The Three Origins Sect dominated the eight hundred li of Southern Border around Shengkang, the undisputed leader of the sects in this region. When its disciples went out to train, they often ventured deep into savage and perilous lands, traveling dozens of li at the least and over a hundred at the most.
Back in Chen Yu's old life, merely racking up that many steps would have made ordinary people bow in defeat. These cultivators had such boundless stamina that they barely seemed human.
And he was one of those inhuman beings.
Except cultivators merely did not seem human. He truly was not human.
Whether he was human or a Slime, even he was starting to lose track.
When those exhausted disciples returned to the mountain gate, dusty from their journey, most of them would plunge straight into Nanqiao Market's most renowned tavern—Treasures Pavilion.
They would order several plates of braised Monster Meat and a pot of warm fermented wine, washing away their fatigue amid the clamor of voices and the fragrance of Spirit Food.
Chen Yu's little stall stood behind and to the side of Treasures Pavilion, right beside a narrow alley carrying the faint stink of swill.
Only one wall separated them.
Inside, the aroma of dishes wafted through the air. Outside, the smell... was even more indescribable than the rot of Swamp Forest.
No wonder no one set up a stall here.
He waved away the barely perceptible sour stench before his nose, his gaze sweeping over the sleeves of passing cultivators.
Although most cultivators merely glanced hurriedly at the Wooden Token before his stall and walked on, Chen Yu gleaned quite a bit of news from beyond the mountains from their scattered conversations, whether loud or hushed.
For instance, ferocious Demonic Birds were causing trouble in Black Wind Ravine, a Yin Marrow Vein had recently been discovered beneath White Bone Mountain, and deep within the dreaded Ten Thousand Poisons Cave, several Inner Sect Elite Squads were said to have once again met disaster and sunk without a trace...
Chen Yu listened with great interest. When he finally came back to himself, he wondered why no cultivator had come over to ask the price.
Just as he was puzzling over it, a young cultivator with a faintly gloomy air between his brows strolled past as though by chance.
He casually asked, "What can your medicinal liquid be used for? Can it corrode hard things such as bones?"
"If that monster is about as tall and heavy as a person, would three bottles be enough?"
Thinking that a customer had finally arrived after so long, Chen Yu made his tone as friendly as possible.
"It should be enough. It might even corrode a person away."
Who would have thought that upon hearing this, the cultivator's expression stiffened slightly? He immediately flicked his sleeve, turned, and left, tossing back only one sentence.
"You misunderstand, Junior Brother. I am not that sort of person."
Huh?
What sort of person were you not?
Chen Yu was a little confused. He had the feeling that this cultivator had misunderstood something.
Only moments later, another cultivator came before the stall. Dressed in black, his true features could not be seen.
Yet Chen Yu felt that this person looked somewhat familiar.
The black-clothed cultivator came straight to the point, speaking in a hoarse voice. "I'll take all these bottles of Corpse Dissolving Water. Are sixty Spirit Shards enough?"
Chen Yu was delighted when he heard that.
Wasn't this the young cultivator from earlier? Why had he even changed his outfit?
Wait, Corpse Dissolving Water?
He suddenly understood.
No wonder no one had patronized his stall all this time. They had all mistaken Slime Acid for Corpse Dissolving Water and did not dare buy it openly.
The Righteous Path cared about its reputation. A potion like Corpse Dissolving Water, essential for murder and robbery, could not conveniently be displayed in public. Disciples of the Three Origins Sect generally traded it in secret.
Ordinary disciples without connections might not even be able to buy Corpse Dissolving Water.
It was fortunate that he had not been setting up his stall for long. Otherwise, if the sect's Enforcement Team saw him, they would inevitably drag him off for a lecture.
Still... being dragged into the Little Black Room did not seem so bad. At least they provided meals.
If they let him stay there for a few days, he would probably eat the Enforcement Hall into bankruptcy.
Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Chen Yu said, "Senior Brother misunderstands. I do not have any Corpse Dissolving Water here. This is merely a corrosive medicinal liquid."
The black-clothed young man was slightly startled, then gave a light laugh.
"Yes, yes. This Senior Brother was muddleheaded."
"Then let me ask again. Would you be satisfied with twenty Spirit Shards per bottle?"
There were not many cultivators in the sect capable of refining Corpse Dissolving Water, and most of them had their own underground channels. As an Outer Sect Disciple, it was difficult for him to come into contact with them.
He had only intended to stroll around Nanqiao Market and buy some Spirit Rice. He had not expected to encounter a cultivator selling Corpse Dissolving Water under the guise of medicinal liquid.
One look told him this was an alchemist seeking partners and expanding his sales channels. If he really bought it at the price of ten Spirit Shards per bottle, such a lack of sincerity might cause him to miss this fine opportunity.
The young man prided himself on having seen through Chen Yu's test and waited eagerly for his answer.
This was also Chen Yu's first time seeing a customer haggle in reverse, and he found it inwardly amusing.
"Twenty Spirit Shards is fine."
Merely fine.
The young man assumed Chen Yu was dissatisfied with the price. Cupping his fists, he said, "Twenty-five Spirit Shards per bottle. Would Junior Brother be satisfied?"
"Hm?"
Why was the price getting higher the more they haggled?
"Satisfied. Of course I'm satisfied."
Chen Yu could not help sighing. "If all cultivators under heaven were as generous as Senior Brother, what business could possibly fail?"
At those words, delight flashed through the young man's eyes. He took out Spirit Shards from the pouch at his chest and stuffed them into Chen Yu's hand.
"Junior Brother, say no more. Here are seventy-five Spirit Shards. Take them."
"Senior Brother is too courteous."
Chen Yu put away the Spirit Shards and tactfully said, "However, this medicinal liquid is extremely corrosive. Be careful not to splash it onto anyone."
The young man nodded and put away the porcelain bottles, wearing an expression that said he understood perfectly.
"Rest assured, Junior Brother. I will only use this medicinal liquid on monsters."
As for what counted as a monster.
Hehe, he had his own judgment.
Chen Yu did not know whether he truly understood or not. In any case, the Slime Acid had been sold, and his next meal was secured.
"I come to Nanqiao Market every day. If Senior Brother wishes to purchase more corrosive medicinal liquid, you can come here..."
He had only gotten halfway through when a faint sour stench drifted over.
"No need. You should come find me near Qiaopai Gate instead."
The young man was overjoyed. This alchemist was clearly giving him an opportunity. It seemed his sincerity had moved him.
He immediately cupped his fists and said, "My name is Shao Qingsong. May I know Junior Brother's name?"
"Chen Yu."
Selling Corpse Dissolving Water was not some earth-shattering matter. So long as one did not act arrogantly right in front of the Enforcement Team, at most one would receive a few critical remarks from other cultivators. There was no need to hide it so carefully.
"Junior Brother Chen, we shall meet again tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Chen Yu packed away the Coarse Cloth and Wooden Token, tucked them beneath his sleeve, and squeezed laboriously through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd.
His hand unconsciously pressed tight against the worn cloth pouch on his chest. The seventy-five Spirit Shards inside rubbed against one another with soft clinks, and that weighty feeling put him in a wonderful mood.
He turned and plunged into the bustle of the market. Before long, he bought a jin of Spirit Rice from a grain shop across the way, then picked up a string of fresh pork tightly bound with straw rope from a meat vendor.
All seventy-five Spirit Shards were spent without a single one remaining.
When it came to filling his stomach, he was rarely stingy. Perhaps his Slime body had influenced him; this body had become quite the glutton as well.
With his appetite, if he ate the jin of Spirit Rice sparingly, it should keep the "black hole" in his belly quiet for two or three days.
Still, treating Spirit Rice as an everyday meal was a luxury he had never indulged in before. Most of the time, he had eaten only ordinary polished rice.
Chen Yu could not help looking at the lines in his palm. Slime Acid, useless in Zeyarila, could be sold as Corpse Dissolving Water for a good price in Xuankong Heaven.
Monster Talent truly was wondrous.
He wondered what talent the Stinger Bees possessed...
With his thoughts drifting, Chen Yu passed a stall selling Daoist Artifacts. His purse was truly empty, so after only a few glances, he left and followed the winding stone path back to Green Bamboo Forest.
As for dealing with the Stinger Bees, that would have to be considered over the long term. At the very least, he needed to wait until the pouch tucked against his chest was filled with Spirit Stones.
That night, he finally filled his stomach with something decent—a bowl of rice whose every grain held a faint spiritual glow, paired with a huge chunk of glossy, tender braised pork. Its rich fat and satisfying taste inexplicably reminded him of the delicious Moss Worms in Swamp Forest.
Under the effects of Devour and Digest, his previously stagnant cultivation was steadily improving, and he was visibly close to a breakthrough.
The next day, in Swamp Forest, Chen Yu secretly surfaced while the Stinger Bees were away and secreted Acid to wash the stingers the Stinger Bees had left on the tree roots.
Only after confirming that no venom remained on the stingers did he dare draw them into his gelatinous body.
With that, his Slime Equipment received an upgrade. The Toothpick Flying Sword was replaced by black Stinger Swords that radiated a dangerous aura.
There were three of them in all.
A glimmer flashed through Chen Yu's mung-bean-sized eyes as he fixed his gaze on several breakfasts moving through the moss.
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