A Visit to the Market
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the two cultivators guarding the intersection stepped forward, saying in a calm tone, "One Low-Grade Spirit Stone each."
Shen Jingchuan was slightly surprised to hear this, not expecting that he would have to pay Spirit Stones before entering the market.
Xiao Mingshu was already used to this. She took out three Low-Grade Spirit Stones from her Storage Ring and handed them over. The two cultivators didn't make things difficult for her. They accepted the Spirit Stones, stepped aside to make way for the carriage.
As the carriage entered the canyon, the further it went, the greener the surrounding vegetation became, and the richer the Spiritual Qi in the air grew.
Shen Jingchuan felt the Spiritual Power in his Dantian subtly becoming more active, and then he heard Xiao Mingshu explain from inside the carriage:
"This place is called Spirit Creek Market. A First-Tier Spirit Vein lies hidden at the bottom of this valley, and the Spiritual Qi there never dissipates, which is why the market was built here. Since the Spiritual Qi is scarce and cultivation is difficult for independent Rogue Cultivators outside, they all prefer to gather here."
After walking a short distance and rounding a steep rock face, the view suddenly opened up, revealing the entire market town.
The valley is crisscrossed by streets, with stone and wood shops lining both sides. The stalls along the street are filled with jade boxes containing spiritual herbs, magical Law Artifacts that gleam faintly, and porcelain bottles containing elixirs. The passersby are all emanating Spiritual Qi, ranging from Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Despite the flow of people, the place is orderly.
Xiao Mingshu lifted the carriage curtain and continued:
"This Spirit Creek Market is overseen by True Person Mochen, a Golden Core cultivator. The affairs of the market, large and small, are usually managed by Steward Wang Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator. With Golden Core True Person cultivator keeping things under control, no one dares to cause trouble here. Rogue Cultivators and small sects from nearby countries are happy to trade here."
The group drove their carriage through the market for a while before finally stopping in front of the Yuelai Inn. The inn had a restaurant facing the street in front, and the courtyard was just behind it. The layout was bright and spacious, and it was considered quite a large establishment in the market.
Upon seeing Xiao Mingshu, the shopkeeper immediately greeted her with a smile, his attitude very warm, clearly indicating that she was a regular customer.
He immediately called the waiter forward, leading Little Black and Treading Snow to the stables in the backyard, where the carriage was also parked.
A standard room at this inn costs one Low-Grade Spirit Stone for two days, while a superior room costs one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per day.
Shen Jingchuan watched from the side, secretly astonished. A single Low-Grade Spirit Stone was worth a hundred taels of gold, something an ordinary family might not be able to save up in half a lifetime, yet here it was only enough for a single night in a superior room.
Although he has handled quite a few Spirit Stones by now, he hasn't quite figured it out yet. He still subconsciously calculates everything in terms of gold, thinking to himself that the expenses in the cultivation world are much higher than in the mortal world. Fortunately, he no longer uses silver as a unit of measurement, otherwise the numbers would be even more frightening.
Without hesitation, Xiao Mingshu asked for two top-class rooms, one for herself and Huan'er, and the other for Shen Jingchuan.
After paying the Spirit Stones and receiving their number plates, the waiter led the three of them to the back courtyard.
Shen Jingchuan entered his room, opened the back window, and saw a shallow stream flowing gently below, the sound of the water splashing softly.
The stream was filled with Spiritual Qi, even richer than that on the main streets of the market. Taking a breath of it made Dantian feel a warm sensation in their lower abdomen.
He nodded to himself, thinking that the cultivation speed here must be much faster than outside. It seemed that the house price was worth it. No wonder cultivators were crowding into the market.
A moment later, Huan'er came and knocked on the door, saying that Xiao Mingshu invited him to have dinner at the restaurant in front.
Shen Jingchuan followed and entered an elegant private room, where two dishes and a soup were already laid out on the table.
One dish was braised meat from some kind of spirit beast, glistening with oil and exuding a rich aroma; another dish was stir-fried spirit vegetables; and in the middle simmered a pot of milky white broth containing a whole, slender, silver-scaled fish.
"These are silver-scaled fish from the stream in the backyard; they're the signature dish of this Yuelai Inn,"
Xiao Mingshu casually said:
"Raised year-round in the waters of the Spirit Veins, their flesh is imbued with Spiritual Qi, making it extremely nourishing."
Shen Jingchuan picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. The fish was tender, and the broth was delicious. It immediately transformed into a warm and gentle Spiritual Qi that spread along his meridians, and the Spiritual Power in his Dantian seemed to become more active.
Even the meat of the spirit beast, when chewed, carries a faint nourishing Spiritual Qi, its flavor pure and unadulterated, without much seasoning, far superior to meat from the mortal world.
The meal cost three Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Shen Jingchuan sighed inwardly, realizing that the cultivation world required burning Spirit Stones everywhere, and one couldn't survive without some wealth.
During the meal, Xiao Mingshu briefly explained a few rules of the market to him:
The market is protected by True Person Moyang, who strictly prohibits private fights. Violators will be expelled or have their cultivation revoked. Most transactions are settled with Spirit Stones, and rare items can also be bartered. Deep within the market are the Pill Pavilion, the Weapon Pavilion, and the Mission Hall, which can be visited one by one tomorrow.
It was completely dark by then, so the two agreed to stroll through the market together again the next morning before returning to their rooms to rest.
After the banquet ended, Shen Jingchuan didn't go straight back to his room. Instead, he walked towards the stables in the backyard, his mind preoccupied with Big Black, Little Black, and Treading Snow, unable to rest easy.
As soon as he reached the stables, the three horses caught his scent from afar. They immediately began pawing the ground and neighing softly, poking their heads out of the pen and nuzzling his sleeves affectionately.
Shen Jingchuan smiled and patted each of their necks, then took out several large, red apples from his spatial ring and offered them to their mouths. The three horses quickly devoured them, their tails swishing happily.
He looked down and rummaged through the feed in the trough. Seeing that it was all concentrated feed mixed with spirit grains, and that the stable was clean and dry, he felt relieved.
At this moment, the old man in charge of the stables heard the commotion and came over, bowing respectfully to Shen Jingchuan:
"Young Master."
Shen Jingchuan nodded, took out a small gold ingot weighing one tael from his Storage Ring, handed it over, and said:
"These horses have traveled a long way with me, so please take good care of them, sir. Use the best feed for them and don't mistreat them. Also, these fellows are a bit arrogant, so don't be too strict with them."
The old man took the gold ingot, his face crinkling with laughter, and quickly replied:
"Young master, rest assured! I can tell at a glance that these two are top-quality Whirlwind Horses, and your Big Black is even more extraordinary, almost like the King of Horses! I know my place and will certainly take good care of it, without the slightest carelessness."
"Alright," Shen Jingchuan said calmly, "If you serve well, there will be a reward later."
The old man bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude, saying he dared not be negligent.
The next morning, Huan'er came to knock on the door and invited Shen Jingchuan to go out to the market together.
The three of them left the Yuelai Inn and walked slowly along the cobblestone street. They hadn't gone far when Xiao Mingshu glanced at him and asked in a low voice:
"Have you prepared all the goods you're going to sell?"
Shen Jingchuan nodded slightly.
After walking a hundred or so steps, a small, unassuming general store appeared on the side of the street. The shelves inside were crammed full of low-level talismans, scattered spiritual herbs, various Law Artifact parts, and all sorts of miscellaneous cultivation items.
The three stepped inside. Shen Jingchuan's gaze swept across the shelves, and he immediately spotted the watches and pocket watches that he had asked Xiao Mingshu to sell on his behalf. They were displayed on the most conspicuous wooden trays, their gleaming metal casings standing out among the antique items.
The shop owner was a middle-aged cultivator with a short beard. Upon seeing Xiao Mingshu enter, he quickly put down his account book and greeted her with a familiar smile.
"It is an honor for Fairy Xiao to grace us with her presence. Please come inside and have a seat."
He turned and instructed the shop assistant to watch the front of the shop, then led the three men straight to a small private room in the back courtyard, saying as they walked:
"The watches that the fairy asked me to sell last time sold exceptionally well, and they're waiting for you to deliver them. How many did you bring this time?"
The three entered a private room and sat down as host and guest. The waiter served them tea and then bowed and left.
Xiao Mingshu didn't know how much cargo Shen Jingchuan had brought, so she looked up at him with a questioning look in her eyes.
Shen Jingchuan understood and, without saying much, took out a stack of neatly sealed small wooden boxes from his Storage Ring and placed them steadily on the table.
"Shopkeeper, this is what my sister prepared for you. We have all kinds of watches and pocket watches, men's and women's styles, for a total of five hundred yuan."
Five hundred yuan?