Exchange Meet (Seeking Recommendations)

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

Fang Xi looked shocked.

Zong Wu was the Master Zong he often bought talismans from. Of course, Fang Xi thought more about Zong Wu's fiery-tempered Dao companion, Lu Zhi, who had a smoking hot figure.

"Oh!"

He looked at Chen Ping and understood why the latter had a hint of joy, which he was trying to suppress.

"Alas... Fellow Daoist Lu has lost her beloved. I must go and comfort her properly. However... I don't have enough Spirit Stones on hand to offer condolences to Master Zong." Chen Ping looked at Fang Xi, his eyes hinting at debt collection.

Fortunately, Fang Xi was here to repay his debt. He immediately took out five Spirit Stones: "Last month, I was fortunate to have the help of Brother Chen and Fellow Daoist Di and Fellow Daoist Nine Profound. Here are five Spirit Stones. Please help me return them to the two Fellow Daoists, Brother Chen..."

"Naturally!"

Chen Ping took the Spirit Stones and hurried off to buy gifts to comfort the widow.

This left Fang Xi feeling a bit depressed.

He hadn't even had a chance to mention his Forbidden Breaking Talisman, so he could only grumble inwardly about this scoundrel who valued women over friends.

Master Zong was wealthy and had rented a cave dwelling specifically in the Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

As soon as he entered, Fang Xi felt a surge of pure spiritual energy wash over him. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, 'Is this a cave dwelling on a first-tier spiritual vein? If I had such rich and pure spiritual energy to aid my cultivation, I probably could have already cultivated the Evergreen Art to the peak of the third level and then attempted to break through to the mid-Qi Refining stage.'

The Southern Barrens Cultivation World divided spiritual meridians into several tiers, corresponding to realms like Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment.

A first-tier spiritual meridian could only roughly satisfy the needs of Qi Refining stage cultivators.

A second-tier spiritual vein could allow Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators to meditate and cultivate.

Green Bamboo Mountain had a first-tier spiritual vein, which was usually locked by formations and only supplied to those within the market.

Rogue cultivators like Fang Xi, who were spiritual farmers, could only enjoy a little residual spiritual energy from the spiritual veins outside the market's formations, barely cultivating on an unranked spiritual vein.

In terms of effect, it was only slightly better than the mortal world.

"Fellow Daoist Nine Profound, Fellow Daoist Di!"

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

Old Daoist Nine Profound was still wearing his Daoist robe, looking like an immortal. Di Qi smiled when he saw Fang Xi, saying, "Fellow Daoist Fang is truly a man of his word!"

'It seems Chen Ping did return the Spirit Stones to these two and didn't embezzle them... Well, they can be considered friends.'

Fang Xi had actually been worried that Chen Ping would pocket his Spirit Stones directly.

After all, it was the three of them who had borrowed Spirit Stones from him back then.

The group walked into the inner room and saw many cultivators gathered, seemingly all of Master Zong's connections.

His Dao companion, Lu Zhi, was wearing mourning attire and offering spiritual tea and snacks to the guests.

After a few days apart, this Fellow Daoist Lu looked a bit haggard, but her charm was undiminished.

Especially in mourning attire, her current appearance was even more suggestive.

For instance, that scoundrel Chen Ping was staring intently.

"Huh? These two are here too?"

Fang Xi's gaze swept over and he saw Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy next to Chen Ping, and he couldn't help but murmur.

"Hmph, they're just two arrogant brats..."

Di Qi also saw Shen Haoran and said with some embarrassment.

"Oh?!"

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

These people were all friends of Chen Ping and likely interacted regularly.

However, Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy surpassed Di Qi in both family background and cultivation. Moreover, judging from the previous incident at Ming Qing Pavilion, they were by no means people who treated others with courtesy.

Di Qi had probably suffered a loss and held a grudge.

'Good thing he didn't say they looked down on him. This kid still has some composure.'

Fang Xi nodded inwardly, then conferred with Venerable Nine Profound, and together they contributed a low-grade Spirit Stone as a gift.

"Everyone!"

After a round of tea, Lu Zhi stood up from the main seat and bowed gracefully: "Thank you all for coming on behalf of my deceased husband!"

"You're too kind!"

"Not at all..."

Fang Xi and the others quickly returned the bow.

"Ahem... May I ask how Master Zong met his end by Liberation by Violence?" Shen Haoran asked, holding a white jade fan, looking like a dashing young master.

Immediately, Lu Zhi replied: "My late husband didn't listen to advice and left the market to seek opportunities. He was killed by rogue cultivators... According to the information I've gathered, the enemies are likely the 'Kou Family Three Fiends'!"

"It's them?" Di Qi gasped.

Seeing Nine Profound Venerable's confusion, he explained, "These Kou Family Three Fiends are three brothers. It's said their cultivation has reached late Qi Refining, and they can fight against those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining when they attack together. They've always wreaked havoc everywhere, with blood on their hands, killing countless people..."

"Ah, they're that brutal?" Nine Profound Venerable's eyes widened.

Although he called himself 'Venerable,' he was actually just a novice in early Qi Refining. Facing such ferocious criminals, he probably wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth.

Fang Xi watched with cold eyes. After the names of his enemies were revealed, his companions suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Not a single one pledged to avenge Master Zong.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, seeing the cold and indifferent nature of the cultivation world.

A living Master Zong was a mid-tier Rank 1 Talisman Master with boundless prospects, but a dead one was worthless.

Even less worth it for these cultivators to provoke powerful individuals like the Kou Family Three Fiends!

"Hmph!"

Lu Zhi snorted in dissatisfaction upon seeing this.

But then, she calmed down again, took out a plain cloud silk handkerchief, and wiped her eyes. "My late husband is gone. As a weak woman, I can't support this business. I plan to sell everything and return to my hometown... Thank you all for coming. I'll hold an exchange meet here!"

Hearing this, many people's eyes lit up.

Including Fang Xi!

Unfortunately, thinking of his empty pockets, Fang Xi couldn't help but smile wryly. "Alas... I don't even have the strength to be a vulture..."

Auction meets in the cultivation world were grand events!

And among fellow Daoists, small exchange meets were occasionally held, mostly in the form of bartering to exchange what one had for what one needed.

With Master Zong's death, quite a few fellow cultivators had come, likely having heard the news!

The next moment, Lu Zhi's faint voice sounded, "This cave dwelling, Green Bamboo Mountain, Xuan Character Number Eight, has five years left on its lease. The starting bid is fifty Spirit Stones..."

"I'll take it!"

"I bid fifty-one Spirit Stones!"

Soon, the lease was acquired by an old Daoist in a yellow robe for fifty-five Spirit Stones.

Lu Zhi then took out a talisman brush. "A high-tier Rank 1 talisman brush, its bristles made from the fur of a Silver Moon Wolf..."

This time, it attracted the pursuit of many Talisman Masters.

Fang Xi saw Chen Ping's face turn red. He secretly conferred with Shen Haoran and Yunmeng Fairy but didn't make a bid.

Did the negotiations fall through?

As he was pondering, he saw Lu Zhi take out a yellowed, old jade slip. "My late husband's talisman-making notes, containing the methods for crafting several spirit talismans..."

"One hundred Spirit Stones!" A talisman apprentice who had competed for the brush earlier exclaimed with shining eyes.

"One hundred and fifty Spirit Stones! This is Master Zong's entire legacy of the Dao of Talismans. Are you dreaming, kid!" another old Talisman Master immediately berated.

After a fierce bidding war, the price stopped rising at one hundred and seventy-six Spirit Stones.

After all, cultivators were shrewd; they wouldn't lose their minds over a single legacy of the Dao of Talismans.

"Two... Two hundred Spirit Stones!"

Suddenly, another voice rang out.

Fang Xi looked over and saw it was Chen Ping!

Chen Ping's face was pale, his lips trembling, but his expression was very firm.

"Good!" Lu Zhi, slightly surprised, readily agreed. "Two hundred Spirit Stones. My late husband's legacy of the Dao of Talismans will be given to Fellow Daoist Chen."

"Mhm, thank you."

Chen Ping chuckled foolishly, but Fang Xi felt something was amiss.

Even if this Fellow Daoist Chen had some savings, it was only around a few Spirit Stones. He had already spent quite a bit at Red Bee Fairy's place. How could he have so many Spirit Stones?

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

And those two were not good people. Lending such a large sum of Spirit Stones to Chen Ping must have come with extremely harsh conditions!

Furthermore, Chen Ping must have something they were after!

Otherwise, there were plenty of poor rogue cultivators, and none of them had managed to borrow such a large sum of Spirit Stones.

As Fang Xi pondered, the exchange meet reached its end. Lu Zhi cleared out Master Zong's entire stock of talismans.

She even sold a few talismans that he had treasured.

One of them made Fang Xi's breath hitch.

"A high-tier Rank 1 Forbidden Breaking Talisman, a rare exquisite talisman. My late husband spent a great deal of money to buy it, wanting to copy and study it... Alas... If any of you fellow Daoists are interested, take it for thirty Spirit Stones."

Lu Zhi took out a wooden box and opened it. Inside was only one talisman. On its pale yellow body, silver talisman ink strokes were like iron paintings and silver hooks, incredibly complex.

Even between the silver runes, there seemed to be faint distortions emanating outwards.

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

Unfortunately, after paying off his debts, he was still penniless.

What a shame, what a shame! If only I had more time... he thought resentfully, when he heard a talisman master stroking his beard speak: "A first-tier Forbidden Breaking Talisman can only break first-tier restrictions and great formations; it's not of much use... If it were a second-tier one, its value would increase tenfold or a hundredfold."

First-tier formations were nothing. The Situ Family protected the Green Bamboo Mountain Market with second-tier formations.

If those rogue cultivators obtained a second-tier Forbidden Breaking Talisman, the entire Green Bamboo Mountain Market might be in danger!

However, Fang Xi knew that this first-tier Forbidden Breaking Talisman was still quite useful, and this old talisman master was trying to lowball the price!

As expected, the next moment, he heard the other party's voice continue: "In the Heavenly Talisman Hall, a first-tier top-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman in perfect condition sells for around thirty-five Spirit Stones. Fellow Daoist, your price is a bit high..."

"Hmph, this Forbidden Breaking Talisman of mine has no leaked spiritual energy at all, and I'm even giving you five Spirit Stones off, how can that be considered high?"

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

"Sigh..."

Watching this scene, Fang Xi could only sigh inwardly: Not all opportunities I see are meant to be mine...

He had no Spirit Stones to make a purchase and could only wait until next time he sold Yao Beast meat, saved up enough Spirit Stones, and then try his luck at the Heavenly Talisman Hall.