Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 584 - Old Century Trading

It wasn't long before they arrived at Old Century Trading, where they began chatting. The shop was enormous, filled with a dazzling array of goods. Having been in operation for over a century, it boasted a rich history and an excellent reputation.

Located in a prime spot with steady foot traffic, the shop's sales mainly revolved around pills, but it also offered artifacts, beast fur, beast cores, and spiritual talismans. The store was divided into several sections: pills, herbs, artifacts, and spiritual talismans.

"Where are our talismans being sold?" Liu Wuxie asked as he scanned the area but failed to spot the talismans forged by Song Ling.

Song Ling's craftsmanship was distinctive and originated from him. Liu Wuxie would have recognized it immediately. However, none of the displayed talismans bore his mark; instead, they looked crudely made.

Lan Yu pointed toward the front left. He said, "Over there!"

He led Liu Wuxie through the crowd to a corner of the shop, but the area was deserted. The items there were sparse and unremarkable, mostly discarded trinkets that failed to catch anyone’s attention.

That wasn’t all; tucked into the corner was a narrow passage primarily used for transporting goods. This dimly lit area was never intended for customers, making it even less likely that anyone would venture there. The ground was damp, and mosquitoes buzzed around, adding to the unwelcoming atmosphere.

Under Lan Yu's guidance, they approached a half-meter-tall counter. The wood was rotting and on the verge of collapse. Only a few spiritual talismans were haphazardly placed on the nearby shelf.

The poor lighting reinforced the sense that no customers ever came here, and there wasn't an attendant in sight.

For cultivators, pills and spiritual talismans were essential tools for enhancing their fighting strength, albeit through different means.

Fan Zhen, Bai Lin, and Lan Yu stood behind Liu Wuxie. They trembled and fell silent. They thought Liu Wuxie would have an outburst, but he said nothing after a long silence and walked out of the passage.

After returning to the main hall, Liu Wuxie's facial expression was terrifyingly ugly, with his suppressed rage that could erupt at any moment.

"Call out their shopkeeper!" Liu Wuxie said coldly. Lan Yu quickly went to fetch the manager, and a plump middle-aged man followed Lan Yu five minutes later. He held a handkerchief in his other hand and carefully wiped his sweat as he came over.

His round body wobbled with each step like a ball of flesh.

"Master, he's the Old Century Trading's owner, Bei Chengsi," Lan Yu introduced.

Bai Chengshi straightened himself and extended his hand, greeting Liu Wuxie warmly. Even he had heard of the recent rumors of Liu Wuxie about his deeds in Serene Sea City. "So, it's Young Master Liu. My apologies for not recognizing you any sooner!"

Liu Wuxie, however, didn't extend his hand in return. This made Bai Chengsi retract his hand awkwardly.

"Boss Bei, you're a businessman, and I believe you should know that there are only profits in a business, not grudges. Are you not going to give me an explanation?" Liu Wuxie questioned coldly.

They were businessmen at Old Century Trading and only paid attention to profits. If grudges were involved, the business would no longer exist.

"Young Master Liu, you're right. There are only profits and no grudges," Bei Chengsi said, maintaining a respectful attitude.

"Then why are our talismans in that corner? Boss Bei, shouldn't you provide me with a proper explanation?" Liu Wuxie said, growing more intimidating in Bei Chengsi's eyes. This attracted the attention of the nearby customers, who were curious about what was happening.

"Young Master Liu, please calm down. This isn't the place to discuss such matters. Why don't we head to the inner hall to speak?" Bei Chengsi suggested as he glanced around, inviting Liu Wuxie's group to the inner hall to prevent the business from being affected.

Liu Wuxie snorted and released a fluctuating soul energy, causing Bei Chengsi to tremble. The latter could only bow repeatedly as they headed to the inner hall. Fresh fruits were brought in as refreshments when they sat in a private room.

"There's no outsiders here, so let's hear it. Why are our talismans placed in such a corner? According to our agreement, it should be placed in the most prominent area," Liu Wuxie said firmly, choosing to restrain his frustration for now. Moreover, he noticed no enmity in Bei Chengsi's eyes. This meant there must be other owners aside from Bei Chengsi.

Bei Chengsi sighed helplessly, and his chair creaked. The chair, unable to bear his weight, looked like it was about to collapse at any moment.

"The truth is, there are two other owners in Old Century Trading aside from me. It's not my decision to put the talisman in such a remote corner," Bai Chengsi replied truthfully.

"Bring them here," Liu Wuxie said, waving his hand impatiently.

Lan Yu had mentioned that Old Century Trading had once been an asset of the Bei Clan. However, years ago, the business encountered severe financial troubles and teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. At that crucial juncture, two unknown parties had intervened, taking on the roles of silent co-owners to save the business from collapse.

The Heavenly Dao Society had been unaware of this fact when they had entered into a partnership with Old Century Trading, only discovering it after the contract was signed. If they had known beforehand, they would have never chosen Old Century Trading as a sales channel.

At the time, Lan Yu had searched extensively for shops willing to collaborate, but most had turned them away due to the Heavenly Dao Society’s lack of reputation. Only Old Century Trading had agreed to cooperate, which had led to the contract being signed.

Bei Chengsi gave a discreet signal, prompting an elderly servant outside the room to leave in search of the other two owners. After a short wait—just enough time to brew a cup of tea—two men entered. One was tall and the other short, both in their twenties but already part-owners of the business.

As they walked in, the two men sneered, their eyes brimming with hostility.

“They are Du Weihe and Xu Zhi,” Bei Chengsi introduced. Liu Wuxie, representing the Heavenly Dao Society, expected that they would sit down to discuss the matter since they were supposed to be business partners.

Du Weihe, the taller of the two, and Xu Zhi, the shorter one, nonchalantly took seats across from Liu Wuxie.

"Bei Chengsi, why have you called us here? We're very busy!" Xu Zhi snapped, annoyed. His attitude towards Chengsi was vile as if he were reprimanding his subordinates.

He didn't even bat an eye at Bei Chengsi, maintaining his aloof personality. He looked down on Bei Chengsi with an air of superiority and spoke bluntly.

“This is the founder of the Heavenly Dao Society... Young Master Liu. He’s here to discuss the Heavenly Dao Society’s sales,” Bei Chengsi said with forced politeness. Though his anger simmered beneath the surface, he had no choice but to endure it. Old Century Trading had been a prestigious asset of the Bei Clan for a century, but by the time he inherited it, his title as owner had become almost meaningless.

"Young Master Liu?" Xu Zhi looked at Liu Wuxie with a mocking expression. He continued, "Never heard of him!"

Xu Zhi’s tone dripped with provocation, which sent a surge of fury through Lan Yu, who shifted restlessly on his feet. Bai Lin’s stance tensed, ready for a confrontation, while Fan Zhen clenched his right fist by his side, prepared to spring into action.

The disrespect was blatant. Anyone who claimed not to have heard of Liu Wuxie had to be either hard of hearing or a nitwit.

What happened in Serene Sea City spread throughout the Southern Province in just seven or eight days. Everyone in the province had heard of Liu Wuxie's name, except for some remote areas.

While the Treasure City wasn't one of the ten major cities, its advantageous location meant cultivators frequented it. Thus, Liu Wuxie's accomplishments had long spread throughout the city.

Liu Wuxie stopped Lan Yu from lashing out. His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he was sure that these two belonged to the Lesser Blade Association, who had taken control of Old Century Trading. Bei Chengsi didn't have much authority to speak in this shop.

At first, Bei Chengsi wasn't aware of the conflict between the Lesser Blade Association and the Heavenly Dao Society. He would never have agreed to cooperate with the Heavenly Dao Society if he had known.

The tension in the room grew as Xu Zhi and Du Weihe chatted with each other, ignoring Liu Wuxie and his companions.

"It's natural for someone like Boss Xu not to know someone as insignificant as me, and I'm here today to discuss why our talismans aren't sold in the main hall of your shop." Liu Wuxie suddenly narrowed his eyes and revealed a devilish smile.

Xu Zhi was stunned because he didn't expect Liu Wuxie to remain composed. He had purposely tried to provoke him, but the latter smiled at them as if their actions were ineffective.

If Liu Wuxie had flared up, they could have used it as an opportunity and made various demands to let the Heavenly Dao Society compensate, claiming that the Heavenly Dao Society refused to cooperate with their shop.

"You meant that garbage? Do you have the cheek to request them to be placed in the main hall? The Old Century Trading has already given you the final notice. If the sales don't improve within five days, we must demand compensation for our losses," Xu Zhi said, locking eyes with Liu Wuxie. Their eyes were brimming with murderous intent as they looked at each other.

"Boss Xu, aren't you being unreasonable here? Doesn't your shop know why we haven't been making sales?" Lan Yu took a step forward without any hesitation. He wasn't afraid as his master was present.

"This is our shop, and we decide how we do things. Don't blame us if your product doesn't sell, and you have four days left. If the profits don't reach our expectations, you can get lost from the Old Century Trading with your talismans," Xu Zhi said, and his shameless demeanor made Lan Yu grit his teeth.

"Where's the contract?" Liu Wuxie requested. He wanted to see how the contract was crafted.

When Lan Yu took out the contract from his interspatial ring, he handed it to Liu Wuxie. There were soul imprints on the contract, so no forgery was possible.

The Heavenly Dao Society was contracted to produce a hundred spiritual talismans daily, and the profits would be split 70:30. Everything was fair and square in the contract.

The contract itself was fine; Xu Zhi and Du Weihe had broken the contract's integrity.

According to the terms listed in the contract, Old Century Trading reserved the right to stop selling their products if the sales don't meet expectations. As for compensation, they had entirely fabricated it, which wasn't listed in the contract.

"Since Old Century Trading isn't willing to sell our talismans, we can take our business elsewhere. Let's go," Liu Wuxie said and stood up. His action confused everyone in the room—since when had Liu Wuxie become so easy to talk to?

"Liu Wuxie, who do you think you are to come and go as you please? Don't even think about leaving this room if you don't clarify things!" Xu Zhi suddenly bounced to his feet and unleashed his aura towards Liu Wuxie.