The First Venerable of All Paths

"Brother Fang, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

Seeing Fang Xuan walk in, He Tieshan nodded slightly, gesturing for him to sit down.

Fang Xuan glanced at He Jun and saw that his eyes were downcast and his face was not good, so he realized that something was wrong.

He Tieshan greeted him briefly and then fell silent, as if waiting for someone.

The hairpin swayed, the gold and silver clashed, creating a soft and pleasant sound.

Lu Zhao led Manman in slowly as they walked in.

Behind him followed Li Guanlan, who was veiled and dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, like a bodyguard.

Fang Xuan's eyes flashed.

Since leaving Mingyue County, this was the first time he had seen He Tieshan gather everyone together.

It seems that something really big has happened.

Could it be related to the Vulture Gang?

"President Lu has arrived."

He Tieshan said, "Now that everyone is here, I'll get straight to the point."

After Lu Zhao and the others sat down, He Tieshan said directly, "We might have to stay in Sunset Town for a few more days."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuan's heart sank.

As expected, an unexpected incident occurred.

Seeing Lu Zhao looking at him, the meaning was self-evident: he was preparing to let him take full control.

Fang Xuan didn't refuse and asked directly, "Head of the He unit, what's going on? Has something happened?"

"To be honest, because this escort mission involves a long journey that crosses the entire Sunset Wasteland, I had already arranged with another escort team to meet in Sunset Town before we set off and return to Zhongzhou together."

"only......"

At this point, He Tieshan's expression darkened slightly, and he said, "I just received a message that the caravan seems to have encountered some trouble and may arrive a few days later. We can only rest here for a few days while we wait."

Fang Xuan frowned.

"How long exactly?"

Fang Xuan added, "Headmaster, don't misunderstand. It's just that we have so many goods that need to be delivered to Zhongzhou as soon as possible. If it's delayed for too long, we can't afford the losses in between."

"At least three days, but no more than five days."

He Tieshan seemed to have anticipated this, saying, "To compensate Chairman Lu for his losses, my Qinglong Escort Agency will offer a 20% discount on this fee. If you need my Qinglong Escort Agency for escort services again in the future, we will also offer the most favorable discounts."

A 20% discount is quite a lot.

Fang Xuan looked at Lu Zhao, and seeing the latter nod slightly, he said, "Then let's do as Chief He says."

"Thank you for your understanding, Chairman Lu."

He Tieshan stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to express his gratitude.

"By the way, these next few days, unless there's something special, please try to stay in the courtyard and don't go out."

He Tieshan instructed, "I will personally take care of all your food, clothing, and daily necessities."

As the head of this escort mission, He Tieshan was responsible for everyone, so he had a lot to consider.

"Third Master, what if the brothers really can't hold back and want to go out?"

At this point, Old Sun posed a question.

"You have to endure it, do I have to teach you this?"

He Tieshan's face darkened, clearly annoyed.

That old Sun is something else. It's not like he's never been on a delivery mission before, yet he's still so unsteady.

Old Sun gave an awkward smile, inwardly cursing himself for speaking too quickly.

The Third Chief was already harboring resentment because of Lao Huang's matter, and when another escort team failed to arrive on time, he had nowhere to vent his anger.

Of all times, I had to run into it.

Old Sun, filled with regret, secretly resolved that he must behave himself from now on.

He also needed to instruct his underlings and warn them not to cause trouble.

"Alright, that's settled then."

He Tieshan waved his hand and said, "Everyone has been tired lately, so go back and rest early to recharge."

"Jun-ge, tonight you arrange for people to keep watch and protect the goods and horses. Under no circumstances should any accidents occur."

He Jun accepted the order and left.

Fang Xuan noticed that Lu Zhao hadn't left and guessed that she probably had something to say to He Tieshan.

"Guard Fang, listen to him too."

Fang Xuan, who had intended to leave, stayed because Lu Zhao called him back.

"President Lu, is there something you need?"

Even if He Tieshan was frustrated and annoyed, he could only force a smile when facing Lu Zhao.

"It's nothing serious."

Lu Zhao said softly, "Since we need to stay here for a few days, I would like to take this opportunity to sell some goods and also buy some local specialties that can be stored for a long time."

Upon hearing this, He Tieshan's lips twitched involuntarily.

Is this not a big deal?

You have no idea how chaotic Sunset Town is.

In addition, they provoked the Vulture Gang today.

Going out at this time is just asking for trouble, isn't it?

However, He Tieshan couldn't say these words directly.

He looked troubled and said, "President Lu, it's not that I don't want to agree, it's just that the situation is special right now, if..."

"Don't worry, Chief He. With Fang guarding us, nothing should happen."

Lu Zhao winked at Fang Xuan and said, "Is that right, Guard Fang?"

Fang Xuan was somewhat puzzled, but since Lu Zhao had already said all that, he nodded and said, "I will follow the orders of the patriarch."

"Chief He, please make an exception for me."

Lu Zhao said, "Don't worry, we will not cause you any trouble. We are just conducting a normal trade."

"Alright."

Hearing Lu Zhao say this, He Tieshan said with a headache, "But let me make this clear beforehand: you must return to the inn before dark and do not cause any trouble, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Thank you, Chief He."

Lu Zhao said to Fang Xuan, "Guard Fang, let's go."

Fang Xuan nodded and looked at Li Guanlan.

The latter nodded slightly, indicating that he would also go.

Soon, the group, having finished getting ready, boarded two horse-drawn carriages and headed to the town's largest trading place.

The Never-Setting Merchant Alliance is the largest merchant alliance in the entire Sunset Town, bar none.

Unlike the Sihai Chamber of Commerce, which is a purely commercial association, the Sun Never Sets Business Alliance, although also a business alliance jointly established by several forces, covers a wide range of areas.

It basically covers all aspects.

"Everything you see is part of the business alliance."

Inside the carriage, Lu Zhao explained softly, "Under the management of the Merchant Alliance, the entire Sunset Town has long become an impenetrable wall, and external forces simply cannot get involved."

"That amazing?"

Fang Xuan raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised.

"Perhaps it's even more impressive than you imagine."

Lu Zhao smiled calmly and said, "The Merchant Alliance controls three of the major mercenary groups that are famous throughout the Sunset Wasteland."

"These three mercenary groups are one of the Merchant Alliance's trump cards, specializing in doing dirty work for them."

Three mercenary groups?

Fang Xuan looked surprised.

The Never-Setting-the-Sun Business Alliance is truly making a grand gesture.

It's important to understand that even for an ordinary mercenary unit, the monthly expenses are astronomical.

However, the British Empire controlled three of them.

It has to be said that the foundation of this business alliance is somewhat beyond Fang Xuan's imagination.

Don't be surprised.

Lu Zhao said, "This merchant alliance has the backing of forces from the Central Plains. It's only natural that they have such boldness and ambition."

It turned out to be the case.

Fang Xuan suddenly realized.

"We'll just be doing transactions for now, nothing else."

Lu Zhao said, "You just need to stick close to me. Of course, if you see anything you like, you can get it. I'll cover all the expenses."

Fang Xuan and Li Guanlan exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled.

Soon, Fang Xuan understood what Lu Zhao meant.

Because the so-called trading venue is actually a super-large market.

Looking around, the area of ​​over 10,000 square meters is filled with all kinds of stalls.

Fang Xuan estimated that this market town occupied one-tenth of the entire Sunset Town.

At the end of the market, there is a very tall building where people come and go from time to time.

"Although the Merchant Alliance was created by several forces, each entity conducts its own business in this market. They just need to follow some of the Merchant Alliance's rules and pay certain taxes."

Lu Zhao stopped the carriage and instructed the driver to pay spirit stones at a window next to the market entrance to receive a token.

"This is a temporary identity token, worth one thousand spirit stones."

Looking at the round token in Lu Zhao's hand, Fang Xuan secretly curled his lip.

That's really expensive.

"This temporary token is just an entry ticket."

Lu Zhao smiled and said, "If you need to rent a stall, the price will double, calculated by the day."

Two thousand spirit stones a day?

Robbery!

"Of course, you can also choose not to rent a stall and trade directly with someone, but you will still need to pay 10% of the total value to the Merchant Alliance."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuan's lips twitched involuntarily.

The Never-Setting Merchant Alliance is truly ruthless.

"Do we need to rent a booth?"

Fang Xuan said, "Two thousand spirit stones is no small sum."

Despite possessing a mysterious and profound realm, Fang Xuan gave all the spoils within to the Fang family.

His own cultivation requires an even more staggering amount of resources.

Two thousand spirit stones was already a lot for him.

"There's no need for that."

Lu Zhao said, "I know someone here. I can trade directly with her, and also buy a batch of goods from her to sell in Zhongzhou and make a profit from the price difference."

At this point, Lu Zhao couldn't help but sigh.

That's how business works.

It may seem glamorous, but there are actually many intricacies involved, and one must be able to assess the situation carefully.

Success only yields meager profits, while failure leads to financial ruin, and there are significant risks involved.

That's how Lu Zhao, bit by bit, expanded the Sihai Chamber of Commerce's business to most parts of Qingzhou.

The carriage moved slowly forward, eventually stopping in front of a shop called Qiu's Trading Company.

A servant trotted over, checked his identity token, and said respectfully, "So you are President Lu of the Sihai Chamber of Commerce. Please come inside for tea and a rest. I will go and inform the manager right away."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Lu Zhao nodded his thanks and led Manman into the shop.

Fang Xuan and Li Guanlan followed closely behind like bodyguards, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily as they memorized the route beforehand.

"Sister Lu, what brings you here!"

Before the group had even finished their cup of tea, a surprised female voice rang out.

Then, a woman, holding up her skirt, jogged over from the backyard, her face full of excitement.

"Little Yun'er, it's been a long time."

Lu Zhaochao nodded slightly and said, "I just happened to be passing by and was planning to buy some things from you."

He then handed over a list.

"Of course, since Sister Lu came in person, I will naturally give her a fair price."

Qiu Yun didn't even look at it before handing the list directly to the shop manager.

"Go, prepare everything Sister Lu needs as quickly as possible."

Qiu Yun said, "At the same time, we also bought the goods in Sister Lu's car at the highest price."

Guan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, Miss."

Lu Zhao said with a half-smile, "Little Yun'er, aren't you afraid of losing money doing business like this?"

Qiu Yun hugged Lu Zhao's arm and giggled, "I definitely can't do it with others, but Sister Lu, I'm fine with taking a little loss."

Lu Zhao shook his head and said, "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"

"Nothing can be hidden from Sister Lu."

Qiu Yun's smile vanished, and she lowered her voice, saying, "I only hope that when you go to Zhongzhou, you can take me with you."

"Are you going to Zhongzhou?"