Chapter 43: Return to Qingni Lane
Inside the Earth Fire Chamber, Zhao Zuo handed over the last piece of Spirit Iron. The person who had just sent the voice transmission was undoubtedly the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator overseeing the Earth Fire Hall, and all he could do was obey.
Zhao Zuo packed his belongings into a bundle. He planned to carry the iron plates processed from the Spirit Iron and the two remaining pieces of Demon Beast meat in his hands. After taking about three minutes to confirm he hadn’t left any personal items behind, he set off for the exchange hall.
Even though he moved quickly, a line of several dozen people had already formed at the exchange hall.
As Zhao Zuo approached, a sour stench assaulted his nostrils. Most of the people here were senior Artifact Refining Apprentices who had been in seclusion in the Earth Fire Hall for a long time. Some might have even been secluded for over half a year.
The exchange hall usually only had one clerk. But perhaps because so many people were exchanging Spirit Stones today, two additional clerks in their early twenties and wearing Taoist Robes had been added.
Zhao Zuo didn’t have to wait long; it was his turn in about ten minutes. He exchanged Black Iron Coins for eleven Spirit Stones, and used the three remaining coins to get seven and a half pounds of Spirit Rice.
Hefting the bag of Spirit Rice a few times, Zhao Zuo estimated it contained five pounds at most. He looked up to see the new clerk watching him with a smirk, subtly revealing the token at his waist that marked him as an Outer Sect disciple of the Moyun Sect.
Zhao Zuo immediately turned and left. ’There’s no escaping this kind of filth, no matter what world you’re in.’ He committed the man’s face to memory, vowing to settle the score someday.
’You’re playing with fire, kid. You really think being an Outer Sect disciple makes you all that?’
Zhao Zuo first went for a stroll through the market’s commercial street. He was partly hoping to run into Old Sun, the master of Celestial Secret Divination, and also needed to buy two Qi and Blood Pills. He also sold another Lower Grade Magical Artifact for Spirit Stones to keep as a reserve.
Once all his preparations were complete, Zhao Zuo left the core area without a second thought. He found Shen Yunjiao at her stall in the street market area. Before he could even speak, Shen Yunjiao said first,
"Just wait a little longer. We’ll head back to Qingni Lane together this afternoon."
"Alright."
Zhao Zuo nodded. A certain rapport had developed between them recently, but Shen Yunjiao still only considered people who could help her earn Spirit Stones to be friends.
For Zhao Zuo, this much progress in their relationship was already something to celebrate. He didn’t need the official title of ’friend’.
A dozen or so burly men in coarse linen clothes passed through the street market area, leaving Moyun Workshop together. Zhao Zuo recognized a few familiar faces in the group—Artifact Refining Apprentices he occasionally chatted with. They had finished their shopping and were heading home together for safety.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, want to leave the market and head home with us?" someone in the group called out upon recognizing Zhao Zuo. After all, having one more person increased their safety.
"No, no, I’m waiting for someone." Zhao Zuo quickly declined his workmate’s kind offer. He watched the large group of more than a dozen people leave the street market area, head down the mountain path, pass between two stone pillars, and gradually disappear from sight.
After watching for a moment longer, Zhao Zuo averted his gaze and returned to the street market. He wandered from stall to stall, hoping to get lucky like the protagonists in stories and find a hidden treasure, earning a fortune in Spirit Stones. Unfortunately, his eye for such things was terrible; he spent well over an hour without finding anything worth buying.
Instead, one of the stall owners snorted in displeasure. "If you’re not buying, then move along. Don’t get in the way of my business!"
"Alright, alright... I’m going." Zhao Zuo could only offer a placating smile. He quickly got up and moved to the next stall. ’I couldn’t see through the last stall owner’s Cultivation, and I can’t see through this one’s either. I can’t afford to offend them.’
Zhao Zuo wandered past a dozen or so stalls but didn’t buy a thing. Some items looked mysterious or peculiar, but he ultimately couldn’t be sure of their value and didn’t dare to make a move. In truth, he was mostly relying on his Golden Finger’s ability to help him choose.
He hoped to find an item that looked inconspicuous but was actually a Magical Artifact, allowing him to score a great deal. Unfortunately, he never found one. The reason was simple: Magical Artifacts contain internal Spirit Pattern Paths that resonate with Mana. One generally only needed to inject a bit of Mana to determine if an item was a Magical Artifact or not.
This was precisely why his path to finding a hidden treasure was so fraught with difficulty.
Elsewhere, Shen Yunjiao had already packed up her stall, so Zhao Zuo gave up on his treasure hunt. He stood up, straightened his Taoist Robe, and activated a Cleaning Talisman.
The two met up, and Shen Yunjiao spoke.
"Do you need me to put your Demon Beast meat and iron plates away for you?"
"Thanks."
Zhao Zuo didn’t stand on ceremony and handed the iron plates and Demon Beast meat to Shen Yunjiao, who took them and placed them directly into her Storage Bag.
Snowflakes suddenly began to drift from the sky, melting quickly as they landed on Zhao Zuo’s shoulders. He could feel a chill seep through the skin on his shoulders and penetrate to the bone, and he shivered involuntarily. At the same time, the Clear Heart Jade Pendant he wore on his chest began to work instinctively, releasing a cool aura to counter the invading cold.
The snow grew heavier, turning from small flakes to heavy, goose-feather flurries. The pure white color filled his vision, seeming to blanket the entire world and blur the line between heaven and earth.
Next came the howling, frigid wind, whipping the snowflakes into vortexes in a visual feast. They were like goddesses in white, dancing and soaring through the world. The only downside was that the temperature dropped even lower.
The moment Zhao Zuo stepped outside the bounds of Moyun Workshop, the snow underfoot grew thicker. Fortunately, only the top layer was soft; underneath, it had already packed into hard chunks of snow. However, this made walking more difficult, and with the headwind, his speed was naturally affected.
"The snow on the road is thick. You should use a Light Body Talisman," Shen Yunjiao said softly.
"Alright."
Snow and frost inevitably collected on their heads and shoulders. The domain of the Clear Heart Jade Pendant, which had extended a meter around him, shrank until it could only affect the inside of Zhao Zuo’s body. Magical Artifacts, as miraculous as they were, still couldn’t contend with the power of nature.
Due to the snowfall, visibility dropped to about fifty meters. The two of them walked in silence, hurrying toward Qingni Lane.
Zhao Zuo raised his vigilance to its peak. ’This weather is perfect for an ambush. It’s easy to lie in wait, and with limited visibility, my eyes will be less useful against an attack.’
Suddenly, Shen Yunjiao stopped in her tracks. Her eyes grew sharp as she stared intently ahead.
Zhao Zuo also stopped instinctively. In his perception, a figure seemed to be approaching in the distance. Unfortunately, the falling snow made the person’s silhouette extremely blurry; all he could see was a small, dark speck.
"What do we do?" Zhao Zuo whispered. He could only hope it was just a Cultivator traveling out in the snow.
"Prepare for battle."
Ten seconds later, Zhao Zuo finally got a clear look at the person. It was another Artifact Refining Apprentice from the Earth Fire Hall. However, he was staggering, and his right hand was clamped to his waist, from which blood was faintly trickling out.
He was being hunted.
.....