The Stallholder and the Robber Cultivators
Song Wen walked out of the Small Courtyard, closed the gate, and glanced at Sun Daxiong kneeling at the entrance of the neighboring courtyard.
The sudden disappearance of his daughter completely devastated this man who was always energetic and full of drive.
Song Wen walked past Sun Daxiong with an indifferent expression, heading towards the market.
Half an hour later, Song Wen, disguised, entered a spirit beast shop.
The spirit beast shop not only sells spirit beasts and insects, but also sells elixirs, spirit herbs, and other items needed to raise spirit beasts.
After arriving in East Birch Market, Song Wen had visited several spirit beast shops and even bought some beginner-level Cultivation Method manuals on raising spirit insects, but they did not help him cultivate Gu Worm.
Spirit insects and Gu Worm differ by only one character, but their cultivation methods are completely different.
The method of cultivating spirit insects is basically the same as that of cultivating spirit beasts. Both involve signing a soul contract, which allows cultivators to establish a soul connection with the spirit beasts and spirit insects. The two are in a mutually beneficial and equal relationship.
In their daily lives, cultivators would focus on cultivating relationships with spirit beasts and insects to enhance their mutual understanding.
Gu Worm are different. Gu Worm are forcibly refined by cultivators to achieve mental enslavement, which is why Gu Worm can turn against their masters.
The cultivation of Gu Worm is also more cruel. Gu masters often make Gu Worm devour each other in order to evolve into more powerful individuals.
Song Wen came to the spirit beast shop to buy spirit beast pills.
Spirit Beast Pills help enhance a spirit beast's bloodline and strengthen its power and cultivation.
He then thought of using spirit beast pills to enhance the bloodline of the Black Armor Gu.
Song Wen had previously bought two bottles of First-Tier Superior-Grade spirit beast pills and selected the strongest Black Armor Gu. After consuming it for a long time, this Black Armor Gu, which was at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, showed no signs of evolving except for a slightly stronger aura.
Having used up the spirit beast pills he had previously bought, Song Wen planned to buy two more bottles.
"Do you have any Tier 2 spirit beast pills for sale?" Song Wen asked a maid.
First-Tier Superior-Grade spirit beast pills weren't very effective, so Song Wen decided to use a stronger remedy.
The maid smiled and replied, "Reporting to Senior, only the Beast Taming Sect possesses spirit beast pills of the second tier and above; none of the shops in the market sell them."
Song Wen nodded with some disappointment. He understood that this was yet another method used by the righteous sects to suppress Rogue Cultivator.
"Give me two bottles of First-Tier Superior-Grade spirit beast pills."
A moment later, Song Wen paid one hundred Spirit Stone and received two bottles of spirit beast pills, totaling twenty pills.
After leaving the shop, Song Wen headed towards the market stalls to buy some spiritual herbs for refining Blood Qi Pill.
His eyes scanned the various stalls, searching for the spiritual herbs he needed.
Suddenly, Song Wen's eyes sharpened.
A short stall owner discreetly slipped three jade bottles engraved with restrictive runes into the hands of a scholar-like rogue Rogue Cultivator beside him.
The latter took the jade bottle, quietly put it into his Storage Bag at his waist, and then handed the stall owner a bag of Spirit Stone.
The whole process happened in a split second, but Song Wen happened to catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye.
Song Wen immediately recognized that the restrictive runes on the jade bottle were used to seal away Essence Blood.
The two people just traded Essence Blood, and it was human Essence Blood. If it were Demon Beast Essence Blood, there would be no need to be so careful.
Song Wen did not detect any Devil Cultivator Blood Dao on the two people, which meant that the Essence Blood in the jade bottle was not refined by the stall owner himself, and the buyer had never consumed the Essence Blood; he was just running errands for someone else.
After obtaining the Essence Blood, the scholar turned and left, brushing past Song Wen before quickly disappearing around the street corner.
The stall owner stared at the spot where the scholar had disappeared, a glint of greed in his eyes.
This wasn't the first time the scholar had asked him to buy Essence Blood, but this was the first time he'd bought three Essence Blood at once—a whopping six hundred Spirit Stone, which the scholar handed over without batting an eye, truly showing his considerable wealth.
He took out a Message Jade Slip and sent a message.
Evening.
Dark clouds in the distant sky swallowed the last rays of sunlight.
Looking at the increasingly dark sky, the short stall owner began to pack up his stall. After nightfall, the area around the market was not peaceful, so it was best to leave the market as soon as possible.
Besides, he provided intelligence to the Bandit Cultivator he frequently collaborated with today, so Bandit Cultivator should have already succeeded and he's going to claim his share of the benefits.
After quickly packing up his stall, the stall owner hurriedly headed out of the market.
After leaving the market town, he traveled several miles along a forest path. In the dim light, he looked around to make sure no one was following him. Then, he used his Flight Technique to take off and sped away into the distance.
A quarter of an hour later, the Flight Technique failed, and he had already flown more than thirty miles away.
The stall owner did not continue flying; instead, he descended and traversed the now dimly lit dense forest.
Suddenly, a figure shrouded in a black cloak blocked his path.
The stall owner's expression changed drastically. He thought he had been careful enough, but he still hadn't expected to be followed.
With his eyes fixed on the black figure ahead, he suppressed his panic and said in a deep voice.
"Fellow Daoist, what brings you to my attention?"
A harsh, hoarse, and deep voice came from the shadowy figure.
"If you dare touch the Storage Bag at your waist, I'll chop it off."
When his little trick was discovered, the stall owner's face turned even uglier. He stopped his right hand, which was secretly reaching for the Storage Bag at his waist, and slowly raised both hands.
"Fellow Daoist, please calm your anger. If you need anything from me, please speak frankly, and I will certainly do as you say."
Song Wen asked, "Where did you get the Human Race Essence Blood you possess?"
Upon hearing this, the stall owner immediately replied.
"Bought at the Ghost Market."
"Ghost Market?" Song Wen murmured.
He followed the stall owner because he realized the stall owner was someone who operated on the fringes of the law, and he wanted to find out through the stall owner how to enter the underground black market of East Birch Market.
Based on my previous experience in the Corpse Demon Sect's market, many items that cannot be sold in the market can be bought on the black market.
"Where is the Ghost Market?" Song Wen asked in a cold voice.
"Four hundred li east of East Birch Market, in a misty mountain valley."
What are the requirements for entering the Ghost Market?
"No requirements, just pay two Spirit Stones to enter."
Song Wen nodded, slowly retreating until he completely disappeared into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.
Seeing that the other party had completely disappeared, the stall owner breathed a sigh of relief, and the heart that had been hanging in suspense quietly settled down.
He hadn't sensed any fluctuations in the aura emanating from the man in black, which could only mean that the man's strength far surpassed his own.
The stall owner, still shaken, was about to use his movement Movement Method to leave when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head.
It felt like something smashed into his skull from behind, shattering his brain.
The stall owner's consciousness began to fade, and his body fell straight down.
In the darkness, a figure darted out and grabbed the stall owner's mangled head.
It was Song Wen who had left and then returned.
Soul Search Technique!
Song Wen was lucky; among the fragmented memories he obtained through soul-searching, there happened to be memories related to the Ghost Market.
The stall owner was not lying about the location of the Ghost Market and the conditions for entering.
But what the short stall owner didn't mention was that the Ghost Market was only open at night.
Furthermore, the mist enveloping the Ghost Market interferes with cultivators' spiritual power and Divine Sense. Those who are unsure how to enter the Ghost Market and rashly venture into the mist are likely to get lost within it.
The stall owner also had many memories of colluding with Bandit Cultivator and kill customers. But these things were irrelevant to Song Wen, so Song Wen did not examine these memories carefully.
After devouring the stall owner's soul Essence Blood, and disposing of the corpse, Song Wen affixed a Swift Movement Talisman and headed towards the Ghost Market.