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Chapter 12: The Grand River Market Has Its Own National Character
Chapter 12: The Grand River Market Has Its Own National Character
In front of the stone slabs, an elderly man held a spicy beef jerky, his eyes brimming with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.
Before him stood a tall, handsome, and suave man, one hand behind his back and the other holding a long piece of beef jerky, speaking confidently.
“Don’t understand? I’ll teach you!”
“Brand value is the additional value that people add to a product beyond its inherent worth.”
“Still don’t get it?”
Seeing the old man's confused expression, Luo Chen sighed and pointed to the scattered cultivator market with his beef jerky.
“Just in this market, there are at least three shops that sell low-tier talismans year-round!”
“Mm-hmm, Lu Heng, Mao Wu Ya, and me, we’re the ones who sell talismans regularly,” Elder Chen quickly interjected, eager to contribute.
“Do you see how they operate? And how about yourself?”
Elder Chen sneered, “Lu Heng is a mere child, his skills are lacking. He buys his talisman paper from me; he’s not worth mentioning!”
“What about Master Mao?”
“Halfway into the craft, his skills are on par with mine, but he’s ninety-three years old, just a dried-up bone in the grave!”
“And what about you, Brother Chen?”
Elder Chen stroked his white beard confidently, “I started working at the Divine Talisman Pavilion at twenty, learned the art of making talisman paper in five years, and began my path in talismans at thirty. I’ve been running this stall for twenty-five years, strong and skilled. Any wandering cultivator who wants to buy talismans will surely come to me first!”
Clap, clap, clap!
Luo Chen clapped his hands, a satisfied smile on his face.
“Brother Chen, that’s exactly right. Your talismans already possess a basic brand value, derived from your experience at the Divine Talisman Pavilion, twenty-five years of unwavering stall operation, and consistent quality. All these elements combine to form your brand.”
Elder Chen felt quite pleased but then thought for a moment and felt something was off.
“But why haven’t my talismans commanded a higher price over the years?”
“High prices are indeed rare, but compared to others, aren’t your prices generally higher?”
“It seems so, but they still can’t match the Divine Talisman Pavilion. Customers who need large quantities of talismans still prefer to go there.”
Luo Chen rolled his eyes, “The Divine Talisman Pavilion is backed by the Divine Talisman Sect, one of the six major sects in the Far Eastern Six Realms. Their brand value is bestowed by Golden Core Elders and Nascent Soul True Humans. How can you compare?”
“True.” Elder Chen acknowledged his limitations.
“So, the brand value of your stall has its limits. In this situation, you need to find another way out!”
“Like what?”
“Give your individual products brand value.”
“Be more specific!”
“Give them a story!”
Elder Chen was taken aback, “The Marvelous Pill? The Cloud Crane? The Cloud Crane Elder of the Blissful Sect?”
“You can be taught!”
Impressed!
Impressed!
His fists clenched with determination!
After the moment of resolve, Elder Chen entered a state of clear and enlightened thought.
“So, you mean I need to give my talismans a story, just like you did?”
“Exactly.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“Just that simple!”
“Then why did you go on and on about all that?”
“Wouldn’t it be a waste of your fifty spirit stones if I didn’t say enough?”
Sigh! Inhale!
Taking a deep breath, Elder Chen decided not to get angry. At sixty-five, he needed to take care of his health.
“But how do I tell these stories?”
Luo Chen looked at his stall and knew all the types of talismans Elder Chen sold.
There were six in total: the lowest-tier Cleaning Talisman and Wind Control Talisman, mid-tier Fireball Talisman and Earth Spike Talisman, and the Earth Wall Talisman and Qi Concealment Talisman.
The Fireball Talisman and Earth Spike Talisman were the most popular, but they sold for only one and a half spirit stones each.
The most expensive talismans were the Earth Wall Talisman and the Aura Concealment Talisman. The former cost two spirit stones per talisman, while the latter started at three spirit stones. During high demand, the Aura Concealment Talisman could fetch five or six spirit stones, or even more.
Talismans were in high demand among lower-tier cultivators. They were slightly less powerful than spells but could be released quickly and consumed very little spirit energy. Especially those related to defense and survival, they were extremely popular.
Pointing at the Aura Concealment Talisman, Luo Chen's mind raced. Drawing from his knowledge of the Six Realms Chronicles, he came up with a basic story outline. However, the specific details would have to be filled in by Old Daoist Chen, who had more experience.
Luo Chen also suggested that for new customers, Old Daoist Chen should tell new stories, while for regulars, he should stick to the old ones. Additionally, Luo Chen recommended redecorating the Aura Concealment Talisman. It couldn't remain so drab; adding two golden borders would make it more appealing without affecting its function. This way, even if he didn't tell a story to regular customers, he could still try to raise the price.
After giving his advice, Luo Chen couldn't contain his excitement. Like a gust of wind, he clutched his earnings and rushed into the independent cultivator market.
Buy! Buy! Buy frantically!
The night had grown deep, and the moonlight illuminated the ground brightly. A young man, carrying two large snakeskin bags, hurried along the path. The bags were genuinely made of snakeskin, tough and spacious.
Today, he had spent extra time at the market selling his Wondrous Pill and discussing matters with Old Daoist Chen, which delayed him significantly. By the time he finished his evening shopping, it was already this late.
Walking on the dried yellow earth, Luo Chen's breathing was heavy. Despite his quick pace, his eyes constantly scanned the shadows between the wooden houses.
The Great River Market strictly prohibited fighting, but only within the inner city. In the outer city, where independent cultivators lived, they turned a blind eye. The spirit stones collected monthly were only used by the bigwigs in the inner city to deal with beast attacks.
Thus, the outer city often saw strongmen ambushing and robbing others, sometimes even killing for their treasures. While such incidents were rare during the day, they became rampant at night.
Luo Chen had no spirit stones on him, all his wealth was in the two large snakeskin bags. But to be honest, their total value was only about a hundred spirit stones, and the items were scattered, making them difficult to sell.
However, what he thought and what others might covet were two different things.
"Damn it, once I have more spirit stones, I'll definitely move to the inner city!"
Luo Chen cursed under his breath, feeling uneasy as he walked the dirt path. Perhaps it was the bright moonlight, or maybe his tattered clothes and the ugly snakeskin bags, but Luo Chen made it back home safely.
Sometimes, being so lowly that even robbers wouldn't bother with you was a form of protection.
Luo Chen didn't feel bitter. After a brief rest, he sorted the various materials from the bags and arranged them on the shelves.
With a hundred spirit stones, he had purchased nineteen sets of Wondrous Pill ingredients, spending ninety-five spirit stones. The remaining five spirit stones were used to buy materials for Fasting Pills. With his success rate, he could at least refine thirty bottles of Fasting Pills. Selling them at three spirit stones for five bottles, he could earn six spirit stones, with a net profit of about half, or three spirit stones.
The other two spirit stones were used to buy ten pounds of spirit rice and to pay two months' rent at the city hall. His house on the outskirts cost half a spirit stone per month, so he paid for two months at a time.
Pouring the spirit rice into the rice bin, Luo Chen slumped onto a wooden stool in the living room, breathing in the scent of the herbal medicines. Despite his exhaustion, he felt elated.
Tomorrow, he could start expanding production!
(End of Chapter)
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