"Brother Zhou, mission accomplished without disgrace!"
Song Zhishu, a refined middle-aged man, smiled and greeted.
After spending a year together, the two had become quite good friends.
"Thank you, Brother Song!" Zhou Xun returned the courtesy; he had been waiting for this shop for several months.
Qingyue Square had a large flow of people, making the shops here extremely sought after.
If it weren't for Song Zhishu, the steward of rental properties, this shop wouldn't have come to him.
Soon, Song Zhishu led Zhou Xun to the market center to inspect the shop.
The shop was a two-story pavilion, not very large, covering about half an acre.
There was also a backyard with a few rooms for Zhou Xun to rest.
Although simple, its advantage lay in the prime location on the main street of the market, with heavy foot traffic.
"What do you think, Brother Zhou, are you satisfied?" Song Zhishu asked with a smile.
Many had inquired about this shop, even two Song Family members had been turned down.
It was all to befriend this exceedingly young Middle-Grade Alchemist.
"It's excellent here!" Zhou Xun nodded with satisfaction.
The first floor could serve as a sales area to sell elixirs, and of course, the talismans refined by Zhou Xun could also be sold here.
The second floor could be used as private rooms for important guests to have in-depth discussions.
The backyard could serve as a storage and resting area.
"That's good, the annual rent here is fifty Spirit Stones. How many years does Brother Zhou plan to rent?"
"The usual, let's rent for five years first!" Zhou Xun said without hesitation.
He immediately paid the rent of two hundred and fifty, securing the shop.
"By the way, I'm still short of a shopkeeper here. Does Brother Song have any recommendations?" Zhou Xun reciprocated the favor.
"My wife's cousin, who used to be a shopkeeper at this very shop, perhaps you should meet him!" Song Zhishu cheerfully recommended.
"Since Brother Song recommends him, I trust your judgment. Have him come in three days for work!"
"Then I'll thank you on behalf of my cousin!" Song Zhishu smiled slightly, thinking highly of Zhou Xun's ability to connect with people.
Five days later, Zhou Xun's elixir shop opened, named "Danhai Pavilion."
Shi Jingfeng, Song Zhishu, and some newly acquainted shop owners all came with gifts.
Zhou Xun and the newly hired shopkeeper were busy greeting the guests.
The shopkeeper, surnamed Huang, had a thin face and a goatee, appearing to be around fifty.
"Shopkeeper, such a booming business, I've never seen anything like it in all my years," Shopkeeper Huang marveled at the bustling crowd.
For this opening, Zhou Xun released all the elixirs he had accumulated over a year.
He also implemented previous life's sales strategies like full reductions.
"Ten percent off every ten"
"Buy four get one free"
For the first time, Blue Star's marketing techniques displayed their power in the Cultivation Realm.
Soon, cultivators from Qingyue Square flocked in droves at the news, almost bursting Zhou Xun's shop.
The explosive sales left the visiting shop owners in awe, remembering this method discreetly.
Upon returning, they adopted it as well.
Soon, Zhou Xun's method took over the entire Qingyue Square, spreading further to Xui Country and eventually the whole Cultivation Realm, but that's a tale for later.
Before half a day passed, Zhou Xun's elixirs sold out entirely, having to close early.
"Brother Zhou not only excels in alchemy, but also in business, such prosperity seen today is truly the first in my life!"
Spoken by a young master in brocade clothes, with a tall and clear appearance.
This was the second son of the Song Family Patriarch, arriving later than the Song Zhishu brothers.
"You overpraise me, Young Master Song!" Zhou Xun replied modestly.
"Haha, Chengyun, didn't I tell you, Brother Zhou is a natural talent, you young folks should get to know him better!" Song Zhishu laughed heartily.
The Song Family was established less than a century ago, its lineage spanning only five generations, hence their kinship was closer.
Song Zhishu's father, Song Qingbai, was the brother of the Song Family's current Foundation Establishment patriarch.
Thus he was also the uncle of the Song Family Patriarch's second son.
"Seventh Uncle didn't mislead me!" Song Chengyun nodded approvingly.
Chatting briefly, knowing Zhou Xun would be busy with the shop's opening, everyone took their leave.
Only then did Zhou Xun have time to tally today's income.
All elixirs sold out, accumulating five hundred sixty-seven Spirit Stones and forty Spirit Essence.
After deducting costs, he earned over four hundred.
Of course, this also included the shares for Lin Xueying and Wang Erniu.
In sum, Zhou Xun netted over one hundred fifty pieces.
This was the result after deducting the elixirs refined for the Song Family over the past year.
"Selling on my own is indeed more profitable!" Zhou Xun calculated and reached this conclusion.
Nonetheless, he still needed to continue refining for the Song Family.
Not only for the profits but more importantly for befriending the local powerhouse, the Song Family.
With the Song Family's backing, he would surely thrive in Qingyue Square.
Afterward, Zhou Xun distributed Spirit Stones among Wang Erniu, Lin Xueying, and others, then started refining elixirs.
They needed to prepare new elixirs quickly, or else they'd have nothing to sell the next day.
However, Zhou Xun didn't expect that because of the opening day's frenzy, his "Danhai Pavilion" gained remarkable fame throughout Qingyue Lake.
Everyone knew that a new elixir shop had opened in Qingyue Square with very affordable prices.
Moreover, the quality of his refined elixirs was excellent.
Each day afterward, whenever Zhou Xun's elixirs were stocked, they sold out quickly.
It wasn't until a month later that things gradually returned to normal.
Finally, Wang Erniu reclined on a chair, looking exhausted, "At last, we can take a breather!"
"But if it were like this every day, we'd strike it rich!" Over the month, excluding the opening day, Wang Erniu earned over fifty Spirit Stones.
This income exceeded that of most Middle-Grade Alchemists.
"Alchemist Zhou is now a hot commodity in Qingyue Square," Lin Xueying remarked, her lovely eyes gazing at Zhou Xun with admiration.
Nowadays, Zhou Xun was indeed shining bright, if the Lin Family still stood, they'd be quite a match.
"You flatter me, young lady!" Zhou Xun avoided her gaze, answering simply.
Seeing this, Lin Xueying kept silent though a trace of grievance lingered in her eyes.
After that, Zhou Xun's life gradually returned to tranquility.
Alchemy, cultivation, talisman making, body refinement, and cultivating Spirit Plants.
This was his recently adopted cultivation skill.
The reason Zhou Xun delved into Spirit Plant cultivation wasn't to become a Spirit Plant Cultivator but to disguise his Spring Condensation Scripture.
As an alchemist concurrently studying plant cultivation, heavily consuming his Spirit Grass seemed normal and didn't attract attention.
According to Qingyue Square's rules, the area within fifty yards of Zhou Xun's Cave Mansion was his property, which he developed into a medicinal field.
He planted low-demand Half-Spirit Grass, requiring minimal soil and spiritual power.
A simple till and they could be planted.
Of course, this owed much to Lin Xueying's help,
But his plant cultivation techniques weren't from the Lin Family; they were sourced from a Tier One Low-Grade Spirit Plant Cultivator's heritage bought from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
The Lin Family's plant cultivation heritage was a core family secret that Zhou Xun wouldn't pry into.
Time passed swiftly, another year went by.
Outside Zhou Xun's Cave Mansion, various Half-Spirit Grass were flourishing.
Looking at these Spirit Grass, Zhou Xun felt satisfied.
"It's about time to attempt refining High-Grade Elixirs!"
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