The State of the Cultivation World

With Zhou Yan's impressive display of skill at Zhao Family Market, his reputation finally began to spread.

Although few people knew of him yet, it was a good start.

Furthermore, the men at the police station all learned that Ma Yan had such a powerful brother-in-law. The looks they cast toward Ma Yan were filled with a few more degrees of awe, making Ma Yan feel as if a basin of cool water had been poured over him in the height of summer; his mood was nothing short of refreshing.

Even though everyone knew that the great merit at Zhao Family Market actually belonged to Zhou Yan, not Ma Yan.

That did not hinder the praise from superiors, the envy of colleagues, and the admiration of subordinates that followed the completion of the mission.

After all, not everyone had such a formidable relative.

This could also be considered a kind of talent!

While Ma Yan was riding high, Zhou Yan was practicing as usual, without the slightest slack or the least bit of arrogance.

Three years of life at the bottom, two lifetimes of memories.

Combining these two, after Zhou Yan weathered the initial grinding, he gradually became well-rounded.

Not just his body, but his mind as well...

Soon, a fellow practitioner came to pay a visit.

"This is Master Jin Mantang."

Ma Yan spoke to introduce him to Zhou Yan, signaling with his eyes.

Zhou Yan nodded slightly, looking at the chubby middle-aged man before him. His face was full of smiles, and even the clothes he wore were embroidered with large gold ingots; he looked tacky to the extreme.

However, Zhou Yan did not dare to underestimate the other party, because his powerful soul faintly sensed a threat from him.

Moreover, daring to easily visit the home of an unfamiliar practitioner indeed required great courage.

Either that, or he had sufficient confidence in himself.

Before Zhou Yan could speak, Jin Mantang already said with a smile, "Haha, forgive me, forgive me. I heard that Detective Ma is a relative of yours, so I had the thick skin to ask Detective Ma to introduce us. I hope you won't take offense, Fellow Daoist!"

"What are you saying, Fellow Daoist? I have only just entered this path and am in need of a guide; please, take a seat," Zhou Yan said very politely.

His words were not mere pleasantries; he truly wanted to get to know a fellow practitioner so he could better understand the state of cultivation in Shen City.

After they were seated, Jin Mantang spoke first: "Not at all. Fellow Daoist Zhou first dealt with the zombie at the Li Residence, then slew a water ghost, and even avenged two fellow practitioners at the Dong Mansion; your reputation has long since spread."

"Coincidentally, after the corpse-slaying at Zhao Family Market, I heard of your great name, which is why I have come to visit with such thick skin..."

Zhou Yan's heart stirred.

The other party knew so much about his affairs; it seemed he had indeed come prepared.

He just didn't know if the other party was here for a simple visit or if there was another motive.

However, Jin Mantang soon stated his purpose.

"I hope you won't laugh at me, Fellow Daoist. I have come this time, firstly, to pay you a visit, and secondly, I heard that in order to avenge the Li and Zhao fellow practitioners, you slew the mastermind behind the scenes. I figured you must have some items you don't need, so I came to do some business and trade what we have for what we lack..."

He was not evasive at all, even appearing somewhat proud of it.

Zhou Yan looked at the clothes on his body and seemed to understand.

Some people are born to do business.

Even after becoming practitioners, this remains true.

Regarding this, Zhou Yan did not mind.

"Oh, that is no problem at all. I do indeed have some items in my possession; your coming here is a great help to me..."

Zhou Yan offered a few flattering words before asking the question that had been on his mind: "Fellow Daoist Jin, is there really no place for such transactions in Shen City, requiring you to go through such trouble?"

Upon hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on Jin Mantang's face: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, you are asking about a trading market, or perhaps a black market, right?"

Zhou Yan had not expected Jin Mantang to be so blunt, so he nodded immediately.

Jin Mantang sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but while such places do exist, they are all monopolized by prestigious sects. Ordinary factions simply cannot afford to run them. Because those large sects possess blessed lands and grotto-heavens, they are the primary sources of resources..."

"Beyond that, the Imperial Capital has the largest trading market, which is jointly operated by over a dozen major sects..."

"As for Shen City, this place only rose to prominence in the last few decades; it was originally just a seaside fishing village..."

"Over these decades, Shen City has developed and grown rapidly, attracting eccentric people and scholars from all over. Coupled with the foreigners, it is a place where all kinds of people mingle, which has resulted in it being completely overlooked by those large sects..."

"The existence of every cultivation market requires decades or even a century to establish; the foundation here in Shen City is too shallow..."

"..."

Only then did Zhou Yan realize that the environment for cultivation was even more severe than he had imagined.

In the entire Shen City, let alone a formal cultivation market, there wasn't even a black market.

It was precisely because of this that people like Jin Mantang, these semi-itinerant merchants, were born.

There were several others like Jin Mantang in Shen City, and they basically had their own territories divided up.

However, the man was very cautious; he must have observed and inquired for a long time before using Ma Yan to gain entry.

Zhou Yan sighed inwardly and looked at Jin Mantang, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist Jin. I have some items here; take a look."

He took out almost everything he had obtained, though they were merely inferior magical artifacts.

Jin Mantang did not mind at all; he examined those artifacts carefully, continuously pointing out their pros and cons before finally naming a price.

The total came out slightly higher than Zhou Yan had estimated, which caught him a little by surprise.

Originally, Zhou Yan had been prepared to be taken advantage of, viewing the difference as a fee for the information provided.

It seemed now that although Jin Mantang looked unremarkable on the outside, his mind was exceptionally sharp.

"The Lamp Lighting Method and the Starfire Method—are you selling these two cultivation manuals as well, Fellow Daoist?" Upon seeing the two manuals, Jin Mantang was momentarily startled, looking at Zhou Yan with an expression of disbelief.

Zhou Yan frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "I already have a lineage, and these two manuals do not suit me, so naturally, I am selling them."

Jin Mantang sighed softly, "Fellow Daoist Zhou is truly magnanimous."

Zhou Yan asked for the reason, only to learn that the manuals he looked down upon were, to most other mages, legacies that were hard to come by.

It was fine for those mages who had established themselves in the city; even if they lacked an orthodox lineage, they usually possessed some niche teachings. If all else failed, they would at least know some heterodox arts like the Luban Arts, Yin Mountain Arts, Shaman Arts, or those from the Henan Sect.

Although these arts were even less reputable than side-door paths, they were still heterodox techniques with considerable power.

The worst off were those shamanesses who only knew a trick or two of the Eye-Dazzling Technique, Confusion Technique, or Veiling Technique; they could only scrape by in the countryside, living a life of feast and famine.