Volume 1, Chapter 61: Tang Qian: No Matter How Much I Lose, Wang牧 Must Not Profit

[Ding~]
[Congratulations! You have received a return on cultivation gains from Zhang Mu: Mana +10, Profound Gold Scripture EXP +100!]
[Congratulations! You have received a return on cultivation gains from Zhou Yue: Mana +10, Jade Maiden Scripture EXP +100!]
[Congratulations! You have received a return on cultivation gains from Daoist Yin-Yang: Mana +20, Joyful Scripture EXP +200, Bedchamber Arts EXP +100!]
[...]
"..."
Wang Mu looked at the continuously popping notifications on the system interface. Why did it feel like something strange had mixed in?

Over these past few days,
he could clearly sense that the amount of each individual cultivation return was growing larger and larger.
This indicated that the cultivators he had invested in had experienced significant breakthroughs in their cultivation realms within a short period, and they were doing so in batches.
It was basically certain
that these people were all cultivators who had obtained fortuitous encounters within that flood dragon's tomb.
From this, Wang Mu confirmed
that this approach was viable.

"From now on, pay more attention to information regarding secret realms and ruins. Furthermore, if anyone is willing to sell, we can directly purchase information of this nature!"
"Understood, Young Master!"
Nie Tingting had changed into an extremely form-fitting black long dress today. Not only did it accentuate her already towering chest, making it look even more prominent, but even her hips, normally concealed beneath loose robes, now revealed an astonishingly lifted and rounded curve.

Wang Mu looked at her and couldn't help sighing, "Tingting, you've changed!"
Nie Tingting was bewildered, "Me? How have I changed?"
"You never used to wear clothes like this. Don't you know this easily distracts me and makes me forget what I just said?"
"Then... should I not wear them in the future?"
"No, what I mean is, you should wear something like this every day from now on so I can see it often and get used to it. Understand?"
"...Understood, Young Master!"

Watching Wang Mu utter nonsense with a straight face, Nie Tingting couldn't help covering her mouth with a chuckle. Driven by a mischievous impulse, she pushed out her chest even more prominently.
To be honest,
if it were before, she would have never dressed like this in front of Wang Mu.
Because his reputation used to be utterly abysmal,
hailed as a veritable scourge to women everywhere.
Yet now, through increasing contact with Wang Mu, she had come to deeply realize that everything she had heard previously was mere rumor.
Or rather, it was simply a method the Young Master used to conceal his sharpness.
During the time she had spent by Wang Mu's side, she had witnessed with her own eyes how he effortlessly and repeatedly blunted the edge of the three major chambers of commerce.
Every decision seemed absurd at first glance, but upon reflection afterward, she realized each one harbored profound intentions.
Such a Young Master...
was admittedly dazzling to a fault.

"Right, where was I just talking about?" Wang Mu asked.
"Purchasing information regarding secret realms," Nie Tingting reminded him with a covered smile.
"Oh, right. Buy them if the price is right. As for the price, it will depend on the grade of the secret realm!"
"Young Master, do you intend to send people into the secret realms to treasure-hunt?"
"No!" Wang Mu shook his head. "If we can manage to acquire detailed information about any ruin or secret realm, we will distribute maps and guides. If not, we will set up aid stations right at the entrance!
We will provide medicinal pills and material subsidies to all cultivators leaving the secret realm!"

Nie Tingting's beautiful eyes shone brightly, "Just like with that flood dragon's tomb?"
Wang Mu nodded.
Gazing at Wang Mu's profile, Nie Tingting couldn't help remarking, "Young Master is truly a good person!"
If his previous actions still carried a hint of spending money merely to build a reputation,
then by now, whether it was the Langya Chamber of Commerce or the foundation, their reputation was firmly established. Even if there was room to enhance their public image further, it could no longer bring any greater commercial benefit to the Langya Chamber of Commerce.
Yet Wang Mu insisted on running this destined-to-be-unprofitable enterprise.
Aside from a kind heart,
she could think of no other reason.

Wang Mu smiled without offering any explanation.
How could Nie Tingting know that Wang Mu valued the potential of those cultivators who could survive desperate perils and continuously push past their own limits?
To Wang Mu, the cost-performance ratio of investing in every such cultivator was exceptionally high.
Or rather, it could also be considered a form of filtration,
allowing Wang Mu to invest with greater precision.
After all, in this world of immortal cultivation, unless one possessed the backing of a major power like Wang Mu, grassroots cultivators who didn't even dare to explore secret realms and ruins were destined to achieve only limited success, with no grand future ahead of them.

...

As soon as the news was released,
it quickly caused a massive uproar.
Meanwhile,
at the Penglai Chamber of Commerce,
Tang Qian also received this news, his brows furrowed tightly.
"What on earth is that Wang family young master trying to achieve by collecting information on secret realms and ruins?" Gou Anshi was extremely puzzled.
"Given his status and position, he lacks no resources whatsoever. Ordinary secret realms are completely unworthy of his attention!" Liu Yanxuang was equally baffled.
"Could he simply be bored out of his mind?"
"..." Tang Qian looked up at Liu Yanxuang. "Don't you think his actions this time bear a striking resemblance to the previous two times?"
Liu Yanxuang: "??"

Tang Qian stated, "Previously, he hid behind the facade of a profligate playboy, acting like a pig to eat the tiger. It looked like nothing more than a foolish display of flaunting wealth and scattering money, yet it caused us to lose a massive amount of business in the Northern Sea!
Right now, he is clearly attempting to use the exact same trick again!"
Gou Anshi asked, "Does Young Master Tang mean he has ulterior motives?"
Tang Qian answered decisively, "Exactly."
Gou Anshi asked, "Then what could those motives be?"

"..."
Tang Qian was silent for a moment before replying, "Although it cannot be confirmed for now, one thing is certain: among the secret realms and ruins about to open recently, there is definitely something he desires. Otherwise, he would never go to such lengths!"
Gou Anshi nodded thoughtfully, "Then what should we do?"
Tang Qian took a deep breath, his gaze dark and gloomy, "Regardless of what he wants, we have only one goal! And that is... to make all his efforts fall short of success!"
"He can buy secret realm intelligence, and so can we!"
"Furthermore, we can offer a higher price than him!"
"I refuse to believe he will be allowed to succeed this time!"

...

Within a mere two days,
the Langya Chamber of Commerce had received a massive volume of intelligence and information.
However, truths and falsehoods were intermingled, making them difficult to verify.
Moreover, most of them consisted of mere fragments of gossip, baseless as hollow wind, and obviously fake at a glance.
This was only natural.
After all... where in the world of immortal cultivation were secret realms and ruins found on every corner?
Yet given such a massive quantity, a few genuine pieces were bound to surface eventually.

Wang Mu instructed Nie Tingting to first organize a group of cultivators with exceptionally high realms and broad experience to analyze the acquired information,
filter out the mostly useless ones,
and pinpoint the few intelligence reports with the highest credibility.
After that, they would dispatch Li Yuanhua and others to investigate the truth one by one.
While this method was far more accurate,
comparatively speaking, its efficiency would be much lower.

On the other hand, the other three major chambers of commerce were offering exorbitant prices.
The Langya Chamber of Commerce paid one thousand spirit stones for a piece of intelligence with a certain degree of accuracy.
Yet the three major chambers of commerce were paying five thousand!
Furthermore, regardless of accuracy, they accepted everything brought to them.
There was only one catch: a binding contract must be signed. Once sold to them, the information could no longer be resold to the Langya Chamber of Commerce.
In an instant,
cultivators across the entire Northern Sea went wild.