Lei Family Market

Mengshan City was an ordinary city in Shu Province of the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom.

Walking along the street, Han Yi felt doubts rise within him.

The more he learned about the systems of the Great Qian Immortal Kingdom, the more things he found difficult to understand.

For instance, immortals and mortals lived together.

Cultivators and ordinary people mingled together, with laws specifically for cultivators and laws specifically for mortals.

Moreover, though immortals and mortals lived together, cultivators were strictly forbidden from slaughtering mortals. Even killing a mortal in public would bring severe pursuit from the authorities.

This was entirely different from what Han Yi had imagined: cultivators standing high above, treating mortals like ants.

So he found it hard to understand.

But understand it or not, since these were the rules here, he would simply follow them.

Besides, such an environment offered protection to low-level cultivators like him.

Much like ordinary trade, for the convenience of communication between cultivators, several major powers in Mengshan City had established cultivation markets exclusively for cultivators to trade and interact.

Lei Family Market was one of them. It had been included in the information about Mengshan City that he had learned when he first descended the mountain.

More than four months later, after leaving his courtyard, Han Yi made this his first stop.

Two Qi Refining Lei Family members stood guard at the market entrance. Entering the market required no Spirit Stones or spirit sand, but one had to pour spiritual power into a stone stele to verify one's identity as a cultivator.

After verifying his identity, Han Yi cupped his hands toward one of them and asked, "Fellow Daoist, this is my first time here. May I ask how much it costs to rent a market stall?"

The one he addressed was a young guard with a mature-looking face and a steady demeanor.

He glanced at Han Yi, his expression unchanged.

"Stalls are divided into fixed stalls and temporary stalls."

"Fixed stalls are priced according to their size and location. The lowest rental fee is three Spirit Stones a day, while the largest fixed stalls can cost several dozen Spirit Stones."

"Temporary stalls are only two meters wide. They cost one Spirit Stone per day, and all locations are the same—first come, first served."

"If you wish to rent a stall, you can go to the market management center up ahead."

Han Yi understood at once.

"Fellow Daoist, I have another question. If I have pills to sell, aside from renting a stall, what other channels are available? Also, where can I buy spirit herbs and spirit grass?"

As soon as Han Yi said this, the steady young man gave him a second look.

After all, Han Yi's words practically had I'm an alchemist written across his face.

And an alchemist like that was very likely a "fat sheep" who had just emerged from a sect.

Who wouldn't like such a "fat sheep"?

Thus, a rare smile appeared on the young guard's face.

"Fellow Daoist, you've come to the right person."

"Since you were able to come here, you must know this place is called Lei Family Market."

"Then the most reputable place here, whether for pills, formations, talismans, weapons, or spirit herbs and spirit grass, is naturally the official shops opened by the Lei Family."

"Walk along the market until you reach the middle, and you'll find the largest shop here. Whatever you wish to buy, they have it. Whatever you wish to sell, someone will appraise it and purchase it."

After hearing this, Han Yi nodded.

The market guards were presumably members of the Lei Family, so it was only natural for them to speak for Lei Family shops.

"Oh, Fellow Daoist, I have one final question. If I wish to buy spells, can I find them at that largest shop as well?"

When Han Yi asked again, the young guard nodded proudly.

"Of course. Our Lei Family ranks among the top three cultivation families in Mengshan City, and our family head is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Naturally, we deal in spells."

"It's just that every spell is expensive. Even the weakest costs several dozen Spirit Stones, while anything slightly stronger can easily cost over a hundred, or even require Medium-grade Spirit Stones for the transaction. They aren't something ordinary low-level Qi Refining cultivators can afford."

The young guard glanced at Han Yi, his meaning obvious.

He clearly did not believe that a young cultivator who had just left his sect, whose spiritual power fluctuations were only at Qi Refining Layer 3 and who had obviously only recently broken through, possessed such wealth.

But Han Yi's face lit up with delight. After hurriedly thanking him, he strode quickly into the market.

For him, as long as spells were available for purchase, all that remained was to refine pills and exchange time for Spirit Stones.

Alchemists, especially high-level alchemists, were prized like sweet cakes.

Because through pill refinement, they could easily amass astonishing wealth.

Walking through the market, Han Yi did not immediately head for the largest shop in the center that the young guard had pointed out.

Instead, he first took a rough stroll through two of the market streets, casually looking over the fixed stalls and temporary stalls.

The fixed stalls were all sheltered, and the goods displayed upon them were of higher quality—pills, talismans, weapons, and more.

The temporary stalls, on the other hand, were relatively simple. Some could even be described as crude—nothing more than a sheet of white cloth spread on the ground, with the stall owner's goods laid out atop it.

Yet whether temporary stalls or permanent ones, neither had the lively scene of hawkers shouting their wares like in the mortal world.

Though there were quite a few cultivators in the market, most conducted their transactions in silence. Once the trade was complete, they left directly, without the slightest hesitation.

Though Han Yi was curious, he did not linger.

After gaining a general understanding of the stalls, he headed straight for the Lei Family Trading House's official store.

As for renting a stall, that was a plan for next time. This time, he intended to fight a swift battle—complete the sale and purchase quickly, shorten his time here, and thereby reduce the danger.

At the very center of the market stood an enormous shop occupying a vast area.

Above its entrance hung a plaque bearing four large characters, each suffused with a mysterious aura of the immortal path.

Lei Family Trading House.

The person who had written those four characters had already laid deep foundations in the Dao.

Han Yi noticed something unusual after only one glance. He did not dare look further and quickly entered the shop.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like to sell some pills, then purchase a suitable spell technique."

Getting straight to the point, Han Yi spoke to the shopkeeper receiving him.

Judging by his appearance, the shopkeeper was nearly seventy years old, yet his eyes were bright and keen, practically shining.

Upon hearing Han Yi's words, a shrewd gleam flashed through Guxi Shopkeeper's eyes. He promptly led Han Yi toward the back of the store.

"Oh, Fellow Daoist, follow me."

Behind the shop were separate small rooms for receiving guests. Sandalwood incense gently wafted through them, and immortal mist drifted in the air, refreshing one's spirit with every breath.

After the two sat down, Han Yi did not waste words. He took out the surplus Evil Warding Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills.

Two bottles of Evil Warding Pills and four bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills.

Guxi Shopkeeper first opened a bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills and sniffed it. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. Then he opened a bottle of Evil Warding Pills and smelled them as well. This time, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"The Qi Nourishing Pills are of average quality. The Evil Warding Pills are slightly above average, only a hair short of standard quality."

"There are forty-three Qi Nourishing Pills in total, valued at fifty-five Low-grade Spirit Stones."

"There are eight Evil Warding Pills in total, valued at thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones."

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"

The moment Guxi Shopkeeper said this, Han Yi's brows furrowed deeply.