Trade District, Foreign-Race Merchants

Ron nodded silently. In this world where supernatural powers were widespread, even the most inconspicuous creatures might possess unexpected abilities.

"Lizard Alley. As the name suggests, it was originally called that because many Lizardman merchants gathered there."

Andre explained as he led the way:

"Lizardmen have a talent for trade. Their original homeland was the Southwest Swamp, but as human territory expanded, some of the foreign races living along the borders were forced to migrate. Back then, a group of Lizardman merchants discovered that the environment near the Black Mist Forest suited their survival, and that the management here was sufficiently lax. So they settled down and began conducting small-scale trade."

He used his hand to push aside a particularly dense cluster of Mushrooms, revealing a clearer path:

"But now it has become a trading district where all kinds of races mix together. You can find almost anything there."

"One more thing." He suddenly stopped and turned to face Ron, his expression becoming unusually solemn.

"The merchants of Lizard Alley are known for their cunning. They especially enjoy playing little tricks on outsiders. Using fake goods to test customers, like Otto did, is only the most basic trick. There are plenty more schemes waiting for you."

"I understand." Ron nodded, and a confident smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"You saw my ability to identify whether medicinal herbs were genuine just now, so there's no need to worry too much about me being deceived. Besides, after advancing to Primary Apprentice, my perception has improved as well. That should be enough to deal with most fraudulent tricks."

"I hope so."

Andre sighed, his expression turning complicated. He had always been extremely envious of his companion's advancement and talent in Potions.

"Although it's difficult to distinguish the good from the bad and the genuine from the fake here, there's much more room for negotiation than at the School's market when it comes to prices. Since you have such good identification skills, we can buy more ordinary materials and bring them back while we're at it."

After passing through a lifeless forest of dead trees, they heard brittle branches snapping beneath their feet, while an air of decay drifted through the atmosphere.

A narrow stone-paved road suddenly appeared ahead. Completely different from the disorderly paths before, it was smooth and orderly.

Strange-shaped stone pillars stood on both sides of the road. Each one was carved with a totem depicting a multi-headed dragon. Some had been blurred by wind and rain, but the ferocious dragon heads could still be recognized.

"We're here." Andre lowered his voice. "This is the entrance to Lizard Alley."

Ron could sense that this place was completely different from the Sunset Tavern—the air was filled with much more chaotic fluctuations of magic.

Traces of various energies intertwined disorderly, forming an unsettling atmosphere.

It was a mixture of the auras of several different supernatural systems and foreign bloodlines. There was no discernible pattern, yet somehow they maintained a fragile balance.

The moment he stepped onto the stone road, Ron felt a faint sting travel up from the soles of his feet, as if something were scanning his body.

He instinctively grew alert, but Andre's expression remained calm. Apparently, this was merely some kind of routine inspection.

"Don't be nervous. The defensive mechanism at the entrance is only checking whether we're carrying any supernatural items capable of large-scale destruction."

Andre explained softly, "They don't place many restrictions on personal weapons, but they don't allow anyone to bring in powerful Alchemy Explosives that could endanger the entire market."

Ron breathed a sigh of relief and continued forward.

After passing through a simple archway formed by the stone pillars, the sight before them was astonishing.

This was hardly a "lane." It was clearly a narrow but extremely long street, with all kinds of temporary stalls and crude shops packed densely along both sides.

Unlike the hidden nature of the Sunset Tavern, all trade here was conducted openly. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, arguing, laughing, cursing, and shouting blended together into a unique symphony.

All kinds of bizarre creatures moved through the streets. There were Lizardmen with scaly skin, varying in size but all dressed in brightly colored cloth, their metal ornaments jingling as they walked;

There were short Goblins with pointed ears, their eyes constantly darting about as if determining which passersby were suitable targets for theft;

There were even several three-meter-tall trolls, hunched over as they cautiously avoided the low ceilings, their rough skin covered in tribal tattoos.

There were quite a few humans as well, but most looked like exiles or adventurers. Their clothes were worn, and their expressions wary, forming a stark contrast with the pampered apprentices of the School.

"Pay attention to those markings." Andre pointed at the special symbols hanging above certain stalls.

"Red triangles represent supernatural materials, blue circles are weapons and equipment, and yellow squares indicate all kinds of rare and unusual items. We're mainly interested in the stalls with red triangles."

The two of them slowly proceeded along Lizard Alley, stopping from time to time to inspect stalls bearing red triangle signs.

Most of the stalls displayed common medicinal herbs—Snake-tooth Grass, Evening Primrose, Silver Light Mushroom, and so on.

They occasionally saw somewhat rarer items, such as Dragon-Beard Grass or Fire Crystal Orchid, but the rare materials on Mrs. Allen's list were nowhere to be found.

After passing through a narrow alley, Ron carefully avoided the garbage and unknown liquids scattered across the ground.

The air was filled with a strange stench composed of herbs, rotting flesh, and the body odor of foreign races.

"Look, over there."

Andre pointed toward a crude tent made of animal hide. In front of it, a short, green-skinned Goblin was fiddling with various bottles and jars.

"That Goblin is an alchemist. His skill is mediocre, but his collection of materials is quite comprehensive, especially the supplies needed for Knight cultivation."

They approached the tent, and the Goblin immediately raised his head. A shrewd light flickered in his pair of yellow-brown eyes.

"Well, well, rare guests! What treasures are you little brothers looking for?" the Goblin asked in Common with a heavy accent, revealing a mouthful of sharp yellow teeth.

"We need some materials for making Blood-Qi Potions."

Ron spoke calmly, but his eyes sharply scanned the various goods inside the tent.

"The roots and stems of Fire Crystal Orchid, Red Iron Grass, and Dragon Blood Leaf, if you have them."

The Goblin's eyes lit up. "Oh? A young bloodline cultivator? That's quite rare around here."

He burrowed into the depths of the tent and rummaged around for a while before taking out several small cloth pouches and glass bottles. "They're all here. Excellent quality, fair prices."

Ron carefully inspected the materials with the aid of Herb Identification.

The roots and stems of the Fire Crystal Orchid were faintly glowing red, precisely the mark of superior quality;

The edges of the Red Iron Grass leaves bore fine, sawtooth-like structures that felt intensely sharp to the touch;

And the Dragon Blood Tree leaves inside the small glass bottles were a deep, dark red, seemingly retaining a trace of vitality.

"Not bad. These materials are all very fresh, and their quality is quite good." Ron nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "How much?"