Green Forest Market (Seeking Monthly Pass)

Early morning.

A thin mist hung in the air.

Green Forest Market was situated atop a green mountain peak, surrounded on all sides by towering green Giant Trees.

The mountain peak was shrouded in dense fog, making it hard to see clearly. At its foot stood rows upon rows of shacks, most built from locally sourced, thick logs. They looked cramped and enclosed, with no drainage ditches outside their doors and sewage flowing freely everywhere.

"So this is Green Forest Market? Its reputation is better than the real thing..."

Fang Xing wore a green robe, his hair tied in a topknot, and carried a basket on his back. His face had long since been disguised into that of an honest-looking young man, making him appear no different from the locals.

With a sigh, he remotely guided a Simulated Oriole down from the sky and into his basket.

He had put considerable effort into preparing for today's exploration.

He had mapped out numerous escape routes, worn a Basic Nano Protective Suit beneath his robe, and tucked an Electric Baton at his waist. He was fully armed.

Not only that, Simulated Bird Drones had monitored the surroundings throughout his journey here, allowing him to avoid several groups who looked like trouble.

"Is this a cultivation market, or a slum?"

After entering the Slum Area, the first thing that hit him was a foul stench that made Fang Xing wave the air in front of his nose.

The roads were muddy and overgrown with weeds, with the occasional section of stark white bone sticking out...

Judging by its shape, it seemed to be part of a human thigh bone.

"Damn..."

At the corner ahead, Fang Xing saw what appeared to be a fresh corpse lying there. He had no idea who had killed it, but its body had already been stripped clean.

The few pedestrians on the road hurried along, while eyes occasionally peered at him through gaps in wooden boards and from behind windows.

Everyone seemed accustomed to the sight of corpses.

Chaos, Disorder... death could come at any moment?

Living in an environment like this must put enormous pressure on the mind!

Fang Xing grumbled inwardly, then his gaze sharpened.

A tall, gaunt middle-aged man approached from ahead, dressed in a gray Daoist robe with a cold, gloomy expression.

More importantly, as the man walked, faint strands of spiritual light flickered over his gray robe!

"A Spell Robe? A cultivator?"

Fang Xing's heart stirred. He quickly copied the nearby martial artists, stepping aside and yielding the center of the road.

Several martial artists even bowed deeply, their faces wearing humble, ingratiating smiles.

It all seemed so natural, as if it were an unspoken convention.

Hierarchy and etiquette, the strong devouring the weak...

If you don't step aside and bow, will you be killed? Would your death mean nothing?

With a heavy heart, Fang Xing left the Slum Area and continued up the mountain.

The mountain path was paved with bluestone slabs, some already covered in moss, giving it a certain charm.

By the time he reached the mountainside, he could vaguely see large clusters of buildings. They were much neater, with stone-paved ground that was comparatively clean.

Several martial artists swept the area in the distance. Some carried wooden buckets, looking just like servants.

After walking several dozen more meters, Fang Xing saw an archway bearing the four large characters: "Green Forest Market."

After entering the market, the crowds clearly became denser. Vendors had set up stalls along both sides of the road, selling all manner of strange goods.

Exotic flowers and herbs, fruits and vegetables beaded with morning dew, the Skin and Flesh and bones of wild beasts, gleaming white rice...

Naturally, there were also all kinds of unusual weapons, strange Talismans, and bottles and jars...

Many people stood before the stalls, either studying the wares intently or haggling over prices.

Fang Xing watched coldly and roughly confirmed that most transactions here were barter. Beyond that, the most commonly used currency was something called Spirit Sand—the grain-sized crystals in his possession.

Besides the stalls, there were also many shops within the market.

Azure Pill Workshop, Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Flame Refining Workshop, Small Talisman Hall, Listening Rain Pavilion...

Some shops made their goods obvious from their names, while others required guesswork.

Fang Xing paused briefly outside Listening Rain Pavilion. Hearing what seemed like sensual music from within, he immediately understood what kind of place it was.

"Young sir, want to have some fun? Just one Spirit Stone per visit!"

Perhaps because he had lingered too long, a young woman with half her ample chest exposed waved at him. Her eyes were practically dripping with seduction, and her allure seemed to seep into his bones.

A Spirit Stone? It seems to be a higher-tier currency than Spirit Sand?

Fang Xing's heart stirred, but he merely pretended to blush and left shyly, drawing a string of bell-like teasing laughter from behind him.

Half an hour later.

"How much is this Vermillion Dragon Grass?"

After making a circuit of the market, Fang Xing stopped at a stall and pointed to a medicinal herb lying there. It was crimson like jade, with thick leaves.

The stall owner was an old man who looked like a farmer. He puffed on a dry tobacco pipe with a brass mouthpiece, wisps of blue smoke rising from its bowl.

Hearing Fang Xing's question, the old man was in no hurry. He took another satisfied puff before leisurely knocking the pipe against a nearby bluestone slab.

There was actually an indentation in that spot on the slab. Who knew how long the old man had habitually knocked his pipe there?

"Vermillion Dragon Grass costs two Spirit Sands per stalk... but if you're selling to me, it's only one Spirit Sand per stalk."

The old man spoke slowly.

"How did you know?"

Fang Xing's heart skipped a beat, while his face showed a hint of panic, like an inexperienced young man.

"Hehe..." The old man grinned smugly. "I could smell the medicinal scent from your basket even from ten feet away. Vermillion Dragon Grass, right? If you want to sell it for a high price, you should ask around first..."

"You really do have a sharp eye, sir."

Fang Xing gave an honest smile.

He had made many preparations for this trip to the market, and the main goods he had brought were Vermillion Dragon Grass!

After all, there was quite a lot of this herb in the Wild Boar Demon Beast's territory.

Using Drones to harvest it was not particularly risky, either.

This time, Fang Xing had brought twenty fresh stalks of Vermillion Dragon Grass to test the market.

"To be honest with you, Vermillion Dragon Grass is only useful to Qi Refining cultivators... We martial artists can only earn a little hard-earned money from it. The purchase price in the market has gone up recently, though. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, you'd need two or three stalks to trade for one Spirit Sand!"

The old man had no customers, so he appeared relaxed as he chatted casually with Fang Xing. "Young man... I won't cheat you. Even if you take your Vermillion Dragon Grass to a shop, that'll be the price. But I can offer you a deal: ten stalks for eleven Spirit Sands..."

"I don't have that many. I risked my life for these few stalks."

Fang Xing shook his head, a hesitant look appearing on his face. "I'll look around some more..."

He said no more and turned to blend into the crowd.

"Damn, the people in this world have far too few scruples. I really can't trust them..."

"Comparatively speaking, shops should have at least a little more credibility than individuals..."

"My small profit probably isn't worth a shop turning hostile and ruining its own reputation... but individuals are another matter."

After weighing everything up, Fang Xing decided to trade with a shop even if the purchase price was lower.

"Talismans for sale! Freshly drawn Talismans... Wind Riding Talismans, Fire Rain Talismans, Golden Bell Shield Talismans, Spirit Test Talismans... come take a look!"

At that moment, another shout drew Fang Xing over to a stall, and his expression immediately turned grave.

The stall owner was a middle-aged man wearing a Spell Robe that gleamed with spiritual light. He was actually a cultivator!

"Wind Riding Talismans—stick one to your leg, and your feet will fly like the wind. Essential for travel... Cheap sale, just one Spirit Sand each..."

"Fire Rain Talismans, First-Order Low-Grade offensive Talismans, five Spirit Sands..."

"Spirit Test Talismans can test Spiritual Roots. As everyone knows, ordinary people without Spiritual Roots cannot cultivate immortality. You dragons and phoenixes among men may have been tested incorrectly as children. Today is your second chance! Defy fate and change your destiny—it all comes down to this... only eight Spirit Sands!"

Hearing this, Fang Xing's heart stirred, and he looked toward the final Golden Bell Shield Talisman.

This Talisman had been placed at the very center of the stall, clearly marking it as a premium item.

"First-Grade Mid-Rank—Golden Bell Shield Talisman. It can withstand several attacks from a Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivator. It's the finest of the fine! Only three Spirit Stones—I'm practically selling it at a loss..."

Having browsed for so long, Fang Xing had already learned that ten Spirit Sands could be exchanged for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone. He immediately found the stall owner's words rather amusing.

He squeezed out of the crowd, compared several shops, and finally entered Azure Pill Workshop!

He had chosen this place for two reasons. First, it appeared to be a pill shop, so it would certainly have a demand for medicinal herbs.

Second, the green leaf emblem on its signboard was identical to the marking on the bottom of the Qi Blood Pill bottle, which gave Fang Xing a favorable impression.

"Customer, what pills do you need?"

The moment he entered, a bright-eyed, white-toothed young woman came forward to greet him.

Even though she saw that Fang Xing was merely an ordinary young martial artist, her face showed not the slightest hint of disdain.

This might be ordinary service on Chuying Star, but in Green Forest Market, it's incredibly rare...

Fang Xing sighed inwardly before replying, "I want to sell herbs... Do you buy Vermillion Dragon Grass?"

"Of course we do. One Spirit Sand per stalk. How many does the customer have?"

The young woman paused in surprise before answering.

"Just these..."

Fang Xing removed the basket from his back and took out twenty stalks of Vermillion Dragon Grass.

"Mm, freshly harvested. Your technique was somewhat inexperienced, but the medicinal properties are largely intact... Twenty Spirit Sands in total. What do you think, customer?"

The young woman inspected them one by one before quoting a price.

"Deal!"

Fang Xing was sparing with words. He watched as the young woman put away the Vermillion Dragon Grass, then took out two crystals.

"Low-Grade Spirit Stones?"

His eyes lit up. He accepted the Spirit Stones and placed them in his palm.

Each Low-Grade Spirit Stone was only the size of a fingernail, yet it was crystal-clear throughout. The mist within was much denser, and it even felt cool in his palm.

"Does the customer have any other needs?" The young woman seemed to want to make another sale.

"Qi Blood Pills..."

Fang Xing thought for a moment, then asked tentatively, "How much do they cost?"

"Qi Blood Pills are for ordinary martial artists, so they're very cheap. One Spirit Stone per bottle." The young woman answered with a light smile. Although her tone remained the same as before, it naturally carried an air of superiority.

"One bottle!"

Fang Xing handed over the Spirit Stone he had just received, not even warmed in his hand yet, and bought a Jade Bottle identical to the one he had taken from the Female Martial Artist.

After leaving Azure Pill Workshop, he looked toward the stalls. Then, as if deep in thought, he entered another building: Small Talisman Hall.