Dawn approached.

The noise and clamor of the White Jade Market had finally died down. Aside from a handful of establishments that operated through the night, most storefronts were shuttered and silent, the streets reclaimed by the shadows of pre-dawn.

Yet, inside the meeting hall of the Qin residence, the lights burned bright, and the air buzzed with excitement.

Qin Lu sat at the head of the room. Surrounding him were over ten people—his core circle.

Lu Xian, Qian Li, Lu Anchen, Lu Xuan, Shi Geng, Cao Yunxi, and Qi Xiaofeng sat in the chairs, their faces flushed with adrenaline. In the corner, the three youngest members—Feng Xi, Cao Mo, and Wu Zhengtian—stood quietly, listening intently to the adults.

“Old Qin, it’s done,” Lu Xian said, his voice trembling slightly with lingering excitement. “We’ve successfully taken over all five Tao Family shops. We’re watching them closely; they won’t dare try any funny business.”

“Excellent,” Qin Lu nodded, a relaxed smile on his face. “Then, as we discussed, you all will take charge of managing these businesses. For the profit distribution, we’ll go with an eighty-twenty split. You keep twenty percent. How does that sound?”

“That… that is naturally excellent!”

The group exchanged glances, eyes widening in disbelief before they nodded vigorously.

To understand their reaction, one had to understand their past. They were the nobodies of the cultivation world.

Lu Xian and his wife, Qian Li, had been low-level clerks living on fixed wages, barely scraping together enough Spirit Stones to cultivate. Cao Yunxi and Qi Xiaofeng risked their lives daily hunting Demon Beasts for meager returns. Their son, Cao Mo, sold cheap Talismans at a roadside stall.

Lu Anchen and Lu Xuan had been mere thugs in a gambling den, and old Shi Geng was practically a beggar, surviving on gathering wild herbs.

They were the unseen, struggling masses of the market.

But tonight, Qin Lu had dragged them out of the mud. With a single command, they had been transformed from laborers into shopkeepers. Their status had skyrocketed, their incomes were set to multiply, and most importantly—they now belonged to a Foundation Establishment faction.

They finally had a mountain to lean on.

Qin Lu scanned the room, his gaze landing on Lu Anchen. “Of the five shops, Little Lu, you take the gambling den. You and Lu Xuan will manage it together. It’s a high-profit business, so I expect you to handle it with care.”

Lu Anchen puffed out his chest, confidence radiating from him. “Uncle Qin, don’t worry. We worked security in a gambling den for ages. We know exactly how the house operates. We won’t let you down.”

Lu Xuan chimed in immediately, “Please rest assured, Uncle Qin. We won’t disgrace the mission!”

Qin Lu smiled and nodded, then turned to his oldest ally. “Old Lu, you and your wife will take the Magical Artifact robe shop. Sister-in-law has experience in retail, and the nature of the business is similar. With you helping her, I’m sure it will thrive.”

“You can put your heart at ease,” Lu Xian replied earnestly. “Between the two of us, there will be no issues.”

Qin Lu nodded with satisfaction. Lu Xian was eloquent and steady, while Qian Li was sharp-witted and socially adept—a perfect combination for sales.

He paused, shifting his gaze to the youngest adult in the room. “The Talisman shop needs no explanation. Cao Mo and I are the only ones here who know the craft. Cao Mo, you’re in charge there. Old Shi Geng, you go and assist him.”

Cao Mo’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected to be given a shop of his own, let alone one that perfectly matched his skills. His round face lit up like a lantern.

“Yes! Hooray!” Cao Mo threw his fist in the air. “I’m a manager! I’m actually a manager!”

Old Shi Geng was equally thrilled. He had lived a destitute life in the White Jade Market for years. To suddenly become part of the management class was a dream he hadn’t dared to dream. He opened his mouth to speak, but was so overcome with emotion he could only grin foolishly.

Qin Lu didn’t let the momentum drop. “That leaves two properties: the herbal medicine shop and the small tavern. However, the margins on those are too thin. I plan to convert them.”

He leaned forward slightly. “The herb shop will become a Pill shop. I will oversee it personally. Feng Xi and Wu Zhengtian, you two will come help me there on weekdays.”

“As for the tavern… we’re gutting it. It will be renovated and handed over to you, Old Cao, and your wife.”

Cao Yunxi blinked, exchanging a nervous glance with Qi Xiaofeng. “Renovated into what?”

It was natural for them to be anxious. They were hunters, not merchants. They knew how to kill beasts, not balance ledgers.

Qin Lu smiled, recalling a conversation from back in the Wuji Market. “I’ve thought this through. You two are going to open a specialty butcher shop. We’re going to sell premium Demon Beast meat.”

“A… beast meat shop?”

A ripple of surprise went through the room.

In the cultivation world, ‘beast meat shops’ weren’t really a thing. Hunters usually sold carcasses to restaurants or hawked raw meat on street corners. It was considered low-class, dirty work with thin margins. A dedicated storefront for it? It was unheard of.

“Will that actually work?” Cao Yunxi asked, skepticism written all over his face.

“Trust me,” Qin Lu waved a hand dismissively. “I have a specific business model in mind. I’ll explain the details later. It will work.”

“Alright then,” Cao Yunxi nodded slowly. If Qin Lu said it would work, they would believe him.

Qin Lu stood up, his expression turning solemn. “Everyone. We came out of the Wuji Market together. In this harsh world, we must huddle together for warmth. Now that I have reached Foundation Establishment, I will break the wind for you. I will help you find your footing in the White Jade Market.”

“My only hope is that in the days to come, we work as one. We advance together, and we retreat together!”

The room erupted in agreement. The excitement was palpable; a brand-new life was unfolding before their eyes.

After the noise died down, Lu Xian cleared his throat.

“By the way, Old Qin,” he said, his tone turning serious. “I think you should pay a personal visit to Jiang Ge. Killing someone in the arena after he told you to stop… well, it brushed his face aside. You should bring a gift tomorrow. Apologize, smooth things over. If we want to survive here long-term, we need his goodwill.”

Qin Lu paused, considering the advice. “You make a good point. I hadn’t considered the politics of it… Alright. I’ll prepare a heavy gift and visit him tomorrow.”

He clapped his hands together, shifting the mood back to business. “Right! If anyone has ideas or suggestions, speak up. Let’s brainstorm.”

The meeting hall instantly turned into a war room. Everyone began shouting out ideas, discussing logistics and renovations.

Qin Lu, drawing on the wisdom of two lifetimes, guided the conversation. He introduced modern business concepts—customer service, branding, supply chains—that left the group wide-eyed. He wasn’t just a powerful cultivator; his vision for commerce was lightyears ahead of this world.

They talked for over two hours, refining their plans until every detail was polished.

Suddenly, Cao Mo piped up from the corner. “Uncle Qin! If we’re doing all this, we’re basically a faction now, right? Shouldn’t we have a name? It would give us some face when we’re out in the streets!”

“Hmm. Little Fatty makes sense,” Qin Lu nodded, amused. “Since we are operating as a unit, a unified name is necessary. Any suggestions?”

“How about… The White Tiger Sect?” someone suggested.

“Too tacky!” another voice shot back. “I think we should call it the Longevity Sect. Isn’t that what we’re all after?”

“No, no! There are like ten ‘Longevity Sects’ already. We’d be a laughingstock.”

“Then what?”

The debate heated up again, names flying back and forth.

Finally, after the time it took for two sticks of incense to burn, a consensus was reached. It was simple, direct, and centered on the pillar that held them all up.

From this day forward, they would be known to the world as—The Qin Sect.