Tian Ji's blessed land consisted of a White Heaven, and below that, a large continent. Since he was a Refinement Path Gu Immortal, most of the living creatures there were hairy men. However, there were also cities and certain settlements with humans there.
The largest human settlement was a city of about 80,000 people named after him and called Tian Ji City. There was also a small portion of hairy men within it because the hairy men, as well as the humans, had emerged together in his aperture and could coexist in peace. They did not carry the ill will towards each other that might have existed outside; there was no war between the two factions. To allow something like that to occur, Tian Ji would have intervened in order to keep life smooth and happy within his aperture.
In the city, a total of 24 new guests appeared - humans who were not there before, but who would easily blend into the large crowd there.
Two of them included a man with long black hair and dark eyes, and a woman with silvery hair and a jade-like complexion.
These were none other than Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing.
"So, Fang Yuan, any ideas for this round of the tournament?" Bai Ning Bing asked, tapping her foot. She felt that this was one of the more difficult parts of the tournament, or at least an area where neither of them had any specific advantage.
The goal of this section of the tournament was simple: each of the teams was dumped into Tian Ji City and asked to make as many primeval stones as possible. This was a test of their mercantile expertise, and they were given three months total in order to do so. All of their gu worms were restricted, and they could take nothing out of their apertures. This was a test entirely of how they could make money within the city, and they were essentially handed nothing other than the clothes on their backs.
Bai Ning Bing's gu worms were all restricted, and while Fang Yuan could technically use his Immortal Gu, trying to do so would without a doubt get him disqualified and kicked out by the land spirit. And so, the two of them were here - two people without any gu worms, primeval stones, or immortal essence, and in Bai Ning Bing's case, really no skills to make money.
There were restrictions placed upon them as well: they could only attack in self-defense, and there were certain professions they couldn't enter into in order to get money, such as stealing or kidnapping. Other than that, everything else was fair game.
"How are we going to survive for thirty days like this?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Frankly, Bai Ning Bing, you think too much," Fang Yuan said. "The reason for that is because you're a new poor person. I, on the other hand, am what is called "old poor" - quite experienced in having no money."
Bai Ning Bing frowned. Ever since she had been nurtured by her clan, she had always been showered with resources. Was Fang Yuan calling her a spoiled brat?
"First of all, we need to make a small seed investment in order to ensure we can start making money," Fang Yuan said.
"A seed investment?" Bai Ning Bing asked, her eyebrows slightly raised. "Fang Yuan, what are we going to possibly invest in? Wouldn't it be better just to take up some kind of job?" Both of them could read and write, as well as had healthy bodies. Even if all they could do was find a job as laborers, they could at least pay for their own food and shelter for the time being.
"Just watch me," Fang Yuan said.
The two of them left the city. The city of Tian Ji was built, surprisingly, without even a perimeter wall around its edges. The city limits suddenly just ended at one point. That was because conflict was so alien to these people that the idea of placing walls was simply restrictive and a waste.
As the two of them moved out further, Fang Yuan happened upon a massive patch of long, thick grass. They were a good distance away from anyone else, meaning that no one owned these.
"All right, then we can start here," Fang Yuan said, tearing the grass and stacking them in the cradle of his arm.
"What are you doing?" Bai Ning Bing asked, slightly curious.
"Weaving baskets," Fang Yuan said.
The ways of making money were very restricted; they could not sell things like gu recipes or their own gu worms either. They were supposed to live off of the land, which was exactly what Fang Yuan was doing.
He had woven grass baskets like this during his previous life, back when all of his gu worms had died out and he had no means to support himself, essentially becoming nothing more than an ordinary mortal.
He had quite an extensive experience when it came to bargaining and dealing with trade - more so than many Immortals would have by this point. In a way, this current task was quite suitable for him, as he had been in this situation before.
"I'm the only one who knows how to weave these baskets," Fang Yuan explained. "However, there's a way that you can also be useful. There are some herbs over there; if you take them and crush them into a thin paste, we can concoct medicine out of it."
This was a relatively recent skill that he had learned after getting quasi-Master attainment in the Pill Path, as well as spending quite some time within that dream realm where he was training as an apothecary.
Although plants could definitely be used for Pill Path gu, they could also be used for ordinary medication recipes. He recognized what this plant was: it could be used to treat fever if treated in the correct way and mixed with water, as well as the tree bark of a different plant which he was sure he would find somewhere around here.
"All right then, let's start working," Fang Yuan said, weaving the grass baskets together while Bai Ning Bing went to find more of the plant in question.
When she had found enough, she began crushing them with her bare hands, not even having a mortar and pestle. Given the fact that they had not gotten anything else done yet they couldn't afford those kinds of tools. Fang Yuan, however, had managed to weave two small baskets already.
"I'm sure that these can sell for a fair price. If I make about eight more by sunset, I think that we can definitely have at least one-fourth a primeval stone from selling these," Fang Yuan said. "Of course, this depends upon the going rate for primeval stones in the area, but I think a half primeval stone is more than enough to pay for our living expenses for at least one week. And during that time, we can go ahead and try to see what other business opportunities there are."
Fang Yuan had a very good eye for money, but naturally could do nothing without getting further clues regarding this place's economy. "How's the medicine going?"
"Well enough," Bai Ning Bing said.
The two of them worked there under the shade of a tree. Eventually, two people ended up passing by them. They were a hairy man couple, both of them in their late seventies.
The wife glanced over towards the husband and said, "Oh, dear, we seem to be lost again."
"I don't think we're lost," the husband said, shaking his head.
"Oh, you go ahead with your words saying we're not lost," the wife said, shaking her head. "Don't you know I already know you well enough to know that we are almost certainly lost at this point?"
"Well then, what do you want me to do?" The husband asked, annoyed, "You woman constantly like to nag but never have any solution to any problem, do you?"
"Why don't we go ahead and ask those innocent-looking people over there for directions?" she suggested.
The "innocent-looking" people she was referring to were Bai Ning Bing and Fang Yuan, both of whom were still working under the shade.