Chapter 19: Let's See What You Have on Display
The Taihang Market was bustling as usual, with crowds of people and the noise of chatter filling the air. As he looked up, Ye Jingcheng saw the dense bamboo leaves overhead, casting golden patches of light on the ground.
This blend of deep mountain tranquility and lively marketplace was something Ye Jingcheng greatly enjoyed.
Unlike his first visit, where he was busy taking notes and memorizing things, this time he felt much more at ease, even though he had tasks to complete and had to maintain an appearance of urgency.
The four of them—Ye Jingcheng and his companions—had split up to explore the market. Ye Jingcheng was pleased with this arrangement. Instead of heading to the shops, he chose to explore the street stalls.
The street vendors wore all kinds of clothing, most with wide-brimmed hats that concealed their faces, making it hard to see them clearly. In the world of cultivation, using spiritual sense to inspect other cultivators was considered extremely rude and provocative, so Ye Jingcheng refrained from doing so.
Although he moved with a sense of urgency, he carefully examined each stall, showing particular interest in those selling spiritual herbs. Many rogue cultivators who obtained good spiritual herbs but felt they were being lowballed at shops would choose to sell at these stalls, so there were plenty of herbs available.
As for quality magic tools or talismans, these were rare at stalls, as rogue cultivators typically kept such valuable items for themselves.
After visiting a dozen stalls without finding anything of particular interest or the spiritual herbs needed for the mysterious pill recipe he was searching for, Ye Jingcheng was approached by a male cultivator wearing a veil.
"Are you looking to buy Qi Restoration Pills and Blood Qi Pills?" the man whispered in Ye Jingcheng's ear before walking ahead to a more secluded spot.
Ye Jingcheng followed him.
"Do you have them?" he asked.
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked around cautiously before responding, "Yes, but they'll cost you more."
"Ten spirit stones for a Qi Restoration Pill, and nine for a Blood Qi Pill!" the man said, revealing two bottles in his palm before quickly hiding them again.
"How many do you have?" Ye Jingcheng asked.
"Two of each."
"That's too few!" Ye Jingcheng shook his head.
"It's a tight market right now. Haven't you heard that the Ye family is desperately seeking these? You might find second-hand magic tools, but pills are simply unavailable!" The man's tone was cold as he looked around again, clearly anxious about being discovered.
"Are you one of the vendors here?" Ye Jingcheng asked again.
The man's expression turned to anger. "What does it matter if I am or not? Buy it if you want, otherwise move on. Is this your first time at the stalls?"
"No, I was just asking because if you are a vendor, I might be interested in more than just these pills—perhaps some magic tools or herbs as well." Ye Jingcheng replied calmly, feigning innocence.
After hesitating for a moment, the man pulled his veil tighter, revealing only his eyes, and reluctantly displayed an array of magic tools, herbs, and pills, including a yellowing treasure map.
"How about this treasure map? It's for a Foundation Establishment cultivator's inheritance. It's the real deal!" the man said.
Ye Jingcheng couldn't help but twitch slightly at the man's sales pitch.
"I'll give it to you for ten spirit stones, a special price just for you since you're buying the pills."
"Ten spirit stones are fine, but you need to include that ugly flower." Ye Jingcheng pointed to a nearby plant.
"That's not an ugly flower, it's a Heartless Flower! I wouldn't sell it for less than twelve spirit stones! Why are you always messing around?" The vendor's tone became even more hostile, and he seemed ready to pack up his goods.
"Alright, twelve spirit stones with the Heartless Flower included!"
"Fifteen at the very least. If I were stronger, I'd use it myself!" The vendor grumbled.
"Deal, but I hope this treasure map is genuine!" Ye Jingcheng nodded, taking out fifty-three spirit stones and pocketing the two bottles of pills, the treasure map, and the Heartless Flower.
After the transaction, Ye Jingcheng headed towards the nearby shops.
Shortly after Ye Jingcheng left, the vendor also disappeared from the stalls and reappeared at a hidden inn.
"That Ye family kid took the bait. He's inexperienced and doesn't know the rules well. The Ye family must really be desperate!"
"You fool! You were caught the moment he asked to see your goods. There's a huge difference between what rogue cultivators and sect cultivators carry in their storage pouches!"
"Fifth Brother, what should we do now?"
[Translator: Sauron]
"Don't worry. They'll face the consequences soon enough. Our goal isn't just this deal but to catch them off guard after they've put in all that effort…"
Meanwhile, Ye Jingcheng walked down the street, full of excitement.
He had realized that the man wasn't an ordinary rogue cultivator, despite his attempts to look the part. Even though he had chosen a secluded spot, his behavior had made it clear that he wasn't a genuine rogue.
A vendor who seeks out customers and then acts impatient isn't really a vendor, and when he saw the items in the storage bag, it only confirmed his suspicions.
But he hadn't expected to find a Heartless Flower, a rare first-grade superior spiritual herb worth about twelve spirit stones, and hard to find. Even the Ye family hadn't been able to procure one!
With the Heartless Flower, he now only needed the Falling Flame Grass and the Red Dragon Fruit to complete his mysterious pill recipe.
He decided to stop relying on luck at the street stalls and headed towards the Taiyi Pavilion.
The Taiyi Pavilion was located in the very center of the market, towering five stories high like a giant looming over the other shops.
The constant flow of cultivators in and out showed how thriving its business was, and Ye Jingcheng entered as well.
The interior of the pavilion was similar to the Ye family's shops but with twenty shelves filled with talismans, pills, herbs, formation plates, and more—an overwhelming array of items at slightly higher prices than elsewhere.
Despite the high prices, the pavilion was far busier than any other shop, and even the attendants at the counters carried themselves with an air of superiority, looking down on the customers.
Ye Jingcheng couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
Among the items on display, Ye Jingcheng spotted the Falling Flame Grass, which made him extremely excited.
However, the price of the Falling Flame Grass was much higher than the Heartless Flower, at twenty spirit stones.
In the end, Ye Jingcheng gritted his teeth and bought it. With his Red Flame Fox not only excelling in combat but also saving him the cost of using a fire room for alchemy, it was worth the investment.
"May I ask, sir, do you have any Red Dragon Fruit with a century's worth of age?" Ye Jingcheng inquired.
The attendant, slightly embarrassed by the honorific, softened his demeanor after surveying the area and replied more amiably, "Red Dragon Fruit is not common, especially those over a hundred years old. You might have to wait until the annual auction, where you should find one."