The true core profits of Tianfu Shop.
Now, they basically came entirely from the output of Qingxuan Blessed Land and the elixirs Ye Qingxuan refined himself.
Although the quantity of Tier 3 Spirit Purification Elixirs Ye Qingxuan refined wasn’t large, the success rate was high, and the profit margin was substantial.
While the transaction volume brought in by other channels seemed significant, the actual profits were meager, and handling them was time-consuming and labor-intensive. This was the main reason Ye Qingxuan hadn’t been willing to invest much effort in expanding Tianfu Shop before.
However, if Zhu Dafu was willing to proactively handle these matters and help Tianfu Shop expand, Ye Qingxuan didn’t mind investing the spirit stones.
Hearing Ye Qingxuan’s conditions and sensing his considerable interest, Zhu Dafu’s eyes darted around for a moment as he thought it over, then he bargained:
“I want a 20% share of the profits generated by the channels I build. Also, I want to become the public-facing manager of Tianfu Shop.”
Ye Qingxuan didn’t really care about Zhu Dafu taking a 20% share of the channel profits. After all, it was just the channels; it wouldn’t cost Ye Qingxuan much. If Zhu Dafu took a larger share, he’d likely be more motivated to work hard.
As for Zhu Dafu’s final request, it actually suited Ye Qingxuan perfectly. He was happy to give Zhu Dafu fame and glory, because Ye Qingxuan didn’t care about such things. As long as the actual benefits belonged to him, that was fine.
However, although he wanted to stay behind the scenes, that didn’t mean he was willing to let Tianfu Shop completely slip out of his control.
So, after pondering for a moment, Ye Qingxuan spoke in a deep voice:
“I can agree to your terms, but you must agree to a few of my requests.”
“What requests?”
Seeing Ye Qingxuan agree, Zhu Dafu suppressed his inner excitement and pressed further.
Unfazed by Zhu Dafu’s reaction, Ye Qingxuan directly stated his requirements:
“First, your commission rate for the channels cannot be lower than the market rate.”
Previously, to supplement the shop’s low-tier products, Tianfu Shop only took a 25% commission from the alchemists, talisman makers, artifact refiners, and array masters who cooperated with them.
But in the market square, because the Xuantian Sect takes a 20% cut of a shop’s total transaction volume, the standard commission rate for shop collaborations was 30%.
Before, Tianfu Shop wasn’t expanding, so it hadn’t affected the market square’s established practices. Signing a few individuals at a 25% commission wasn’t a big deal.
However, if Tianfu Shop expanded and still used low commissions to poach partners from other shops, that would undoubtedly make enemies of every shop in the market square. That wasn’t what Ye Qingxuan wanted.
That’s why Ye Qingxuan established this rule, to prevent such a scenario.
“No problem with that, I agree!”
Zhu Dafu readily agreed to this request.
He wasn’t stupid; he understood the consequences of breaking unspoken rules and offending everyone. So he was very much in favor of this point as well.
Seeing Zhu Dafu agree, Ye Qingxuan nodded and continued:
“Next, you must make a Dao oath, abiding by the following three points:
First, as long as you hold a position at Tianfu Shop, you must obey my commands regarding all matters related to the shop. Second, you cannot reveal my existence or any information about me. Third, you cannot intentionally do anything that harms my interests.”
The first point was a significant constraint on Zhu Dafu.
But Zhu Dafu gritted his teeth, a gambler’s glint in his eyes, and finally nodded firmly:
“I… agree.”
After reaching an agreement with Zhu Dafu,
Ye Qingxuan had the brothers Ye Zhaoheng and Ye Zhaoyu step back, handing the management of Tianfu Shop over to Zhu Dafu.
From then on, the public-facing manager of Tianfu Shop became Zhu Dafu.
——
Having learned from past failures, Zhu Dafu didn’t act rashly after taking over Tianfu Shop.
First, he hired two shop assistants from within the Xuantian Sect to mind the store. Then, he began networking extensively within the sect, visiting various low-tier alchemists, talisman makers, artifact refiners, and array masters.
Although most of these artisans had already made agreements with other shops, there were always a few who had slipped through the cracks.
After a period of bustling activity, Zhu Dafu managed to uncover several alchemists, talisman makers, artifact refiners, and array masters below the Fourth Tier.
Next, he traveled to various Blessed Lands, visiting people from the former Cultivator Alliance.
Through earnest and persistent persuasion, most eventually agreed to let Tianfu Shop sell the products from their Blessed Lands.
Among them were several cultivators who specialized in one of the four auxiliary arts, which helped Zhu Dafu solve a significant part of the Tier 1 product supply issue.
After completing all these preparations, half a year had passed.
Finally, with Ye Qingxuan’s approval, Zhu Dafu used Tianfu Shop’s funds. He paid an additional deposit to reach a total of one million mid-grade spirit stones, successfully upgrading Tianfu Shop to a medium-sized establishment.
After the upgrade, not only did the floor space increase, but the shop also transformed from a single-story building into a two-story pavilion.
To manage this, Zhu Dafu expanded the staff to eight employees.
Ye Qingxuan only watched these developments quietly from the background, overseeing certain details, but otherwise letting Zhu Dafu handle things.
His only requirement for the channels was the quality of the products.
The reason Tianfu Shop had grown was because the quality of the elixirs Ye Qingxuan refined was superior to others, which slowly attracted customers.
Therefore, to avoid damaging the shop’s reputation, quality control was paramount.
Furthermore, to retain the existing customer base and ensure it wasn’t affected by the shop’s expansion,
Ye Qingxuan, after the expansion, marked all products from Qingxuan Blessed Land with a distinctive “Xuan” character seal.
These products bearing the “Xuan” mark had a dedicated counter in the expanded Tianfu Shop, and their prices were slightly increased.
This was to distinguish Qingxuan Blessed Land products from channel products, and also an attempt by Ye Qingxuan to build his own exclusive brand.
Moreover, this way, as long as the products from Qingxuan Blessed Land maintained their quality advantage, built a reputation, and secured a loyal customer base,
then whether Zhu Dafu succeeded in building the channel business or not would have little impact on Ye Qingxuan.
If Zhu Dafu succeeded, that was great. If he didn’t, it was no big loss.
After all, Ye Qingxuan’s main investments were the Tianfu Shop’s brand reputation, the deposit for the expansion, and the subsequent increased labor costs.
If the profits from the channel business were to suffer, Ye Qingxuan’s losses would be minimal. This was also the main reason he had readily agreed to Zhu Dafu’s proposal earlier.
No longer needing to manage the shop, the brothers Ye Zhaoheng and Ye Zhaoyu could devote more time to studying the four auxiliary arts. They only needed to take turns delivering goods to Tianfu Shop each day.
Although their talent in these areas wasn’t exceptional, under Ye Qingxuan’s guidance and with abundant resources, both managed to make breakthroughs by the end of the year.
Ye Zhaoheng became a Tier 1 alchemist, and Ye Zhaoyu became a Tier 1 artifact refiner.
As for talisman making and array formation, although they made progress, there were no major breakthroughs for the time being.
As time passed, amid Zhu Dafu’s busy activities, the year quickly came to an end.
And Ye Qingxuan, still undisturbed by external matters, continued to move forward step by step, following his own rhythm.
