"It’s been a while, Senior Miao."
"And how you’ve been, Luo Chen. Seeing that vibrant glow on your face, it seems life has been treating you quite well lately!"
"Haha, all thanks to your guidance."
"Please, have a seat!"
In a third-floor private room of the Zhong Ding Family residence.
With beaming smiles, Miao Wen and Luo Chen took their respective seats, one facing the other.
Though they had met on numerous occasions, mostly Luo Chen would know Miao Wen, but Miao Wen wouldn’t know him.
Thus, their current meeting was their third formal conversation, strictly speaking.
Yet, they interacted as if they had known each other for decades.
Miao Wen’s ability to create such an atmosphere was due to his years of service as the External Sect Steward.
Luo Chen’s ability to maintain such a demeanor impressed Miao Wen, who couldn’t help but admire his maturity.
Many young people, who embarked on the path of cultivation, would often talk about the Great Dao Path and defying the heavens.
However, Luo Chen was different.
He was pragmatic, hardworking, knew his bounds, and always had a clear understanding of his standing.
Even though Miao Wen appeared very friendly, Luo Chen always maintained a degree of reverence towards him.
He thoroughly enjoyed this kind of atmosphere, where he could talk about business without losing his dignity as a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
These days!
It’s not easy to serve in a Great Sect.
The internal stewards, despite having numerous perks, had to play second fiddle to the True Disciples, Seed Cultivators, and even, the Golden Core Ascendant Masters.
They must know their place at all times.
Even if they have a higher realm level, they’d need to yield.
Why? Because these True Disciples and Seed Cultivators have a high probability of advancing to the Golden Core Period.
They become beings superior to the internal stewards!
For that reason, internal stewards must act humbly, serve diligently, in hopes that they might receive resources that can aid in their cultivation.
In contrast, the external stewards have it a bit easier.
They have a considerable degree of autonomy. Even if they are sent to minor places, despite the cultivation difficulties, they can still flex their authority.
The drawback is precisely that "despite".
The Great River District, for instance, only has a First Order Spirit Vein. Even with a Spirit Gathering Array, it just barely aids cultivation.
Therefore, these external stewards have to look for extra benefits while completing their sect missions when assigned to minor places.
So how do they get these benefits?
The Sect interests are absolutely untouchable.
If they’re caught betraying the sect, they face death.
For an Ascendant Sect like Yu Ding Sword Sect, which has a monopoly in the area, they wouldn’t lack Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but they would definitely not refrain from executing a few if need be.
It’s now up to these external stewards to come up with the schemes.
Miao Wen also had a few tricks up his sleeve.
He’d collect gifts from various families, siphon resources from side sources, occasionally act as a mediator to resolve conflicts, and get gratified in return.
He acted as the middleman during the initial mediation between the Great Lake Gang and Broken Mountain Gang.
But these sources were inconsistent!
Especially in The Great River District, the geographical location is crucial, and it has been built with the potential scale of a County-level Immortal City in mind.
An additional Foundation Establishment True Disciple, Luo Tianhong, was assigned here.
Although he was only here for a short while, it already impacted Miao Wen’s earnings.
In the future, more external stewards will likely arrive, and a real "Pavilion Master" might be appointed too.
Thus, Miao Wen was constantly looking for a reliable and profitable source of revenue.
He had found one before.
The Broken Mountain Gang, Mi Shuhua!
As long as he agreed to endorse the Jade Marrow Pill to withstand the pressure from the Spirit Medicine Hall, allowing the sale of Jade Marrow Pill, a pill close to mainstream cultivation pills.
He would receive two thousand Spirit Stones every month.
Not a lot, but Mi Shuhua promised the amount would increase over time.
Back then, he knew that the cunning old Mi had managed to rope in a Pill Refinement Grandmaster.
He was envious but couldn’t blatantly seize it.
Firstly, as an external steward, they have to follow certain unspoken rules and keep the local environment stable.
Secondly, the Broken Mountain Gang managed by Mi Shuhua indeed had a vast amount of resources and manpower.
Even if he seized the gang, he’d lack the time to manage it.
So his envy was merely a passing thought.
However, an opportunity came!
Upon receiving Mi Shuhua’s Sound Transmission Jade Pendant, Miao Wen almost instantly made up his mind without any hesitation.
He verbally agreed to rescue him immediately.
In reality, he stayed put at Yu Ding Sword Pavilion and eventually sent his younger brother Luo Tianhong to handle it.
As a result, Mi Shuhua died.
Now he could genuinely cooperate with Luo Chen.
In truth, it wasn’t entirely genuine, but as long as they didn’t report it upwards, who really cared?
The local people would respect him, and Elder Pang solely focused on his cultivation, turning a blind eye.
Therefore, he finally got hold of a reliable and profitable source of income!
While looking at the young man across him, Miao Wen showed the most cordial smile he had ever had.
"Luo Chen, how is your Luo Tian Creed developing?"
Luo Chen gathered his thoughts. This was his ’investor’ who had funded his startup.
It was time for him to report his progress.
"Though it’s not even a tenth as big as the former Broken Mountain Gang, it’s starting to take shape. Within half a month at most, it should be ready for normal operations."
Miao Wen’s eyes gleamed!
Half a month of operations, a month of pill refinement, and another month of pill distribution.