A Business That Grabs Money, Must Be Done!

The mountain path turned, and Chen Qing stopped abruptly.

Behind him, the bushes rustled violently as Han Sha stumbled after him, his right arm hanging limply, his clothes stained with blood and dirt, his face as pale as if he'd crawled out of a grave.

"Uncle-Master..."

Chen Qing shook his head, interrupting him. "I am no longer your Uncle-Master."

Han Sha felt struck by lightning, his knees buckling as he collapsed to the ground.

Chen Qing looked at his former senior disciple's first disciple. He took a brocade pouch from his robes and tossed it to Han Sha. "Inside is half a piece of Spirit Marrow and a Disguise Talisman. Three hundred miles north is a town called Qingping. East of the town is a Drunken Immortal Tower. If you can reach it alive, go to the innkeeper and tell him I sent you to find a way to make a living."

In his seventeen years, he had naturally made connections.

Han Sha fumbled to catch the pouch, tears mixing with blood and dripping onto the soil. Just as he was about to speak—

"Everyone has their own destiny, but you must bear the consequences of your choices," Chen Qing's voice was exceptionally cold. "From today onward, you have no further ties to the Hidden Star Gate. If I hear that you are using the sect's name or leaking any sect matters, I will have no choice but to purge the sect."

Before he finished speaking, Han Sha was already prostrate on the ground.

Thump, thump, thump!

Three kowtows that shook the ground.

When he looked up again, blood was streaming from his forehead, his lips trembling. "Disciple... Han Sha remembers."

Chen Qing said no more and turned to leave.

Behind him, suppressed sobs were scattered by the mountain wind.

Despite the interruption, Chen Qing did not return to the mountain gate.

On the road, his five senses were fully open, and he was aware of every rustle of grass within a mile. An hour later, several sinister auras appeared three miles away, trailing him persistently but not daring to approach.

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and his figure suddenly moved like lightning. The auras immediately panicked, and after pursuing for half a mile, they retreated dejectedly.

He then focused on his journey. After crossing three mountain peaks, the view before him suddenly opened up.

A town of blue bricks and gray tiles lay nestled in the mountain hollow, with wisps of cooking smoke rising.

Chen Qing's gaze swept over the porters and hawkers, his footsteps unwavering.

This town appeared ordinary on the surface, but it held hidden secrets.

Wandering through the alleys, he finally stopped before an old wall covered in moss. He then formed a hand seal and pointed a finger.

"Open!"

The wall rippled like water, revealing a deep, dark alley.

Chen Qing stepped through, and the scene before him changed—

Three white jade arch bridges soared through the air, with clouds and mist swirling beneath them.

At the bridgehead stood a green stone tablet inscribed with the words "Lesser Yingzhou."

People walked back and forth on the bridge, with buildings lining the banks. A bluestone path extended forward, flanked by rows of stalls.

An old man was selling Talismans, a burly man was hawking Yao Beast materials, and a veiled woman had several Spirit Herbs displayed before her, emitting a delicate fragrance. The passersby were either cloaked or masked, their auras varying in strength.

"As expected of the South Shore's number one black market..."

Chen Qing had been here a few times with his master and knew that this place was not only frequented by disciples of various sects but also by rogue cultivators from all walks of life, and even Demonic Cultivators and Yao Cultivators in disguise.

"This Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar."

In a tea stall at the bridgehead, an old man in gray robes stroked his teapot, the tea within boiling without fire. He squinted as he sized up the approaching Chen Qing.

"Hidden Star Gate's Chen Qing," Chen Qing bowed, his voice neither humble nor arrogant. "I've come to purchase some items."

The old man's hand holding the teacup paused. He squinted to get a better look, then suddenly chuckled. "I recognize you. You're the esteemed disciple of Fellow Daoist Zhou. I remember you visited twice before, you were quite young then. How is your master? He hasn't visited in a while."

"My master has already ascended," Chen Qing replied calmly, not hiding the truth. This news wouldn't remain a secret anyway.

The old man's teacup paused again, and he sighed. "A pity." He then took a jade slip from his sleeve. "This is a directory of shops. The newly opened Five Qi Pavilion has some good merchandise. As for the stalls along the way," he gestured with his finger towards several stalls, "try to avoid them. Their quality is uneven, and most are wolves that devour people without spitting out the bones."

The jade slip felt cool in his hand. Chen Qing exhaled a breath of Supreme Harmony Qi, and the slip immediately shone with golden light. The information about the shops moved like living things. Beside several established names, the small characters "Old Acquaintance of the Zhou Family" were clearly marked.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

"Go on."

After Chen Qing had walked far away, the old man took out a yellowed booklet from under the table and dipped his brush to write "Chen Qing." He then added, "Disciple of Zhou Yuanjing, less than thirty years old, has already broken through the second realm..."

After putting away the booklet, he frowned slightly.

"When did this child achieve the second realm? At such a young age, with such demeanor, could it be that after Old Zhou's death, the Hidden Star Gate has reached its lowest ebb and is about to rise?"

Meanwhile.

On the Cloud Bridge, Chen Qing walked with unhurried steps.

The shops floating on either side shimmered with radiance, but he wasn't in a hurry to approach them. Instead, he paid attention to the snippets of conversation from the cultivators passing by—

"Did you hear? Sea Abyss Temple found another way to absorb the legacies of two minor sects..."

"A fleet of merchant ships from the south brought many good things."

"The Mystic Chess Academy is recruiting talent again. Five people have already been selected, and one of them, I heard, has the Xuan Guang Dao Body and is incredibly talented!"

After a round of observation, Chen Qing had a plan and shifted his focus to purchasing and trading.

"Spirit Marrow needed to maintain the formation, Marrow Cleansing Grass and Lightning Struck Peach Wood Heart for consolidating and improving my realm, and also Talismans to replenish my vigilance and defense..."

Having calculated his needs, his gaze settled on an old shop with a plaque bearing the name "Green Pouch Pavilion."

The shop was deserted, with an old Daoist dozing behind the counter.

Seeing Chen Qing enter, the old Daoist lifted his eyelids. "Look for yourself, the price tags are all below."

Chen Qing was unhurried. He first surveyed the medicinal herbs, finally stopping before a jade box in the corner. Inside lay several unremarkable gray grasses, but their price tags were extremely high.

Chen Qing asked, "Why is the Marrow Cleansing Grass so expensive?"

"Those are newly arrived top-grade Marrow Cleansing Grass," the old Daoist sized up Chen Qing. "You're Zhou Yuanjing's disciple? It's only been a short while, and you're already at the second realm? Interesting. To nurture the second realm, Marrow Cleansing Grass is indeed necessary."

As he spoke, he shifted his body and retrieved a gray cloth bag from under the counter.

"After Fellow Daoist Zhou left, I thought the Hidden Star Gate was finished. Now it seems there's still hope. Take these, consider it a congratulatory gift for breaking through from an old friend's disciple."

The mouth of the bag opened slightly, revealing ten stalks of Marrow Cleansing Grass. Although their appearance was imperfect, they emanated pure spiritual energy fluctuations, worth at least three Spirit Marrow!

Chen Qing was startled, then said, "Senior, such a gift is truly precious!"

"Less nonsense!" the old Daoist's voice was loud. "Zhou Yuanjing saved my life. What are these few weeds compared to that? These ten have been here for three months. After you return, store them in a jade box, and their efficacy will be preserved for longer, enough for you for over half a year."

"Thank you, Senior!" Chen Qing no longer refused.

Marrow Cleansing Grass was difficult to cultivate, requiring special spirit fields and spirit veins. The Hidden Star Gate did not have these conditions.

"Alas," the old Daoist sighed. "The familiar faces are getting fewer and fewer. Go back and cultivate diligently."

So the connections Master always talked about weren't just bragging.

After bidding farewell to the old Daoist at the Green Pouch Pavilion, Chen Qing wandered around a few more times before finally entering the newly opened "Five Qi Pavilion."

The moment he stepped into the pavilion, his gaze swept across five colorful jade cabinets arranged in the Five Elements formation. He saw that each item was sealed within a shimmering, transparent barrier, exuding dense spiritual energy.

A middle-aged man in brocade robes stood behind the counter, smiling at him. "This Fellow Daoist has an extraordinary bearing. What are you looking for?"

"I'd like to see some Spirit Marrow and Earth Marrow," Chen Qing said calmly. "High quality ones."

The brocade-robed man clapped his hands and laughed. "What a coincidence, we just received a new batch of Spirit Marrow and Earth Fire Marrow from the South Flame Continent." He led Chen Qing to a crimson jade cabinet and took out two fist-sized jade stones, one crystal clear, the other with flames flowing within.

Chen Qing took them and examined them closely. The Spirit Marrow was indeed pure, but the number on the price tag made his brow furrow. It had increased by thirty percent since his last visit.

Spirit Marrow originated from Spirit Mines and was also known as Spirit Stones. It was akin to currency in the cultivation world, often used to denote the value of items, similar to mortal currency. However, small sects like the Hidden Star Gate, lacking mines and stable channels for obtaining Spirit Marrow, had to purchase it from the cultivator's market. They generally used spirit plants they cultivated themselves.

Such spirit plants were not only few in number but also took a long time to cultivate, so careful budgeting was necessary.

After a while, Chen Qing put down the two jade stones and asked, "Is there anything else? It's too expensive."

The brocade-robed man's smile remained unchanged. "To be honest, the trade routes to the south have been difficult recently, so prices have indeed risen." He observed Chen Qing's expression and suddenly lowered his voice. "If you become a regular customer in the future, we can arrange for private bids."

Chen Qing's heart stirred.

These "private bids" were a unique trading method in the cultivator's market. Both buyer and seller would write their offers on jade talismans and reveal them simultaneously, avoiding the awkwardness of haggling in public. Chen Qing had only heard of it when he came with his master before, but had never experienced it himself.

"Alright."

Half an hour later, Chen Qing had two Spirit Marrow in his sleeve. Although the price was higher than expected, the quality was indeed excellent. However, the Hidden Star Gate's coffers were a little lighter.

But as he stepped out the door, he bumped into a hurried young scholar in a green robe.

"Shopkeeper!" the scholar exclaimed, holding up a book. "This is my newly acquired Strange Tales of the Southern Sea! I guarantee the young master hasn't heard of it! Only five Spirit Marrow!"

The brocade-robed shopkeeper gave a wry smile. "Young Master Yu, the young master went to listen to stories early this morning. Besides, this price..."

"Three is fine too!" the green-robed scholar slapped the counter. "A good quality one!"

Chen Qing's gaze swept over the unremarkable booklet. It had no spiritual aura or unusual phenomena, so why did it dare to ask for five Spirit Marrow?

He stopped out of curiosity.

The scholar seemed to notice and turned, smiling. "Does this brother also enjoy strange anecdotes?"

"I dabble a bit," Chen Qing replied perfunctorily.

After watching the scholar exchange the booklet for three high-quality Spirit Marrow and leave joyfully, Chen Qing felt the Spirit Marrow he had just bought in his sleeve no longer felt as appealing.

"Shopkeeper, this..." he couldn't help but ask.

The brocade-robed shopkeeper shook his head with a wry smile. "Forgive me, customer. My young master enjoys collecting ancient strange tales and buys them to hear something new when he encounters it. This Young Master Yu sold a piece last month, the Book of the Nine Netherworlds, for five Spirit Marrow. Having tasted the sweetness, he's been coming often."

Chen Qing was greatly shaken.

A novel, exchanged for five Spirit Marrow?

This wasn't a trade, it was outright robbery!

Suddenly, as if possessed, he asked, "Have any secrets of the Primordial Immortal Dynasty been told?"

The shopkeeper was stunned, then said, "Are you joking, customer? The Immortal Dynasty is tens of thousands of years ago at least. Who remembers much now..."

Before he could finish, a "clang" suddenly echoed from upstairs, as if a teacup had been knocked over.

"Please come up, this Fellow Daoist!"

Chen Qing let out a long sigh upon hearing this.

It seems I also have a chance to do this 'robbery' business.

The data is really poor. Please kindly collect it, readers. Come back and check in daily. It's not easy for a newbie (T_T)