CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 267: LEADING BY EXAMPLE! (SECOND UPDATE, SEEKING SUBSCRIPTION)

"The message I had someone relay to you back then, have you given it some thought?"

"Will you accept my terms to become a vassal of the Zhou Family, or will you abandon the oasis and find another place?"

In the cave, Zhouyang’s eyes flickered with gold and red, then returned to black and white as he looked at the five Foundation Establishment cultivators, asking them directly in a low voice about their decision.

Upon learning that the medium-sized oasis, affiliated with Red Tiger Mountain, was occupied by loose cultivators, he presented them with two choices.

Either submit to the Zhou Family, paying thirty percent of the Spirit Mountain’s yield annually and following the Zhou Family’s orders.

Or pack up and leave within three years.

Now that three years have passed, it was time for these five to give him a definite answer.

Hearing Zhouyang’s question, Guo Shaoyang and the others exchanged glances, and then Guo Shaoyang, whose cultivation had reached the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment, stepped forward and replied, "We thank the senior for his generosity in giving us three years to consider. After careful deliberation during these years, we have decided to submit to the Zhou Family and are willing to become vassals!"

"However, we juniors dare to make one small request to the senior."

The joy in Zhouyang’s eyes fleetingly faded due to Guo Shaoyang’s final words. He looked at the group with an unreadable expression and said indifferently, "Oh, you have a request? What is it? Speak."

Ma Shaoyang felt relieved that Zhouyang didn’t outright refuse. Enthusiastically and respectfully, he said, "Senior, our request is simple. We heard that the senior excels in artifact refining, and the senior’s wife and father specialize in alchemy. We wish to exchange spirit stones and spiritual objects for some magical artifacts and elixirs suitable for our cultivation."

"Such a trivial matter!"

"This is manageable. As long as you remain loyal to the Zhou Family, we can provide you with tier three spiritual artifacts, spirit pills, and spirit talismans for purchase."

Relaxing his face, Zhouyang agreed to Ma Shaoyang’s request with a smile.

After speaking, he paused and said in a loud voice, "You might as well spread the word to the loose cultivator friends you had. Tell them that in a few years, the Zhou Family will establish a cultivator marketplace at the Red Tiger Mountain Oasis. At that time, a variety of rare treasures will be available for purchase, and we welcome daoist friends from all over to attend!"

Establishing a marketplace was a plan Zhouyang had long considered.

The importance of a marketplace to a power is undeniable.

By establishing a marketplace, one not only collects "head tax" and profits from selling or renting stores but also maximizes the benefits of selling surplus spiritual objects within the power and prioritizes acquiring spiritual objects held by loose cultivators.

In short, the benefits of establishing a marketplace are numerous, so much so that every cultivation clan wishes to build one to increase its income.

However, a marketplace is not something anyone can build.

Besides possessing the strength to guard the marketplace, ensuring safe transactions within,

the most crucial aspect is to have enough attractive treasures in the marketplace.

If cultivators can purchase various commonly used spirit pills, magical artifacts, and spirit talismans with spirit stones in a marketplace, its popularity would be guaranteed.

Conversely, if the marketplace’s available treasures are scarce and unimpressive, few cultivators would be willing to travel long distances for exchanges.

Due to such requirements, only the Purple Mansion clan in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm qualifies to establish a marketplace.

The Zhou Family has now ascended as a Purple Mansion clan, with tier three existences in alchemy, artifact refining, and talisman crafting, naturally qualifying to establish a marketplace.

According to Zhouyang’s plan, once Zhou Guangxiang successfully advances to a Tier Three Array Master, capable of setting up a Tier Three Array, he will build the marketplace at a suitable location in the Red Tiger Mountain Oasis, then widely send invitations to cultivators to attend his Purple Mansion celebration and promote the marketplace’s opening.

"That’s wonderful! If you, Senior, establish a marketplace at the Red Tiger Mountain Oasis, numerous loose cultivator friends would be eager to affiliate here!"

Ma Shaoyang and the others were overjoyed and readily agreed to Zhouyang’s request without a second thought.

Should a cultivator marketplace be established at the Red Tiger Mountain Oasis, the Zhou Family would certainly be the primary beneficiary, followed closely by those who have already decided to affiliate with the Zhou Family; they had no reason not to support this.

To encourage them to diligently promote this matter, Zhouyang immediately produced some tier three spiritual artifacts, spirit pills, and spirit talismans, and made a deal with the trio.

Anyway, apart from spirit pills, he has more of these things on him than he can use up, so selling them to anyone makes no difference to him.

After Ma Shaoyang and the other four left, expressing their immense gratitude, Zhou Guangxiang, who had been observing from the side, finally spoke.

"Ninth Uncle, aren’t you being a bit too generous to those five loose cultivators?"

"Those oases and spirit mountains were bestowed to our Zhou family by the Yellow Sand Sect. Even if we drove them away, they wouldn’t dare stay, and outsiders wouldn’t find any reason to criticize our Zhou family."

"I understand that you want them to serve our Zhou family, but isn’t it too good a deal for them to only take thirty percent of their income? Not to mention you’re selling so many rare Tier Three treasures to them!"

As he voiced his doubts, he looked towards Zhouyang with a look of inquiry, hoping Zhouyang would clarify things for him.

Zhouyang couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw this, and said, "Hehehe, that’s why you, Guangxiang, still need more experience!"

"Indeed, I could drive Ma Shaoyang and the others away, but you must know, they have been living and operating around the Red Tiger Mountain Oasis for decades, even a hundred years, and have built a deep reputation in the surrounding loose cultivator circles. If our Zhou family drove them away just as we moved to Red Tiger Mountain Oasis, how would those loose cultivators see us?"

"I know, you’ll say it doesn’t matter how they see us; after all, we Zhou family are a cultivation clan, naturally not in the same camp as loose cultivators."

"But think about it, if we were to set up a marketplace, who would be our main clientele? Those cultivators from various cultivation clans miles and miles away from Red Tiger Mountain, or those loose cultivators nearby hunting demons and seeking spiritual objects?"

"Now, by not driving Ma Shaoyang and the others away but instead generously giving them those oases and spirit mountains, supporting them to take on disciples and establish families, if they are wise, they’ll use their reputation among the loose cultivators to speak well for us and draw people to us."

"After hearing this news, those low-tier loose cultivators will understand that our Zhou family is different from those clans that discriminate against and suppress loose cultivators, and will be more willing to do business with us."

Zhouyang patiently instructed his chosen successor, his voice deep and resonant, leaving an indelible impression.

After explaining the reasoning, with a sincere tone, he earnestly advised the pensive Zhou Guangxiang, "Guangxiang, you must remember, our Zhou family is not the same as it was before. In the past, our family was small, and in order to grow quickly, we could focus only on profit, regardless of reputation."

"But now that our Zhou family has become a large and influential family in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, you and others must ensure to maintain the family’s reputation in your actions. The persistent benefits of a good reputation far outweigh those of a few oases and spirit mountains with limited potential!"

"I will emphasize this point at the family meeting, reminding all the clan cultivators to keep this in mind!"

Upon hearing his words, Zhou Guangxiang’s expression grew serious, and he quickly bowed, expressing, "Thank you, Ninth Uncle, for your guidance. I will certainly remember today’s teachings, and in my future actions, the family’s reputation will always be a priority. I will never harm our Zhou family’s good name!"

"It’s good that you understand. However, Ninth Uncle has one more thing to teach you: while reputation is important, you must not let the clan cultivators suffer grievances with outsiders over a mere empty reputation!"

"We must protect the family’s reputation, but what’s more important is maintaining the family’s unity and cohesion!"

"Outsiders will always be outsiders; they can share wealth and prosperity, but not hardship!"

"Only those who share our bloodline, only those whose interests are intertwined with ours, only those relatives who share our family’s fortune and misfortune, truly deserve our trust and responsibility."

"As the family leaders, we should not wrong our own clan members, especially those who have shed blood and sweat for the family, who should never be disheartened towards the family!"

Zhouyang walked up to Zhou Guangxiang, gently patting his nephew’s shoulder with a solemn expression, imparting his beliefs to his nephew.

Treating the clan’s contributors with kindness has always been Zhouyang’s unwavering practice. The various reward measures he designed were to commend clan members who had made contributions.

Because of this, he could accumulate such high prestige within the clan and earn the admiration and respect of many members.

Those who benefited from his measures are his staunchest supporters within the family. They all believe that following him as the clan leader guarantees them good meat, good wine, and good money.

It is because these people trust that he won’t harm them or the family that every time he proposes unprecedented reform suggestions, whether they understand them or not, they are willing to implement what he said.

Although Zhou Guangxiang doesn’t fully understand the reasoning behind all this, out of admiration and respect for Zhouyang, he still nodded forcefully and said, "I understand, Uncle. I will remember today’s teachings and dare not forget!"

"It’s good that you understand, but don’t be in a hurry. You’re still young, and you have plenty of time to learn how to become a qualified clan leader. I, Ninth Uncle, walked the same steps under the old clan leader’s guidance!"

Zhouyang nodded, smiling, sharing his own past experiences to comfort his nephew.

ps: I’m definitely not going to finish two Chapters tonight, so there won’t be an update at midnight. I’ll finish writing two Chapters during the day tomorrow and update them together, with three updates the day after tomorrow!