Chapter 61: Caravan
Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Caravan
Seeing Lu Zhao merely chuckle and shake his head without agreeing, a flicker of understanding crossed Zhou Lin’s eyes. He smoothly changed the subject, "Guest Minister Lu, if you have some free time, you might as well familiarize yourself with the Artifact Refining Chamber’s layout."
With that, he led Lu Zhao to the chamber. Lu Zhao followed Zhou Lin through a long, quiet blue-stone corridor and pushed open a heavy stone door to enter an Artifact Refining Chamber.
"This is Room B-13," Zhou Lin explained.
Lu Zhao looked up and saw a deep, dimly lit room. A three-legged Bronze Furnace stood in the center. On a stone table beside it, dozens of Profound Iron Hammers of all sizes were laid out.
Lu Zhao slowly surveyed the stone chamber. His eyes fell upon the blue-stone floor, where he could faintly make out interwoven Array Patterns.
Seeing this, Zhou Lin stepped forward again. A faint light gathered at his fingertip as he gently tapped the floor. He explained to Lu Zhao, "This Array is called the Hidden Barrier Protection Array. It’s a Tier One Lower Grade Array. It not only prevents outside snooping but also provides decent Defense, making it very useful for a Cultivator of the Hundred Arts."
Lu Zhao nodded slightly. "This place is very much to my liking. I am satisfied."
"I’m glad you’re satisfied, Guest Minister Lu." The smile on Zhou Lin’s face widened. "In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer. If the Hundred Arts Pavilion has a summons, I will inform you at once."
Lu Zhao, however, turned to face Zhou Lin. "Steward Zhou, since I receive a Salary from the Zhou Family and enjoy this Spirit Vein Blessed Land, it wouldn’t be right to simply reap the benefits without contributing. Does the Hundred Arts Pavilion have any tasks that might require a Puppet Master’s assistance?"
Lu Zhao was trying to probe what the Hundred Arts Pavilion was really up to, but Zhou Lin’s next words left him disappointed.
His smile remained unchanged, his tone gentle. "There’s no need to be hasty, Guest Minister Lu. The Hundred Arts Pavilion is newly established. Other than mentoring apprentices, we have no specific tasks for our Honored Guest Elders at the moment. You should return to the Cold Bamboo Garden to rest and simply wait for news."
After returning to the Cold Bamboo Garden, Lu Zhao wondered to himself, ’What is the Zhou Family up to? In the past, tasks would be piled high on my desk the moment my rest period was over. Even if there are no assignments for refining Puppets right now, there should still be a constant stream of other miscellaneous duties...’
He had a nagging feeling that something was off. This anomaly meant one of two things: either the Zhou Family was secretly planning a major move, or an internal power struggle had yet to settle, leaving them no time to deal with such trivialities.
Sure enough, a few days later, Lu Zhao’s suspicions were confirmed. The Zhou Family announced they would consolidate the numerous small trading teams in Changfeng County to form the "Changfeng United Trading Team." Their goal was to travel to the northern counties of Chen Country for trade, and the expedition would allegedly be led by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The news sent Changfeng County into an uproar. The Cultivation Realm was unlike the mortal world; journeys were fraught with unpredictable dangers. Never mind Tribulation Cultivators and Demon Beasts—the Poisonous Miasma and swarms of Insects alone were enough to overwhelm an ordinary Cultivator, not to mention countless other unknown risks.
Ordinary Qi Cultivation Early and Middle Stage Cultivators already faced immense risk just by leaving their home county. Furthermore, if a group of Late-stage Qi Cultivators were to flood the Marketplace of another county, they would often be viewed as a potential threat.
As a result, the small and medium-sized Marketplaces of the Cultivation Realm strictly regulated the Cultivation levels and numbers of visiting Cultivators. A lone individual might be acceptable, but for an entire trading team to enter, there had to be a deep foundation of trust between both parties. Otherwise, gaining entry would be next to impossible.
As Lu Zhao walked along the bustling streets of the Zhou Family Marketplace, his ears filled with chatter about the expedition, but his mind was elsewhere. ’I wonder what promises the Zhou Family made, and what price they paid, to convince so many Foundation Establishment Clans in the northern counties to agree?’
He could feel a manic energy in the air. All around him, people were discussing how to buy low and sell high, how to earn massive amounts of Spirit Stones, and which goods would be most profitable in other counties. Everyone was talking about how to seize this opportunity to make their fortune.
The average Cultivator hadn’t been so frenzied at first, not until the Zhou Family posted an announcement. It declared that not only could small trading teams join the expedition, but even individual merchants could find shelter under the powerful united team and travel with them, provided they paid a certain amount of Spirit Stones for a "Road Guide" and a "Protection Fee."
As Lu Zhao continued his walk, he overheard countless bold declarations like "I’m risking it all to turn my life around!" and "Fortune favors the bold!"
He felt a sense of resignation. He himself had no intention of taking such a risk. Instead, his focus shifted to the merchants preparing to travel. ’Puppets don’t sell well in Changfeng County,’ he thought, ’so why not use these people to sell them in other counties?’
He wasn’t familiar with the other northern counties, but he had never heard of any Grade Puppet Masters in the neighboring Northern Plains County or Celestial County. Even if the market was small, he was confident he could sell a decent number of his creations there.
His mind made up, Lu Zhao expertly navigated the path to the Black Market and pushed open the narrow door to Zhao the Lame’s shop. He found the owner with his head down, busy packing his belongings, clearly preparing for a long journey.
"Zhao the Lame, you’re going to join in on the excitement, too? Not planning to man your stall anymore?" Lu Zhao asked.
"Well now! Mr. Lu, what brings you here?" Zhao the Lame looked up, cracking a wide grin. "Brought more good stuff for this old cripple to peddle? Or are you looking to pick up some fine wares? I’ve got plenty of those, too."
Lu Zhao looked him up and down, noting his hurried packing, and smiled knowingly. "Looks like you’re about to depart. What are your plans for the stall?"
"Plans? What plans? I’m just abandoning it!" Zhao the Lame forcefully slapped his thigh. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! If I don’t risk it all now, I’ll really just wither away and die in this spot. Don’t let this lame leg and old face fool you, Mr. Lu. I’ve still got a good few years before my Qi and Blood start to decay at sixty. I can still take one more shot!"
A blazing fire burned in his eyes. "In this vast Cultivation Realm, there have to be miraculous Spirit Pills and Treasures of Heaven and Earth that can achieve Limb Regeneration, right? This old cripple is just hoping that one day, I can heal this leg, save up enough resources for my Cultivation, and take a real shot at Foundation Establishment!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao carefully re-examined Zhao the Lame from head to toe. "It seems I have been blind. I never realized your Dao Heart was so firm. It is truly admirable."
"You flatter me, Mr. Lu!" Zhao the Lame waved his hand dismissively. "I’m just a lonely old bachelor with no attachments. That’s the only reason I dare to put my life on the line. If I had a wife and kids holding me back, I would have given up on this pipe dream long ago..."
Even after hearing him say that, any trace of condescension Lu Zhao had felt toward the man completely vanished.
For a newcomer just setting out on the Immortal Path, the term "Foundation Establishment" might be nothing more than a passionate dream, something to make bold declarations about.
But for an old Wanderer who had struggled for years just to survive at the bottom, to state such an ambition without reservation—to truly see it as a goal worth fighting for—demonstrated a tenacity far beyond that of an ordinary person. Regardless of his aptitude, that strength of will and character alone commanded respect.