Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists-Chapter 36 - Exchange Meeting (Seeking

Chapter 36 -36 Exchange Meeting (Seeking Recommendations)_1

Chapter 36 -36 Exchange Meeting (Seeking Recommendations)_1

“What? Master Zong Symbol… to have passed so suddenly?”

Fang Xi’s face was a picture of shock.

Zong Wu, the very Talisman Master from whom he often purchased talismans—of course, more than that, Fang Xi’s thoughts were on that fiery-tempered and voluptuous Taoist companion of his, Lu Zhi.

“Oh!”

He glanced at Chen Ping, intuitively understanding why the other seemed somewhat pleased yet was forcefully restraining himself.

“Alas… Sir Lu has lost his beloved, and I must go to console him properly. However… to go and pay my respects to the Grandmaster now, when I don’t have convenient access to Spirit Stones,” lamented Chen Ping, his eyes brimming with a look that said he was looking to collect a debt.

Luckily, Fang Xi was there to pay his debts, promptly taking out five Spirit Stones: “Last month, I was indebted to Brother Chen as well as Sir Di and Jiuxuan for their generous assistance. Here are five Spirit Stones, please pass them on to the two sirs on my behalf…”

“Of course!”

Chen Ping took the Spirit Stones and hurried off to buy a condolence gift, eager to comfort the widow.

This left Fang Xi feeling rather gloomy.

He hadn’t even had the chance to ask for Prohibition-breaking Talismans and could only inwardly curse this cad who put lust before loyalty.

…

Master Zong Symbol, wealthy in his own right, rented a Dongfu specifically within the Green Bamboo Mountain Market.

As soon as he entered, Fang Xi immediately felt a wave of pure spiritual energy rush over him, prompting a silent exclamation: ‘Is this a Rank One Spiritual Vein’s Dongfu? If I had such rich and pure spiritual energy to aid in my cultivation, perhaps I would have already mastered the third peak of the Eternal Spring Skills and be attempting to break through the mid Qi Refining Stage?’

The Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm categorized Spiritual Veins into numerous ranks, correlating with the stages of Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and beyond.

A Rank One Spiritual Vein could just about meet the needs of Qi Refining Stage cultivators.

A Rank Two Spiritual Vein was suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators to meditate and cultivate.

Green Bamboo Mountain hosted a single Rank One Spiritual Vein, which was usually locked by an Array and exclusively utilized within the market.

As for someone like Fang Xi, a Spirit Farmer and Individual Cultivator, he could only enjoy the remnants of the Spiritual Vein outside the market Array, barely considered cultivation on a substandard Spiritual Vein.

The effect, at best, was slightly better than that of the secular world.

“Sir Di! Jiuxuan!”

Upon entering the Dongfu, Fang Xi spotted two familiar faces.

Jiuxuan still wore his Taoist Robe, exuding an air of otherworldly grace, while Di Qi greeted Fang Xi with a smile: “Mr. Fang, truly a man of his word!”

‘It seems Chen Ping did return the Spirit Stones to these two, not succumbing to greed… Hmm, in that case, he can still be considered a friend worth having.’

Fang Xi had indeed been worried that Chen Ping might have pocketed his Spirit Stones.

After all, it was three of them who borrowed his Spirit Stones originally.

Together, they walked into the inner chamber, where many cultivators were present, seemingly connections from Master Zong Symbol’s past.

His Taoist Companion, Lu Zhi, was dressed in mourning clothes, serving Spiritual Tea and refreshments to all the guests.

Not having seen her for several days, the Lady Lu appeared somewhat haggard, yet her charm remained undiminished.

Especially now, dressed in mourning yet with alluring presence, she provoked a wealth of imaginative thoughts.

Like Chen Ping, for instance, who could hardly take his eyes off her.

“Eh? Those two as well?”

Fang Xi’s gaze swept the room, noticing Shen Haoran and Fairy Yun Meng beside Chen Ping and couldn’t help but murmuring quietly.

“Hmph, nothing but two overbearing fellows…”

Di Qi’s expression soured as he spotted Shen Haoran.

“Oh?!”

Fang Xi cast a thoughtful glance at Di Qi and then at Shen Haoran, quickly coming to understand the situation.

These people were all friends of Chen Ping, who likely mingled together regularly.

However, both Shen Haoran and Fairy Yun Meng, in terms of family background and cultivation, were more accomplished than Di Qi. Moreover, judging from the incident at Mingqing Loft last time, they were far from the humble kind.

Di Qi, having suffered at their hands, probably harbored some resentment.

‘Fortunately, he didn’t say they looked down on him like a cur, this lad still possesses some sophistication.’

Fang Xi nodded to himself, then discussed with Lord Jiuxuan to contribute a low-grade Spirit Stone as a condolence gift together.

…

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

After a round of tea, Lu Zhi rose from the principal seat and gracefully bowed: “I would like to thank you all on behalf of my late husband for your presence.”

“No need for such courtesy!”

“Oh, not at all…”

Fang Xi and the others hurriedly returned the gesture.

“Cough cough… May I inquire as to what caused Master Zong Symbol to pass on so unexpectedly?” asked Shen Haoran, holding a white jade Folding Fan in the manner of a dashing gentleman.

Instantly, he heard Lu Zhi’s reply: “That damned fool of mine, against my advice, sought his fortune outside the market and was slain by a cultivation-robber… Based on the information I’ve gathered, the culprits are likely the ‘Kou Three Evils’!”

“It’s them?” Di Qi inhaled sharply in shock.

Upon seeing Lord Jiuxuan’s puzzled look, he explained, “These Kou Three Evils, three blood brothers, are rumored to have reached the later stages of the Qi Refining, powerful enough to fight at the Qi Refining Great Perfection. They’ve always rampaged around, with blood on their hands, and countless murders to their name…”

“Ah, so that cruel?” Lord Jiuxuan’s eyes widened in amazement.

Though he referred to himself as a ‘Lord,’ he was merely a novice in the early Qi Refining Stage, and against such villains, he would likely not even suffice to fill a gap between teeth.

Fang Xi watched from the sidelines, noting the awkward silence that fell among the friends as soon as the name of the enemy was mentioned.

Not one of them swore to avenge Master Zong Symbol.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion, “The Cultivation World is indeed cold and indifferent; this incident is a true testament to that.”

An alive Master Zong Symbol was a mid-grade symbol master of the first level, with a boundless future ahead. But dead? He wasn’t worth a penny.

Even less worthwhile for the cultivators present to offend the likes of the Kou Three Evils!

“Hmph!”

Seeing this, Lu Zhi couldn’t help but snort in dissatisfaction.

But almost immediately, she regained her composure, took out a plain cloud silk handkerchief, and wiped her eyes, “Now that the deadbeat is gone, I, a weak woman, can’t hold up this family business. I plan to sell everything and return to my hometown… With everyone’s arrival, let’s hold an exchange meeting right here!”

At these words, many people’s eyes lit up.

Including Fang Xi!

Unfortunately, thinking about his empty pouch, Fang Xi couldn’t help but shake his head and wryly smile, ‘Alas… I don’t even have the strength to be a vulture…’

An auction in the Cultivation World is a grand event!

And among many cultivators, there would occasionally be small-scale exchange meetings, mostly in the form of bartering, helping each other with what they lack.

This time, with the death of Master Zong Symbol, quite a number of fellow cultivators had come, probably after hearing the news!

The next moment, Lu Zhi’s faint voice rang out, “This is Mysterious Character No. 8 Cave House of Green Bamboo Mountain, with five years left on the lease, the starting bid is fifty Spirit Stones…”

“I’ll take it!”

“I bid fifty-one Spirit Stones!”

Very quickly, the lease was bought for fifty-five Spirit Stones by an old cultivator in a yellow robe.

Lu Zhi then took out a talisman brush, “A first-level top-grade talisman brush made from the fur of a Silver Moon wolf…”

This time, it sparked a chase among many Talisman Masters.

Fang Xi saw Chen Ping’s face flush red, secretly discussing something with Shen Haoran and Fairy Yun Meng, yet not participating in the bidding.

‘Could it be that their talks fell through?’ he thought to himself.

In the midst of his pondering, he saw Lu Zhi take out an old, yellowed jade slip, “The talisman-making notes of that deadbeat of mine, containing the methods to make several Spirit Talismans…”

“One hundred Spirit Stones!” An apprentice Talisman Master, who was previously competing for the brush, shone with excitement.

“One hundred and fifty Spirit Stones! This is the entire talismanic legacy of Master Zong Symbol, you are dreaming,” another older Talisman Master immediately scolded.

After a round of fierce competition, the price stuck at one hundred seventy-six Spirit Stones and went no higher.

After all, the Cultivators were shrewd, not so unwise as to lose their senses for the sake of a legacy of talismanic lore.

“Two… two hundred Spirit Stones!”

Suddenly, another voice spoke up.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

Fang Xi looked over and saw it was Chen Ping!

He saw Chen Ping’s face pale, lips quivering, but his expression exceedingly determined.

“Good!” Lu Zhi was a bit surprised, but she agreed readily, “Two hundred Spirit Stones, and the talismanic legacy of my late husband goes to Mr. Chen.”

“Mhm, mhm, thank you.”

Chen Ping laughingly expressed his gratitude like a fool, but Fang Xi felt something was amiss.

This Mr. Chen, even if he had some savings, it would only amount to a few Spirit Stones at most. He had nearly exhausted his funds at Fairy Red Bee’s, so how could he have so many Spirit Stones?

Unless… it was borrowed from Shen Haoran and Fairy Yun Meng.

And those two were no saints, lending so many Spirit Stones to Chen Ping must come with extremely harsh conditions!

Moreover, there was something about Chen Ping that they deemed worth scheming for!

Otherwise, there were plenty of destitute Individual Cultivators around, yet no one had managed to borrow such a large sum of Spirit Stones.

While Fang Xi was deep in thought, the exchange meeting came to a close, with Lu Zhi clearing out all the inventory of the late Master Zong Symbol’s talismans.

She even sold off several talismans that he had treasured.

One of them made Fang Xi’s breath hitch.

“A first-level top-grade Prohibition-breaking Talisman, a rare and exquisite item. My late husband spent a lot of money to buy this for his study… Alas… If any of you Sirs are interested, take it for thirty Spirit Stones,” said Lu Zhi as she brought out a wooden box. Inside, there was only one talisman: a pale yellow body adorned with silver strokes that resembled iron painted with silver hooks, incredibly complex.

What’s more, between those silver runes, there seemed to be strands of distortion emanating outward.

This was the very Prohibition-breaking Talisman that Fang Xi urgently needed!

Unfortunately, after settling his debts, he was still penniless.

‘What a pity, what a pity! If only I had a bit more time…’ As he was silently lamenting, he heard a Talisman Master stroking his beard speak, “A first-level Prohibition-breaking Talisman can only break through first-level prohibitions and arrays, not of much use… If it were second-level, its value would be tenfold or even a hundredfold.”

First-level arrays weren’t much, as the Situ Family protected the Green Bamboo Mountain Market with second-level arrays.

If those cultivation-robbers got a hold of a second-level Prohibition-breaking Talisman, the entire Green Bamboo Mountain Market could be in trouble!

However, Fang Xi knew this first-level Prohibition-breaking Talisman was very useful; the old Talisman Master was driving the price down!

Sure enough, in the next moment, he continued to say, “In Heaven Talismans Hall, a well-maintained first-level top-grade Prohibition-breaking Talisman sells for around thirty-five Spirit Stones, Madam’s price seems a bit high…”

“Hmph, I’m offering this Prohibition-breaking Talisman without the slightest leakage of spiritual energy, and giving you a discount of five Spirit Stones, how can you say it’s high?” Lu Zhi retorted sharply, the feisty side of her resurfacing.

“Sigh…”

Watching this scene, Fang Xi could only lament in his heart: ‘Not every opportunity I come upon is mine to seize…’

Having no Spirit Stones to offer, he could only wait for the next time he sold Monster Beast Meat to save up enough Spirit Stones and then try his luck at Heaven Talismans Hall.