Meeting Is Fate

The next morning, the sun had just risen.

Shaoyang Market was shrouded in a layer of light mist, which veiled the surrounding shantytown in hazy obscurity.

After finishing his cultivation of the Primordial Chaos Technique, Su Fan went to the kitchen.

He lifted the iron pot from the stove, and steam billowed into the air.

He carried out a large porcelain basin. Inside, glossy soy-braised meat was neatly arranged slice by slice over Spirit Rice.

That basin of Spirit Rice could fill five large bowls from his past, along with more than a pound of soy-braised meat.

A single meal for Su Fan now was enough to match several meals for someone else—perhaps even more.

There was no helping it. Body cultivators naturally had huge appetites.

After achieving the Lightning Dao Body, his appetite had surged again. He was practically indistinguishable from a bottomless pit.

If this had happened in the past, he truly could not have afforded to support himself.

Su Fan carried the porcelain basin into the main room.

After being steamed, the meat juices from the soy-braised meat had thoroughly blended into the Spirit Rice.

He shoveled in a mouthful of Spirit Rice, picked up a slice of soy-braised meat, and paired it with richly flavored pickles.

The taste was so good that even an immortal would never trade it away.

Damn it, if only I'd brought those jars of pickles from the little courtyard.

After breakfast, Su Fan left home.

He entered a secluded alley nearby and stopped before a dilapidated little courtyard. After opening the door, he went inside.

After a while, the door of the neighboring courtyard opened, and an ordinary-looking middle-aged man stepped out.

This was another identity of Su Fan's.

He had rented both courtyards and often used this appearance to buy and sell various cultivation resources in the market.

With the end of the conflict between immortals and demons, the prices of all kinds of cultivation resources had plunged, and Su Fan had decided to stock up on some things.

This situation certainly would not last long.

Sooner or later, the prices of all kinds of cultivation materials would return to normal.

Spirit stones left sitting in one's hands could not give birth to more spirit stones.

If he failed to stock up while he had the chance, it would practically defy heaven and reason.

After selling off his spoils of war one batch at a time, he had more than eighteen hundred spirit stones in hand.

He had originally wanted to buy some High-grade Talismans, but their prices remained stubbornly high.

So he had held back all this time, waiting for this opportunity.

After watching the market for several days and sensing that this wave of prices had fallen about as far as it would, he decided to begin sweeping up goods.

Su Fan went to the market and found a place to change into a hooded cloak.

He wandered around the loose-stall market for a while, then began making trades all over without revealing his intentions.

Su Fan's target was all kinds of talismans.

He was a talisman master himself, so setting up a stall to sell talismans was perfectly natural.

Su Fan only collected mid-grade talismans, especially defensive ones.

Golden Shield Talismans, Adamantine Talismans, Wood Armor Talismans, Earth Armor Talismans, and other normally popular types—he bought as many as were available.

Next came offensive talismans, which he also purchased selectively.

Fireball Talismans, Water Dragon Talismans, Wind Blade Talismans, Earth Spike Talismans, Golden Cone Talismans, Rolling Stone Talismans, and other powerful offensive types were swept up in large quantities as well.

Finally, there were some auxiliary talismans.

Gravity Talismans, Quicksand Talismans, Entangling Talismans, Earth Prison Talismans, Lightness Talismans, Evil Exorcising Talismans, Evil Suppressing Talismans, and other practical talismans were all on his list.

He haggled them down ruthlessly. If the price was low enough, he bought them.

The market had already gone insane. Before the war, a Golden Adamantine Talisman cost at least eight spirit stones, but now it could be bought for four.

This was a classic case of supply exceeding demand, creating a short-term abnormal fluctuation in the market.

The Rogue Cultivators understood the principle, too, but seeing everyone else turn useless resources into spirit stones left them with no patience to wait.

Su Fan naturally would not let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by. He spent more than a thousand spirit stones and stocked up on several hundred mid-grade talismans of various types.

That many mid-grade talismans would be enough to sell for two years.

The profit was nearly double. Even if he drew these talismans himself, he could not earn that much.

Not to mention that drawing talismans consumed time and energy. If the profits failed to rise, it would be a losing proposition.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Fan also bought plenty of talisman paper, talisman hides, and Talisman Ink, all at prices nearly twenty percent lower.

He even struck gold and picked up a bargain: an High-grade Talisman Brush.

It was probably spoils the stall owner had obtained in the Qin State. The man clearly did not know the brush's value. Su Fan spent less than a hundred spirit stones on it, practically no different from picking it up for free.

That was not all. He also bought quite a few High-grade Talismans from several of the largest shops in the market.

The last time he escaped the pursuit of the demonic cultivator, the Earth Escape Talisman had been indispensable.

Its price had fallen thirty percent from before the war, so he immediately bought three.

He also bought two each of the Invisibility and Qi Concealment Talisman, Ice Needle Arrow Rain Talisman, Heavenly Thunder Evil Suppressing Talisman, Taiyi Golden Sword Talisman, Five Elements Spirit Armor Talisman, Nine Dragon Divine Fire Talisman, and Taiyi Golden Blade Talisman.

He also bought quite a few High-grade auxiliary talismans such as the Law Banning Talisman and Body Fixing Talisman.

The shops did not sell second-tier talismans. If they had, he would have bought those as well.

After an extensive shopping spree, Su Fan kept two hundred spirit stones as traveling money and spent every last one of the rest.

He could draw low-grade talismans himself, so he did not buy a single one.

After sweeping through the market, Su Fan returned home completely satisfied. He took out the High-grade Talismans and examined them one by one.

At least until he broke through to Late Qi Refining, he would not sell these talismans. They were all capital for saving his life in the future.

Next, Su Fan sorted the talismans he had collected and put them away by category.

Once the market returned to normal, he would set them out at his stall. His prices could be just a tiny bit lower than everyone else's.

They had cost him little, after all. Any profit was better than none.

For the next year or two, he would not need to worry about his supply. He could simply cultivate in peace.

Several days later, Su Fan returned to the market. The loose-stall market was still packed with people.

He placed several low-grade auxiliary talismans on display, then sat on a small stool and took out an ancient book to read.

Business was dismal today. Even though his talismans were priced at a loss, nobody showed any interest.

Su Fan did not care about his business in the slightest.

If not for his identity as a talisman master, he would rather stay home every day.

At that moment, a cultivator in his thirties walked past his stall and casually glanced at him.

"Huh..."

He stopped, turned back, and walked over to Su Fan's stall.

Su Fan was absorbed in his ancient book and had no intention of acknowledging him.

Buy if you want. If not, get lost.

Though that was what he thought, he still lowered the book and gave the man a wan smile.

"Sigh... circumstances forced me into it..."

The man nodded. "A body cultivator does have it rather hard..."

Su Fan immediately bristled. What was this man's background? How could he possibly know he was a body cultivator?

With his current appearance, he looked like someone suffering from a chronic illness. How could he resemble a body cultivator at all?

Su Fan could not help raising his head and carefully sizing up the cultivator opposite him.

The man was in his thirties, tall and lean, with a gaunt face and an aura of cold, solitary aloofness.

He wore an old gray robe. No one knew how long he had worn it; the edges had already been washed pale.

A long sword was strapped to his back. Its sheath was wrapped tightly in strips of cloth, while the hilt protruding from it was worn and battered.

"A sword cultivator..."

Su Fan was somewhat dumbfounded. He was certain that he did not know the man.

Moreover, he could not see through the man's strength. He could only feel a razor-sharp aura rushing toward him.

He gave a light cough and said, "Senior, you are..."

The sword cultivator nodded, then squatted down and picked up the talismans from the stall, examining them one by one.

"These talismans are drawn well. They don't look like the work of some wild amateur..."

What could Su Fan say? Flattered, he nodded.

"What was that purple lightning on your sword the other day?"

At those words, Su Fan's head went "boom," as if it had exploded.

He already knew who this man was—the sword cultivator Ye Tianhe, who had fought the female demonic cultivator.

But he had changed his appearance, adjusted his build and bearing, and even used the Void Spirit Art. How had the man recognized him?

Seeing Su Fan's somewhat panicked expression, Ye Tianhe smiled.

"Don't be nervous. It's because of the cultivation technique I practice. Aside from me, no one else should be able to recognize you."

Instead of relaxing, Su Fan grew even more nervous.

I can't keep this stall open.

He smiled at Ye Tianhe and began packing up.

He slung the battered bag over his shoulder, cupped a fist toward the other man, and turned to leave.

"I'll be in Shaoyang Market for the next few months. If you run into trouble, come find me. Ask any disciple of the Qingxuan Sect, and they'll be able to point you to me."

Su Fan stopped. If he stayed here for several months, what if the man exposed his affairs?

At that thought, he turned around and cupped his fist.

"Senior, meeting is fate. Let me buy you a drink."

Ye Tianhe froze, nearly laughing aloud.

Where had this little cultivator found the courage to invite him, the Sword Maniac, for a drink?

Though sword cultivators possessed formidable battle prowess, most of them were straightforward by nature, and few people were willing to deal with them.

That day, Ye Tianhe had personally witnessed Su Fan kill the Zombie Path demonic cultivator during the battle with Gu Qinghuan of the Ghost King Sect. That was what had sparked his interest in him.

He had intended to refuse, but after just experiencing the immortal-demon war, he had nothing else to do in Shaoyang Market these days besides practice his sword.

Ye Tianhe thought it over, then inexplicably nodded. "All right..."

Su Fan and Ye Tianhe left the loose-stall market and arrived at the market's main street.

Shaoyang Market had long since changed beyond recognition. Shops now stood in rows along the north-south main streets.

The market's restaurants were all thriving as well, packed to the rafters.

Ye Tianhe stood before a restaurant and frowned as he looked at the noisy scene inside.

Su Fan understood immediately. It was said that these Sword Maniacs were all difficult to please.

He cautiously asked, "Senior, how about coming to my place? I'll make a few simple dishes, and we can have a drink."

Ye Tianhe turned and glanced at Su Fan, then nodded.

He found this little Rogue Cultivator rather interesting. He had never encountered someone like him before.

Su Fan truly would not have dared bring anyone else home.

But a Sword Maniac would certainly be fine.

A sword cultivator should naturally advance without hesitation.

If a sword cultivator's head were full of crooked schemes, then all his sword practice would be for nothing.

Seeing that Ye Tianhe had agreed, Su Fan bought some ingredients in the market.

He then went to a restaurant and reluctantly bought a bottle of Spirit Wine.

It was called Spirit Wine, but in truth it was little more than a tax on stupidity. There was barely any spiritual energy in it.

Even the cheapest kind dared to charge ten spirit stones.

Of course, genuine Spirit Wine did exist, but it all cost an astronomical price.

These wines were meant to fleece those sect disciples who loved showing off. In truth, they were no different from the bars and private karaoke clubs of his previous life.

Su Fan hurried back and forth through the market on his own, deliberately maintaining a certain distance from Ye Tianhe.

Ye Tianhe, meanwhile, strolled leisurely along a short distance behind him.

Watching Su Fan haggle with the shopkeepers and argue half the day over a few Magic Coins was quite interesting.

He had entered the sect when he was only a few years old and had kept company with the sword ever since.

All these years, apart from practicing the sword, he had been killing people.

To experience something so down-to-earth for once was a first for him, and everything felt novel.

After finishing his shopping, Su Fan did not speak to Ye Tianhe. He left the market directly.

Only after reaching his front door did he turn around.

When he saw Ye Tianhe following behind him, he opened the little courtyard gate.

The two entered the courtyard. Ye Tianhe looked around before following Su Fan inside.

Su Fan took off his cotton robe, revealing the Immaculate Treasure Robe underneath.

Ye Tianhe glanced at it and nearly laughed. He had never seen anyone wear a High-grade magic robe underneath his clothes.

But he felt no covetousness. In the eyes of a sword cultivator, apart from the sword, all other external possessions were beneath notice.

"Senior, sit for a while. I'll go prepare a few dishes."

Without waiting for a response, Su Fan went straight into the back kitchen and busied himself.

Ye Tianhe looked through each room, then found a place to sit in the main room and took out an ancient book.

Someone like him rarely interacted with people in daily life, but he rather liked the way Su Fan treated him.

Ye Tianhe was engrossed in his reading when Su Fan entered carrying two plates of food.

"Senior, the dishes are ready..."

Ye Tianhe nodded and put away the book.

Su Fan hastily prepared several simple dishes, set them on the Eight Immortals Table, and took out the Spirit Wine to pour for Ye Tianhe.

"Senior, I'll toast you with this cup..."

He lifted the wine and drained it in one gulp. Then he rolled up his sleeve, revealing the scarlet ghost-face tattoo.

Ye Tianhe glanced at it. "Is this the mark that witch left?"

With that, he chuckled.

"Gu Qinghuan of the Ghost King Sect is a witch with a fearsome reputation throughout Yongzhou. What exactly did you do to her?"

Su Fan's face was bitter. "Sigh... that's a long story..."

Ye Tianhe was not especially nosy, so he did not ask what had happened.

"The Ghost King Sect is far away in the Qin State. Why are you afraid of her?"

Su Fan smiled bitterly. "Senior, do you think that when the Ghost King Sect infiltrated the Chu Kingdom and destroyed the markets and mines of five sects overnight, causing such a huge commotion, no one would have been there to receive them?"

Ye Tianhe frowned. "You mean there are people from the Devil Sect in the market too?"

Su Fan nodded. "I won't hide it from you, Senior. I thoroughly offended that woman. Before she left, she even cursed me. With the Devil Sect's methods, it shouldn't be hard for them to find me."

Ye Tianhe took a small sword from his Storage Bag and handed it to Su Fan.

"Take this. If someone from the Devil Sect comes looking for you, crush it."

Su Fan wore a pained expression. "Senior, after you leave in a few months, who am I supposed to call? I changed my appearance and pretended to be a nobody precisely because I was afraid the Devil Sect would come after me."

Ye Tianhe's eyes immediately lit up. He said excitedly, "You want to lure them out and wipe them all out in one fell swoop? Then I..."

Before he could finish, Su Fan hurriedly waved his hands.

What kind of joke is this? You're Sword Maniac, but I'm not damn crazy.

He believed Ye Tianhe truly possessed such strength.

But after killing people from the Devil Sect and dusting off his hands before leaving, would he not be the one left holding the blame?

"Senior, I'm only a minor Rogue Cultivator. If I hadn't been driven into a corner, how would I have dared offend the Devil Sect? I only ask that you not tell anyone about what happened that day."

This was his true purpose today. He wanted to take a gamble.

Sword cultivators were arrogant and unrestrained. Once they gave their word, they absolutely would not go back on it.

But he realized that Ye Tianhe might have misunderstood him.

Su Fan was already somewhat regretting bringing him home. Perhaps he should leave Shaoyang Market on the next flying boat.

He could no longer stay in this place. If things went wrong, he might end up sacrificing himself for nothing.

After hearing him out, Ye Tianhe thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Fine, I agree..."

Thanks go to the third generation of webnovel readers, Third Generation, book friends 2018072021009178, 20190807101110109, 20181125140200635, and 20170330081538065, and to all the distinguished readers for your recommendation votes. Old Bu is endlessly grateful. For some reason, the names of the book friends who gave six monthly votes and three rewards aren't visible on the book page. I've already contacted the editor. Here, Old Bu would like to express his deepest thanks. Thank you all for your affection and support.