Chapter 92: Cultivator Market

All four had purchased books to their heart's content, Mangu buying *The Unofficial History of the Great Xia* out of his interest in history.

Recorded within were many tales so wild that even Meng Jingzhou, who possessed insider knowledge, found them quite shocking.

Regardless, the four felt thoroughly satisfied.

As they walked on, they noticed the surrounding mortals thinning out while cultivators grew more numerous, as if a mysterious force were separating the two realms.

Lanting transmitted her voice to the other three: "A repelling array has been deployed nearby; mortals will instinctively steer clear of this place, whereas cultivators remain unaffected."

Meng Jingzhou came to a sudden realization, recalling information he had gathered during his usual wanderings: "It is the monthly market fair, and it seems to have opened early this time because of the upcoming Spring Harvest Festival."

The Spring Harvest Festival drew not only mortals but also cultivators.

This was a legitimate market fair rather than one of those treacherous black markets where murder and robbery were commonplace; the four could even spot constables patrolling the area.

Even so, many within the market chose to conceal their identities by wearing masks or black robes.

This was a common sight, for some cultivators hid among the populace as ordinary mortals; if they showed their true faces here, would they not expose their identities?

Take Lu Yang and his three companions, for instance.

The four employed various methods to hide themselves: Meng Jingzhou and Mangu chose to don black robes, feeling it added to the atmosphere, and Meng Jingzhou even let out a few sinister cackles.

Lanting removed her transformation talisman, revealing her breathtaking face that resembled a pure lotus rising from clear water; she had used her true appearance when searching for clues about the demonic cult in Yanjiang County.

Lu Yang consulted with Meng Jingzhou: "How about I perform a set of Imitation Boxing and transform into your appearance?"

His only response was Meng Jingzhou slapping a tofu mask right onto Lu Yang's face.

Lu Yang put on the tofu mask.

The interior of the market fair possessed a striking cultivation atmosphere, with a massive protective barrier enveloping the entire area and emitting a soft radiance that contrasted sharply with the outside world; cultivators who had not met in ages sipped wine at roadside taverns, chatting amiably about recent events; cultivators argued vociferously with vendors over the prices of goods, each trying to earn a few spirit stones from the other; the government had even erected an arena where cultivators wishing to duel could fight to their heart's content.

"Come take a look, come have a look! Mighty Pills refined through an ancestral secret alchemy method! Consume just one, and your strength will know no bounds!"

Finding it amusing, Lu Yang followed the voice and discovered it was a medical clinic.

It appeared the clinic was run by a cultivator, though it was unclear whether the person shouting was an apprentice or an alchemist.

"How many spirit stones for one pill?"

The alchemist apprentice replied, "Ten spirit stones a pill. Buy three, get one free; buy five, get two free."

The price was inexpensive, indicating the pill was meant for those at the Qi Condensation stage rather than someone at Lu Yang's Foundation Establishment stage.

Lu Yang wanted to buy two pills as a souvenir, since this was the first time he had seen pills refined by someone outside the Directing Clay Sect: "What are the effects?"

"It enhances strength for a short duration, but once the strength fades, one will fall into a weakened state for half a day."

Lu Yang bought one and was preparing to leave when a constable walked in; Lu Yang recognized him as Sun, the subordinate of Head Constable Wei.

"I have received a report stating that your Mighty Pills involve false advertising."

The alchemist apprentice froze. False advertising?

Constable Sun explained solemnly, "According to the regulations of the law, when advertising goods, one cannot use words like 'most' or 'boundless'."

"Our investigation reveals that your Mighty Pills are suitable only for cultivators below the third layer of Qi Condensation and do not possess 'boundless' strength; after this warning, I hope you will correct it."

The alchemist apprentice nodded submissively, and as Lu Yang departed, a voice echoed from within the clinic:

"Come take a look, come have a look! Mighty Pills refined through an ancestral secret alchemy method! Consume just one, and your strength will be quite limited!"

Lu Yang suddenly felt that the Ten-Ox-Strength Pill refined by Senior Brother Wu Ming was truly flawless, lacking even the common issue of false advertising found in ordinary pills.

Meng Jingzhou had witnessed many things and had relatively proper alchemists in his own clan, so he held little interest in common items.

"What is this thing?"

Meng Jingzhou picked up a small gadget from a street stall, consisting of two wooden sticks glued perpendicularly: "A tool for making pancakes? This stuff is being sold in the market too?"

The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a full beard, looking exceptionally solemn and composed as he rested with his eyes closed; he only reluctantly opened them when Meng Jingzhou spoke, instantly exuding the demeanor of a grand master of weapon forging.

"This item is called the Soaring Stick. Place it upon your head and drive it with spiritual energy, and it will spin and ascend into the heavens; a cultivation of the seventh layer of Qi Condensation is enough to drive it."

Meng Jingzhou was astonished; this small market fair truly harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers to possess such a grand master of forging.

Without special means, only Gold Core stage cultivators could fly through the air; if one possessed special means, such as Lu Yang who could ride a sword during his Foundation Establishment stage, or Lu Yang using Imitation Boxing to transform into a crane, flight was possible.

Whether under normal or special circumstances, the minimum requirement for cultivation was the Foundation Establishment stage.

Meng Jingzhou had never heard of anyone being able to fly at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.

The spiritual power at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation was thin, making it difficult to drive a flying Dharma treasure.

"Seeing that you do not believe me, no matter, I shall demonstrate it for you." The bearded middle-aged man spoke with absolute confidence, producing a wooden puppet.

He tied the Soaring Stick to the wooden puppet, and a wisp of spiritual energy emerged from his fingertip, striking the stick.

As if just waking from a slumber, the Soaring Stick first spun slowly, then its rotation grew faster and faster until only an afterimage could be seen.

The Soaring Stick carried the wooden puppet up into the sky, appearing perfectly fine.

If one had to point out a single flaw, it was that as the Soaring Stick spun, it drove the wooden puppet to rotate along with it; with its head as the center, the puppet's body spun at high speed, perfectly matching the frequency of the stick!

If a human were beneath that Soaring Stick, their brains would have been scrambled into a smooth paste.

"You see, I told you the quality of our family's puppets is excellent; spinning so fast yet it doesn't fall apart. Not to boast, but even against the Foundation Establishment stage, this puppet of mine stands a fighting chance. The price is fair, a flat rate of eight hundred!"

"To hell with you!" Meng Jingzhou finally understood; the man was merely using the name of the Soaring Stick to peddle his puppets!

Evidently, the market fair was fraught with deception, and sincere individuals like Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were rare indeed.

The four prepared to head over to the Falling Gold Chamber of Commerce sector, which was more regulated and free from the antics they had just witnessed.

"Dear customers, would you care for a divination?"

A voice sounded beside the four, and Lu Yang turned to look, seeing a fortune-teller with a Bagua flag hanging behind him that read, 'Calculating heaven and earth is lesser than calculating men'. Business appeared dismal, with no clients in sight.

Seeing that the four had noticed him, the fortune-teller added, "No charge if it isn't accurate. Care to try?"

Lu Yang noticed the items arranged upon his table: a Bagua compass, dice, the four treasures of the study, nine copper coins, a crystal ball...

Virtually everything that could be used for divination was laid out.

Was this reliable?

And why on earth was there a crystal ball?