Chapter 401: Chapter 402: The True Marketing Approach

“Equivalent exchange?”

Xiong Da felt somewhat confused; his cultivators were nearly all beaten, where would he find something of equivalent value?

“Could it be that Lord Xiong wants the cultivators of the fourth battlefield to risk their lives for you just on your word alone?”

“Forgive my candor, but the situation in the third battlefield is extremely dangerous. I’m afraid it’s not something that ordinary cultivators can handle. If the cultivators of the fourth battlefield were to provide support, they would also be facing tremendous risk. As the lord of a city, you should offer some compensation, shouldn’t you?”

Li Xiaobai spoke up, realizing this guy wasn’t very sharp; he had to spell out the complications of interests for him.

Cai Kunxu beside him was also nodding. It was not uncommon for battlefields to help each other, but no city lord would willingly let their subordinates risk their lives unconditionally for another city lord.

Without the promise of a benefit, even if Xiong Da could talk till he was blue in the face, Cai Kunxu wouldn’t send troops.

“Senior Li, please speak frankly about what you want. As long as I possess it, I will surely deliver!”

Xiong Da’s expression showed struggle as he spoke through gritted teeth.

“As I said earlier, the four great cities should be united against our common enemy. It’s only right to support each other. However, the current situation has changed somewhat, as we have someone from Fire Qilin Cave mixed in amongst us, which greatly affects our border’s internal unity.”

“Hand over the Dry Flame Saint Child, and we will dispatch troops immediately. How about it?”

Li Xiaobai stepped out from the bathhouse and spoke with an indifferent expression; his initial target was the people from Fire Qilin Cave.

This was a minor interlude and also a variable in his plans that he needed to eliminate first.

“The Dry Flame Saint Child…”

Xiong Da’s complexion changed. He looked at the Fire Qiling Saint Child swimming leisurely in the bathhouse and suddenly understood something, his face turning pale.

He had just reached an agreement with the Dry Flame Saint Child, and more than once, he had shown his loyalty to Elder Ji. Most crucially, the guy had been dutifully helping him to fend off Flesh Mountain all this time. Now he was expected to turn around and betray him—an utterly disloyal and unrighteous act!

He hadn’t anticipated that the Fire Qilin Saint Child would gain Li Xiaobai’s support. Just a few nights ago, Li Xiaobai had been intent on wiping out everyone from Fire Qilin Cave, yet now they were working together. The world of the mighty indeed changed in unpredictable ways.

Observing Xiong Da’s conflicted look, Li Xiaobai smiled slightly, “What will it be, Lord Xiong, have you made your decision?

“If Lord Xiong is willing to hand him over, Lord Cai will immediately dispatch a thousand troops to reinforce.”

Xiong Da’s face was contorted as his eyes fixated intently on Li Xiaobai.

“Senior Li, the Dry Flame Saint Child has treated me well, and Elder Ji has helped the third battlefield against Flesh Mountain multiple times. Even now, they’re still defending the battlefield. They have shown great favor to the third battlefield.”

“If I were to trade them like commodities, wouldn’t I be considered disloyal and unrighteous?”

“So?”

Li Xiaobai shrugged his shoulders and spoke indifferently.

“Add more men!”

Xiong Da said through clenched teeth.

“How about two thousand?”

“Three thousand!”

“Deal!”

“Ha ha, Lord Xiong is truly a great man, able to let go when necessary. Three thousand elite soldiers, to be delivered immediately!”

Li Xiaobai laughed heartily, realizing it had merely been a matter of numbers; for a moment, he had thought Xiong Da was truly a man of loyalty and righteousness!

Behind him, Yang Guang and the others had black lines all over their foreheads.

You made such a fuss, and in the end, it was just a matter of adding more troops?

Where is your loyalty?

What about the kindness Fire Qilin Cave showed to your third battlefield?

Has it all been eaten up?

Cai Kunxu smiled grimly, “Lord Xiong, there’s no need to panic. I will immediately gather our forces and accompany you to the third battlefield. It’s just a few Flesh Mountains, nothing more. In front of my elite troops, they’re as good as non-existent!”

“Thank… Thank you. After stabilizing the battlefield, I will bring the Dry Flame Saint Child and Elder Ji,”

Xiong Da said weakly as if drained of all strength. Only at this moment did he realize that the hard-earned promises from Fire Qilin Cave over the past few days had come to nothing.

In the end, teammates are meant to be sold.

He could only apologize. Compared to the Fire Qilin Saint Child, his battlefield was more important. That was his foundation in the frontier, the very basis of his standing, which he could not afford to lose.

Cai Kunxu left with Xiong Da. With Huazi there, the Flesh Mountains were nothing to fear.

Li Xiaobai returned to the bathhouse and laid down comfortably. Now, all he had to do was wait quietly for Xiong Da to bring over the Dry Flame Saint Child.

“Young Master Li isn’t going with them?”

Yang Guang asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Cai Kunxu is sufficient.”

Li Xiaobai replied.

“But doesn’t Young Master Li want to recapture the third battlefield? Seizing a city and setting up a Teleportation Formation would mean a huge income for the quality shop and Tangneng First-class!”

Yang Guang became a bit impatient. This was Li Xiaobai’s chance to make a fortune, as well as an opportunity for Holy City’s development.

“City Lord Yang, have you ever heard of cultural output?”

“Sometimes, to take control of a city, you don’t necessarily need to use force to declare sovereignty. Our cultivators will showcase what Huazi is and its immense effects on the cultivators of the third battlefield in a buyer’s show format.”

“That is the most natural and effective form of advertising. Once they know that in Holy City there exist treasures that not only defy Flesh Mountains but also enhance comprehension, tell me, what will they do?”

Li Xiaobai said with a smile.

“They will leave the third city and come to Holy City on their own initiative to buy our Huazi!”

Yang Guang said, growing excited.

“Correct, and this is exactly why I only build shops within Holy City. Whether it’s Huazi or the bathhouse, they’re only available here. This is a monopoly. If other cultivators want to buy, they have to come to Holy City. Over time, they will naturally develop a sense of belonging to Holy City.”

“After they’ve gone through all the trouble to come to Holy City and buy Huazi, then I’ll set up a Teleportation Formation in the third battlefield to facilitate easy travel between the two cities. By then, they will surely be more grateful.”

“Sometimes, it’s not about directly giving people what they need to win their favor; rather, it’s about lending a hand after they’ve suffered enough hardship so you can succeed in one fell swoop.”

“That’s true marketing strategy.”

Li Xiaobai said slowly.

“Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Young Master Li, you’re incredibly talented. I would never have imagined that not only is your cultivation level profound and inscrutable, but your grasp of human nature is top-notch as well!”

“I am thoroughly impressed!”

Amazement flickered in Yang Guang’s eyes. If someone hadn’t pointed it out to him, he would never have grasped this level of strategy in his lifetime. At this moment, he truly understood the difference in their realm.

He was still on the first floor, thinking he could see the third, but Li Xiaobai had already reached the fifth. Such vision was terrifying.

Jiang Yi, who had remained silent, was also filled with awe, his mind tossing like a stormy sea.

Not to mention anything else, just for this set of slick maneuvers alone, Li Xiaobai was definitely the legendary thousand-year-old demon!