"Yarrow-Stalk and Shell Divination and Six-Line Verification"

Crow Lord continued explaining the market's rules.

But he didn't actually know much himself. Going over the same things again and again, he only managed to make a few points clear:

Humans and demons lived together in the market, and most of those who came were Demon Cultivators from the mountains and wilds or human Rogue Cultivators;

There were a great many shops and stalls inside, but dragons and fish were mixed together, so one had to be careful to tell them apart; entering Green Snake Market required a small entry fee in spirit items;

Private fighting was strictly forbidden in the market. Offenders might receive a light punishment of a fine in spirit items, or, for a serious offense, be expelled outright, imprisoned, or even executed.

As they talked, the two demons reached the market entrance.

The market was bustling.

A long line had already formed at the entrance.

There were demons and humans in the line, all of different shapes and sizes.

Among the Demon Cultivators were bullfrogs with puffed-out cheeks, red-eyed rabbit demons with drooping ears, burly bear demons, and all manner of snake demons flicking their tongues.

Their cultivation ranged from the First Level of Embryonic Breathing to the Qi Ingestion Realm. Most Demon Cultivators retained their original forms, while a few had partially transformed, looking half demon and half human.

The human cultivators in the line were peculiar too. Some wore reasonably neat Daoist robes, while others had simply covered themselves with coarse hemp sacks, looking slovenly and unkempt.

They looked even more casual than the Demon Cultivators.

Crow Lord beckoned Wentesi over and joined the back of the line.

"I never thought I'd have to stand in line one day."

Wentesi sighed, lifting his two chicken feet and swaying from side to side as he lined up behind Crow Lord.

He had become a red dragon after reincarnating, yet he still had to stand in line. It was a novel experience.

The line moved quickly, and before long it was their turn.

Two half-snake demons guarded the market entrance.

The half-snake demons wore blue-green Daoist robes, and fine blue-green snake scales covered their faces. They had other serpentine features elsewhere on their bodies, such as scales on their hands and snake tails at their waists.

Presumably, they had to be descendants of the green snake demon market master and that cultivator surnamed Xu.

"A hero of the wilds, was he? Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Wentesi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, marveling at how impressive the cultivator surnamed Xu was.

He couldn't help feeling full of admiration for the cultivator surnamed Xu.

Of the two half-snake demons, one sat upright behind a desk, holding a complete set of jade bamboo slips for registration.

The other stood to the side, holding a bell Law Artifact in his left hand and a whip-shaped Law Artifact in his right.

Seeing that Wentesi and Crow Lord still weren't moving, the seated blue-scaled half-demon frowned and said:

"You two demons, get over here! State your demon registration and what you're called. Don't make me ask again!"

His tone was quite unfriendly, carrying the resentment of a working stiff.

Wentesi and Crow Lord lifted their chicken feet and hopped forward.

The blue-scaled half-demon holding the Law Artifacts swung the bell around them a few times, and only nodded after confirming that everything was in order.

Crow Lord then hurriedly hopped a couple of steps toward the other blue-scaled half-demon and cawed out his and Wentesi's information.

The blue-scaled half-demon finished carving the information onto the bamboo slips, nodded, and said:

"Entry fee, one share per demon."

Wentesi paused for a moment. His golden eagle clone didn't have a single spirit item on him.

Surely he couldn't have his red dragon true body cross over directly to pay the fee.

Fortunately, Crow Lord had come prepared. He stretched his neck beneath his wing, took out two red stones in his beak, and placed them on the desk.

The stones were only the size of little fingers and carried a faint trace of Earth Virtue. It was so weak that it could almost be ignored.

The blue-scaled half-demon picked them up and examined them. Without saying anything more, he waved them through.

It seemed the entry fee really wasn't high, or perhaps spirit items were simply scarce in this cultivation world to begin with.

As they crossed the market's gate, a clamor swept over them.

The long street had been built along the mountain's contours, twisting and turning beyond the reach of the eye.

Shops and stalls stood in rows on either side, and cries of vendors, haggling, and the shrieks of demons never ceased.

The sounds mingled together in a lively hubbub.

Demon Cultivators of different races, demons, and Rogue Cultivators mingled in a bustling crowd.

Quite a few blue-scaled half-demons in matching blue-green uniforms patrolled the street with long whip Law Artifacts, maintaining order. They looked well trained.

"Now this looks more like a cultivation world."

Wentesi thought to himself.

Compared with the desolate, lawless Wilderness of the western fantasy world, this place had far more everyday bustle and a much stronger sense of order.

But for some reason, looking at how orderly everything was, Wentesi felt an inexplicable urge to destroy it.

Perhaps it was his red dragon nature at work.

Crow Lord raised a chicken foot and held it out in front of him, asking:

"Shilongzi, where are we going, then?"

Crow Lord's original plan to pay his respects to the local powers had been overturned, leaving him at a loss for the moment.

Wentesi thought briefly and was just about to speak when a gray blur suddenly shot out of a crack in the rocks beside the city wall.

The gray blur moved extremely fast, arriving before Wentesi and Crow Lord in an instant.

It was a rat spirit.

Its whole body was bluish gray, and it was as big as an adult cat, extremely fat and round. Its cultivation was only at the First Level of Embryonic Breathing, and there was no telling what lineage it followed.

It stood upright on its hind legs and cupped its rat paws in a human-style salute. Its mouth moved swiftly, but its words were clear:

"Greetings to you two feathered young masters!"

"Feathered young master" was a respectful form of address for all birds, and this rat certainly knew how to speak.

"Where might you two feathered young masters be headed? This humble one's name is Shu San. My family has made a living here in Green Snake Market since my grandfather's generation, and I couldn't be more familiar with the market!"

The rat demon's tone was rather obsequious:

"If you two want to buy or sell, I'll take you to the fairest shops;

If you want to rest your feet, I know the most comfortable demon caves;

If you want a good meal, I know every tavern and restaurant in the market inside out. Even if you want to buy a demon slave or a human pet, I can lead you to the slave market by the quickest route!"

One look at the rat demon showed that he was an old hand who had spent years soliciting work at the entrance, with one polished spiel after another.

Having a guide was certainly better than wandering around blindly.

Wentesi stared at him and asked:

"What do you charge?"

Shu San's eyes lit up. Knowing the deal was more than halfway done, he hurriedly put on another fawning smile, exposing his two large front teeth:

"Rest assured, feathered young master, the price is fair to young and old alike. Just give me whatever odds and ends of spirit items you don't need. If you really don't have any, fifty jin of grain will do. I guarantee your satisfaction."

"All right."

Wentesi nodded with an air of authority, then gestured for Crow Lord to pay.

Though it pained Crow Lord a little, he still pulled another reddish-brown stone from beneath his feathers and tossed it over.

The reddish-brown stone was clearly much smaller than the two they had paid as the entry fee, and its trace of Earth Virtue was much weaker too.

Shu San caught it, deftly tucked it into his cheek for safekeeping, and smiled even more ingratiatingly:

"Thank you for your generosity, feathered young masters. Where would you two like to look around?"

"Let's start by seeing the places for buying and selling."

Wentesi decided where to go.

"All right, then let's head east. There are artifact-forging shops, pill pavilions, stores, pawnshops, and a whole stretch of little stalls there. Their goods are the best for the price."

Shu San dropped onto all fours and led the way.

Wentesi and Crow Lord flapped their wings and followed close behind.

Passing rows of stalls and shops, they followed Shu San and soon reached a relatively spacious area.

Shu San stopped and introduced it. "This is the trading market with the best value for your money. Where would you two feathered young masters like to start?"

Wentesi intended to look inside the pavilion first.

He had just raised a chicken foot when he put it down again.

It was because he heard a tortoise demon boasting:

"My 'Yarrow-Stalk and Shell Divination and Six-Line Verification' is a genuine ultimate art passed down from Shamanic Qi, guaranteed authentic. I'll teach you until you've mastered it.

All the user needs to perform it is a tortoise shell or scales on their body, and the more precious and powerful the scales or shell, the more effective it is.

This is a fifth-grade divination technique!

Isn't it worth two Spirit Stones?"

Hearing this, Wentesi's heart stirred.

Wasn't a divination and calculation technique exactly what he needed?

And as a red dragon, he happened to have dragon scales!

When it came to being precious and powerful, what could be more precious and powerful than dragon scales?