Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Bustling Marketplace, a Sea of Gold and Silver

"In that case, I shall trouble you, Fairy Xu."

Jiang Sheng pondered for a moment before agreeing.

"Daoist Jiang, there is no need for such formalities. My purpose in coming to Qingshan County was merely to fulfill a request from Qing'er. Now that the matter is settled, I am naturally returning to my sect."

"The prefecture city of Dongjun is right along the way. It is no trouble at all," Xu Xiao said with a smile.

Jiang Sheng took a blue talisman inscribed with cloud seals from his storage bag and presented it to Xu Xiao. "Regardless, Fairy Xu has assisted me. I have nothing of great value on me at the moment, save for this blue talisman, as a token of my gratitude."

Xu Xiao accepted the talisman and smiled. "In that case, I shall accept it without further modesty. As it happens, I still have some matters to attend to in Qingshan County. You may come to find me in the county town in three days' time."

After agreeing on the date, Jiang Sheng escorted Xu Xiao to the mountain gate. He watched her depart before turning back toward the Taoist temple.

"Ming'an."

Hearing Jiang Sheng’s call, Tian Ming'an stopped his chores and hurried over. "Master."

"In three days, I will be heading to the prefecture city. You must look after the temple during my absence and ensure no idle characters disturb its tranquility," Jiang Sheng instructed.

Tian Ming'an was stunned for a moment, then replied, "Please rest assured, Master, I will certainly guard the temple well."

Seeing Tian Ming'an’s confident expression, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but chuckle. "Heh, you have yet to draw energy into your body, and your martial arts are inferior even to a common mortal of the innate realm. At best, you are a second-rate fighter. Where does this confidence to guard the temple come from?"

Tian Ming'an replied, "I may have no skills, Master, but this temple is your domain. Is there anyone in Qingshan County who would dare to scheme against your territory?"

"You are a clever one. Continue with your studies," Jiang Sheng waved his hand, and Tian Ming'an withdrew obediently.

Walking leisurely to the back hall, Jiang Sheng looked around and mused, "I am currently lacking a furnace for alchemy and several spirit herbs. I need to refine not only Tiger Bone Peiyuan Pills but also a batch of Juyuan Pills for my cultivation. This trip was truly a loss."

"If I hadn't managed to secure a set of array formations, I would have returned from this monster-slaying endeavor with nothing to show for it."

"In the future, I must investigate such matters thoroughly. It is too easy to lose money if one does not calculate the target's net worth before taking action."

In truth, whether it be slaying demons or exploring ancient ruins, the effort and the reward are rarely proportional.

No one can guarantee that an ancient ruin contains a legacy rather than a trap, and no one can guarantee that a notorious villain possesses a vast fortune. Many cultivators, when on the verge of death, set various traps in their dwellings to kill those who follow, and most of the time, cultivators carry their entire net worth on their persons. Often, after exhausting countless efforts to breach a ruin, one finds nothing but an empty shell.

Because of this, when loose cultivators explore ruins or search for resources, the success rate is often as low as one or two in ten. Jiang Sheng now deeply understood the hardships of a loose cultivator.

Since arriving at Qingping Mountain, he had taken action three times. Only the initial tiger demon had provided him with a Foundation Establishment-level demon body. The Eight Wolves of Dongjun had nothing left, as their entire fortune had been spent on that magical artifact, which Jiang Sheng destroyed in the end. As for the River God, it was even worse; the Zifu-stage demon’s den was empty enough to run mice through, as if all its resources had been consumed to maintain that wicked array.

If not for the third-tier array and the reward given by Zhang Qingyun, Jiang Sheng’s Taoist heart might have been shaken.

This only strengthened Jiang Sheng’s resolve to rarely leave home.

On New Year's Eve, Jiang Sheng allowed Tian Ming'an to go down the mountain to celebrate with his family. Looking at the fireworks filling the sky outside the mountain, Jiang Sheng felt little stir in his heart.

He did not have much time to spare. Beyond his daily cultivation, he needed to draw an extra batch of talismans to sell, as he needed to hoard resources. When the time came, he planned to devote himself to cultivation, ignoring all external matters, and would not consider anything else until he had successfully opened his Zifu at the center of his brow.

The first day of the New Year was the day Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao had agreed upon. Jiang Sheng summoned Tian Ming'an.

After giving him instructions, he handed three talismans to Tian Ming'an. "These are second-tier Water Arrow Talismans I have drawn; use them if anyone comes to cause trouble. This is a Profound Water Talisman; if the intruder is too powerful, use it to save your life. This is the Hundred-Mile Evasion Talisman; once you have protected yourself with the Profound Water Talisman, use this to flee and wait for my return."

"I understand, Master." Tian Ming'an carefully tucked the three talismans away.

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly and then took flight toward the Qingshan county town.

By noon, Jiang Sheng reached the town.

The town was filled with lanterns and decorations, vibrant and joyous, washing away the panic and grief brought by the previous ravages of the River God. Xu Xiao was whispering with Zhang Qing, and once the two women finished talking, Xu Xiao departed with Jiang Sheng.

After consulting with each other, they changed their appearances and aliases.

Jiang Sheng shed his Taoist robes for a flowing white gown with a silk sash at his waist, and swapped his Taoist hair bun for a jade hairpin. Paired with his jade-like features, his temperament became ethereal, like a refined young gentleman of the world.

Xu Xiao couldn't help but smile upon seeing him. "With such an outstanding temperament, Master Yuanchen, I fear many young ladies of the noble houses in Dongjun will be enchanted."

Jiang Sheng only smiled, offering no words.

The journey from Qingshan County to the Dongjun prefecture city was not far, taking roughly three days. They did not linger along the way, arriving at the prefecture city exactly at noon on the fourth day.

The Dongjun prefecture city was much larger than Qingshan County, with towering walls inscribed with subtle magical formations. Beyond the gates guarded by ordinary soldiers, there was a tall gate manned by several cultivators in the early stage of Qi Refining.

Xu Xiao explained, "Those soldiers guard the gates for mortals; peddlers, merchants, and travelers use those. The gate guarded by those Qi Refining cultivators is for practitioners; the cultivation clans in the city also use this entrance."

Unlike Qingshan County, the prefecture city held a population of over a million. The markets and streets were countless, with gentry, wealthy merchants, commoners, and peddlers each having their own districts, while cultivators and noble clans had their own dedicated areas. Although cultivators and mortals coexisted in the city, the lines between them were strictly drawn.

As Xu Xiao and Jiang Sheng approached the gate, the Qi Refining cultivators guarding it bowed respectfully.

Those who could fly and hover in mid-air were undoubtedly Foundation Establishment cultivators. Moreover, the man was handsome and the woman was as beautiful as a celestial being; such an aura was clearly extraordinary, and being so young, they might be nobles from a prestigious family or core disciples of a major sect.

"Please, two Foundation Establishment seniors," the leader, an old man at only the third level of Qi Refining, said with a sycophantic smile, bowing as he invited them into the city.

Inside the city, the streets were prosperous and bustling with crowds, shops, and endless streams of traffic.

With the New Year season, the city appeared exceptionally lively.

Xu Xiao led Jiang Sheng along the main thoroughfare, soon arriving at the cultivation market. It was clearly designed for the convenience of practitioners, located near their residential area. Guarding the entrance were two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators wearing identical uniforms with the character "Cha" embroidered on their chests.

Xu Xiao introduced, "This market is jointly managed by the Cha family and the various Foundation Establishment clans in the city. The Cha family holds half, and the remaining clans share the other half."

"Guarding the market are not only the Cha family’s Qi Refining cultivators; the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the various clans take turns watching over it."

"The rule for entry is two spirit stones per person. If one sells goods inside, the market takes an additional twenty percent in spirit stones. It seems pricey, but all transactions are guaranteed by the Cha family and the local clans, so the credibility is reliable."

Jiang Sheng sensed the auras within the market. Most were at the Qi Refining stage, fluctuating wildly, but two auras were particularly prominent. They resided in the most conspicuous high tower in the market—two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. These were clearly the guardians sent by the clans.

At the entrance, Xu Xiao paid four spirit stones, and the guard handed her two tokens.

Xu Xiao gave one to Jiang Sheng. "This is the proof of entry. You receive it upon entering and return it upon leaving. Keep it safe."

Jiang Sheng took the finger-sized token and laughed. "This market is certainly meticulous."

"It cannot afford to be careless. Do you know how much profit this market provides the clans annually, Master Yuanchen?" Xu Xiao asked.

Jiang Sheng thought for a moment and shook his head. "I cannot guess the exact figure, but it must be an astonishing amount."

Xu Xiao said, "With every cultivator paying two spirit stones for entry, not to mention the annual fees from shops and the twenty percent tax on stalls, this market provides the clans with at least several hundred thousand spirit stones every year!"

Hundreds of thousands of spirit stones!

This figure truly astonished Jiang Sheng. With such annual revenue, the share for each family was significant.

"These clans control the market, collecting spirit stones to purchase Foundation Establishment pills and various artifacts at the state capital to sustain their families. That is why every generation of theirs produces Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"And the Cha family goes without saying; the amount they spend on pills and artifacts every year is a massive sum," Xu Xiao continued.

Jiang Sheng nodded. With their large populations, the resources required for their kin were not small. Not to mention the need to maintain Foundation Establishment strength in every generation through the consumption of pills and artifacts—despite the high earnings, their actual surplus was likely limited.

The only ones truly profiting in the entire Qing Prefecture were the three great sects at the very top. After all, the resources for Foundation Establishment and opening the Zifu were largely controlled by them. While these clans appeared to earn much, the majority flowed right back into the hands of the three major sects.

Over time, the resources accumulated by the three major sects were truly staggering!