Chapter 80: Preparation, Purchase
Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Preparation, Purchase
But that was a matter for seven years from now. For the moment, he didn’t need to worry about it.
Right now, Lu Zhao’s most urgent task was to sell off the large amount of resources he had, make a hefty sum of Spirit Stones, and accumulate enough capital to break through to Late-stage Qi Cultivation and eventually Foundation Establishment.
Unfurling paper and a brush, Lu Zhao listed out the things he needed to do next:
The first priority was to get a clear grasp of the market prices. If necessary, he could bring along the young boy from earlier today.
’The boy’s introduction to the Marketplace and the final rental price they agreed on had both been satisfactory. Sure, the kid definitely profited from the deal, but what does it matter who gets a little extra?’ Besides, the rent was truly to his liking—fifteen Spirit Stones a month for a Tier One Middle-Grade Spiritual Vein. That would be reasonable even in the Zhou Family Marketplace, and this was Bixia Marketplace, the heart of Chen Country.
Once he had a firm understanding of the prices, he could weigh his options on where to sell his resources. He wasn’t looking for a quick sale, only to get the most Spirit Stones in his bag.
With a turn of his brush, Lu Zhao wrote down the second task: search for materials for Puppet Making. According to Hu Ming, wolf corpses shouldn’t be hard to find in Bixia Marketplace. He planned to check out Black Stone Lane tomorrow. He had glimpsed many vendors when passing by today but had been too focused on getting the lay of the land to take a closer look. Tomorrow would be the perfect time for a detailed inspection.
As for turtle corpses, Hu Ming had already said he would hunt for some. Plus, Lu Zhao’s own Puppetry Technique was still unrefined, so the need wasn’t urgent.
His thoughts on puppets led him to recall the four broken vines in his Storage Bag. ’It’s a shame the Vine Snake Puppet is so difficult to refine; it’s one of the hardest among Tier One Middle-Grade Puppets. If I could actually succeed, it would be nearly as strong as a Tier One High-Grade one.’ For now, he had to stay grounded and focus on mastering the refinement of the Ice Wind Wolf Puppet.
After he finished thinking about puppets, Lu Zhao stood up and stretched his limbs. The last thought lingering in his mind settled on Tier One High-Grade Pills. He had asked Zhao Xiaoshu about this earlier today, but the boy was short on funds and rarely bought Pills himself. All he knew were common rumors—which shops had a wide selection, which ones were the most crowded, and so on. While not entirely useless, this information fell far short of Lu Zhao’s specific needs.
However, he had confirmed at least one thing: in Bixia Marketplace, although Tier One High-Grade Pills were precious, they could still be bought with Spirit Stones. It wasn’t like the Zhou Family Marketplace, where you sometimes couldn’t find a seller even if you had the Spirit Stones ready.
One by one, Lu Zhao slowly sorted out his plans. The exhaustion from months of travel seemed to be swept away by this process, replaced by a clear sense of urgency. The resources were within his grasp; he had to race against time to raise his Cultivation and improve his Puppetry Technique.
The next day, just after 5:00 AM, Lu Zhao left Guiyun Residence early and headed west to Black Stone Lane. The name "Black Stone" was no exaggeration. The flagstone path underfoot was paved with a type of deep black Lingyan, which had been polished to a greasy shine by the footsteps of countless Cultivators. By this time, the lane was already bustling with people, and the street was lined with Cultivators setting up their stalls.
The lane was narrow and winding, packed on both sides with all sorts of Cultivators hawking their wares from beast hides or straw mats laid casually on the ground. It was already swarming with people, and the air was filled with an endless cacophony of shouts, haggling, and the clinking of Spirit Stones.
"Horns from a Tier One Middle Stage Black Iron Bull! Sturdy and sharp, a great base for refining a Magical Artifact! Only fifteen Spirit Stones!" a short, stout Cultivator with a booming voice shouted with great effort, sending spittle flying.
"Clear Spirit Grass, fifty Spiritual Sand a pound!"
"Cold Rain Flower, one Spirit Stone a stalk! Don’t miss out, folks!"
The shouts rose and fell one after another. In the faint morning light, the Spiritual Objects on the stalls gave off either a weak glimmer or a subtle fluctuation of Spiritual Qi.
For a moment, Lu Zhao felt a sense of déjù vu, as if he had returned to the familiar streets of the Zhou Family Marketplace. This scene wasn’t much different from a Mortal Marketplace. ’Setting aside their extraordinary powers, Qi Cultivators are indeed quite similar to mortals in other respects.’
Lu Zhao slowed his pace, walking leisurely down the lane, which was made even narrower by the stalls on either side. His steps were steady on the smooth black flagstones.
He would occasionally stop at a stall, either to scan the goods with a focused gaze, pick up an item to carefully examine its texture and weigh it in his hand, or quietly ask the owner a question or two. His focused expression and composed bearing made some of the shrewder stall owners sit up and take notice, ready to make a sale.
After making a full circuit, he had a general understanding of the prices here. Overall, they were a touch higher than in the Zhou Family Marketplace, but still within an acceptable range. The distribution of Spiritual Object tiers was also similar to Zhou’s, consisting mainly of Tier One Lower-Grade and Middle-Grade items, with Tier One High-Grade ones being rare.
But this was enough to fill Lu Zhao with delight. ’This is just an insignificant back alley, Black Stone Lane, one of the least important areas in Bixia Marketplace.’ He couldn’t help but wonder what the other market districts were like. Would there be more Tier One High-Grade Spiritual Objects? Perhaps even Tier Two Spiritual Objects?
As he meandered through the stalls, Lu Zhao’s gaze was caught by an item on an old man’s stall. The old man’s Cultivation was only at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer, and his stall was simple, with only a few scattered ores and Spirit Grasses. Lu Zhao’s eyes, however, landed directly on a bone that glowed with a soft, warm green light. Seeing the change in Lu Zhao’s expression, the old man understood instantly—a customer had arrived.
"Sir, take a look at this bone! It’s the skull of a Tier One Middle-Grade Green-Horned Wolf!" The old man’s face was all smiles as he began his sales pitch. "Did you know, sir, that the Green-Horned Wolf has an extraordinary lineage? They are born with a Tier One bloodline and reach the Middle Stage upon adulthood. With a bit of luck and opportunity, they can even reach the Late-stage Realm..."
The old man rambled on, his only goal to emphasize how rare and precious the bone was.
Lu Zhao stood by the stall, listening quietly, his face an unreadable mask. The old man spoke nonstop for what felt like an eternity, but seeing that Lu Zhao showed neither eagerness nor any sign of being moved, he began to feel uncertain. His speech slowed, and he asked tentatively, "Sir, what do you think? Five Spirit Stones?"
Only then did Lu Zhao look up, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "From what you’ve said, friend, this bone certainly has an impressive history. It’s just... this bone looks like it’s been around for quite a few years, hasn’t it?"
The old man’s face flushed with slight embarrassment. He knew he was dealing with an expert. His tone immediately softened. "Well then, friend, why don’t you make an offer? This is definitely a Green-Horned Wolf skull, I wouldn’t dare lie to you!" After speaking, he even put on a self-righteous air, as if it were Lu Zhao’s fault for not asking earlier.
Lu Zhao chuckled softly. "Alright, alright, my mistake for not asking. But friend, to be honest, I’m not that interested in this wolf bone." The old man’s expression was now one of ’Are you messing with me?’, but before he could voice his displeasure, Lu Zhao continued, "What I’m actually looking for is a complete wolf corpse! I wonder, would you happen to have any leads on that?"
The old man was about to speak, but Lu Zhao cut him off again. "Price is negotiable." He said this with the air of a man with deep pockets. As Lu Zhao finished speaking, the smile on his lips took on a deeper meaning.