Cultivators' Shopping Carnival

"Did Fellow Daoist Yang have a grudge against White Buddha Temple?"

After hesitating for a moment, Pan Shi still asked the question.

Otherwise, how could he explain Yang An deliberately using bait merely to lure the demons in and wipe them out in one fell swoop? He was clearly targeting White Buddha Temple.

Yang An froze for a moment and looked at Pan Shi. This man might know something.

But he knew nothing at all. He could hardly say he had actually done it to stay alive. If he did, the cultivator's skin he had only just put on would be exposed.

Still, he caught a piece of information from Pan Shi's words.

As a cultivator, Pan Shi actually knew of White Buddha Temple. Judging from his tone, White Buddha Temple was certainly no ordinary temple. It was very likely a cultivation sect as well.

So the demons appearing in Jiu Nan Town really had been White Buddha Temple's doing?

"Not exactly. It was merely a chance encounter."

Having learned this, Yang An's mind spun at lightning speed, and he quickly replied.

The less he said, the fewer mistakes he could make. He needed to reveal as little as possible, so it would be harder for them to uncover that he was merely an ordinary person.

As for how Pan Shi filled in the blanks, that was Pan Shi's own business.

What he could do now was pretend—make himself as mysterious as possible. The more unfathomable he seemed, the safer he would be.

Otherwise, even if these two were not demons, if they had ties to White Buddha Temple and stabbed him in the back, he would not be able to take it.

Hearing Yang An's answer, Pan Shi was stunned for a moment, then immediately regarded him with solemn admiration.

Worthy indeed of a cultivator from a righteous great sect. The conviction that demons must be slain ran through him to the end; when it was time to act, he acted without the slightest ambiguity. Truly admirable!

"My junior sister and I have come on our master's orders to attend the Communal Feast Convention. Is Fellow Daoist Yang here for the same matter?"

Pan Shi asked again.

Since Yang An had not come for White Buddha Temple, he had clearly left the mountains for another purpose.

Appearing here at this time, the only thing Pan Shi could think of was the Communal Feast Convention that would soon be held.

He simply did not know whether Yang An had come for the Communal Feast Convention as well.

If their purposes aligned and they could travel together, having an Origin Feeder Realm expert from a righteous great sect at their side would undoubtedly make the journey much safer.

That was why Pan Shi wanted to take the initiative to befriend Yang An. Especially after witnessing Yang An's strength, that thought had only grown stronger.

Yet unexpectedly, Yang An wore a baffled expression.

"Communal Feast Convention? What's that?"

He truly did not understand this information, nor did he know anything about it. Naturally, he could not keep pretending, so he simply asked outright.

If he forced himself to make up an answer, he would only leave himself full of holes.

"Fellow Daoist Yang does not know about the Communal Feast Convention?"

Pan Shi was first taken aback, but then he realized that there was something wrong with his question.

The other party was a disciple of a reclusive righteous great sect. It was perfectly normal for him not to know about the Communal Feast Convention.

Reclusive sects had long histories. It was nothing unusual for them to remain out of the world for hundreds or even thousands of years, while the Communal Feast Convention had only begun to make a name for itself in recent years, rising to prominence and drawing cultivators from every direction.

These cultivators from reclusive sects had only just entered the world. It was entirely normal that they had never heard of the Communal Feast Convention.

"Is this Communal Feast Convention very famous?"

Yang An asked somewhat nervously, doing his best to keep any flaw from showing on his face. He asked casually, as though he normally paid little attention to such matters.

"Please do not take offense, Fellow Daoist. I was presumptuous."

Pan Shi first expressed his apology before explaining to Yang An what the Communal Feast Convention was.

"The so-called Communal Feast Convention was initiated more than a decade ago by Mother Diviner True Person of Xi Yue River. A Flood Dragon Demon in Xi Yue River was slain by Mother Diviner True Person. This flood dragon had borne a deep hatred toward Mother Diviner True Person, so after killing it, she gave out its corpse and summoned cultivators from all directions to gather and feast upon it together!"

"Though the Flood Dragon Demon was a demon, portions of its flesh were rare spiritual treasures of heaven and earth. If one could get a share of the broth, it would greatly benefit one's cultivation. Thus, once word spread, cultivators came to participate even from thousands of miles away."

"Afterward, many cultivators wished to thank Mother Diviner True Person, so they offered up magical artifacts, spiritual treasures, and other items they had no use for, allowing Mother Diviner True Person to choose from them. Yet Mother Diviner True Person did not take a single thing. Still, she did not wish to disappoint the heartfelt intentions of the cultivators, so she had everyone trade by barter, proposing transactions and exchanging items on equal terms."

"Later, this method was retained under the name of the Communal Feast Convention. Once every year, in late spring, a Communal Feast Convention would be held."

"So in essence, after more than a decade of development, the Communal Feast Convention has now become a famous trading gathering known far and wide. Cultivators from every side gather there to exchange all manner of things they can use—pills, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, and spiritual treasures alike."

"However, in recent years, the Communal Feast Convention has gradually become a place where fish and dragons mingle. Quite a few petty scoundrels have slipped in, causing many fellow cultivators to misjudge people, and the convention's reputation has suffered greatly. It is no longer what it once was."

"Fortunately, it is said that Mother Diviner True Person has acted again this year and captured another rare Flood Dragon Demon. Thus, this Communal Feast Convention has drawn many fellow cultivators once more. My junior sister and I have come especially for this, hoping to see whether we can find some good things at the convention."

Hearing Pan Shi's explanation and seeing that he held no suspicion toward him, Yang An finally nodded in relief.

Pan Shi's words were easy enough to understand.

So, put simply, wasn't the Communal Feast Convention basically an annual cultivators' shopping carnival?

It certainly sounded that way.

At that thought, Yang An's eyes lit up, and an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

Because of the demons in Jiu Nan Town, it could now be determined that White Buddha Temple was behind it. If he remained here, it was very likely to draw an even greater crisis.

Yang An had long since made up his mind to leave Jiu Nan Town as soon as daylight came.

Wasn't this perfect?

Since Pan Shi and his junior sister were also passing through Jiu Nan Town on their way to the Communal Feast Convention, why not use this chance to find a reason to travel with them? They were all leaving Jiu Nan Town anyway. Where they went hardly mattered.

His identity as a cultivator was fake, while Pan Shi before him was a genuine cultivator. Having a cultivator accompanying him would obviously be much safer. If danger arose, he might even be able to borrow strength to strike strength, using the fox's might beneath the tiger's power.

As long as he could leave Jiu Nan Town's territory and reach somewhere sufficiently safe, he could always find an excuse to part ways with them then. Until they met again—he would not attend that Communal Feast Convention. Once his life was no longer in danger, the sea would be wide enough for fish to leap, the sky high enough for birds to fly.

But what reason could he find that would make the two before him agree to travel with him?

Yang An began to ponder it in his mind.

At that moment, after hearing his explanation, Yang An fell silent and did not continue the conversation.

Pan Shi also felt somewhat nervous, thinking that Yang An might look down on this so-called Communal Feast Convention.

After all, given the foundations and inheritances of those reclusive sects that had endured for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, it was perfectly reasonable for them to disdain the things at the Communal Feast Convention.

Perhaps they could casually take out any one item from their sect and cause a sensation at the Communal Feast Convention.

But Pan Shi thought that he had already embarrassed himself before his junior sister. If, in the end, he pressed his warm face against a cold butt, failed to achieve his goal, and merely exchanged a few words, he would truly lose face beyond all measure.

That would not do!

Seeing that Yang An did not react, Pan Shi simply asked directly:

"Since Fellow Daoist Yang did not come for White Buddha Temple, I presume you are also here to gain experience in these troubled times. Just as you said, it is merely a chance encounter. With the Communal Feast Convention close at hand, why not travel with us and go take a look together? Perhaps we may even get a share of flood dragon stew."

Pan Shi thought, You may not care for those magical artifacts and spiritual treasures, but surely you cannot look down on the Flood Dragon Demon's body as well?

For an Origin Feeder Realm cultivator, the body of a Flood Dragon Demon was absolutely a top-tier treasure.

If even that did not interest Yang An, then Pan Shi truly had no other way.