Jiang Chen roughly understood what Mu Gaoqi meant. In the Dangian Palace, quality pills were all distributed uniformly — there simply wasn't enough surplus to sell.
As for ordinary pills, core disciples had no use for them. No matter how many there were, they were worthless — there was no market for them in the sect.
So while small-scale pill trading between disciples existed in the Dangian Palace, a large-scale trading market simply did not.
"Friend Gaoqi, let's say I had an exclusive pill formula — a pill that even the sect doesn't possess, with excellent effects. Would there be a market for it in the sect?"
The question caught Mu Gaoqi slightly off guard.
"Brother Jiang Chen, are you serious?" Mu Gaoqi blinked, his eyelashes fluttering slightly.
"Never mind whether it's real or not. Just analyze the market."
Mu Gaoqi nodded. "If you truly had an exclusive formula and exclusive pills that were well-suited for core disciples, there'd probably be some market for them. But a large-scale market? I think that would be very difficult. There are many reasons. First, the sect already distributes pills, so people aren't exactly desperate for them. Second, everyone's cultivation resources are limited — they simply don't have enough purchasing power. Third, the sect might not even allow individuals to deal in pills."
Mu Gaoqi's words doused half of Jiang Chen's moneymaking ambitions in an instant.
Jiang Chen had already prepared his pill formulas, planning to make a big splash — even borrowing from his earlier partnership model with the Medicine Hall.
This kind of money-making method — no need to lift a finger, just sit back and collect — was exactly the sort of business Jiang Chen loved.
But he hadn't expected that this moneymaking scheme of his would have absolutely no market within the sect.
Regardless, Jiang Chen was not discouraged. He decided to keep his eyes open and explore further.
The Medicine Hall's business model had earned money from the entire Eastern Kingdom — and later, from the entire Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance.
By the same logic, the Myriad Phenomena Territory was vast. Jiang Chen was certain that as long as his pill formulas held an absolute advantage, he could make money here too — and a great deal of it.
At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about resources.
That said, compared to when he'd been in the Eastern Kingdom, Jiang Chen was naturally far more cautious. He wouldn't just hand over his pill formulas so easily.
At this level of pill formulas, he couldn't be as casual as he'd been with the Medicine Hall. If things went wrong and someone set their sights on him, the trouble would be enormous — it might even bring about his own death.
After all, the pill formulas he intended to bring out this time were extraordinarily excellent — enough to drive people mad.
"Brother Jiang Chen, if you have pill formulas, I'd advise you to forget about trying to run a business yourself. The best approach would be to offer them to the sect in exchange for contribution points and resources. Setting aside whether you could even get such a business off the ground, the time and energy would be a waste that we martial artists simply cannot afford. Besides, if the sect found out you were hoarding exclusive pill formulas, they'd likely give you a lot of trouble."
Mu Gaoqi's intentions were genuinely good. Rather than pressing further, he laid out the reality for Jiang Chen.
"Brother Jiang Chen, I've managed to save up a bit over the years. I'll cover the Spirit-Stabilizing Pills for your followers for three months. Your monthly resource allocation should be enough for your own needs."
It was clear that Mu Gaoqi was willing to go all in to secure Jiang Chen's companionship. He didn't want Jiang Chen wasting time on these long-shot ventures, nor did he want any complications arising.
If it weren't for the fact that their departure was set three months from now, he would have wished to set out with Jiang Chen immediately.
In any case, Jiang Chen could genuinely feel Mu Gaoqi's sincerity. He also understood just how important the Wood Spirit Spring was to Mu Gaoqi.
After seeing Mu Gaoqi off, Xue Tong expressed some concern. "Young Master, the way Mu Gaoqi is being so generous — in my view, wherever he's inviting you to must be extremely dangerous. Otherwise, there's no reason for him to be this attentive and lavish."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "That much I'm well aware of. But as he said, that spirit spring truly represents a critical turning point for his fate. It's only natural that he'd invest heavily. Since he's been honest with me, I, Jiang Chen, won't let his efforts go to waste. If he tries any tricks, I can always withdraw at any time and leave him drawing water with a bamboo basket."
With Jiang Chen's ability to read people, he could tell that Mu Gaoqi's invitation was entirely genuine, without any hidden agenda.
Mu Gaoqi's generosity was mainly meant to keep Jiang Chen from stirring up more trouble — to prevent any further complications that might throw a wrench into his expedition plans.
"Forget it. I'll go check out the Spring and Autumn Hall first. I hear that's where sect missions are posted. At the very least, I should go learn about the mission tiers and their corresponding reward allocations. If the sect missions offer generous rewards, I might take on a few. If not, I'll pass."
Now that Jiang Chen was managing his own affairs, he finally understood how expensive everyday necessities could be. He had no intention of spending enormous amounts of time completing sect missions only to receive pitiful rewards.
He needed to understand the rules of the system first.
Just as he was about to head out, another visitor appeared outside his cave dwelling.
The visitor claimed to be an elder of the Dangian Palace.
"An elder of the Dangian Palace?" Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised. His fight with Yan Hongtu shouldn't have been enough to attract the attention of someone at the elder level.
The Dangian Palace had over a hundred elders, but even so, their status was extremely high. Each wielded significant authority, though they were responsible for different areas.
"I am Linghu Xian, elder of the Herb Hall. Might I come in and speak with you, young friend?" The old man had crane-white hair and a youthful face, looking vigorous and full of spirit.
The Herb Hall was one of the top three among the Dangian Palace's nine halls.
Alongside the Martial Hall and the Spring and Autumn Hall, it formed the three great halls of the Dangian Palace.
The Herb Hall was responsible for alchemy and the cultivation of spiritual medicines, specializing in pill production.