Immortal Path Space

Chapter 297: The Disappearance Incident

"Junior Brother, there's no need to be modest. Everyone knows that you excel in management. If you have any ideas or suggestions for improvement, please share them. I'm all ears," Luo Yuxuan said sincerely.

"Well, I don't have any groundbreaking ideas, but after thinking it over, I believe the key is to attract more cultivators. Population is the foundation of development. With a larger number of cultivators, the Marketplace will naturally thrive, and more shops and cave mansions will be rented out," Wang Hong replied.

"But how do we attract more people? I've tried several methods before, but the results were minimal," Luo Yuxuan said. He had previously attempted rent reductions and other approaches to retain cultivators, but those who needed to leave still left, resulting in a loss of rental income.

"To make cultivators stay, we need something that can draw them in, such as benefits or safety. For safety, we must put an end to conflicts and battles within the Marketplace to ensure their safety. Over the past year, I've noticed many cultivators fighting in the Marketplace, and it's especially detrimental to lower-tier cultivators, making everyone feel unsafe. Additionally, we should declare an area of about fifty miles around the Marketplace as a safe zone and eliminate or drive away Treasure Hunters in that region."

"Furthermore, our Marketplace lacks a prominent advantage. Currently, we offer a wide variety of goods, but there's little difference compared to other small Marketplaces in the vicinity. When nearby cultivators buy items, they have no reason to specifically come to Heishi Valley Marketplace. We need to select a specific category of goods among our offerings, develop it to become well-known far and wide. Whenever nearby cultivators think of a particular item, the first place that comes to mind should be Heishi Valley Marketplace. That's when we can consider our business a success."

While Wang Hong might not be well-versed in management, he did oversee several shops. He believed that focusing on these two aspects could significantly improve the Marketplace's business.

"Clearing out Treasure Hunters and prohibiting battles, those are not too difficult to achieve. However, what kind of Spiritual Objects should we manage to establish an advantage? Unfortunately, despite being a few years older, I know nothing," Luo Yuxuan admitted.

"Senior Brother, our Qingxu Sect excels in Pill refining. Although it's not easy to obtain two-tier Pills, one-tier Pills are readily available to us. While other Marketplaces may also supply one-tier Pills, we can offer higher quality and a more comprehensive range. This way, lower-tier cultivators will be naturally drawn to us. Additionally, if Senior Brother has difficulty sourcing Pills, I have a few Alchemists under my command with decent Alchemy skills. They can provide Pills to Senior Brother, primarily one-tier Pills and some mid-tier Pills and high-tier Pills," Wang Hong suggested, while also looking to expand his own business.

Luo Yuxuan was delighted to hear this proposal. While lower-tier one-tier Pills were common and available in every Marketplace, mid and high-tier Pills were rare and often kept within the sect. Knowing that Wang Hong could source them was impressive.

"I never expected your business to be so strong. I've been managing here for over a decade, and compared to you, I feel quite embarrassed," Luo Yuxuan said. He had heard about Wang Hong's shops but hadn't realized their true potential.

The two of them discussed some details, and then Wang Hong prepared a letter to be sent to Azure Void City. Since Luo Zhongjie was still at Boundary Mountain Range and hadn't returned yet, Wang Hong instructed Ling Shuai to bring a batch of Pills over.

Upon hearing about the plan to eliminate Treasure Hunters in the vicinity, Gu Wei was already itching for action. Despite gaining more experience over the past year, his personality remained unchanged.

In the following days, Luo Yuxuan issued a notice to the Marketplace, declaring that all fighting within Heishi Valley Marketplace, including the surrounding fifty-mile radius, was strictly prohibited. They also recruited several Qi Cultivation stage patrol teams specifically responsible for inspections. If the patrol teams couldn't handle a situation, Luo Yuxuan and others would intervene. If even Luo Yuxuan couldn't handle it, they would invoke Gu Qingyang's name and the reputation of the Qingxu Sect.

Together, the three of them set out to clear the nearby Treasure Hunters. Since most of the cultivators coming to this area were lower-tier, the strength of the local Treasure Hunters was not too formidable.

Thus, their efforts turned into Wang Hong and Luo Yuxuan supervising Gu Wei's performance. They also gave him pointers to improve his combat skills, particularly urging him to abandon his tendency to immediately resort to using Thunder Beads or Spirit Stones to attack, regardless of the opponent's strength.

Within just one or two months, they managed to eliminate all the Treasure Hunters in the vicinity. Those who had managed to escape were too frightened to return, seeking fortune elsewhere.

However, during their investigations, they discovered that cultivators were still frequently disappearing in the area. While it had previously been attributed to the actions of Treasure Hunters, it seemed there was more to the situation.

Most of the missing individuals were Qi Cultivation cultivators, but two Foundation Building cultivators had also disappeared. They conducted interviews and inquiries but found no leads. Just when they were about to give up on the investigation, another clan's patriarch went missing.

This clan patriarch was only at the later stages of Qi Cultivation. He had gone to the Marketplace to purchase items two days ago and had not returned home since.

This prompted the three of them to reinvigorate their efforts and continue searching, but they still found no clues.

"Elder Brother, I think it's possible that the three of us are too conspicuous. When we go out to investigate, the other party may have already concealed themselves," Wang Hong suggested, realizing that the current approach might not lead to any results.

"Junior Brother, you make a valid point. However, what can we do about it? Whenever the three of us appear in the Marketplace, we are immediately recognized. Even if we wear masks, it's still too conspicuous. Acting mysteriously might only make people more cautious," Luo Yuxuan admitted, acknowledging the problem but lacking a better solution.

"What if... let me try something?" Wang Hong proposed.

"Junior Brother, do you have a plan?"

"Yes, I have a Magical Weapon that can shape-shift. I'm not sure if it will work, but how about this: tomorrow, both of you stay in seclusion to avoid arousing suspicion. I will pretend to be in seclusion as well and then use my shape-shifting Magical Weapon to secretly investigate."

Wang Hong didn't want to reveal too many details but mentioned having a shape-shifting Magical Weapon. He requested that they both remain in seclusion.

"Alright! We'll cooperate with you. Just be careful, Junior Brother. If you encounter any danger, send a Transmission Talisman immediately," Luo Yuxuan said, still a bit concerned since Wang Hong appeared to have only a Foundation Building initial cultivation level.

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