The cultivators' conversations ranged far and wide, from hunting demon beasts to chasing after women.
Han Changming was new to the place and curious about everything. He listened with great interest.
"Fatty Han, you're staring at me again. Do you really think I wouldn't dare gouge out your eyes?" a furious woman's voice suddenly rang out.
Hearing the woman's voice, Han Changjiong acted like a mouse seeing a cat. He quickly looked away and chatted with Han Changming over tea.
"Seventh Brother, did you offend someone?" Han Changming asked quietly.
"A graceful woman is a fine match for a gentleman. Beautiful things deserve to be appreciated, Ninth Brother. You need to learn how to appreciate beauty." Han Changjiong patted Han Changming on the shoulder and said with a grin.
Han Changming didn't know whether to laugh or cry. You stared at a young female cultivator with a lecherous look on your face. Of course you offended someone.
A flurry of hurried footsteps sounded, and two young women strode over.
A girl in a red dress and a girl in a green dress came toward them. The red-dressed girl wore an angry expression.
Seeing the two women, a flicker of surprise crossed Han Changming's eyes.
He had bumped into the girl in red earlier. He hadn't expected to run into her again so soon.
"Fairy Ye, what a coincidence! Sit down and have some tea with us. It's my treat." Han Changjiong smiled sincerely and spoke warmly.
The girl in red glanced at Han Changming, then gave a cold laugh. "They say birds of a feather flock together. So you're from the same clan after all. Fatty Han, were you staring at me just now?"
"Fairy Ye, you can't slander me. Do I look like that kind of person?" Han Changjiong asked with a smile.
"Elder Sister, it's nothing serious. Don't hold it against Fellow Daoist Han." The girl in green tugged at the girl in red.
The girl in red glared fiercely at Han Changjiong and said bluntly, "Fatty Han, if you keep acting like a lecher, don't blame me for what I do to you."
With that, the girl in red left with the girl in green.
Han Changjiong watched the girl in red walk away, practically drooling.
"Seventh Brother, do you know them?" Han Changming asked curiously.
"Mm. They're the twin beauties of the Ye Family on Flying Swallow Island. The one in red is Ye Yufeng, and the one in green is Ye Yuyan. Ye Yufeng is famous for her fiery temper—her nickname is Little Pepper. You're not allowed to compete with me for her." Han Changjiong wore a lecherous expression.
Han Changming thought about it. He had never heard of Flying Swallow Island.
That was hardly surprising. The Red Algae Sea had tens of thousands of islands and countless cultivation families. It was only natural that he hadn't heard of Flying Swallow Island.
"Flying Swallow Island is a hundred thousand li from our HLD. It's normal that you've never heard of it. Just remember that Ye Yufeng is a little pepper, and don't provoke her," Han Changjiong explained.
Han Changming smiled wryly to himself. You tell me not to provoke her, yet you're the one provoking her.
A short while later, they left the teahouse.
Han Changjiong took Han Changming out for a stroll. When they passed a noodle shop, he led Han Changming inside, and they each ate a large bowl. Then, when they passed a bun shop, Han Changjiong bought some buns and ate as they walked.
All the food was made from spirit materials and contained spiritual energy. Regularly eating it benefited cultivators' cultivation.
Before long, they arrived at a spacious bluestone plaza dotted with countless stalls.
Most of the vendors were rogue cultivators. Their wares were a motley assortment: common cultivation items like magical artifacts, talismans, pills, and Formation Disks, along with all sorts of strange curiosities. There were spirit flowers that released foul odors, spirit fish that could fly, and shells that could replay sounds. The dazzling variety made one's eyes swim.
Han Changjiong carried two paper bags full of buns. As he walked, he stuffed them into his mouth, chewing nonstop.
Han Changming followed behind him, curiously examining the goods on the stalls.
He saw plenty of strange items, but he didn't buy any. Good steel had to be used on the blade's edge, and earning spirit stones wasn't easy.
Han Changming suddenly quickened his pace and tugged at Han Changjiong. He sent him an excited voice transmission. "Seventh Brother, look at the stall on my left. There are several five-year-old Green Sun Grasses being sold as Green Moon Grass. The names differ by only one character, but Green Sun Grass is much more valuable."
Green Moon Grass was feed for herbivorous spirit beasts. It was easy to care for, could grow in a wide range of conditions, and was relatively cheap. Green Sun Grass, on the other hand, was a material for refining first-tier mid-grade talisman paper. The two looked quite similar, but Green Moon Grass had broader leaves and a well-developed root system, while Green Sun Grass had smaller leaves and fewer roots.
Han Changming was a talisman maker, so he was quite familiar with the materials used to refine first-tier blank talisman paper.
Han Changjiong looked toward the stall Han Changming had pointed out. It was covered with low-tier spirit herbs, each with a tag listing its name and price. The stall owner was a kindly-looking old man in a blue robe.
"Take a careful look at those Green Sun Grasses. Check their smell, especially their leaves and roots, and see whether they show signs of tampering. Finding a bargain isn't that easy," Han Changjiong said through a voice transmission.
Han Changming crouched down and casually picked up two spirit herbs to examine. Then, acting nonchalant, he picked up a small green plant and held it beneath his nose. He smelled nothing unusual, so he carefully examined its leaves and roots.
He frowned and set the plant down.
The roots were especially sparse, so it did look like Green Sun Grass. But its leaves had been trimmed. It was clearly a fake.
"Little friend, have you taken a fancy to these Green Moon Grasses? We can discuss the price," the old man in blue robes said warmly.
Han Changming was about to expose the old man's fraud when Han Changjiong cut in first. "No, thanks. We'd like to look around some more. We'll come back to buy them later."
"Seventh Brother, how did you know the Green Sun Grass was fake?" Han Changming asked curiously once they had walked away.
If Han Changjiong hadn't warned him, he would never have spotted the fake.
"He's lived for decades. How could he not tell Green Sun Grass from Green Moon Grass? He's just trying to fool greenhorns like you, who haven't seen much of the world. Finding bargains isn't that easy. You can spot problems with fake spirit herbs if you examine them carefully, but some people even specially refine so-called fragments of magical treasures to scam others. They cost only a few dozen spirit stones to make, then sell for over a hundred.
"Half a year ago, a young man from a small family was swindled out of more than a hundred spirit stones. By the time he realized he'd been cheated, the swindler had vanished. Don't get your hopes up about finding bargains. Keep a level head. If you'd bought those Green Moon Grasses just now, you would've lost at least a few dozen spirit stones—enough to buy a lot of buns. You still have plenty to learn. Think twice before you do anything." Han Changjiong spoke earnestly and stuffed a bun into his mouth.
Han Changming nodded. After what had just happened, he realized he really was inexperienced and needed to learn more from Han Changjiong.
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