Yue Capital Immortal Market.
It was the largest trading place for cultivators within the Yue Kingdom.
It lay in a valley blessed with spiritual beauty.
Towers and pavilions stood in profusion, banners fluttered, and streaks of flight light rose and fell without cease. It bustled with activity.
Xu Xuan and Xu Qingchan concealed their auras.
They entered this gathering place of cultivators as an ordinary grandfather and granddaughter.
They had three aims on this trip:
First, to buy Xu Qingchan a suitable flying sword artifact.
She was now at the qi refining first level.
Ordinary mortal weapons were no longer adequate for her use.
Only artifacts forged from spiritual materials could bear her magical power.
Second, to inquire about recent developments in the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world.
Especially the true state of the Black Water Gate.
Third, if an opportunity arose.
Xu Xuan also wanted to see whether he could find any rare treasures that would aid his cultivation of the five elements.
He refined qi through the five elements.
His cultivation progressed more slowly than that of cultivators with a single spiritual root.
Without spiritual treasures to aid him, breaking through further barriers would be truly difficult.
Xu Qingchan's injuries had yet to heal, and her face was somewhat pale.
But her eyes were bright, and everything in the market struck her as novel.
This place was some distance from Spiritual Expanse Mountain, and she had never been here either.
"Grandfather."
"This Yue Capital Immortal Market really is bustling."
She spoke softly to Xu Xuan.
Xu Xuan nodded slightly.
"It is the Yue Kingdom's largest immortal market, after all."
"It's considerably larger than the Mystic Mist Market I visited when I was at the Azure Wood Sect."
His gaze swept over the roadside stalls and shops.
His spiritual sense spread silently like mercury spilling across the ground, catching scraps of gossip.
"There are many people and prying eyes here. Stay close to me, watch more, and speak less."
Xu Qingchan understood the rules and said no more.
The two first went to the Hundred Refinements Pavilion, a shop specializing in artifacts.
A faint treasured radiance shone within the pavilion, where all manner of sabers, swords, bells, cauldrons, and banners were displayed.
Seeing their extraordinary bearing, the shopkeeper hurried to greet them.
"What do you need, fellow Daoists?"
"All our artifacts are made by renowned masters and are of excellent quality."
Xu Xuan swept his gaze over them.
He found that most of the artifacts here were of middle or low grade.
The few high-grade artifacts were displayed high in treasure cabinets, concealed by restrictions.
"I'm looking for a water-attribute flying sword for my granddaughter. It must be at least a middle-grade artifact."
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up at this.
He led them to a sword rack on one side and took out a long sword that was deep blue throughout.
Ripples gleamed along its blade, like brimming autumn waters.
"Please have a look, fellow Daoist."
"This is the Autumn Water Sword."
"Its principal material is cold pool dark iron, supplemented by three layers of water-pattern restrictions. Its sharpness is unmatched."
"It can also amplify the power of water-attribute spells, making it just right for this fairy."
Xu Qingchan took it.
It felt slightly heavy in her hand.
Cool water vapor curled around her fingertips.
With a slight infusion of magical power, the blade gave a clear, resonant hum, with a faint shimmer of rippling light.
Fondness showed in her eyes as she looked at Xu Xuan.
Xu Xuan scanned it with his spiritual sense. The sword was of decent quality, and he nodded slightly:
"Acceptable."
"How many spirit stones?"
"You have a discerning eye, fellow Daoist. This sword costs eight hundred low-grade spirit stones."
The shopkeeper held up his fingers to indicate eight.
Xu Xuan did not bargain, taking out the spirit stones and paying directly.
He was wealthy now, and this expense amounted to little.
Next, he also bought Xu Qingchan a Jade Wave Shield for protection.
It, too, was a middle-grade artifact.
One for attack, one for defense.
With artifacts to protect her, she could hold her own for a while even against a middle qi refining stage cultivator.
After buying the artifacts, the two did not immediately leave the Hundred Refinements Pavilion.
Xu Qingchan went to look at the other artifacts.
Xu Xuan chatted casually with the shopkeeper.
"Shopkeeper."
"Has anything interesting happened in Yue Capital Immortal Market lately?"
"We've lived in the wilderness for a long time and are rather cut off from news."
Seeing Xu Xuan's lavish spending, the shopkeeper was happy to make his acquaintance and lowered his voice:
"You've asked the right person, fellow Daoist."
"Lately, the biggest talk of the market has been the auction at the Myriad Treasures Auction House three days from now."
"I hear the final lot is a rare piece of stellar iron."
"It's attracted the attention of quite a few master artifact refiners and sects."
"Oh?"
"Stellar iron?"
Something stirred in Xu Xuan's heart.
This was meteoric iron from beyond the heavens and was not often seen.
It contained the power of the stars, which could help him temper his yang metal qi.
"What else?"
"Has there been any news of trouble?"
News of a spiritual treasure was certainly welcome.
Still, it was foreseeable that no small number of people would compete for it.
Xu Xuan did not take it particularly to heart.
The shopkeeper glanced around and lowered his voice further:
"As for trouble, there certainly has been some. It's that bunch of scourges from the Black Water Gate on the Sinking Sand River to the south."
"A little while ago, they discovered something in the Sinking Sand River."
"They clashed with several small lineages and groups of rogue cultivators."
"They're said to have injured quite a few people, too. They're utterly overbearing."
"Ah, I fear storms are about to rise again in the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world."
Xu Xuan nodded, but inwardly pondered:
It seems the Black Water Gate has been rather active on the Sinking Sand River. Qingchan's injury was no coincidence either.
He thanked the shopkeeper.
The two left the Hundred Refinements Pavilion.
They strolled to the Windwatch Teahouse, a place in the market specifically for cultivators to socialize and rest.
People from every walk of life gathered here, making it an excellent place to gather information.
They found a quiet corner, sat down, and ordered a pot of spirit tea.
Xu Xuan stirred his spiritual sense slightly, listening to several rogue cultivators at the neighboring table.
"Have you heard?"
"Old Monster Wu of the Black Water Gate capsized in a gutter on the Sinking Sand River a few days ago and suffered a loss he couldn't complain about!"
"Really?"
"Old Monster Wu is at the late qi refining stage. Who could make him suffer a loss?"
"It's absolutely true!"
"Apparently, they were fighting over a newly discovered cold jade marrow vein."
"An unknown female cultivator used a stratagem to stir up the cold energy in the earth veins and froze several of his disciples."
"Old Monster Wu himself nearly fell for it, too, and retreated with his face covered in dust."
"Cold jade marrow?"
"That's excellent material for making ice-attribute artifacts!"
"No wonder the Black Water Gate has been asking everywhere in the market about that female cultivator like a pack of mad dogs lately. They're offering a reward of five hundred spirit stones!"
"Tsk, tsk, five hundred spirit stones?"
"That female cultivator is probably in danger..."
At this, Xu Qingchan's dark brows knitted tightly, and killing intent flashed in her eyes.
Xu Xuan shook his head at her, signaling her to remain calm.
There was actually a cold jade marrow vein in the Sinking Sand River.
This surprised him somewhat.
Although the vein did not match his attributes.
If he could obtain it.
Whether he sold it or traded it, he could exchange it for considerable cultivation resources.
The Black Water Gate was so anxious to find that "female cultivator."
It was probably not merely for revenge.
More likely, they wanted to silence her and keep the news of the vein to themselves.
As he pondered, a commotion arose at the teahouse entrance.
Three cultivators wearing black robes patterned with water strode inside.
The man in the lead wore an arrogant expression, his eyes cold as he surveyed everyone in the teahouse.
His aura was unmistakably that of the middle qi refining stage.
They were disciples of the Black Water Gate!
"Shopkeeper! Your finest spirit tea!"
The leading disciple shouted, his voice somewhat domineering and grating.
They found an empty table and sat down, their gazes still roaming maliciously as though searching for something.
Xu Qingchan concealed her cultivation and instinctively lowered her head.
Xu Xuan remained composed, raising his teacup for a light sip as his spiritual sense silently locked onto the three men.
He heard the middle qi refining stage disciple of the Black Water Gate whisper to his companions:
"Elder Wu has ordered us to find that bitch before the auction, no matter what!"
"She was struck by the elder's Black Water Needle and probably hasn't removed it yet. All of you, sense for it carefully!"
Another disciple complained:
"Senior Brother Chen, this market is so big, with a boundless sea of people. How are we supposed to find her?"
"That bitch might have flown far away long ago."
Senior Brother Chen snorted coldly:
"She's badly injured. To remove the cold energy, she must counter it with something of blazing yang."
"Only Yue Capital has treasures like that. She's most likely hiding nearby to heal."
"All of you, stay sharp!"
"If we find her, not only will there be a reward, but if Elder Wu is pleased, he might even give us a share of the cold jade marrow!"
Hearing this, Xu Xuan sneered inwardly.
It really was for the cold jade marrow.
His thoughts raced like lightning, and a plan quietly took shape.
--
I got off work late. I'll write more tonight. How many chapters would be good? Please send a vote my way.