Blackwind Market

Before dawn the next morning, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

Shen Qingzhou pushed the door open and saw Su Yu leaning against the old tree outside, yawning as though she had not woken up yet.

"Come on, Junior Brother. I'll show you the world beyond the mountain."

She did not waste words. With a flick of her wrist, a streak of azure light wrapped around them both.

Shen Qingzhou only felt the scenery on either side flashing backward at tremendous speed. The wind howled past his ears, yet his footing remained remarkably steady.

This is fast.

This escape light was countless times faster than running on his own.

The azure light threaded through the clouds, and Su Yu's lazy voice sounded beside his ear.

"Azure Mountain Blackwind Market is eight hundred li from the sect. That place is a tangled den of dragons and snakes, with every sort of person. Rogue Cultivators, unorthodox sects, the Demon Race—even little brats from the demonic path who sneak out to trade goods."

"There's an unspoken rule in the market: no fighting. Everyone goes there to do business, and harmony brings wealth. But once you leave the market's bounds, your life is your own responsibility. If someone slaughters you, skins you, and pulls out your tendons, no one will stand up for you."

Her tone was utterly calm.

"It's your first time there, so talk less, watch more, and listen carefully. Don't be curious about everything you see, and don't trust other people's words too easily."

Shen Qingzhou said nothing, committing every word to memory.

An hour later, the escape light descended and stopped at the outskirts of a range of black mountains.

Before they even drew close, a cold, damp wind laden with all manner of strange odors blew straight into their faces.

The two landed at the mouth of a mountain path. Su Yu withdrew the escape light and pointed toward a mountain hollow shrouded in black mist ahead.

"There. That's the entrance. This black mist is a natural formation—divine sense can't penetrate it, and from the sky, all you can see is a field of jagged rocks. Let's go in."

With that, she took the lead and walked toward the black mist.

Shen Qingzhou followed behind her and stepped into the mist. The scene before his eyes immediately changed.

This was an enormous basin valley, somewhat different from what he had imagined.

The valley was dimly lit, with lanterns emitting ghostly glimmers hanging everywhere.

A narrow street stretched deeper into the valley, lined on both sides with all sorts of stalls.

A peculiar smell hung in the air.

People came and went along the street, but no one spoke loudly. Everyone kept their voices down, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet.

The people here wore all kinds of strange attire.

Some were Rogue Cultivators in tattered Daoist robes, their faces weathered by wind and dust, selling several utterly ordinary-looking chunks of ore.

There was a burly man with half his body hidden beneath a cloak. One exposed arm was covered in blue scales, and several still-beating demon beast hearts lay on his stall.

Others were wrapped head to toe in black robes, their faces impossible to see. They sat quietly behind their stalls, which displayed nothing at all, as though waiting for some particular person.

The pair crossed more than half the market before finally stopping in front of an inconspicuous shop at the end of a secluded alley.

A crooked wooden sign hung over the door, carved with the words Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

"We're here."

Su Yu pushed open the door and walked inside.

The shop was even darker. Behind the counter, a fair-skinned, slightly plump middle-aged man was holding an account book and working through the numbers with an abacus. Hearing the movement, he looked up, and a gleam flashed through his narrowed eyes.

"Oh, Fairy Su. What wind has blown you here?"

The plump shopkeeper's face immediately broke into a broad smile as he came around from behind the counter.

"Fatty Zhang, cut the nonsense."

Su Yu casually found a chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

"I brought you a good deal."

"Whenever you open your mouth, Fairy, isn't it always a good deal?"

Shopkeeper Zhang replied with a chuckle, but his gaze swept over Shen Qingzhou.

A Qi Refining Level Two kid, and an unfamiliar face at that. Yet if Su Yu had personally brought him here, there had to be something to him.

Shen Qingzhou did not speak. He stepped forward, took out that stack of talismans from his sleeve, and gently placed it on the counter.

Shopkeeper Zhang's smile stiffened.

He picked up the top Constellation Concealment Talisman and held it close beneath the lamp for a careful look, then rubbed the talisman paper between his fingers to feel the spiritual power flowing within.

"Talismans of the Kan Water Lineage. Fine craftsmanship, with spiritual power drawn inward. The maker is experienced."

He nodded, acknowledging their quality.

Then he put the talisman down and looked toward Su Yu, speaking with some difficulty.

"Fairy Su, it's not that I refuse to give you face, but concealment talismans aren't exactly scarce on the market."

"You know that a small business like mine takes a great risk stocking goods. How about this? I'll take this batch at a package price. One talisman... one low-grade spirit stone?"

Su Yu did not speak after hearing him. She merely smiled.

The flesh on Shopkeeper Zhang's face twitched, and his smile grew a little stiff.

"Fairy, what does this mean...?"

"Fatty Zhang, do you take me for some kid who just came down from the mountain and knows nothing?"

Su Yu's smile vanished, but her gaze turned cold.

"Azure Mountain has not been peaceful lately. You know better than I do how many bands of bandit cultivators have appeared. Those people strike dark and ruthless, and they like using a poison called Corroding Bone Miasma."

She paused, extending one finger to tap the Jade Well Purification Talisman on the counter.

"As for my Junior Brother's purification talismans, I can't say much else, but curing Corroding Bone Miasma is more than easy enough. Tell me, how much do you think this thing is worth right now?"

Shopkeeper Zhang's expression changed.

Su Yu picked up the Star-Felling Spirit-Breaking Talisman and tossed it lightly at her fingertips.

"And this Spirit-Breaking Talisman. It harms the soul without form or trace."

"What do those bandit cultivators fear most? Not being beaten to death—they fear being schemed to death."

"Tell me, would merchants who want to cross Azure Mountain safely and steadily be willing to pay a high price for insurance?"

Sweat beaded on Shopkeeper Zhang's forehead.

He had not expected Su Yu to understand the ways of the Blackwind Market's surroundings so clearly.

"What Fairy says is right, quite right."

He hurriedly put on a smiling face, his attitude growing far more respectful.

"It was my poor judgment. Then what price do you have in mind...?"

"Three for concealment talismans."

Su Yu held up three fingers.

"Five for purification talismans."

"As for these Spirit-Breaking Talismans..."

She glanced at Shen Qingzhou and spoke slowly.

"Eight each. Not one coin less. If you can't swallow this price, I'll take my Junior Brother straight to the Myriad Talismans Pavilion across the way. I imagine their shopkeeper would be more than happy to take them."

Shopkeeper Zhang's face completely fell.

The Myriad Talismans Pavilion was his sworn rival. Su Yu's words had struck straight into his sore spot.

He looked at those thin talisman papers on the counter, calculating rapidly in his heart.

Su Yu's prices were indeed high, but not unacceptable.

This batch of talismans was excellent quality, and they were among the most sought-after kinds right now. He could still make a considerable profit by reselling them.

"Done."

Shopkeeper Zhang gritted his teeth and slapped his thigh.

"We'll go with Fairy's prices. Who told us we were old friends?"

He swiftly began counting the talismans.

Twenty-one concealment talismans, sixty-three low-grade spirit stones.

Fifteen purification talismans, seventy-five low-grade spirit stones.

Nine Star-Felling Spirit-Breaking Talismans, seventy-two low-grade spirit stones.

Two hundred and ten low-grade spirit stones in total.

Shopkeeper Zhang dragged out a small cash box from beneath the counter and opened it. Inside, neatly stacked spirit stones gleamed with spiritual light. He carefully counted out the proper amount, placed them into a storage pouch, and presented it to Shen Qingzhou with both hands.

Shen Qingzhou accepted the storage pouch and swept it with his divine sense. The count was correct.

More than two hundred low-grade spirit stones—his heart heated along with them.

This money was enough for him to buy a decent spell technique, acquire magical artifacts, or exchange it for enough pills to support his cultivation through the middle stage of Qi Refining.

Learning talisman crafting had been the right choice. Without this special skill, where could he possibly conjure up so many spirit stones? As expected, having many skills never weighs one down.

With a top-tier panel—no, that was wrong—with top-tier talent, he was the one best suited to learning all manner of arts and techniques.

"All right, money and goods have changed hands."

Su Yu stood and brushed the dust from her sleeves.

"Fatty Zhang, remember to save any good items for me next time."

"Certainly, certainly. Take care, Fairy."

Shopkeeper Zhang bowed and scraped as he escorted them out of the shop.

Once they left the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Su Yu stretched lazily. Shen Qingzhou knew what to do and immediately offered them up.

"That's more like it."

Su Yu happily put away the spirit stones, a smile appearing on her face.

"Come on, Junior Brother. Now that we've made money, it's time to spend it. Blackwind Market has more good things than just talismans."