The next morning, as the sun began to rise, the valley was still shrouded in a gray mist.
Figures of Cultivators already dotted the road. Most were gathering to head to the core area of the Market together, though some, confident in their own strength, chose to go alone.
The Spiritual Power in the core area of the Moyun Market was dense. These early risers hoped to freeload off some of it, cultivating for a couple of two-hour periods before starting work to speed up their Cultivation. This was something of an unspoken rule.
At this moment, Zhao Zuo had also squeezed out from his woodpile home. He was gathering the things he needed for the day, wrapping them in a piece of cloth, including the piece of Spirit Wood he used for practicing drawing Spirit Patterns.
Gazing at his completely empty rice jar, Zhao Zuo couldn't help but feel a surge of glee. This time, he hadn't left a single grain of Spirit Rice behind. 'That little thief is going home empty-handed for sure.'
Another quarter of an hour passed.
The sound of light footsteps came from outside, followed by Shen Yunjiao's voice.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, it's time to go."
"Alright, I'm coming."
Before heading out, Zhao Zuo checked the Talismans and Magical Artifacts tucked in his robes, then pushed the door open with both hands.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, I've recently acquired a few more Purifying Spirit Pills. I was wondering if you might need any?" Shen Yunjiao asked in a soft voice, subtly showing off her well-defined curves.
Zhao Zuo waved his hand in refusal without even looking. 'Trying to test me with just this?'
"Not at the moment."
"Oh. Let's go, then." Shen Yunjiao's smile vanished, and she turned and walked directly toward the Market.
Zhao Zuo was a bit dumbfounded. He hadn't expected her to be so pragmatic. He could only hurry to catch up.
Although those in the Qi Cultivation Stage had mastered Magic Skills and Magical Artifacts, giving them combat power far exceeding that of Mortals, they still couldn't perform Sword Flight. When it came to travel speed, there wasn't much difference between them and Mortals.
Shen Yunjiao remained silent on the way, and Zhao Zuo didn't try to force a conversation.
Although the two had done business a few times, they could hardly be called friends. But when it came to paying his rent for him, Zhao Zuo couldn't think of anyone else who could help.
'Is it possible Shen Yunjiao would just keep the four Spirit Stones for herself?'
Zhao Zuo didn't think so. 'It's more likely she'll just refuse to help.'
The stone pillars of the Moyun Market were now in sight. After a moment of thought, Zhao Zuo decided to stick to his plan and spoke up.
"Taoist Friend Shen, I'm planning to go into seclusion in the Market for a while. I was hoping I could trouble you to help pay my rent."
"I can, but if I go to the Yunlan Mountain Range in the future, you have to help pay my rent too."
The rent didn't just cover the house itself; it was the fee to use the Purification Array. Even if you weren't living in the house, were in seclusion elsewhere, or had gone deep into the Yunlan Mountain Range to hunt Demons, the rent still had to be paid. It represented the right to cultivate within the Purification Array's range.
In the Moyun Market, only one type of person didn't have to pay rent: Martial Artist Guards or Mortal servants bought by Cultivators. These two types of people couldn't absorb the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power, so they didn't need to pay.
"No problem. It's mutual assistance," Zhao Zuo said, taking the Spirit Stones from his robes and handing them to Shen Yunjiao.
The two parted ways in the stall area of the Moyun Market. Shen Yunjiao found a spot to set up her stall.
He hadn't been here for many days, but the Moyun Market was as bustling as ever, with the shouts of vendors filling the air.
Following his plan, Zhao Zuo first headed to the Market's commercial street, but he couldn't find any sign of Old Li. The Divination Fee he owed would have to wait. He paused for a moment at the entrance of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, thought about his plan, and finally stepped inside.
As soon as Zhao Zuo entered the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, Qing Ci approached him and gave a slight bow.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, what are you looking to buy this time?"
Qing Ci said with a smile, observing Zhao Zuo as she spoke. She noticed he seemed more composed, his smile more confident. She felt a flicker of surprise but concealed it perfectly. Controlling her expression and emotions was a required course for her.
She wasn't interested in why the man before her had become more confident and composed. Strange events, fortuitous encounters—she'd heard it all before and had long since grown numb to it.
All she knew now was that she was about to close another deal.
"This way, please."
Qing Ci led the way, her figure graceful. The two arrived at a counter on the west side and sat down.
"Taoist Friend Zhao, what are you looking to purchase this time?" Qing Ci smiled, revealing her lovely dimples.
"I'd like to sell a Magical Artifact," Zhao Zuo said, watching Qing Ci's expression as he took the once-upgraded Cloud Shuttle from a hidden clasp at his waist and placed it on the counter.
"I'll need to inspect it. Spirit Treasure Pavilion policy states that we don't accept Magical Artifacts that are less than eighty percent new."
The Spirit Treasure Pavilion naturally had a business of selling and buying back used Magical Artifacts. However, to protect its reputation, it had high standards and strict rules for buybacks, requiring them to be at least eighty percent new.
Qing Ci picked up the Cloud Shuttle and infused it with Mana. A dozen or so seconds later, the Cloud Shuttle began to dance, flying around her wrist like a swimming fish, its sharp edges revealing a hint of coldness.
"The Spirit Patterns are functioning perfectly, and there are no scratches on the surface."
"For a Standard Magical Artifact like the Cloud Shuttle, the Spirit Treasure Pavilion's selling price is twenty Spirit Stones. The buyback price is sixteen Spirit Stones. Is Taoist Friend Zhao willing to sell?" Qing Ci retracted her Mana after inspecting it for just a few seconds.
Half a minute later, Zhao Zuo walked out of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion with sixteen Spirit Stones in his possession.
He had originally planned to play it safe, but his Clear Heart Jade Pendant and Sky-Breaking Saber were both on the verge of advancing. Upgrading them would undoubtedly require a large sum of Spirit Stones, so he had to take a small risk.
Of course, Zhao Zuo was even more certain that a mere few dozen Spirit Stones wouldn't attract the attention of a behemoth like the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.
With sixteen Spirit Stones, he could buy two or three nearly broken Lower Grade Magical Artifacts. It would take about fifteen days to repair them, after which he could sell them for around thirty Spirit Stones, for a profit of fourteen.
Adding the income from forging Spirit Iron, he could pool his money to buy a Supporting Magical Artifact capable of concealing his presence.
In the Cultivation Realm, Supporting Magical Artifacts were a broad category. This included items that could increase one's Cultivation speed, Artifact Refining Furnaces and Alchemy Furnaces that increased the success rate of Artifact Refining and Alchemy, and items that could conceal one's aura, Cultivation, or appearance.
However, because most Supporting Magical Artifacts derived their special effects from rare materials or layered Spirit Patterns, they were generally several times more expensive than combat or Defensive Magical Artifacts of the same grade.
'Don't rush, don't rush,' Zhao Zuo chanted to himself in his mind.
For now, although his situation was a bit unusual, he was generally safe. If he could become an Artifact Refiner as soon as possible, this abnormality would become justifiable. The most important thing was still to practice drawing Spirit Patterns.
With his plan set, Zhao Zuo first went to the Market's stall area. After some careful searching, he spent his sixteen Spirit Stones on two nearly totaled Lower Grade Magical Artifacts. One of them was a big-ticket item called the Mountain-Breaking Awl.
As its name implied, the Mountain-Breaking Awl, at full power, possessed the might to destroy a mountain peak. Its drawback was its terrifying Mana consumption; a Middle Period Qi Cultivation Cultivator couldn't even use it in combat. In the hands of a Late Period Qi Cultivation Cultivator, it could unleash power slightly greater than a Middle Grade Magical Artifact, and it wasn't expensive.
Of course, this price comparison was based on the wealth of a Late Period Qi Cultivation Cultivator. At the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, a Mountain-Breaking Awl cost forty-nine Spirit Stones, and the buyback price was anywhere from forty-three to forty-five Spirit Stones.
Having bought the Magical Artifacts he needed, Zhao Zuo headed to the Earth Fire Forging Hall, satisfied.
Inside the Earth Fire Chamber, Zhao Zuo was bare-chested, his arms powerfully hammering the Refined Iron before him. Once the Spirit Powder had more or less fused with the Refined Iron, he would dip the iron into a bucket to coat it with more Spirit Powder and continue hammering, waiting for a streak of Golden Light to merge into his forehead.
Zhao Zuo felt his soul strengthen once again. He used tongs to hand the finished Spirit Iron through the window, received a new piece of Refined Iron, and continued forging... To save up enough Spirit Stones to buy a Supporting Magical Artifact, he decided to grind hard.
He would turn in eight pieces of Spirit Iron each day. After subtracting the cost of Spirit Rice, he was left with one and a half Spirit Stones.
...
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