As agreed by contract, these rock rice would be sold by the Tianmen Sect. Ten percent of the selling price would be the Tianmen Sect's operating fee, and ninety percent would be Zhang Wei's cost.
Zhang Wei felt that ten percent was too low, but Zhan Hua said with trepidation, "This item is so miraculous that it will sell out instantly, no matter the price. The Tianmen Sect doesn't have to exert much effort, and this item is extremely valuable. Even ten percent is an unimaginable sum!"
Zhan Hua dared not be greedy.
Securing the longest possible sales license was the path to the sect's resurgence!
Perhaps by seizing this opportunity, the Tianmen Sect could regain the glory it held generations ago and become the foremost power in the region!
For the first batch of two tons, the first ton would be for the Tianmen Sect's private use, cooked and distributed among all disciples. The second batch would be tentatively released to the market for trial.
In a sealed room, Zhang Wei took out several high-grade dishes suitable for healing.
After the previous battle, Zhang Wei's consumption had been immense; his potential had been completely drained. This level of strenuous exertion was even more severe than losing a limb, requiring constant nourishment from specialized ingredients!
"I've recovered about a tenth of my strength, and my Food Spirit skill is no longer hindered."
"I can go out and explore this world now."
After some investigation.
This world used gold, silver, and copper for transactions, with decent purchasing power. One copper coin could buy two white flour buns, and one tael of silver could be exchanged for a thousand copper coins.
The spirit stones in the hands of cultivators were extremely valuable, with more demand than supply. They could easily be exchanged for thousands of taels of silver. Calculated in copper coins, they could fill two carriages!
The rock rice Zhang Wei sold had a good price: five spirit stones per jin. This was mainly because the improvement from the cuisine was not stable and was a fixed increase, so the price was considered reasonable.
However, compared to the gourmet world, this price was over thousands of times higher. Because the properties of the food itself had transformed into precious medicine, its scarcity had also driven up its value.
Wandering in the mountains and wild, plants and animals rich in spiritual energy were extremely rare, practically non-existent!
They were also difficult to find in towns.
Helpless, Zhang Wei had no choice but to head to the cultivator's market, the Great Southern Market!
The old limping man who had attacked the Tianmen Sect was a broker from this market. He was known for his swindling, having cheated many itinerant cultivators.
The area was shrouded in thick fog, making it impossible for mortals to enter. Only cultivators could cross the steep, thirty-foot-high rock walls using wind manipulation techniques.
Before he had walked a few steps, he was stopped by a cultivator.
The man, with a shrewd look, rubbed his hands and said, "Your progress is swift. You must be a body cultivator, right?"
"So what if I am?"
"Heh heh, I happen to have two excellent items for body cultivators. Would you like to take a look?"
Zhang Wei pondered for a moment: "Alright."
The man led Zhang Wei to a secluded spot and took out a red cloth package from his embrace.
"This is Blood Ginseng! It can strengthen the heart and qi, and it's incredibly effective!"
Zhang Wei remained silent.
Did he look like an easy mark, or did this guy try to scam everyone he met?
However, even if it was a scam, Zhang Wei quite liked the radish. It would be perfect for making a cold dish with seawater vinegar.
"How much for this red-fleshed radish?"
"Gah, you jest, sir! What radish? This is clearly Blood Ginseng!"
Zhang Wei said speechlessly, "Why bother?"
Unexpectedly, the man threw his hands up and said angrily, "You outsider are being unreasonable! I kindly showed you Blood Ginseng, and you dared to switch it behind my back? Do you think this market has no one?"
With a loud shout.
The surrounding stall owners, carrying their wares, surrounded Zhang Wei.
"If you don't return my Blood Ginseng today, you're not leaving!"
"You can also compensate me at the price!"
"Twenty-five spirit stones, no, thirty!"
Zhang Wei cupped his hands to the crowd and explained the situation.
However, these stall owners didn't listen to Zhang Wei at all, only showing a stance of not allowing outsiders to bully their own people.
Zhang Wei could only say, "Alas, whether you're pretending to be ignorant or have been incited to deceive, when an avalanche happens, not a single snowflake is innocent."
"You outsider, hurry up and pay! What are you muttering about?"
"Nothing, I mean, can this matter really not be resolved peacefully?"
"That's right!" The stall owners seemed quite smug. But Zhang Wei's next words made them widen their eyes.
Zhang Wei sighed deeply, with a tone of great emotion and helplessness, saying, "Fine. I originally only intended to deal with him alone, but it seems I'll have to kill you all… It will at least make the journey to the underworld less lonely."
The stall owners: ???
...
"Hey, have you heard? The Southern Market seems to have been attacked by a strongman. Overnight, it was deserted. Not only were all the people gone, but all the goods inside were also taken without a trace."
Another person gasped, "There were over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed at that market. How could it have disappeared so silently... Could it be a Golden Core cultivator?"
"Even a Golden Core cultivator couldn't leave not a single person behind. I estimate at least two Golden Core cultivators must have been involved to achieve such a result!"
Upon hearing this news, a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Condensation clapped his hands in delight!
"That market was full of unscrupulous merchants. Many cultivators like me were cheated by them. Now that they've been eliminated, it's truly a joyous occasion! Awesome, awesome, awesome!"
"That seems to be true... Perhaps they cheated someone they couldn't afford to offend, thus bringing such disaster upon themselves. If they had upheld righteousness, would this have happened!"
Zhang Wei was drinking wine on the side, listening to their conversation.
Actually, not all the cultivators from that market had died. They had been abducted by Zhang Wei and imprisoned in the west side hall.
The cultivation techniques and incantations they knew could be of value.
The benefits of Gourmet Cells for cultivators were clear, but could Gourmet Hunters also cultivate true qi?