"Why is this year's Loose Cultivation Market being held at White Water River?"
"Stop talking. The previous location was at the border of our Yulong County and the neighboring Baoshan County. Though it was a good spot, it's now occupied by Demon Cultivators. One careless move and you're dead, who would dare to go there..."
"Then changing location is the right move, but it's uncertain whether all the folks from Jianghu received the message. If someone still goes there like in previous years..."
"Fate determines life and death. Isn't this also a trial on the Immortal Cultivation Path?"
"With Demon Cultivators entrenched, bringing harm to the Human World, why doesn't the Immortal Sect of Xuan Stone Sect from our great Danai Dynasty take action?"
"Rumor has it that those Demon Cultivator leaders are Foundation Establishment Great Powers. Even the Xuan Stone Sect has to be cautious. Let's just wait and see."
"Us Loose Cultivators have arrived early, and with a month left until the market starts, we can rest and enjoy the bustle of the Human World. Hahaha~ Waiter, bring some tea, bring the good tea!"
"Right away~ Please come this way, gentlemen."
The workers at Yang's Tabletop Game Tea House were sharp. Seeing the manner and dress of these four, they knew they weren't ordinary people and led them directly to the second floor where good food and drinks were served.
Yang Shi, listening to their undisguised conversation, naturally understood that these four were Cultivators.
They are Loose Cultivators without affiliation to any sect or clan.
"It seems the recent rumors are true, Cultivators are already arriving... I wonder what their strengths are. I hope they don't cause trouble in my tea house; that would be difficult to handle."
The six-layer Body Refining Martial Artist felt very anxious now.
Suddenly, golden characters appeared on the ceiling of the room.
"The four individuals just now are Fetal Breathing Realm Cultivators, their strengths are..."
The golden characters dispersed, splitting into four lines of smaller text that floated above the heads of the four Loose Cultivators.
Tenth Layer Fetal Breathing, Ninth Layer Fetal Breathing, Eighth Layer Fetal Breathing, Eighth Layer Fetal Breathing.
An explanation of their strength floated above each person's head, clear and concise.
"Hiss~ All experts, but luckily they haven't reached the Qi Refinement Realm. They're no match for my master."
Liu Wuheng proclaimed after drinking last time: He is invincible below Qi Cultivation.
"Hu Zi, go and ask my master to come and help maintain order in the tea house..."
With the mix of all sorts of people, it's better to be careful.
To Yang Genshuo, Yang Shi's caution seemed... somewhat useful, but not significantly so.
Besides Loose Cultivators, there were also three Innate Grandmasters and over ten Half-step Innate experts in the tea house at that moment, as well as... a beggar squatting at the door, at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer.
"Good gracious, if things keep going like this, there will be Immortals everywhere, Grandmasters as common as dogs... This is getting too dangerous."
As the owner of a tea house, he felt completely powerless. Half the people present were not to be offended. If he annoyed some odd-tasting big shot, he was afraid he might be killed in an instant.
At that moment, Yang Genshuo even considered telling Yang Shi to go home and avoid the tea house, hiring a few people to run the tea house instead.
But Yang Shi clearly didn't think so.
He said excitedly to Jiang Xiaobai, "Xiaobai, if the Loose Cultivation Market really opens at White Water River, then we can sell part of this year's harvest of Spirit Rice and Spiritual Grain for Spirit Stones, and buy you a suitable Qi Cultivation Skill."
Jiang Xiaobai hurriedly waved his hands, "No no, having the 'Xuan Stone Energy Attraction Skill' is enough. Spare Spirit Stones... Brother, save them as a family reserve."
"That's where you are wrong!" Yang Shi said seriously, "We need to exchange any spare Spirit Stones for something useful to us."
"Otherwise, after saving up for dozens of years, what can a house full of Spirit Stones do? It will just be taken away easily by someone stronger, becoming their resources."
Jiang Xiaobai quickly said, "Then you should exchange some for Elixirs and Magical Tools for yourself."
"Hmm... We still don't know the market prices at the fair. In these days, let's listen more and observe more here, get to know more before making any decisions."
Yang Shi planned to seize this opportunity to expand his strength.
Yang Genshuo quickly estimated the Yang Family's available resources, which included the harvest of four mu of Spirit Field this year and three Magma Fruits picked last year.
"The two of them will consume the produce of 1.5 mu, leaving 2.5 mu to sell. Based on last year's yield of 430 catties per mu, that's slightly over 1000 catties. According to the prices at Treasure Pavilion... that could be exchanged for over 50 Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
"Perhaps we could buy some good items."
"But... an innocent man will be in danger if he possesses a treasure. Even if you buy it, can you safely leave the market and bring it back to the Yang Family?"
Yang Genshuo shook his head, directly discouraging Yang Shi's idea.
Manifestation.
"The Workshop is dangerous, and you and Xiaobai have low cultivation levels, so it's not appropriate for you to be involved. Just stay in Qingshi County and quietly observe the changes, and listen to the rumors of the Immortal Cultivation World to increase your knowledge."
Let me listen too.
Yang Genshuo was completely in the dark about this Immortal Cultivation World, and he also needed to collect more information to see if it differed from the cultivational world described in novels.
Yang Shi, upon seeing the words of his ancestor, was startled for a moment, then suddenly awoke to realization.
"Shi understands."
He had all sorts of ideas in mind, but he had forgotten the most basic issue: safety.
If Half-step Innate Zhao Kuangfeng could push him to an impasse, then what about those cultivators and Innate masters whose power was even greater?
The four who sat on the second floor, if any one of them took an interest in him, he and Xiaobai would be utterly powerless to resist, and would be killed instantly.
According to Liu Wuheng, not even cultivators at the Fetal Breathing Stage necessarily owned their own Spirit Fields.
Such a valuable asset that yielded produce year after year was coveted by everyone.
Immortal Cultivation is essentially a game of competing for resources.
Yang Shi could greatly accelerate his Body Refining pace by eating Spirit Rice and taking tonics, and it was even more so in Immortal Cultivation.
After thinking everything through, the brainwaves of Yang Shi and Yang Genshuo were once again in unison:
Play it safe.
The golden characters in the sky appeared once more.
"Buy food every day and give it to the beggars in Qingshi County, especially the old beggar leaning on the door. Fulfill any of his requests to the best of your ability."
Although Yang Genshuo didn't specify what cultivation level the old beggar had, Yang Shi could guess a thing or two.
"Seems like he's a Hermit..."
He personally brewed a cup of Nescafé instant coffee and brought it to the old beggar.
"Old man, have a cup of hot coffee to warm up."
The old beggar, with disheveled hair and wearing tattered hemp clothing, holding a bamboo stick for beating dogs, gave Yang Shi a sense of familiarity—it was as if he was the old beggar who taught him to read when he was younger.
Even without Yang Genshuo's reminder, he would never have allowed this old man to go hungry at his doorstep.
The old beggar lifted his head, parting the long hair on his face to reveal a weathered countenance, grinning to show two rows of big yellow teeth.
"Heh~ You kid, you do have a bit of compassion."
"But this old beggar here doesn't like tea, too mellow and weak. Go find me some strong liquor."
"Old man, I'll go buy you liquor right away, but... this is coffee, it has a stronger taste, and leaves a lasting flavor in your mouth, you could try it first."
"It has the fragrance of wine? Go on, hurry up."
Yang Shi had no choice but to buy a jar of Daughter's Red liquor from the tavern. When he returned, he saw the old beggar sitting at the doorway, his face flushed, with the coffee cup in his hands emptied to the last drop.
"Good, good, good! I have never tasted such a bitter drink, cackle, it's quite interesting, pour me another cup!"
"What are you waiting for, give me another... 'coffee!'"
The old beggar seemed to be addicted to coffee, drinking it cup after cup at the door, laughing heartily when he felt satisfied, paying no heed to the reaction of others.
Yang Shi arranged for a waiter to specifically prepare coffee for the old beggar, while he planned to go to the second floor to listen in on the conversation of those four Loose Cultivators.
However, the bustling first floor of the inn suddenly fell silent as one.
Outside the door arrived five cultivators dressed in Daoist robes, exuding exceptional aura, with an ethereal elegance starkly different from that of the Loose Cultivators.
The one leading was incomparably beautiful, rendering any word used to describe beauty colorless in her presence.
It felt as though an Immortal had descended to the mortal world.
Her indifferent eyes swept over the crowd, and the overpowering presence caused everyone to feel a sense of inadequacy.
"Disciples of the Xuan Stone Sect."
Liu Wuheng arrived, frowning as he spoke to Yang Shi, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes.