After the two commerce associations released their statements simultaneously, the price of beast materials plummeted.

Ultimately, the price stabilized at 3.3 Spirit Stones per kilogram as delineated by both parties.

At the same time, to prevent certain families from secretly taking beast materials out of the market and selling them to other associations, Tingyun Pavilion deliberately brought out a legendary 'Nascent Soul Travel Order.'

So-called Nascent Soul Travel Order.

Refers to an identity token refined by a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator using a strand of essence blood.

The token contains the unique divine sense pressure of the Nascent Soul Realm Great Cultivator, often representing the thoughts and will of the Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

The enforcer of the Nascent Soul Travel Order from Tingyun Pavilion explicitly informed all families:

This acquisition of materials by Tingyun Pavilion represents the will of the demon gate, meant to support the front lines and is a transaction of a levy nature.

For the sake of protecting everyone's privacy, Tingyun Pavilion will not inspect each family's Spatial Bags.

However, if a family is discovered conducting unexplained materials transactions after leaving the market... then they must bear the consequences themselves.

The oppressive feeling of the Nascent Soul Travel Order that represents the will of the Nascent Soul, coupled with the uncertainty of finding a buyer for large quantities of materials outside Ziqiong City, and the fact that almost all transactions within the city are monitored by Purple Treasure Pavilion—

Moreover, compared to the initial wholesale price of 2 Spirit Stones per kilogram, the purchase price given by Tingyun Pavilion still allows for some profit, it's just a dissatisfaction from not having reaped peak profits.

Consoling oneself could be considered as making money.

Hence, after some consideration, a considerable number of families still chose to obediently hand over materials for trade.

After all, if it was an individual Loose Cultivator with no family burdens, they might indeed hide the goods and not sell them this time, regardless of the consequences.

But within the market now, each business convoy represented one or even multiple families.

These families had dozens to hundreds of members, some including servants with a population not under a thousand.

In such a situation, who would dare to cross the red line laid right before them?

In trades involving the demon gate issue, Tingyun Pavilion could easily pin any accusation on them, which even ordinary Core Formation Realm families could not withstand.

Not to mention, more than half of the city comprises Foundation Establishment Realm families, indeed to such extent, a single offering from Tingyun Pavilion could easily wipe out a family.

This was also the first time since the rabbits arrived in the Damo Realm that they witnessed firsthand the survival of the fittest on the level of the Damo Realm cultivators.

Under these circumstances, many families could only choose to obediently exchange materials with Tingyun Pavilion.

Even those commerce associations that bought beast materials at high prices didn't dare voice any objections.

Of course.

There certainly were families whose determination was unwavering, hiding Spatial Bags, whose psychology had been predicted numerous times in capital theory.

But these families, compared to the whole market, were so few that they could be almost ignored.

As for the local giant Purple Treasure Pavilion, they also had no objections.

After all, their beast materials had long been sold out, filling their coffers, and with Tingyun Pavilion acting as the enforcer they had no formal losses to bear.

After all, a Core Formation Commerce Association yielding to a Nascent Soul Commerce Association was reasonable anywhere.

Additionally, within a thousand miles surrounding Ziqiong City, there were no other giant cities that could replace Ziqiong Market, achieving a trade monopoly.

Therefore, Purple Treasure Pavilion and the Yang Family behind them weren't worried at all.

They were just like the local yellow-blue couriers; even knowing they were being heavily exploited, with no alternatives, what could be done?

At this moment.

The Chief Shopkeeper of Purple Treasure Pavilion, also the younger brother of Yang Family Patriarch Yang Wannian, Yang Bolin, was leisurely enjoying fragrant tea seated in a rocking chair within the temporary store set up at the market by Purple Treasure Pavilion.

With his left hand, he was gently flipping through an account book, documenting all the items acquired by Purple Treasure Pavilion during this bottom-scouring operation.

"Zhao Family Commerce Association, 30,000 Spirit Stones... Qian's Shop, 8,000... Fang's, 23,000... Chu's, 21,000... hmm?"

As he flipped through, Yang Bolin seemed to notice something amiss.

He let out a small surprised sound, put down the teacup, and carefully examined the account book again.

Indeed, the personnel dispatched only purchased beast materials worth 21,000 Spirit Stones from Chu's Commerce Association.

After contemplating for a few seconds, Yang Bolin continued to glance downwards, his brow furrowing increasingly.

He then took out a map showing the distribution of commerce associations within the city from his waist Spatial Bag, and began to carefully compare:

"Qian's Shop... Ma Family Shop... Ke's Business... Wen Clan Commerce Association... all in one area?"

If only one or a few families had purchased fewer beast materials than expected, it wouldn't be strange; after all, in city-wide bottom-scraping, not everyone can clear out inventories.

But a large-scale reduction in a particular area... that was rather unusual.

Breathing out a muffled breath, Yang Bolin called out to the outside:

"Zhao Zhicai, come in for a moment."

A moment later, a middle-aged secretary came in from outside, slightly bowed in front of me:

"Shopkeeper, you called?"

This man was named Zhao Zhicai, his ancestors had worked for the Yang Family as long-term laborers, and he was one of Yang Bolin's most trusted subordinates.

In the previous secret plan to acquire inventories from the city's guilds, Zhao Zhicai was in charge of purchasing in the east and south areas.

Yang Bolin spread out the accounts, pushed them in front of Zhao Zhicai, and asked him with a questioning look:

"Zhicai, why are there so few materials in the East City area?

The largest Chu's Commerce Association shouldn't have beast materials worth less than fifty thousand spirit stones, how come we have received less than half, and other guilds are also far below our expected estimates?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhicai seemed to have thought of something, hesitated for a few seconds, and replied reluctantly: "Chief Shopkeeper, mainly the area in the east is a bit unusual....."

Yang Bolin frowned and asked, "Unusual? With the Yang Family's ancestor in Ziqiong City, what unusual thing could happen? Surely, the east city hasn't grown long red hairs, has it?"

"In response, Shopkeeper, mainly someone in the eastern area... went ahead of us in purchasing."

Zhao Zhicai quickly explained further:

"Among them, Chu's Commerce Association's beast materials were taken the most, and other medium and small guilds had about one-third to half taken.

Yet overall, it only amounted to roughly sixty to seventy thousand spirit stones, which is far from our total scale... so I didn't report this to you."

After listening to Zhao Zhicai's explanation.

Yang Bolin was silent for a while, then waved his hand and leisurely took a seat, "Zhicai, this indeed isn't a big deal, it's not your fault for not reporting it, but have you checked who those buyers of the beast materials are?"

With Purple Treasure Pavilion's scale, commodities worth fifty to sixty thousand spirit stones are hardly noticeable.

This time, with Tingyun Pavilion as a big spender, the minimum profit in spirit stones for Purple Treasure Pavilion is over three million.

What really piqued Yang Bolin's curiosity was the identity of those buyers.

Being able to predict the price hike of beast materials is one thing, but how did they determine the specific area in the east city?

By reverse calculating from the time Zhao Zhicai left, at that specific point, only the east city's area hadn't been thoroughly swept through in the entire city.

If it was by coincidence, then they were just lucky.

But if not by accident, then this group is quite interesting.

Seeing that Yang Bolin did not blame him, Zhao Zhicai felt a slight relief.

He knew Yang Bolin's character, if it's unrelated to him, then it surely wouldn't be a problem, so he continued:

"Here's the thing, I later asked a few guild shopkeepers and indeed found out some things.

According to those shopkeepers, the unknown people left an insignia at each place when they left, I even took a look at the design of the insignia....."

A series of inexplicable thoughts flashed through Yang Bolin's mind, prompting him to ask:

"What do those insignias look like?"

Zhao Zhicai recalled for a moment, then gestured with his fingers:

"It was an unfamiliar design, seemed like some kind of beast, with a round face, two long ears on its head, and 'w' shaped wavy lips..."

Suddenly reminded of something, Yang Bolin picked up a pen and drew a diagram:

"Is it like this?"

Zhao Zhicai leaned in for a closer look and cried out:

"That's exactly it!

Reportedly, it's called something like a rabbit, the insignia is coated with copper on the outside, and a shopkeeper curious enough dismantled it to find it was iron inside, hence it's called Black-hearted Rabbit....."

Yang Bolin was silent for a moment, the strong memory brought by his Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer allowed him to instantly recall a scene he saw earlier.

He remembered the man with no cultivation standing beside Wei Qiangsheng, and the emblem of the mysterious creature beside the plaque.....

He slowly uttered:

"Wei Mansion... Taoshu?"

The puzzled Zhao Zhicai, standing to the side, asked, "Shopkeeper, what did you just say?"

Yang Bolin shook his head and instructed:

"Zhicai, first go to the guilds in the east city, make sure to identify yourself as Purple Treasure Pavilion, and get me one of those insignias!"

Zhao Zhicai accepted the order and went off.

Less than half an hour later, Zhao Zhicai hurriedly returned and handed an insignia to Yang Bolin.

Yang Bolin examined the insignia for a few moments and then, with a flick of his large sleeve, said, "Let's go to Taoshu Commerce Association!"

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