Little Moon Sect, Golden Bell Sect, and Jade Mountain Sect Each Sent Someone

"That day, if I hadn't gone to the southeast corner of the Immortal Market to buy materials for refining artifacts, I'm afraid I would have perished as well."

"That's why I wanted to travel with Fellow Daoist Chen. We can look out for each other."

Chen Ganliu was just about to say that his cultivation was too shallow and he feared he wouldn't be able to look after Sister Chen, when he suddenly realized that she probably didn't know his cultivation level. She had mistaken him for someone who had hidden a great deal of strength, which was why she had asked to cultivate together.

To be honest, Chen Ganliu was still several months short of turning ten.

A cultivator's appearance often differed wildly from their age. Chen Qing might not have had any interest in playing with a child, either; she simply wanted to find a "backer." As for whether this backer could truly be relied upon, she had already grown so desperate that she was grabbing at any straw.

Well, it was probably also because Chen Ganliu looked like a child. Even if the two of them stayed together, they could use the name of "brother and sister," or some other pretext, to cover things up. Later, they could still find a way to break away.

Chen Ganliu pondered for a moment. He actually had a need of his own: to conceal his movements and wealth. After all, he had truly accumulated seventeen merits.

A person who always traveled alone would often arouse suspicion. A person dragging along a household...

Well, that wasn't quite the right term.

In any case, teaming up with Chen Qing would reduce the chances of being suspected.

Especially since they both bore the surname Chen. People would certainly mistake them for brother and sister. After so many deaths at Suiyang Immortal Market, very few people still knew the truth about the two of them.

Having thought this far, Chen Ganliu chuckled and said, "I'm a little afraid too. Wouldn't it be a good thing to have Sister Chen looking after me?"

Chen Qing relaxed slightly and said, "Come with me."

She brought Chen Ganliu to the place where she usually set up her stall. Extending her slender hand, she tapped several times on a large stone. Chen Ganliu's vision blurred, and a small, exquisite courtyard appeared before him.

Knowing he must be puzzled, Chen Qing said in a low voice, "There used to be a wandering cultivator here who specialized in earth-and-wood techniques. Wanting to live here permanently, he spent a tremendous amount of effort building this secluded residence."

"Later, something happened in his household, and he had to leave. With no other choice, he transferred this courtyard to someone else. I spent most of my wealth and borrowed some Talisman Coins to buy it."

Chen Ganliu was slightly surprised. He knew how to judge such things and said, "This courtyard even comes with a defensive formation. If not for the fact that it can't be moved, it would be impossible to buy it for less than twenty or thirty Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "He was in such a hurry to sell it that I only paid five Spirit Stones."

When cultivators spoke of Spirit Stones, they generally meant Low-grade Spirit Stones. The quality of Low-grade Spirit Stones varied, as did their value, and cultivators had another system of conversion among themselves. They were not stable currency.

Chen Ganliu had no interest in calculating the secluded residence's exact value. After all, he had a dwelling of his own. In terms of true value, it was worth far more than Chen Qing's place, though his old wife held half the ownership.

The two of them had already been acquainted, and after surviving the calamity, they naturally felt a little closer.

This small courtyard contained only five rooms. One was Chen Qing's bedroom, one was a storeroom filled with the materials she had bought and the magical artifacts she had refined, one was her workshop, and another was a quiet chamber for cultivation.

Thus, Chen Ganliu had no choice. Fortunately, the five rooms were roughly the same size, and there was little difference in comfort.

Chen Qing had never intended to find someone to live with her. This demonic calamity had truly frightened her.

When she fled, she had nowhere to go and was therefore among the earliest people to return.

By the time Chen Ganliu came back, two or three months had passed, yet she hadn't seen a single acquaintance.

The wandering cultivators currently in Suiyang Immortal Market had all come from elsewhere. Some had thoughts like Chen Ganliu's as well. After hearing that the Demonic Cultivators had gone on a killing spree, they too wanted to play "tomb raider."

They simply hadn't expected someone else to get there first, leaving them with nothing to plunder.

But since they had come, they were reluctant to leave. After all, the former wandering cultivators were gone, leaving empty ecological niches, so these people temporarily settled down.

Chen Qing's cultivation was not high, and she didn't dare associate with these unfamiliar wandering cultivators. She was often uneasy inside. Thus, the moment she saw Chen Ganliu, she invited him to live with her. She had no ulterior motive; they were merely huddling together for warmth.

She prepared bedding for Chen Ganliu and also set out a batch of paper and ink. When she saw him pinch a sheet of talisman paper and hold it up to the sunlight, she suddenly felt at ease and thought secretly, "The old Suiyang Immortal Market was full of people who knew one another, so being alone wasn't a problem. The current Suiyang Immortal Market is filled with wandering cultivators from elsewhere, and there's practically a fight every three to five days. The fighting has become even more frequent these past few days. Having a helper is better than nothing."

Chen Ganliu touched the talisman paper, his heart filled with emotion. In his previous life, although he had made a living drawing talismans, the paper he used had been a mixture of talisman paper and yellow paper.

There was even less to say about this life. After spending six months at Suiyang Immortal Market, including two small markets, he had accumulated only two hundred and eighty or ninety Talisman Coins. If he knew how to haggle, that would barely be enough to buy a piece of raw Spirit Stone ore. He simply couldn't afford talisman paper and had always used yellow paper to make up the numbers.

Fortunately, his talisman techniques had been highly proficient in his previous life, and in this life he had comprehended the Heart Talisman Technique. Even when drawn on yellow paper, his talismans were no less powerful and could barely be sold.

"Sister Chen, how much do these sheets of talisman paper cost? I'll pay you back later."

Chen Qing smiled faintly and said, "Since we're cultivating together as companions, there's no need to quibble over such things."

Chen Ganliu wasn't coy. He smiled and said, "Then I'll accept Sister Chen's kindness."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have a Talisman White Deer. If Sister Chen goes out, feel free to use it."

Aside from the eleven newly acquired magical artifacts, Chen Ganliu also had the Peach Mountain Seal, Cloud and Mist Banner, Wind Bead, and the unrefined Illusion Jade Talisman—four more magical artifacts in total.

Of those eleven magical artifacts, he planned to combine the Soul Stirring Banner with the Cloud and Mist Banner. There was also a magical artifact shaped like an axe and halberd that he used to cut Green Jade Stone; it was quite handy, so he planned to keep it. Then there was the Talisman White Deer...

The two Momentum Swords were temporarily useless. If he got the chance, he wanted to sell them. He also intended to secretly sell the remaining magical artifacts, but he couldn't tell Chen Qing about those matters, since it would be easy for the cat to get out of the bag.

Chen Qing was slightly surprised. Although she had guessed that Chen Ganliu was hiding his true abilities, she hadn't expected him to actually be concealing a magical artifact.

Chen Qing vaguely remembered that when he had first arrived at Suiyang Immortal Market, he had indeed been riding a white deer, with a girl following him. Now that she knew the white deer's origins, she wondered who that girl was. She wanted to ask, but after considering it, she felt their relationship wasn't yet close enough. So she let it go and went out to prepare some food for Chen Ganliu.

Suiyang Immortal Market remained chaotic for a while. It only quieted down after the Little Moon Sect, Golden Bell Sect, and Jade Mountain Sect each sent someone over, and it gradually regained its vitality.

The three sects all knew that this Immortal Market was of immense importance. Without it, the sects would have to travel far away to purchase many supplies, and much of their produce would have to be transported elsewhere for sale. This consumed a great deal of energy and also delayed the cultivation of their proper disciples. Thus, they took the initiative to lend a sum of Talisman Coins to the dozen or so cultivators who intended to settle there, encouraging them to establish households in the area.

"Veterans" like Chen Ganliu and Chen Qing received especially favorable treatment. They were given positions as provisional administrators of Suiyang Immortal Market. Daoist Wu Chang had originally held such a position as well.