Sage of Humanity

Chapter 40 Qingyun Marketplace and the Local Wealthy Landlord

The Qingyun Marketplace had no fixed entrances or exits, and Lu Ye, descending from Qingyun Mountain, naturally blended into the streaming crowd moving in and out of the marketplace.

A boisterous atmosphere rushed towards him, and the complex intertwining streets were bustling with cultivators brushing shoulders as they passed by.

Lu Ye had not expected such a small marketplace to gather so many cultivators. Previously on Qingyun Mountain, he had hardly seen a soul, well, except for half of one.

It wasn't surprising when he thought about it. Regardless of the sect, the number of lower-level cultivators was always the highest, and the outermost periphery of the Spirit Stream battlefield was exactly where these base-level cultivators converged.

Just by looking at these passersby cultivators, one couldn't tell which faction they belonged to; after all, no one would wear their origins on their forehead for all to see.

He couldn't even begin to discern the levels of cultivation of these cultivators.

Lu Ye had originally wondered how cultivators from the opposing camps of the Haotian Alliance and the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, their minds muddled by repeated conflicts and harboring irreconcilable hatred towards each other, could coexist peacefully. It wasn't until he arrived here that he realized nobody truly knew which faction the others belonged to.

Even if mixed together, at most they could only treat strangers with corresponding caution and would not rashly initiate a fight.

The cultivators coming and going wore a variety of colorful clothes that dazzled Lu Ye. Some female cultivators wore extremely revealing outfits, displaying large tracts of fair skin—a truly beautiful sight to behold.

Only then did he realize that the customs of the Nine Provinces were so open.

That was a misunderstanding on his part. The Nine Provinces was a vast world, with different local customs and cultural norms across its Nine Provincial States, and scanty clothing didn't necessarily denote an open personality.

"Kid, move aside,"

A deep voice suddenly sounded behind Lu Ye. Turning around, he caught sight of a sturdy chest covered in a clump of black hair. Under Lu Ye's gaze, the muscular pecs shook deliberately, showcasing explosive power.

Lu Ye looked up to see a towering figure standing behind him, tall enough that Lu Ye's own height only reached his chest.

The man had two curved horns on his forehead, which left Lu Ye somewhat flabbergasted.

"Huff…" The towering figure exhaled two streams of hot air from his nostrils, looking down at Lu Ye, "You're in the way!"

Lu Ye quickly jumped aside, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword.

However, his alertness quickly dispersed because next to the horned strongman stood a petite woman, the key feature being two fuzzy ears sticking up on her forehead, resembling cat ears, and likely the strongman's companion.

"Meow~" The woman looked at Lu Ye amusingly, softly meowing and giving him a wink, brimming with allure.

Wow…

Lu Ye's heart blossomed with joy.

Under his reluctant gaze, the horned strongman and the cat-eared lady quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"Those were demon cultivators who hadn't fully transformed," a voice suddenly said beside Lu Ye.

Lu Ye turned to look and saw a plump figure standing next to him, smiling broadly and squinting his eyes at him.

This person was dressed in clothes adorned with gold and jade, with several jade thumb rings on his hands, looking less like a cultivator and more like a local wealthy landlord.

"Demon cultivator?" Lu Ye raised an eyebrow.

He had heard of demon cultivators before, and the sect master had mentioned them too, saying that many demon cultivators naturally excel physically, making them suitable for the path of physique cultivation. Many sects would also take in demon cultivators as disciples.

However, he had never seen a demon cultivator before, and seeing one for the first time inevitably piqued his curiosity.

"Yes, but as their cultivation rises, those demon beast features will gradually disappear. It seems you are interested in that kind of... cute demon cultivators?" the local wealthy landlord said, stretching out two fingers and mimicking horns on his head.

Lu Ye hesitated before saying, "It's my first time seeing them."

"I see, you're an independent cultivator, right?" the local wealthy landlord asked cheerfully. He inferred this mainly because Lu Ye was alone.

Generally, if disciples from a sect entered the Spirit Stream battlefield, they would not be alone; at the very least, they would move with some fellow sect brothers and sisters for mutual support, just like those two demon cultivators who actually came from the same sect.

Lu Ye casually responded, "Something like that." The sect master had instructed him never to reveal his identity as a disciple of the Righteous Blood Sect, so he obviously wouldn't spill the beans carelessly.

The wealthy landlord then sighed, "Being an independent cultivator isn't easy. I was an independent cultivator myself, and I understand your situation well." His tone changed, and he chuckled, "If you're interested in that kind of cute thing, you might want to visit my Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union. As long as you can afford it, hehe, everything is negotiable."

Lu Ye said sternly, "You've misunderstood, I'm not that kind of person!"

"Understood, understood," the wealthy landlord nodded repeatedly. "Of course, if you want to buy any elixir pills, Spiritual Artifacts, Spirit Talismans, intelligence, maps, or if you have anything valuable to sell, you can come to my Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union. We can guarantee to meet your needs."

Lu Ye asked, puzzled, "What does your mercantile union do?" The scope of the mercantile union's business seemed very wide, and what intrigued him was the use of 'Heaven's Augury' in its name, which seemed somewhat unusual.

The landlord responded, "A mercantile union, naturally, is based on commerce. We do whatever business makes money, welcome customers from the Nine Provinces, and embrace wealth from all directions. However, please be assured, although Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union is big and wealthy, we always adhere to a principle of fairness to all, regardless of one's cultivation level."

By then, Lu Ye had come to a realization.

This landlord from Heaven's Augury was probably observing him like a countryman entering the city, to see if he could circle in close and find any business opportunities.

"I'm very poor," Lu Ye shook his head.

The wealthy landlord chuckled, "A dragon in shallow waters doesn't get to flex its might, but observing you, my fellow Daoist, you have an extraordinary bearing and will surely achieve great things. It's okay to be poor now; there will come a time when you rise with the winds and the tides."

"I hope your words prove prophetic!" Lu Ye nodded. He certainly didn't believe this guy could really tell anything; if not mistaken, he spoke the same way to any stranger he encountered, merely trying to forge a good connection.

"If you want to visit the mercantile union, just head this way. The most prominent building you see will be it." The wealthy landlord pointed Lu Ye in a direction and then bowed with his fists clasped, "Then, I'll leave you be!"

With that, he left freely.

From their conversation, Lu Ye was somewhat concerned about the Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union, and it had to be said that although the wealthy landlord was striking up a conversation, he never gave Lu Ye any bad feelings. Even though he knew Lu Ye was an independent cultivator, his words were appropriate and quite likable.

It might be worth a visit.

Lu Ye naturally didn't have the financial capability to buy anything, but he still had items that could be sold, perhaps at the Heaven's Augury Mercantile Union for some elixir pills in return.

However, it wasn't urgent. He had just arrived at this marketplace, so it was more important to get familiar with the environment and the atmosphere of the cultivation world first.