The trading fair

Chen Jianghe took the coarse cloth pouch from inside his robe and counted his possessions, as familiar with them as his own household treasures.

His pay for the previous year had been fifty-eight grains of spirit sand. His daily expenses over that year had totaled ten grains, and the year-end gathering had cost another grain, leaving him forty-seven grains of spirit sand.

This year's pay was eighty-one grains of spirit sand. Together with last year's savings, he now had a total of one hundred and twenty-eight grains of spirit sand.

He also had fifteen taels of loose silver.

I can't touch the ten grains of spirit sand I'll need for next year's daily expenses. That means I only have one hundred and eighteen grains available.

But that's enough. A Spirit-Opening Pill for Xiao Hei only costs one spirit stone, so I'll still have eighteen grains of spirit sand left in reserve.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, he settled how to use his spirit sand.

He checked the time. If buying the Spirit-Opening Pill went smoothly, he could return to his Five-One-Two Waters today.

Pressed for time, he did not delay. He passed through the ornamental gateway on the eastern side of the market, entering the Cultivator Market for Fisher-Farmers and rogue cultivators.

The Yun Household had three ports, each with a mortal market and a Cultivator Market for cultivators.

This was his first visit to the Cultivator Market. Beyond the gateway lay a winding mountain path, with a hundred-meter covered walkway built along one side. Twenty or thirty stalls stood inside it, but none of their owners called out their wares like the vendors in the mortal market.

Each had a sheet of coarse cloth with goods laid out on it, and the stallholder sat on the ground behind it.

Perhaps because of the Fisher-Farmer Conference, the covered walkway at Port No. 1's Cultivator Market was packed with bobbing heads and people jostling shoulder to shoulder.

Chen Jianghe walked in, squeezing through the crowd as he inspected the goods on the stalls.

Most sold materials for artifact forging, Talisman-Making Materials, or pill refining. He did not see a single stall selling magical artifacts.

On reflection, that made sense. The customers at the Harbor Cultivator Market were Junior Fisher-Farmers, whose meager incomes could not possibly cover expensive magical artifacts.

As for Senior Fisher-Farmers and guest retainers, they would head to a nearby Market Ward if they wanted to buy magical artifacts.

Not only were the prices clear there, but the quality was also guaranteed.

After making a circuit, he had seen only two stalls selling spirit talismans and one selling pills. The talismans were all low-grade, while the pills were either ungraded or low-grade pills that barely qualified.

Chen Jianghe approached the Cultivator Market's only pill stall. Seven or eight jade bottles stood on an ocher sheet of coarse cloth, each with a wooden board in front of it listing the pill's name, price, and uses.

Spirit-Nurturing Pill, low-grade, worth three spirit stones. It could help mortals with spiritual roots quickly sense spiritual energy and form their Dantian Qi Sea.

Detoxification Pill, ungraded, worth fifty grains of spirit sand. It could neutralize a hundred kinds of mundane poison.

Qi-Nourishing Pill, low-grade, worth two spirit stones. It contained pure spiritual energy and could improve early Qi Refining cultivation when taken.

Spirit-Opening Pill, low-grade, worth one spirit stone. It could help beasts awaken their intelligence and sense spiritual energy.

A Spirit-Nurturing Pill actually costs three spirit stones. It looks like the Yun Household makes a sizable profit on Big Blue Fish, Chen Jianghe thought.

The pill seller was a woman with fine wrinkles already lining her face and a light dusting of rouge. Dressed in a pale brown gown, she sat on a stone bench in the covered walkway.

Her aura was somewhat more powerful than Old Gao's, but it fell short of Yun Bufan's. She was probably also a Mid Qi Refining Stage cultivator.

From that cultivation level and her slightly aging face, one could surmise that she was over sixty.

"I'd like one Spirit-Opening Pill." Chen Jianghe pointed at the blue jade bottle, whose wooden sign gave a detailed description of the pill.

"One spirit stone."

The woman raised her eyes slightly, glanced at Chen Jianghe, and spoke in a gentle voice.

The price of Spirit-Opening Pills was common knowledge, so there was no need to bargain. He simply took out a cloth pouch in which he had set aside one hundred grains of spirit sand.

"Spirit sand?"

The woman frowned. "One hundred and five grains of spirit sand," she said coldly, "or go exchange it for a spirit stone with a Yun Household steward before coming back."

"All right. One hundred and five grains of spirit sand."

Without fuss, Chen Jianghe took out another five grains of spirit sand and handed them over.

Only then did he remember what Old Gao had told him about exchanging spirit sand and spirit stones. One spirit stone could be exchanged for one hundred grains of spirit sand, but one hundred grains of spirit sand could not be exchanged for one spirit stone.

That was because the spiritual energy contained in spirit stones was pure and concentrated, allowing cultivators to absorb and refine it directly.

The spiritual energy in spirit sand was thin and contained impurities, so it could not be absorbed and refined directly. Thus, exchanging spirit sand for a spirit stone required an additional five grains.

The woman accepted the one hundred and five grains of spirit sand, tipped a Spirit-Opening Pill out of the blue jade bottle, then took out a wooden box, put the pill inside, and handed it to Chen Jianghe.

"You're probably buying a Spirit-Opening Pill because you want to raise a spirit pet. I suggest buying a Spirit-Nurturing Pill as well. It can let your pet enter the ranks directly and become a spirit beast." Her expression softened as she offered the suggestion.

"Thank you."

Chen Jianghe answered with a faint smile, then turned and left.

After leaving the Cultivator Market, he went into the market and bought half a month's worth of daily necessities.

When he returned to the port and was about to board his boat, someone blocked his way.

It was a wiry middle-aged man with deeply sunken eyes and a high nose bridge, giving his face a cold, sinister look.

He, too, wore the short, coarse clothes of a Fisher-Farmer and was a Junior Fisher-Farmer.

Chen Jianghe knew this man. Yu Daniu's waters lay west of his own, and farther west were those of the man before him.

His name was Wang Kui. He was at Qi Refining, Fifth Layer, and had been with the Yun Household for over twenty years, making him a veteran Fisher-Farmer.

"Heading back already, young brother Chen?"

Wang Kui wore a smile, wrinkles crowding his gaunt face and making his eye sockets look even more sunken.

"Yes." Chen Jianghe nodded. He had never had any dealings with Wang Kui; before this, they had not even exchanged a single word.

"Heh, why head back so soon? How about I take you out for some fun?" Wang Kui raised his eyebrows and looked at Chen Jianghe with smiling eyes.

Chen Jianghe sensed that Wang Kui was making conversation for its own sake.

The Fisher-Farmer Conference was over. If he did not go back, what was he supposed to stay at the port for?

Spend money? How old was he, anyway?

"Did you need something, Brother Wang?" Chen Jianghe asked coolly.

"Heh..."

Wang Kui gave a dry laugh and said with a hint of embarrassment, "I do have a favor to ask, young brother Chen. Aren't I just about to break through? I still need some spirit stones to buy pills, so I was hoping to borrow a little from you. Not much-fifty grains of spirit sand will do."

"Sorry, I only recently came to work as a Fisher-Farmer for the Yun Household. I don't have any savings."

Chen Jianghe refused outright.

"Forty grains of Spirit Sand would do, too," Wang Kui said with an awkward smile.

Chen Jianghe shook his head. "I don't have it."

"Thirty grains of Spirit Sand. Don't worry, young brother Chen. I'll definitely pay you back at next year's assembly," Wang Kui vowed solemnly.

"I don't have even one grain."

Chen Jianghe's words were decisive.

He knew Wang Kui's record. Ever since coming to work as a Fisher-Farmer for the Yun Household, Wang Kui had borrowed Spirit Sand everywhere but never repaid any of it. He had only been at Qi Refining, Second Layer when he arrived. His progress to Qi Refining, Fifth Layer over these twenty-odd years had essentially relied on borrowed resources.

"You're being far too unfeeling, young brother Chen. I, Wang Kui, am a man of honor. It's not as though I won't pay you back. Besides, young brother Yu lent me sixty grains of spirit sand just yesterday."

Wang Kui's face darkened as he feigned anger and disparaged Chen Jianghe.

"Goodbye."

Chen Jianghe turned to board his boat and leave.

A fierce glint flashed through Wang Kui's eyes. He had not expected Chen Jianghe to be so difficult. Usually, when he borrowed money, people would lend it once he lowered the amount.

He never even had to reach the stage of praising one person to belittle another.

Yet Chen Jianghe still would not budge.

Seeing that Chen Jianghe was about to board his boat and leave, Wang Kui had no choice but to play his trump card.

"It's a mere thirty grains of spirit sand! Are you afraid I can't pay you back, young brother Chen? Are you slapping me in the face?!"

(End of chapter)