The Third Watch Is Poor, The Fifth Watch Is Rich

Outside the market.

Qi Feng and Li Han exchanged a glance, their faces showing embarrassment. But then, they picked up the gongs in their hands and started banging them. The sound immediately attracted the attention of countless people on the street.

"Come one, come all! We don't do business that cheats people..."

"No worries if you buy good stuff, strike while the iron is hot..."

Under their shouts, countless cultivators on this street selling human tickets were drawn in. However, the two still had to shout with shame.

"What is this?"

"Isn't this street all about selling human tickets? Why are there just sacks here?"

In an instant, their stall was crowded with people, their curious gazes fixed on the scene. Zhang Qing, still bewildered, sat inside, unaware of what was happening.

Lin Chang'an, however, walked out with a smile. He cupped his hands towards the crowd and said, "Everyone, you're all here to do business, so I won't waste your time with pleasantries. The goods here are divided into two batches, feel free to pick."

The onlookers were a bit confused. Other stalls allowed customers to inspect the goods carefully, but here, it was just sacks.

"Are you still in the business of selling human tickets? Everyone else lines them up and clearly marks the prices, but why are yours all like this?"

"Exactly, if people didn't know, they'd think you were selling sacks."

Someone stirred up the crowd, and a burst of laughter erupted. Lin Chang'an, however, looked at the gathered crowd watching the spectacle and smiled unhurriedly.

"Ours are different from the others." He pointed to the sacks on the left and right, which were clearly of different quality, and Lin Chang'an smiled. "The ones on the left are thirty spirit stones each, and the ones on the right are ten spirit stones each."

Under the confused gazes of the crowd, Lin Chang'an first pointed to the ones on the right, even the human tickets in the rough sacks, and said with a laugh, "I don't need to say what's in these sacks on the right."

"These sacks on the right contain human tickets who are older and have exhausted their potential, but I guarantee they can dig mines or serve as breeding stock when you buy them. As for how many years they'll last, that's up to fate."

With Lin Chang'an's explanation, the crowd instantly understood. They naturally grasped the logic: they were old, and the goods here might have been discarded by others. It was possible they could suffer hidden injuries and become cripples at any moment.

"There are quite a few people, but to add a bit of fun, I've put a few young and strong human tickets here, worth at least twenty spirit stones."

Wow! The crowd erupted in an uproar, their eyes widening. What was this? Gambling psychology? If someone was lucky, they could get a bargain.

Ten spirit stones for a human ticket wasn't high; it was a normal price. You could buy them anywhere, but here, there was an element of chance. What if they got lucky?

As soon as the crowd understood, they became lively, whispering and talking amongst themselves. A middle-aged cultivator cupped his hands and asked curiously about the ones on the left, "What about these on the left, thirty spirit stones each?"

Thirty spirit stones was a bit high. Young and strong ones were usually around twenty spirit stones. Thirty was a bit steep, and they weren't buying cultivators with higher cultivation.

Seeing that the crowd's attention was drawn to the fewer ones on the left, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but show a teasing smile. "These over here are not simple."

"As the saying goes, 'The third watch is poor, the fifth watch is rich.' I don't need to explain this, do I?"

As Lin Chang'an's words echoed, the onlookers smiled. In this desolate place, who dared to say they hadn't gotten their hands dirty? Everyone was ruthless and naturally understood this principle.

"Second Master Lin, just tell us, what did you mix in with the good stuff on the left? You didn't happen to add a female cultivator, did you?"

A cultivator who had been frequenting the market for a long time grinned and directly teased with this question, causing another burst of laughter.

"You crippled Li, you wish! Do you think female cultivators are that easy to get?"

"Haha, if there really were female cultivators, I'd actually buy a few to try my luck."

Lin Chang'an, as Zhang Qing's deputy, was considered the second-in-command. Therefore, the low-level cultivators in the market who knew his status politely addressed him as Second Master Lin.

Seeing this familiar figure, Lin Chang'an also laughed and scolded, "You wish! If there were female cultivators, would they be here?"

Another round of laughter ensued. Female cultivators were quite precious; even older ones were auctioned at black markets.

"However, there is indeed a special item added here, not inferior to a female cultivator."

Lin Chang'an's words immediately piqued everyone's curiosity. Seeing the crowd's appetite whetted, he narrowed his eyes, smiled, and cupped his hands. "There's one who broke the rules and committed an offense, but don't worry, they definitely aren't missing any limbs."

"This one isn't simple. They're not even thirty years old, and their body hasn't been overused. As long as you don't mess around with them after buying them, they should live for several more decades. And they have a cultivation base of Qi Refining third layer."

Lin Chang'an paused here, and as he whetted everyone's appetite, he said with a meaningful smile, "They are also an alchemist proficient in refining Qi Condensation Pills."

As Lin Chang'an's laughter echoed, the crowd fell silent. Countless people widened their eyes, their disbelieving expressions seeming to ask if they had misheard.

Qi Refining third layer, and an alchemist?

Is it true or false?

"Second Master, did I hear you correctly?" The person from earlier in the crowd gasped, their eyes wide with shock as they blurted out.

"That's right, but you won't do."

Lin Chang'an's words left the person stunned. They asked in bewilderment, "Second Master Lin, do you pick and choose who you do business with?"

"It's not about picking people, it's about you!" Lin Chang'an squinted at the person, making them feel a chill down their spine. They even felt a bit timid, muttering to themselves that they hadn't offended this master.

"I dare to sell to you, but do you dare to take them home?" Lin Chang'an suddenly shrugged and said with a smile, "I really don't know how your grandfather would react if you brought a male cultivator home."

The crowd instantly understood what he meant, and a burst of laughter erupted. The cultivator also awkwardly rubbed his nose, but still stubbornly said, "Second Master Lin, who do you look down on? This is, after all, an alchemist."

Amidst the crowd's jests, Lin Chang'an smiled and cupped his hands towards everyone. "Everyone, feel free to pick if you're interested. However, I must caution you beforehand: there are talismans here that prohibit divine sense probing."

As Lin Chang'an finished speaking, the crowd also noticed the talismans pasted on the sacks. Li Han, standing nearby, blushed and, suppressing his embarrassment, struck the gong with a "dong." Then, he cleared his throat and shouted.

"The third watch is poor, the fifth watch is rich. Ten spirit stones won't let you suffer losses, won't let you be swindled. Genuine goods, honest dealing. They can dig mines, they can sow seeds when you take them home..."

Li Han felt ashamed and embarrassed at first, but after shouting it once, he threw caution to the wind. The more he shouted, the more energetic he became.

"I'll take one, pick one for me."

A burly man stepped forward, loudly pointing at the cheaper sacks on the right. Someone in the crowd clearly recognized him, and they started laughing and jeering.

This burly man had seen his fair share of trouble and simply snorted unhappily, "Am I supposed to buy them to breed with the women in my clan!"

The jeering from the crowd immediately died down, and everyone looked curiously at what good merchandise this burly man would pick.

Almost everyone who came here was looking to pick out breeding pigs. Of course, there were also those who practiced some evil techniques. After all, cultivators with spiritual roots could be bought and brought home, then directly exploited without any worries.

Ahem, I ask all fellow Daoists to support and follow my story tomorrow, as we aim for a recommendation.