After leaving the Nine Abyss Pavilion, Lu Zhao did not stop to rest. With familiar ease, he turned into the noisy, chaotic street-stall area in the east of the Market District.
The air reeked of blood, earth, and sweat. Hawkers' cries, haggling voices, and the low growls of Demonic Beasts mingled together.
With a clear goal in mind, he first browsed several stalls specializing in low-tier Demonic Beast materials.
His gaze flashed like lightning over the bloodstained fangs, sharp claws, and hides.
Soon, he crouched before the stall of a burly man with a brutish face and a missing front tooth. A jumble of Spirit-Devouring Rat materials lay piled on the stall.
"Hu San, the usual. Rat king fangs and whole rat king carcasses, in good condition." Lu Zhao spoke quietly, but with an unquestionable air of experience.
At the sight of him, Hu San's little eyes lit up with a crafty gleam. Chuckling, he pulled a small cloth bag from beneath the stall. "You know your stuff, Fellow Daoist Lu! Take a look. Just got these in, still warm. Two rat king fangs, absolutely genuine."
"And a rat king carcass that only just breathed its last, with its hide intact." He eagerly opened the bag.
Expressionless, Lu Zhao picked up a fang between his fingers and channeled an almost imperceptible thread of spiritual power into it, feeling the faint Spirit-Breaking property within. He then carefully inspected the carcass's condition and freshness.
Panel information flashed through his mind, confirming that everything checked out.
"The fangs are decent. The carcass has an old injury on its hind leg, and it's lost a bit too much spiritual power." Lu Zhao pointed out the flaws in an even voice. "Two fangs and one carcass, as a bundle. Two spirit stones."
Hu San's smile stiffened, and he cried out with exaggerated indignation. "Oh, Fellow Daoist Lu! That knife of yours cuts too deep! This condition, this quality-anyone else would charge at least three spirit stones. Just look at these fangs..."
"That's my price."
Lu Zhao cut him off and made to rise. "Old Wu over on the west end seems to have gotten a fresh batch too."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Hu San hastily pressed down on the bag, his face pained. "Deal, deal." What could he do? Lu Zhao was a regular!
"Two it is." He deftly wrapped the goods and handed them over, still muttering about taking a loss.
Lu Zhao took out two spirit stones and tossed them over, put away the materials, then turned and left without dragging his feet.
Hu San hefted the spirit stones in his hand and spat as he watched Lu Zhao's retreating back. "Pah, shrewd as a devil!"
Next, Lu Zhao wound through a series of turns and slipped into a relatively quiet alley, stopping before a shop with an aging storefront and a small wooden sign reading "Zheng Family Shop."
The shop was simply furnished, its walls covered with all manner of carving knives and talisman brushes. A faint smell of metal and grease hung in the air.
The shopkeeper was a taciturn old man, his head bent over a small knife he was polishing. Lu Zhao approached the counter and took from his robes the carving knife he had used for years.
Its once-sharp tip had worn blunt and curled, and a fine crack had even appeared in the blade near the handle. Its spiritual glow was dim.
"Fellow Daoist, take a look at this. Can it still be repaired?"
"Or I could replace it. I need something tough, sharp, and able to conduct spiritual power." Lu Zhao placed the old knife on the counter.
The old man stopped working and picked up the knife. Holding it against the light from the doorway, he carefully examined the crack and curled edge, then flicked the blade with a finger and listened to its ring. He shook his head. "The Spirit Runes are damaged, and it's lost its resilience. Not much point repairing it."
He set the old knife down, turned, and took two new carving knives from the wall, one long and one short. Their blades were a dull blue-gray, faintly marked with fine speckles.
"Azure-sink iron with a little nebula steel mixed in. Hard enough, highly resilient, and reasonably conductive to spiritual power. The long one is for carving large pieces and hard materials, the short one for fine Spirit Runes. Five spirit stones altogether. Fixed price."
Lu Zhao picked up the short knife and gathered a thread of water spiritual power at his fingertips, feeding it into the blade. He felt how smoothly the power flowed through it and the sharpness of its tip, then lightly brushed the pad of his finger over the edge to test it. The panel information confirmed that its materials largely matched the description.
"I'll take it."
Lu Zhao did not haggle; the price was reasonable. He paid the spirit stones and carefully put away the new carving knife.
He did not discard the old knife, instead returning it to his Storage Bag—perhaps it could still give its last bit of service on some unimportant scraps.
By the time he finished shopping, the sun was already sinking in the west. Carrying two carefully prepared parcels, Lu Zhao headed toward the northern district of the Market District.
Passing through the somewhat crowded, noisy residential area, he stopped before an ordinary stone house with a small courtyard and knocked on the wooden door.
"Who is it?"
A woman's clear voice came from inside. When the door opened, it was Wang Yun's wife, Chen Fang.
She wore an apron around her waist, and her hands were still dusted with flour. At the sight of Lu Zhao, a delighted smile immediately bloomed on her face. "Oh! Little Zhao! Come in, come in! Your big brother was just talking about you!"
"Sister Fang." Smiling, Lu Zhao handed her a parcel. "I saw someone selling jade cream cakes on the way. I remembered you liked sweets, so I brought some."
"Oh, you child, why bring anything? Just coming is enough!"
Though Chen Fang chided him, her smile only deepened. She hurriedly accepted it, then noticed the other, slightly larger parcel in Lu Zhao's hand. "And this is...?"
"A little something for Brother Wang," Lu Zhao said with a smile.
Just then, Wang Yun's booming voice came from the inner room. "Little Zhao's here? Come in and sit!"
His tall figure appeared in the doorway, an open, hearty smile on his face, and he pulled Lu Zhao into the house.
The room was simply furnished but cozy, with several small dishes and a jug of wine already on the table. The three sat down, and Chen Fang bustled off to brew tea and fetch bowls and chopsticks.
"How've you been getting on in that wretched Green Vine Ravine, lad? Those slippery serpents haven't carried you off, have they?" Wang Yun clapped Lu Zhao on the shoulder with considerable force.
"Thanks to your good wishes, Brother Wang, things have been fairly peaceful." Smiling, Lu Zhao pushed the other parcel over.
"Here."
Wang Yun opened it curiously. Inside lay a neatly folded piece of soft, heart-protecting armor, made from some tough, tanned beast hide and intended to be worn beneath clothing. It felt slightly cool to the touch and carried a faint protective spiritual glow. Though not a magical artifact, it was still worth no small sum.
Beside it was a small wooden rouge box, carved with a simple pattern of winding flowering branches-a mundane little gift for Chen Fang.
"This... this is tanned ice toad hide, isn't it? Good stuff! It can stop the claws and fangs of ordinary Middle First Stage Demonic Beasts." Wang Yun knew quality when he saw it, and his eyes lit up.
He picked up the soft armor and stroked it, unable to put it down, then glanced at the rouge box and smiled at Chen Fang as she came out of the kitchen. "Fang, look how thoughtful Little Zhao is. He even brought you a present!"
Chen Fang took the rouge box, a blush rising to her cheeks, and shot Wang Yun a chiding look. "You do talk too much!"
Then she said to Lu Zhao, "Little Zhao, you've spent far too much. This heart-protecting armor couldn't have been cheap!"
"As long as you like it, Sister Fang. It's just a small token, nothing much."
Lu Zhao waved a hand, then grew serious. "Brother Wang, Sister Fang, aside from coming to see you this time, there's something I'd like Brother Wang's help with."
"Oh? What is it? No need to stand on ceremony with me. Just say it!" Wang Yun put away his smile and thumped his chest.
"It's still about sparrow-type Demonic Beasts." Lu Zhao lowered his voice a little. "Last time, you mentioned flocks of Azure-Plumed Sparrows on the northern slopes of the Heavencloud Mountain Range? I need First-Tier Low Grade Azure-Plumed Sparrow carcasses. The more intact, the better, especially the wings and skulls."
"Have you had any leads lately, Brother Wang? Or do any of your friends in the beast-hunting teams have some?"
At this, Wang Yun frowned slightly and exchanged a glance with Chen Fang. He took a gulp of wine before speaking. "Little Zhao, things... have changed a little. There are indeed plenty of Azure-Plumed Sparrows on the northern slopes, but lately, cultivators hunting there have been bunching up."
"Oh? Why?" Lu Zhao's heart tightened.
"Who else but the Zhou Household!"
Wang Yun set down his wine cup, a note of dissatisfaction in his voice. "They haven't said so outright, but their Cloud-Pattern Cavalry have been very active on the northern slopes, as if they're looking for something.
"They've stirred up all the Demonic Beasts in that area. Quite a few beast-hunting teams, ours included, have been staying away from there as much as possible lately."
"Still..."
His tone shifted. "Precisely because the Zhou Household has been stirring things up and frightening so many birds and beasts into flight, some rogue cultivators and teams specializing in catching birds have actually caught quite a few frightened Azure-Plumed Sparrows that flew out to the fringes."
"As for carcasses, they have been scarcer in the Market District lately than usual, and prices are a little higher too. If you want them, I'll keep an eye out and hold on to any good ones for you."
Thoughts raced through Lu Zhao's mind. The Zhou Household's operation was indeed still continuing, and seemed to be reaching deeper. His face betrayed nothing as he raised his teacup. "Then sorry for the trouble, Brother Wang. Price isn't an issue. Please be sure to find ones in excellent condition. I'll bring the spirit stones over later."
"Ah, none of that! Leave it to me!"
Wang Yun waved his large hand, his smile returning. "Come, come! Sister Fang's made a few dishes. Have a couple of drinks with me. Tell me about Green Vine Ravine. Are there many snakes in that wretched place?..."
The lamplight flickered, and the little house filled with the warmth of a reunion after a long separation and the homely bustle of everyday life.
Lu Zhao smiled and joined in, but half his thoughts drifted toward the dark clouds the Zhou Household cast over the Heavencloud Mountain Range, and toward the small auction, rife with hidden currents, that the Nine Abyss Pavilion's shopkeeper had said would begin the day after tomorrow.
Before you continue