Rest and a trading gathering

Once the army had cleared out the Market District, Lu Zhao saw the scene before him.

Smoke hung over the streets. Most of the once fairly orderly shops on either side now stood with their doors wide open, or had half a wall blasted down by spells, exposing the disordered shelves within.

Cultivators bustled back and forth everywhere, some escorting dispirited captives toward hastily erected warded cells, others working in teams to carry supplies plundered from storerooms and shops-crates of ore, neatly stacked talisman paper, tightly sealed jade bottles of pills, and even a few Magical Artifacts whose spiritual glow had dimmed.

Lu Zhao walked down the street with a calm expression, his gaze sweeping swiftly over his surroundings, taking in any dangers that might lurk amid the chaos and any potentially valuable corners.

He had just finished an initial inventory and sealing of a medium-sized shop with his team. The Hundred Arts Battalion token at his waist warmed slightly, indicating that his duty shift had ended.

Just then, the token vibrated again, and a brief stream of information flowed into his mind: "Hundred Arts Battalion order: Greenstone has fallen. Apart from those on duty, all personnel are granted three days' rest leave. Report to the main camp for roll call daily during the Shen hour. Do not travel more than thirty li from the Market District."

"A Rest Leave Order."

Lu Zhao raised his brows slightly. This was an unexpected pleasure, but it also revealed the Zhou Household's confidence-the situation was already entirely under control. He quickened his pace and returned to the area temporarily assigned as the Hundred Arts Battalion's camp.

The barracks were a requisitioned courtyard compound that remained relatively intact, allocated to formation masters, talisman masters, artifact refiners, and alchemists.

Lu Zhao's room lay in the southeastern corner. It was small and simply furnished, with only a stone bed, a stone table, and a stone cabinet. Out of habit, however, he had left several exceedingly fine warning spirit runes drawn with a special medicinal powder in inconspicuous spots around the doorway and windows.

He had also placed a dormant, palm-sized Frost Rat Puppet in the shadows of a corner. This was a habit he had developed over many years.

Before he opened the door, however, he saw a figure already waiting outside it, his back turned to Lu Zhao, hands clasped behind him as he looked out the window at a dead tree in the courtyard, half of which had been sliced off by Sword Qi.

"Fellow Daoist Chen?"

The visitor was none other than Chen Moyang. Lu Zhao paused, his fingers curling almost imperceptibly inside his sleeve as a strand of divine thread silently linked to the Rat Puppet in the corner.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, you're back." Chen Moyang cupped his hands, his gaze passing over Lu Zhao. "Finished your shift? Good timing. There's something I wanted to discuss with you."

"Please go ahead, Fellow Daoist Chen."

Lu Zhao opened the door and entered the room with Chen Moyang. He walked over to the stone table without sitting down, merely gesturing for the other man to speak. His thoughts stirred briefly. Chen Moyang coming to see him now most likely had something to do with the Rest Leave Order or the current state of the Market District.

"Have you received the Rest Leave Order, Fellow Daoist Lu?" Chen Moyang asked, just as expected.

"Just now."

He nodded and lowered his voice slightly. "Three days of leave make this the perfect time to 'trade what we have for what we lack.' A few well-informed colleagues in the battalion have taken the lead in putting together a temporary 'small trading gathering,' starting at the first quarter of the Xu hour tonight."

"A trading gathering?" Lu Zhao's eyes flickered as he swiftly began weighing things up. Wartime controls on supplies were extremely strict, and the period immediately after the Market District's fall was even more chaotic. A privately organized gathering like this carried considerable risks, but equally enormous opportunities.

"That's right."

Seeming to notice Lu Zhao's concerns, Chen Moyang explained, "Most participants are familiar faces from the Hundred Arts Battalion-formation masters, talisman masters, artifact refiners, a few fellow Daoists responsible for inventorying logistical supplies, and other fellow Daoists at Late Qi Refining.

"As for safety, the organizer is that nephew of the Zhou Household's who manages the storerooms. The location is also within the inner city, which we now control completely, in a shop that originally belonged to the Thousand Stars Tower. A formation will conceal our auras, and identities will be checked on entry and exit.

"There are risks, but they're within manageable limits."

He paused and looked at Lu Zhao, a hint of inquiry in his tone. "I know you've studied the Puppet Art extensively, Fellow Daoist Lu, and consume enormous amounts of materials. With the Market District only just taken, many captured supplies have yet to be registered and put into storage, or are 'private stashes' plundered from those rogue cultivators and cultivators of small lineages.

"If you exchange for these things through official channels at the battalion's storerooms, the prices may be stable, but a substantial cut will be taken, and you might not get what you need right away."

"At this private gathering, though, prices fluctuate entirely according to discernment and demand. Spirit Stones and barter are both accepted. More importantly... right now, material prices may be undervalued, while certain finished products, such as fine puppets, talismans, and spare Formation Plates, may command inflated prices."

Lu Zhao's gaze sharpened. Chen Moyang's words had struck precisely at what he was thinking!

The allied army had reaped enormous gains from taking the Market District, and all manner of raw materials were bound to be piled high as mountains. To turn them into cash or exchange them for what they needed as quickly as possible, many people might sell cheaply materials they had no immediate use for or could not properly appraise, especially those captured "private stashes" of complicated provenance.

For the other cultivators, meanwhile, continuous fighting would inevitably cause demand for consumables and lifesaving items such as Magical Artifacts, talismans, and puppets to surge, and their prices would naturally rise like boats on a swelling tide.

This was the perfect opportunity to buy low and sell high! Especially for a Puppet Master like him, replenishing his supplies of ironwood, black iron, ice-congealing stone, or even the rare wind-pattern stone at relatively low prices would be a tremendous gain.

And he happened to have several finished Frost Rat Puppets and Ironwood Guards he had refined over the past few days. Perhaps they could fetch a good price.

There were certainly risks, but the returns were equally tempting. Lu Zhao deliberated for only a few breaths before nodding decisively. "You make a good point, Fellow Daoist Chen. It would be a pity to miss such an opportunity. How does one participate in this gathering? What are the rules?"

"It's very simple."

Seeing Lu Zhao agree, Chen Moyang smiled faintly. "Organizing this is no easy task for those taking the lead, so they're charging each person one low-grade Spirit Stone to cover the venue and the upkeep of the concealment formation.

"Just bring your Hundred Arts Battalion identity token to the former Thousand Stars Tower premises at the first quarter of the Xu hour. Someone at the entrance will check your identity and collect the Spirit Stone."

"One Spirit Stone?"

Lu Zhao nodded slightly. The price was very reasonable, even cheap, clearly intended to attract cultivators and build up the gathering's scale. "All right. I'll go with you at the first quarter of the Xu hour, Fellow Daoist Chen."

"Excellent."

Having achieved his purpose, Chen Moyang did not linger. "Then I'll take my leave and seek out a few more fellow Daoists I know. You can use this time to rest a little and restore your strength, Fellow Daoist Lu." He cupped his hands once more, turned, and left the room.

The door closed, and quiet returned to the room. Lu Zhao walked to the stone bed and sat down. Rather than immediately regulating his breathing, he took three Frost Rat Puppets and one Ironwood Guard from his Storage Bag and carefully inspected their core spirit runes and the wear on their joints.

He then counted his dwindling Spirit Stones again, focusing on which materials he urgently needed and might be able to pick up at bargain prices now, and which finished puppets he could sell for the greatest return.

At that moment, he was full of anticipation for the coming trading gathering.