Taichang Once More, Secret Intelligence

The crimson sun hangs high in the sky, illuminating a cloudless expanse.

A Spirit Boat sped from west to east, heading towards Taichang Commandery.

The Spirit Boat's emerald sails were hoisted high, and the Spirit Patterns on them kept flashing, forming a light white spiritual shield. This made the Spirit Boat look like a white cloud in the sky, making it difficult to distinguish.

Even a Qi Refining cultivator using their Divine Sense cannot distinguish them without careful observation.

Of course, this also consumes more Spiritual Qi, but for Ye Jingcheng, who possesses the Four-Aspect Heavenly Origin Scripture, Spiritual Qi is inherently more abundant than that of ordinary cultivators.

Furthermore, he can absorb Spiritual Qi through the Beast-Link Mark, so he doesn't need to worry about this amount of Spiritual Qi.

On the contrary, it's better to be cautious, as many people are watching him now.

They were secretly plotting against Mo Hongyuan, and perhaps he was also being plotted against.

Moreover, the speed is even faster at high altitudes. He estimated that even if they flew during the day and traveled at night, it would only take about ten days to reach Taichang Market, which was much faster than the more than half a month that he and Ye Haiyi had spent traveling day and night.

Furthermore, this spiritual shield can also prevent direct sunlight from the scorching sun. Although cultivators are not afraid of that temperature, it is still not good to be exposed to the sun.

Ye Jingcheng, Ye Jingyu, and the others landed in front of the Spirit Boat, looking at the vast sky before them, and occasionally looking down at the earth.

At this moment, the traces of the Beast Tide that had ravaged the land have disappeared, replaced by vast wilderness and endless wheat fields.

"No regrets?" Ye Jingcheng landed on the Spirit Boat, looking at his seventh sister with a faint smile.

"No regrets!" Ye Jingyu shook his head.

"I've talked to Uncle Sixteen, and he supports me in doing this. I'll always be a Spirit Plant Master. On the contrary, if I go to Taichang Market, I might be able to try my luck again!" Ye Jingyu then smiled.

She saw many elderly people in her twilight years, facing the fear of birth, aging, sickness and death, and she also saw the eager and attentive appearance in the eyes of ordinary people.

But those mortals didn't realize that the immortals they saw were only a few decades younger than them, and they too had no control over their own lives and deaths.

"If that doesn't work out, after sixty years, I can still be a good wife and mother, and become a renowned Spirit Plant Master in the Lineage."

This trip to Taichang Market is even more dangerous, so the Ye Family is offering substantial rewards to the cultivators, including 20% of the entire shop's profits to the cultivators working there.

Although Ye Jingcheng will definitely take the lion's share, the remaining amount is still considerable, and in Taichang Market, one can buy all sorts of unexpected elixirs and miraculous medicines.

The variety of Pill Formula and elixirs was far greater than in Taihang Commandery.

Some elixirs are closely guarded secrets passed down only by those Purple Mansion Lineage and Golden Core Lineage.

At the same time, every few years, the sect would also release some spiritual pills.

These include Breakthrough Pills to break through bottlenecks, Spirit Ascension Pills to enhance the cultivation of specific Spirit Roots, and Marrow Cleansing Pills, among others.

Furthermore, the Foundation Establishment auction, which takes place once every ten years, will only be held every three years now.

There are naturally more opportunities in larger markets.

Ye Jingcheng nodded and said nothing more, but he secretly hoped that his seventh sister would have more extraordinary encounters.

More than 20 years ago, Ye Jingyu also chose the same Jade Ring Rat as him.

The Spirit Boat quickly glided past countless mountains and rivers, and Ye Jingcheng remained cautious as always.

They followed the exact same route Ye Haiyi had taken them, except the Spirit Boat flew faster and was more concealed.

They rarely encountered cultivators along the way. Compared to Taichang Commandery, there were far fewer cultivators in Taihang Commandery, especially on remote and inaccessible paths.

"The last time I came here, the autumn air was crisp and clear, and the ground was covered with golden wheat!" After traversing countless mountains, Ye Jingcheng pointed to the golden veins on the ground and sighed slightly.

Taichang Commandery is indeed more flat than Taihang Commandery, suitable for grazing cattle and sheep, suitable for planting spirit wheat, and can support more people. Naturally, the proportion of people with Spirit Roots is also extremely high.

The last time he came here was seven years ago.

After crossing the vast plains, the number of cultivators around them gradually increased. From time to time, they could see some Spirit Boats being overtaken by his Spirit Boat, and some spiritual lights would flash past them.

These cultivators were all in a great hurry.

Ye Jinghao and Ye Jingyun both came out; they hadn't expected there to be so many cultivators here.

Each one was dazzling and unique; the more cultivators there were, the more opportunities there were to earn Spirit Stones.

For the group, Ye Jinghao was working to earn Spirit Stones for his son, while Ye Jingyun, Ye Jingyun, and Ye Jingyu were striving to reach the Foundation Establishment Ye Xingyi.

Among them, Ye Xingyi, a member of the Xing generation, has the greatest hope. He is also a newly promoted First-Tier Superior-Grade Alchemist. He is currently fifty-six years old and at the eighth level of Qi Refining. If he can break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining within the next three years and purchase a Foundation Establishment, he will have a chance to make a gamble.

For most cultivators, having Foundation Establishment doesn't guarantee success, especially for those whose Qi and Blood are nearing the critical point.

"That mountain range, is it the Taichang Mountain Range?" Ye Jingyu asked in shock.

At the edge of the plain, there is a mountain range that is not much different from the Taihang Mountain Range.

However, it should be noted that Taihang Commandery is full of mountains, and it looks quite different from the Taichang Mountain Range at this time.

Moreover, according to ancient records, the Taichang Mountain Range seem to be a mountain range moved by cultivators, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Five Taiyi Peaks stood majestically at the edge of the void.

The Spirit Blade is a towering peak, worthy of our utmost respect.

"Yes, the market is on the outskirts of the mountains!" Ye Jingcheng nodded in agreement.

Soon, the market entrance of Taichang Mountain appeared before everyone. It was a huge city gate, as majestic and imposing as a giant beast.

Even cultivators of the Purple Mansion would be inferior to this colossal city. Legend has it that only Golden True Person could fly over the city walls into the market, and Purple Mansion cultivators within the market, even if they flew, could not exceed four zhang (approximately 10 meters), which is exactly the height of the four-story market shops.

Even more bizarrely, behind the city walls, there was a crimson sky, incredibly red, illuminating the giant city in the valley.

At the city gate, a group of cultivators were still guarding. Ye Jingcheng was not surprised. He took out a prepared Storage Bag, handed over Spirit Stones, and exchanged them for several tokens.

"This token is your proof of entry into the market. Don't lose it, or you'll be in big trouble!" Ye Jingcheng warned the group.

Although Ye Xingyi was also present, he was ultimately the person in charge this time.

Moreover, he didn't know whether his uncle Ye Xingyi, who was the thirty-fifth in the Xing generation, had ever been to this market.

Of course, he couldn't help but recall the first time he went to Taihang Marketplace, when Ye Xingyu and Ye Xinghe gave him some advice on precautions.

Now he has become an instructor for the more senior juniors.

Moreover, these three people would record his words on Jade Slips, just like he did back then.

Upon entering the city gate, the bustling scene there exceeded their expectations; they had never seen such a prosperous market.

No wonder it was able to build a city.

The streets are lined with shops that are at least three or four stories high.

This means that every shop here is at least run by the Purple Mansion cultivator or Purple Mansion Lineage.

Even the relationships between each shop and the cultivators within the Taiyi Sect are ambiguous and difficult to define.

For example, the shops that the Ye Family and Chu Families acquired this time were found through the connections of Mingyuan from the Chu Family.

Even so, the Ye Family has to pay a rent of five thousand Spirit Stones every year, in addition to having 20% of their net profit taken from them.

Of course, if you need to bribe officials, you'll have to take another 10% of the net profit, leaving you with only 70% in the end.

Ye Jingcheng estimated that the Chu Family would still make a little more money, but there was nothing he could do, as the Ye Family currently had no good connections to find a shop.

And sharing an apartment with the Chu Family is indeed a good option so far.

Moreover, even if the Ye Family does an excellent job, it won't be that conspicuous.

Many monks also began to emerge from both sides of the street.

Seeing Ye Jingcheng's imposing aura, the cultivators' eyes flashed with a sharp light, but they concealed it well, keeping their heads down.

"Senior, do you need a guide? The entire Taichang Market has four districts: east, west, south, and north. No matter what aspect you need to understand, I can guide you."

Unsurprisingly, all the monks who ran guide businesses also came to look.

However, last time Ye Jingcheng and Ye Haiyi pretended to be Rogue Cultivators, so only one person watched.

This time, four or five people came, but a tall and thin one beat them to it.

Of course, the rest didn't leave either. Sometimes, cultivators also have some special quirks, as long as Ye Jingcheng didn't call any of them away.

They all have a chance.

Of course, they would keep their distance from Ye Jingcheng and his group in the crowd.

There won't be any abrupt disturbances.

"You can be our guide!" Ye Jingcheng suddenly stepped past the tall, thin cultivator and pointed to a female cultivator beside him.

The woman was of average height and dressed plainly; her cultivation level was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

"Thank you very much, senior. I will answer your question immediately!" The female cultivator nodded and bowed.

Ye Jingcheng also knew that half of the prosperity in this market was fake. The market token cost three Spirit Stones per month, which was deducted when leaving the market.

In addition, the cost of living in the market is not high, so many Qi Refining cultivators spend their entire lives in the market.

As for why he calls himself a female cultivator, it's quite simple: as Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be more normal for him to have a female cultivator.

After all, he was just a guide.

The other guides, though their eyes betrayed a knowing look, knew that Ye Jingcheng had a beautiful woman behind him.

They didn't dare say a word and left one after another. Ye Jingcheng was Foundation Establishment cultivator. Although they couldn't fight in the market, he was still someone they couldn't afford to offend.

"May I ask, senior, what do you need to know? Is it to guide a junior to participate in the sect competition, or to start a small business and find a suitable location?" the female cultivator asked cautiously.

"To do business here, tell me the rules of Taichang Market, what's taboo, and which places are convenient and affordable for buying treasures. Also, where is the area for Rogue Cultivators ' stalls?" Ye Jingcheng asked in one breath.

He had been to the market town before and knew it very well, but firstly, he didn't want to reveal that he had been there, and secondly, he wanted them to give a more comprehensive explanation, since seven years had passed and he would know if there was anything new.

For Ye Jingyu Ye Jingyun, things were about to get urgent.

For now, they are only remembering the rules. After a few days, once the shops have settled down, they will also have to remember the cultivators, who are the heads of the various Lineage in the market, who they cannot afford to offend, and even who the resident Purple Mansion and Golden Core cultivators are.

The female cultivator quickly began to speak fluently. Ye Jingcheng also passed by the Chu Family Market, but he did not go in immediately. Instead, he let the female cultivator explain while they learned about the market, looking at more areas and gaining a better understanding.

After all, the guides here charge at least three Spirit Stones for two days, while this female cultivator charges five Spirit Stones for two days.

Ye Jingcheng naturally wanted to know more about it.

After explaining most of the explanation, we arrived at the Rogue Cultivator Plaza.

"Senior, this is the Rogue Cultivator Plaza. There's no rent required to set up a stall here, except at the pavilion in the very center!" the Rogue Cultivator continued.

"Which storefront is better? Also, I heard that the Chu Family and the Mo Family both have shops here. How are their shops doing?" Ye Jingcheng asked again.

This question caused the female cultivator to pause slightly.

"Senior, those are all members of the Purple Mansion Lineage..."

"What, can't I explain the things that are public?" Ye Jingcheng's tone became serious.

"Of course!" the female cultivator nodded repeatedly.

"Senior, the Chu Family is the Chu Family of Taihang Commandery, a newly promoted Purple Mansion Lineage. They Lineage out by refining magical artifacts, and now their shops sell second-tier magical Law Artifacts year-round. They can also introduce custom-made second-tier Law Artifacts. In addition, their Lineage's black iron is said to be extremely good, and they seem to control a black iron mine. Moreover, the Lineage's connections are quite good within the Taiyi Sect."

"Moreover, the shop is currently managed by a very beautiful fairy, who is extremely famous in the market..." The female cultivator stopped there.

After all, Chu Xiyu of the Chu Family had climbed the social ladder by marrying into the Mingyuan.

The fact that they've arranged for a beautiful monk to join them—what that implies is hard to say.

"As for the Mo Family, they are also a Purple Mansion Lineage in Taihang Commandery. They are an old Purple Mansion Lineage, selling restaurants and array plates in Taichang Market. However, the restaurants were sold off a year ago. Now they are in the array plate business, but it is said that the array plates have been having problems recently, and the young master of the Taichang Li Family has been reporting the most problems..."

The female cultivator spoke in great detail, but she glossed over some of the more obscure information.

The worst thing a guide can do is to get into trouble.

The female cultivator spoke quite a bit.

"That's enough, that's enough for the guide!" Ye Jingcheng took out five Spirit Stones and handed them directly to the latter.

"Senior, there's still a little over a day left..."

"No need. Besides, how do you collect Spirit Stones when you bring cultivators here?"

"This..."

"Don't worry, I also need to run a business. I know these tricks. I'm also Alchemist. Instead of guiding others, it's better to guide us. Besides, you can also bring in your own people. For example, if you bring someone to us and we close a deal, I'll give you three Spirit Stones. If you have another guide bring someone to us, I'll give you an extra Spirit Stone. Of course, I hope this is kept secret!" Ye Jingcheng transmitted his voice this time. After hesitating for a moment, the latter nodded firmly.

"Senior, I have another piece of information here, I don't know if it will be of any use to you. The Mo Family has rented a few rooms in an ordinary Flat House District, and there's even a smell of wine. They're renting them under the name of my friend, but that friend of mine has been out of contact for a long time!"

"As for the Chu Family, they also rented a shop from another Ye Family, but the Ye Family has yet to arrive."