Ghost Market

"Qingxuan also said that thanks to you practicing swordsmanship with her, her swordsmanship improved so quickly," Fu Jingwen continued.

Brother Qin is a good man. If Qingxuan and Brother Qin get together, then I won't have to be pushed together with Qingxuan anymore. All I have in my heart is seeking the Dao and refining pills. Marriage and children are nowhere within my considerations, Fu Jingwen thought to himself.

"Ha ha, I benefited greatly as well," Qin Huaian said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, helping each other is good!" Fu Jingwen laughed as well.

Beside them, Lin Zhenglan sighed inwardly. It seemed his eldest brother's wish would be difficult to fulfill. Fu Jingwen had followed him for so long that he could see it clearly now—Jingwen only had cultivation and pill refinement in his heart.

The three of them harbored their own thoughts. Qin Huaian bid the two farewell and returned to his cave abode.

Three days later, Qin Huaian headed out early and followed the map toward the West City Ghost Market.

By the time Qin Huaian arrived, the plaza before the Ghost Market was already crowded with cultivators.

The Ghost Market of West City was an enormous building, with large plazas both before and behind it. Facing the front plaza were no fewer than twenty entrances lined up in a row.

So many people entered the Ghost Market without any disguise beforehand. How were they supposed to hide their identities?

Puzzled, Qin Huaian chose an entrance and went in.

"The entry fee is three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. If you wish to set up a stall, you must pay the corresponding stall fee after entering and finding a spot," the attendant at the entrance said upon seeing Qin Huaian enter.

Damn! This is daylight robbery! The entrance fee alone is three hundred Spirit Stones, and there's another stall fee on top of that. The Yellow Mountain Sword Sect makes money far too quickly this way.

But then he thought again. He was also a disciple of the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect, and all those generous benefits came from somewhere. Fine, then there was nothing to complain about.

After paying three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, the attendant gave Qin Huaian a mask and a robe.

Qin Huaian put on the mask and slipped into the robe before walking inside. Beyond the entrance was not a trading hall, but twisting narrow passageways divided by walls, with countless forks like a maze.

Qin Huaian casually chose a path and walked onward. After passing through several forks, he entered the trading hall.

He immediately understood. Even if someone saw which entrance you had used, once you passed through all those branching paths into the hall, you would be completely mixed into the crowd of people dressed identically.

The trading hall was enormous and already packed with people. Some had set up stalls, while others browsed and selected goods before the various stalls. Everyone wore the same masks and robes, making it impossible to discern their cultivation or aura.

Qin Huaian found a stall and prepared to set up. At that moment, two attendants approached. Neither wore masks. "Hello, the fee for this stall is three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Qin Huaian took out another three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and handed them to the attendants. If he failed to sell anything, he would suffer a massive loss.

The stall consisted of a long stone table more than three feet in length. It was a small stall, but Qin Huaian did not need anything larger.

Qin Huaian placed five small jade bottles on the stone table. The bottles were labeled Breakthrough Essence Pills, with one pill in each bottle.

"Fellow Daoist, are these really Breakthrough Essence Pills?" A cultivator came up and asked as soon as he set them down.

"They are indeed Breakthrough Essence Pills," Qin Huaian replied.

Qin Huaian discovered that after putting on this mask, even his voice had changed.

More cultivators gathered around. Breakthrough Essence Pills were highly sought after; at the Lin Family Pill Shop, they even had to be reserved in advance through a queue.

"Fellow Daoist, how much are these Breakthrough Essence Pills?"

"Thirteen thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones each. If you have Essence-Breaking Herbs to sell me, you will be given priority to purchase Breakthrough Essence Pills. I will buy Essence-Breaking Herbs for three thousand Spirit Stones each."

The Breakthrough Essence Pills sold in ordinary shops generally ranged from twelve thousand to fifteen thousand Spirit Stones. His price of thirteen thousand was not expensive, and more importantly, he had them in stock.

"Fellow Daoist, can you wait for me? I need to gather enough Spirit Stones," the cultivator who had asked the price earlier said.

"Then you'd best be quick, Fellow Daoist. First come, first served," Qin Huaian said.

By now, a crowd had gathered around the stall. One cultivator squeezed in and said, "Fellow Daoist, I want one."

As he spoke, he took out one hundred and thirty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and handed them over.

"Very well. Please keep it safe, Fellow Daoist." Qin Huaian accepted the Spirit Stones and handed him a bottle of Breakthrough Essence Pills.

That cultivator quickly accepted it, took out the pill and sniffed it, then put it into his storage pouch and hurried out of the trading hall.

"I want one too," said a cultivator standing farther back.

"Fellow Daoist, I have an Essence-Breaking Herb. I want one," another cultivator said hurriedly, taking out an Essence-Breaking Herb as he spoke.

"Good. This Fellow Daoist has an Essence-Breaking Herb, so he has priority to purchase." Qin Huaian accepted the herb and examined it. "Fellow Daoist, you only need to add another ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

That cultivator took out another ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones and placed them on Qin Huaian's stall. He then accepted a bottle of Breakthrough Essence Pills and left.

Soon, two more cultivators bought two bottles of Breakthrough Essence Pills with Essence-Breaking Herbs.

Seeing that only the last bottle remained, the cultivator who had first asked the price gave up on going out to gather Spirit Stones. He knew that even if he left now, it would be too late.

"Fellow Daoist, when will you come here again to sell Breakthrough Essence Pills?" he asked.

"I can't say. These are refined by my master; I only came to sell them on my master's behalf. As for when I'll come again, that depends on when my master has time to refine more. Of course, we also need to be able to acquire Essence-Breaking Herbs before they can be refined," Qin Huaian said.

"Very well, I'll take my leave." Knowing there was no hope this time, the cultivator did not linger and turned to browse the other stalls.

Before long, another cultivator bought the final Breakthrough Essence Pill with one hundred and thirty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, Qin Huaian had sold all five Breakthrough Essence Pills.

"The Breakthrough Essence Pills are sold out this time. Thank you, everyone! If any of you have Essence-Breaking Herbs to sell separately, I'll buy them for three thousand Spirit Stones each." Qin Huaian cupped his fists toward the crowd.

Qin Huaian had not expected to sell all the pills so smoothly. He wondered whether he could still acquire any Essence-Breaking Herbs. He took out a wooden sign from his storage pouch and wrote on it: "Buying Essence-Breaking Herbs, three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones per plant."

Since he had already paid the stall fee, he intended to wait a little longer and try his luck.

Seeing that the Breakthrough Essence Pills had sold out, the crowd soon dispersed to other stalls.

Qin Huaian waited all morning and acquired one more Essence-Breaking Herb. It seemed these herbs truly were difficult to find.

Still, he was already quite satisfied. In total, he had acquired four Essence-Breaking Herbs.

At noon, Qin Huaian put away the wooden sign. He did not intend to wait any longer. Without browsing any other stalls, he headed straight for the exit.

The exit was much like the entrance, also densely packed with small branching paths. Qin Huaian randomly chose several turns, and after confirming that no one was following him, he reached the exit and removed his mask and robe.

The Ghost Market's exit corresponded to the rear plaza, opposite the front plaza. Once you left the Ghost Market, outsiders only knew that you had entered it; they had no idea whether you had bought or sold anything inside.

Its secrecy was fairly good. Of course, it was well concealed for low-level cultivators like them, but he did not know whether high-level cultivators could see through it, nor did he know whether the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's attendants could identify those inside.

But those high-level cultivators or the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect probably would not deign to concern themselves with transactions of this level, much less murder and treasure-snatching.

This time, he had earned quite a few Spirit Stones. He would first digest the gains from this trip, then return to continue selling. Qin Huaian thought as he walked back toward his cave abode.