Pei Mo: Fire Overcomes Metal, His Attempt to Learn Spells Is Thwarted

Xu Changqing casually found a spot and set up his stall.

But what he was selling was not spirit rice, but spirit rice wine.

This left quite a few Farmer's Heart Society members watching in secret unconcerned.

"Fellow Daoist, how much is your spirit rice wine?"

"Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones per jin!"

"Holy shit, was this made from Second-Grade Spirit Rice or Third-Grade Spirit Rice?"

"Take a look... it's definitely different from what's on the market!"

"Can I have a taste?"

"Sure!"

Xu Changqing sized up the male disciple across from him.

The man wore white robes with a white crane embroidered over his chest.

His head was shaved clean, and a centipede-like scar ran across his face.

He also carried a heavy-looking linked-ring saber on his back.

By the look of it, he should have been a disciple with multiple Spiritual Roots and considerable combat prowess.

The other man reached out and took a small cup of spirit rice wine, sniffing it first.

Only after confirming that nothing seemed wrong with its scent did he press his lips to the rim and take a small sip.

The cool liquor slid into his mouth, and a rich fragrance of rice and alcohol spread through it.

In an instant, the suspicious look vanished from the male disciple's face.

In its place came shining eyes.

He even smacked his lips, savoring the lingering taste.

Xu Changqing asked with a smile, "How is it?"

"Good wine!" the male disciple howled, instantly drawing sidelong glances from everyone nearby.

"Isn't that Pei Mo, the saber lunatic with Dual Spiritual Roots?"

"He's here at the market looking for booze again?"

"Stay away from him! Once this bastard gets drunk, he goes on a drunken rampage and hacks at anyone he sees!"

"I heard his Spiritual Roots clash, so that's why his personality is so strange?"

"Fire overcomes metal. This guy's future is already set in stone!"

Quite a few people recognized him and immediately kept as far away as possible.

As though they had seen a god of plague.

Xu Changqing took in everyone's reactions, then asked him, "Are you buying or not?"

"Buying." Pei Mo drained the remaining spirit rice wine in one gulp, then nodded forcefully.

"How much?" Xu Changqing prepared to portion it out.

Who would have thought Pei Mo would sweep out a broad hand? "All of it!"

Xu Changqing froze for a moment. "Ten jin is a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Are you sure?"

Pei Mo stared at him fixedly and asked in return, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Xu Changqing said no more and handed over all ten jin of spirit rice wine.

Pei Mo was equally straightforward, taking out a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Just as Xu Changqing was about to leave after the transaction was complete,

Pei Mo suddenly stopped him and chuckled. "Brother, this is my Communication Talisman. If you get more good wine of this quality in the future, give me a shout!"

"Uh—sure." Xu Changqing accepted it.

"Good wine, good wine!" Pei Mo swayed away while drinking.

"I've traded away most of my goods. Time to stock up," Xu Changqing mused.

Daily necessities, spirit artifact tools, and the like all needed replacing.

For one thing, what he had truly was not enough.

For another, a new year called for a new look.

Next, he continued deeper down the trading street.

Although the vast majority of resources were monopolized by the five major lower-tier factions,

there were still quite a few independent cultivators selling things, though the quality was generally poor.

Soon, Xu Changqing spotted a familiar face.

A familiar spirit beast camel.

Familiar bells.

Who else could it be?

Naturally, it was the traveling peddler Hu Bugui!

"Selling spirit beasts! All juvenile spirit beasts, and they're cheap!" Hu Bugui kept calling out.

"So you really are here." Xu Changqing stepped up to him.

"Oh—if it isn't Fellow Daoist Xu." Hu Bugui's eyes lit up.

"What?" Xu Changqing teased. "Not selling dung this time?"

Hu Bugui said with some embarrassment, "Different times, different circumstances. Want to pick out a spirit beast?"

At that, Xu Changqing let his gaze drift back and forth across the strange-looking juvenile spirit beasts. Yet no matter how long he looked, he could not find one that satisfied him.

Seeing this, Hu Bugui immediately recommended, "You're a Wood Spirit Root disciple and need to remain stationed at the Spirit Fields for long periods. In that case, buy a spirit ox."

First, spirit oxen had relatively long lifespans.

Second, they could also be used to plow fields.

Thus, they were the first choice of many Wood Spirit Root disciples.

"I don't want to ride Ancestor Chen's wave of popularity." Xu Changqing shook his head.

"Huh? What popularity?" Hu Bugui looked utterly bewildered.

"Nothing. I'll keep looking." Xu Changqing could not be bothered to explain.

Woof woof!

Just then, a dog bark rang out.

It immediately caught Xu Changqing's attention, and he hurriedly looked over.

In the corner was a little yellow puppy.

Yellow fur, white face.

Lively eyes.

Its little tail stood high in the air.

It was wary of anyone who approached.

The little yellow dog could not help but draw Xu Changqing into memories.

In his previous life, he had been born in the countryside.

His family had raised many cats and dogs.

Among them was a dog named Big Yellow, exceptionally clever.

Every time he came home from school, he would see it waiting for him at the village entrance.

Before he had even gotten close, its tail would already be wagging wildly.

It was not exactly identical to the one before him.

Yet the feeling was hauntingly familiar.

"You like it?" Hu Bugui reacted quickly and waved a hand. "Take it. It's yours!"

"No, I'll buy it." Xu Changqing did not accept the goodwill.

Hu Bugui said indifferently, "A little yellow dog isn't worth much."

"In your eyes, it may be dirty, shabby, and worthless, but in mine, it's different." As Xu Changqing spoke, he took five Low-Grade Spirit Stones from his small storage pouch and thrust them over without allowing refusal.

Hu Bugui did not accept them. Instead, he asked with a dry laugh, "Can I trade it for spirit rice?"

"You don't have rice?" Xu Changqing asked in surprise.

Hu Bugui said helplessly, "Rice is too expensive now. Forget Second-Grade Spirit Rice—even First-Grade Spirit Rice is becoming unaffordable."

"Fine." Xu Changqing replaced the Low-Grade Spirit Stones with ten jin of Second-Grade Spirit Rice and handed it over.

"Wow!" Hu Bugui was dumbfounded.

He had thought the other man would merely make a token gesture.

He had not expected him to give so much.

A single little yellow dog was simply not worth ten jin of Second-Grade Spirit Rice.

Clearly, Xu Changqing truly regarded him as a friend.

His heart was filled with incomparable gratitude.

After giving him the spirit rice, Xu Changqing slowly approached the little yellow dog.

Strangely enough,

the dog had been extremely wary whenever anyone else came near.

It had even barked "woof woof," looking as though strangers were not to approach.

But when it came to Xu Changqing, not only did it not get angry, it even began wagging its tail.

"Perhaps this is fate." Xu Changqing's gaze softened.

He reached out and cradled the little yellow dog in his palm.

Slurp, slurp!

The little thing immediately stuck out its soft tongue, black and pink intermingled, and skillfully began licking him.

Hu Bugui asked curiously, "Have you decided what to name it?"

"Not yet. I'll leave it to the readers!" Xu Changqing shook his head.

"You're saying things I don't understand again." Hu Bugui rolled his eyes.

"It's nothing. I still need to buy daily necessities, so I'll be off." Xu Changqing turned to leave.

"Wait!" Hu Bugui hurriedly took out a metal ring. "This is a spirit beast ring. It can hold one spirit beast no more than five meters tall and ten meters long."

This thing was quite expensive.

Ordinarily, Hu Bugui would not bear to take it out for a common spirit beast.

But since Xu Changqing had been so sincere, he could not be stingy either.

"It's so small. It feels like there's no difference whether I put it in or not." Xu Changqing accepted it and examined it carefully.

"Take it for now. Who knows, you might get other spirit beasts in the future." Hu Bugui grinned.

Xu Changqing tried channeling spiritual power into the spirit beast ring.

The branded words [Bound] immediately appeared on it.

Then, with a whoosh, the little yellow dog in his other hand was sucked inside.

At the same time, an image surfaced in Xu Changqing's mind.

It was a three-dimensional space similar to his small storage pouch.

The little yellow dog, having lost its master, stared blankly at its surroundings.

Xu Changqing's heart stirred, and the next second, it reappeared in his palm.

"Woof woof!" Seeing its master again, the little fellow barked twice in excitement.

"Don't worry, I won't abandon you!" Xu Changqing gently stroked it.

Then he placed it back into the spirit beast ring.

Afterward, he bid Hu Bugui farewell and continued shopping.

Before long, he had purchased some daily necessities.

Soon, he arrived at the Spirit Artifact Workshop trading point, only to find the prices outrageously high.

Even a random everyday spirit artifact cost more than ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Clearly, this Spirit Artifact Workshop was just like the Farmer's Heart Society.

They both wanted to harvest the leeks while they had the chance.

As a result, even everyday spirit artifacts had risen in price.

But Xu Changqing had no choice. He currently had no other purchasing channels.

He could only be the sucker and pay up.

In the end, he spent forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

He bought four household spirit artifacts.

They were: a sickle, a hoe, a shovel, and a kitchen knife.

Since he had already bought all his daily necessities,

and there was still time, Xu Changqing planned to look for some spells.

But after making several rounds, he could not find a single spell manual.

Only after asking did he learn that spells either had to be exchanged with points,

or acquired privately from other people.

If he truly wanted to buy them, he would have to go to the Rogue Cultivator Market outside.

But most spells there varied wildly in quality, and some were even incomplete.

Truly complete spells were almost entirely monopolized by Immortal Sects, cultivation lineages, and the like.

"Without Foundation Establishment Realm strength, I won't go outside." Xu Changqing raised his brows.

Within the Immortal Sect, he did not need to worry about danger.

But outside was another matter altogether.

He had to stay on guard everywhere!