Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 69

[Vol. 6] Chapter 69: No One Understands Marketing Better Than Me!

Following the steady flow of people, the group of four stepped into the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild.

From the outside, the entrance didn’t seem particularly large, but once inside, Violet was surprised to find the interior far more spacious than she had imagined. The first floor alone appeared to cover several thousand square meters.

Moving along with the bustling crowd, they walked by rows of shelves filled with goods. Interestingly, there didn’t seem to be many staff members around for supervision or assistance. Instead, the vast array of items was neatly displayed for customers to browse and pick freely, placing their selections into woven baskets they carried.

Near each section of similar goods, prominent wooden signs were placed, written in the common script of the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. Violet leaned closer to examine one and quickly realized these signs provided brief descriptions of the items, including their uses and features.

“Pretty straightforward,” Violet thought to herself. “I wonder what’s upstairs.”

Though the first floor was already enormous, a staircase in the center of the Merchant Guild clearly led to higher levels, indicating that this was only the beginning.

To Violet, the place felt oddly reminiscent of a department store back on previous Earth. The first floor primarily sold everyday essentials that were accessible to the general public, fresh and prepared foods, various household tools and materials, as well as a mix of miscellaneous trinkets. The prices were surprisingly reasonable, affordable even for ordinary families.

Though she hadn’t ventured to the upper floors yet, the directory signs near the entrance suggested a clear pattern. The higher the level, the rarer and more expensive the items, creating a tiered structure that catered to different customer groups.

As they wandered casually through the Merchant Guild, Violet browsed the shelves while occasionally picking out some small, seemingly useful items and placing them into the bamboo basket Murong Yun had mysteriously acquired.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. A problem that wouldn’t be an issue back on previous Earth but seemed quite peculiar in this context.

“By the way, how do people pay for things here?” Violet asked.

“I mean, all the goods are just sitting out in a public space like this. Aren’t they worried about theft? Are the people here really that trustworthy?”

Ling Feng smiled slightly.

“Hehe, I had a feeling you’d wonder about that. It’s said that many people from outside the Ancient Spirit Realm have the same curiosity when they first encounter the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, so let me explain…”

She casually picked up a beautifully wrapped square pastry and gestured for the black-haired girl to take a look.

“Every item in the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild is marked with a special tag when it’s put on the shelf. Only specific devices that match the tag can remove it. If someone tries to take an item out of the Merchant Guild without removing the tag. No matter how they hide it, even in a storage space, the detection system at the entrance will trigger an alarm. It’s very, very difficult to steal anything here.”

“This is a unique technology granted by [Spirit Veil Immortal Island], and it’s the foundation that allows the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild to function.”

“Look.”

Ling Feng flipped the candy over to reveal the back, where indeed, there was a distinct symbol, drawn in red ink, resembling some kind of rune.

Violet picked up another candy of a different type and examined it for a moment. It also had the same tag.

“This thing… is from [Spirit Veil Immortal Island]?”

Of course, though she couldn’t help but want to criticize it internally, Violet kept up her act, praising the system to continue gathering information.

“That’s quite an interesting design. Was this sales concept also provided by [Spirit Veil Immortal Island]?”

Ling Feng placed the candy back and smiled.

“Since this place is called the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, many aspects are indeed influenced by [Spirit Veil Immortal Island]. Also, as I understand it, while the island doesn’t directly interfere with the operations of markets in the [Ancient Spirit Realm], every time the island enters the mortal realm, the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild willingly gives a significant portion of its annual profits to contribute as tribute for the selection ceremony of the Four Saints, along with taxes.”

“That’s the basic relationship between the two.”

“Ah…”

The strange feeling in Violet’s heart grew stronger. She decided to continue probing.

“If that’s the case, doesn’t the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild lose out? They run and operate the business every year, but they have to give a large portion of their profits to [Spirit Veil Immortal Island], who doesn’t do anything. Isn’t that unfair?”

This time, even Murong Yun quickly smiled and countered.

“That’s not the case, Miss Vi. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. One could say that the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild is benefiting from [Spirit Veil Immortal Island]’s presence.”

“As someone from outside the realm, you might not fully understand what the name ‘Spirit Veil’ means to us in the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. While the realm is divided into four nations, and [Spirit Veil Immortal Island] rarely intervenes in the mundane world, it is an absolute holy place in the hearts of almost all beings in the [Ancient Spirit Realm]. It is a supreme, untouchable existence.”

“Without the island, the [Ancient Spirit Realm] would likely have been destroyed by the demon a thousand years ago, turning into a wasteland. The Four Saints would never have emerged to turn the tide.”

“Our current world has developed gradually under the guidance and protection of [Spirit Veil Immortal Island].”

“So, any force recognized by the island, like the Merchant Guild carrying the name ‘Spirit Veil,’ can easily gain the full support and trust of the Four Nations and all the people. The profits brought by this recognition are nearly ten times more than they would be otherwise.”

“Of course, any organization bearing the name Spirit Veil must ensure the quality of their products. If there are serious issues, and it reaches the ears of the heavens, the next time the island manifests in the mortal world, they might strip away the ‘Spirit Veil’ name or even impose punishment. This acts as a form of indirect supervision.”

“But if they can maintain good operations over the long term, even if most of the profits go to the island, the remaining portion is enough to run the business several times over. If you think carefully about the relationship here, do you still think the Merchant Guild is at a loss?”

“Wow…”

So that’s really how it is.

At this point, Violet could only think of one thing.

Since ancient times, deep feelings cannot be held onto. Only strategies can win a person’s heart!

What a deep strategy!

After walking around the first floor of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild for a while, buying a few things here and there, mainly for Violet to observe the surroundings, the group didn’t stay long. Under Murong Yun’s guidance, they headed straight upstairs.

The first floor of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild is aimed at the general public. While the quality of items can be guaranteed, they are mostly common goods. The more interesting items, and the places Murong Yun wanted to visit, were clearly located higher up.

Soon, the group passed through three more floors and reached the fourth.

If the previous three floors were just normal commercial areas, with only differences in the types and prices of goods, the scene changed dramatically here. It became much more intriguing.

“Spirit Veil Merchant Guild…”

The priestess smiled slightly as she read the four words on a finely crafted plaque, which had a distinct ancient and elegant vibe. One word made all the difference in meaning.

At this point, the security guards in front of the entrance were finally “somewhat capable.”

“Please stop, may I see your identification? If this is your first time on the fourth floor, please go to the front desk to complete the procedure and provide proof of at least 10,000 Four Saint Gold Coins’ worth of purchasing power before entering. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Following the guard’s gesture, Violet turned her gaze toward a few nearby counters.

At those counters, several young women in elegant clothes, clearly employees of the chamber, were assisting other customers.

It was clear that this was part of a set procedure, designed to prevent ordinary people without purchasing power from flooding into the area and causing chaos or unnecessary accidents.

Though it might seem a bit discriminatory against the poor, when you think about it from their perspective, this approach wasn’t entirely unreasonable.