"Buying all kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, magical artifacts, talismans..."
Song Chengan stepped up to the stall.
The stall owner was a plump Daoist with a genial face.
"Young brother, are you looking to sell something?"
Song Chengan took out the Demon Core.
"Daoist, how many Talisman Coins is this Demon Core worth?"
The Daoist accepted the Demon Core and examined it.
"A Demon Core from a Dao Seed Realm fish demon."
"Its Cultivation Level isn't high. Fifty Talisman Coins."
As he spoke, the Daoist held up five fingers.
"So few?"
The Daoist chuckled. "Young brother, this is your first time at the Ghost Market, isn't it?"
"Otherwise, you would know that the price I offered is absolutely fair."
"Are you selling it or not?"
Song Chengan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
That was true.
That Monster had been so easily taken down by a greenhorn like him. It probably had not been any formidable demon.
"Here are fifty Talisman Coins."
The Daoist took out a small pouch of Talisman Coins and handed it to Song Chengan.
Song Chengan accepted it.
This was the currency of the Cultivation World.
One Talisman Coin could be exchanged for fifty taels of silver!
Unfortunately, fifty taels of silver could hardly be exchanged for a single Talisman Coin.
Talisman Coins were useful to cultivators, while gold and silver had few uses for them.
I'm poor after all.
Song Chengan sighed. He had thought that having silver made him wealthy, yet he had never expected to remain poor in the Cultivation World.
After lamenting for a while, Song Chengan began looking around.
He wanted to forge a weapon.
His current weapon was an Iron Staff he had picked up casually.
He had found it quite handy.
What kind of weapon should he make?
A sword?
A saber?
A spear?
Those elegant, dashing heroes all seemed to use swords. That left Song Chengan somewhat conflicted.
With his looks, he ought to use a sword.
Song Chengan walked over to the Blacksmith Shop.
He had spotted this Blacksmith Shop long ago.
"Fellow Daoist, what weapon would you like forged?"
The blacksmith asked while directing an apprentice to increase the flames.
Having obtained that collection of notes from the Yu family, Song Chengan knew a little about Artifact Refining as well.
Unfortunately, a cultivator's weapon could not merely have a physical form. It also needed Magic Formations inscribed upon it.
The inscription of Magic Formations was the most complicated part.
Song Chengan did not know how.
So he could only seek help from someone else.
"I want to forge a weapon."
"An Iron Staff."
I'm already handsome enough. I don't need a sword to make me look good.
"What style would Fellow Daoist like?" The man glanced at the Iron Staff strapped to Song Chengan's back before speaking.
Song Chengan thought for a moment. "I don't know either."
"Do you have any recommendations?"
Naturally, he wanted one that looked cooler.
"Take a look, Fellow Daoist. Is there one you fancy?"
The man pondered briefly, then went inside and brought out a book.
It contained all eighteen categories of weapons.
He flipped it open to several pages.
Then he spoke.
Song Chengan took it. It contained blueprints for various staff weapons.
There were descriptions beside them as well.
Such as what Magic Formations had been inscribed on them.
Song Chengan flipped back and forth between the pages.
His difficulty choosing had struck again.
In the end, he settled on one.
"This one."
"The Heavenly Master Demon Subduing Staff. Fellow Daoist has a good eye."
"This staff bears a Demon Subduing Formation, specially made to strike demons, fiends, ghosts, and specters. It is also forged from superior refined iron, making it mighty and heavy. It gives a great advantage even in ordinary spell battles."
"Forging the Demon Subduing Staff costs five Talisman Coins, and inscribing the formation costs twenty."
"Twenty-five Talisman Coins in total."
"Come collect it on the tenth of next month."
So expensive.
Song Chengan thought to himself.
Song Chengan paid the money and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, the blacksmith stopped him.
"Wait, Fellow Daoist. Take this token. Bring it with you next month to collect the weapon."
As he spoke, the blacksmith handed Song Chengan a bamboo slip.
Song Chengan accepted it and looked it over.
This fellow Daoist has commissioned one Heavenly Master Demon Subduing Staff, to be collected on June tenth.
"Thank you!"
Song Chengan cupped his fists in thanks.
"Water Escape Technique?"
"Hundred Herbs Pill?"
They were all so expensive.
Song Chengan's eyes were nearly dazzled by the items displayed at the various stalls.
Yet he had little money in his purse.
"Fellow Daoist, would you like Spirit Essence Pills?"
Song Chengan looked over and saw an Old Monk.
He wore robes covered in patches.
For a cultivator, it was somewhat strange.
Cultivators were never short of gold or silver. Even Song Chengan, if he exchanged the Talisman Coins in his hand for gold and silver, would already be considered a moderately wealthy Household in the city.
Yet this Old Monk wore clothes covered in patches.
They were probably a patchwork robe.
Song Chengan thought to himself.
"How much are these Spirit Essence Pills per pill?"
Song Chengan knew about Spirit Essence Pills.
Cultivators needed spiritual energy for cultivation.
But Spirit Veins were mostly held by Aristocratic Clans, great families, and sects.
Rogue Cultivators could forget about them.
Thus, Spirit Essence Pills became an excellent substitute.
"One Talisman Coin for eight Low-grade Spirit Essence Pills."
The Old Monk said.
He opened the pill furnace before him.
Inside were Spirit Essence Pills the size of soybeans.
This Old Monk...
His Alchemy Skill was formidable.
Every one of those Spirit Essence Pills was of excellent quality.
"Give me thirty."
Song Chengan took out three Talisman Coins.
He had never used Spirit Essence Pills in his previous cultivation.
Of course, he had barely cultivated at all.
At the time, he had believed that the Void Heaven Realm Illusionary Body could continue increasing his cultivation.
Now it seemed—
The Void Heaven Realm Illusionary Body could only help him comprehend spells and divine abilities; it could not directly increase his cultivation.
Advancing his cultivation realm could only be achieved through Song Chengan's own slow cultivation.
The moment Song Chengan opened his eyes, he had returned to Luo Family Village.
"Strange. There were so many people at the Ghost Market. Why didn't I see anyone else appear in Luo Family Village?"
Song Chengan found it rather strange.
Given the number of people at the Ghost Market, he should not have been the only one here.
As far as he knew, Lingqiu City alone had quite a few cultivators.
Xuanqing Temple.
The Five Great Families.
The Government Office.
All of them had cultivators.
The Ghost Market probably had more than one entrance.
Song Chengan tidied himself up and prepared to leave.
But suddenly, he whipped around.
Beyond the wall beside him, a figure hurriedly ducked back out of sight.
It was that Wandering Ghost.
Song Chengan did not attack.
There was no need to insist on scattering the soul of a wandering spirit that had never harmed anyone.
After thinking for a moment, he called out loudly, "It's full of cultivators in there. Don't go."
"Be careful, or you'll get beaten until your soul scatters."
After saying that, Song Chengan left.
If a Wandering Ghost went to a place like the Ghost Market, it would be like entering the Palace of the King of Hell.
Come to think of it, was the Palace of the King of Hell dangerous for Wandering Ghosts?
Perhaps the Ghost Market was even more terrifying than the Palace of the King of Hell.
After all, if those experts at the Ghost Market discovered it, the Wandering Ghost's only fate would be to have its soul scattered.
Next, it was time to find that Ancient Seal.
Song Chengan recalled the Ancient Seal that River God Mother had asked him to find.
At the Ghost Market just now, he had considered asking around about it.
But in the end, he abandoned the idea.
Could something that even River God Mother of the Tong Sheng River cared about possibly be ordinary?
If he asked everyone he met, how would that differ from asking about the Imperial Guard prison in the middle of a busy street?
"Stinky tofu!"
Song Chengan returned home in the morning.
He waited for Tianming by the city gate.
There was no helping it.
Though he had begun cultivating, none of the spells he knew could let him slip quietly into Lingqiu City.
"Stinky tofu!"
"Stinky tofu!"
"Two skewers!"
"One copper coin per skewer."
Song Chengan took out two copper coins.
Song Chengan went home.
He did not go inside.
Instead, he sat down on the steps in front of the house.
Eating stinky tofu.
A Black Cat appeared atop the courtyard wall.
But it immediately widened its eyes, then raised a front paw to cover its nose.
Song Chengan smiled and took out another skewer of stinky tofu. "Stinky tofu. Do you want some?"
It let out a meow~ and then vaulted over the wall and ran away.
Before you continue