Exchange Meeting (Please Recommend)

"What? Master Zong... died so suddenly?"

Fang Xi wore a look of shock.

Zong Wu was the Master Zong he often bought talismans from. Naturally, what Fang Xi thought of even more was that fiery-tempered Dao Companion of his, Lu Zhi, whose figure was just as fiery.

"Oh!"

He looked toward Chen Ping and immediately understood why the other man looked somewhat pleased, yet was forcibly restraining himself.

"Alas... Fellow Daoist Lu has lost her beloved. I ought to go and comfort her properly. It's just that... if I go to pay my respects to Master Zong now, I don't have enough Spirit Stones on hand." Chen Ping looked toward Fang Xi, his eyes carrying an unmistakable air of urging him to pay his debt.

Fortunately, Fang Xi had come precisely to repay it. He immediately took out five Spirit Stones. "Brother Chen, thanks to you, Fellow Daoist Di, and Fellow Daoist Nine Profound lending me a hand last month, I managed to get through it. Here are five Spirit Stones. Please repay the other two Fellow Daoists on my behalf..."

"Of course!"

The moment Chen Ping received the Spirit Stones, he hurried off to buy gifts, preparing to comfort the widow.

That left Fang Xi feeling rather depressed.

He had not even had the chance to bring up his Forbidden Breaking Talisman. He could only curse inwardly at this bastard who valued beauty over friendship.

Master Zong was wealthy and had rented a cave abode specifically within Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

The moment he entered, Fang Xi immediately felt a wave of pure Spiritual Energy wash over him. He could not help sighing inwardly: So this is a cave abode on a first-grade spirit vein? If I had such dense and pure Spiritual Energy to aid my cultivation, I could probably have cultivated the Evergreen Art to the peak of the third layer long ago, then tried to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, right?

The Southern Barrens Cultivation World divided spirit veins into several grades, corresponding respectively to realms such as Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment.

A first-grade spirit vein could only, by and large, satisfy the needs of Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

A second-grade spirit vein, however, could provide a place for Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators to meditate and cultivate.

Green Bamboo Mountain had a first-grade spirit vein, which was normally sealed by an array formation and supplied only to the interior of the market.

Rogue Cultivators who farmed spirit fields like Fang Xi could only enjoy a little of the spirit vein's remaining aura outside the market's array formation, barely counting as cultivating on an inferior spirit vein.

As for its effects, it was merely somewhat better than the mundane world.

"Fellow Daoist Nine Profound, Fellow Daoist Di!"

Upon entering the cave abode, Fang Xi saw two familiar faces.

The old Daoist Nine Profound was still dressed in a Daoist robe, looking every inch the immortal. When Di Qi saw Fang Xi, however, a smile appeared on his face. "Fellow Daoist Fang is truly a man of his word!"

Looks like Chen Ping did repay the Spirit Stones to these two and didn't pocket them... Hmm, he's still worth befriending.

Fang Xi had genuinely worried that Chen Ping would simply steal his Spirit Stones.

After all, the three of them had borrowed his Spirit Stones together back then.

The group entered the inner room together and saw many cultivators inside. They all appeared to be people from Master Zong's former circle of acquaintances.

His Dao Companion, Lu Zhi, was dressed in mourning clothes and serving Spirit Tea and spiritual pastries to the guests.

After not seeing her for several days, Fellow Daoist Lu looked slightly haggard, but her charm had not diminished.

In particular, people said that a beauty looked even more alluring in mourning attire. Her current dress was especially evocative.

Take that bastard Chen Ping, for example. He was staring without blinking.

"Hm? Those two are here too?"

Fang Xi swept his gaze around and spotted Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy beside Chen Ping. He could not help murmuring softly.

"Hmph, they're nothing but two overbearing people..."

Di Qi also saw Shen Haoran and immediately spoke with some embarrassment.

"Oh?!"

Fang Xi looked thoughtfully at Di Qi, then at Shen Haoran, and understood at once.

These people were all Chen Ping's friends, so they presumably interacted regularly.

But Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy surpassed Di Qi by a notch, whether in family background or cultivation. Moreover, judging from what had happened at Ming Qing Pavilion last time, they were clearly not the sort to humble themselves and treat the worthy with courtesy.

Di Qi had probably suffered at their hands and held a grudge.

At least he didn't say they look down on people based on their status. This kid has some restraint.

Fang Xi nodded inwardly, then discussed matters with High Person Nine Profound. Together, they contributed one Low-grade Spirit Stone as a gift.

"Everyone!"

After a round of tea, Lu Zhi rose from the seat of honor and gracefully bowed. "Thank you all for coming. On behalf of that dead husband of mine, I offer you my gratitude!"

"There's no need to be so polite!"

"Not at all, not at all..."

Fang Xi and the others hurriedly returned the salute.

"Ahem... May I ask how Master Zong met his end?" Shen Haoran held a white jade folding fan and looked every inch the elegant young master as he asked.

Lu Zhi immediately answered, "That dead husband of mine refused to listen to advice and left the market to seek an opportunity. He was killed by a rogue cultivator. According to what I've learned, the culprits were probably the 'Kou Family Three Fiends'!"

"It was them?" Di Qi sucked in a breath of cold air.

Seeing that High Person Nine Profound looked confused, he explained for him, "The Kou Family Three Fiends are three biological brothers. It's said that all three have reached the Late Qi Refining stage, and together they can battle a cultivator at Qi Refining Great Perfection. They've always run rampant everywhere, their hands drenched in blood, killing countless people..."

"Ah, they're really that vicious?" High Person Nine Profound's eyes widened.

Although he called himself a "High Person," he was actually just a little novice in the early Qi Refining stage. Facing such vicious criminals, he probably would not even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

Fang Xi watched coldly from the sidelines. The moment the names of the enemies were revealed, all of Master Zong's friends sank into an eerie silence.

Not one of them swore passionately that they would avenge Master Zong and wipe out his enemies.

He could not help sighing inwardly. The coldness of the human world in the Cultivation World could be seen from this alone.

When he was alive, Master Zong had been a First-grade Mid-rank Talisman Master with limitless prospects. But once dead, he was worth nothing.

Certainly not worth provoking powerful figures like the Kou Family Three Fiends!

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, Lu Zhi let out an unhappy snort.

But immediately afterward, she calmed down. She took out a plain Cloud Brocade handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "That dead husband of mine is gone. As a weak woman, I can't support this household either. I plan to sell everything and return to my hometown... I'm grateful to all of you for coming. I'll hold an exchange meeting right here!"

At this, many people's eyes lit up.

Fang Xi included!

Unfortunately, when he thought of his empty purse, Fang Xi could only shake his head and smile bitterly. Alas... I don't even have the strength to play a vulture...

Auctions in the Cultivation World were grand occasions!

Among fellow Daoists, however, small exchange meetings were also held from time to time. Most involved trading one item for another, allowing everyone to fulfill their needs.

Master Zong had died this time, and quite a few fellow cultivators had come. They had probably received the news beforehand!

The next moment, Lu Zhi's faint voice rang out. "This is Cave Abode Number Eight of the Profound Character series on Green Bamboo Mountain. There are still five years left on the lease. The starting price is fifty Spirit Stones..."

"I'll take it!"

"I bid fifty-one Spirit Stones!"

Before long, the lease was secured by an old Daoist in a yellow robe for fifty-five Spirit Stones.

Lu Zhi then brought out a Talisman Brush. "A First-grade High-rank Talisman Brush. The bristles were made from the fur of a Silvermoon Wolf..."

This time, it again drew bids from many Talisman Masters.

Fang Xi saw Chen Ping's face flush red as he secretly discussed matters with Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy, yet he did not join the bidding.

Could the negotiations have fallen through?

Just as he was pondering this, he saw Lu Zhi take out an aged, yellowed jade slip. "This is my dead husband's notes on talisman crafting. They contain the methods for making many spirit talismans..."

"One hundred Spirit Stones!" A Talisman Master's apprentice who had competed for the Talisman Brush earlier had eyes that shone.

"One hundred and fifty Spirit Stones! This is Master Zong's entire inheritance on the Talisman Path. You must be dreaming!" another old Talisman Master immediately rebuked him.

After a fierce struggle of bids, the price stopped at one hundred and seventy-six Spirit Stones.

After all, cultivators were all shrewd old foxes. They would not lose their reason over a single inheritance of the Talisman Path.

"Two... two hundred Spirit Stones!"

Suddenly, another voice rang out.

Fang Xi looked over and was astonished to find that it was Chen Ping!

Chen Ping's face was pale, and even his lips were trembling, but his expression was extremely resolute.

"Good!" Lu Zhi was slightly surprised, but readily agreed. "Two hundred Spirit Stones. My late husband's inheritance of the Talisman Path goes to Fellow Daoist Chen."

"Mhm, mhm. Thank you."

Chen Ping stood there grinning foolishly, but Fang Xi sensed that something was wrong.

Even if Fellow Daoist Chen had some savings, he should have had only a few Spirit Stones at most. He had already spent nearly everything at Red Bee Fairy's place, so how could he still have this many Spirit Stones?

Unless... Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy had lent them to him.

Those two were not good people. If they had lent Chen Ping so many Spirit Stones, they must have imposed extremely harsh conditions!

Moreover, there had to be something on Chen Ping that they wanted.

Otherwise, there were plenty of Rogue Cultivators poorer than him, yet Fang Xi had never seen anyone successfully borrow a large sum of Spirit Stones.

While Fang Xi was pondering, the exchange meeting had reached its end. Lu Zhi cleared out all of Master Zong's stock of talismans.

She even put several of the talismans he had treasured up for sale.

One of them made Fang Xi's breath catch.

"A First-grade High-rank Forbidden Breaking Talisman, a rare and exquisite talisman. My dead husband spent a great price to buy it so he could copy and study it... Alas... If any Fellow Daoist takes a fancy to it, thirty Spirit Stones will do."

Lu Zhi took out a wooden box. When she opened it, there was only a single talisman inside. On its pale-yellow body, strokes of silver ink resembled iron paintings and silver hooks, incomparably complex.

Moreover, among the Silver Rune, there seemed to be wisps of twisting intent radiating outward.

This was precisely the Forbidden Breaking Talisman Fang Xi desperately needed!

Unfortunately, after repaying his debts, he was still penniless.

What a pity, what a pity! If only I had been given a little more time... He was seething inwardly when a Talisman Master stroked his beard and spoke. "A first-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman can only break first-grade restrictions and array formations. It has no great use... If it were second-grade, its value would multiply tenfold or a hundredfold."

First-grade array formations were nothing special. The Situ Family used second-grade array formations to protect Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

If those rogue cultivators obtained a second-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman, the entire Green Bamboo Mountain Market might suffer disaster!

Fang Xi, however, knew that this first-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman was still very useful. That old Talisman Master was trying to drive down the price!

Sure enough, the other party continued the next moment. "In the Heavenly Talisman Hall, a first-grade High-rank Forbidden Breaking Talisman in perfect condition sells for around thirty-five Spirit Stones. Fellow Daoist, your price is somewhat high..."

"Hmph! Not a trace of Spiritual Energy has leaked from my Forbidden Breaking Talisman, and I'm already giving you a discount of five Spirit Stones. How can you call that high?"

Lu Zhi's phoenix eyes widened, and her sharp, fiery temperament returned.

"Alas..."

Watching this scene, Fang Xi could only sigh inwardly. Not every opportunity I encounter is meant to be mine...

He had no Spirit Stones to bid with. He could only wait until he sold Yao Beast Meat again and saved up enough Spirit Stones, then try his luck at the Heavenly Talisman Hall.