What Is the Meaning of Cultivation?

It had to be said that Fat Dragon was quite good at adjusting his mindset. He quickly pulled himself out of his emotions and began seriously considering whether this white trait had any other uses.

No white trait could possibly be completely useless.

Even that trash white trait of his, Strength of Nine Oxen, could, if he wished, be exchanged through the green trait Self-Severing Root for nine random traits with ease.

Before long, Fat Dragon figured something out and said thoughtfully, "Brother Qiu, if I make the rounds of every brothel in Great Xia, wouldn't I be able to free all the fallen women in Great Xia?"

"Once those girls are all pregnant, the brothels surely won't have them receive customers anymore, right? Maybe they'll all be temporarily shut down? If I open a brothel of my own then, wouldn't that be a monopolistic kill?"

"..."

Chen Qiu remained expressionless and silent for a long while before patting Fat Dragon on the shoulder and saying softly, "Rather than getting time off, those pregnant girls are more likely to become fortune-transfer beads. Stop thinking about such unrealistic things. Let's go to the auction first."

The two walked one after the other along the main road of the Trading District in Area Seven of Heaven-Question Market. It was still early, and the auction would not begin for another two hours, yet there were already quite a few pedestrians on the streets.

This auction was hosted by Heaven-Question Market and was held once every year.

It gathered many fine treasures that the shops of Heaven-Question Market had prepared over recent days. Many treasures that were normally nowhere to be seen would appear at the auction. Moreover, the 'Breakthrough'-type Heavenly Dao Secret Realm in Windward City would open two days later.

Quite a few Rogue Cultivators, as well as disciples from the major sects and lineages, had temporarily gathered at Heaven-Question Market.

After attending the auction and resting for two days, they could head to Windward City just in time to enter the Heavenly Dao Secret Realm that was about to open.

Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon strolled the streets at their leisure, occasionally buying things they fancied. In the blink of an eye, two hours passed, and the auction was about to begin.

The auction was held in a three-story low building at the center of Area Seven of Heaven-Question Market. The building was named Heaven-Question Pavilion and was not usually open. It only opened when Heaven-Question Market held its annual or quarterly auctions.

It opened only five times a year, and every time, it was packed shoulder to shoulder.

Whenever it opened, many forces within a hundred li would send people over. Even if they did not intend to buy anything, it was still good to broaden their horizons. There was usually no chance to see so many fine treasures.

With their invitation, Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon entered the auction hall without obstruction and found the wooden benches marked with their numbers. There were a full thousand wooden benches in the hall.

The space truly was not small, and most of the seats were already occupied.

The first and second floors had been opened into one. Looking upward, they could see the floor of the third level. The second floor merely had a ring of private rooms built above and around the hall for guests, with roughly more than thirty such rooms.

Not long after the two sat down, the shopkeeper from the Heaven-Question Market branch of the Zhao Clan Merchant Association came jogging over with his waist bent, his expression respectful as he lowered his voice. "Greetings, Young Master Chen. All the private rooms were already booked, so it was truly difficult to arrange one. But we couldn't possibly have Young Master Chen stay in the main hall."

"Fortunately, I have a few friends in Heaven-Question Market, and I finally found a private room for you—Heaven Room Seven. I hope Young Master Chen will forgive us."

"Please follow me."

Young Master Chen had spent several thousand Spirit Stones at his shop, making him a valued guest. Such a guest had to be properly cultivated. Although the Zhao Clan Merchant Association had shops throughout the entire Great Xia Kingdom, they were not the only ones with shops throughout the entire Great Xia Kingdom. Maintaining such a valued guest could raise his Heaven-Question Market shop's annual sales by quite a bit.

His own position could be promoted another rank sooner as well.

"Mm."

Chen Qiu nodded, rose to his feet, and signaled for the shopkeeper to lead the way. He did not refuse. Calling out bids in the main hall was indeed a little too conspicuous.

After the two entered Heaven Room Seven on the second floor, two maidservants draped in wine-red gauze entered with fruit trays. They carefully crouched beside them, then used their slender jade hands to pick up fruit and feed it into their mouths.

Chen Qiu casually glanced at the two maidservants. They were nothing more than pink skeletons beneath the skin, though he had to admit they were beautiful pink skeletons.

Their gauze was thin as cicada wings, and beneath it they wore nothing else. The private room was somewhat dim as well, lit only by a few oil lamps on the walls, their flames gently swaying.

Within the shifting light and shadows that danced with the breeze, the half-hidden gauze possessed a rather unique charm.

In the corner of the private room, a woman holding a pipa and dressed in the same wine-red gauze knelt there, gently playing a melody. She wore an additional white veil, lending her a few traces of purity.

The private room was enclosed by walls on three sides. A small formation had been set up in front of them, allowing them to clearly see the hall below and the auction stage, while those below could not look up and see them. It offered a fair degree of privacy.

Chen Qiu did not pay attention to these maidservants. Though their looks were decent, they were merely pink skeletons beneath the skin. He had no mind for such things at present. A month of chopping firewood had chopped away all his other thoughts.

All he wanted now was to grow stronger—strong enough to live with dignity.

Though he felt nothing toward these pink skeletons, he knew that if he had not already advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm and had plenty of Spirit Stones in his pocket, then even if he wanted to enjoy such a life, he would have no chance at all.

For him, the meaning of cultivation was simple.

To survive.

To survive with dignity.

Behind him, the pipa music gradually became more winding and plaintive, as though telling a tragic tale of someone who had left home young, alone and destitute, living under another's roof.

And at that moment—

The auction below had yet to officially begin. Many people sat in their seats chatting with one another. Some knew each other but had never found the time to gather; everyone was usually busy with their own affairs, so they took this chance to meet and have a good talk.

Others had come in groups, discussing matters among themselves. It seemed they had already set their sights on certain items.

Most, however, had come simply to watch the excitement. The treasures that appeared at auctions were all rather rare, and their prices were not low. There were not many who could afford them.

There were also those who truly had their hearts set on some treasure but did not have enough Spirit Stones in their pockets. Clinging to a sliver of hope, they came to try their luck and see if they could pick up a bargain.

A thousand people wore a thousand faces.

Everyone had their own thoughts.

Among them were quite a few hidden Foundation Establishment experts, their gloomy eyes covertly sweeping across every person present as they searched for targets who were easy to strike and likely to yield rich gains. For Foundation Establishment experts, as long as they were not merely at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, there were quite a few ways to earn Spirit Stones.

Of course, some Foundation Establishment experts preferred plunder as their way of earning Spirit Stones.