Shi Jiu had already changed into a black robe on his way to the market, covering himself from head to toe, even his face, tightly.
After all, Shi Jiu had always adhered to the philosophy of cultivating in a low-key manner, avoiding trouble, and if trouble arose, resolving it thoroughly.
Although he seemed to be dressed very exaggeratedly, there were many people along the way who were dressed similarly or even more exaggeratedly.
Shi Jiu even saw a Cultivator, whose gender was indistinguishable, who seemed to be enveloped in mist, perhaps using a Magical Artifact or some other means, so that no one could see his appearance, which made him quite eye-catching.
After all, most Cultivators do not want their identities to be easily recognized by others, thus revealing what items they are trading, because many items might be blood-stained or illicit.
If others found out, it could bring unnecessary trouble.
Shi Jiu followed the crowd and queued at the entrance to enter the Market. There were two Qi Refinement Stage Disciples at the Market entrance collecting tolls.
According to the Helian Family's regulations, every Cultivator entering the Market must pay one Spirit Stone, while Disciples of the Helian Family can be exempted from this one Spirit Stone toll by presenting their identity waist token.
However, Shi Jiu had deliberately hidden his identity and did not want to expose his affiliation with the Helian Family, so he could only grit his teeth and, with a pained heart, pull out a small Low-Grade Spirit Stone from his sleeve and hand it to the Disciple at the entrance.
After collecting the Spirit Stone, the Disciple did not even look at Shi Jiu and let him in expressionlessly.
Upon entering the Market, Shi Jiu was quite shocked. This was not just a trading market; it was practically a large city.
There were all kinds of taverns, inns, tea houses, and shops, and many places clearly belonged to people of prominent status. The streets were bustling with various vendors.
There were even many vendors selling candied haw and hot braised snacks, popular snacks in Mortal cities. It truly lived up to the Helian Family's reputation; their business was undeniably impressive. Not to mention, they managed to turn a market into a large city.
Anyone who came here would feel a strong sense of vitality upon entering, which would at least make their desire to trade more active.
Just as Shi Jiu was still reeling from the shock at the entrance, a young man in a short jacket, with a shrewd expression, approached Shi Jiu with a fawning look:
"This humble one, Ma Er, greets this Immortal Master. May I ask if this Immortal Master is visiting our Helian Market for the first time?"
Shi Jiu did not speak after hearing this. He could tell that this person was a Mortal with no cultivation. Without knowing the person's purpose, he merely squinted at the man named Ma Er and did not respond.
Seeing Shi Jiu's noncommittal attitude, Ma Er showed no sign of displeasure and continued:
"This humble one is a Mortal who has long resided in Helian Market. I usually make a living by guiding guests to shops. I may not have other skills, but I am exceptionally familiar with all the shops, large and small, and various delicious and fun places in the city.
So, if Immortal Master wishes to find some places but has no clue, this humble one can guide you. It only costs one tael of silver per day."
"Oh, so there are brokers like you here too."
To be honest, Shi Jiu currently quite needed a local guide like Ma Er to help him.
After all, he was completely unfamiliar with this place, and the city was so large that he might not find a place even if he wandered around all day.
And as someone who had embarked on the path of Cultivation, gold, silver, and other valuables were already useless to him. He had conveniently brought a few pieces of broken silver in his pocket this time, and it seemed they would indeed come in handy.
When Ma Er saw Shi Jiu respond to him and seemingly realize for the first time that there were people of his profession in Helian Market, he understood that this deal was likely to be made.
So Ma Er's smile widened, and he quickly nodded in affirmation. Just as Ma Er was rubbing his hands, about to confirm with Shi Jiu whether he wanted to hire him, a piece of broken silver flew towards him.
Dexterously catching the silver still in mid-air, Ma Er happily tucked it into his bosom, then bowed and asked Shi Jiu where he wanted to go.
Shi Jiu pondered for a moment, then asked Ma Er where it would be more suitable if he wanted to sell some Spirit Medicine and other Materials.
Ma Er thought for a moment and told Shi Jiu that the Market actually provided two options for Immortal Masters: they could set up their own stalls or sell directly to shops. Almost all Spirit Medicine shops would acquire various Spirit Medicine.
If one went to a shop, the price might be somewhat suppressed, but shops generally had strong financial resources and could handle any amount of Spirit Medicine.
If one wanted to set up a stall, there was an area in the west of the city specifically reserved by the Market for Immortal Masters who did not wish to sell items in shops. One only needed to pay one Low-Grade Spirit Stone to set up a stall there for a day.
Although one might find treasures when buying and selling there, one might also be deceived or swindled, so extra caution was needed.
After hearing this, Shi Jiu rubbed his chin and asked Ma Er to first take him to a reputable shop, as he wanted to sell some Spirit Medicine first.
Upon hearing this, Ma Er immediately led the way, introducing various taverns, tea houses, and their famous dishes along the way, as well as interesting stories that had occurred in various shops.
Shi Jiu listened with great interest, feeling that this guide was truly worth the money.
After passing several large intersections, Ma Er led Shi Jiu to a shop called "Xin Shan Workshop." Shi Jiu looked at the shop with its magnificent facade and couldn't help but feel a little lost in thought.
According to Ma Er, this shop called Xin Shan Workshop could be considered one of the top-ranked shops in the entire Helian Family Market.
Moreover, this shop not only bought and sold Spirit Medicine but also offered Alchemy services. In terms of reputation, it was quite good, at least there were no rumors of forced buying or selling.
Shi Jiu subtly glanced at Ma Er, unsure whether this fellow was telling the truth or if he had brought him here because he received a commission for introducing customers.
However, the Rank did not matter. As long as this Xin Shan Workshop could give him a satisfactory price, he had no particular strict requirements on where to sell his Spirit Medicine.
So, he asked Ma Er to wait outside, and Shi Jiu stepped into the shop.
Upon entering the shop, Shi Jiu immediately felt a mixed scent of medicinal herbs and Medicinal Pills waft into his nostrils, which instantly invigorated him.
This scent could not be faked; it must have accumulated over many years to permeate the air. It seemed that the shop Ma Er brought him to had quite some heritage.
At this moment, a young shop assistant came up to Shi Jiu and politely asked if Shi Jiu wanted to buy Medicinal Pills or conduct other business.
Shi Jiu sensed briefly and found that this young assistant was also a Cultivator, though his cultivation was not high, probably around Qi Refining 1st or 2nd layer.
This made Shi Jiu slightly stunned. He thought that this young assistant's Spiritual Root Aptitude was similar to his own, both belonging to the lowest Rank, which was why he was involved in this kind of mundane business, earning a daily living.
If he didn't Cultivate diligently and didn't have the mysterious Vortex, he would probably be like them, staying in the Helian Family for a few years, finding no future, and then either taking a job within the Family.
Or coming to the Market to do various businesses. Life might be comfortable and worry-free, but ultimately, there would be no hope for the Grand Dao, and the path to longevity would be cut off.