Changliu Market

After a day's journey, the two finally arrived at Changliu Market.

Looking at the people coming and going around her, Mu Wan glanced about with a hint of excitement in her eyes.

Shen Ge shook his head and slowly followed, afraid that if he took his eyes off the clueless girl for a moment, someone would trick her into going with them.

But then he remembered that Mu Wan had already reached the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Tricking her into going with them would be rather difficult.

"Hey, have you heard? It seems the Wan Household is looking for a husband for Miss Wan Yue. Apparently, anyone at Foundation Establishment or above can take part."

"I heard about that ages ago. Unfortunately, I haven't reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, or I would have gone already. The Wan Household is one of the top cultivation families around Changliu, and they're skilled at artifact refining too. They practically have mountains of Spirit Stones! Besides, Miss Wan Yue is the most outstanding and beautiful artifact refiner of the Wan Household's current generation. I hear she's already reached the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage."

Hearing several Qi Refining cultivators talking by the roadside, Shen Ge rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before asking Mu Wan, "Junior Sister Mu Wan, what's the background of this Wan Household?"

"The Wan Household?" Mu Wan recalled what she knew before saying, "The Wan Household has been established in Changliu for nearly a thousand years. Apparently, their ancestors were among the first disciples of our Spirit Moon Sect, and even now, the threads between them and our sect remain unsevered."

"Why, are you planning to give it a try?" Mu Wan turned to stare at Shen Ge, her voice a little cold. "I hear Wan Yue is quite beautiful and skilled at artifact refining too. I also heard she's the daughter of the current head of the Wan Household and is doted on. If you became her dao companion, you'd never be short of Spirit Stones again."

Shen Ge smiled. "When you put it like that, I'm a little tempted. If someone took care of my Spirit Stone troubles, just think how much time I'd save for cultivation."

"If you're tempted, go ahead." Mu Wan's tone was subdued. "But I doubt you'd have much chance of making it to the end."

"Then forget it. If I can't make it to the end, I'd better not go. I'd only end up embarrassing the sect." Shen Ge chuckled, then fell silent for a short while.

Perhaps feeling that the atmosphere shouldn't be so gloomy, Shen Ge said, "Come on, let's go have a look at the auction. We might find something good."

They walked and stopped along the way, and before they even reached the auction, Mu Wan had spent almost all her Spirit Stones. Of course, she had also acquired a huge pile of artifact-refining materials.

For the auction later, however, Mu Wan took out a few Law Artifacts and sold them. Although they were all low-grade, the few pieces brought her more than a thousand Spirit Stones.

And those were only low-grade Law Artifacts. Shen Ge knew that Mu Wan still had at least five or six mid-grade Law Artifacts and several high-grade ones.

Although she was unlikely to sell the high-grade Law Artifacts, if she sold all her low- and mid-grade ones, she could probably make five thousand Spirit Stones. That was a huge sum.

At that thought, Shen Ge couldn't help feeling a little envious. They were both artifact refiners, so why was she so wealthy while he had to count every coin to get by?!

In the end, it came down to the starting capital. Mu Wan had her grandfather, the head of the Artifact Refining Hall, backing her. Many of her artifact-refining materials cost her no Spirit Stones at all, or someone else paid for them, which was why she had so many Law Artifacts.

As for him, he had to pay for many of his artifact-refining materials himself. That made the gap between rich and poor grow wider and wider, until Shen Ge felt there was no hope of catching up.

After selling a few more mid-grade Law Artifacts, Mu Wan had a full three thousand Spirit Stones. If Shen Ge had to earn that much himself, it would take at least two years before he had any hope of accumulating such a fortune.

Mu Wan put away the remaining Law Artifacts and clapped her hands. "All right, we have enough Spirit Stones. Let's go see when the auction starts."

Shen Ge glanced at the bulging Storage Bag at her waist and genuinely felt the urge to knock her out and rob her blind.

"Junior Sister Mu Wan, did you sell all the Law Artifacts refined from that Tide Crab's materials at once?"

"Not exactly." Mu Wan stared at Shen Ge, a sly glint flashing in her eyes as she pretended to show off. "You saw it yourself. I only sold low- and mid-grade Law Artifacts. I haven't even taken out that matching set of high-grade ones."

The corner of Shen Ge's mouth twitched, and he turned away from the subject. He felt that if he listened any longer, he really would rob her.

Afterward, the two crossed the street and came to a large building shaped rather like a cylinder. They paid part of the deposit and went inside.

After asking around and learning that the auction wouldn't begin until evening, the two entered a private room to wait.

There were still two or three hours until evening, which wasn't very long. Besides, there wasn't much outside worth looking at for the two of them: just Law Artifacts, pills, talismans, formations, and the like. Those things really weren't particularly scarce for either of them, so they might as well wait here for the auction to begin.

As Shen Ge waited, he considered whether he should sell something too, but then he realized that apart from the Law Artifacts he needed himself, he really didn't have anything else on him.

As for those talismans, he certainly couldn't sell them. They were all things that could save his life, and nobody would complain about having enough life-saving items.

So after considering it for a while, Shen Ge decided to leave things as they were. He still had a little over a thousand Spirit Stones, which should be enough.

Meanwhile, by the coast of the South Sea, a figure hung high above the white clouds, silently watching everything below.

It was Li Hai, who had come to investigate. Although there was practically nothing here that could hurt him, he was here to investigate, and if he appeared openly, he certainly wouldn't find out anything.

After all, those people had dared to ambush and kill members of the Spirit Moon Sect, so they must have laid meticulous plans for every eventuality. Showing himself rashly would only alert them, so Li Hai remained hidden to one side, silently watching and waiting for an opportunity.

Sure enough, before long, Li Hai noticed something unusual. The disciple in charge of guarding the mine had slipped out in secret and received a voice-transmission Jade Slip. Li Hai was certain it hadn't come from the sect. Besides, if it had come from an ordinary friend, he wouldn't have been so sneaky about it. There was something wrong with him!

Having established his suspicion, Li Hai wasted no time. He flashed straight in front of the disciple and said, his face dark, "Will you confess on your own, or shall I make you talk?!"

The disciple looked at the man who had suddenly appeared before him. Fear showed in his eyes, and he swallowed.

He hadn't expected a Golden Core cultivator to come. At that moment, he truly regretted it. He regretted not leaving with the others and regretted being so greedy.

Sure enough, people could never be satisfied. They should have fled after ambushing and killing that Law Enforcement squad, but instead they had stayed here and even wanted to ambush and kill more people.

The disciple dropped to his knees with a thud and made one last attempt to talk his way out of it. "Elder, please listen to my explanation! I really am innocent. This is just a voice-transmission Jade Slip a good friend sent me."

Li Hai sneered. The man didn't even recognize him, the head of the Law Enforcement Hall, yet dared to pose as a Spirit Moon Sect disciple. His audacity reached the heavens!

Li Hai raised his hand and gave a slight squeeze, bursting the man's body and leaving only his spirit.