How About Setting Up a Xuanmen Immortal Market on Kunlun Mountains? Go Persuade Sect Master Tongtian

"Senior Disciple Brother is here!"

"We pay our respects to Senior Disciple Brother..."

Outside the Inspection Department.

Many Jie Sect disciples, upon seeing Qingyuan, bowed in greeting one after another.

Qingyuan acknowledged each of them.

He first went to the dungeon to release Qiushou Xian and the captured Jie Sect disciples, comforted them briefly, then summoned the Inspection Department's high-ranking members and immediately announced an important decision: the leadership of the Inspection Department would be transferred to Daoist Duobao, and his own disciples would withdraw from their posts within the department; the law-enforcing Inspection Department would be handed over entirely to Daoist Duobao!

As soon as these words were spoken.

Even Yun Zhongzi and the others were stunned.

They couldn't believe that their master, just after returning, would hand over such an important department as the Inspection Department to Daoist Duobao.

Holding a position in the Inspection Department allowed one to receive the subtle blessing of the Jie Sect's fate to aid cultivation, along with many hidden benefits. Was their master simply giving the Inspection Department away like that?

But Qingyuan was adamant.

He had Golden Hoop Immortal, who served as the Punishment Department Head within the Inspection Department, bear witness.

He left the Department Master's seal within the department, then departed the Inspection Department without a trace of reluctance.

Yun Zhongzi and the others felt somewhat gloomy.

Only the boisterous Great Peng Bird strutted through the Jie Sect with his head held high, occasionally whistling at female Jie Sect disciples of the avian kind, his demeanor utterly casual, completely unaware of how important the Inspection Department's status was within the Jie Sect.

"Master, why did you hand over the Inspection Department so readily?"

Yun Zhongzi still couldn't understand and asked.

Qingyuan said calmly, "The Inspection Department has its importance, but I am about to establish a force with even greater influence than the Inspection Department. Have you ever heard of the Immortal Market?"

"The Immortal Market?"

Yun Zhongzi and the others looked at each other, all utterly confused.

What was the Immortal Market?

They had never heard of it.

"It's right that you haven't heard of it. You all return to Serene Peak and wait for me. I will visit my master and discuss matters with him, then come find you."

"Yes!"

Though they didn't understand.

They obeyed Qingyuan without question and headed back toward Serene Peak.

Meanwhile, Qingyuan flew toward Shangqing Peak.

When he arrived outside Shangqing Hall, he saw a small boy with goat-horn braids sitting outside the hall, leaning against a pillar, dozing off. He couldn't help but smile, took out a Spiritual Fruit from his storage treasure, and held it out to him.

In his sleep, Water-Fire Boy's mouth watered.

He instinctively bit forward.

But bit nothing and woke up.

Only then did he see that the most 'fearsome' Senior Disciple Brother of the Jie Sect had arrived. Startled, he scrambled to his feet from the ground, not even daring to wipe the drool from his lips, and stammered, "S-Senior Disciple Brother, greetings!"

"Long time no see. How have you been?"

Qingyuan smiled and pressed the Spiritual Fruit into his hand.

"There's nothing much to keep me busy, but life on the mountain is a bit dull and boring. I don't even know where to go to have fun."

Water-Fire Boy took the Spiritual Fruit but dared not eat it.

"Soon you'll have a place to play. Is my master inside?"

"He is..."

"Good."

Qingyuan nodded, then bowed toward Shangqing Hall and said, "Disciple requests an audience with Master!"

"Enter."

"Yes."

The great hall's doors opened before him, and closed only after Qingyuan had entered.

No sound could be heard from within.

But Water-Fire Boy no longer dared to slack off and stood straight.

"Disciple pays respects to Master. May Master's sacred path advance swiftly and gallop across all paths!"

Qingyuan entered the hall and bowed to Sect Master Tongtian.

"Hahahaha, 'sacred path advance swiftly'—those words are well used. I have indeed gained no small harvest over these years, but 'gallop across all paths'—I dare not claim that."

Sect Master Tongtian gazed at Qingyuan and said, "You have gained much abroad these years. To have cultivated both the Mystic Art and the Primordial Art into the Golden Nature of Immortality—even among the Xuan Sect, you are a rare talent."

"Master flatters me. Disciple has come today to ask for your help with a matter."

Qingyuan got straight to the point: "Master, your disciple wants to establish an Immortal Market—a zone of free trade where anyone, whether from our Xuan Sect or outside beings, can come and trade freely. Miraculous Pills and Potions, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Immortal Pills and Divine Medicines, Divine Materials and Immortal Gold, Great Herbs and Spiritual Roots, Technique Manuals and Artifact Methods..."

"No matter what it is, as long as you come to the Immortal Market, you can buy it—exchange what you have for what you lack!"

"Beyond that, the Immortal Market will also offer lodging: common inns, high-grade hotels, premium caves, blessed lands, grotto-heavens, spiritual platforms... as long as you pay money, you can get the living environment and cultivation space you desire!"

"And there's the auction house. Master, you usually enjoy refining small formations and minor artifacts, don't you? The ones you don't need can be auctioned off. With the name of Sect Master Tongtian behind it, they'll fetch a high price. Besides that, if other disciples want to sell something but fear being cheated, they can bring their items to the auction house to sell—highest bidder wins!"

"There's also bounties, jobs, entrepreneurship..."

Inside Shangqing Hall.

Qingyuan spoke at length.

All of it was a blueprint for the Immortal Market.

Suddenly.

Qingyuan stopped. He looked at Sect Master Tongtian's slightly dazed face and said with some exasperation, "Master, what are you thinking about? Don't tell me you didn't listen to a single thing I just said?"

"I was thinking about how many years it's been since you were this lively."

Sect Master Tongtian's face showed relief. "Seeing you return to your old mischievous ways puts my mind at ease."

"..."

Qingyuan was speechless, sweating.

Come to think of it, back when he first became Sect Master Tongtian's disciple, he really did have a lot of wild ideas.

Too many of them just couldn't be realized.

Later, crushed by his own mediocrity, he grew more and more withdrawn.

"Hahaha, do whatever you want. You have your own path to walk, and others have theirs. You've never blocked anyone else's path—that's something you've done well."

Sect Master Tongtian affirmed.

Gazing at Sect Master Tongtian's face, Qingyuan spoke his true purpose: "Master, the real reason your disciple wants to set up this Immortal Market is that the number of Jie Sect disciples is simply too great. Too many people have nothing to do, causing chaos in the Kunlun Mountains. So I want to create a place where most disciples can keep busy—that way, First Martial Uncle and Second Martial Uncle won't be annoyed."

"I know." Sect Master Tongtian still smiled, not pressing further.

"But..."

Qingyuan frowned, voicing the confusion in his heart: "Master, you must know that most of the disciples who join the Jie Sect have a stubborn and wicked nature. They're cruel, lawless, even delight in killing—truly demons and monsters. Yet why do you accept them all without disciplining them?"

Sect Master Tongtian did not answer immediately.

Instead, he asked, "In your heart, what is good, and what is evil?"

"I..." Qingyuan thought for a moment, organizing his words. "Those who kill excessively and do evil are evil. Such people easily attract karma and bring about collapse and disaster."

"Is killing evil?"

Sect Master Tongtian smiled. "If killing is evil, then all things in the Primordial Wilderness prey on each other. For example, the pangolin loves to eat ants—how many ants does it consume in its lifetime? Is that killing?"

"Or take herbivores and carnivores. If one were missing, heaven and earth would fall out of balance."

"In truth, talking about good and evil natures in the world is just a difference in values between living beings."

"The mayfly is born at dawn and dies at dusk; the summer cicada knows nothing of spring and autumn. All creatures have different natures and hearts—this is acting from their original mind."

"All beings have their own paths, and the paths they walk are all different. Those who have the fate to enter my Jie Sect, I am willing to grant them techniques and point out the Great Way for cultivation. But whether they can hold to their original mind on the path of cultivation, see through illusion, transcend, and attain the Dao—that depends on their personal opportunity."

"I am willing to open a thread of life for all beings, to sever the vitality of heaven and earth. But whether they can grasp that opportunity depends on their own creation."

Hearing these words.

Qingyuan fell silent, then bowed deeply to Sect Master Tongtian. "Your disciple understands. But I will not give up on changing the direction of the Jie Sect's future development."

"Fine."

Sect Master Tongtian nodded, not refusing. "Tell me your real purpose for coming."

"Master, nothing can be hidden from you!"

Qingyuan praised, then said, "With your reputation, Sect Master Tongtian, establishing the Immortal Market won't be hard to start. But is there something universally accepted that can be used for trade in the market?"

"Bartering does have many drawbacks. You're thinking of creating something that everyone recognizes, aren't you?"

"Master, you're exactly right!"

Qingyuan chuckled. "Since it's for trade, why not call this thing 'currency'? How about that? The thing we create can be called 'money.'"

"Hmm... 'money' is too vulgar. Why not call this thing 'Immortal Crystal'?"