Chapter 241: No Worries About Supplies

The second approach is artifact refinement, which is similar to pill-making—both aim to cultivate their disciples’ skills in artifact refinement.
The third approach is business management. Here, “management” does not refer to the operation of secular industries by various families, but rather the handling of materials closely related to pill-making and artifact refinement, such as spiritual materials, spiritual beasts, and ores.
Families can raise spiritual beasts, cultivate spiritual materials, or purchase mines for exploitation—sometimes combining several of these methods. In any case, aside from strengthening their power, all a family’s efforts are focused on this area.
Families that choose this path generally have no grand ambitions and seek to establish a foothold in a specific region. Such families make up over 80% of all families.
The reason is simple: as long as they possess low-tier spiritual materials, spiritual beasts, or ores, and have protective forces, these resources are of little value to other families. The risks of seizing them outweigh the benefits. They face far fewer threats from other families compared to those focused on pill-making and artifact refinement.
Families that pursue this path have access to spiritual beasts, materials, and ores, so if they lack pills or artifacts, they can exchange these for them just like pill- and artifact-making families. The only drawback is that the family lacks the motivation for gradual growth; to expand, it can only rely on the emergence of talented descendants.
The final development path combines two or even three of these methods. For example, a family might cultivate its disciples’ pill-making skills while also investing effort in growing large amounts of spiritual materials. This分散s efforts and increases the likelihood of attracting the attention of other families.
Of course, with this approach, the family’s strength grows much faster than that of other families.
Generally, families that choose this path are either large clans or those with exceptionally talented descendants who can ensure the family’s safety.
It can be said that a family’s development path is similar to that of a sect, except that sects have the additional option of spiritual arrays, as well as advantages such as controlling spiritual stone sources and selecting outstanding disciples—giving them a starting point hundreds or thousands of times stronger than that of families.
According to Lin Dong’s thinking, since Bai Qi is the Bai family’s first talisman, the family should focus on artifact refinement. After all, the Gu Huan Sect is a sect dedicated to artifact refinement. Over time, even if Bai Qi cannot become an elder of the Gu Huan Sect, she can at least reach the third or fourth level in artifact refinement, enabling her to guide the Bai family’s disciples in improving their skills.

Bai Jingtai was trying every means to get Bai Qi to join the Gu Huan Sect. Having a sect disciple as a family talisman was one reason, and there must be a certain reason for the family to have a development direction. But now he was hesitant, so Lin Dong couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Bai, are there any other suitable development directions?”
Bai Jingtai smiled helplessly. “Originally, we planned to focus on artifact refinement, for the reasons you know. Not long ago, an elder from a sect that had suffered heavy losses due to conflicts with other sects and had already been destroyed approached me, asking me to provide them with a batch of spirit stones. After learning that I intended to establish my own family, he promised that if I provided him with spirit stones worth a million taels of silver, he would give me all the second-tier and lower-level alchemy formulas from his sect, guaranteeing not to spread them elsewhere again.”
Taking a breath, Bai Jingtai continued, “With my financial resources, I can afford a million taels of silver. Having a large number of unclaimed second-tier alchemy formulas could save our family at least two or three generations of time. The only problem is that if that girl Bai Qi becomes an elder in the future and several more descendants of our family qualify to join the sect, doing this might not be worth it.”
Lin Dong nodded. If Bai Qi became an elder of the Gu Huan Sect and several more descendants of the Bai family qualified to join the sect, they could send one or two of their disciples there. With Bai Qi’s protection in the Gu Huan Sect, even if their strength was weaker than that of their peers, their chances of becoming elders in the future would be very high.
In that case, if the Bai family chose artifact refinement, they wouldn’t have to worry about lacking guidance for several generations. Its value might not be lower than that of second-tier alchemy formulas.
After some thought, Lin Dong suggested, “If Brother Bai trusts me, I think it’s better to focus on artifact refinement.”
“Why does Brother Lin think it’s better for the Bai family to focus on artifact refinement?” Bai Jingtai couldn’t help but ask for confirmation.
Lin Dong smiled calmly. “Because I’m optimistic about the future of the Gu Huan Sect. It could rise to the level of a mid-sized sect within two or three years, and perhaps even become a major sect in ten or eight years.”
Bai Jingtai was speechless. In the secular world of business, few could achieve such rapid growth, let alone a sect.
However, Lin Dong’s suggestion helped him make up his mind.
Wasting time debating wouldn’t solve anything. Making a decision early would allow them to establish their family sooner.
After some thought, Bai Jingtai bowed and said with a smile, “Then I’ll rely on Brother Lin’s good wishes. May the Gu Huan Sect thrive, and may our Bai family also benefit greatly from it.”
Lin Dong smiled and said, “If the Bai family benefits greatly from the Gu Huan Sect, Brother Bai, don’t forget to let me enjoy the benefits too.”

“Oh, that’s right…” Bai Jingtai smiled and said, “I’ve already brought over the spirit stones that Brother Lin asked me to deliver. What do you need so many spirit stones for?”
“They’re very useful,” Lin Dong smiled and asked, “How many spirit stones in total?”
Having been in business for decades, Bai Jingtai had a good eye for such things. He quickly changed the subject and said, “Xiao Liang only asked for spirit stones worth 100,000 taels of silver. I was afraid you wouldn’t want higher-grade ones, so I brought all first-grade spirit stones. In total, it’s 200,000 taels, all stored in the storage ring of the guards.”
“200,000 taels?” Lin Dong was surprised. “If you get a first-grade spirit stone for one tael, even including shipping costs, wouldn’t it be less than five qian of silver?”
“More or less!” Bai Jingtai nodded.
This Brother Bai really knows how to joke!
Lin Dong smiled faintly, took out the silver notes that Gu Huanzong had scraped together by selling everything he had, pushed them onto the table, and said meaningfully, “These are 1.3 million taels of silver. Aside from the 100,000 taels for these spirit stones, could Brother Bai please take the time to deliver more spirit stones for me? It doesn’t matter what grade they are.”
“1.3 million taels of silver?” Bai Jingtai’s eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the neatly stacked silver notes before him.
He had seen silver notes worth over a million taels before, but this Brother Lin was just a small innkeeper a year ago. How could he have come up with 1 million taels in such a short time?
Not to mention running an inn, Bai Jingtai considered himself one of the major merchants in the Great Han Kingdom, yet even after traveling around the country all year long, he couldn’t earn that much silver.
Lin Dong smiled and said, “To be honest with Brother Bai, I’m actually buying these for a friend. Once this deal is done, he has an even bigger deal waiting for you.”
Bai Jingtai’s expression showed hesitation. At this price, 1.3 million taels of silver worth of spirit stones would amount to 2.6 million first-grade spirit stones. Not to mention shipping costs, the cost alone would be over 1.8 million taels of silver.
This single deal meant the Bai family would have to work for Brother Lin’s friend for most of the year.
And what’s more, there were more deals to come, even larger ones?
“Brother Bai, let’s be honest…” Lin Dong said leisurely, “What’s the actual cost? Consider it a favor. When you have time, please treat me to some drinks for Brother Bai Qi’s sake. When I’m in trouble and need some silver, just lend me 1.8 million taels without frowning. Business is business. If you lose money and I don’t know about it, then your favor will be wasted.”
Bai Jingtai smiled bitterly. “So Brother Lin was just trying to scare me.”

Lin Dong shook his head repeatedly. “My friend really does need a large amount of spirit stones. The ones worth over a million taels of silver can only last for a while for now.”
Bai Jingtai nodded slowly, thought it over carefully, and had to tell the truth. “I buy spirit stones from the outer sect managers of various major sects. Including the benefits and bribes I give them, the cost of one first-tier spirit stone is about seven qian of silver.”
Lin Dong nodded. This cost made sense. He had asked Xiao Tianchi that in the past, if the Gu Huan Sect had surplus spirit stones, it was usually the outer sect managers who handled them, and they sold them for eight qian per stone.
Although major sects occupied mountains rich in spiritual energy and had hundreds or even thousands of times more surplus spirit stones than smaller sects, they had many disciples and were far stronger, so they consumed even more spirit stones. Their surplus spirit stones were never so abundant that they would sell them at half the market price just to save trouble.
After some thought, Lin Dong asked, “Is the shipping cost high?”
Bai Jingtai shook his head. “Spirit stones aren’t bulk goods, so the shipping cost isn’t much. A few larger storage spirit rings and a few loyal and capable guards are enough.”
“Brother Bai, you sell them to various antique shops and families for nine qian per stone, right? If you sell them to me, you can give me eight qian per stone if there’s a surplus. If the quantity is insufficient and I have to use spirit stones meant for those shops and families, would it be okay if I still pay nine qian per stone?” Lin Dong said. “Just consider it a way to sell more at a slight loss.”
Bai Jingtai waved his hand. “Don’t worry about spirit stones. Our Bai family has been in the spirit stone business for over a hundred years. I can’t promise much, but most of the outer sect managers in the Minyue region are on good terms with me, so we can get as many spirit stones as we need. As for the price, seven and a half qian is enough. I can’t make too much profit from Brother Lin.”
Lin Dong shook his head. “Gratitude is one thing, but an excessively low price will eventually lead to resentment. Besides, I’m buying these for a friend—I can’t benefit one side at the expense of the other. Eight qian. I won’t accept even one less coin.”
Bai Jingtai was amused and exasperated. “In business, buyers try their best to lower prices, while sellers try every means to raise them. It’s not right if we do the opposite, is it?”
“Then it’s settled—eight qian!”
Lin Dong made the decision firmly. He wanted it cheaper, but the profit would be too low, and the quantity was enormous. If Bai Jingtai had no objection, the Bai family might not agree. There was no point in sacrificing the bigger gain for a smaller one.

The biggest advantage is being able to buy spirit stones for eight qian of silver, with no need to worry about a shortage of supply for at least a few years. Once the deal was settled, their conversation shifted back to their family and the Lin’s Inn. As noon approached, the spirit stones were also delivered.