The Immortal Wife Is Like A Cloud

Chapter 443: Business Has Its Way

The white-feathered eagle that Su Jingzhen and his companions had been riding was now resting quietly in a corner of the courtyard.

Su Jingzhen, Ye Zhiqiu, and Xuening followed Shen Yifeng’s instructions, sitting cross-legged and meditating for a while, ridding themselves of the dust and fatigue accumulated during their journey.

By this time, night had fully descended, and the sky was dotted with countless stars.

“Have you rested enough?

Then let’s head out.

Cultivators from all over are gathering here, and tonight, that free market might reach its peak.

Hopefully, we’ll find some good treasures,” Shen Yifeng said.

Hearing this, Su Jingzhen and the others couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Up until now, most of their transactions had taken place in the more structured environment of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

A free market with no rules was something they hadn’t really experienced before.

In the cultivation world, while most cultivators would typically rest at night, being in Dan Holy City was a different story. For most, as long as they still had energy, resting would be a waste of time.

Even if they didn’t gain much from exploring the Dantai ruins, just being among so many different forces and cultivators from across the land was an opportunity in itself. It was a chance to trade items they didn’t need for something useful.

Although the Treasure Gathering Pavilion could usually meet everyone’s needs, for certain rare items found only in specific regions, even they couldn’t always bring them in without incurring steep transportation costs.

The free market in Dan Holy City had been established in the eastern part of the city, far from the gray mist-covered southern area.

Calling it a market might be a stretch; it was more like an open space cleared out by cultivators, a plaza of ruins, where trade was conducted.

Cultivators interested in trading were quite casual about it. They simply found a spot they liked, laid down a piece of cloth, and placed the items they wanted to trade on it.

Those interested would naturally come over to inquire.

When Shen Yifeng led Su Jingzhen and the others to the market, the moon was high, casting a cool, clear light over the scene. The visibility was excellent.

However, Su Jingzhen was slightly taken aback by the bustling activity.

The place was packed with people, with cultivators from various forces coming and going. A quick glance suggested that the number of people present might easily exceed ten thousand.

Moreover, Su Jingzhen and the others were well aware that those who dared to participate in this expedition to the Dantai ruins were all cultivators with some level of skill.

Apart from the younger disciples here for training, there were hardly any cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage to be seen.

Loose cultivators, if present, were generally at or above the Foundation Establishment stage. This scene made Su Jingzhen feel a renewed sense of amazement.

The influence of the Dantai clan far exceeded his expectations.

Back when Linjiang City was still under the control of the Huayang Sect, before it was occupied by the Evil Moon Sect, a single Foundation Establishment cultivator could dominate the entire region.

To Su Jingzhen, such a cultivator was once an unreachable figure.

Now, in this free market, Foundation Establishment cultivators were everywhere.

Any one of these people would be considered an untouchable figure in Linjiang City or any similar small city.

However, now, eighty percent of the people here were no more than ants in Su Jingzhen’s eyes—he could crush them with ease.

This shift in perspective had occurred in less than three months since his golden finger awakened.

There were times when Su Jingzhen couldn’t help but wonder if everything he was experiencing was just an extraordinarily long dream.

“Hey, kid, what are you daydreaming about?

Go ahead and browse around. Anyone daring to set up a stall here must have some confidence in their own strength.

The chances of them possessing good items aren’t small,” Shen Yifeng said with a smile as he noticed Su Jingzhen standing still.

He had already prepared himself to play the role of a complete bodyguard for the day.

He added with a grin, “Keep an eye out for body cultivation-related items. Although body cultivation isn’t the current mainstream, there are still treasures specifically for body cultivators.

Most cultivators don’t need them, so your chances of finding something valuable are higher.”

He then turned to Ye Zhiqiu and Xuening, saying, “You two girls should look out for medicinal herbs and pill recipes. Given that cultivators from several nearby states have gathered here, the chances of finding rare recipes and high-quality herbs are quite good.

Alright, off you go. I’ll be your protector for today.

Just stay within a hundred feet of me, and you’re free to roam.”

In the free market, there were no rules.

If you found something you liked, as long as you and the seller could agree on a price, the transaction was complete.

However, because there were no rules, there were also instances of forceful buying and selling.

It wasn’t uncommon to see conflicts escalate into fights or even life-and-death duels.

As Su Jingzhen and his companions began to explore the market, several such fights were already taking place on its outskirts.

Even though Shen Yifeng had said they could move freely, Xuening and Ye Zhiqiu chose to stay close to Su Jingzhen.

After all, Xuening’s identity was still a sensitive matter.

From the moment they entered the market, Xuening noticed many eyes on her.

Moreover, several people seemed to be subtly following them, matching their pace and direction.

Su Jingzhen and the others had anticipated this kind of attention and had already mentally prepared themselves for it.

At this point, they simply pretended not to notice. As long as no one made a direct move against them, they didn’t mind the attention.

Earlier, after witnessing Shen Yifeng’s attitude towards the Dongxuan Academy, Su Jingzhen once again realized the true depth of his master’s character.

With Shen Yifeng present, there was nothing for them to worry about.

“This feeling is indeed quite different from doing transactions at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion,” Su Jingzhen thought to himself as he wandered through the market.

His eyes scanned a few stalls, and a surge of excitement filled his heart.

Back at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, the transactions were mostly straightforward sales.

He always knew what he wanted beforehand.

However, now that he had reached the Flesh Body Nascent Embryo stage of Body Cultivation, ordinary items were no longer useful to him.

The three of them covered a significant portion of the free market.

Su Jingzhen found only a few bottles of body-tempering liquid and other basic body cultivation materials.

These items had been effective when he was at the Flesh Body Mysterious Embryo or even the Spirit Embryo stage, but they were now completely useless for someone at his level.

“Let’s move forward. There are quite a few cultivators with stronger auras up ahead.

Most of the stalls we’ve seen so far belong to Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the chances of finding anything we need at their stalls are slim,” Su Jingzhen said decisively.

Xuening and Ye Zhiqiu nodded silently in agreement.

Although their cultivation was still in the late Foundation Establishment stage, they were primarily alchemists.

If judged by their profession, they were both fourth-grade alchemists, making them more valuable than even some Nascent Soul cultivators.

While it’s true that in the cultivation world, low-level cultivators might occasionally stumble upon high-level treasures, such instances were exceedingly rare.

As the saying goes, “Heavenly treasures belong to those who are fated,” and those fated individuals often have exceptional strength. Therefore, the probability of finding valuable items increases with the strength of the cultivator.

After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Su Jingzhen and his companions had explored roughly half of the free market.

Although Su Jingzhen hadn’t found anything that truly caught his eye, Xuening and Ye Zhiqiu had already made several purchases, securing some rather rare medicinal herbs.

For non-alchemists, herbs are often as useless as a chicken rib. Thus, Xuening and Ye Zhiqiu were able to buy these herbs without much difficulty or negotiation.

Some cultivators who recognized Xuening’s identity even attempted to gift her medicinal herbs, hoping to forge a favorable relationship that might grant them some advantages when they eventually entered the ruins. However, Xuening, being principled, refused to get entangled in unnecessary karma and politely declined their offers.

As Su Jingzhen and his companions continued to stroll through the bustling free market, a figure stood on top of a crumbling high-rise nearby, not too far from the market.

This figure, dressed in black, stood tall and handsome, silently observing the activities below. Behind him was an elderly man, slightly hunched with age.

It seemed as though they could see everything happening in the market from their vantage point.

“I heard that Feng Qingya voluntarily requested to become the branch master of the Linjiang branch and has returned to that small place.

While Linjiang City indeed holds some potential, I can’t believe that the Feng family isn’t aware that the current situation in Linjiang City and Longyan City is merely an internal competition within Evil Moon Sect to determine the future sect master,” the black-clad young man murmured, his tone betraying no particular emotion.

He was none other than Tuoba Junlin of the Tuoba family, whom Su Jingzhen had encountered in Yunmeng City. Su Jingzhen had been thinking about him since his arrival but hadn’t seen him until now.

“Historically, every sect master of Evil Moon Sect has been supported by a saintess.

Although it is said that Linjiang City is determined to break this tradition, relying solely on Shen Yifeng might not be enough.

So, while Linjiang City does have potential, its limits are clear. Feng Qingya’s decision to go there must be because of that Su Jingzhen fellow,” Tuoba Junlin continued.

The elderly man behind him looked surprised and slightly puzzled upon hearing these words.

“Young Master, are you truly still preoccupied with Feng Qingya?

In this old man’s opinion, while Feng Qingya is indeed a natural beauty and an exceptional cultivator, with your status, finding such a remarkable female cultivator should be a simple task.

There’s no need to waste any more effort on her.”

The old man spoke quite sincerely.

If he was not a confidant, he would never dare to speak like this in front of his master.

“Besides, with Feng Xuan now guarding the Feng family, and rumors suggesting that his condition after coming out of seclusion is excellent, he may have even regained his peak strength and returned to the Divine Intent Realm.

Although our Tuoba family does not fear them, there is no need to provoke them further.

After all, on the surface, we are both part of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and should support each other.”

“Elder Qin, you’ve watched me grow up, so you should know my temperament well,” Tuoba Junlin said calmly.

“It’s not that I’m infatuated with Feng Qingya, but it’s hard to accept that something I once had within my grasp slipped away due to carelessness.

It leaves a bitterness in my heart. If I don’t do something about it, I fear it might affect my Dao heart.”

When Tuoba Junlin spoke these words, his tone was steady, showing that he had no reservations about discussing this matter with the hunched old man by his side.

To him, when he first visited Yunmeng City, before Feng Xuan had come out of seclusion, it would have been easy to claim Feng Qingya as his own.

At that time, he had the power to make the Feng family a vassal of the Tuoba family entirely, and Feng Xuan might not have even had the chance to return.

But back then, his youthful arrogance made him want to play it cool, hoping that Feng Qingya would make the “right” choice on her own.

And then… he completely missed his chance.

In retrospect, it seemed rather foolish.

The Feng family was, in fact, a crucial part of the Tuoba family’s strategic plans within the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

To say he didn’t regret it would be a lie, and it truly weighed on his mind, potentially even affecting his Dao heart.

Before Elder Qin could say anything more, Tuoba Junlin smiled again, “But it doesn’t matter. No matter how powerful Feng Xuan might be, he’s still old.

The future belongs to the younger generation.

And among the younger members of the Feng family, aside from Feng Qingya, there’s no one else worth mentioning.

So in my generation, the Feng family is destined to be absorbed into the Tuoba family within the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.”

Hearing this, Elder Qin nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with Tuoba Junlin’s thoughts.

He then added, “If the opportunity arises in the Dantai ruins, we could consider eliminating Su Jingzhen. He’s a potential threat.”

However, Tuoba Junlin quickly dismissed the idea, “No need. Whether Su Jingzhen lives or dies is irrelevant to the Tuoba family.

Elder Qin, don’t forget what the Treasure Gathering Pavilion represents.

Apart from internal conflicts, we maintain a neutral stance externally.

We’re only here to observe; we are merchants, after all. How could we possibly initiate an attack against the Evil Moon Sect?”

With a smile, he continued, “Regarding Su Jingzhen, the one from Longyan City probably wants him dead more than I do.

That individual has also arrived here, and as merchants, the Tuoba family is simply conducting business with Longyan City.

Let the internal factions of the Evil Moon Sect fight it out. Whoever dies, it’s none of our concern.”

Elder Qin felt even more reassured by these words.

Tuoba Junlin had ambition, but his focus was still confined to Qingzhou.

Meanwhile, Su Jingzhen was already looking toward the Luo River.

Perhaps that was the difference between them.