Chapter 69: No One Understands Marketing Better Than Me!

Following the flow of passersby, the four of them stepped into the Lingyin Merchant Association.

From the outside, it appeared quite small, but once inside, Vilyric realized it was much more spacious than she had imagined, estimating at least several thousand square meters on just the first floor.

Crowds bustled around, moving between the shelves, and although there didn’t seem to be much supervision or guidance, the plethora of goods was displayed everywhere, allowing customers to freely pick and put them into their shopping baskets.

Near each type of product were prominent wooden signs, inscribed with a few descriptions written in the common script of the Ancient Spirit Realm. Vilyric leaned in to glance and understood that these were simple introductions to the items’ functions and features.

It was even more ordinary than she expected; she wondered how things were at the higher levels.

The first floor, despite its vast area, had a staircase leading to the upper levels right in the center. It was clear that the merchandise here was not limited to just this.

To be honest, this place reminded Vilyric a bit of a department store back on Blue Star.

The items sold on the first floor were mostly practical household goods—raw and cooked foods, various everyday tools and materials, and an assortment of little knickknacks—priced affordably, allowing ordinary families to shop freely.

Although she hadn’t yet explored the second floor and above, based on the content of the signs at the entrance of the Merchant Association, it seemed that the higher up one went, the more expensive and rare the items became, creating a clear stratification of target demographics.

As they wandered aimlessly through the marketplace, the Priestess occasionally picked out small items that looked useful, tossing them into a bamboo basket Murong Yun had inexplicably acquired. Suddenly, Vilyric thought of a question.

One that wouldn’t be considered troublesome on Blue Star, but here, felt distinctly out of place.

“By the way, how does one check out here? Just leaving items out in a public space like this—aren’t you worried they’ll be stolen? Is the average citizen of the Ancient Spirit Realm really that reputable?”

Ling Feng smiled slightly.

“Hehe, I guessed Vilyric would wonder about this. It’s said that many outsiders experience the same curiosity when first encountering the Lingyin Merchant Association. The truth is…”

She casually picked up a beautifully packaged square candy, gesturing for the black-haired girl to take a look.

“Each item in the Lingyin Merchant Association has a specific mark assigned to it at the time of display, and only through matching devices can it be removed. If someone tries to take an item out of the store without removing its mark— even if it’s concealed in a storage space—it will trigger a warning at the entrance detection station, making theft extremely difficult.”

“This unique technology is granted by Lingyin Fairy Island, and it’s the foundation of how the merchant association operates.”

“Look.”

Ling Feng flipped the candy over, and indeed, on the smooth wrapping was a distinct crimson ink mark resembling a kind of talisman script.

Vilyric picked up another type of candy and observed it for a while; it too had a completely matching label.

This thing… is Lingyin Fairy Island’s technology?

Of course, while she couldn’t help but want to mock it in her heart, Miss Vilyric still had to play along and compliment it a bit more to gather intel.

“That’s quite an interesting design! Is this sales concept also provided by the Fairy Island?”

Ling Feng returned the candy to its place and smiled.

“Since this place is named the Lingyin Merchant Association, many elements here are naturally influenced by Lingyin Fairy Island. Additionally, from what I know, while the Fairy Island itself doesn’t interfere with the operations of various merchants in the Ancient Spirit Realm, every time they reemerge, the Lingyin Merchant Association willingly contributes a significant portion of its annual operational profits as a tribute to support the Four Saints Selection Tournament and pay taxes.”

“That’s basically the relationship between the two.”

“Eh…”

A sense of oddity bubbled up inside Vilyric, prompting her to continue probing.

“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t the Lingyin Merchant Association be at a disadvantage? They work diligently every year but have to give over half to Lingyin Fairy Island, which doesn’t have to do anything. Isn’t that too unfair?”

This time, even Murong Yun quickly smiled and refuted her.

“Not at all, Miss Vilyric. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. One could say that the Lingyin Merchant Association is riding on the coattails of the Fairy Island.”

“As an outsider, you may not understand what ‘Lingyin’ truly means to us in the Ancient Spirit Realm. Although the Ancient Spirit Realm is divided into four kingdoms and Lingyin Fairy Island seldom interferes with worldly matters, it remains the absolute sacred land in the hearts of nearly all beings in the Ancient Spirit Realm—a place of the utmost significance.”

“If it weren’t for the Fairy Island, the Ancient Spirit Realm would have probably perished in the evil demon chaos a thousand years ago, turning into a wasteland, and the Four Saints would have never had the chance to emerge and turn the tide.”

“Our current world has developed entirely under the guidance and protection of the Fairy Island.”

“So, any force recognized by the Fairy Island, like this merchant association named ‘Lingyin’, can effortlessly gain the full support and trust of both the four nations and the people, providing a profit that is virtually tenfold compared to usual.”

“Of course, organizations carrying the Lingyin name must ensure the quality of their products; otherwise, if a major issue arises—even reaching the ears of the heavens—when the Fairy Island reappears, they might find their ‘Lingyin’ name stripped away or even face punishments. That’s a form of indirect oversight.”

“If they can maintain a good operation long-term, even if they end up giving away a large part of their profits to the Fairy Island, the remaining portion would still be several times more than typical business revenue. Once you think through this relationship, will you still feel the merchant association is at a disadvantage?”

“Ooh…”

So that’s how it is.

At this moment, all that remained in Miss Vilyric’s heart was a single thought.

Deep affection has always been hard to keep, only schemes win hearts!

What a deep scheme!

After wandering a few circles on the first floor and casually buying a few items—mostly to give Vilyric a glimpse of her surroundings—the four didn’t linger long. Under Murong Yun’s lead, they headed straight upstairs.

The first floor of the Lingyin Merchant Association catered to the general public. Although the quality was guaranteed, it was still filled with common items. The truly intriguing things, along with the places Murong Yun wished to visit, were evidently located on higher floors.

Soon enough, they passed through three levels, arriving at the fourth floor of the building.

If the first three floors were just ordinary markets with varying content and prices, upon reaching this floor, the scene changed dramatically, becoming quite interesting.

“Wow, the Lingyin Merchant Association…”

As she contemplated the elegantly antique ambiance, even the four large characters hanging on a beautifully crafted plaque made the Priestess smile slightly.

Just a single character difference makes a world of significance.

And here, they finally encountered guards that could be deemed “a little powerful.”

“Please hold, may I see your identification? If it’s your first time on the fourth floor, kindly complete the procedure at the front desk and provide proof of at least ten thousand Four Saints Gold Coins in purchasing power to enter. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Following the guard’s gesture, Vilyric turned her gaze toward a few counters not far from the entrance.

There, young women in elegant qipaos, clearly staff of the merchant association, were busy helping other customers with their procedures.

It was evident that this was a regulated process designed to prevent ordinary people without purchasing power from flooding the area, leading to chaos and meaningless incidents.

While it did carry a slight bias against the poor, thinking it through, such practices weren’t entirely unreasonable.

   

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