11: Chapter 11 Opening a Shop

It was another late-night family meeting.

There were more people than last time. Liang Shoushan had specifically called his wife, Zhao Lingwan, as well as his granddaughter Liang Qihui and grandson Liang Qizhi.

Along with Liang Shouye, Liang Chengye, Liang Qiming, and Liang Chengping, who had just recently returned from his rotation on Blue Winter Star, the room was packed.

The halo of the oil lamp enveloped everyone's faces.

Liang Shoushan didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"We've accumulated quite a lot of things."

His gaze swept over everyone present. "The hides, bones, claws, and teeth cleared from the back mountain are piled up in the warehouse. From the newly opened land, there's some spiritual rice left over from last year's crop after our own consumption. Before, we were afraid of attracting attention and didn't dare to sell much, only trading for essential supplies."

He paused, his fingers tapping on the rough wooden table.

"Now, I'm thinking about something."

The room was very quiet, with only the occasional soft crackle of the lamp wick.

Zhao Lingwan looked at him, her eyes filled with worry but also the understanding of decades spent together. Liang Chengye sat up straight. Liang Qiming's gaze was focused.

"Heishan Town."

Liang Shoushan uttered those three words. "I want to take over a shopfront in Heishan Town. It doesn't have to be big, even just a small storefront will do. We'll put the things we have out for sale properly. We can also buy some mountain goods and do a bit of reselling business."

His voice wasn't loud, but the meaning behind his words startled everyone.

Liang Shouye spoke first, his brow furrowed. "Big Brother, the town... that's a place controlled by the three families." The 'three families' he referred to were small families that had been rooted in Heishan Town for many years, each with a Late Qi Refining Stage cultivator presiding over them, and their shops and territories clearly divided.

"If we wedge ourselves in like this, won't it be too conspicuous? We've made quite a stir this past year; someone might have already noticed us. And now to open a shop..."

"I know," Liang Shoushan interrupted him. "That's why we're only opening a small shop. We won't compete with their main businesses; we'll just sell demon beast materials, buying and selling in small quantities, like a stall put together by an individual cultivator. It won't be eye-catching."

He looked at his son, Liang Chengye. "You often run to the market, you know many people, and you're well-spoken. If the shop really opens, you'll look after it when you go to town."

Liang Chengye nodded without speaking, clearly weighing the idea.

Zhao Lingwan, who had been silent, said softly, "Old man, have you really thought this through? Having a shop in Heishan Town will be different from before. We won't just be farmers huddled in a valley, waiting for caravans to come and collect our goods anymore."

Her words struck a chord deep within Liang Shoushan.

He remembered when he was young, still a rootless rogue cultivator, passing through Heishan Town.

He had stood outside those shops with their hanging signs, watching decently dressed people come and go, discussing the prices of spirit stones and goods. He could only touch his empty Storage Pouch and turn away.

Back then, he thought about what it would feel like to have a shop of his own, even if it was only the size of a palm, where he could sit peacefully inside.

Decades had passed, and he thought this idea had long since rotted away in his gut.

"I know there are risks."

Liang Shoushan's voice deepened. "But we can't always live our lives guarding this little valley. Only the things we sell ourselves are truly valuable; selling to those shops means we can only sell for a pittance. For the long-term benefit of the family, this is something that must be done!"

He looked at the grandchildren. Liang Qihui's eyes were bright; she was clever and had long been helping the family handle spiritual plants and accounts, so she clearly had thoughts about opening a shop. Liang Qizhi rubbed his hands, looking eager to give it a try.

"Let's try it."

Liang Shoushan said finally, as if to himself as much as to everyone else, "Without any fanfare, let's just quietly give it a try. If it succeeds, the family will have another path. If not, we'll lose some spirit stones, close the shop, and come back to farm."

He said they'd try, but in his heart, Liang Shoushan was already somewhat impatient; owning a shop was a dream every rogue cultivator had fantasized about.

He looked at his younger brother. "Shouye, as for the shop, please take the trouble to look after it in secret."

Liang Shouye sighed. Knowing his elder brother's mind was made up, he nodded. "Alright. I'll keep an eye on it."

The meeting adjourned. People left one after another.

Liang Shoushan sat alone under the lamp. Zhao Lingwan replaced his tea with a hot cup. He took his wife's rough hand in his.

"Getting old, yet my ambitions have grown instead," he whispered.

Zhao Lingwan squeezed his hand back, saying nothing.

-

Opening a shop was far more than just taking out spirit stones and renting a storefront.

Spirit stones were actually the easiest part. A slightly diligent rogue cultivator could scrape together enough for rent after saving for a few years.

The hard part came afterward.

First was the inventory. What would you display in your shop? Why would people come in to buy from you instead of the decades-old shop next door?

You needed a stable source, something others lacked, or a price advantage.

The Liang Family's goods were mainly demon beast materials from the back mountain and surplus grain from the newly reclaimed spiritual fields.

The former relied on being hunted with guns, while the latter was small in quantity and couldn't sustain a presence. It wasn't enough.

Second was the 'fist'—strength. When a shop opened, people from all walks of life would come.

There would be those looking for genuine business, those looking to stir up trouble or take advantage, and competitors coming to scout the situation.

If you couldn't hold your ground, you'd be slandered today, extorted tomorrow, and your goods might even be stolen or robbed the day after.

The highest cultivation in the Liang Family currently was Liang Shoushan at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer; in Heishan Town, this wasn't top-tier, but it certainly wasn't weak either.

But seeing a newcomer, others would come to test your mettle.

Third was relationships. You had to grease the palms of the town's tax officials, the patrolling guards, the neighboring shops, and even the scavengers who cleared the trash; you had to let people know you understood the rules.

Otherwise, they might say your sign didn't meet regulations today or investigate the source of your goods tomorrow; small matters could wear you down to death.

Liang Shoushan was well aware of this. Having lived for nearly eighty years, he had seen too many rogue cultivators who, after saving a bit of money, wanted to become shopkeepers, only to lose all their savings and slink away in disgrace.

Yet, he still decided to try. This had already become an obsession for him.

Over the next two months, Liang Shoushan and Liang Chengye practically lived in Heishan Town.

He traded his coarse cloth clothes from the valley for a semi-worn green robe, looking like the head of a small family.

Liang Chengye followed behind him, carrying gift boxes and wearing a polite smile.

They first went to the Town Office. The manager was a young cultivator in the Mid Qi Refining Stage surnamed Zhou, with shrewd eyes and a businesslike detachment.

Liang Shoushan explained his purpose: he wanted to rent a small shopfront to do some mountain goods business.

Steward Zhou flipped through a register without looking up. "Shopfronts are in high demand right now, Old Master Liang. Especially those in good locations."

Liang Shoushan pulled a small cloth pouch from his sleeve and pushed it forward gently. "I know Steward Zhou works hard. Here is a bit of wild tea from the mountains, a small token of my respect. Please take the trouble to help."