The Landlord's Family Had No Surplus Grain

In order to leave that place of trouble as quickly as possible.

With the group picking up their pace,

the Wu Family Market, which had originally been three days away,

was reached by the afternoon of the second day.

Though Wu Family Market bore the name of a market, making it sound somewhat like a rustic country town, practically reeking of earthy rural flavor,

it was not actually rustic at all.

From afar, its towering walls and majestic gates had already come into view, and the clamor drifting from within the city could faintly be heard.

Along the broad roads paved with sand and gravel on either side, merchant caravans from villages all over came and went in an endless stream.

Passing through the city gates,

a wide avenue paved with enormous bluestone slabs stretched out before them into the distance. Shops lined both sides of the street, while shouts of vendors and haggling never ceased.

Its prosperity did not pale in the slightest compared to some major county towns of the feudal era in his previous life.

But that made sense.

After all, it was a place where cultivators gathered. No matter how remote it was, it could not possibly be too shabby.

However, most of the shops along these streets sold mortal goods, serving the many mortal guards and martial men who had followed merchant caravans here from the various villages.

Occasionally, some items used by cultivators would flow out from these shops, exchanged from mortal martial men for treasures they had stumbled across through sheer chance.

After all, while they were merely mortal martial men, their numbers were great. By chance encounters and lucky twists of fate, they would more or less possess a few good things.

As for the market that catered to cultivators, it lay in the designated Marketplace to the north.

That place could practically be called forbidden ground to mortals.

The immortal families' forbidden land, as mortals called it.

Only those with cultivation could enter.

Everything traded within was business for cultivators.

Whenever the market opened, large merchant caravans from Qing City would travel from afar and gather here.

At the same time, it drew countless small traders who roamed north and south, all hoping to take a share from this rare feast.

Shen Changchuan and the others had arrived neither too early nor too late.

By the time they reached it, the major merchant caravans from Qing City had already arrived.

The enormous square was packed with countless individual stalls, while shops belonging to merchant caravans from every side occupied the rows of buildings rising on both sides.

As far as the eye could see, the crowd flowed like woven threads.

And these people

were all cultivators.

Though their cultivation levels were not high—most were at the Qi Gathering Third Level or Qi Gathering Fourth Level, and quite a few had only just succeeded in sensing qi and were doing odd jobs or manual labor—

the sight of so many cultivators gathered together, their clamor shaking the heavens, was still immensely awe-inspiring.

This was also Shen Changchuan's first time seeing such a scene.

During the two and a half years he had spent in Tiannan City, he had avoided even visiting the nearby Marketplace in order to minimize entanglements with the outside world.

"I never expected it to be this prosperous. This greatly increases my chances of achieving my goal in this Marketplace."

Looking at the many cultivators throughout the vast Marketplace, Shen Changchuan was in quite a mood.

With more merchant caravans,

there would be a greater variety of goods.

That also meant a greater possibility of finding what he needed.

Perhaps he might even stumble upon a hidden bargain like in those old fantasy webnovels.

It was only a fantasy, but that did not stop Shen Changchuan from indulging in a daydream.

Still, he understood clearly

that the foundation of everything was money!

Or rather, Spirit Stones!

Shen Changchuan quickly gathered his thoughts and decided to sell this Spirit Grain for Spirit Stones first.

The group arrived at the area occupied by grain merchants among the Qing City caravans.

Shen Changchuan casually found one grain merchant's stall and asked about the price of grain.

But the answer made his eyes widen involuntarily.

"What? Ten jin and five taels of Spirit Grain for one Spirit Stone? Wasn't it supposed to be ten jin of Spirit Grain for one Spirit Stone?"

"Young master, Spirit Grain is merchandise. Naturally, prices rise and fall; they cannot remain fixed."

"Besides, transporting large quantities of Spirit Grain carries risks along the way. Transportation has costs, and we also have to pay part of the rent to the Wu family to trade here. Not to mention the cost of our time. When all those bits and pieces are added up, offering one Spirit Stone for ten jin and five taels of Spirit Grain is already a high price."

"If you do not believe me, you may ask at the other shops. We did not set this price at random."

The shop clerk explained carefully, looking somewhat helpless.

But how much of that "helplessness" was genuine, only Heaven knew.

Shen Changchuan could not help frowning slightly.

Though he had not visited many cultivator marketplaces, some principles were universal. His experience buying and selling things in his previous life could still be applied in this world.

Since the other party had put it this way, the other grain merchants would surely offer only this same price.

Back then, in order to avoid paying Shen Shiying that five-percent transportation loss fee, he had chosen to directly pay one hundred Spirit Stones as tribute.

But now, the grain price was not one Spirit Stone for ten jin of Spirit Grain,

but one Spirit Stone for ten jin and five taels.

So when it was calculated out,

hadn't he gone through all that trouble for nothing?

"Ah, forget it. All told, it is more or less the same as the transportation loss fee anyway."

"Selling one jin is selling, and selling two jin is selling. Let it be."

Shen Changchuan gave a bitter laugh inwardly and could only comfort himself in secret.

Come to think of it, the Azure Origin Purifying Spirit Pill he had obtained was worth far more than all this Spirit Grain.

Was there really any need to carefully calculate the gains and losses of a dozen or so Spirit Stones?

No need!

Absolutely no need!

Among cultivators in the Qi Induction realm, his assets already placed him among the wealthy.

There was no need to fuss over this.

Thinking that way, Shen Changchuan felt considerably better.

Though his brows only barely relaxed,

and his face still carried a measure of regretful sighing.

"Well—"

Just as Shen Changchuan was about to say something to the clerk and prepare to sell all the Spirit Grain he had on hand,

at that moment,

Guo Cheng and several other patriarchs behind him read his expression and stepped forward to tug at him.

"Young Master Shen, shall we speak somewhere private?"

"What is it?"

Somewhat puzzled, Shen Changchuan followed them out of the shop and to a corner beside a building.

"Well, Young Master Shen, these grain merchant clerks are the sort who judge people by the dish in front of them. For unfamiliar outsiders, they all quote this uniformly lowered price. But acquaintances can get a higher internal purchase price."

"This humble one, Guo Cheng, has made a few modest connections through selling refined charcoal over the years. I can more or less make use of an internal price. If Young Master Shen finds it troublesome, you may leave the sale of the Spirit Grain to several of us."

Guo Cheng spoke somewhat hesitantly.

But while he said that, the internal price was not so easy to obtain.

It was just that after Shen Changchuan had asked about the price earlier, they had all seen his frown.

And two days ago, when the men in black had attacked, they had fled before even engaging the enemy. No matter how one looked at it, that would not leave a good impression in the heart of this young man whose strength was terrifying beyond belief.

Along this journey, every patriarch had been worried sick.

If they did not seize this opportunity to help Young Master Shen solve a minor inconvenience and leave behind a favorable impression, when would they?

"There is such a thing?"

Shen Changchuan was somewhat stunned upon hearing this,

and could not help cursing inwardly,

Damn it.

Even in a cultivation world, doing business still cannot escape this whole web of personal connections!

"Wait. You are not planning to pay the difference out of your own pockets and deceive me by calling it an internal acquaintance price, are you?"

"If you feel guilty about running away when the men in black attacked that day and want to make up the difference yourselves, there is no need."

Shen Changchuan suddenly thought of something and glanced at them.

He said it directly.

"I did not blame you for what happened that day. After all, you were only at the Qi Gathering Third Level and Qi Gathering Fourth Level. There was little point in staying behind."

"In truth, if the enemy had been too strong, I would have fled decisively without hesitation as well."

"Young Master Shen, what are you saying?!"

Shen Changchuan's words moved Guo Cheng, the Li Family Patriarch, and the others somewhat.

"Rest assured, Young Master Shen. Our lineages have operated in the Border Wasteland for decades, even centuries. We have more or less some avenues, and we will certainly secure a high price."

"Then I will trouble you all."

With matters having come to this,

Shen Changchuan no longer declined and simply accepted.

What?

You say that one Azure Origin Purifying Spirit Pill was worth who knew how many times more than this Spirit Grain,

that he was wealthy, and a dozen or so Spirit Stones were not worth mentioning?

What a joke.

Even the landlord's family had no surplus grain, all right!