Baosheng Temple Fair

The sun was shining brightly.

The large swaths of poisonous flowers in the fields, though not thoroughly eradicated, have been largely destroyed in the recent six months of conflict.

There is only one road connecting the six or seven villages and towns nearby, which was built by those armed groups to facilitate the collection of raw materials for toxic substances.

The cement road surface was covered with cracks in many places, and some sections were even sunken, clearly marks left by heavy trucks.

A white sedan, covered in dust, drove by slowly.

The driver was a lean, yellow-skinned man, while in the back seat sat a white man with narrow eyes, a long face, brown hair, and a buzz cut, holding a small flowerpot.

"Cai, even though this flower was replanted in a pot, I don't think it will live much longer. Look, look, its leaves have lost their luster."

"My goodness, the tips of the petals look like they've all curled up from dehydration."

As Andrei muttered to himself, he took the spray bottle on his right and sprinkled some medicine into the flowerpot.

The plant in the flowerpot, at first glance, resembles a yellow glasswork.

It displays a stunning beauty when it trembles slightly in the medicinal solution.

Golden Chain Flower is a poisonous herb. If an ordinary person accidentally comes into contact with the sap of this flower, the subcutaneous muscles will quickly become infected and suppurate.

But in the eyes of someone knowledgeable like Andrei, this thing was truly valuable.

In the past, the Greek Orthodox Church had a remedy called "Bergen Compassionate Relief Pill," and now only large religious sects possess the formula for it.

However, precisely because they profit from this prescription and have a high demand for medicinal materials, they openly list out several key ingredients that are difficult to obtain and solicit them from outside sources year after year.

This Golden Chain Flower is one of them.

Andrei never expected that he would obtain this elixir, which should have originated in Europe, while killing a Kingdom of Siam sorcerer.

Most likely, some unfortunate soul from Europe was killed by that wizard, and his treasures were stolen by the wizard.

All Andrei can say is that his fellow villager died a good death; may he go to heaven.

However, the wizard was knowledgeable; after obtaining the elixir, he was able to cultivate it successfully.

But Andrei and his partner Cai Xinzhai did not have this ability.

Cai Xinzhai is a successor of Choy Li Fut Fist. When he was a child, he also learned Qigong from a Daoist priest. He is a first-rate expert in boxing and knows a little about medicinal wine, but he knows nothing about Europe spiritual plants.

When Andrei was a child, he exhibited signs of atavism, awakening the talents of a werewolf. He was also very knowledgeable and could identify many spiritual herbs, but he was not skilled at cultivating them.

He was very unwilling to accept that the grass was withering.

But if it were just for this one plant, would one leave the Golden Triangle, now brimming with opportunities, and make a special trip back to Europe?

Andrei couldn't bring himself to make that decision either.

A couple of days ago, Cai Xinzhai saw someone share on a forum that a market for ascetics had been set up in Chiang Mai Province, Siam.

Many people who have been there say it's good.

The organizers are very strong, and order is guaranteed.

In particular, the organizers took a very clear stance, stating directly that they would not accept those anti-human evil elements.

If you don't have a stance, people won't dare to go.

Those with such a clear stance are the best; even pure evil sorcerers, when looking for a place to trade, would prefer to mingle in such a market.

After all, even a pure evil sorcerer who feeds on humans sometimes needs other kinds of resources.

Some speculate that this was initiated by the Siam government.

However, after repeatedly seeing posts recommending this marketplace, Cai Xinzhai suddenly had a whimsical idea and logged into the secret forum addresses he had collected over the years as a bounty hunter, traveling to various countries.

After his search...

Posts about this market have appeared on secret forums for cultivators from various countries.

The current warlock community in the Golden Triangle comes from all over the world, and the forums they habitually browse are, of course, those they are used to using in their hometowns.

In other words, the market organizers used this method in order to achieve the maximum publicity effect in a short period of time.

Cai Xinzhai also read those Amway posts, which were not from newly registered users, but mostly from veterans of the forum.

Such a grand undertaking—how could Siam ascetics possibly pull it off?

"Hey, they even managed to pin this on the Siam government. I bet someone back home is stirring up trouble here..."

Having this idea, Cai Xinzhai decided to go.

The exact identity of the person capable of orchestrating this is hard to guess, but their background is quite easy to ascertain.

Cai Xinzhai felt quite at ease wandering around places run by people from his hometown.

The car wound its way through towering mountains, and at the end of the highway, the outline of a city began to appear.

After entering the city, Cai Xinzhai quickly arrived at his destination, following the directions given by helpful people on the forum.

The entire county town here has a somewhat desolate and dilapidated atmosphere, and bullet holes and explosion remains can still be seen in many places.

Cai Xinzhai's destination was far from the bustling city center, nestled deep in the mountains Old Lin.

However, when the car drove up, the temple at the foot of the mountain was completely packed with people, inside and out.

There were at least several hundred cars parked on that open space that served as a parking lot.

Many people carried guns, guarding their vehicles, and looked at the crowds in the market with expressions of awe.

Many sorcerers, after arriving in the Golden Triangle, like to recruit some followers for their own convenience, ranging from a dozen to over a hundred people.

Those guarding the vehicles were not practitioners, but local soldiers who followed the sorcerer.

If any of them are clever or decisive, they may very well embark on the path of spiritual practice if they receive guidance.

"My God, there are so many people."

Andrei, who muttered to himself like a fool on the way, had a glint of wisdom in his eyes.

"Cai, those posts on the forum, the earliest one, are only from a week ago, right? How come they've gathered such a large following in just one week..."

"We live in the information age, so it's normal for people to be here quickly. We're just here to buy and sell, why think so much?"

Cai Xinzhai parked the car, didn't even take the keys out, and got out.

Andrei found a bucket, put the potted plant in it, and put the lid on before getting off the bus and catching up with his partner with a grin.

"The reason you tell me not to think so much is because you've already thought it all through beforehand, haven't you?"

Andrei carried his small bucket forward. Before he even entered the temple grounds, there were already quite a few people setting up stalls.

We are all practitioners, so we shouldn't make things too shabby.

They spread out furs or carpets on the ground, or perhaps they had set up a table for themselves.

Only a very few unrefined vendors would simply grab a red, blue, and white plastic sheet, lay it out, and display all their wares on it, giving off a cheap impression.

Here, English conversations are the most frequent, and every transaction seems to begin with English.

But after exchanging a few words, as long as they find that the other person can understand, they quickly switch to Chinese, French, Siam, and so on.

Andrei had been listening attentively, but soon found himself completely confused and couldn't help but pick at his ears.

The two didn't find anything particularly interesting at the street stalls outside, so they walked into the temple.

The crowd density inside the temple is almost as high as outside, but people seem to be more reserved here, with little loud noise.

The temple has several large halls.

Recalling the description on the forum, Cai Xinzhai headed straight for the main hall.

Inside the main hall, some people even lined up, but they weren't there to worship Buddha.

Instead, next to the Buddha statue was a long table, behind which sat a short, thin old man with a refined and detached demeanor. He had a small mole on his right forehead, from which a white hair grew.

The old man spoke fluent English.

The items brought out by the people in line ranged from common Southeast Asia witchcraft products and Buddhist ritual implements to medicinal herbs and casting materials, as well as goods from West Asia, Europe, and even the Americas.

He could explain everything clearly, pointing out where to find people to facilitate transactions.

If there were buyers willing to pay money, quite a few were directly purchased by the elderly man on behalf of the organizers.

Behind the old man stood several tall, upright young men in black, who were specifically tasked with these kinds of tasks.

Cai Xinzhai spoke fluently in his native language, chuckling, "Uncle, you're from the Southeast, aren't you?"

Sun Buyuan smiled and asked, "Does the guest have any items he/she would like to have authenticated?"

Seeing that he got straight to the point without any hesitation, Cai Xinzhai turned around, picked up the small bucket, and took out the potted plant.

Sun Buyuan took it and examined it briefly.

"Golden Chain Flower, Europe import, at least from 1999, a good piece."

He objectively stated, "Although this flower is a spiritual herb, it matures in one year and takes three years to grow old. The fact that it has grown from ninety-nine years ago to the present day is a testament to the painstaking cultivation of its successive owners, who deserve considerable credit."

"This flower can be one of the main ingredients in Compassionate Relief Pill, but those that have been cultivated for so long are not limited to just being a main ingredient in Compassionate Relief Pill."

Andrei was overjoyed upon hearing this.

I originally thought this plant was valuable enough to be used as the main ingredient in Compassionate Relief Pill, but after this reminder, I realized it could be even more valuable.

"Old sir."

Andrei quickly stepped forward, using his body as cover, and discreetly handed a piece of gold to Sun Buyuan.

"Where do you think would be the best place to sell our medicinal herbs?"

With Sun Buyuan pushed the gold back into the other person's palm. "We also buy this kind of medicine here, but you can only buy it with money."

"If you'd like to barter and exchange your goods for some useful treasures, you can consider going to stall number four on the east side."

Cai Xinzhai said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior!"

He pulled Andrei along, and there were already people queuing behind them, continuing all the way to the palace entrance.

When they came in, the line length was almost the same.

The two walked out of the hall and carefully looked at the number plates on the stalls. They quickly found stall number four on the east side.

"My Lord has mercy, Hallelujah!"

The stall owner was a man in his forties with silver hair and a fair complexion. He was dressed simply in a white t-shirt and trousers, with a chestnut wood cane lying across his knees and a ceramic jar beside him.

He was unremarkable in appearance, but when he spoke, he used Old English, his eyes gleaming with a hidden light, and his demeanor was dignified.

Andrei wrinkled his nose when he was stared at.

How come he's a mendicant monk from the London Order?

In modern times, mendicant monks have become the backbone of the London Order's martial arts training, and have had many conflicts with werewolves and vampires.

Andrei prides himself on being a modern, progressive youth, but after awakening his werewolf bloodline, he feels somewhat uncomfortable with the smell of these mendicant monks.

Strangely, after the mendicant monk's eyes flickered, he did not show any hostility.

Ignoring all that, Cai Xinzhai took the medicinal herbs directly from the bucket.

The mendicant monk's expression changed slightly. "Could I take a closer look?"

After carefully examining the Golden Chain Flower, his breathing quickened slightly. He forced himself to calm down, looked intently at Cai Xinzhai, returned the elixir, and took out his phone.

"Sir, you seem to be someone who practices martial arts. I have a document here titled ' Occam Truth Fist Manual,' and I would like to exchange it with you. What do you say?"

Although he didn't look at Andrei, his words were clearly meant for Andrei to hear.

Occam Truth Fist was a renowned martial art within the Greek Orthodox Church. What's remarkable is that this martial art seeks truth and reality, objectively acknowledging the existence of species like werewolves, and there are no Taboo on werewolves practicing this style.

Furthermore, with the physique of a wolf, if one were to master this martial art, their resistance to certain energies that they are naturally afraid of would also be enhanced.

Cai Xinzhai glanced at Andrei out of the corner of his eye and realized that his partner was actually quite interested in him.

"Not enough!"

Cai Xinzhai shook his head, his words concise and to the point.

After thinking for a while, the mendicant monk rummaged in his pocket and took out a green plastic medicine bottle.

"This bottle contains three standard-sized Compassionate Relief Pill, along with a boxing manual; we'll use them in exchange."

Judging from his tone, Cai Xinzhai knew that this was already the highest price he could ask for. After pretending to hesitate, he accepted the deal.

Not far after the two left the stall, Andrei couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed Cai Xinzhai's phone and started flipping through the boxing manual documents.

"Excellent, excellent! This fist technique is indeed formidable; it's a treasure worthy of being passed down to future generations."

Andrei muttered, "That annoying mendicant monk, he's actually quite fair in his dealings."

Cai Xinzhai nodded. "This person has good character, but it's also related to the occasion. I think he's very wary of this place. It was mentioned on the forum before that some people who caused trouble here were taught a lesson."

Andrei laughed and said, "If he's so wary, why does he insist on setting up a stall here? In the end, it's all about greed."

Just as Cai Xinzhai was about to reply, he suddenly caught sight of something on a nearby stall, and his feet involuntarily moved toward it.

The stall owners appeared to be a grandfather and grandson.

The old man was wearing a white silk training uniform with buttons down, and the young girl was wearing a sports vest and cargo pants. A Great Saber from the Spring and Autumn Annals was placed beside them.

The items on the stall were mostly jade and some wood carvings.

Cai Xinzhai had his eye on a wooden Arhat carving.

"A successor to Choy Li Fut?"

The old man casually raised his eyelids. "Choy Li Fut originated from the Southern Shaolin Temple. The Venerable Master Zhishan of the Southern Shaolin Temple once sculpted a statue of an Arhat with long arms and legs, which contained the essence of Choy Li Fut's martial arts."

"It can be described as a Fist Intent technique and a variant of a martial arts manual, capable of combining Choy Li Fut Fist with the Primordial Unity Boy's Skill of the Wudang branch."

In his youth, Zhishan studied martial arts at a Daoist family, where his boxing style incorporated the essence of Buddhism and Daoism, subtly aligning with the Daoist principle of strengthening and forging oneself.

Cai Xinzhai had his left hand behind his back, his little finger twitching.

Although he practiced not the Wudang Boy's Skill, he practiced the "Water King Ten Strikes" Qigong of the Mount Lü Sect Daoism, and the two were similar in their essence.

This wood carving was like finding a piece of the puzzle that had been missing from his life for a long time.

How much is this wood carving?

The old man stroked his beard and said, "Barter. I want a set of secret manuals related to the Nine-Syllable Mantra, and it must be able to touch upon Taboo levels."

Cai Xinzhai's face immediately stiffened. "Are you kidding me? This wood carving can be exchanged for such a secret manual?"

"Even below the Taboo, this wooden carving is absolutely top-tier. Moreover, unlike ordinary manuals, it's a magical artifact infused with Fist Intent. With these two values combined, it's naturally worth exchanging for a simple manual."

The old man sighed as he finished speaking.

"Actually, the organizers of this market have what I need, but they won't trade it for this wood carving; they have something else in mind."

Cai Xinzhai asked suspiciously, "Do you have connections with the organizers?"

"Does this guy also want to have connections with the organizers?"

The old man smiled broadly, "Don't worry, you won't need to sign any contract to go back to China to work. Just help me make connections in the Golden Triangle."

"If you can gain something, obtaining the secret manual first, and then this wooden carving, shouldn't be too difficult. Sharing it with everyone would be a win-win-win situation..."

Cai Xinzhai felt that if he continued listening, he might get involved in something serious.

But he really couldn't stop thinking about that wooden carving.

Besides, bounty hunters are inherently dangerous and risky; as long as they don't sign long-term contracts, working for the organizers is just as good.

(End of this chapter)