Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality

Chapter 92: The Market of Cultivators

All four of them bought books to their liking. Barbarian Bone, out of interest in history, purchased a copy of “The Unofficial History of the Great Xia.”

It contained many stories that even Meng Jingzhou, someone privy to insider information, found to be wild.

Regardless, all four were satisfied with their purchases.

As they walked, they noticed fewer and fewer mortals around them and more cultivators, as if a mysterious force was separating mortals from cultivators.

Lan Ting and the others communicated telepathically: “A repelling array has been deployed nearby, making mortals unconsciously steer clear of this area, while cultivators are unaffected.”

Meng Jingzhou suddenly realized and recalled information he had gathered during his casual strolls: “It’s the monthly market, which seems to have opened earlier this time due to the Spring Harvest Festival.”

The Spring Harvest Festival attracts not only mortals but also cultivators.

This place is a legitimate market, not the kind where murders and lootings are common, and they could even see constables patrolling the area.

That said, there were still many people in the market concealing their identities with masks or wearing black robes.

This was common; some cultivators live among mortals in disguise. If they were to come here in their true forms, wouldn’t that expose their identities?

For instance, Lu Yang’s group of four.

Each had their own method of concealing their identity: Meng Jingzhou and Barbarian Bone chose to wear black robes, feeling it added to the atmosphere, with Meng Jingzhou even chuckling menacingly a few times.

Lan Ting removed her transformation talisman, revealing her naturally beautiful face, as she had been using her real identity while searching for demonic sect clues in Yanjiang County.

Lu Yang discussed with Meng Jingzhou: “How about I perform the Shape-Imitating Fist and transform into your appearance?”

The response he got was Meng Jingzhou slapping the tofu mask onto Lu Yang’s face.

Lu Yang wore the tofu mask.

Inside the market, there was a strong atmosphere of cultivation. A huge protective barrier enveloped the entire market, emitting a soft glow, creating a stark contrast with the outside world. Cultivators not seen for a long time sat by the roadside taverns, sipping a drink and discussing recent observations; cultivators argued with vendors over the prices of goods, each trying to earn a few more spirit stones; the government set up a fighting ring for cultivators who wished to duel, allowing them to fight to their heart’s content on the ring.

“Look here, look here, the secret Great Strength Pill recipe passed down through generations, take one and gain unlimited strength!”

Lu Yang found it interesting and followed the voice to discover it was a medical hall.

It seemed this medical hall was run by cultivators, with either an apprentice or an alchemist calling out the sales pitch.

“How much for one pill?”

The alchemist’s apprentice said: “Ten spirit stones each, buy three get one free, buy five get two free.”

The price wasn’t high, indicating the pills were not intended for cultivators at Lu Yang’s Foundation Establishment stage but rather for those at the Qi Cultivation stage.

Lu Yang decided to buy two as a souvenir, his first time seeing someone outside the Dao Seeking Sect making pills: “What’s the effect?”

“It temporarily increases strength, but after the strength fades, you’ll fall into a state of weakness for half a day.”

Lu Yang bought a pill and was about to leave when he saw Constable Sun come in, whom he recognized as Constable Wei’s assistant.

“I’ve received a report here that your Great Strength Pill involves false advertising.”

The alchemist’s apprentice was stunned, false advertising?

Constable Sun explained seriously: “According to the law, you cannot use words like ‘ultimate’ or ‘unlimited’ in product advertising.”

“After investigation, we found that your Great Strength Pill is suitable for cultivators below the third layer of Qi Cultivation and does not have the effect of ‘unlimited strength.’ We hope you will correct this after this warning.”

The apprentice alchemist nodded earnestly, and after Lu Yang left, a voice came from the medical hall:

“Look here, look here, the Great Strength Pill crafted with a secret alchemy recipe passed down through generations, take one pill, and gain limited strength!”

Lu Yang suddenly felt that the Ten Bulls Strength Pill crafted by his senior brother Wu Ming was truly faultless, even avoiding the most common issue of false advertising in medicinal pills.

Meng Jingzhou, who had seen many things and had a relatively serious alchemist in his family, showed little interest in common items.

“What’s this?”

Meng Jingzhou picked up a small object from a stall, two wooden sticks glued together perpendicularly: “Is this for making Chinese Breakfast Crepes? They sell this in the market?”

The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a full beard, serious-faced, sitting leisurely with his eyes closed, barely opening them reluctantly when Meng Jingzhou spoke, exuding the demeanor of a great artifact master.

“This is called the Flying Stick. Place it above your head, activate it with spiritual power, and it will spin and take you to the skies. It can be activated by those with a cultivation level of Qi Cultivation Stage Seven.”

Meng Jingzhou was astonished, realizing that the small market truly hid dragons and crouching tigers, harboring such an artifact master.

Without special means, only Golden Core stage cultivators can fly; for example, Lu Yang could only fly with his sword at the Foundation Establishment stage, or by transforming into a crane with his Shape-Imitating Fist.

Whether in general or special circumstances, the lowest requirement for cultivation to fly is the Foundation Establishment stage.

Meng Jingzhou had never heard of flying at the Qi Cultivation Stage Seven.

Qi Cultivation Stage Seven’s spiritual power is thin, making it difficult to operate flying treasures.

“Seeing your disbelief, let me demonstrate.” The bearded middle-aged man, confident, took out a wooden puppet.

He tied the Flying Stick to the puppet, a wisp of spiritual energy emerged from his fingertip, striking the Flying Stick.

The Flying Stick, as if just awakened, slowly began to rotate, speeding up until only its afterimage was visible.

The Flying Stick, along with the wooden puppet, ascended into the sky, seemingly without issue.

If there’s a problem to mention, it’s that the Flying Stick’s rotation also caused the wooden puppet to spin, with the puppet’s head as the center, its body rotating at high speed, maintaining the same frequency as the Flying Stick!

If a person were below the Flying Stick, their brain would be thoroughly scrambled.

“See, didn’t I tell you our puppet’s quality is good? It doesn’t fall apart even when spinning so fast. Not to boast, but this puppet can even contend with a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, and the price is fair, a flat rate of eight hundred!”

“Go to hell!” Meng Jingzhou finally understood that the other party was essentially using the name of the Flying Stick to sell puppets!

It’s clear that the market is full of deceit, and sincere people like Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou are rare.

Lu Yang and his group planned to visit the Land of Gold Commerce area next, which is more regulated and doesn’t have the issues they just encountered.

“Would the four guests like to have their fortunes told?”

A voice rang out beside them. Lu Yang turned to see it was a fortune-teller, with an Eight Trigrams flag hanging behind him, reading “Calculating heaven and earth is not as good as calculating people,” looking quite desolate with no customers.

Seeing Lu Yang and his friends pay attention, the fortune-teller added: “If it’s not accurate, it’s free. Want to give it a try?”

Lu Yang noticed the items on his table: an Eight Trigrams plate, dice, the Four Treasures of Study, nine copper coins, a crystal ball…

Everything one could need for fortune-telling was laid out.

Is this reliable?

And why is there a crystal ball?

(TL Note: Chinese Breakfast Crepes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianbing_guozi)

(End of the chapter)