Qinghe Marketplace

Qinghe Marketplace lay at the confluence of several rivers in western Qinghe County, built atop a Level Two Middle-Grade Spirit Vein. It was Qinghe County's only marketplace, jointly established a thousand years ago by several major Foundation Establishment Families of Qinghe County under the leadership of a Golden Core Cultivator from the Carefree Sect.

Qinghe Market contained over a hundred shops of various sizes. Most were rented out to the large and small cultivation families native to Qinghe County, while some were leased to Rogue Cultivators who had long conducted business throughout the county.

Most of these shops dealt in Level One demon beasts, spirit herbs, talismans, magical artifacts, pills, and other materials and supplies. A smaller number were bookstores and general stores selling various low- and mid-grade cultivation techniques, while restaurants and inns provided food, lodging, and daily necessities for the marketplace's visitors.

The Carefree Sect held forty percent of Qinghe Market's shares, while the remaining sixty percent belonged jointly to the other Foundation Establishment Families of Qinghe County.

For this reason, the Carefree Sect had to assign a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to guard this marketplace year-round. The four major Foundation Establishment Families of Qinghe County, which held the remaining shares, also had to send cultivators to assist in guarding and managing the place.

According to the rules set by the Carefree Sect when the marketplace was first established, any cultivation family in Qinghe County with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would automatically be elevated to a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan and could share Qinghe Market's ownership with the other Foundation Establishment Families. However, they likewise had to send Foundation Establishment Cultivators to take turns helping guard the marketplace.

If a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan lost all of its Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it would similarly be demoted to a Qi Refining Immortal Clan. Without the ability to dispatch Foundation Establishment combat strength to guard the marketplace, it would automatically lose its share in Qinghe Market as well.

Among Qinghe County's current four major Foundation Establishment Families, the Huang Family was the strongest and held the largest share of Qinghe Marketplace. The Qian Family, having only recently become a Foundation Establishment Family, naturally received the smallest share.

To maintain order in Qinghe Marketplace and prevent anyone from causing trouble, the Carefree Sect had specifically used this Level Two Middle-Grade Spirit Vein as the foundation for a Level Two Defensive Great Formation within the marketplace. Together with two Foundation Establishment Cultivators stationed here year-round, even if three to five Foundation Establishment experts arrived at once, they would not be able to breach Qinghe Market's Defensive Great Formation in a short time.

Should a large number of outside enemies attack the marketplace, the Huang Family and the major cultivation families nearby would swiftly come to its aid. After all, the various cultivation families now had, to varying degrees, rented shops in Qinghe Marketplace. The marketplace's prosperity or decline was directly tied to the interests of Qinghe County's great families.

After advancing to the Fifth Level of Qi Refining, this was Song Qingming's first time coming to Qinghe Market. He had come this time to purchase some mid-grade Talisman Making materials and pills that could increase his cultivation speed.

Although he had obtained a source of Talisman Making materials from Daoist Pinglu at Caolu Mountain, the number of Rogue Cultivators who came to Caolu Mountain was limited. Aside from the relatively large batches Daoist Pinglu had gathered during the first few times, the Talisman Making materials delivered to Song Qingming afterward had grown fewer and fewer. They were now completely insufficient for his needs.

Thus, Song Qingming had no choice but to make a trip to Qinghe Market. Fortunately, his cultivation had now improved, so Ninth Uncle was much more at ease about him traveling far from home. Lingyuan Mountain was several hundred miles from Qinghe Market. Song Qingming set out early in the morning and did not arrive until the following afternoon.

Although he had come here a few times before, he had mostly followed family elders to transport or purchase supplies needed by the Song Family. He had never lingered long in the marketplace, so he was not actually that familiar with Qinghe Market.

When he reached the gates of Qinghe Marketplace, he saw several Qi Refining Stage cultivators guarding the entrance. Their leader was even a Late Qi Refining Stage Cultivator. Judging by his robes, Song Qingming knew he was a Qi Refining disciple of the Carefree Sect.

Disciples of great sects possessed an innate arrogance when facing low-level cultivators from small families like theirs or Rogue Cultivators. Song Qingming had felt the same thing a few months ago at Guiyun Marketplace.

After carefully registering his identity at the entrance, Song Qingming received a Token that could verify his identity and entered Qinghe Marketplace without issue.

Like Mujiao Town, all of Qinghe Market was divided by a single street running through its center. Dozens of shops and pavilions of varying heights stood scattered along both sides, while many ordinary mortals lived in residential houses north of the street. Besides cultivators, some ordinary mortals who had lived there for years also resided throughout the marketplace.

The mortals living here had been placed under Qinghe Market's jurisdiction by the Carefree Sect. Whenever cultivation families in Qinghe County could no longer protect the mortals under their rule, or had to relocate and leave the area, the large number of mortals they could not take with them would generally be assigned en masse by the Carefree Sect to Qinghe Market. They fell directly under the authority of the sect's stationed cultivators. Once a Spirit Root appeared among these mortals, those with outstanding Spirit Roots would be sent directly to the Carefree Sect for training, while most would become Rogue Cultivators. Many of Qinghe County's Rogue Cultivators had originated here.

South of the street was a large stretch of level open ground, specially reserved for Rogue Cultivators who decided on a whim to set up stalls. As long as they handed over one low-grade Spirit Stone to the cultivators managing the area, they could set up a stall on the open ground for an entire day. During that time, they would be protected by the marketplace and need not fear anyone stirring up trouble or enemies seeking revenge. It was already nearing nightfall, yet quite a few Rogue Cultivators still could not bear to leave.

Qinghe Marketplace had always been relatively peaceful and fairly friendly toward Rogue Cultivators. It enjoyed a decent reputation in this northeastern region of Wei State. Although the marketplace mostly dealt in Level One Spiritual Items, Level Two Spiritual Items occasionally appeared as well, attracting cultivators from nearby counties and commanderies who came specifically for them.

The Song Family also rented a shop in Qinghe Market, currently managed by Fourth Uncle Song Changqiu. Song Changqiu ranked fourth among the Song Family's Chang Generation and had long helped the family operate its shop in Qinghe Market.

The Song Family had only one shop in Qinghe Market. It usually sold Spirit Talismans, spirit medicines, magical artifacts, and similar goods, while also purchasing Level One materials such as demon beasts and spirit herbs from all kinds of Rogue Cultivators. This shop brought the Song Family profits of around a hundred Spirit Stones every year, making it one of the family's important sources of income.

Song Qingming went straight to the Song Family shop on the south side of the street. The moment he entered, he saw several Song Family Mortal Employees busy attending to a Rogue Cultivator shopping in the store. Just as he was about to ask a question, he happened to see Song Changqiu emerge from the rear hall and quickly greeted him with a smile.

"Qingming pays his respects to Fourth Uncle."

"Oh, Qingming, you're here! The last time I returned to Funiu Mountain, I heard that your cultivation had broken through to the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. I didn't believe it at the time. Who would have thought that at such a young age, you would catch up to me so quickly? With you and Qing Ze among the younger generation of the family, the rising waves truly drive the earlier waves ashore."

Song Changqiu was somewhat surprised to see Song Qingming enter. Seeing that Song Qingming's cultivation had now caught up to his own, he was sincerely happy for him.

Fourth Uncle Song Changqiu was merely a cultivator with Five Spiritual Roots and had never been especially interested in the path of cultivation. He had given up on his own cultivation early and gone out to manage the family's external businesses. Now over seventy years old, he had only reached the Fifth Level of Qi Refining.

However, after Song Changqiu took over the Song Family's shop in Qinghe Market, he proved quite adept at business. He was also exceedingly smooth and tactful in his dealings with people throughout the marketplace, and the family shop's business had become much better under his management.

More than ten years ago, Song Changqiu had met a female Rogue Cultivator in the marketplace. The two had become Dao companions, and they had already given birth to several children. Their family had lived in this marketplace ever since, enjoying a harmonious and happy life.

"Fourth Uncle, don't tease me. How could my talent compare with Third Brother's? My breakthrough was merely the lucky result of encountering a few opportunities," Song Qingming said modestly, shaking his head.

Song Changqiu smiled and continued, "Weren't you still stationed at Lingyuan Mountain? Did the family send you to the marketplace this time because something happened?"

"Nothing happened at home. I came on my own. Recently, your nephew has been learning Talisman Making and wanted to purchase some Talisman Making materials in the marketplace. I wonder which shop here sells such materials? I would like to purchase a larger quantity at once, so I ask Fourth Uncle for guidance."

Song Changqiu frowned slightly after hearing this. "Qingming, you are still young. You should devote more attention to cultivation and must not neglect your own training because of Talisman Making."

Song Qingming lowered his head and gave a bitter smile. "Fourth Uncle, you know as well that cultivation requires Spirit Stones and resources. I am learning Talisman Making so that my future cultivation will be a little less strained."