Market Sightings

The Trading Market, located in the north square of Qingyang Town, was jointly organized by several large merchants of the town.

All sorts of goods were sold there, and its immense popularity made it one of the most distinctive landmarks in Qingyang Town.

Within the Trading Market, there were businesses owned by various factions, as well as stalls set up by many cultivators. It was a place where all kinds of people mingled, and it held a great reputation for a hundred miles around.

However, because there was profit to be made, the various factions tacitly allowed its existence, and over time, a balance was formed.

When Lin Yiqing and Lin Yun arrived at the scene, they saw the market packed with a dense crowd, the air filled with a deafening roar of voices.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but click his tongue; it was indeed the largest trading market for a hundred miles, and it was truly bustling.

On both sides of the straight streets, shops stood in rows, selling a dizzying array of goods. People moved in and out, creating a scene of intense activity.

Along the roadside, there were also many street stalls where people sat directly on the ground with only a straw mat in front of them, displaying the goods they wished to sell. A casual glance from Lin Yiqing revealed that several of these merchants appeared to be experts of the Earth Origin Realm.

No wonder Lin Yun said no one dares to cause trouble in this Trading Market; it truly lives up to its reputation.

After wandering around, Lin Yiqing eventually bought a few books on identifying spirit beasts and medicinal herbs, as these would be helpful for his future travels.

The dazzling array of goods in the Trading Market was enough to make one's head spin. Although the streets were quite wide, the two of them still found themselves squeezed quite uncomfortably.

Finally, the two arrived before a grand pavilion. They found a secluded corner to change into the black robes and bamboo hats they had purchased along the way, then layered on thick clothing to conceal their figures.

After wandering the streets a few more times, they finally walked up to a large black door.

A child holding gold in a busy market invites disaster; once something goes wrong, calamity follows immediately.

He could not afford to be careless. If he were to openly sell those spirit beast materials or trade valuable items, he would likely encounter bandits before even returning home.

In this Trading Market, all sorts of people from all walks of life were intermingled.

There were many people like Lin Yiqing whose identities were sensitive or whose goods were of questionable origin, making standard trading inconvenient, which led to the birth of underground exchanges.

The underground exchange Lin Yun brought Lin Yiqing to was one such place.

Judging by his familiarity, it was clear this was not his first time here.

Here, regardless of the origin of your goods, as long as you dared to sell them, you could generally offload them smoothly.

The prices were slightly lower than outside, but overall, they were still satisfactory.

Outside the black door, many people dressed similarly to Lin Yiqing and Lin Yun were entering and exiting one after another.

Lin Yiqing felt a surge of excitement; it was his first time in a place like this.

They walked through a long, dim corridor.

Lin Yiqing saw that both sides were lined with closed doors, clearly the rooms where trades took place.

Lin Yun then led Lin Yiqing into one of the half-open rooms. Inside, there was a black iron door with a small viewing window, and as soon as they entered, an aged voice drifted out.

"What are you two looking to trade?"

"Some materials from an Earth Origin Realm Green Water Snake."

After speaking, Lin Yun placed the items through the window one by one.

"The beast materials are cut very cleanly, so the value can be slightly higher. However, the Green Water Snake is too low-level, so I cannot offer much. What do you want in exchange?"

A moment later, the person behind the window asked again.

"Six Grade Three spirit herbs."

Lin Yun pondered for a moment before making his offer.

"Too high. Three at most."

The person behind the window gave their price immediately after hearing the request.

"No, at least four!" Lin Yun countered immediately.

"Three. If you don't want to trade, then please leave!"

The aged voice behind the window carried an unquestionable tone. Lin Yun stopped arguing and had no choice but to agree.

Lin Yiqing calculated silently and found the price to be fair; materials from Earth Origin Realm beasts were not rare, and furthermore, the Green Water Snake was only an entry-level beast.

"Please, help me check the value of these pills."

Seeing Lin Yun finish his trade, Lin Yiqing deliberately lowered his voice to make his naturally youthful tone sound aged, then stepped forward to pass three bottles of Body Tempering Pill through the window.

It seems I need to learn more about this in the future, he thought to himself.

A withered hand reached out from under the window and took the bottles inside. Soon, Lin Yiqing heard some clattering sounds, clearly indicating that the other party had methods for testing.

"Hm, this item is somewhat extraordinary. The medicinal potency is roughly equivalent to a Grade One or Two spirit herb, but it seems to have a significant auxiliary effect for the Body Tempering Realm. What do you want in exchange?"

Lin Yiqing understood the situation, pondered for a moment, and said, "Eight Grade Three spirit herbs!"

"Impossible. Although your pill has good auxiliary effects for the Body Tempering Realm, its potency is not very high, and it only seems useful for the early stages. How about this: four Grade Three spirit herbs!"

"At least five!" After thinking for a moment, Lin Yiqing shook his head and refused.

"Fine, rarity makes things valuable. I'll give you five!"

The other party was highly efficient, and a moment later, they passed two boxes—one large and one small—through the window.

Lin Yiqing opened them to find three green fruits the size of dragon eyes and two emerald-green vines the length of chopsticks resting inside, a faint fragrance wafting out from them.

"Third-grade spiritual herb, Azure Glaze Fruit."

"Third-grade spiritual herb, Green Thorn Vine."

Lin Yiqing took them out again, inspected them carefully, and then put them away with satisfaction before leaving the room to continue deeper into the market.

Turning a corner, his vision cleared as a sizable trading area appeared before him; this was the Underground Market.

There were quite a few people in the market, but everyone wore bamboo hats, making it impossible to see their faces. The Underground Market was far more secretive than the one above, and in turn, the items here were even less legitimate.

Lin Yiqing and Lin Yun walked through the market, their gazes sweeping constantly over the stalls. There were many good items here, and even fourth-grade spiritual herbs appeared quite often.

Gradually, the two ventured deeper. Lin Yun made a few moves to purchase several spiritual herbs, while Lin Yiqing had not yet encountered anything that interested him.

Suddenly, a strange sensation surfaced in Lin Yiqing's heart.

He looked around and discovered a piece of moss-covered ancient wood in a secluded corner of a stall; a strange power seemed to be tugging at his mind from it.

On the ancient wood, covered in moss, Lin Yiqing faintly saw some blurred runes emerging; this was the source that had stirred his mind.

Seeing this object, he couldn't help but freeze, then suddenly thought of something. His heart leaped into his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He couldn't help but lick his dry lips before steadying his mind.

Approaching the stall, he took a slight glance, then cast his gaze toward a black iron shard on the stall. Pointing at it quite casually, he asked the black-robed person behind the stall, "What is the price for this?"

Hearing this, the black-robed person replied indifferently, "Fifty Yang Yuan Stones."

Yang Yuan Stones were the commonly used currency in this world. Above them were Yang Yuan Pills, with a ratio of ten to one; ten Yang Yuan Stones could be refined into one Yang Yuan Pill. Both were also resources for cultivation.

When Lin Yiqing explored the abandoned cave dwelling of that Heaven Origin Realm expert, he had once found hundreds of Yang Yuan Pills in a Universe Bag.

"Too expensive."

Lin Yiqing shook his head; the other party was clearly asking for an exorbitant price.

The black-robed person didn't say much and simply spread his hands, leaving Lin Yiqing somewhat speechless. This attitude toward doing business was truly unique.

"How about these two items together for fifty Yang Yuan Stones?"

Seeing that the other party had nothing more to say, Lin Yiqing pretended to point at the ancient wood casually.

"These two things will be eighty Yang Yuan Stones. Take them if you want," the black-robed person replied lazily.

Lin Yiqing didn't say more. He took eight Yang Yuan Pills out of his Universe Bag and handed them to the black-robed person, simultaneously collecting the ancient wood and the black iron shard before turning to leave.

Afterward, Lin Yiqing and Lin Yun wandered for another half day before leaving the Underground Market. Once out of the exchange, they cautiously strolled through the trading market for another half day, and only after confirming there were no little tails behind them did they hurry away.