A New Look

"It's quite lively."

Yuan Jin, who was bowing in worship, raised his head when he heard Kuang Liuting's soft recitation. He saw the latter standing on a cloud, looking at the bustling scene of Double Brightness Trade Market with great interest.

Kuang Liuting's entourage was small, consisting of only a few people. Among them were the governor Zhu Tong, the acting military commander Gun Shilu, and the military commander Qin Sufu, representing the three major factions within the state court.

Neither of the two made any move against Yuan Jin. Qin Sufu gave him a reassuring look, which immediately eased Yuan Jin's anxiety.

Besides them, there were a few late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Yuan Jin recognized their faces as familiar and vaguely knew that some of them were commanders in the Demon-Slaying Division. As for the remaining two or three, they were also well-known rogue cultivators in the vicinity.

Of all the people, only Gun Shilu was closest to Kuang Liuting, which shows his importance in the latter's heart.

Kuang Liuting has been keeping a low profile lately, rarely appearing in public. Rumors circulate that he is in seclusion to Core Formation, and the people he brings with him each time he does appear are different, but Gun Shilu is always by his side.

This seemingly Acting Sima Gun) appears to have already relinquished his duties at the state court's Sima Office, but he still receives a substantial annual salary while performing the duties of a chief attendant at Kuang Liuting.

As for the significance of Kuang Liuting's heavy reliance on a False Core whose Dao Path enlightenment had been severed, no one else could say for sure, and no one dared to ask.

Kuang Liuting withdrew his gaze from the market scene, but the interest in his eyes had not yet faded. After he made a gesture of support with one hand, Yuan Jin felt an invisible force lifting him up.

"So you are Yuan Jin?" The Earl of Nan'an seemed to be in a particularly good mood today, not in a hurry to meet the host of this place, but instead taking the time to talk to this insignificant character in front of him.

"Double Brightness Yuan Jin greets Your Excellency."

"You did a good job in Jingnan Prefecture. I saw your name on the victory report sent by the Zheng Household to the prefectural court."

"I fear that Yuan Jin's humble name might disturb Your Excellency's hearing, so..."

"Ha," Kuang Liuting laughed and waved his hand, then continued, "Don't learn from your senior brother. He doesn't care about word choice and sentence structure. I don't want everyone inside and outside the sect to hear the same tone."

"Yuan Jin understands."

Kuang Liuting simply nodded, it was unclear whether he was satisfied or not.

He didn't seem to be in a hurry to sit on Little Ring Mountain, but waved his hand and said, "Take me for a walk. I heard that this place was just a barren land back then, and it was all thanks to your sect leader that it has become such a beautiful place."

Yuan Jin tried to mimic Sect Leader Kang Da's tone and replied, "Your Excellency flatters me. This Double Brightness Trade Market is only in such good condition thanks to the diligent work of the two Sima and Market Commandant. My family are merely tenants here, and we truly do not deserve such praise."

"Is that so?" Kuang Liuting smiled upon hearing this, and then led the group of officials into the market.

"No street clearing allowed." Gun Shilu whispered to Yuan Jin as he passed by. The latter responded calmly, then sent another letter urging Sect Leader Kang Da to come down the mountain to greet him. Only then did he hurry to catch up with Kuang Liuting and step into the market.

Just as Kuang Liuting entered the market, Deng Baichuan and Yue Feng, who were leading a patrol team to search outside, also returned.

This is because the more lively the occasion, the harder it is for unscrupulous and criminal cultivators to restrain themselves.

While Chongming Sect on the mountain was celebrating a joyous occasion, and guests were gathering in droves, a number of unfortunate events had recently occurred in Double Brightness Trade Market. As a result, the two important figures in the market were exhausted and miserable all day long.

Objectively speaking, they were essentially doing all this work for free for Sect Leader Kang Da, who had just been blessed with a son.

Kuang Liuting showed no interest in exchanging a few words with the two rather disheveled officials, but instead led them on a leisurely stroll through the market with great enthusiasm.

The Second-Tier Upper-Grade array formed an octagonal glazed light shield on the outside, and inside, at least several thousand cultivators were exchanging information. Just as Kuang Liuting had seen, this Double Brightness Trade Market was indeed a rare and bustling place in the surrounding area.

As everyone entered, a huge bronze mirror floated in mid-air, reflecting their light, but no one felt anything unusual; they only felt the warm yellow light emanating from it.

This bronze mirror, which was a full ten feet in diameter, was indeed a Second Tier Spirit Artifact of good quality, called the "Eight Right Buddha Mirror".

It is said that Sect Leader Kang Da purchased it from Master Qi, and it came from Jade Wave Temple in Sea Prefecture. It was obtained by Madam Qi during her early travels and has the effect of clearly seeing demonic nature and discerning evil spirits.

Upon entering the market, Yuan Jin led the way, guiding everyone across the spotless streets paved with jade bricks.

As soon as Kuang Liuting landed, a look of surprise appeared on his face. With his abilities as the Earl of Nan'an, he could naturally sense that there was more to this jade brick than met the eye.

With a thought, the jade bricks beneath his feet began to glow faintly. After a closer look, he understood.

It turns out that each jade brick has a talisman connected to it, containing the power of wind, thunder, gold, and fire. Once activated, its power would be astonishing. If any powerful person thinks that breaking the outer formation means they are safe, they will likely suffer a great loss in their haste.

Those accompanying him were no ordinary people, and they all secretly admired this place.

After walking several dozen more steps, the group finally arrived at the market archway.

To the left stands Mirage Qi Screen, each a full ten feet long, with the signs of various shops rotating on it, making one's mouth water.

As for the duration each company spends on the Mirage Qi Screen, it depends on the amount of construction work each company contributes to the market each month. The results are announced at the regular public meeting at the end of each month, ensuring fairness and transparency without any underhanded dealings.

On the right were two jade baskets, one for collecting Spirit Stone and the other for collecting equivalent spiritual items from impoverished Rogue Cultivator.

Beneath the archway stood a group of fire patrolmen, their armor gleaming, exuding a slightly menacing Sha Qi, and clearly quite elite. The leader, however, carried no weapon, holding an abacus in one hand and a scale in the other, ensuring accurate and fair weighing of goods, regardless of age.

Kuang Liuting looked at the jade basket for a moment, then took a Spirit Stone and dropped it inside. Seeing that the fire patrolman under the archway was quite dull and didn't even know to stop him, many of the entourage immediately looked displeased.

Kuang Liuting found it quite interesting. He didn't even need to spend half a spirit stone to enter the imperial palace, so this kind of experience was rare for him. Far from being annoyed, he curiously called over the composed Yuan Jin and asked how many Spirit Stone this market could collect in a day.

Only after passing through the archway did one truly witness the bustling activity of the market.

Each shopfront inside had a flag standing outside, a standard First Tier Law Artifact that emitted a faint glow at sunset. The flagpole was engraved with a fierce beast, its eyes moving randomly and irregularly, monitoring the Spiritual Qi fluctuations of passing cultivators.

There were 108 banners, divided into two categories: one crimson and the other bluish-green.

The colors of these two items are not determined by the power or influence behind the shop owners.

The former had been operating for over twenty years and had never been reported to the city's official authorities for engaging in unfair practices or shortchanging customers. The latter, which hung the blue banner, had also not had any bad records; it was just that it had been operating for a slightly shorter time than the red banner.

The rules of Double Brightness Trade Market are very strict. In addition, there are not many important people in this remote place who occupy shops. Once it is found that a shop dares to cheat customers, it will be expelled.

The confiscated gains were secondary; Deng Baichuan and Yue Feng were both known for their unruly natures. Families who committed offenses inevitably had to pay a sum of Spirit Stone to compensate for the damage to the reputation of Double Brightness Trade Market.

Otherwise, the patrol team will come to their door and reason with them.

In the center of the market stood a tall pavilion, protected by protective barriers. The wood on the building was still fresh, indicating that it had only recently been built. Even the best shops next to it had moved their storefronts back several feet.

There must be a reason for the new pavilion in such a conspicuous place. After Yuan Jin explained, Kuang Liuting finally understood that this was actually a deathmatch arena. After all, like most markets in the world, Double Brightness Trade Market strictly prohibited private fights.

However, there are always grudges among practitioners, and it is often difficult to distinguish right from wrong in most matters. It is better to just settle things on the spot and do it cleanly and decisively.

According to the rules set by Double Brightness Trade Market, this arena is not to be used casually.

Name, address, reason, whether it's a fight to the death, and time of the match must all be clearly stated in the contract.

As for why this arena is sealed off and not open to the public, is it because a life-or-death battle is extremely rare for ordinary people?

Building this arena in Double Brightness Trade Market requires relocating space, changing the layout, and spending Spirit Stone to construct formations; it cannot afford to lose everything. The best way to quickly recoup the investment is to post the names of the characters in each match and sell tickets.

As for the duelists, if they do not fight privately, they must explain the rules of the duel and invite a referee to ensure fairness; if they want to fight to the death, they must invite guards to protect the surrounding safety.

In other words, regardless of whether either side dies in the duel, Double Brightness Trade Market will try to profit from both sides.

However, business at the arena has been much better than the designers had anticipated since it just opened. The initial lukewarm reception was actually quite logical.

After all, true mortal enemies are hard to find, and even fewer are willing to spend Spirit Stone before deciding to fight to the death.

But gradually, the arena gained some fame. Because of the large number of spectators and the chance for the winner to become famous, many talented disciples from small families began to come together.

The benefits of this arena are obvious. With just a few Spirit Stone, one can resolve personal grudges and test one's cultivation progress without having to fight to the death. Furthermore, with Foundation Establishment True Cultivator present, one can fight with all one's might without suffering serious injury. One can also gain fame and seek recruitment from local temples or high-ranking families.

Throughout the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture, where else can you find a place like this?

Therefore, the business quickly became booming. Double Brightness Trade Market made a fortune, so much so that even the True Cultivator Foundation Establishment specially hired by the market had to take turns working there.

Those who are interested in such things will create rankings such as the Seven Heroes of Pingrong County" or the Cloud Horn Prefecture Dragon and Phoenix Ranking," which are often full of errors and omissions, but this does not prevent them from gaining many benefits.

In the black market, some people set up betting odds for every game. The higher-ups in the market are aware of this, but they don't care. They wait until the market is fat enough before they can make a killing.

After passing the life-or-death arena, they arrived at a corner at the exit of the market where a place for Rogue Cultivator set up stalls had been set up. Although it was shabby, it was safe.

This is because the patrol teams do not discriminate. If anyone engages in any despicable acts such as extortion or Rogue Cultivator, and is reported by a rogue monk, these elite troops who have received such favors will still be dealt with severely.

This shows that the leader of the sect has not forgotten his own arduous days as a merchant.

This is because most of the practitioners are still not well-off, and some people are willing to come here to find some bargains after browsing the market. As a result, this place is very popular, and the stalls are rarely empty, which adds up to a considerable amount each year.

At the end of the market area, there was a small stall with the aroma of caramelized sugar paintings wafting through the air, attracting quite a few customers.

The old man who painted sugar was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer, and although he was over seventy, his face was very neatly groomed and not unpleasant to look at. The copper spoon in his hand was a Law Artifact, which he had nurtured well, and it could even condense Qi into threads.

This is a rare skill among rogue Rogue Cultivator below the Middle Qi Refinement; in the blink of an eye, they can sketch lifelike spirit beasts and ferocious birds on a smooth jade panel, enticing women and children to ask the head of the household for Spirit Stone.

Kuang Liuting's gaze suddenly froze, a hint of surprise creeping into his eyes.

Those present also sensed something amiss. Qin Sufu, less composed, showed a slightly more alarmed expression, but inwardly sighed, "If this frail old man were in an ordinary market, let alone earn some Spirit Stone, he probably wouldn't even survive a few days."

Only after Kuang Liuting shifted his gaze from the "Tie Household Talisman Shop" sign at the end of the city did he speak slowly:

"Kang Dabao is a capable man. Pingrong County, a low-lying county, has become unusually prosperous. At first glance, it is not much different from the two major cities of Xuanwei City and Han City."

Yuan Jin, your Chongming Sect has made a fortune from this place every year, so why don't you think to increase the tax rate yourself?

Yuan Jin was taken aback, realizing that this incredibly wealthy Earl of Nan'an truly couldn't speak like a human being. How many fools in this world would actually increase their own tax burden?

"My lord, that is indeed true." Yuan Jin was about to speak when Kuang Liuting raised his hand to stop him.

The latter turned to Deng and Yue, who still looked somewhat disheveled, and asked softly, "Tell me honestly, could you have created this scene in this market without Kang Dabao?"

"I'm afraid it will be difficult to accomplish." Although Deng Baichuan still had some of the pride of a respectable family from the capital, he still answered sincerely under his master's gaze.

The Han City Yue Household had been torn apart by Sect Leader Kang Da a few years ago, which made Yue Feng uncomfortable as soon as he heard Kuang Liuting mention his name. He could only bow his head and apologize without saying a word.

"Ah, such a beautiful woman, why did she become a thief!" Kuang Liuting's eyes dimmed, and after a soft sigh, he called Yuan Jin to his side and whispered, "Take this."

The latter was taken aback, then quickly bowed and accepted it, glanced at it, and murmured, "The Scripture of Clearing the Mind from Huihai and Enlightening the True Nature."

The Marquis of Earl of Nan'an smiled slightly and said calmly, "I'm in a better mood today, so I'll lend you a hand. As for whether it will succeed or not, that depends on your own cultivation."

After saying this, he didn't even look at Yuan Jin's reaction, nor did he wait for the others to follow. He flew out of the market archway alone and headed towards the brightly lit Little Ring Mountain.

---- Green Lotus Courtyard

Fei Nanying didn't look at the child in her arms for too long. She clumsily coaxed the baby for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before handing the child back to Han Ningyue, who was looking on with anticipation.

Fei Shuhe smiled radiantly, her eyes seemingly glued to the little face of the baby in Han Ningyue's arms, unwilling to look away even for a moment.

Fei Nanying standing to the side, seemed stunned when he saw this scene, but a touch of warmth appeared in his eyes.

Seeing this scene, Sect Leader Kang Da felt relieved. At least it proved that Boyue, who had already reached the Golden Core stage, still retained some humanity. He wasn't like those characters in novels who, after becoming a high-level cultivator, ceased to be human and extinguished their six desires and seven emotions.

The child was making noise, Fei Nanying obviously couldn't enjoy it like his wife, so he pulled Kang Dabao into the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, the first thing he said was news that was not good for Sect Leader Kang Da.

"The Spirit Offspring Radiant Color Pill is an extremely rare Second-Tier Supreme-Grade pill. Only three have been passed down in the She Mountain Hall, and I've taken one for you. Although Shuhe is a daughter of the Fei Household, she is still a wife of the Kang Household. Don't think you can use this pill for free; you'll have to exchange it for resources."

Fei Nanying spoke earnestly, causing Kang Dabao's brow to twitch. However, his respectful demeanor remained unchanged. After composing himself, he was about to speak, "Boyue is right, but my family..."

"Stop talking. You've been complaining about being poor all these years. Just look at how someone in your family has reached the Foundation Establishment in the last year or two; that tells me you must have amassed a lot of wealth. It was one thing for a small family to complain about being poor before, but now that you're someone important, how can you still make excuses?"

Fei Nanying frowned and spoke in a low voice:

"This Spirit Offspring Radiant Color Pill can ensure that pregnant women will give birth to children with Spirit Root. Even within the entire Fei Household, each pill is one less available. Currently, the Immortal Dynasty and major Dao of Alchemy sects such as the Dragon and Tiger Sect are not on good terms. Who knows when we will be able to find such a pill again?"

If I were to spread the word that I'm willing to sell this pill, I don't know how many Golden Core cultivators, lacking resources and without connections, would rush to buy it. Furthermore, if the market is even slightly better, I might even be able to exchange it for one or two Third Tier Law Treasure.

You've clearly gotten a huge advantage, how can you not appreciate it?

"Yes, the boy was indeed confused!" After agreeing outwardly, Sect Leader Kang Da could only grumble to himself, "When you sent it here, you didn't say you wanted it returned! I really thanked you for nothing."

Thinking of this, Kang Dabao lowered his head even further, and thought to himself:

"After I, Boyue, returned to Ying Prefecture to cultivate with that Patriarch Ye Shui for two years, I couldn't tell how much my cultivation had improved, but I have certainly become more and more stingy. Perhaps if I hadn't become like this, Patriarch Ye Shui wouldn't have granted me the position of head of the She Mountain Hall branch family?"

Thinking too far ahead, Kang Dabao quickly brought his thoughts back to the present, but didn't rush to speak.

Since he did not return to Ying Prefecture with Fei Nanying and the others to meet with Patriarch Ye Shui last time, it wasn't just Boyue in front of him who was angry; the entire She Mountain Hall was also quite critical of this matter.

Therefore, this was the first time the father-in-law and son-in-law had spent time alone together in three years, and naturally, neither of them could recapture the feeling of the past, only feeling awkward.

With Kang Dabao remaining silent, Fei Nanying found it difficult to find anything to say.

Fortunately, someone came to the rescue.

Liu Ya was temporarily acting as a guest master under the sect's archway, sent a message. Before Sect Leader Kang Da could even read it, Ye Zhengwen, who had also received the message, hurriedly activated the formation, and the bell inside the gate rang incessantly.

Fei Nanying was not to be underestimated, clearly having already sensed it. He called out to Sect Leader Kang Da, "Straighten your clothes and compose yourselves, and come with me to welcome the Earl. This time, he's probably not just here to congratulate you on the birth of your son."