The Way to Make Money

Zheng Kang Kingdom's Black Market was bustling with people, and occasionally one could see someone riding a spirit beast.

Chen Wang glanced at the other person's mount, then at the Orange Cat following him, his face full of disdain.

The Orange Cat seemed to sense his emotions, rubbed against his trouser leg, and meowed.

This thing has terrible stamina.

Although cats are known for their poor stamina, Chen Wang couldn't help but complain.

"You're a spirit cat! You're Demon Beast!"

Chen Wang turned his gaze away from the Orange Cat and curiously looked around.

This area is bustling with people, and there are pavilions and towers all around; it's a trading area.

If you want to stay at an inn here, you need to spend Spirit Stone; they don't accept gold or silver.

Chen Wang walked around here for a while and discovered that there was also Hundred Treasures Pavilion and Heavenly Craft Pavilion here.

Not only that, there are many other shops that deal in items such as Spirit Artifact and talismans, many of which Chen Wang has never seen before.

"This place is really big."

Chen Wang couldn't help but marvel at how much larger the Black Market here was than ten times larger than the Market of the Red Cloud Sect. It was bustling with people and had gathered many cultivators.

The area surrounding this Black Market, spanning hundreds of miles, was sparsely populated, a desolate wasteland of barren mountains and rugged terrain.

Further north Fallen Soul Mountain, said to be home to many powerful Demon Beast; entering it is fraught with peril.

Therefore, very few people go to Fallen Soul Mountain to undergo trials or search for medicine.

Chen Wang noticed that the Black Market stalls were neatly arranged, clearly indicating that they weren't just randomly set up.

After learning more about it, Chen Wang found out that setting up a stall here required paying a stall fee of two Spirit Stone per day. Moreover, the place was shrouded in an array, and Chen Wang could vaguely sense that this array was extremely extraordinary.

The Red Cloud Sect also has its own array formation, but it is far too crude compared to this one.

Furthermore, there are three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators in charge of this Black Market, and they also have many Qi Refining disciples under their command.

They were all clad in armor, maintaining order in the Black Market.

They wore masks, obscuring their faces and expressions, and each of them exuded a strong Qi and Blood, clearly indicating they were not benevolent individuals.

It is said that a Golden Core Stage expert is behind this Black Market, while others say that two Golden Core Stage experts joined forces to set up a grand formation here.

However, the specific owner cannot be identified.

This place provides a platform for independent practitioners to exchange ideas and trade, and very few people cause trouble here.

Chen Wang currently possesses an identity token, which requires information to be entered and Spirit Stone to be paid before entry is permitted.

This is the admission ticket; you cannot enter without this identification token.

This Black Market area was vast, with many residences, resembling a town.

This place also has abundant Spiritual Qi, but the Spiritual Qi varies depending on the price of the accommodation.

This is much more impressive than the Black Market Chen Wang visited before.

The rules here are very strict, and a powerful Spirit Gathering Formation is set up to gather all the Spiritual Qi from the surrounding hundreds of miles.

Therefore, the Spiritual Qi in this area is actually very thin.

In addition, each entry and exit requires a payment of three Spirit Stone, so many independent cultivators choose to stay in this Black Market.

Fighting is strictly prohibited in the Black Market. No one may take action for any reason, or they will be severely punished.

The weakest of the patrolling cultivators was at the Late-Stage Qi Refining, and many others were at the Great Perfection stage.

Moreover, they were well-equipped and exuded a murderous aura.

They'd love for you to cause trouble here so they can boost their sales figures.

Therefore, there are very few who are blind to the truth.

Even some notorious rogue cultivators dare not cause trouble here.

Because one of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed here is at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, and he alone would be difficult to deal with.

However, there were actually three Foundation Establishment cultivators in this Black Market.

There are still many other experts, so although this place is called Black Market, it is actually quite well-regulated and relatively safe.

The stall owners in this Black Market were very enthusiastic, constantly shouting their wares. This was understandable, as they had to pay a stall fee of one Spirit Stone per day, and if they couldn't sell anything, they would lose money.

Moreover, renting a house in this place also requires spending Spirit Stone, and each time you enter and leave, you also need to spend Spirit Stone.

The person who started this place can be said to have the way of making money etched into their mind.

Even so, many independent cultivators still come here.

The traffic here is so huge, and the quality of the goods is also very good. Many people travel from afar to trade here.

Chen Wang glanced around and saw several spirit medicine and a few decent Superior Grade Magic Tool.

There's a lot of foot traffic here, and the success rate of transactions is very high. Someone can always find what they need here, and the prices aren't actually that expensive.

After all, many of these items are intended for resale, and everyone tacitly agrees that no one would actually harm the other party over stolen goods.

Besides, many things have gone through many hands before finally arriving here, making it impossible to trace them.

However, once we leave this place, it's hard to say what will happen if any grudges need to be resolved.

Of course, some people live here for many years, and even if you want revenge, there's nothing you can do.

Unless you want to antagonize the forces behind the entire Black Market.

In short, it was a place that was both chaotic and orderly.

After arriving here, Chen Wang experienced the unique local customs and culture.

He wandered around the stall and saw quite a few good things.

Previously, when I wanted to buy some alchemy materials from the Red Cloud Sect, they were all restricted due to the war.

Here, as long as you have money, you can buy almost anything you want.

There are no restrictions, as long as you can afford it.

"Indeed, peace is the key to making money, and so is traffic."

Chen Wang thought to himself.

The Red Cloud Sect was already in a dangerous situation, with countless forces secretly colluding and undercurrents surging, and it was also being targeted by the behemoth, the Profound Yin Sect.

Many independent practitioners work diligently to earn money, but they also live in constant fear and worry, their lives hanging by a thread.

Otherwise, so many independent cultivators wouldn't have come to settle here.

Therefore, it is not as good as the Black Market, which is openly a place to sell stolen goods, but because it follows the rules and does not allow for any fighting, the business is very prosperous.

Chen Wang took a look around and learned about some of the local forces.

These kinds of information wouldn't normally be available in a short time, but he had already sent people here to prepare the groundwork.

He activated the communication talisman in his hand, a tool commonly used by cultivators to communicate, which would create a connection between them.

He then stopped in front of a stall.

The stall owner was a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old, who looked pretty.

She was selling tools for drawing talismans, such as magic pens, paper, and ink.

Seeing Chen Wang standing beside him, he asked with a smile, "What would you like to buy, fellow Daoist? I have some excellent spirit brushes here that can help you draw talismans."

"This Azure Fox Brush is made from the fur of a Green Fox and is worth fifteen Spirit Stone. I can give you a discount if you want it."

The blue fox is a special kind of Demon Beast, and its fur is recognized as the most suitable material for making Talisman Brush.

Chen Wang shook his head and smiled, "I'm waiting for someone here."

The girl had a pure smile and said softly, "Alright, then please make yourself at home, fellow Daoist."

She didn't overdo the marketing; instead, she continued to look through some materials explaining talismans, clearly indicating that this woman was also a Talisman Master.

Chen Wang's skill in drawing talismans has improved considerably, and he can now draw many beginner and intermediate talismans.

He really crammed on the four arts of immortal cultivation, but he only just got started with alchemy, and stopped before he could learn array formations and weapon crafting.

Now that the sect has been destroyed, Old Wang's whereabouts are unknown.

He can only continue his studies on his own.

Fortunately, Old Wang had already taught me a lot.

As for alchemy, as long as you practice diligently, you can also achieve some success.

However, formations and weapon crafting are more difficult. Without guidance, one has to figure things out on their own, and it would probably take a very long time to get started.

Chen Wang waited there for a while, and then he saw a graceful figure wearing a clean blue cloth dress and with her hair styled in a bun. She looked extremely elegant.

It was Feng Lin.

At this moment, Feng Lin seemed to have shed some of her alluring charm, and she appeared more reserved and graceful.

She greeted Chen Wang with a smile, and they then left the area temporarily.

Feng Lin said, "I've been here for a while and I know this place fairly well. Shall we go to my place?"

Chen Wang nodded. "Okay."

He and Feng Lin arrived at a place to stay. The houses there were quite simple in construction, but since Feng Lin was staying in the cheapest place available, this style was understandable.

The Red Cloud Sect's houses are all wooden; at least here are normal houses, each with its own entrance.

After pushing open the door, there is another small courtyard, and there is also an array to conceal one's presence and sound, which was brought with me when I was hospitalized.

After entering, Feng Lin poured Chen Wang a cup of tea.

The curve of her bending over was astonishing; the woman's figure seemed even more supple.

She said softly, "If you don't come soon, I won't have enough Spirit Stone left, and I'm afraid I won't be able to stay here any longer."

Chen Wang asked, "Is the rent here very expensive?"

Feng Lin said, "If I hadn't saved up some money, I wouldn't be able to stay here at all."

"The person who started this Black Market really knows how to make money."

Chen Wang said, "If you have the strength to control the situation, you can naturally make money and establish your own Market."

The two chatted there and learned more about the situation in the area.

Auctions are held here occasionally, but usually only once every six months, unless there are special circumstances, such as when a cultivator obtains a special treasure and puts it up for auction. After paying a portion of Spirit Stone, someone will organize it for him.

Chen Wang also learned from Feng Lin that the Golden True Person behind this place was called Hu Dao Ren. He dressed as a Daoist priest and looked to be in his thirties or forties, with an imposing presence.

It is said that this person is also a master among Golden Core Stage Cultivator. He has been operating here for many years, has a wide circle of friends, and has connections with many sects. No one dares to provoke him.

Feng Lin came to scout ahead and indeed learned a lot of information; she had a very clear understanding of many things here.

Chen Wang said, "The Red Cloud Sect is gone."

Feng Lin nodded. "I've heard about it."

Chen Wang said, "The news spread so fast."

Feng Lin said, "There's a lot of foot traffic here, so news travels very fast. The news of the Red Cloud Sect's destruction came over on the third day."

Chen Wang asked, "Any other news?"

Feng Lin said, "There are rumors that this time it's not just the Profound Yin Sect that wants to destroy the Red Cloud Sect, but the people from Dragon Head Mountain have also made a move."

"Moreover, Dragon Head Mountain initially negotiated a deal with the Red Cloud Sect, with the two sects to join forces. However, for some unknown reason, the negotiations broke down, or perhaps the people of Dragon Head Mountain harbored ill intentions from the beginning."

"That's why the Red Cloud Sect fell so quickly. It seemed like a powerful force, but in reality, it was the Dragon Head Mountain and the Profound Yin Sect who joined forces to destroy it."

Chen Wang asked in surprise, "This rumor is spreading like wildfire?"

Feng Lin pursed her lips. "Some things seem very secretive, but they just spread inexplicably. In this Black Market, there are all sorts of rumors, most of which are false, and some are secrets that many people don't even know. Nobody knows how they got out."

Chen Wang pursed his lips, took a sip of tea to calm himself down, and said, "If I had known, I wouldn't have risked my life to venture into the mountains to gather information."

Feng Lin said, "Weren't you in the mountains when the accident happened?"

Chen Wang shook his head. "I was away for a few days, and when I came back, I saw the whole mountain was full of the Profound Yin Sect people, with notices posted everywhere. I managed to capture two people to get some information, but you could have gotten more information here than I could have."

Feng Lin said, "I've never been to this Black Market before, and I didn't know that information travels so fast here."

"By the way, there's also news coming from the Black Market that the two sides are fighting not only for territory, but also for a Law Treasure called the Golden Mountain Banner. It's said to be the relic of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, and it's also related to his inheritance, which is why the conflict has escalated so much."

Chen Wang raised an eyebrow. "Golden Mountain Banner?"

This matched some of the information he had gathered.

"You really didn't come to this Black Market for nothing," Chen Wang said.

Feng Lin bit her lip lightly. "True Person Chen, it's been a long time. We're talking about such important matters as soon as we meet. Won't you let me serve you a little?"

Chen Wang said, "With your looks, haven't you found someone you truly love in the city during this time?"

Feng Lin said, "Just because I practiced the Cultivation Method of the Joyful Union Sect, you look down on me?"

Chen Wang laughed and said, "I didn't mean that. It's perfectly normal for men and women to enjoy each other's company."

Feng Lin said, "I am determined to serve you, a Foundation Establishment True Person, as your servant. I hope that you will give me a place in your sect or Lineage in the future. My heart is as clear as the sun and moon."

Chen Wang said, "There's no need to make such an oath."

Feng Lin let out a soft hum, nestled into Chen Wang's arms, her breath sweet as orchids.

"It's been so long since we last met. Does the True Person not feel the slightest bit of attraction towards me?"

She was voluptuous yet light-footed, and nestled in Chen Wang's arms, her soft body exuding warmth and fragrance.

When facing Chen Wang, she was very well-behaved and did not use any Bewitching Arts, but the more she acted this way, the more attractive she became.

Chen Wang raised his hand and lifted her chin.

Her skin was extremely fair, and her neck was slender.

Chen Wang smiled and said, "You are a sensible woman. If you really want to work for me, you should behave yourself and not have any other thoughts."

"You'll naturally get your share of the benefits too."