I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

In the conference room, a map of Burning Bone City was spread out on a long table, the still-fresh ink markings on the vermilion pen slightly reddening under the candlelight.

Lin Che stood with his hands behind his back by the window, his back to the map, his gaze fixed on the blue waves of Shattered Star Lake outside the window.

A thin mist hung over the lake, and several graceful birds skimmed by, leaving long trails in their wake.

"Father, the three families have officially announced the formation of the business alliance." Lin Xuandong pushed open the door and entered, panting, with fine sweat on his forehead from his journey.

He had clearly traveled all the way back from Burning Bone City on his sword; his robes were dusty, and even his temples were disheveled by the strong wind.

He strode to the table, picked up the teapot, and took a big gulp. Tea dripped down his chin, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. His voice was urgent: "There are twelve rules on the surface, but in essence, there are only three core rules."

"First, merchants who join the alliance are prohibited from engaging in any large-scale transactions with merchants who have not joined the alliance. This is tantamount to binding all small and medium-sized merchants to their ship. Whoever does business with us is an enemy of the alliance."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious, and held up his second finger:

"Secondly, the alliance members will make unified purchases and set unified prices, and will not be allowed to lower or raise prices privately. In this way, they can collude to lower prices on the purchasing side and collude to raise prices on the sales side. If we go it alone, our costs will be higher than theirs, but we won't be able to sell at a higher price."

"Third, and most importantly!" He held up his third finger, his knuckles clenched until they turned white.

"They have contacted twelve small and medium-sized businesses, seven of which have agreed to join. These businesses cover multiple aspects such as the supply of spiritual materials, spiritual beast feed, and elixir additives. Although each business is not large, together they are enough to hold us hostage in the supply chain."

Lin Che finally turned around, his gaze calm as still water, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

There was only a calm and composed demeanor, as if all of this had been expected all along.

"Just as I suspected, they established the business alliance to blockade our Lin family."

"Yes." Lin Xuan nodded, his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

"We sell spirit beasts, but feed suppliers won't provide them; we sell pills, but ingredient suppliers won't cooperate; we want to buy spirit items, but those individual sellers will have their orders intercepted by the merchant alliance's channels. In the short term, we can rely on the inventory in Chuyang City to hold on, but in the long run..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but all three people present understood what it meant.

Since the Lin family began its rapid development, the amount of feed they produced themselves has become insufficient.

The number of spirit beasts they raise has grown from a few dozen at the beginning to over a thousand now, and the amount of feed they consume every day is an astonishing figure.

Chuyang City, being such a small place, simply doesn't have a complete range of supplementary materials and feeds, so they can only purchase them from the merchants or guilds in Burning Bone City.

The other party had obviously found out about this, which is why they chose to target the Lin family from this angle.

If the overall price is controlled, making it impossible for the Lin family's products to sell, that would be a decisive blow.

Both upstream and downstream sectors are facing bottlenecks: upstream feed shortages and downstream sales disruptions mean that even the best products cannot be sold.

"Three months." Lin Xuandong took a breath, raised his head, and his gaze swept back and forth between his father and his eldest brother.

"Our inventory is only enough to last three months. After three months, the feed supply will be cut off, and the spirit beasts will go hungry. Once the stock of spirit beast meat is sold out, half of the merchant guild's shelves will be empty. At that time, let alone making money, it will be difficult to even keep the business running."

He swallowed hard, a barely perceptible urgency in his voice: "What do we do now?"

Lin Che and Lin Xuanqi exchanged a smile.

"Don't worry." Lin Che picked up his teacup and took a small sip. "We've already planned this out."

…………

Ten days later, in Burning Bone City, on Lingyun Street.

The small shops that used to be on both sides of the Aoki Trading Company have changed dramatically.

Those two shops originally sold spiritual materials and general merchandise; their facades were dusty and inconspicuous.

Now, the wall facing the street has been completely opened up and replaced with a transparent and crystal clear custom-made glass floor-to-ceiling window.

The glass was not ordinary glass, but was made by firing spirit sand. It was as smooth as a mirror, and every corner of the shop could be clearly seen from the outside.

To the right of the entrance, by the window, stands a dazzling glass display case.

Every side of the display case is polished smooth and shiny, and the inside is engraved with a carefully designed preservation array and a gentle breeze array.

The preservation array ensures that the braised flavor remains unchanged for three days, while the gentle breeze array disperses its captivating aroma in wisps.

What's even better is that the display case has a special takeout window, so pedestrians can buy directly from the window without entering the store, making it extremely convenient to buy and leave immediately.

That's right, the Lin family rented both shops and renovated them, with the style being exactly the same as Baiweizhai in Chuyang City.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, red lanterns hanging at the door, and paper-cut decorations on the windows, the place exudes a simple yet warm atmosphere.

Through the crystal-clear glass window, one can immediately see the bustling scene inside.

One of them, exactly like the original Baiweizhai, sells snacks and fried foods to accompany drinks.

The other one is quite different.

At this moment, a large group of independent cultivators had gathered in front of the two shops on the street, standing there in a dense crowd, numbering at least a hundred.

They looked at the two shops half-covered by red silk, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

"This decor is definitely from the Lin family's Baiweizhai!" someone exclaimed excitedly.

"I've had it in Chuyang City, and the snacks with the wine were amazing! Braised pork ear, red oil rabbit head, paired with two ounces of spirit wine, the taste was just..." The speaker swallowed hard and couldn't continue.

Most of the people gathered were regular customers of Baiweizhai.

Some of them came from Chuyang City, having heard that Baiweizhai was going to open in Fengu City, and came specifically to support it.

Some were casual cultivators who had just passed by Chuyang City and tried it once, and couldn't forget it. When they heard that it had opened here, they came to queue up early in the morning.

However, what intrigued them was why they were opening two stores this time.

If they were located on two separate streets, that would be understandable; if one location wasn't enough, they could open another to expand the coverage area.

But these two companies are right next to each other, separated only by the Aoki Trading Company.

How do you explain this?

"Could it be that the two companies are selling different products?" someone speculated.

"That can't be right. Baiweizhai only sells snacks and fried food to go with drinks. What else could they possibly sell?"

"Maybe they specialize in selling wine? The Wang family's spirit wine is absolutely exceptional!"

Everyone chimed in with their own guesses.

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Wang Yanduan, the manager of Baiweizhai in Yuanchuyang City, stepped forward.

Today he was wearing a dark red brocade robe, his hair was neatly combed, and he had the warm smile typical of a businessman on his face. He walked with a brisk pace and was full of energy.

Since Baiweizhai in Chuyang City became popular, his magnanimity has also risen along with the expansion of the Lin family.

Upon seeing that the visitor was the old shopkeeper, everyone asked him questions out of curiosity.

"Old Wang! Why does your Baiweizhai have two branches?" a burly man shouted, carrying a flask of wine in his arms, clearly there for snacks to go with the wine.

"So, what's this? What new tricks are you up to?" another thin, rogue cultivator chimed in, his eyes darting around.

"Open for business soon! We can't wait any longer!" Some impatient people in the crowd started urging.

Listening to the discussions of the crowd in front of him, Wang Yanduan smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Thank you all for supporting Baiweizhai on our opening day! That's right, just as you all expected, our Lin family has launched a new product!"

He didn't rush to reveal the answer, but instead glanced at the sky.

The sunlight was perfect, shining on the glass window and refracting a rainbow of colors.

"The auspicious time has arrived!" He withdrew his gaze, nodded to the tribespeople behind him, and raised his voice slightly: "Light the fire, raise the furnace!"

The two shop assistants acted immediately, their fingertips flashing with light. With a gentle flick, two tiny flames landed precisely in the fire array under the stove.

The orange-red flames danced merrily, licking the bottom of the pot and making soft crackling sounds.

As the temperature gradually rises, the special braising broth from Baiweizhai begins to gently simmer.

That pot was handcrafted by Tie Wushuang. It had three legs and two handles, and its thick copper walls could evenly conduct heat, ensuring that every inch of the braising liquid was fully heated.

The broth in the pot was made using the Lin family's secret recipe, with dozens of medicinal herbs and spices added. After simmering over low heat for three days and three nights, it was bright red in color and thick like a paste.

An indescribable, complex aroma then slowly rose up.

The aroma wasn't singular, but rather layered.

First comes the spicy aroma of the braising sauce, then the rich aroma of the meat, followed by the delicate fragrance of the herbs, and finally a subtle, lingering sweetness.

These aromas intertwine, like a silent symphony, slowly unfolding in the air.

At the same time, another employee activated the fragrance array set up in the store.

The formation was specially designed by Qin Yulin for Baiweizhai. It could amplify the aroma in the pot several times and direct it to the streets.

"Buzz—"

The faint sounds of the array operating were almost drowned out by the sound waves that erupted the next moment.

The originally subtle fragrance seemed to break free of its restraints, transforming into a visible pale golden mist that surged out like a tidal wave, instantly piercing through the glass windows and sweeping across the entire street!

At the same time, the oil temperature in the fryer also began to rise.

The clear spiritual oil simmered in the pot, bubbling with tiny bubbles. Once the ingredients were added, they would fry until golden brown and crispy, making a crackling sound.

The crowd gathered in front of Baiweizhai on the street was drawn in by the aroma and took a deep breath in unison.

"Mmm...it's still the same taste!" A regular customer squinted, looking completely satisfied. "No wonder it's Baiweizhai's signature snacks with drinks; you can tell it's the right one just by smelling it!"

"I haven't had fried food in months," another rogue cultivator said, rubbing his hands together, his eyes fixed on the glass window. "I miss them so much!"

Many cultivators who had just passed by suddenly stopped and looked in this direction with suspicion.

They were originally going somewhere else, but the aroma held them back.

Seeing that there were people queuing up, I curiously came over.

"What is this? I've never seen this spiritual food restaurant before?" A young cultivator stood on tiptoe to look inside.

"It smells so good!" his companion sniffed. "It looks delicious!"

Facing both new and returning customers, Wang Yanduan smiled and introduced the snacks, saying, "These are appetizers developed by my Lin family to accompany drinks. Welcome everyone to come and try them! Everything is 10% off today! The first 200 people will receive a free pound of samples!"

"What?! A pound free?!"

"Really?!"

The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.

Two hundred spots are not enough; if you wait too long, you won't be able to get them.

A pound of braised food is worth at least a dozen spirit stones, which is no small amount.

Everyone's eyes lit up immediately; they hadn't expected this benefit.

Those passersby who were still hesitating immediately started squeezing into the crowd when they heard the words "free pound".

The reactions from those long-time customers are genuine.

The look of ecstasy on their faces, the anticipation in their eyes, and the drool at the corners of their mouths all proved that the food at this restaurant was absolutely delicious.

With the added discount, they were also planning to buy some to try.

Of course, some people's eyes were always on another shop.

The decor of that shop was clearly different from that of Baiweizhai.

There were no takeout display cases by the window, nor huge braising pots. Through the glass windows, you could see square tables with exquisite spirit furnaces inlaid on them.

Landscape paintings hang on the walls, and green plants are placed in the corners, creating an elegant and warm atmosphere.

"Old Wang, stop keeping us in suspense!" someone couldn't help but shout, "Just reveal the next shop already!"

"Okay!" Wang Yanduan smiled and walked to the door of another shop, raising his hand to pull down the red silk on the lintel.

The five large characters "Baiweizhai Hot Pot" gleamed in the sunlight.

"Hot pot?" someone muttered, looking puzzled. "What's that?"

"Hot pot? Does it mean heating the pot until it's red-hot and then putting the hot pot in?" Some people made the connection to weapon crafting.

Many more people looked at each other, completely bewildered.

"I've only ever heard of stew pots, woks, and steamers, never hot pots!"

The crowd discussed it amongst themselves, but no one could come up with a definitive answer.

Wang Yanduan didn't keep anyone in suspense.

He waved his hand, and the shop assistants began to file out, each carrying a copper pot with a flat bottom, a round body, and a copper ring on each side of the rim.

They placed the pots one by one on the square tables, fitting them perfectly into the grooves above the spirit furnace.

All the people could see was a large patch of bright red stuff at the bottom of the pot, along with some seasonings they couldn't name.

Red Dragon Peeling Vine, Clear Heart Moonlight Leaf, Red Grade March Fruit... and a whole block of butter are neatly arranged at the bottom of the pot.

"This is all we eat?" someone exclaimed, eyes wide. "That's... the seasoning?"

"Is this edible?" some people wondered.

Without explanation, Wang Yanduan gave the order directly.

"Add broth, turn on the heat!"

The shop assistants came forward carrying spirit pots and lifted the lids one by one.

The pot contained a rich broth that had been simmering for a full day and night, made by slowly boiling spirit bones, spirit chicken, spirit fish, and dozens of spirit herbs. The broth was milky white and thick like a paste.

As the lid of the magic pot was opened, a rich aroma wafted out of the shop, lingering on the palates of the diners.

The aroma was completely different from the braised flavor of the snacks served with alcohol.

It has a rich and mellow aroma, with a warm sensation that goes straight to the nose.

"What a wonderful soup!" A gourmet took a deep breath, his eyes wide with delight. "Just one sip of this soup and I feel the spiritual energy stirring within me!"

This is just the beginning.

The flask tilted, and the broth poured down into the pot, submerging the bright red ingredients.

As the broth was poured into the pot, the incense burner embedded in the table began to heat up.

The spirit furnace was specially made by Tie Wushuang. It is driven by a spirit fire array, and the firepower and temperature are adjustable. It can be used for both high-heat boiling and low-heat simmering.

The shop assistants pressed the button next to the furnace, and orange flames danced in the furnace, heating the bottom of the copper pot until it glowed red.

The spices in the pot began to release their aroma.

The hot pot broth is a secret recipe of the Lin family, made with dozens of kinds of medicinal herbs and spices. After repeated adjustments, the current recipe was finally determined.

It has the spiciness of Sichuan from Lin Che's previous life, the freshness of Lingnan, and the richness of Yunnan and Guizhou.

The aroma grew stronger, with a rich blend of spiciness and numbing sensation in the air, like an invisible hand that whetted one's appetite.

The fragrance didn't drift over gently; it came over forcefully, brooking no refusal and leaving no room for argument.

Everyone couldn't help but swallow hard.

Some people's Adam's apples bobbed up and down, some wiped the corners of their mouths with their fingers, and some took a deep breath, trying to inhale all the fragrance into their lungs.

Immediately afterwards, plates of crystal-clear sliced ​​spirit beast meat were brought out.

The chicken of Jinsuiling is sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings, and the tender slices of meat are covered with fine fat marbling.

The slices of Yunmeng Ling duck are uniform in size, with thin skin and tender meat, and have a faint sheen.

The meat of the Earth Mother Spirit Pig is sliced ​​thinly, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, and clear textures, resembling the patterns of marble.

……

The medicinal herbs suitable for hot pot were also served one by one.

Emerald green vegetables, snow-white mushrooms, golden sweet potatoes, and dark black fungus—all sorts of things were laid out on every table.

Wang Yanduan smiled at the crowd, his voice booming and clearly audible amidst the noise: "What are you all waiting for? Today, the entire Baiweizhai Hot Pot restaurant is on the house!"

Upon hearing this, everyone, whose boundless appetite had already been whetted by the overpowering aroma, could no longer resist.

As if they had heard a bugle call to charge, they rushed into the store without hesitation.

Someone took the lead and grabbed the largest table at the very back;

Some people grabbed their companions and ran inside, afraid that if they were a step too late they would miss out on a spot;

Wang Yanduan waved his hand, and the staff began to explain to the diners how to eat hot pot.

"Put the meat in first, then the vegetables. Cook the meat slices in the pot for ten seconds, until they change color, then dip them in this sauce. This is our Lin family's secret sesame sauce and garlic oil dipping sauce. You can dip them in whichever you prefer."

"Be careful, it's hot. Don't rush to eat the freshly cooked meat slices; blow on them to cool them down first."

The sounds of explanation, inquiries, and the bubbling of the pot mingled together, creating a lively symphony.

……