"Esteemed seniors, regarding the market's trading arrangements, may this junior say a few words?"
Yang Shi puffed out his chest and spoke with the full force of his Body Tempering Sixth Layer cultivation, his voice echoing throughout the street.
Seeing Yang Shi speak up, the Blackstone Sect disciples and Rogue Cultivators present gave him some face and stopped talking.
Yang Shi clasped his hands.
"This junior has a few words. Please listen and judge whether they are right."
"When you come to this market to trade and obtain Spirit Stones or a Magical Tool you desire, would you be willing to have them snatched away by cultivators with higher cultivation?"
The crowd immediately erupted with righteous indignation.
"Of course not!"
"Such a treacherous villain—I cannot live under the same sky as him!"
"Everyone has the right to execute him!"
Yang Shi nodded and continued.
"If you saw a cultivator weaker than yourself carrying a treasure that you could easily seize, would you be willing to take it for yourself?"
This time, most of the Rogue Cultivators fell silent.
A small number of Rogue Cultivators shook their heads and shouted:
"I won't rob anyone!"
"I'm a good person. I never bully others."
"Robbing others of their treasures is something only those of the demonic path would do!"
On closer inspection, they were all Rogue Cultivators with low cultivation.
Probably around Jiang Xiaobai's level—no higher than the Third Layer of Embryonic Breath.
The others did not directly answer the question for the moment.
Seeing this, Yang Shi spread his hands.
"Then it seems that everyone does not wish to be plundered by stronger cultivators, yet you do not dare promise not to plunder weaker cultivators. Why is that?"
The Rogue Cultivators hemmed and hawed, unable to find a rebuttal for a moment.
Bai Heyu's three junior brothers and sisters did not quite understand either.
"Isn't it just a few Spirit Stones and Magical Tools? What's there to fight and steal over? The sect gives them out every month."
"Senior Sister said they're impoverished cultivators."
"Then why don't they ask themselves why, after cultivating for so many years, they still can't save up Spirit Stones? Have they worked hard tending Spirit Fields? If they catch Spirit Beasts they don't need, they can sell them to other cultivators."
"Alas." Bai Heyu sighed. He had spent the most time with Rogue Cultivators these past few days and had learned much about the true circumstances of cultivators at the bottom.
"If there were so many cultivation resources available for distribution, there would be no demonic path."
Demonic cultivator Ding Zhen dismissed this question with disdain.
"Hmph! If a man does not act for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him! Cultivation is a struggle against heaven and a struggle against men. If I do not rob him, another cultivator will. Better that I take it for myself and aid my Immortal Ascension!"
"In my eyes, seniors are to be respected, fellow cultivators kept at a distance, and ants plundered!"
"If your skills are inferior, you must accept being robbed. I'll sum it up with a phrase I just learned: if you're bad, train more!"
His words drew agreement from many cultivators.
But Yang Shi had anticipated this. Smiling at Ding Zhen, he said, "Senior is an immortal of the Qi Refining Realm, correct?"
"That is merely how ordinary people put it. How could someone in the paltry Qi Refining Realm dare call himself an immortal? Since Boss Yang's household has entered the cultivation world, calling us cultivators will do."
The other Rogue Cultivators also nodded. In their eyes, Yang Shi was their equal, and no one looked down on him.
Anyone capable of inventing so many novel games must have a great power behind him!
That Blackstone Sect senior sister possessed immensely profound cultivation and looked down even on Rogue Cultivators of the Qi Refining Realm. Why did she personally guard the teahouse every day?
It could not possibly be just to drink a mouthful of that mortal beverage, could it?
Clearly, she regarded Yang Shi differently.
Yang Shi clasped his hands. "Senior is a cultivator of the Qi Refining Realm, with profound cultivation, and can seize other cultivators' treasures. But can Senior be certain that you are the strongest? Perhaps that inconspicuous beggar on the ground is a Qi Refining cultivator with even deeper cultivation than yours?"
Old Beggar Qiao, who was sipping coffee, rolled his eyes at Yang Shi.
You really know how to make comparisons, brat!
If you were not a mere mortal, I would have thought you had seen through my identity.
Ding Zhen frowned. He believed that aside from Bai Heyu, no one present was his match—but was that truly so?
Bloodsoul Valley did not excel in detection techniques.
Yang Shi continued, "Even Senior cannot determine whether there are cultivators here of a higher realm than yourself. How, then, can you conclude that you will not be an ant in someone else's eyes?"
"Even if Senior's cultivation suppresses everyone here, what if the other cultivators join forces and fight Senior with spells?"
Ding Zhen's brow furrowed even deeper. Though he was at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, if several Qi Refining cultivators entangled him, he might not gain any advantage in a spell battle. No one knew whether the other side possessed some strange Magical Tool.
Besides Ding Zhen, everyone else followed Yang Shi's words in thought. It seemed no one could be certain that they stood in an invincible position. Could the brothers they had drunkenly embraced yesterday have secretly joined hands with others?
An elderly Rogue Cultivator who had experienced such matters many times sighed at this moment.
"Boss Yang's words make sense, but the Rogue Cultivator Market has always been like this. We can only act carefully and leave as quickly as possible. If we are robbed, then it is simply a calamity fated to be ours."
Everyone nodded in succession. That was the voice of experience.
Outside, Yang Genshuo, who had been watching the situation develop, clenched his fists!
Manifestation!
"Because it has always been so, does that make it right?"
Yang Shi shouted, "Because it has always been so, does that make it right!?"
The Rogue Cultivators' hearts shook, and they all looked toward Yang Shi standing atop the stone table.
"Killing and plundering is a pit no one can ever escape. In the end, no one can profit from it."
"If everyone could exchange what they had no use for, for what they needed, then everyone could profit."
"Friendliness and mutual benefit are the path that can benefit all Rogue Cultivators of our Great Nai Dynasty!"
"I have a dream! To return the market to its purest original purpose!"
Yang Shi read aloud each sentence of Yang Genshuo's manifested words, until his own blood began to boil.
All the Rogue Cultivators seemed to see a spiritual giant in Yang Shi, someone who crushed them in comprehension of the Dao.
After their shock, the Rogue Cultivators came back to their senses.
"Boss Yang's words make sense, but... once we go to the Whitewater River Market, who can guarantee that everyone will act this way?"
Yang Shi pointed at the wooden stalls filling the streets of Bluestone County.
"Who says a Rogue Cultivator Market must be held at Whitewater River? Where there are people, there is a market. Everyone has already gathered in Bluestone County, so why not trade here on the spot, benefiting one another and obtaining the things we desire?"
"With a Foundation Establishment senior from the Blackstone Sect overseeing the place, what is there for you to fear?"
The window on the third floor of Yang's Board Game Teahouse opened. Murong Ziyan, cold as an iceberg, raised her hand. A silver Talisman streaked through the air in a flash of light and landed in Yang Shi's hand.
Four large characters were written upon it:
"Blackstone Walker."
The Rogue Cultivators were greatly alarmed!
A Blackstone Walker was a credential representing the Blackstone Sect in local administration. With this talisman, one could command the guards of an entire prefecture!
Could it be that these Blackstone Sect disciples had remained here these past few days specifically to support Yang Shi?
Did the Blackstone Sect intend to take over the Rogue Cultivator Market?
After thinking it over, everyone found that the market Yang Shi described—with rules and safeguards—actually sounded quite good!
Since they were reopening the market, Bluestone County, backed by the Blackstone Sect, truly was a fine location!
Seeing that quite a few Rogue Cultivators were already nodding, Yang Shi struck while the iron was hot.
"Today, my Yang Family will hold the first 'Bluestone Market' here in Bluestone County for all of you!"
"Our slogan is: standardized, transparent, and supervised!"
"We respectfully invite all seniors to oversee us!"
"Today, the market officially opens! Please proceed to the stalls I have prepared for you and sell your goods."
After only a brief moment of thought, all the Rogue Cultivators scattered with a roar, hurrying off to find the best stalls.
The Bluestone Market, led by the Yang Family, had been successfully established!
"Nice! It worked!"
Every one of Yang Genshuo's plans had been perfectly carried out!
He had brought the Rogue Cultivator Market to Bluestone County and reached a non-aggression pact with the Rogue Cultivators.
From holding competitions to gather popularity and build prestige, to the final speech in one smooth sweep, Yang Shi's execution once again made him see him in a new light.
"We're both amazing!" He grinned broadly and laughed.
Yang Shi walked gratefully toward the third floor, lightly knocked on the door, and bowed to Murong Ziyan inside.
"Thank you, Senior, for making this possible."
Murong Ziyan replied coldly.
"I grant you the title of Blackstone Walker. Do not tarnish the Blackstone Sect's name. Manage this Bluestone Market well, and do not let the demonic path infiltrate it again."
"If trouble arises, activate this Talisman. The nearby Blackstone Sect disciples will naturally come to assist."
Yang Shi bowed. "This disciple understands."
Meanwhile.
Thirty li west of Bluestone County, at Whitewater River.
Looking at the mere dozen or so scattered stalls, the Rogue Cultivator organizers looked utterly confused.
"No, where is everyone?"
Green Bamboo Grove, Ge Family.
Clan Head Ge Xiangying led over a fierce great wolf and handed it to Ge Tan, who had just advanced into the Qi Refining Realm.
"This is an Iron-Spined Gray Wolf, at the Qi Refining First Layer. Its body is as hard as steel, impervious to blades and swords. It possesses Limitless Strength and can carry a person at great speed. At full sprint, it is swift as lightning. It shall be your aid on this journey."
Ge Tan mounted the Iron-Spined Gray Wolf, and his entire bearing became more ferocious. He waved at Ge Xiangying, who had come to see him off.
"With this Spirit Beast, I can reach Bluestone County in three days."
"Heh. A mere Innate Grandmaster Realm martial artist is worthy of me joining hands with the Azure Wolf. That is already giving him too much credit."
"I will certainly recover the Fasting Cake recipe for the Lineage."
To celebrate changing the book's title, here's an extra chapter. There are still two more chapters coming shortly.
Before you continue