Making money

After the humiliation she had just suffered, Li Yunshu came back to her senses and could not help throwing herself into Xiao Li's arms, weeping bitterly.

Xiao Li first comforted his dao companion, then checked on the two Spirit Beasts.

After something like this, continuing their training was certainly out of the question, in case the Desire Corpse Daoist was nearby.

Fortunately, the two Spirit Beasts were unharmed. Without even taking time to clean the filth off themselves, the pair rode their Spirit Beasts in a headlong rush back to town.

As for the retaliation Jiang Yan feared, it would naturally never come.

If Xiao Li truly learned the truth behind this matter, he would probably pay Jiang Yan a personal visit to thank him profusely instead.

After a night's sleep, Jiang Yan still felt somewhat unwell when he got up.

Killing Xiao Sheng with an Incantation yesterday had seemed effortless, but it had actually taken quite a toll on him, even emptying the Law Power within his body.

Had the town not been subject to the Prefecture Academy's rules, Jiang Yan would never have dared take such a risk.

Fortunately, although it had affected him, the effects were not too severe. He would probably recover in another three to five days.

But Jiang Yan had no time to wait around indoors. His pockets were so empty they practically rattled, and he needed to find a way to earn some Spirit Stones to replenish his funds.

He got up, put on a black Daoist Robe and a bamboo hat, and made his precautions, preparing to visit the Market.

Jinbao shrank down to his smallest size, and Jiang Yan tucked him securely into his clothes.

This time, Jiang Yan did not intend to ride Jinbao. Instead, he would take one of the Earth-Crawling Worms that traveled through town to the Market.

When he opened his door, none of his neighbors had come out yet.

There was another large vat outside the gu-eating Daoist acolyte's door, and Jiang Yan could faintly hear movement inside.

Across from him, Zhang Yunhong's door was locked. He had not seen her for days.

He did not know whether she had moved to another rental or gone outside town.

Jiang Yan closed his door and left the courtyard.

He walked to the street corner. It was early morning, and quite a few people had gathered there to wait.

Drawing his robe close, Jiang Yan slipped into the crowd as well.

Despite so many people being packed together, there was scarcely any conversation.

Looking around, he saw weariness on most of their faces.

To Jiang Yan's left, a Daoist acolyte with two transplanted ox legs seemed to have an itchy back.

He was controlling two tentacles at his waist, scratching back and forth across his back.

Seemingly noticing Jiang Yan's gaze, he saw his black Daoist Robe and how thoroughly he had covered himself.

The ox-legged Daoist acolyte slowed his movements and gave him a sheepish smile.

Jiang Yan said nothing and merely withdrew his gaze.

These Daoist acolytes of the East River Realm nominally belonged to the Dao Realm, but in practice, they could be considered a different sort of native.

If they could not enter the Prefecture Academy, they could only do odd jobs in town to scrape together a living.

Still, that was relatively good. Those who had not even reached the Daoist acolyte realm were the true bottom rung in town.

As he thought, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble gently. At first, the movement was almost imperceptible.

Gradually, it grew stronger, until it could be felt clearly.

In the corner, a worm's head abruptly emerged from a hole nearly ten feet across, with a short section of its body attached below.

Its head was almost as wide as the passage. Resting on the ground, it opened its mouth listlessly.

Everyone walked toward the worm's mouth, and Jiang Yan stepped inside as well.

The surface beneath his feet felt soft but not unstable. There were no seats inside, and everyone stood in silence.

Once everyone had entered its mouth, the Earth-Crawling Worm closed it and returned the way it had come.

It appeared to be moving backward, but in fact, this worm had no tail; both ends were heads.

It had no need to excrete, either, surviving solely by absorbing Spiritual Qi through the formations inscribed within its body.

Rather than a worm, it was more like a ritually refined Dao soldier.

Jiang Yan stood against the inner wall. Now that it had picked up its passengers, the worm shed its earlier listlessness.

It sped through the earth, occasionally poking one head aboveground to spit out a crowd of people.

The place where Jiang Yan had boarded was not far from the Market. After only three stops, it was his turn.

Taking out three pieces of Talisman Money, Jiang Yan tossed them at his feet, and they automatically sank into the worm's body.

He walked out through its open mouth, and the mist-shrouded Market appeared before him.

Jiang Yan pressed down his bamboo hat and headed inside.

As he passed through the mist, the surrounding clamor immediately grew louder.

Over the past six months, whenever Jiang Yan went out, it had been either to the Preaching Plaza or here.

He had long since learned the rules. After looking around, Jiang Yan first went to rent a stall.

The price was not particularly high: one Spirit Stone for ten days. He paid a month's rent in advance.

At his rented stall, Jiang Yan spread out a piece of yellow cloth.

Then he took a dozen or so jade bottles from his Thumb Ring and placed them on the cloth one by one.

These were the medicinal pills he had refined.

Over these past six months and more, with the Stone Book's help, he had naturally mastered the Fire-Element Pill Refining Method long ago.

He had also tried refining several batches, with a fairly good success rate.

Previously, however, his cultivation had not yet reached the Ninth-Rank Lower Realm. In other people's eyes, he had only a single strand of Law Power. How could he possibly fire up a furnace and refine pills?

Thus, he had not thought it wise to rashly offer his pills for sale.

Now, at last, he no longer had to worry about that and could make a living this way.

Jiang Yan did not put out many varieties of medicinal pills, only two.

Or rather, only one-the Qi and Blood Pill-qualified as a medicinal pill. The other was merely the most ordinary Grain-Avoidance Pill.

Today, he only wanted to test the waters. If he could earn some Spirit Stones, he could buy another Pill Formula or two to expand his wares.

To Jiang Yan's surprise, someone came over not long after he set up his stall.

The man looked over the Qi and Blood Pills and dismissed them, seeming far more interested in the Grain-Avoidance Pills.

With Jiang Yan's permission, he picked them up and inspected them. Once he confirmed there were no problems, he bought the entire lot.

"These Grain-Avoidance Pills don't even qualify as medicinal pills. Why do they sell better than Qi and Blood Pills?"

Watching the man's retreating figure, Jiang Yan was somewhat puzzled.

While he was still pondering this, the neighboring stallholder seemed to notice his confusion and spoke to him with a smile.

"Is something puzzling you, fellow Daoist?"

Jiang Yan looked at the vendor. His face was uncovered, and he appeared to be around thirty, with a plump, rounded figure.

From beneath his cloak, Jiang Yan lowered his voice and said:

"Indeed. Do you know why that is, fellow Daoist? Please enlighten me."

The plump stallholder waved a hand.

"I wouldn't call it enlightening you. That man who just bought the Grain-Avoidance Pills probably runs a business in town.

"He bought those Grain-Avoidance Pills to feed his own workers and shop assistants, so naturally, he bought plenty."

"Your Qi and Blood Pills are a bit like chicken ribs-little meat to eat, yet a pity to throw away. They're only useful to people who haven't successfully cultivated a Cultivation Method.

"Even ordinary Daoist acolytes in town mostly take Bear-Tiger Pills for their cultivation."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan immediately understood. Although the Market placed no restrictions on visitors' cultivation levels,

why would anyone who had yet to successfully cultivate a Cultivation Method come here?

Meanwhile, the Daoist acolytes who came and went thought little of the effects of Qi and Blood Pills.

With that in mind, Jiang Yan decided not to wait any longer. They would not sell anyway, so there was no point wasting time for nothing.

Although he could not sell them at a stall, some shops in the Market might still buy Qi and Blood Pills.

After thanking the plump stallholder, Jiang Yan rolled up the cloth around his pills, carried the bundle in his hand, and headed farther inside.

The Many Treasures Tower.

Jiang Yan walked out. As expected, they bought Qi and Blood Pills here, and the price was fairly reasonable. He had sold off his entire stock.

Not only that, Jiang Yan had also purchased the Bear-Tiger Pill Formula.

Along with it, he had bought more than a dozen sets of the ingredients listed in the Pill Formula.

Although Bear-Tiger Pills were in considerable demand and their Pill Formula circulated widely,

Jiang Yan had still spent every last Spirit Stone he had. Only a few strings of Talisman Money remained in a corner of his Thumb Ring.

Taking the ingredients with him, Jiang Yan hurried straight home without pause and began studying the Bear-Tiger Pill Formula.