“Five Spirit Stones, five White Essence Fruits, and ninety jin of Spirit Rice,” Li Tongya counted, reassessing his possessions. The White Essence Fruits were common ingredients in pill concoctions. His family lacked the expertise to put them to good use, so he decided to sell them instead. The Spirit Rice, however, brimming with spiritual qi, was worth keeping for personal consumption.
“We still owe Xiao Yuansi ten Spirit Stones,” he mumbled, feeling an impending headache.
It seems Xiao Yuansi understands it’s not a debt he can collect quickly. Even the envoy has already departed. For now, I’ll have to let the debt stand... perhaps for a few more years.
As Li Tongya strolled through the bustling market, he marveled at the array of spirit objects but found nothing related to the hundred arts of Immortal Cultivation.
He crouched before a stall, rifling through the items, when the stall’s owner, wearing a black face veil, inquired softly, “What are you looking for, fellow Daoist?”
Li Tongya only realized that she was a woman when he heard her gentle voice. He smiled wryly at her and asked, “Do you have anything related to the hundred arts of Immortal Cultivation?”
“This must be your first time here at the market,” the woman remarked, her voice tinged with amusement.
“Yes.”
The woman’s eyes twinkled as she began explaining, “The talismans, pills, and formations around Lixia Prefecture usually come from one of three sources: the Azure Pond Sect, various prominent clans, or rogue cultivators.”
“The Azure Pond Sect, being the largest supplier, restricts the sale of Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation here. This allows them to continuously gather materials at low costs, which they then process into finished goods for sale to us.”
“As for the prominent clans, they too, have little interest in selling what sustains them. In an unspoken agreement with the Azure Pond Sect, they help restrict the circulation of anything related to these hundred arts of Immortal Cultivation. This way, they can ensure their slice of the market remains intact.”
Li Tongya nodded as he listened intently to the female cultivator’s explanation. He looked at her in perplexity and asked, “So, there are quite a number of rogue cultivators in Lixia Prefecture?”
The female cultivator shook her head, leaning in slightly to elucidate, “In the vast lands of Yue State, with millions of inhabitants, even a single prefecture like Lixia houses six to seven hundred thousand people. Within the five prefectures under the governance of the Azure Pond Sect, there could easily be three to four thousand individuals with spiritual orifices, and that’s not even considering the long-established lineages of the prominent clans. The number of immortal cultivators could well exceed five thousand.”
“You sure know a lot, fellow Daoist.” Li Tongya remarked as his gaze wandered over the items in her stall. The talismans seemed not particularly useful and were hardly worth his Spirit Stones.
“Three talismans for one Spirit Stone,” the woman said.
When Li Tongya heard the price, he quickly shifted his gaze away to a light blue sword.
“This sword is crafted from Clear Smoke Stone and tempered in snowy cold air. It’s not just sharp and swift; it also carries a frigid frost with each strike.” The female cultivator immediately became more friendly.
With a smile, she continued, “It’s a good sword. I wouldn’t have sold it if I hadn’t acquired a new dharma artifact. I’m offering it for ten Spirit Stones.”
Due to budget constraints, Li Tongya could only move his gaze away reluctantly from the sword and searched for something else in the stall. Since the sky was getting dark, he picked up a dark-colored bow on her stall and inquired, “How about this bow?”
“Ah, this bow is made from ebony wood and strung with the tendons of a demon of the Azure Essence stage. When infused with mana, it adds a piercing aura to the arrows. I can let it go for four Spirit Stones.”
Li Tongya chuckled and countered, “Two Spirit Stones.”
“That’s too low,” the female cultivator replied, shaking her head.
Li Tongya pointed out, “I can tell that it’s quite worn already. How about two Spirit Stones and five White Essence Fruits? That’s worth two and a half Spirit Stones.”
After a moment of contemplation and a glance at the darkening sky, the female cultivator gritted her teeth and finally said, “Deal.”
Li Tongya handed over the Spirit Stones and spirit fruits to the stall owner, then stood up with his newly acquired bow in hand and three remaining Spirit Stones securely in his pocket. Some vendors were starting to pack up, so he hurriedly made a round through the market.
The shops ahead peddled items for cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Realm. Since Li Tongya could not possibly afford them, he quickly skipped those stalls. He kept his head lowered, browsing through the items offered by various stalls.
Soon, he came across a young man in hemp clothing and a leather coat, standing beside a large iron cage that was holding a pack of furry canine creatures.
The young man looked quite despondent, but he quickly brightened up when he noticed Li Tongya’s interest. “Take a look at these forest beasts, fellow Daoist! They’re mild in temperament and will reach the Radiant Lure stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm at maturity. They’re swift, with razor-sharp teeth capable of overpowering dozens of mortals. You’ll only have to feed them Spirit Rice...”
Upon hearing this, Li Tongya finally understood why the young man failed to make a sale the entire day. “But what use is there in overpowering mortals?” he asked.
“W-Well, these beasts are incredibly intelligent. They can track scents, find objects, and even detect monstrous auras...”
“How much for one?”
“A Spirit Stone for one...”
Li Tongya turned to leave, prompting the stall owner to grab Li Tongya by the corner of his shirt and hastily offer, “One Spirit Stone for two!”
Li Tongya paused, then shook his head and said, “Your beasts seem fine, but any cultivator could easily deal with them with just a few spells. On top of that, they need to be fed with Spirit Rice. My family can barely afford such rations for ourselves, let alone for these creatures...”
The young man hesitated for a moment before nodding in understanding. He perked up, saying, “Wait, I have something else that might interest you, fellow Daoist.”
He pulled out a small silver box and held it out with hope in his eyes. “This contains Wuzha Worms. They produce Wuzha Spirit Silk and only require Spirit Bran or similar substances rich with spiritual qi for nourishment. They aren’t fussy eaters; they’ll consume the leaves or stems of Spirit Paddies. In the absence of spirit substances, they can survive on animal meat as well.”
Li Tongya’s interest was piqued as he took the silver box. Inside, he found several small blue-gray worms wriggling amongst mulberry leaves.
“What’s the use of this Wuzha Spirit Silk?” he asked.
“It can be woven into spirit garments and fabrics that are resistant to ordinary weapons. It can also be sold for a good price,” the young man explained.
Li Tongya contemplated the leaves and stems he had stored at home. Though tempted, he feigned concern and said, “I’m not sure I can manage their care...”
“If it interests you, I can include a detailed manual on their care and breeding. This guide, along with the spirit worms, would be yours for just two Spirit Stones!” the young man gritted his teeth and offered with a determined expression.
“Deal,” Li Tongya agreed after a moment of consideration.
He carefully put away the silver box and wooden slip handed over by the young man. As dusk set in, he bid the stall owner farewell and made his way to the carriage, where he found the driver dozing off. He chucked and waited quietly.
Soon, Wan Yuankai returned, looking quite worn but cheerful. Seeing Li Tongya with a bow, he asked, “Found any good stuff, Brother Tongya?”
“Just an Embryonic Breathing-level bow, hardly a treasure.” Li Tongya chuckled, passing the bow to Wan Yuankai after they got on the carriage.
While Wan Yuankai examined the bowstrings, Li Tongya asked, “What do you think?”
“Ebony wood and ox tendons,” Wan Yuankai remarked as he tugged the bowstring.
He frowned then continued, “Worth about three Spirit Stones, no more, or it’s a loss.”
Li Tongya nodded with a smile. As they chatted, the carriage began its bumpy journey back home. Both men, who were lost in their thoughts and lulled by the motion of the carriage under the dark sky, soon drifted to sleep.