Gal Martial Saint

Gu Chengming instinctively wanted to refuse upon hearing this.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Junior Brother, but I've been..."

He currently had a stash of Spiritual Sense pills given by Great Elder Ren, and with his "Two-Way Fraud" tactic, he wasn't actually short on body-tempering resources for the time being.

However.

Just as he was about to politely decline, the Hundred Bones Hum inside him suddenly stirred restlessly.

[Hundred Bones Hum perked up at the word "Marketplace," instantly energized!]

[It thought to itself: A marketplace? That's the Dragon Rising Ground for protagonists in stories!]

[According to the usual formula, places like this, where dragons and snakes mingle, often hide earth-shattering opportunities! Things like Ancient Fragments, Dusty Divine Artifacts, chunks of iron that look like scrap but are actually Immortal Sword Fragments...]

[And as a top-tier Cultivation Method rarely seen in a thousand years, opportunities like these usually fall right into its lap.]

[It urgently wants you to agree to go explore the Marketplace.]

Gu Chengming shot a strange look at the System Panel.

Sure enough.

This Divine Person's Cultivation Method had come up with another Divine Person idea.

But...

Since it wanted to go so badly, could he use that?

The so-called GAL Master found it hard to craft a perfect strategy plan without understanding the other party's personality.

But now, he had thoroughly figured out the temper of this Hundred Bones Hum.

The so-called ■-point protagonist's favorite things weren't just a few things?

Picking up bargains at auctions, an old man in a ring, getting ambushed for robbery and turning the tables to get rich.

And after seeing Hundred Bones Hum's thoughts, a plan quickly formed in Gu Chengming's mind.

So, Gu Chengming swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.

He set down his teacup, cupped his hands toward Jiang Lu, and a warm smile spread across his face:

"Since Junior Brother so warmly invites me, I'd be rude to refuse. To be honest, I am quite interested in places like this and have always wanted to see them for myself. I'll trouble Junior Brother Jiang to lead the way."

Jiang Lu was overjoyed and quickly stood up: "Senior Brother Gu is too kind. Please!"

The two left the small courtyard and walked along the mountain path toward the Marketplace.

Along the way, Jiang Lu proved quite talkative, sharing many interesting anecdotes and tidbits from within the sect with Gu Chengming.

As they walked, Jiang Lu seemed to remember something and lowered his voice: "By the way, Senior Brother Gu, have you heard about a strange matter recently?"

"What strange matter?" Gu Chengming asked casually.

"It's about a very odd Cultivation Method that's been circulating among us Outer Sect Disciples, and even some Inner Sect Disciples lately."

Jiang Lu said mysteriously, "I hear this method is quite miraculous—no requirements at all, anyone can practice it. And the weirdest part is, the more people who cultivate it, the stronger the method becomes, and the more benefits everyone gets."

"They say quite a few Senior Brothers who were stuck at bottlenecks for years inexplicably broke through after practicing this method."

Gu Chengming's brow furrowed slightly at this.

Extremely low threshold? Stronger with more people?

That sounded an awful lot like... a pyramid scheme?

A subtle sense of unease instinctively arose in his heart.

In the Immortal Realm, there was never such a thing as a free lunch. Behind seemingly beautiful shortcuts like this, there were often huge pitfalls lurking.

Could this be some Evil Cultivator's trick to harvest the Essence, Qi, and Spirit of disciples?

But then, he thought again.

If this news had already reached Jiang Lu's ears, it meant it had already spread throughout the sect.

Although the Wenjian Sect wasn't as strict with its disciples as some hidden sects, it was by no means a den of iniquity.

The elders in the sect were all sharp as tacks. If this were really some Evil Cultivator's scheme, they would have crushed it with a single slap long ago. How could it still be circulating?

Since the elders hadn't intervened, it meant this thing was at least harmless on the surface?

"Oh? Is that so?" Gu Chengming responded with feigned surprise. "That is interesting."

As they talked, the two had already crossed a mountain peak.

In the valley ahead, the clamor of voices came rushing toward them on the Mountain Wind.

The once-secluded valley had now been transformed into a huge market.

Hundreds of simple stalls lined both sides of the valley, stretching out of sight.

The stalls displayed a dazzling array of items—some emitting faint spiritual light, others plain and unadorned.

Disciples in robes of various colors wove through the crowd, the sounds of haggling, hawking, and even quarrels over goods intertwining into a vivid tableau of the mortal world's bustle—a painting of the cultivation life steeped in Mortal World Qi.

This was the disciple market of the Wenjian Sect.

Chapter 29: Twenty-Eighth Chapter—The So-Called Kill and Seize the Treasure...

Jiang Lu led Gu Chengming through the bustling throng.

"Senior Brother Gu, most of the stalls here are set up by Outer Sect Disciples. The goods are a mixed bag, but they're cheap. Those slightly more refined sheds over there belong to Inner Sect senior brothers—better stuff, but the price is steep too."

As they walked, Jiang Lu smoothly explained the market's layout.

Gu Chengming gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping casually over the stalls on either side.

To be honest, there were actually quite a few body-tempering resources here.

Things like Tiger Bone Powder, Bear Gall Wine, and even the refined blood of some low-tier demon beasts were being hawked by vendors.

But his purpose here today wasn't really about buying.

Shopping was secondary; the real goal was to grind favorability with Hundred Bones Hum.

Since he was the focal point of the story, what better trope to hit Hundred Bones Hum with than a "Market Bargain"?

With that thought, Gu Chengming didn't rush to act. Instead, like a true connoisseur, he wandered from stall to stall, pausing now and then—picking up a piece of ore to examine, leaning in to sniff a spirit herb.

But reality was often harsher than fiction.

Most of the goods at these disciple market stalls were ordinary, and they were basically priced clearly.

Everyone was a fellow disciple from the same sect, seeing each other day in and day out. No one wanted to ruin their reputation by cheating or swindling.

The kind of foolish stall owner who sold divine artifacts as scrap, or the unscrupulous merchant who peddled scrap as divine artifacts—they practically didn't exist here.

That didn't stop Gu Chengming from "creating" a miracle, though.

He stopped in front of a stall specializing in herbs.

The stall owner was a young man who looked quite honest. Seeing Gu Chengming pause, he immediately greeted him warmly:

"Good eye, Senior Brother! Take a look—these are all fresh herbs just picked from the Back Mountain. This is Hemostatic Vine, this is Mind Calming Flower, and this..."

He pointed to a pile of green plants in the corner of the stall that looked no different from weeds.

"This is Blood Activating Grass, a basic material for refining low-grade healing pills. Plenty in stock, good value for the price."

Gu Chengming's eyes flickered.

He didn't bother looking at the spirit herbs displayed prominently. Instead, he reached out directly and picked up that unremarkable bundle of Blood Activating Grass.

His movements were crisp and decisive, as if he'd already locked onto his target.

"This bundle—how much?"

The stall owner was taken aback for a moment, then gestured with his hand: "Two Spirit Stones."

The price was perfectly fair, even a bit cheap.

After all, while Blood Activating Grass was common, gathering it still took considerable effort.

Without a word, Gu Chengming tossed two Spirit Stones to the stall owner, stashed the bundle of herbs into his Storage Bag, and turned to leave.

The whole process was smooth and fluid, without a hint of hesitation.

[Hundred Bones Hum was puzzled.]

[It stared at the bundle of green grass in the Storage Bag, wondering why Gu Chengming would buy such low-grade herbs.]

[The stall owner had just said it was the most basic Blood Activating Grass, the kind that grew all over the mountains. Though it didn't understand herbalism, even from the rock-bottom price of two Spirit Stones, it was clear this was no rare heavenly treasure.]

Gu Chengming ignored the confusion in his mind.

He hurried through the crowd until he reached a relatively secluded corner. After confirming no one was paying attention to him, he finally stopped.

He glanced around, then lowered his head to look at the Storage Bag in his hand. A barely suppressed joy curled at the corners of his mouth, and he muttered to himself in a trembling voice, barely audible:

"Jackpot..."

"I can't believe I actually ran into this."

"It's an immature Dragon Blood Grass... Though it looks exactly like Blood Activating Grass on the outside, the faint golden veins hidden in the leaf veins can't fool me."

"This is a third-grade herb, the main ingredient for refining the Dragon Blood Body Forging Pill. At an auction house outside, it would sell for at least several hundred Spirit Stones... And I got it for just two."

[Hundred Bones Hum was stunned.]

[It instinctively wanted to argue, to say it was impossible. After all, it had watched with its own eyes as the stall owner sold that grass with a look of disdain.]

[But seeing Gu Chengming so excited his hands were trembling, yet desperately holding back from making a scene...]

[And then thinking about its own "Child of Destiny" setting, it inexplicably gained a bit more trust.]

[Could he really have stumbled onto a bargain?]

At the same time, Gu Chengming's earlier series of seemingly inexplicable actions now found an explanation in Hundred Bones Hum's eyes.

[No wonder he didn't even glance at those flashy spirit herbs and went straight for that bundle of weeds!]

[No wonder he paid so readily, didn't even haggle, just took the goods and left!]

[So this kid not only knows how to recognize rare treasures, but also deeply understands the principle of not flaunting one's wealth, and knows to hide his brilliance!]

[As expected of its Golden Finger, truly blessed with great fortune, great Karma, and great wisdom!]

[Hundred Bones Hum Favorability +5]

Hearing the system notification, Gu Chengming smirked inwardly.

In reality, this was the heartland of the Wenjian Sect, orderly and strictly governed by law.

Even if he had just bought a bundle of Blood Activating Grass for two spirit stones, or even if he paraded around holding a Top-grade Spirit Stone for all to see, at worst he'd draw a crowd of onlookers and envy—no one would dare rob him in broad daylight.

This so-called "danger lurking everywhere" was entirely a persecution complex the Cultivation Method had imagined on its own.

But that didn't stop Gu Chengming from playing along.

Matching Hundred Bones Hum's anxious mood, he solemnly tucked the Storage Bag close to his body, then tugged at Jiang Lu beside him and said in a low voice:

"Junior Brother, this place is not safe to linger. We should leave quickly."

Jiang Lu looked baffled:

"Huh? Senior Brother Gu, we just got here... why isn't it safe to stay?"

Gu Chengming didn't explain, only gave him a look that said, "You wouldn't understand, but this is serious."

[For some reason, Hundred Bones Hum is starting to get nervous.]

[It strongly agrees with your statement.]

[The innocent man bears guilt only because he hoards jade! Though your bargain-hunting was discreet, it's hard to guarantee no sharp-eyed expert noticed.]

[This place is crowded and chaotic—there may be mortal danger!]