600】

There were some Medicinal Pills and Talismans that he did not continue to refine, so their proficiency did not increase.