Chapter 39: Marketplace Changes, a Summons
Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Marketplace Changes, a Summons
The cold mist of Cyan Rattan Stream seemed to carry time with it, flowing silently by for six months. Having just received a summons, Lu Zhao found himself recalling the events of the past half-year.
Six months ago, Lu Zhao had shortened his round trips to the Zhou Family Marketplace from once every three months to once a month.
Every time he went out, his Storage Bag would invariably contain newly crafted Ice Mouse Puppets and a Flowing Cloud Sparrow.
His transaction point was always fixed before the Wooden Fragrance Counter of the Nine Abyss Pavilion. When the old Shopkeeper’s withered fingers inspected the Puppets, his gaze was a little sharper than before.
After trading for Spirit Stones, Lu Zhao would always feign casualness and strike up a conversation. The topics would meander, eventually settling on rumors from outside Changfeng County, the internal movements of the Zhou Family, and... those subtle, barely perceptible fluctuations within the Marketplace.
He was like a vigilant spider, quietly spreading out the threads of his Divine Sense. The street stalls of the Market East District were a place he had to visit.
Each time Lu Zhao squatted before Hu San’s pile of Fangs still flecked with mouse fur, he would hear the one-eyed man complain about how ruthlessly the merchant houses that bought hides were pushing down prices.
When he got to Old Huang’s Talisman stall in the West Market, the old man would habitually complain, muttering things like, "The talisman paper is five percent more expensive again."
Besides these two spots, the rice shop was another mandatory stop. The price of Spirit Rice, the old Wanderer selling Healing Powder—every slight price fluctuation was a key for him to perceive changes in the outside world.
The first two months were so stable it was unsettling. The Marketplace remained bustling, with crowds like a flowing river, and the coarse laughter and curses of Demon Hunting Cultivators still carried far.
When making small talk, the Shopkeeper of the Nine Abyss Pavilion would only offer platitudes about smooth trade routes and abundant goods.
Lu Zhao silently purchased what he needed, sent his Puppet back to the valley, and with each confirmation that things were "as usual," the invisible string of tension in his heart silently tightened another notch.
In the third month, when Lu Zhao stepped into the Marketplace, that string was abruptly plucked.
The abnormality didn’t come from the bustling center, but from the rice shop in the corner. On the slate sign labeled "Lower Grade Spirit Rice," the newly carved number was a startling five percent higher!
A few familiar low-level Wanderers were gathered in a corner, their sighs spreading like damp moss. "The Spirit Rice price went up... If this keeps on, the Iron-Clawed Mountain Cat I hunt won’t even be enough for two full meals!"
Lu Zhao remained impassive. When he went to the Nine Abyss Pavilion to deliver his Puppets, the Shopkeeper’s gaze lingered for an extra moment on the Flowing Cloud Sparrow’s bone wings before he slowly said, "Mr. Lu, next month’s Wind Pattern Stone... I’m afraid it will be late. The merchant caravan from Celestial County has been delayed."
’Just as I thought.’ Lu Zhao understood. Sure enough, when he went to purchase Profound Iron and Ironwood, their prices were also up by five percent. He nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.
The mountain wind on his way back felt colder on his face than the mist of Cyan Rattan Stream. ’The news... it’s about to break.’ He stared at the motionless old vines on the steep cliffs on either side, his gaze as heavy as iron.
In the fourth month, when Lu Zhao returned to the Marketplace, a chill enveloped him. There were fewer people. The once shoulder-to-shoulder, boisterous scene was gone, replaced by a spaciousness that felt desolate.
Stepping into the Nine Abyss Pavilion, he found that even its deep, woody fragrance was tinged with a strange stagnation.
The Shopkeeper took the three Ice Mouse Puppets and one Flowing Cloud Sparrow that Lu Zhao handed him, his inspection absent-minded. His cloudy eyes kept glancing at the sparse figures outside the door.
Once the Spirit Stones were exchanged, he only said dryly, "Safe travels, Mr. Lu. I’m tied up with trivial matters today, so I won’t keep you."
Lu Zhao nodded silently and merged into the desolate streets. This time, he walked even more slowly, his gaze like a carving knife, deeply etching the numbers on every price tag into his mind.
At the Talisman stall, the price board for Protective Talismans had also been updated. The increase was shocking—fifty percent! Even the old Wanderer in the corner selling basic Healing Powder had raised his price by fifty percent.
The number of Zhou Family guards patrolling the Marketplace had tripled, and every one of them had a grim expression. Their gazes were as sharp as blades as they scanned the area, hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
The Cultivators hurried along, their voices hushed when they spoke to one another. Their eyes darted about warily, like birds startled by the mere sound of a bow. Worry was written on every passing face.
"Did you hear? The higher-ups in the Zhou Family issued an order. They’re taking inventory of the storehouses and requisitioning Spiritual Materials..."
"These prices... it’s pure extortion! At this rate, what’s the point of us poor bastards even trying to cultivate..."
"A war is coming. A war is definitely coming! Who the hell is willing to spend money now? Everyone’s hoarding Talismans, saving up Pills, and stockpiling life-saving items!"
"Sigh... when immortals fight, we’re just the small fry caught in the middle..."
Lu Zhao passed through the street in silence, returning to Cyan Rattan Stream faster than ever before. The wind howled past his ears. ’Three years? In the end, I won’t even be able to stay in Cyan Rattan Stream for three years!’
His fifth trip to the Marketplace began in a suffocating, dead silence that heralded a coming storm. The moment he set foot in the market streets, an almost stagnant chill assaulted him. Empty. As far as the eye could see, there was only an unnerving emptiness.
More than thirty percent of the stall spots were vacant. The owners of the remaining stalls were mostly wooden-faced, staring blankly at their goods or simply dozing off, lacking even the energy to hawk their wares to the sparse passersby.
The number of Cultivators had dropped to less than half of what it was when Lu Zhao first came to this Marketplace! Those who remained walked faster, their gazes meeting and then immediately breaking away. They would hastily buy what they needed and then hurry off with their heads down.
Stepping into the Nine Abyss Pavilion, he found the desolation here was even worse. In the entire, vast storefront, only a single attendant was busy.
The old Shopkeeper stood alone behind the counter, clutching an abacus, but his gaze was lost somewhere in the void.
"Mr. Lu, you’re here." His voice was dry and hoarse.
Lu Zhao once again took out three Ice Mouse Puppets and one Flowing Cloud Sparrow. The transaction was extremely quick, and words were sparse.
After the exchange was complete, Lu Zhao put away the Spirit Stones but didn’t hurry to leave. He spoke as if it were an afterthought, his voice low enough for only the two of them to hear, "Shopkeeper, the market is so bleak, yet the prices have become even more outrageous."
The Shopkeeper glanced at him and said in that same dry voice, "Three days ago, the Celestial Zhao Family sent an elite force to storm the heart of Changfeng County!"
"The smaller families affiliated with the Five Willows-Xue Family, the Jinshui-Sunx Family... those located not far from the North Slope of Celestial Cloud Mountain... were slaughtered on the spot. Their Spirit Stone and Pill Medicine Repositories were completely looted. I fear sixty to seventy percent of their family Cultivators were killed or injured!"
"Even the nearby Qingshi Small Marketplace, which catered specifically to them, was breached and plundered!"
"The family is furious. I heard a few of the Chief Steward Elders were so enraged their faces turned purple. They’ve already started sending people out to deliver urgent orders to the various affiliated families..."
"A summons for you Honored Guest Elders is coming too."
These words were like ice picks, chiseling into Lu Zhao’s heart. ’The Celestial Zhao Family has made its move. So direct, so vicious! And the Zhou Family’s counterattack is a sweeping conscription!’
’The peace of Cyan Rattan Stream, just as I predicted, is over.’ Lu Zhao’s expression showed no change. He only gave the slightest nod. "Thank you for the information, Shopkeeper."
He rushed back to Cyan Rattan Stream, the wind whipping his face the entire way. Returning to his familiar stone house, the Array silently activated. He didn’t immediately throw himself into cultivation or Puppet Making as he usually would. Instead, he stood motionless, his heavy gaze sweeping over the simple stone room that had been his home for two years.
’This temporary sanctuary is now just a phantom in the eye of the storm. I’m afraid I don’t have many days left here.’ After a moment, he sat down cross-legged. His Spiritual Power began to circulate slowly according to the Little Spirit Rain Technique, and Spiritual Qi was absorbed into his Dantian.
’Time is more precious than Spirit Stones right now. Even a single extra shred of power accumulated now could be the key to fighting for a sliver of Vitality in the coming storm!’
「Sure enough, not ten days later.」
On this day, the white mist at the bottom of the valley was still damp, cold, and viscous. It flowed slowly under the caress of the mountain wind, like a pale and silent living creature.
Lu Zhao, sitting cross-legged in his stone room, suddenly snapped his eyes open!
HUMMM! A Sound Transmission Talisman flew in!
A cold, emotionless, and immense voice exploded directly in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness: "Honored Guest Elder Lu Zhao, you are ordered to report immediately to the Zhou Family Guest Minister Pavilion for assignment! The limit is three days. Failure to arrive on time will be considered an act of treason!"