483: Chapter 483 Target

"What's going on?" Liu Xuan asked with a frown.

Everything was fine before, so why were they suddenly being targeted by so many major powers at once?

Shen Yunshu explained, "It's the work of Demon Lord Chixia. He has issued an order forbidding frontline Cultivators from doing business with us, only allowing them to sell to him and people from the Azure Profound Sect."

"This doesn't have a huge impact on us. Our purchase prices for various materials are fairer, and we don't cheat Cultivators. The front line is vast, so people will find ways to sell to us."

"The serious issue is that many forces within the Azure Profound Sect have cut off our supply chain because of this, causing many goods in the Vast Gathering Pavilion to become scarce and greatly reducing our competitiveness."

This was easy to understand. The Liu Family's main industries were the Pill Refining Tower and the Artifact Refining Workshop. Other items like Dharma Robes, Magical Artifacts, Spirit Medicine, and Formation Flags... most of these relied on purchases from the Azure Profound Sect.

The Vast Gathering Pavilion had everything, guaranteed quality, and fair trading. Over the years, it had built a reputation; even if prices were slightly higher, everyone was willing to trade at the Vast Gathering Pavilion.

Since the end of the Yao Race invasion war, Peach Blossom Demon Lord had become the backer of the Vast Gathering Pavilion. With the joining of forces from the Beast Taming Sect like True Lord Haoran and True Lord Nishang, the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance's Vast Gathering Pavilion had nearly monopolized all the cities along the line from Great Sun City to the Star Academy.

Other forces within the Beast Taming Sect, including those within the Azure Profound Sect's territory, found that while their shops weren't completely without business, their profit margins were being severely squeezed.

Especially for Medicinal Pills, standard-issue Magical Artifacts, and standard-issue large Flying Boats; because the prices were relatively low and the quality was very high, many people would rather wait for the Liu Family's production to increase than buy goods from others.

In the Azure Profound Sect and the Beast Taming Sect, those who had brought in goods from elsewhere at high prices in advance to profit from the war harbored a deep-seated hatred for Liu Xuan and the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance.

Because Peach Blossom Demon Lord was keeping them in check, they were dissatisfied but no one dared to step forward.

The Liu Clan Merchant Alliance didn't keep all the profits to itself. It brought in True Lord Haoran's faction and had always cooperated with the Heavenly Sword Sect. After most forces became envious, they could only lower their profits to cooperate with the Merchant Alliance.

The Liu Family didn't push things to the extreme. As long as others were willing to cooperate with the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance, it was just a matter of earning a bit less; they wouldn't lose money. After all, the Southern Border market was enormous, and the current Liu Clan Merchant Alliance couldn't possibly consume it all.

Peach Blossom Demon Lord took the lion's share while they took the smaller portions. The Southern Border market had maintained this tacit understanding for the past few years.

However, this tacit understanding was now broken by Demon Lord Chixia. He had stepped up to challenge Peach Blossom Demon Lord, causing various forces to start having other ideas.

Everyone gave Peach Blossom Demon Lord Face not only because of her terrifying combat power but, more importantly, because she was personally appointed by Daoist Lord Lihuo.

Peach Blossom Demon Lord making money meant Daoist Lord Lihuo was making money. Neither the Azure Profound Sect nor the internal forces of the Beast Taming Sect dared to oppose her openly.

Now it was different. Demon Lord Chixia was Daoist Lord Lihuo's natal spirit beast; in terms of relationship, he was much closer than Peach Blossom Demon Lord.

His coming out to oppose Peach Blossom Demon Lord—did it mean Daoist Lord Lihuo was going to slaughter the donkey after it finished grinding the grain and get rid of Peach Blossom Demon Lord?

Regardless of whether these speculations were true or false, as long as someone came forward to withstand the pressure from Peach Blossom Demon Lord, those below would dare to use the opportunity to fight for their own benefits.

"Besides the damaged supply chain, have there been any bloody conflicts?" Liu Xuan asked.

"Not for now!" Shen Yunshu replied. "Aside from some minor friction near the Cloud Top Sect, no one within the Star Academy's territory dares to intercept and kill our Merchant Alliance's people."

"Just a bunch of opportunistic cowards, no need to panic!" Liu Xuan smiled faintly and instructed Shen Yunshu:

"Help me send invitations to Heavenly Sword True Monarch, True Monarch Chongming, and True Monarch Yunshang. The location will be set at the Star Palace."

"Under what name should I write the invitations?" Shen Yunshu asked.

Liu Xuan thought for a moment. "Just say Peach Blossom Demon Lord has matters to discuss with them."

"What if they find excuses not to come?"

With a wave of Liu Xuan's hand, three translucent white, finger-sized Flying Swords were neatly arranged.

"Place one of these three Flying Swords inside each invitation. They will naturally come."

"thousand star flying sword!"

Shen Yunshu recognized this kind of Flying Sword. It had just been put on sale in the Vast Gathering Pavilion not long ago and had caused a frenzy among countless Sword Cultivators in just a few short months.

It could be directly refined into a natal flying sword, and those who already had one could use it to buff and strengthen their natal flying sword. This point alone made it more precious than most Rank Two High Grade Flying Swords.

This wasn't even its greatest advantage. What drove Sword Cultivators most wild was that it could actually undergo Fusion and advancement, potentially even promoting to a Rank Three Magic Treasure Flying Sword in the future.

After the news spread, the thousand star flying swords were snatched up as soon as they hit the shelves. It was said that several incidents of murder for the sake of stealing the swords had occurred on the front line, all to gather enough thousand star swords for advancement.

Many Artifact Refiners saw the profit in it and went to great lengths to obtain one, hoping to study its refining method.

Then they were dumbfounded. The grade of the thousand star sword wasn't high, but the Artifact Refining techniques were very strange; no one could understand them at all.

Shen Yunshu was a Sword Cultivator herself. Previously, Liu Xuan had even given her a top-tier Rank Three thousand star flying sword to enhance her original feiyu sword.

She instantly guessed Liu Xuan's plan. The Three Sects of Qingxuan all practiced the way of the sword, and Heavenly Sword True Monarch was a pure Sword Cultivator.

The thousand star flying sword was of immense value to them. If the Liu Family's production was high...

"By settling the Three Sects of Qingxuan, our Merchant Alliance's supply chain can barely be maintained for a while."

"As for the other greedy sorts..." A cold glint flashed in Liu Xuan's eyes. "Win over one group, suppress another. Those without strong backing who are also disobedient will be crushed directly. I've been following the rules for so long that others think my Liu Family is an easy target!"

"Alright!"

Shen Yunshu took her orders and withdrew. Lvluo glanced at Peach Blossom Demon Lord and followed her out.

After they left, Peach Blossom leaned against Liu Xuan. "Why go through all this trouble? In the end, the root of the problem is Demon Lord Chixia. I'll just go teach him a lesson for you, and won't that solve everything?"

Liu Xuan coiled a strand of her black hair around his finger and said gently, "Demon Lord Chixia doing this might be to lure you out to avenge the humiliation from last time. Wouldn't you be falling into a trap if you went to find him?"

"You should focus on nursing your pregnancy. I can handle this small matter!"

Peach Blossom leaned on Liu Xuan's shoulder, an invisible butterfly shadow lighting up at the center of her brow. She looked up at Liu Xuan with glowing eyes, a happy smile curving her lips.

Actually, to Liu Xuan, Demon Lord Chixia's targeting of the Merchant Alliance wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Since the establishment of the Merchant Alliance, the Liu Family had had it too easy! Growing to this day, they had almost never encountered a major crisis.

Because development was too smooth, and the interior was filled with numerous families of Liu Xuan's fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law, problems like internal corruption and slackness could never be fully resolved.

Since they were constantly developing at high speed and everyone was on the same side—if one looked closely, even the women of the Liu Manor and his children were involved—he had turned a blind eye. After all, those profiting were his own people.

This time was a perfect opportunity to use the Merchant Alliance's crisis to properly temper his subordinates and purge a batch of parasites.

Liu Xuan didn't lack money; what he lacked were loyal and capable subordinates and forces. For that, losing some economic interests was no big deal.