SHREEE—
The bone whistle's sound, inaudible to the average person, skimmed over the surface of the river, reaching the ears of the sparrow at the bow of the Ghost Market Treasure Ship.
Not knowing its whereabouts, it did not act rashly.
Having waited in the same spot for three days, Qi Xiu watched the Ghost Market Treasure Ship slowly come into view and, to his surprise, felt a sense of kinship.
Swearing at Peng Chong, who was already dead, Qi Xiu's face was a picture of helplessness. It's all your fault, you damned failure. I was nearly trapped to death in this wretched forest because of you!
In these three days, he finally understood what it meant to have money but nowhere to spend it. With over a thousand taels in silver notes, here in this desolate riverside forest, not a single coin could be spent. Had it not been for the small clump of apple trees that unexpectedly grew on the edge of the pine forest, he might not have starved to death, but he'd definitely have been at death's door.
Gazing at the approaching Ghost Market Treasure Ship, Qi Xiu leapt aboard the gunwale.
Finally, I can go home.
Familiar with the path, he walked along the gunwale corridor toward the stern. Once again, he pushed open the vermilion door inlaid with copper coins.
The bustling, bizarre, and cacophonous Ghost Market once again unfolded before Qi Xiu's eyes.
There's no time like the present, he mused. Maybe I'll pay the Joyhouse a visit today and critique those fallen girls?
Standing at one end of the Ghost Market's main street, Qi Xiu stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Alright then, I'm here now anyway. Looking around shouldn't be a problem, right?
With a smile playing on his lips, Qi Xiu immediately started walking briskly, following yesterday's route towards the Joyhouse.
"Secret manuals, secret manuals! Top-quality martial arts manuals available here, both internal and external arts, all in one bundle! Ten taels of silver for three, don't miss out as you pass by!"
Perking up his ears, Qi Xiu took three steps back and arrived at a stall where the hawker's shouts were ear-piercing.
"Are these manuals genuine?"
Spread out over a stall less than two square feet were seven or eight stacks of manuals. Their worn pages and oily stains were clear proof of having passed through many hands.
Qi Xiu casually picked one up and flipped through it. With his current level of calligraphy, he could easily determine the age of the books by their ink.
Good lord, each and every one of these is an antique older than fifty years.
"What are you saying?" the stall owner exclaimed. "If these weren't genuine, would I be selling them here? Ten taels of silver for three books. Once you leave this village, you won't find this shop again! You must know, these are all top-notch secret manuals! If you master any one of them, you'll be incredibly formidable!"
Sensing Qi Xiu's interest, the stall owner's words flowed like a torrent, painting his wares in such grandiose terms he practically claimed they could grant immortality.
"Stop, stop, stop," Qi Xiu interjected. "These aren't True Cultivation Powers, so enough with the hype."
"What do you mean by that?" The hawker chuckled without offense. "If I had a True Cultivation Power, would I still be setting up a stall here?" He said no more.
Picking through the stall's martial arts manuals with care, Qi Xiu examined each one rapidly. He wasn't looking at the content. Instead, he used the discernment of Second Realm calligraphy to verify the authenticity of the manuals. The Second Realm calligraphy didn't just provide him with the "martial" character; it also allowed him to sense the Essence, Qi, and Spirit left by the writers through their strokes. This method wasn't guaranteed to be 100% accurate, but it had a degree of precision.
Hmm? This will do.
Just as he opened a manual, Qi Xiu detected an unusual aura flowing between the lines. Turning it over, he looked at the cover: Air-Piercing Point Strike.
Perfect. With Black Sand Palm for close combat and Swallow Soar for agility, this Air-Piercing Point Strike can make up for my lack of mid to long-range techniques.
Quite satisfied with this martial art, Qi Xiu pulled out five taels of broken silver from his chest and handed it to the stall owner.
"Just one book?" the stall owner pressed. "These are all rare secret manuals rarely seen outside; many people are desperate to get their hands on them. Get another two. I'll charge you ten taels of silver for four books."
"No need." Qi Xiu waved his hand. "With martial arts, biting off more than you can chew hinders mastery." He got up and left.
In fact, had it been two months earlier, and had he seen all these martial arts manuals before him, he definitely would have spent the money to buy them all. But after two months of practicing martial arts, he had some realizations.
This world isn't a game. Martial arts manuals are not skill books. They can't be mastered just by slapping them against your forehead.
Even though he had proficiency, he still had to practice every move diligently. It just meant he had fewer detours to take compared to an ordinary person. Therefore, the allure of these martial arts manuals had greatly diminished in his eyes.
Unless it's a True Cultivation Power...
"Oh, by the way," Qi Xiu began, "pardon me for asking, but are there True Cultivation Power manuals for sale in the Ghost Market?" Having barely taken two steps, he turned back and crouched down to inquire from the stall owner.
"No!" Encountering such a cheapskate, the stall owner replied gruffly.
"Really?" Qi Xiu wasn't quite ready to give up.
"Even if there were, you couldn't afford it."
"So, there really are some!" Qi Xiu said with a confident smile. "How much? I do have some savings."
Rolling his eyes, the stall owner slowly held out five fingers.
"Five thousand taels? That's not too much." With ten thousand taels in his possession, Qi Xiu made this remark breezily.
"Pah! In your dreams! Fifty thousand! And what's more, they have a price but no market."
"Fifty thousand?" Despite being prepared, Qi Xiu was still shocked by the price.
Fifty thousand taels of silver... what does that even mean? It's almost the tax revenue of Baoho County for ten years, and that sum is just enough to buy a True Cultivation Power manual!
"True Cultivation Powers aren't something ordinary people can come into contact with," the stall owner said earnestly, steering the conversation back to his own manuals. "Even if they could, they might not have the means to train them. So, like I said, you should buy more of my manuals and practice hard. In time, you too can achieve great things."
However, Qi Xiu was no longer paying him any attention. Pondering quietly, he stood up.
Walking slowly forward, Qi Xiu's mind was overflowing with thoughts like a surging tide.
The value of a True Cultivation Power is far beyond what I imagined. No wonder Qian Yuchuan was so ecstatic when he found out that animal hide scroll was the Frigid Waterfall Genuine Skill. Fifty thousand taels of silver... Tsk, even if I wrote until my pen broke, I couldn't earn that much money. Given this, I need to pay more attention to the portion of the Frigid Waterfall Genuine Skill that Qian Yuchuan still has. But where that guy is right now... that's a real problem.
With thoughts swirling in his mind, Qi Xiu temporarily gave up his plan to go to the Joyhouse to critique the fallen girls.
After all, the Ghost Market Treasure Ship comes around every three days, so there will always be a chance.
Tucking the manual away, as soon as the Ghost Market Treasure Ship neared Baoho County, he hurriedly disembarked and returned home.
...
The pale moon hung high, and the sea of trees in the mountain forest swayed.
"HIYA!"
"HIYA!"
"HIYA!"
The shadows of the trees flickered. At the end of the official road through the forest, a dozen or so sturdy black horses, steam puffing from their nostrils, galloped wildly, kicking up clouds of dust as they sped from afar.
On their backs were a dozen tall and stern-looking men. Dressed in short martial outfits despite the biting winter cold, they had fierce eyes and exuded a strong sense of oppression.
"Fifth Brother, how much farther to Baoho County?"
At the front, a man with the most imposing and domineering presence, his hair in a queue and a short beard on his chin, waved for Qian Yuchuan to come over.
"Reporting to Eldest Senior Brother, less than fifty li. We'll arrive before dawn," Qian Yuchuan, usually arrogant and unruly, now said with a respectful demeanor.
"Good!" The man revered as Eldest Senior Brother nodded slightly and waved his large hand, and the group's speed increased further.
In the pitch-black forest, countless eerie insects and venomous snakes silently watched these burly men galloping on their horses.
And as if guided by their gaze, in Baoho County, within the Qian Residence, Daoist Wu, who was sitting on the roof absorbing the moon's essence, slowly opened his eyes. A ripple of icy murderous intent stirred within his vertical pupils.
"Taibao Sect! So, it really is you!"
GEH GEH GEH!
A sinister and eerie laugh emerged from the Daoist's mouth. He was unhurried and patient, like a venomous snake lying in wait, poised for its prey to walk into the trap.
In the unseen world, two forces converged in the small Baoho County. By a twist of fate, a life-and-death struggle was about to begin.
「Meanwhile.」
Qi Xiu, the very person who had unwittingly set this entire situation in motion, was humming a tune as he returned home. He was completely unaware of the bloody conflict about to erupt practically on his doorstep.
He lay down on his rocking chair, already mulling over his training plans for tomorrow.