At Qingzhu Mountain Market.
Fang Xi deliberately activated his Primordial True Art, transforming into a masked, burly man carrying several dozen pounds of Beefwood meat as he entered the market.
This Beefwood meat was naturally harvested from Great Liang World.
As for the tai sui itself?
It remained stationed within the Great Liang World.
Being akin to a plant-like creature, it had minimal aggression and seldom moved, making it quite easy to maintain!
The idea of bringing the entire tai sui into the cultivation world did cross Fang Xi’s mind but was swiftly dismissed.
After all, tai sui is inherently demonic, and he couldn’t be certain if it possessed any form of intelligence.
Any potential leak of information would be too risky.
Fang Xi navigated through various structures in the market, eventually stopping before a shop.The golden signboard, adorned with elegant calligraphy, read ‘Hundred Skills Pavilion’ in large characters.
Within the Qingzhu Mountain Market, the Pill Cauldron Pavilion specialized in selling medicinal pills, Heaven’s Talisman Hall dealt with paper talismans, Thousand Machines Hall focused on techniques and puppets, Drunk Immortal Building catered to business conducted by female cultivators, while Mingqing Pavilion offered refined experiences like tea tasting and zither music.
On the other hand, Hundred Skills Pavilion sold a wide variety of goods, ranging from ordinary to extraordinary, and also regularly purchased spirit items.
This pavilion was Fang Xi’s destination!
‘Setting up my own stall would be too slow and attract unnecessary attention…’
‘Selling to individual vendors might yield higher prices, but it also increases the risk of getting swindled or attracting unwanted attention…’
‘In comparison, larger establishments have better credibility. At least they wouldn’t jeopardize their reputation over just a few dozen spirit stones…’
Of course, once accumulating hundreds or thousands of spirit stones, even reputable businesses become unreliable; some might not hesitate to strike first!
It all boils down to what’s at stake.
A handful of spirit stones isn’t worth tarnishing the Hundred Skills Pavilion’s reputation, but several thousand or more? Even if it meant destroying their own signboard, many would act without much hesitation.
Understanding this reality, Fang Xi had insisted on waiting until he reached the second layer of Body Refinement before engaging in such transactions.
At most, only Mid Qi Refining cultivators would likely target him for a few dozen spirit stones… and he still has means to defend himself!
As Fang Xi entered the Hundred Skills Pavilion, a clerk promptly greeted him, “Greetings, Daoist friend…”
“I’m here to sell mythic beast meat!” Fang Xi slammed the Beefwood chunk heavily onto the counter, his voice raspy, demeanor rough, exuding a menacing aura!
This wasn’t merely an act. Although he was still a novice in the cultivation world, within Great Liang, he already had numerous lives on his hands, naturally shaping his presence differently.
“Alright, please wait a moment!” The clerk hurriedly went backstage to fetch the shopkeeper.
Hunters of mythic beasts were known to be ruthless characters! Even if this cultivator’s apparent cultivation base seemed low, it could easily be a disguise.
Shortly after, a male cultivator emerged, dressed in sky-blue brocade embroidered with coins. Around forty years old, his affluent appearance radiated warmth and kindness. “Does this Daoist wish to sell beast meat? I am Qi Liu, one of the shopkeepers at Hundred Skills Pavilion. May I take a look first?”
“Please do!” Sensing the profound spiritual energy fluctuations indicative of Late Stage Qi Refinement, Fang Xi inwardly felt cautious and gestured for permission.
Qi Liu’s expression turned serious as he opened the package, revealing the stark white Beefwood meat inside.
He immediately performed a hand seal, casting a spell to check for toxins.
With some uncertainty, he then retrieved a copper mirror and shone it on the Beefwood meat.
Buzz!
A faint circle of white light appeared within the copper mirror.
Nodding, Qi Liu said, “Daoist friend, please observe… This is our specialized magical artifact for identifying mythic beast meat. The color represents its tier; white signifies low-tier first rank, suitable for Qi Refinement level, while blue would indicate Foundation Establishment beasts… The number of circles denotes power: one circle equates to Early Qi Refining strength, two for Mid Qi Refining, three for Late Qi Refining… The beast you’ve hunted barely qualifies as low-tier first rank… Based on my spell’s analysis, this meat has a slight wood attribute, significantly replenishing blood and qi. Is that correct?”
“Indeed, your discernment is keen,” Fang Xi nodded approvingly.
Tai sui being a fungus, it could barely be considered as having a slight wood attribute.
As for its strength? It was even more comical, accurately classified as low-tier first rank without any exaggeration.
“Ah…,” Qi Liu chuckled with evident pride but then hesitated slightly, “Please forgive my ignorance; I cannot identify the species of this mythic beast.”
His gaze turned scrutinizing as he looked at Fang Xi.
“Well, I must admit, even I couldn’t recognize it. Perhaps some hybrid or mutated variety…” Fang Xi responded calmly, his heart skipping a beat internally.
“Hmm, the cultivation world indeed harbors vast diversity. Even I may not recognize all mythic beast species, quite regrettable…”
The cultivation realm was filled with peculiar and unusual creatures, so Qi Liu didn’t press further. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Regarding the beast’s meat… how much are you looking to sell it for?”
Seizing the opportunity, Fang Xi grinned, “Based on market rates, low-tier first rank mythic beast meat goes for one spirit crystal per pound!”
“Haha… naturally, our purchase price will be below market rates,” Qi Liu smiled slightly. “However… considering this is your first transaction here, Daoist friend, I’ll make an exception for you. Yingsong!”
The waiter promptly stepped forward, separated and weighed the beast meat, then reported, “Total weight: sixty-seven pounds, valued at six spirit stones and seven spirit crystals.”
Immediately, he produced six colorful spirit stones along with some fragmented spirit crystals, handing them to Fang Xi.
Fang Xi had to summon his Primordial Strength just to prevent himself from trembling with excitement.
Heaven have mercy!
When was the last time he possessed so many spirit stones?
In his previous life, even after a year of farming combined with various minor earnings, he could barely accumulate two or three spirit stones!
Without sufficient spirit stones, his cultivation progress had been painfully slow. That’s why, lacking access to the cultivation world’s Body Tempering techniques, he turned to vital energy martial arts instead.
It all boiled down to one word - poverty!
Now, finally, he held such a significant amount of spirit stones!
Fortunately, Fang Xi knew he was surrounded by potential threats and swiftly tucked the spirit stones into his chest pocket with a hearty laugh. “Thanks for your fairness, shopkeeper!”
Just as he was about to take leave, Qi Liu’s voice stopped him, “Hold on!”
“What is it? Any further guidance, Shopkeeper Qi?” Fang Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly, already channeling Primordial Strength into his palms.
At this close range, even if the opponent were a Late Stage Qi Refinement expert, facing a body refinement cultivator could prove disadvantageous!
“Ah…nothing much, just wanted to ask if there’s more meat from that mythic beast, Daoist friend? If so, don’t forget to consider our humble establishment for future business.” Smiling broadly, Qi Liu escorted Fang Xi out of the Hundred Skills Pavilion, bowing respectfully until he departed.
Once Fang Xi disappeared into the crowd, Yingsong approached quickly, “Uncle Liu…was I mistaken earlier? This cultivator doesn’t have a bag of holding, suggesting he might’ve just gotten lucky finding the beast carcass… Also, selling ten pounds of meat for one spirit stone seems quite steep…”
“Ah, I only look after you because you’re my nephew. There’s still much for you to learn.” Smiling, Qi Liu returned to the counter and examined the Beefwood meat closely. “This beast meat may be just low-tier first rank, but it’s remarkably pure. It can greatly replenish blood qi, so selling it to body cultivators should fetch at least one spirit stone per five pounds! As for whether he was incredibly lucky or truly formidable, what does that matter to me? A single mythic beast yields no more than a few hundred pounds of meat. Would risking our Hundred Skills Pavilion reputation over mere dozens of spirit stones be wise? The clan would never forgive such a move!”
“You’re absolutely right, Uncle Liu!” Yingsong nodded with a taught expression.
Qi Liu gazed in the direction Fang Xi had departed, withholding another thought.
When Fang Xi approached earlier, even his heart raced uneasily. Despite appearing to have a modest cultivation base, this customer might have been concealing it with some advanced breathing technique - undoubtedly a tough adversary!
Provoking someone like that over merely a low-tier first-rank mythic beast? His sanity hadn’t left him yet!
“Am I being overly cautious?” Qi Liu pondered silently.
After changing his appearance multiple times and visiting several locations, Fang Xi finally exited the market, still feeling somewhat uneasy.
There was no help for it; back in Great Liang, he could afford to be reckless, knowing nobody could best him. In contrast, the southern wilderness’ cultivation world made him apprehensive, aware that numerous individuals here were far stronger than himself!
Fortunately, upon leaving the market, Fang Xi cautiously walked a considerable distance without any rogue cultivators suddenly jumping out to kill or rob him.
Realizing this, he promptly discarded his original outer robe, donned spirit farmer attire, and returned to the shantytown.
Fang Xi then prepared to visit Chen Ping, intending not only to repay the loan but also to inquire about where to find Forced Entry Talismans.
‘Come to think of it, when befriending Chen Ping, my aim was to expand trade channels and sell goods from Great Liang…’
‘However, his connections are quite weak - just look at that impoverished Nine Profound old man, even poorer than me!’
‘Maybe Di Qi holds some promise… Next time I hunt other mythic beasts, I should consider selling them to him.’
As for the Beefwood meat?
After selling a few hundred pounds, Fang Xi planned to stop. If people discovered he had access to a beast endlessly producing mythic beast meat, they’d likely tear him apart!
‘Come to think of it, this tai sui property is truly remarkable.’
‘Holding such a resource could generate an endless supply of spirit stones…’
‘Wait, no - I forgot to consider that body cultivators form a niche group, leading to market saturation eventually… And before prices plummet due to oversupply, there’s a high chance I’ll be exposed…’
Fang Xi approached Chen Ping’s room and knocked on the door.
The one-month deadline was nearing, and as a man of his word, he knew debts must be repaid.
He had borrowed four spirit stones for the Blood and Qi Pill with the agreement to return five after a month, and indeed, it would be exactly five!
Although the interest rate was staggering at 25% per month, which annually equates to a whopping 300%!
‘This Chen Ping fellow seems quite talented in lending money at exorbitant rates.’
As Fang Xi pondered, Chen Ping opened the door, unable to suppress a look of joy, but then quickly switched to a sorrowful tone, “Fellow Daoist Fang…”
“What happened?” Fang Xi asked, utterly confused.
“I just received news… My master, Zong Wu, has met a soldier’s end!” Chen Ping replied with deep anguish written across his face.
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