Frostwind Shows Its Might

No feast under heaven lasted forever.

Lan Chang'an and the others left the Gathering Immortal Pavilion, bid one another farewell, and exchanged blessings such as, "May your immortal path prosper."

"Brother Lu, if you're short on Spirit Stones, I can lend you ten."

Before they parted, Zhao Siyao took the initiative to speak.

After a brief moment of thought, Lan Chang'an unexpectedly did not refuse and borrowed ten Spirit Stones from Zhao Siyao.

Li Ergou could not help smacking his lips.

"Brother Lu! Are my Spirit Stones somehow less fragrant than Zhao Siyao's?"

After they went their separate ways, Li Ergou asked indignantly.

Back when they were at the Mu Family, he had seen that Lan Chang'an lacked cultivation resources and had kindly offered to lend him Spirit Stones several times, yet Lan Chang'an had refused every time.

"Hehe, hers really are more fragrant than yours."

Lan Chang'an chuckled.

In truth, Lan Chang'an had been willing to borrow Spirit Stones in order to establish a relationship with Zhao Siyao, a sect disciple.

A relationship required give and take.

This time, Lan Chang'an borrowed Spirit Stones. The next time he repaid them, a social connection would naturally be formed.

So long as Zhao Siyao did not deliberately distance herself in the future, Lan Chang'an was willing to maintain this network of connections.

After all, sects controlled many scarce resources, including information from the upper levels of the Cultivation World.

Lan Chang'an cultivated within a small Lineage and did not wish to be cut off from information, unable to understand the situation of the Cultivation World.

Moreover, befriending an Inner Sect Disciple counted as having a layer of backing, something quite useful at the bottom of the Cultivation World.

"I'm short on Spirit Stones too. Why didn't you borrow from me?"

At the side, Lin Yi remained silent, bitterness filling his heart.

The three of them turned back toward the Royal Marquis Estate.

The next day, Li Ergou left first to visit his family in the countryside.

The two agreed to meet again at the Royal Marquis Estate two months later.

Lan Chang'an planned to attend the Loose Cultivator Trade Fair in several days, then head to the Raging River Gang.

Several days later.

Lin Yi returned from outside and handed a wooden token to Lan Chang'an.

"Brother Lu, this is the token for the Loose Cultivator Trade Fair. It will be held somewhere outside Hengshui Prefecture tomorrow night..."

"Brother Lin, aren't you going too?"

Lan Chang'an accepted the wooden token and found that it was made from a piece of spirit wood.

Obtaining the qualifications to attend likely required paying a certain price.

"I went a few months ago. I have no need this time, and my purse is embarrassingly empty, so I won't go make a fool of myself."

Lin Yi gave a bitter smile, his words carrying a hint of self-mockery.

Over these past few days at the Guang'an Marquis Estate, Lan Chang'an had learned about Lin Yi's current circumstances.

As a concubine-born son of the royal marquis, Lin Yi had initially held little status in the estate. Only when he was discovered to possess a spirit root at the age of seven did he receive Guang'an Marquis's attention and wholehearted cultivation.

In fact, most people among the upper ranks of the secular world knew of paths to cultivation.

The common people of the middle and lower classes only knew scattered legends about immortals.

After failing the sect examination, Lin Yi received very limited support from the Royal Marquis Estate.

Could he serve as an official in court, or join the army?

Unfortunately, he could not.

The sects of the Liang Kingdom Cultivation World had established rules:

Cultivators were forbidden from interfering in secular dynasties, and even less permitted to casually kill and slaughter.

As a result, Lin Yi's position had become somewhat awkward.

"I've troubled Brother Lin this time."

Lan Chang'an expressed his gratitude, acknowledging that he owed Lin Yi a favor.

The following evening.

Several dozen li outside Hengshui Prefecture.

An old, dilapidated temple was shrouded in mist, making it difficult for ordinary mortals outside to notice it.

Using the Spirit Eye Art, Lan Chang'an entered the ruined temple.

Sure enough, he spotted several Rogue Cultivators.

There were men and women, young and old. Most were at the Qi Refining Early-Stage, while only three or four had reached the Qi Refining Mid-Stage.

Some showed their true faces, while others wore masks or bamboo rain capes to conceal their appearances.

Lan Chang'an had disguised himself beforehand. Combined with the secular world's Bone Shrinking Technique, he now appeared to be a young, sturdy man.

As a new face, he inevitably drew the attention of some Rogue Cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist, what should we call you?"

Beside the shrine, a tall, thin man at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer spoke, his eyes gleaming as he looked over.

This person appeared to be one of the trade fair's organizers.

"My surname is Jiang."

Lan Chang'an casually gave a surname and handed over the token.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, please find a place to sit. The trade fair will begin shortly."

The tall, thin man inspected the token and nodded.

After waiting for roughly half an hour.

Twenty to thirty people had gathered within the ruined temple, and the trade fair officially began.

The method of trading was simple. Each person spoke in turn, displaying resources they wished to sell or stating what they wished to purchase.

"I have three Vermillion Pine Fruits for sale. Highest offer takes them."

"Three-hundred-year Polygonum Multiflorum. Spirit Stones and pills preferred..."

"A Low-Grade Magic Tool, the Azure Steel Shuttle. Its outer casing is damaged. Which fellow Daoist is interested..."

Lan Chang'an watched for a while and found that the goods being traded were all quite low-end.

Some items were merely great medicines from the secular world, not spiritual objects of the Cultivation World.

"I have five bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills, fifty percent below market price..."

The tall, thin man at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer spoke.

"Qi Nourishing Pills? Fifty percent below market price?"

This immediately drew the interest of many people.

Qi Nourishing Pills were suitable for Qi Refining Early-Stage cultivators. They could strengthen one's mana and advance cultivation.

"They can't be genuine pills. How much medicinal effect do they have?"

Pills were hard to come by for low-level Rogue Cultivators. Faced with cheap pills, everyone was inevitably tempted.

"After appraisal by Old Wang and myself, their medicinal effect is close to fifty percent of the genuine article, though the pill toxins are slightly higher..."

The Tall Thin Man Named Xu said lightly.

Lan Chang'an's heart stirred as he thought of the inferior pills Xia Feilun had hawked before.

However, as one of the trade fair's organizers, the Tall Thin Man Named Xu was clearly not Xia Feilun. Lan Chang'an did not know whether the two were connected.

After a while, it was Lan Chang'an's turn.

"I have ten Talismans for sale. Four Fireball Arts, three Wind Blade Arts, and three Golden Light Shields. The latter two are First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans."

Lan Chang'an took out ten Talismans and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Mid-Grade Talismans?"

The Rogue Cultivators in the ruined temple revealed looks of surprise.

Low-Grade Talismans such as Fireball Arts were relatively common.

Mid-Grade Talismans, however, appeared much less often.

Whenever they did appear, there were usually only two or three.

Lan Chang'an sensed the astonished, probing gazes of those around him.

He had to admit that he had overestimated the caliber of this trade fair.

Originally, he could have used all ten remaining blank Talisman Papers to draw Mid-Grade Talismans. Drawing only six had already been restraint.

Fortunately, the total value of these Talismans was not high, not even comparable to a Low-Grade Magic Tool.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, do you happen to know a First-Order Talisman Master?"

The speaker was a beautiful, tall woman at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, dressed in purple. Her voice carried a trace of warmth.

Lan Chang'an had some impression of her. Others respectfully called her Purple Rose Fairy, and she was one of the few at the Qi Refining Mid-Stage.

"There is no need for everyone to inquire into the specifics."

Lan Chang'an's tone was stiff, and he did not deny the Purple Skirt Beauty's probing.

First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans possessed power comparable to Qi Refining Mid-Stage spells and sold very well among Rogue Cultivators.

Because his prices were fair.

In less than a quarter of an hour, all ten Talismans in Lan Chang'an's hands had sold out.

The market price of a First-Order Low-Grade Talisman was roughly two to three Spirit Stones.

The market price of a First-Order Mid-Grade Talisman ranged from four to six Spirit Stones.

Lan Chang'an obtained forty Spirit Stones in total.

He had deliberately controlled the quality of the ten Talismans he sold. They were merely of ordinary quality.

He still had seven First-Order Mid-Grade Talismans on him, several degrees more powerful. They were reserved solely for his own protection and were not for sale.

After earning the Spirit Stones.

Lan Chang'an bought two bottles of normal Qi Nourishing Pills, spending twenty Spirit Stones.

He also bought one bottle each of Marrow Cleansing Pills, Evergreen Pills, and Greater Return Pills suitable for mortal martial artists.

They cost only one and a half Spirit Stones altogether.

"The supreme pills of the martial world are so cheap here."

Lan Chang'an sighed inwardly.

The trade fair also sold materials such as Talisman Paper and cinnabar ink.

To be safe, Lan Chang'an did not purchase any here. He could buy them at the Mu Family anyway, and the Talisman Paper in Mu Xiuyun's hands was of better quality.

The trade fair ended.

At a speed surpassing that of an ordinary Qi Refining Early-Stage cultivator, Lan Chang'an swiftly withdrew from the scene and vanished into the mountain forest.

Some cultivators interested in him had not even had time to react.

"This kid can obtain a supply of Mid-Grade Talismans. He should have some backing, right?"

The Tall Thin Man Named Xu, one of the organizers, stroked his chin and looked toward the direction in which Lan Chang'an had disappeared.

Though curious, he would not make a move over something worth so little.

Suddenly, the tall, thin man caught sight of a wisp of purple smoke, swift as the wind, racing through the night toward Lan Chang'an.

"Huh! Purple Rose Fairy! She actually couldn't hold herself back?"

Several people, including the tall, thin man, showed surprise.

Among them, Purple Rose Fairy was considered fairly clean-handed. The number of times she had acted could be counted on one hand.

Yet each time she acted, Purple Rose Fairy gained quite a harvest, showing that her eye was precise.

"Hmph! If that man had backing, he would not have come to a place like this to trade. He's so cautious, and he ran so quickly..."

Within the mountain forest, the Purple Skirt Beauty's bright, flawless face revealed a trace of cunning and coldness.

Whoosh!

She slapped a Wind Travel Talisman onto herself. Her speed surpassed that of an ordinary Qi Refining Mid-Stage cultivator as she gradually closed in on Lan Chang'an.

She chased him to the vicinity of a mountain ravine.

Lan Chang'an's figure suddenly vanished, as though swallowed by the night.

"Where is he? He definitely can't have gone far!"

The Purple Skirt Beauty stopped before the ravine, her expression turning wary.

"Kid! Stop hiding. I know you're nearby."

She activated a White Square Kerchief. White radiance flickered as a layer of cloudlike cotton, more than a zhang wide, condensed before her.

She secretly wondered whether that man was actually skilled at concealing his aura.

"On such a dark and windy night, Fairy, you're chasing me so closely. Could it be that you wish to seek romance with me?"

A drifting, elusive male voice echoed by her ears.

The Purple Skirt Beauty's heart trembled as the shriek of wind sounded beside her.

A sudden chill ran down her back.

Not good!

By instinct, the Purple Skirt Beauty controlled the White Square Kerchief and sent it behind her to block the attack.

Whoosh!

A terrifying spiral of frost-laden wind, four to five meters in diameter, swallowed the Purple Skirt Beauty in an instant.

"Frostwind Art? No! How could its power be so great..."

Just as the Purple Skirt Beauty breathed a sigh of relief, frost covered her face and limbs, and she could not help turning pale in horror.