The Trading Fair

On October 26, the harbor of Little Wave Island was packed with two-masted ships.

Judging by the flags, nearly all the hundred or so islands of the Yunsha Sea Region were represented.

The merchant ships from Biyun Island had yet to arrive, but trading between the various islands had already begun.

Liu Yu guarded the ship while Zhao Yi led the sailors in carrying the Jade Essence Rice and Spirit-Nurturing Powder to the trading area, arranging them neatly at Linghua Island's stall.

Trade between cultivators naturally involved none of the loud shouting and hawking of mortals.

In the trading area, every stall had a written sign hanging out front. Anyone interested would naturally come over to trade.

Linghua Island's Jade Essence Rice and Spirit-Nurturing Powder enjoyed a modest reputation in the Yunsha Sea Region. They sold these same two goods every year, and anyone who wanted them would naturally come to buy.

At that moment, the trading area held several dozen stalls of various sizes, with one or two hundred cultivators coming and going.

Though their numbers were small, this was still the Yunsha Sea Region's great annual gathering.

Before long, customers arrived at Linghua Island's stall.

Zhao Yi sized up the two customers before him, one tall and one short, then said with a smile, "I'm Zhao Yi of Linghua Island. Fellow Daoists, would you care to have a look at our essence rice? Thirty jin for one spirit stone."

The taller cultivator took a handful of Jade Essence Rice and sniffed it, then picked out a few grains and slipped them into his mouth, chewing slowly and carefully. Zhao Yi stood to one side without rushing him.

Once the man spat out the rice residue, Zhao Yi smiled. "Fellow Daoists, this is Jade Essence Rice, refined using spirit medicine. It takes five dan of rice to produce one dan of essence rice."

"Eating it year-round can nourish your magical power, soften your meridians, and speed up your cultivation. It truly is an indispensable aid to cultivation!"

"It has such marvelous effects? Then aren't you selling it far too cheaply?" the shorter cultivator teased.

"Haha! You jest, fellow Daoist!"

The two exchanged a glance, then the shorter cultivator said, "Shopkeeper, it's too expensive. Lower the price a little. How about fifty jin for one spirit stone?"

"Fellow Daoist, this is a small business. We don't bargain. If you want something cheaper, the third stall ahead sells Kongqing Island's Red Blood Rice, a hundred jin for one spirit stone."

Zhao Yi cupped his hands in greeting and pointed east.

"Shopkeeper, lower it a little more. I'll buy ten spirit stones' worth, and I'll buy from you again next time!"

"Fellow Daoist, my Jade Essence Rice contains several times the spiritual energy of Red Blood Rice, yet costs only three times as much. It truly is fine quality at a fair price. I really can't lower it any further."

The two stood there weighing it up. Zhao Yi did not hurry them and continued to wait.

"All right, we'll take three hundred jin of Jade Essence Rice. But I don't have spirit stones. Can I exchange spirit medicine for it?"

Hearing this, Zhao Yi cupped his hands again. "Fellow Daoist, you can take your spirit medicine to the Zhao Family's stall in the trading area and have them exchange it for spirit stones, then come back to buy."

The two considered this for a moment, then the shorter cultivator took the spirit medicine to the Zhao Family's stall. He returned half an hour later.

The shorter cultivator handed the spirit stones to Zhao Yi, who inspected them one by one. Every stone was brimming with spiritual energy. Smiling, he called toward the back, "Ten spirit stones, three hundred jin of Jade Essence Rice."

The sailors behind him hurriedly brought out a sack and a half of essence rice.

"Please, you two can inspect it now!"

Neither declined. Each opened a sack, grabbed a handful, and stuffed it into his mouth to chew.

After confirming that everything was in order, the taller cultivator hoisted one sack onto his shoulder and tucked the other into his arms. The two left one after the other.

Watching them walk away, Zhao Yi could not help remarking, "What a pair!"

Jade Essence Rice was reasonably priced and came in filling quantities, making it particularly suitable for the cultivators of the Yunsha Sea Region.

Linghua Island's reputation preceded it. After decades of selling Jade Essence Rice, it had earned an excellent name among rogue cultivators, and customers arrived in an unending stream.

They sold fifteen hundred jin in a single morning. Black Wind Island had reserved the remaining six hundred jin and would send someone to collect it that afternoon.

As for the Spirit-Nurturing Powder, it had sold out long ago.

The buyers were all previous regulars, and everything sold briskly without any complications.

Some cultivators they knew would ask why his master had not come to watch the stall, and Zhao Yi did his best to brush their questions aside.

The morning passed just like that. In the afternoon, Zhao Yi stayed at the stall, waiting for Black Wind Island to collect its goods.

Zhao Yi had already sent away the sailors helping out there, giving each of them a pearl. The gathering came only once a year, and they needed to buy a few things to take home to their wives and children too.

"Senior Brother Zhao, how have you been lately?"

Suddenly, a voice as sweet and melodious as an oriole reached Zhao Yi's ears.

Zhao Yi looked up. A pretty female cultivator stood before his stall.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he recognized the woman before him and hurriedly rose with a smile. "Oh, it's Junior Sister Liu from Peach Blossom Island. Please, come in."

"No, thank you, Senior Brother Zhao. My master is still busy over there. I only slipped away for a little stroll," Junior Sister Liu replied.

Zhao Yi nodded and stepped sideways out of the stall, laughing heartily. "Peach Blossom Island's spirit peaches are renowned throughout the Yunsha Sea Region. There were no great winds or waves this spring or summer, so I imagine you've had another bumper harvest!"

Peach Blossom Island lay in the southern Yunsha Sea Region, more than eight hundred li from Linghua Island. It specialized in growing spirit peaches and offered large quantities for trade every year.

They were not very expensive either: three spirit peaches for one spirit stone.

The spiritual energy in spirit peaches helped cultivators recover magical power and increase their spiritual energy. Unlike medicinal pills, spirit peaches posed no concern of pill toxins and could be eaten daily, providing considerable help with cultivation.

These spirit peaches were also part of the reason Peach Blossom Island had produced two generations of Spirit Drawing cultivators.

Possessing so many spirit peach trees, Peach Blossom Island had faced danger many times. Naturally, quite a few cultivators had once set their sights on it.

Yet Peach Blossom Island ultimately relied on martial strength to stand firm in these waters. Although it currently had no Spirit Drawing cultivators, Zhao Yi alone knew of three cultivators at perfection of meridian opening there.

Junior Sister Liu's master was a female cultivator who had known Zhao Yi's master for decades. The two had even shared a romantic past.

Of course, that last part about their past was something his master had said while half-drunk. No one knew whether it was true.

"Senior Brother Zhao, my master has invited Senior Chen and Senior Mu to a gathering aboard our Peach Blossom Island ship tonight. Several seniors from Black Wind Island, Haikong Island, Bamboo Sea Island, and Xuanli Island have also been invited."

"I'm truly sorry. Before we set out, my master fought a sea beast that had strayed into Linghua Island's waters. Although he eventually drove it away, he suffered some injuries and is now in seclusion on the island, recovering."

"Martial Uncle Mu stayed on the island to care for my master and didn't come either. This year, only Junior Brother Liu Yu and I came to the trading fair."

Upon hearing her invitation, Zhao Yi immediately declined politely.

"Ah, Senior Chen isn't seriously hurt, is he?" Junior Sister Liu asked, her face full of concern.

"It's nothing serious. He just needs quiet rest and can't endure the strain of traveling."

Zhao Yi smiled.

"I only just noticed that you've already reached great completion of meridian opening, Senior Brother Zhao. Congratulations on advancing your cultivation!"

A trace of surprise crossed Junior Sister Liu's face, and she thought, Senior Brother Zhao and I are about the same age, yet I still have some way to go before reaching great completion of meridian opening.

"At the last few gatherings, several seniors spoke of you and repeatedly praised you as young and accomplished, saying Martial Uncle Chen had taken a fine disciple."

"Among Peach Blossom Island's disciples, Senior Brother Wu has the highest cultivation, and he only broke through to great completion of meridian opening last year."

"You're too kind, Junior Sister Liu. Judging by your aura, you've already reached greater celestial circuit perfection. I imagine you'll be able to break through to great completion of meridian opening before much longer."

Zhao Yi smiled faintly and answered with a sincere expression.

"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother. Oh, these are this year's peaches. My master asked me to bring them for Senior Chen and Senior Mu."

As she spoke, Liu Lianying brought a bag out from behind her and handed it to Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi accepted it without ceremony. "Please thank Senior Liu on my master's behalf. All these years, Senior Liu has prepared spirit peaches for him every year."

"Oh, and these are for Senior Liu!"

Zhao Yi turned and went behind the stall, taking two exquisite bamboo boxes out of a rice sack and handing them to Junior Sister Liu.

"These are beauty-preserving pastries newly made on Linghua Island this year. They can make the skin moist and smooth and slow aging."

"Oh? These pastries can really do that?" Junior Sister Liu asked in surprise.

"They contain powdered spirit pearls, so they really can enhance beauty, nourish the complexion, and slow aging. Only two boxes were made. My master asked me to bring them for Martial Aunt Liu. Look at those two, still thinking of each other."

Zhao Yi teased.

"Exactly. These pastries look wonderful. I'm sure my master will love them," Junior Sister Liu said with a smile.

"Senior Sister! Senior Sister!"

Urgent calls came from afar.

Junior Sister Liu glanced back, then turned to him with an apologetic smile. "I've been away too long. In that case, I'll head back now."

Zhao Yi waved, and the two said their farewells.