"Hey, Senior Sister, we're here, aren't we? Is that Sky-Pillar Market? What a magnificent sight!" Li Xiaoya exclaimed excitedly as he gazed at the Zhang Family Market, surrounded by water on all four sides, with a single pillar soaring into the sky at its center.
"Yes! This Zhang Family Market is one of the more unusual and famous markets in the Liang Kingdom," Zhang Hong said, nodding repeatedly.
"Haha, it really is unusual! Let's go over!" Li Xiaoya said with an excited laugh. In truth, seeing the market itself was not what mattered most. After spending so long in the Southwestern Ancient City, this was his first chance to see a gathering place for cultivators. That was the real point.
"Huh?" Zhang Hong suddenly exclaimed in surprise, as though she had noticed something strange. She hurriedly called out to stop Li Xiaoya. "Wait, Junior Brother!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Something's not right," Zhang Hong hurriedly explained. "Look, aren't a lot of the shops in that market closed? And there hardly seem to be any cultivators buying or selling things."
"Hmm? Now that you mention it, Senior Sister..." Li Xiaoya paused at her words and hurriedly examined the market. Many shops on the mountain that rose like a pillar holding up the sky had their doors tightly shut, and few cultivators seemed to be strolling around. Those who were there hurried along, as though they had some urgent business.
More importantly, quite a few people at the mountain summit wore matching outfits, though it was unclear what they were doing.
"Uh, Senior Sister, what's going on? Is something wrong?" Li Xiaoya asked, rather puzzled.
"Yes. I've been to this market twice before, and it's usually bustling. The market operates on a rental system. The Zhang Household only rents out shops and collects