After the brothers waited for quite a while, they ended up chatting on the shore, sharing amusing stories of their childhood. It was then they finally saw a faint silver light emerging from the heart of the lake.
“Could that be the boat we’re waiting for?”
In the distance, a wooden longboat sailed toward them. The sails were adorned with white feathers, and the boat itself radiated with a spiritual light, presenting itself as a fine treasure.
Right before the boat reached the shore, a friendly voice called out, “Fellow Daoists, are you heading to the Moongaze Lake Market? You’re a little late, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Li Chejing responded, adding apologetically, “It’s our first visit to this market, and we weren’t aware of the timings.”
“Hahaha, no worries, fellow Daoists.” The boatman laughed heartily as he steered his boat closer to the shore.
Li Chejing stepped forward, his spiritual sense on alert as he eyed the boatman with a hint of mistrust. “Are you here to take us to the market?” he asked cautiously.
The man chuckled when he saw Li Chejing and the other men watching him cautiously instead of boarding the boat. “Yes. It’s a jin of Spirit Rice or an equivalent spirit item per person as fare.”
Relieved by the straightforward request, Li Chejing clapped his brocade pouch, and a light blue token flew out of it.
The token hovered in mid-air, projecting the words: Qingsui Peak of the Azure Pond Sect.
Li Chejing introduced himself, “I am Li Chejing, a disciple from Qingsui Peak of the Azure Pond Sect. I’m on an important mission right now. Thank you for the ride.”
The boat rocked slightly as the man on board paused, seemingly recognizing the significance of the token.
An elderly man with white hair then emerged, bowing respectfully. “Our apologies for any disrespect. As a disciple of the immortal sect, you are most welcome aboard.”
Li Chejing nodded and stepped onto the boat with his two brothers. Inside the cabin, there were tea tables complete with tea sets. The antique interior and decor exuded an air of wealth and refined taste.
The elderly man apologized again, “Forgive my hesitation earlier. Without a familiar face from the market among your group, I was quite apprehensive about coming out to welcome you. Seeing the token from your immortal sect finally put my mind at ease.”
Li Xiangping returned the smile and said, “It’s perfectly understandable.”
The old man offered a piece of advice. “Next time, try to arrive around the hour of the rat. That’s when most neighboring clans come. It’s the best time for trading Spirit Rice and other items.”
“I see.”
The brothers continued talking with the elderly man for some time before the boat suddenly jolted, followed by noises emanating from the cabin. Peering out the window, they saw the market of Moongaze Lake.
The market was built on a small island within the lake. It was not that big, just about the size of half a village. The streets were lined with small lamps that were glowing white. Despite the late hour, the market bustled with activity. Shoppers lingered at stalls, haggling with vendors over various goods.
“No need to pay the fares, I can’t possibly accept them.” The old boatman docked the boat but firmly refused the Spirit Rice Li Chejing offered from his storage pouch. No matter how Li Chejing insisted, he refused to accept the fare.
The brothers bid farewell to the boatman, then excitedly strolled down the market streets. Li Tongya examined the wares, comparing them to those he saw in the market of Cloud Crowned Peak.
The items are similar but here, most prices are in Spirit Rice. The goods are more often sold in bulk. The spells and techniques are sold individually, rather than sold by an entire volume.
As he pondered this, Li Chejing’s chuckle drew his attention. “The items sold at the stalls are a mix of quality. To find what we need, we should head to a counter.”
Li Tongya fell silent, recalling his exhaustive day at the market of Cloud Crowned Peak. He had only walked around at the time.
The group continued, and the stalls gradually became fewer as storefronts appeared. Li Chejing looked around for a bit, then chose a dharma artifact shop and stepped inside.
“Ask your owner if he’s interested in buying Fire Baleful Qi,” he said to the shopkeeper who greeted them. Upon seeing that Li Chejing had turned his attention to the various dharma artifacts displayed on the wall after saying that, the shopkeeper snapped out of his daze and hurried off.
Soon, a topless burly man rushed into the shop from the backyard. The many iron weapons he carried clanked as he quickly walked up to them. “Fellow Daoist, you heard news of the Fire Baleful Qi?” he asked.
The man’s chin was covered by stubble. Despite his rugged appearance, he had a gentle voice.
“Yes, I am Li Chejing from the Azure Pond Sect, and I have a Fire Baleful Qi to sell,” Li Chejing responded.
“Ah, a disciple of an immortal sect.” The man cupped his fist and smiled. “I am Chu Minglian, the owner of this small shop. How much are you selling your Fire Baleful Qi for?”
Li Chejing raised an eyebrow, then replied, “Seventy Spirit Stones, preferably to be traded with items if possible.”
Li Xiangping and Li Tongya, known for their frugal nature and habit of making the most out of every Spirit Stone, stared at Li Chejing with wide eyes, then at Chu Minglian with eager anticipation.
Chu Minglian shook his head and said with a smile, “That’s a bit steep. Is there anything in my shop that interests you?”
“Talisman brushes.” Without much time to spare, Li Chejing did not bother to beat around the bush and got straight to the point. He pointed to the two talisman brushes on the wall and asked, “Could you tell me more about them?”
“Absolutely.” Chu Minglian nodded, taking down the two brushes. He picked up the blue one and explained, “This is made from Spirit Blue Jade and the tail fur of a weasel monster at peak Embryonic Breathing Realm. It’s suitable for cultivators in both the Embryonic Breathing Realm and Qi Cultivation Realm. The price is fifteen Spirit Stones.”
Chu Minglian set aside the first talisman brush and picked up another with a cream-colored brush. “This brush is made from Burning Spirit Wood and the tail fur of a fox demon in the Qi Cultivation Realm. It’s designed for cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Realm and above. The price is sixty Spirit Stones.”
Li Chejing waved his hand, then pointed to the brush made of Spirit Blue Jade and said, “I’ll take this one. And one storage pouch, the common one suited for cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Realm.”
Chu Minglian retrieved a brownish-gray pouch from a shelf and announced, “This pouch has a capacity of a cubic meter and costs thirty Spirit Stones.”
After some negotiation, Chu Minglian agreed to trade the two dharma artifacts and twenty Spirit Stones for the Fire Baleful Qi.
Exiting the shop with a new storage pouch and a talisman brush, Li Chejing immediately entered another store without giving Li Xiangping and Li Tongya a chance to express any reservations.
He pointed at a stack of tawny talisman papers and said, “Three hundred sheets of talisman paper of the Embryonic Breathing Realm for ten Spirit Stones. These are made from mugwort wood, correct?”
“Yes,” the shopkeeper promptly responded, recognizing Li Chejing’s expertise.
After exchanging ten Spirit Stones for the papers and stowing them away in the new brocade pouch, Li Chejing passed his storage pouch to Li Xiangping, then mumbled to himself, “Talisman brush, talisman papers, and pouch. We still have ten Spirit Stones left. How should we spend the rest of them?”
Overhearing this, Li Xiangping and Li Tongya looked at each other before Li Xiangping quickly interjected, “Let’s save the remaining Spirit Stones for emergencies at home.”
Li Chejing nodded in agreement. As the market’s crowd began to dwindle, he stretched his body and smiled in satisfaction. “Is there anything else we need for the family?”