Chapter 41: Chaos in the Market
The stall area of the Moyun Market.
Zhao Zuo currently wore the face of a man in his thirties and had adjusted his aura to exude a hint of ferocious Evil Qi. This saved him a lot of trouble as he browsed through the items at the surrounding stalls.
The price of used, broken Magical Artifacts had dropped significantly. More than a dozen stalls in the area were selling them, and several still had poorly cleaned bloodstains on their surfaces. The origin of these Lower Grade Magical Artifacts was obvious.
People came and went in the bustling stall area. Every time Zhao Zuo lowered his head, he changed his face before heading to the next stall to haggle. In the span of an hour, he had swapped faces five or six times and bought a total of five used, broken Magical Artifacts.
Of course, to throw off any potential trackers, Zhao Zuo also took a stroll through the commercial district while repeatedly changing his face. He bought a new Taoist Robe and a cloth bundle at a tailor’s shop before returning to the stall area. He was now wearing his "own" face, though it was, of course, still a transformation from the Hundred-Change Mask.
Shen Yunjiao had already sold all of her Demon Beast meat and was now packing the black cloth from her stall into a Storage Bag. Watching this, Zhao Zuo couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
Storage Bags were a type of Supporting Magical Artifact. Even the smallest one had an internal space of one cubic meter, enough to hold all of one’s daily necessities, and sold for one hundred Spirit Stones.
Zhao Zuo’s monthly profit was about seventy Spirit Stones, so saving up to buy a Storage Bag wasn’t an insurmountable problem. However... his monthly expenses were also quite high, mostly going toward upgrading his Magical Artifacts.
Having just spent eighty Spirit Stones in one go to upgrade his Hundred-Change Mask, he was once again in a financial crisis. He would have to sell another repaired Magical Artifact to gather enough Spirit Stones for his Sky-Breaking Saber’s next upgrade.
Zhao Zuo had to prioritize upgrading his Sky-Breaking Saber. It was the foundation of his strength and his power to protect his path in cultivation.
"Let me treat you to some tea at the teahouse," Zhao Zuo said.
There had to be a reason for the change in the market’s atmosphere, and Shen Yunjiao was the best source of information. Zhao Zuo couldn’t keep getting intel from her for free. Treating her to a few pots of tea and some exquisite pastries was the least he could do to show his appreciation.
"Alright, no problem." The smile on Shen Yunjiao’s face grew more genuine. The tea was secondary; it was the teahouse’s exquisite pastries, meticulously prepared by a Spirit Chef, that truly made her happy.
Zhao Zuo realized that Shen Yunjiao was actually quite a glutton, yet she never spent her own money on such treats. He had no idea where all the Spirit Stones she earned went, nor why she worked so desperately to make them.
The two walked side by side to the teahouse, where they chose a relatively secluded private room. They ordered a pot of Spirit Tea and two plates of pastries: hazelnut crisps and honey osmanthus cakes.
The Spirit Tea was called Cold Thorn Tea. It had the effect of dispelling distracting thoughts and providing a cooling relief. Talisman Makers and Alchemists whose cultivation was lacking would often brew a pot before starting their work. After drinking it, they would enter a state of mental clarity, free of distractions, which in turn increased their chances of success.
The tea wasn’t expensive either; one Spirit Stone could buy three pots.
Shen Yunjiao didn’t stand on ceremony. As soon as the pastries were served, she began to eat elegantly. She looked reserved and dignified, like a well-bred lady from a prominent family. Yet, her eating speed was swift and rhythmic. Despite seemingly chewing slowly and thoroughly, she had already finished three hazelnut crisps in a short time.
Zhao Zuo gazed at Shen Yunjiao’s pretty face. In that moment, she lacked her usual fiery allure, replaced by a touch of girlish purity and cuteness. The contrast was surprisingly captivating.
After finishing off five or six hazelnut crisps, Shen Yunjiao finally looked up and softly spoke.
"Chen Xiaorong is severely injured and missing. Moyun Market is in complete chaos."
"’Missing.’" Zhao Zuo carefully mulled over the word. He truly hadn’t expected that the True Inheritor Chief, a master at Body Nourishing Perfection on the verge of Foundation Establishment, would meet such a fate. ’Did the Moyun Sect not assign him a Path Guardian? Or perhaps... did a Foundation Establishment Powerhouse intervene?’
Winters were always difficult, but in previous years, the presence of the Guardian Envoy at least kept the Tribulation Cultivators from getting too out of hand. Now that the Guardian Envoy was missing, the Moyun Sect clearly had no intention of sending a replacement to manage the market.
"The temperature this year is much lower than usual. I’m afraid it’s going to be a brutally cold winter. How are things on your end?"
It was no secret in the market that the Forging Hall would close its Earth Fire Chambers when the Earth Fire weakened. Shen Yunjiao’s question was one of genuine concern for Zhao Zuo.
"The Earth Fire is already growing weaker. I estimate it’ll be shut down by mid-December at the latest."
’Although Artifact Refining Apprentices like me bring in some Spirit Stone revenue for the Forging Hall by forging Spirit Iron, it’s nothing compared to the profits the Artifact Refiners next door generate. So when the Earth Fire weakens, the Blacksmiths will definitely get priority access.’
"So, have you thought about what you’re going to do?" Shen Yunjiao asked.
Zhao Zuo shook his head. "My only option is to go back to Qingni Lane."
’Actually, there was another option: find a roommate and move into the core district. But the monthly rent of ten Spirit Stones would mess up my plans. Besides, sharing a place with a stranger was a gamble, and I still have my business of reselling Magical Artifacts to keep under wraps.’
’For the next two months, the best course of action is to go out less, focus on Cultivation at home to get stronger, and avoid the turmoil of the outside world as much as possible.’
’It would be far too dangerous if I went out and had the bad luck of running into a Tribulation Cultivator.’
Hearing this, Shen Yunjiao reminded him, "It’s going to be even more chaotic this year."
"I heard..."
Shen Yunjiao leaned closer to Zhao Zuo and whispered.
"That night, after fighting a Foundation Establishment Demon Beast, Chen Xiaorong was injured and had to retreat. On his way back, he was ambushed by several Loose Cultivators at Qi Cultivation Perfection. That’s what led to his disappearance. At the same time, several other Qi Cultivation Perfection Cultivators in the market were also killed, which has only added to the chaos."
Moyun Market is divided into four major districts, ostensibly managed by the core district. In reality, several private organizations, each led by a Cultivator at Qi Cultivation Perfection, also operate in the shadows. With some of these leaders now dead, their organizations have naturally become targets for others.
And among all this, Tribulation Cultivators are fishing in troubled waters.
Outside Moyun Market, Demon Beasts from the Yunlan Mountain Range have been using the cover of night to attack and hunt.
The word "chaos" was the best way to describe the current situation. This environment gave Zhao Zuo no sense of security whatsoever. It seemed some of his plans would have to be postponed.
"Taoist Friend Shen, I think I’ll have to wait until after winter to purchase the Spirit Pattern Path."
’Twenty-three Spirit Stones wasn’t a huge amount, but in this environment, I can’t afford to be distracted by studying the Spirit Pattern Path. Even if I bought it, it would just sit there collecting dust. I’d be better off using the Spirit Stones to increase my strength in other ways.’
"What a pity, another lost sale." Shen Yunjiao quickly stuffed two more hazelnut crisps into her mouth to suppress the sorrow welling up inside her. ’That was a whole eight Spirit Stones!’
"Taoist Friend Zhao, I still have three Purifying Spirit Pills on hand. Do you need them? How about some Demon Beast meat?" Shen Yunjiao asked, her eyes full of expectation.
"I don’t need the Purifying Spirit Pills for now, but give me fifty pounds of Demon Beast meat!" Zhao Zuo’s main reason for leaving his secluded cultivation had been to buy upgrade materials for his Sky-Breaking Saber. His secondary goals were to purchase Demon Beast meat and gather information.
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