After Transmigrating as an Immortal Master, I Hold a Group Meeting - Chapter 100

Lu Mengqing left Misty Peak under Ning Mingmei’s courteous send-off.

They had arrived with grace, but left with pounding headaches. Before she departed, Ning Mingmei once again picked up a cup of ‘supplement,’ claiming his head ached from the cold winds. In front of everyone, he drank deeply and declared the special Supreme Clarity tonic to be Old Platinum.

Packed, he said, with ‘vital trace elements.’

Lu Mengqing didn’t know what ‘trace elements’ meant, but the phrase sounded convincing enough. Ning Mingmei offered her a taste.

With the doors of Snow Ruling Hall flung wide open, the wind was bone-piercing. Yet with one warm cup of Old Platinum sliding down her throat, Lu Mengqing froze in astonishment. “It’s delicious,” she murmured. “And also…”

Her mind felt startlingly clear, her stomach cozily warm.

Ning Mingmei smiled. “It’s rather troublesome to make and I don’t have much of it left. But since Tower Master Lu enjoyed the Cola earlier, I’ll send you a few bottles back to try.”

For carbonated drinks and Old Platinum, Ning Mingmei adopted two distinct marketing strategies.

Old Platinum was positioned as a high-end health tonic, promoted through scarcity. Cola was branded as a trendy, influencer-driven beverage, sold by leveraging hype.

And among all those attending the Debate Conference, who commanded the most influence?

Naturally, it was Lu Mengqing.

Thus, Lu Mengqing departed carrying the Colas with her.

The system was left dumbfounded. [How did you even manage to fool her with that so-called health drink?]

Ning Mingmei replied, “First of all, it’s hot. I’d heard that Lu Mengqing fears the cold. So I deliberately had her walk through ice and snow for an hour, then kept her in the draft of the open hall for another hour.”

Wait. She walked for an hour…

The system’s voice cracked. [Don’t tell me you planned your drink promotion the instant you saw her?]

Ning Mingmei ignored the question. “Secondly, Old Platinum contains a great deal of sugar. I’d also heard that Lu Mengqing often diets. That warm rush she felt was her blood sugar spiking.”

The system fell silent. His non-answer was answer enough. Finally, it asked, [So what does this Old Platinum actually taste like?]

Ning Mingmei: “Milk tea.”

Who could resist milk tea?

Ning Mingmei continued, “Old Platinum is merely the first step in my milk tea health-product empire. After this, I’ll roll out Jasmine Health Drink, White Peach Health Drink, Four Seasons Spring Health Drink… By adding different trace-element ‘formulas’ to the production line, we can achieve personalized effects. Coconut jelly, cheese foam, red beans, pudding; anything is possible.”

The system snapped, zapping Ning Mingmei to the ground. [With Gui Ruoxue here, life is so beautiful for you, aren’t you?]

Fatty drink, milk tea health drinks, peddling snake oil; what next?

Ning Mingmei protested faintly, “That’s unfair. Wu Yun contributed greatly too. For instance, all those milk tea samples were brewed with fresh milk and tea leaves. Under my direction, Wu Yun, my top chemical talent, successfully replaced the milk in the mass-produced batches with non-dairy creamer.”

…This man couldn’t possibly be human.

The first move was complete. Ning Mingmei instructed his disciples to spread word of Lu Mengqing’s endorsement in their beverage marketing. Then, rising to his feet, he said, “It’s time to check in with those two disciples from the Ice Quenching Pavilion and see how that most important project of ours is coming along. It’s not only crucial for the Debate Conference, but also for our future strategic layout.”

The system shuddered. [You’re not planning to set up a gambling den, are you?]

Ning Mingmei adjusted his glasses. “Oh, there will be betting. But the project I have in mind not only will be more profitable, it will also be perfectly legal. You’ll see in due time.”

The system, though unable to decipher what he was scheming, still gave a stern warning. [I’m warning you, the Supreme Clarity Sect is the foremost sect in the world. Gambling cannot be openly conducted.]

Ning Mingmei only replied with two words. “Heh heh.”

The system: ?

What’s with that smug grin? Do you think you’re invincible?

At that moment, it saw him pull an envelope from his sleeve. With a gloating tone, it said, [Why don’t you take a look at what your dear senior brother has written you this time?]

***

On the other side…

Even after returning to Eternal Spring Peak, Lu Mengqing was still speaking quietly to her close disciples. “Who would have thought that Sect Master Qi and Peak Lord Ning would share such an intimate relationship in private?”

She paused and then continued, “In the past, I only knew that Misty Peak was remote and neglected. Yet in just a few months, it has risen to prominence at startling speed. Many found it suspicious. Earlier, I was half-doubting Ning Mingmei’s explanations myself.

“But now, after seeing that Sect Master Qi actually writes to Ning Mingmei every single day, it’s clear to me. The decline of Misty Peak was nothing but a smokescreen orchestrated by Qi Miancheng. He not only fooled us, but he also fooled much of the Supreme Clarity Sect as well. Of course, it’s only natural. A secret weapon must be hidden. Compared with the traditional peaks, Misty Peak is clearly an experimental student program of the Supreme Clarity Sect. Since it was a trial, the disciples initially recruited were of rather ordinary talent. After all, who would risk using the elite heirs of noble families as test subjects? Thirty years of silence and decades of patience were all just to hone this blade. And now, it seems Sect Master Qi has succeeded.”

The more she thought, the more convinced she became. She even gave examples to support her reasoning, “Otherwise, why would Fang Wuyu, imperial family member and peak lord of White Cloud Peak, bicker so incessantly with Ning Mingmei? Clearly, it was because Ning Mingmei had won greater favor and Fang Wuyu resents it.”

“Master, what you say is most reasonable,” one disciple agreed. “Sect Master Qi’s methods are ruthless indeed!”

Lu Mengqing smiled faintly. “I fear Qi Miancheng never imagined that his scheme would already lie bare before my eyes.”

As they spoke, they failed to notice the many inner sect disciples passing by.

Everywhere, sword cultivators glanced curiously at the crates in the arms of the Smoky Cloud Tower Master and her retinue.

“Isn’t that the Smoky Cloud Tower Master, just back from Misty Peak?”

“What are those potions they’re carrying in those boxes?”

“That’s not potion; it’s Cola, a drink,” someone whispered in a pinched falsetto behind them. “Tasty and refreshing, delicious and energizing. Tower Master Lu drank it and declared it divine, even asked to bring back several crates.”

“Is it really that good? Now I’m curious.”

“But Tower Master Lu… she’s a powerhouse of the Void Refining stage!”

Another voice imitated a motherly nag, “My mom told me that me and Little Liu from the neighboring peak are both cultivators. Why is she at late Core Formation while I’m stuck at the early stage? My mom asked why we are of the same talent and same sect, yet with such different results? I thought about it and it must be the food. If the top students eat it, then I’ll eat it too.”

“If a Void Refining powerhouse loves this drink… if I drink it, if I drink more than her, won’t I reach Void Refining faster too?”

“Exactly! If a powerhouse favors something, there must be a reason behind it.”

“Where can we buy it?!”

From Misty Peak in the far northwest of the inner sect to Eternal Spring Peak in the far southeast, the Smoky Cloud Tower party carried those crates of Cola across half of the Supreme Clarity Sect, providing the perfect livestream-style publicity along the way.

A month later, when carbonated drinks swept across the Supreme Clarity Sect and even the Smoky Cloud Tower, Lu Mengqing still had no idea how great a role she herself had played in fueling the craze.

***

Meanwhile, Ning Mingmei was preoccupied with a matter far more valuable.

“‘Junior Brother Mingmei, these past days…’ blah blah, skip that. ‘Which restaurants outside the Supreme Clarity Sect’s mountain gate are tasty…’ Why write this to me? ‘Bought three swords…’ but you didn’t buy them for me, so why tell me this? ‘Sorted thirty-five official documents today… or maybe thirty-seven.’ You’re not even sure of the number, so why bother writing this?”

Ning Mingmei tossed Qi Miancheng’s newest letter into his spatial storage pouch.

The system, watching him, said sourly, [Well, you’re keeping it? I thought you’d burn them all to ash.]

You never bother with Lian Chengyue’s life, but every single one of Qi Miancheng’s letters you keep.

Ning Mingmei’s reply was calm. “These letters have their uses.”

The system: [What possible use?]

Ning Mingmei: “Once I collect 365 of them, I’ll use Lin Heting’s new printing technique to test a mass run. Then I’ll CC all these spam mails to the entire sect.”

The system: [You’ve got to be joking.]

Ever since his promotion, Qi Miancheng’s behavior had become more baffling than ever.

His attitude toward Ning Mingmei seemed far more familiar than before. Every day, he sent a short, cryptic letter, although most were nothing more than trivial ramblings. Every few days, he would find some excuse either to come to Ning Mingmei himself or to summon Ning Mingmei to his own peak.

Unfortunately, Ning Mingmei had been extremely busy of late and had not accepted a single invitation.

Today, Qi Miancheng had written yet again, inviting Ning Mingmei to admire his three newly acquired swords.

‘If my junior brother desires, I could perform dual sword dance in the plum grove. Should you prefer, I can even perform with all three swords. Hahaha.’

…Who in their right mind would want to watch Qi Miancheng spin in circles, waving two swords around?

Ning Mingmei ignored the invitation once more and turned instead to preparations for the most important matter before the opening ceremony three days hence.

Inside the Snow Ruling Hall, eighteen disciples stood nervously in line.

“Master, everyone is here,” Wen Siheng said cautiously.

Ning Mingmei asked, “Mm. Have you all put on your finest robes?”

“…Yes,” Wen Siheng replied. He glanced guiltily at the frayed hem of his own garment.

Ning Mingmei’s eyes swept over their heads. “And is your hair neatly combed?”

“…Yes,” Wen Siheng answered again. Thanks to the recent bout of heavy hair loss on Misty Peak, tidying their hair had become much quicker than before.

Ning Mingmei pressed on, “Faces washed? Carrying your best sword? In short, is what I see before me your very best and most presentable state?”

The group shivered. Wen Siheng stammered, “Y-yes, Master.”

Ning Mingmei stared at them for a long moment and then sighed.

How disgraceful.

Aside from Lin Heting, the lot of them looked painfully plain.

The system, watching as Ning Mingmei called each one forward, scrutinizing their posture when they walked, their manners when they saluted, and even how they exited the hall, asked in puzzlement, [The opening ceremony is only three days away. What exactly are you doing? Trying to cram last-minute training?]

However, Ning Mingmei had a wager with Fang Wuyu riding on this.

“Cultivation-wise, they’re adequate. What matters most now lies elsewhere,” he said. “Do you know what Misty Peak’s true objective in this conference is?”

[…To win?] ventured the system.

“To make money.”

“Of course, winning is generally the best outcome in the Debate Conference. But when strength is lacking, profit does not always require victory. That’s why I prepared the special bottle-cap voting tokens for our drinks and had the disciples of the Ice Quenching Pavilion develop a forum. Gambling would be another good avenue, except that market is far too crowded.”

The Smoky-Clarity Debate Conference was a major event in the cultivation world, with betting pools springing up both inside and outside the sect. Ning Mingmei even knew that elders like Shen Liwan and Zheng Heguang of the Supreme Clarity Sect were secretly running their own book.

Since that path was overcrowded, he would have to approach from another angle.

After watching each disciple’s entrances and exits one more time, Ning Mingmei concluded, “There is still vast room for improvement in bearing and presentation.”

The system: ?

[…You can’t mean—]

“Enough. Some initial investment must be made,” Ning Mingmei said to his disciples. “Later, all of you will come with me to the tailor’s shop.”

The disciples rose to their feet, bewildered. “Master, this is…”

The Debate Conference was almost upon them, so why buy new clothes now?

Before their confusion cleared, a disciple’s voice called from outside. “Peak Lord, the Sect Master has arrived.”

“Junior Brother, since I have rare free time today, I thought I’d come and keep you company,” Qi Miancheng said with a smile as he entered the Snow Ruling Hall with two disciples in tow. His gaze fell on the group preparing to depart. “And where is my junior brother leading his disciples?”