Chapter 9: Suiyang Immortal Market
Chen Qianliu searched for most of the day and came across a mountain forest. The forest was dense, lush, and shrouded in white mist. From a distance, it exuded a vibrant spiritual aura. Entering the forest, he led the white deer for several hundred steps, and his vision suddenly opened up. Comparing it to what his Senior Martial Sister had said back then, he immediately knew this was the location of the Suiyang Immortal Market.
A Senior expert had cast a Spell to seal this Immortal Market. Mortals entering the forest would get lost, wander in circles, and eventually walk out, never finding the Immortal Market. Only those with magical power could avoid being confused by the Formation and enter freely.
Although the Yu Xian Sect was the national religion of the Great Qian Dynasty, its actions were not overbearing. It allowed other Schools to establish their gates within the Great Qian Dynasty's territory. Near the Suiyang Immortal Market, there were three Schools: the Xiaoyue Sect (Little Moon Sect), the Jinling Sect (Golden Bell Sect), and the Yushan Sect (Jade Mountain Sect).
The first two were ordinary small Schools, but the Yushan Sect (Jade Mountain Sect) was a branch of the Yu Xian Sect. According to the timeline, Daoist Wuliu was still Cultivating at the Yushan Sect (Jade Mountain Sect) at this time.
Because of these three Schools nearby, the Suiyang Immortal Market was quite large, one of the six major Immortal Markets within the Great Qian Dynasty.
This Immortal Market had both a Large Market and a Small Market. Whenever it was time for the Large Market or Small Market, Disciples from the three Schools and various Loose Cultivators would always come to the Suiyang Immortal Market. They would sell Magic Treasures they refined, Spirit Medicine they cultivated, pills, Talismans, or even some ingenious items, exchanging them for things needed for Cultivation. Even when there was no Large Market or Small Market, there were resident Loose Cultivators, so it was never desolate, resembling a secluded, idyllic town.
The Large Market occurred once every three years and lasted for only a month. Various Immortals would come, making it even livelier with more goods. The Small Market occurred once every six months. Although not as grand as the Large Market, several hundred Immortals would still come to trade.
Today happened to be a Small Market, much livelier than usual. One or two hundred stalls were casually arranged in the forest, scattered yet orderly. There were also seventeen or eighteen houses, sparse as stars. Several hundred Cultivators came and went, occasionally stopping to chat briefly with stall owners. Everyone spoke softly, and the atmosphere was very harmonious, utterly devoid of the vulgar stench of commerce. They would either walk away or trade items, each finding joy. Although not as densely populated or bustling as a Mortal market, the Immortals conducting business were elegant and unhurried, without much earthly grime. Often, a deal would be struck after half a day of feasting, possessing a unique charm.
This Suiyang Immortal Market was not managed by anyone in particular; only the Xiaoyue Sect (Little Moon Sect), Jinling Sect (Golden Bell Sect), and Yushan Sect (Jade Mountain Sect) had established a set of rules. As long as one did not violate the rules, everyone was free. If the rules were violated and a conflict arose, Cultivators from the three Schools would naturally step in to administer a minor punishment.
That Opportunity should appear two or three years from now, but the qingyu stone containing the legacy of the white emperor might have already found its way here. Therefore, Chen Qianliu planned to settle down here first, Cultivating and accumulating Talisman money.
Ordinary Cultivators preferred peace and quiet and did not tolerate the hustle and bustle here. They would leave as soon as they had traded their goods.
Chen Qianliu was different. He preferred such an environment. Although this was an Immortal Market, it did not lack Mortal necessities, making life very convenient. It was also the only place where Loose Cultivators could communicate with their peers and gather a lot of information.
He eagerly looked at the nearby stalls, wanting to take a closer look, but then he thought that even if he found the qingyu stone, he wouldn't have the Talisman money to buy it, nor the ability to forcefully seize it. As he was pondering how to find that qingyu stone and what methods he could use to acquire it, he heard a clear voice call out, “Little Daoist, why have you come to the Suiyang Immortal Market too?”
Chen Qianliu looked up and saw a familiar small figure in a large tree nearby. The girl stepped on the treetops, her body like a willow catkin, swaying gently. This time, she wore a lake-green dress, which further enhanced her crystal-clear skin. Her pretty, melon-seed-shaped face had eyebrows as dark as distant smoke, as if he had just painted them yesterday.
He couldn't help but smile and said, “Xiao Hu Xian! We meet again.”
“Are you here at the Suiyang Immortal Market to buy things too?”
The girl giggled, leaped down, and patted his shoulder, saying, “Don't call me Xiao Hu Xian; you must call me Hu San Tai Nai.”
“Of course, I'm here to buy some things; I just don't know if the Suiyang Immortal Market has them.”
Chen Qianliu's heart stirred. He thought of seven or eight reasons to persuade the girl to acquire the qingyu stone, but he felt none of them were entirely reliable. Then he heard the girl say, “Do you want to come shopping with me?”
Chen Qianliu chuckled and said, “Of course, I'd be happy to accompany San Tai Nai, but there must be a proper way to address you, right?”
The girl tilted her head and thought for a while, then said, “Forget it, you can still call me Xiao Hu Xian'er!”
Chen Qianliu knew the girl didn't want to reveal her identity and didn't fuss about it. Just as he was about to find a place to tie up the white deer, the girl flicked her small sleeve. The white deer let out a cry, shrunk into a ball, and was taken into her sleeve. She giggled and said, “I'll hold onto this silly deer for you for now.”
Chen Qianliu was very curious. He pinched the girl's sleeve and looked inside. Indeed, he saw a tiny white deer quietly lying in her sleeve, unharmed.
The girl's face flushed, and she spat, “What are you looking at? Don't you know that men and women should not touch each other?”
Chen Qianliu's face also flushed. Fortunately, he was only nine years old after his Rebirth, and the girl appeared to be only eleven or twelve, not yet at the age where gender segregation was strictly observed. He quickly apologized and said, “I've never seen such a miraculous Spell, so I was a bit rash. Xiao Hu Xian'er, please don't be angry.”
The girl chuckled and said, “Alright! I'm not angry.”
With her hands clasped behind her back, putting on an old-fashioned air, she led Chen Qianliu, her little follower, around the Suiyang Immortal Market.
Chen Qianliu was concerned about the qingyu stone. He would glance at every stall he passed to see if the owner had any qingyu stone displayed. But after browsing a dozen stalls with the girl, he gradually grew eager, wanting many things, only regretting that he had no Talisman money.
As the girl passed a stall, she let out a soft “Oh?”
Chen Qianliu glanced over. The stall owner was a lazy Old Beggar who had spread a dirty mat and displayed a pile of dark stones. Seeing that there was nothing he was looking for, he didn't want to look any further.
The girl, however, squatted down and asked, “How much are these Spirit Stones?”
The Old Beggar said weakly, “Five hundred Talisman money each.”
The girl frowned slightly and said, “That's expensive! These are all unrefined raw stones. How can they be worth five hundred Talisman money?”
The Old Beggar scoffed, “If they were refined, how could you buy one for less than two or three thousand Talisman money?”
As the two haggled, Chen Qianliu's mind wandered, thinking about how he could get a large sum of Talisman money to buy the qingyu stone that contained the Opportunity.
Suddenly, he heard someone arguing loudly. He looked over and saw an Old Daoist arguing with a stall owner. After listening for a few moments, he learned that the Old Daoist wanted to buy a Flying Sword from the stall owner but didn't have enough money. Seeing many people looking their way, they quickly lowered their voices.
Chen Qianliu had Cultivated for decades in his previous life, but he never had a Flying Sword. His Senior Martial Sister did have one, but she rarely used it, being sick for many years. In decades of marriage, he had only seen his wife use it twice in total.
He sighed, forcing himself not to look or listen.
There was also a backup title, called “Immortal Lord is So Poor”...
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