Du Youqian wanted to bestow a great fortune, and naturally, he didn't care whether the recipient wanted it or not.
This was a classic case of a forced transaction.
After paying his respects at the Fang Family's ancestral graves, he emotionlessly glanced at the cenotaph belonging to "Fang Zhongying," offered a stick of incense to this body's parents, and then took his leave.
Of course, before he left, he still kept his word and went to bestow a great fortune upon Fang Yuantang.
A few "Immortal Pills" that even imperial relatives and nobles could only dream of—in reality, they were just Tier One Upper Grade Elixirs that could perform Purification of Essence and Marrow, ward off all illnesses, and grant a long life.
A few Elixirs to aid with Cultivation in the Qi Cultivation Early Stage.
A Cultivation Technique he had previously redeemed from the Chongzhen Sect to use as a reference: the Three Transition Celestial Dance Scripture.
Judging by the name, it was no common technique, and indeed, it wasn't.
It was said to be the Sect's Foundation Technique from a now-vanished Sect. Unfortunately, it could only be cultivated to the Foundation Establishment realm, was riddled with flaws, and was far from complete, making it unsuitable as a primary Cultivation Technique.
However, its core concept was quite brilliant, and it had a certain archaic charm, far surpassing Du Youqian's current primary technique, the Five Elements Spirit Absorption Technique. It was perfect to use as a reference, a stone from another mountain.
Passing it to Fang Yuantang wasn't a malicious act; Du Youqian simply didn't know many Cultivation Techniques. He couldn't just pass on an internal technique from the Chongzhen Sect, could he? If anyone found out, it would lead to a major disaster.
Finally, he also left Fang Yuantang some silver coins.
As for the main branch of the Fang Family, he had no desire to see them.
Some details he had observed along the way had already left him thoroughly disappointed with the family.
After some thought, with no regrets left, Du Youqian strode south, singing a song.
He was preparing to return to the Wu Kingdom.
Elder Tao had spent his entire life within the borders of the Wu Kingdom, so he was only familiar with the locations of its Marketplaces, Blessed Lands, and gathering spots for Loose Cultivators.
Du Youqian, for his part, planned to find some people to exchange pointers with, and then visit a Marketplace and a Blessed Land to broaden his horizons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This Defensive Spiritual Artifact, what's its price?" Du Youqian asked, his eyes fixed on a wearable, Upper Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact.
The spiritual artifact was shaped like a cloak. It could passively defend the wearer's back and could also be actively used to neutralize some attacks.
"Venerable... Fellow Daoist, this Magical Artifact is 1,800 Spirit Stones. You must be planning to buy it for a junior disciple, aren't you? A Defensive Spiritual Artifact is the most suitable choice. Young people are prone to brawling and fighting. If they have an Attack Spiritual Artifact, they're liable to develop a murderous streak and stir up trouble. A Defensive Spiritual Artifact is great, and more importantly, it can save a life at a critical moment. Nothing is more important than that. Once you're dead, you have nothing, wouldn't you agree?"
The one giving Du Youqian this effusive sales pitch was a young and beautiful Kun Cultivator.
Her beauty was only average.
The key was her fair, delicate skin and her transcendent aura. In the Mortal World, she would undoubtedly be a femme fatale on the level of the "Ten Great Beauties of the Martial World."
But in this Marketplace, Du Youqian had already seen several Kun Cultivators more beautiful than her.
Beauty, in the Cultivation Realm, was truly not a scarce resource.
Her Cultivation was only at the Qi Cultivation Early Stage, estimated to be around the Second or Third Layer.
She was a "salesclerk" hired by the shop, not the owner.
Du Youqian smiled and replied, "A Defensive Spiritual Artifact is nice, but it's too expensive. My entire net worth can't afford it, so I can only regretfully pass. Do you have any suitable Upper Grade Attack Spiritual Artifacts to recommend?"
It wasn't that Du Youqian was determined to buy something; rather, he was using the inquiries to evaluate his own assets.
He had, after all, inherited quite a few good things from Elder Tao.
He planned to find a place to bury some of them, to be used when he started from scratch in his next life.
As for the things he had no use for, he could dispose of them first to trade for resources he did need.
The Kun Cultivator's smile was still as radiant as a blooming flower. "Fellow Daoist, please follow me. I'll show you the Attack Spiritual Artifacts."
The prices for Upper Grade Attack Spiritual Artifacts were mostly between 1,200 and 1,600 Spirit Stones.
Much cheaper than Defensive Spiritual Artifacts.
The exception was Flying Swords.
There was no arguing about Flying Swords; regardless of their quality, they at least possessed the attribute of being "expensive."
It seemed that if they were sold cheaply, it would fail to reflect the noble pedigree of a Flying Sword.
Look at them, each Flying Sword with its unique design, elegant form, and an aura that screamed "expensive."
If you bought one for cheap, would you even have the nerve?
After a round of inquiries, Du Youqian always managed to find some reason not to buy. In the end, he went back and bought a Middle Grade Defensive Magical Artifact.
The salesgirl was probably worn down by his haggling and sold him a rather fine Middle Grade Defensive Magical Artifact for the cabbage price of 480 Spirit Stones.
'What a steal.'
This shop was a general store; it sold everything.
After browsing for a while and looking at materials, Elixirs, Magical Artifacts, Spirit Pets, Array Plates, fabrics, and plant seeds, Du Youqian had a basic understanding of the market prices.
Only then did he ask, "Do you have any Cultivation Techniques or Secret Techniques for sale?"
The salesgirl stared at Du Youqian for a moment, and Du Youqian calmly met her gaze.
Confirming that Du Youqian was a serious buyer and not just toying with her, she finally nodded with a smile. "We do. Please follow me, customer."
Du Youqian followed her to the second floor and was immediately captivated by the dazzling array of goods.
An urban legend: they always say the good stuff is upstairs.
'The forum bros really weren't lying!'
"I say, Fellow Daoist, why didn't you bring me up here to look earlier?"
The salesgirl's smile didn't falter, but her eyes betrayed a hint of disdain. "You may not be aware, Fellow Daoist, but we only sell treasures on the second floor. They are at least at the Top Grade Magical Artifact Level. Nothing here is under 2,000 Spirit Stones."
After a moment of silence, Du Youqian asked, "So, for Cultivation Techniques and Secret Techniques, the cheapest one is also 2,000 Spirit Stones?"
"The cheapest is this one, for 2,200 Spirit Stones," the salesgirl said, pointing to a Jade Token.
There was a simple description on the Jade Token: "Blood Burning Art. Burn Essence Blood to temporarily boost one's strength. Afterward, the user will be weakened for a period and suffer a shortened lifespan."
Du Youqian was a bit puzzled. "Just this? The Blood Burning Art sounds like a very basic Secret Technique with a Demon Dao flair. Why is it so expensive?"
"That's right," the salesgirl said. "This is a basic Secret Technique from the Demon Blood Sect. The Demonic Sects love to research these Secret Techniques that shorten one's lifespan for a temporary boost in power; the Profound Sects Orthodox Sect doesn't make a habit of studying such things. This Marketplace forbids dealings with Evil Cultivators and Demon Cultivators, so it's not easy to acquire Demon Sect Techniques and Secret Techniques. That's why the price is a little higher."
Du Youqian fell silent.
The price was truly outrageous.
But the problem was, he was extremely interested in this Secret Technique.
He wasn't afraid of dying, as long as it wasn't a violent or untimely death.
A shortened lifespan didn't matter.
The sooner he died, the sooner he could reincarnate.
'Huh, that phrase doesn't sound quite right.'
But that was indeed the logic of it.
He could be a bit more cautious.
But in life, there are always times when you can't be cautious anymore and must rise to the occasion.
At those times, he hoped to have an extra bargaining chip for himself.
Like this "Blood Burning Art."
"Can you make it a little cheaper?" Du Youqian asked.
"Customer, we have fixed prices and do not haggle." The saleswoman's smile grew warmer.
She could tell Du Youqian genuinely wanted to buy it. Although he was a bit short on cash, he was a Cultivator. And what Cultivator didn't have some hidden treasures tucked away?
If he didn't have enough money, he could just sell something to make up the difference.
And if he were to sell something, wouldn't he be selling it to her?
Then he would buy the Secret Technique from her.
A win-win.
She wins twice.