Xiuxian: I use magnetic fields to prove my truth

Chapter 193 Fire and water are incompatible
The three shopkeepers were all secretly delighted.

They had long coveted the business of those two talismans and had previously discussed with Zhou Qing's chief steward, Yu Liangmou, wanting to obtain authorization, but Yu Liangmou had never given in.

When they met Zhou Qing, they had only asked casually, but to their surprise, Zhou Qing actually agreed, which made them overjoyed.

Just as the three shopkeepers were about to express their gratitude, Zhou Qing said, "However, I have one condition."

The three shopkeepers asked, "What are the conditions?"

Zhou Qing smiled and said, "As you three managers probably know, I am already at odds with some people in the sect. If you want my authorization, you cannot have any contact with my enemies."

"If you want to sell my talismans, you must give up the sale of the Anti-Qing and Restoration Ming Array Tablets. Do the three of you agree?"

The three shopkeepers were dumbfounded.

It turns out this was a difficult choice between two options.

After some thought, the three concluded that compared to the anti-Qing and restoration-of-Ming formations, the two types of talismans were ultimately a small business.

Hu Guan laughed and said, "We're all from the same sect, why make things so awkward?"

Zhou Qing said, "It's not that I wanted things to get so tense, it's just that some people are used to monopolizing the benefits and don't want to share them with others. When they encounter someone who challenges their interests, they naturally suppress them 100%, and I have no choice but to respond passively."

"Manager Hu, are you comfortable with my proposal?"

Hu Guan gave an awkward smile and said, "Pretend I didn't say what I just said."

Zhou Qing smiled and said, "Manager Hu, you'd better think it over."

Hu Guan laughed and said, "Our family business is small, not as big as Dean Zhou's. The business of the Anti-Qing Restoration Ming Array is enough for us. We can't handle anything more."

Zhou Qing glanced at Liao Qifeng and Xuan Zhen and asked, "Do you two have the same idea as Manager Hu?"

Xuanzhen said, "That's right, Dean Zhou is clearly making things difficult for us."

Zhou Qing shook his head and said, "Since that's the case, then there's nothing more to say."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in greeting to the three men and continued forward, leaving the Hall of Martial Arts Transmission.

The three men sneered at Zhou Qing's retreating figure and said, "A petty person who has gained power, let's see how long he can be so smug."

The three of them did not linger any longer, and flew away from Qingyun Mountain on their swords, heading towards their respective shops.

All three were full of confidence.

According to their agreement with the four family heads, each of the three shops would receive 500 array tokens, each worth 30 mid-grade spirit stones, for a total of 1,500 high-grade spirit stones.

Now that they no longer need to pay their share to the sect, they split the profits 40/60 with the four family heads. Although they only get 40%, it is still 10% more than before. In addition, with the increase in monthly sales, the total profit should increase several times.

With these profits, the losses in other areas are more than enough to make up for them.

The only inconvenience is that before receiving the goods, the share allocated to the four family heads must be paid first.

This regulation is unreasonable and puts them under considerable pressure.

However, considering the recent losses suffered by the four family heads and the popularity of the array cards, they reluctantly accepted it.

The three had already made up their minds that once they returned, they would intensify their publicity efforts and spread the news that the sales of the anti-Qing and restoration-Ming banners had increased every month.

After the three managers got things sorted out, the other affiliated family shops naturally followed suit.

The Qingyun Sect has 67 of the most profitable shops, all of which are shops in the markets set up by the Golden Core sects of the Western Continent.

Originally, only seven of these families were managed by Mu Zhuosha.

Later, as Zhou Qing introduced new talismans, many affiliated families gravitated towards them.

Finally, even the Wei family and Fang Yuhe's Xiao Fang family joined them, increasing the number of shops they managed by eleven, for a total of eighteen shops.

Of the remaining forty-nine shops, twenty-three were in the hands of the four major families, while the other twenty-six were managed by a dozen or so other medium-sized families.

The array tablets inscribed by the four major families, aside from prioritizing responses to the Three Thousand Cities and their own shops, were used to win over the twenty-six shops. These affiliated families were forced to choose between the four major families and Zhou Qing.

In the end, everyone unanimously chose the four major families.

After all, the anti-Qing and restoration of Ming banners have now become their signature business and the largest part of their profits.

They can no longer give up this part of the business.

The eighteen shops that originally relied on Zhou Qing were cut off from supplies.

Now, throughout the entire Qingyun Sect, from the sect itself down to its affiliated families, it is quite evident that the sect has split into two forces.

The Qingyun Sect was originally a complex web of various factions, but they all maintained a state of fighting without breaking apart.

This situation is a balance of power formed by hundreds or even thousands of years of continuous struggle.

But the situation is different now.

The faction led by Mu Zhuosha and Zhou Qing, and the faction centered around the four major families, are now irreconcilable enemies.

This struggle affected all aspects of life, impacting everyone in the Qingyun Sect and even the mortal world within the sect's borders.

One day, Zhou Qing was reading at home when Yuan Hongying suddenly came to his door crying and complaining.

He inquired carefully and learned the reason.

Yuan Hongying was the princess of a small country among mortals. That country was called Nanzheng, located more than two thousand miles south of Qingyun Sect, and its population was only tens of millions.

That day, Yuan Hongying suddenly received a letter from home saying that a powerful neighboring country had suddenly invaded.

This neighboring country is also within the sphere of influence of the Qingyun Sect.

Since they share the same patriarch, they cannot wage war without cause. Therefore, although there are some frictions between the two countries, there has never been a large-scale war.

This invasion by a neighboring country is very illogical.

After Yuan Hongying's father sent people to investigate, he learned that a young princess from a neighboring country had married into the Mu family.

They learned about the power struggles within the sect from the princess who was about to marry, and also learned that Yuan Hongying was a key person around Zhou Qing and wanted to show off in front of the Mu family, so they launched a brazen invasion.

Xinzheng was already weaker than its opponent and was caught off guard, so it naturally suffered a complete rout.

By the time Yuan Hongying received the letter, the capital of Xinzheng was already besieged, and its destruction was imminent.

Things like this have been happening one after another recently, and it seems that everyone in the sect has to choose between the two factions.

Once one chooses one, one gives up all the benefits of the other, and may even become an enemy of the other.

In this situation, friction naturally increases.

Five or six of Yu Liangmou's plans reached Zhou Qing's ears, but Zhou Qing paid no attention to them.

But Yuan Hongying's matter made him feel that he needed to take action.

The affairs of the cultivation world have affected the mortal world.

The emperors of the mortal world who presumptuously try to guess the thoughts of the immortals and engage in conquests to please them should be dealt with decisively.

"Please, senior brother, do us justice!"

Yuan Hongying's eyes were red from crying.

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "You go back first. This matter started because of me, and I will handle it myself."

Yuan Hongying said gratefully, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother."

Zhou Qing smiled, saw her out of the house, and then hurried to Qingyun Mountain.

(End of this chapter)