Market.
Lin Chang'an had been here for nearly half a month, yet this was his first time entering the inner city of the Market. The instant he passed through the formation, the scene before him changed, and he could not help revealing a look of surprise.
Lively hawking echoed around his ears. People streamed along the bluestone-paved streets, while the fresh scent in the air and the surrounding scenery truly gave one the feeling of birds singing and flowers blooming. No one could possibly mistake the Market before them for a black market.
"Junior Brother Lin, not only is the spiritual energy in the Market's inner city abundant, it is also safe. If you want to live here, you need to pay a Spirit Stone fee..."
Along the way, Zhang Qing expertly introduced the place to him, while Lin Chang'an nodded repeatedly as he listened.
"Come on, come on. You broke through today, Junior Brother. Let's go to a restaurant."
While Zhang Qing brought Lin Chang'an to celebrate his breakthrough at a Market restaurant, Elder Lu's expression was clouded and uncertain within the Great Sword Sect's pill workshop at the outskirts of the Market.
Inside the only Pill Room protected by a formation, the crimson flames beneath the pill furnace slowly died away. The alchemist standing before it was pale-faced, his lips trembling.
"Elder Lu, this medicinal pill is not difficult to refine, but making two completely opposing medicinal properties compatible is simply too difficult."
The grim-faced alchemist looked at the ten pellets floating out from the pill furnace. Eight of them had already turned pitch-black, clearly ruined in the refining process.
The remaining two had succeeded, but their dull luster made it obvious that their quality was poor.
Seeing Elder Lu's unsightly expression, the chief alchemist gritted his teeth and said gravely, "Elder Lu, although this is partly because it was my first time refining it, this pill formula is clearly meant to make things difficult."
Having seemingly found the reason for his failure, the alchemist said bitterly, "It is clearly such a low-class medicinal pill, yet it insists on combining these two medicinal properties. It is plainly raising the difficulty of pill refinement."
It was like this: although the pill's grade was not high, the difficulty of refining it was anything but low. The gains hardly made up for the losses.
Elder Lu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ten medicinal pills floating above his palm.
"The refinement difficulty is high? How high?"
As he spoke the latter half of the sentence, Elder Lu raised his head and stared at the other man. Faced with the question, the chief alchemist gritted his teeth and said, "The greatest difficulty during refinement is merging the medicinal properties of the two ingredients. This requires control so fine it reaches the utmost limit..."
As the chief alchemist explained, the corners of Elder Lu's mouth slowly rose, and a smile appeared on his face.
"In that case, whoever can refine this kind of medicinal pill possesses greater talent in pill refinement than you!"
Though it sounded like a question, his words were already full of certainty. The chief alchemist revealed a bitter smile, sighed softly, and nodded helplessly.
"Then this old man understands."
Having obtained the answer he wanted, Elder Lu was in unusually good spirits. Smiling broadly, he nodded and turned to leave, only to suddenly pause.
"Elder Lu." Seeing this, the chief alchemist respectfully lowered his head in salute. Yet Elder Lu calmly tossed out a sentence that made cold sweat stream down his back.
"You have probably guessed who refined this pill formula. Lin Chang'an is this old man's disciple."
Elder Lu left calmly. Yet inside the scorching Pill Room, the chief alchemist was drenched in cold sweat. That final sentence was naturally a warning not to seek revenge.
"Damn it, he actually caused me such enormous trouble!"
This time, he truly had no desire whatsoever to deal with the trouble caused by his cheap concubine's younger brother. He did not even dare feel the slightest jealousy.
It was obvious that Elder Lu had taken a fancy to this man's talent in pill refinement and accepted him as a disciple. He plainly intended to nurture him. If he let jealousy drive him to lock horns with the man now, he would simply be asking for trouble.
Inside the restaurant.
The dining table was undoubtedly the easiest place to draw people closer together. After one meal, the relationship between the two had clearly become much more intimate.
"Junior Brother, don't worry. At most half a year and the Market will settle down. It won't remain chaotic. Don't listen to those pig-headed fools below spouting nonsense."
Zhang Qing spoke casually with a smile on his face, but his words still vaguely alluded to the rumors spread by those below. Lin Chang'an naturally understood, and he gave a fawning smile.
"Senior Brother, what is going on here?"
Seeing Lin Chang'an's curious, puzzled expression, Zhang Qing smiled and raised his wine cup. After the two clinked cups, he began directly explaining the Market's current situation.
"Junior Brother, don't be fooled by how chaotic things are here. Even beneath this chaos, there are rules of its own. The Purple Copper Spirit Mine is indeed tempting, but no single faction can swallow it whole. No one is stupid. If we fight to the death now, who knows who will profit from it? It is better to join hands first and begin mining according to the strength of each side."
After Zhang Qing's explanation, Lin Chang'an revealed a look of realization. "So that's how it is. No wonder Senior Brother isn't worried in the slightest."
"Hehe, what is there to worry about?" Zhang Qing's gaze passed through the window toward the hurried figures in the Market, and he could not help sneering. "Junior Brother, do you see those people?"
"They are all Rogue Cultivator gangs and small forces. They think there is an opportunity to exploit, all waiting for the major powers to start fighting so they can pick up the spoils. Yet they do not know that before fierce tigers battle, they first sweep away the jackals and wolves around them."
"Still, it is precisely because these jackals that have caught the scent of meat have swarmed in that we only need to occasionally release some of their so-called opportunities into the Market and beyond."
At this point, Zhang Qing clicked his tongue and laughed, his eyes full of mockery.
"These people are pigs we raise free-range. Whether they slaughter each other or scheme against one another has nothing to do with us. Instead, the talismans, magical artifacts, and medicinal pills we sell in the Market are selling for several times their previous price."
Though Lin Chang'an wore a relaxed smile, inwardly he was secretly alarmed. Sure enough, no matter what world it was, these people were always the blackest of all.
The news of the Purple Copper Mine had likely been released by these factions as well. Otherwise, who would not keep such a thing tightly hidden away? By spreading word of it, they attracted countless cultivators.
Here, the major powers could bring out medicinal pills, magical artifacts, talismans, and the like to reap profits, while those miserable Rogue Cultivator groups had to risk their lives.
"Senior Brother, brilliant! This not only invigorates the Market, but can also continuously draw more cultivators here."
Knowing full well how alluring Purple Copper was to cultivators, Lin Chang'an could not help sighing in admiration. Sure enough, every place had its own rules, even the most chaotic Miaowa Kingdom.
Seeing Lin Chang'an's thoughtful appearance, Zhang Qing instead gave a self-mocking smile. "Are we not pigs raised by the people above us as well?"
Under Lin Chang'an's puzzled gaze, Zhang Qing seemed long accustomed to it as he said calmly, "No matter how we fight here, even if we beat each other until our brains spill out like dog brains, the people above will not care. They only need those below to regularly hand over a certain amount of resources."
"As for who hands them over, who cares!" At this point, Zhang Qing burst into laughter and raised his wine cup. "Come, come. This has nothing to do with us anymore."
"Come, Senior Brother."
Lin Chang'an clinked cups with him, smiling brightly. Understanding dawned in his heart. Sure enough, it was the same everywhere: big fish ate little fish, and little fish ate shrimp.
Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your support.
Before you continue