White Maple Mountain was slightly lower in elevation than Langlang Mountain, but the hillsides covered in white maple leaves created a rather picturesque scene.
Looking up, the entire mountain appeared to be draped in white frost.
Higher up, the various peaks towered over one another.
The White Maple Mountain Marketplace was situated on the flatlands between these peaks.
Xu Chang'an had come to the White Maple Mountain Marketplace with two main objectives.
First, to purchase a sufficient amount of Qi Replenishing Pills.
Bai Yuhu had given him two bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills, but that was far from enough for him.
Second, of course, was to sell off the private stash of goods he had accumulated over many years at Hundred Arts Peak's Alchemy Hall.
'In that case, I don't need to hide my cultivation level.'
A Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator buying Qi Replenishing Pills was perfectly normal and wouldn't attract any undue attention.
At the same time, revealing a certain level of cultivation would help deter demons with ill intentions and avoid unnecessary trouble.
After finding a secluded spot and waiting a moment, Xu Chang'an emerged with a new appearance.
The Stealth Technique he cultivated was of a high grade.
It not only concealed his aura but could also alter his physical appearance.
Its effects were superior to those of an ordinary Blinding Technique.
Xu Chang'an now appeared as a Wolf Demon over ten feet tall, revealing a cultivation level of Qi Refining Fourth Layer.
The White Maple Mountain Marketplace was enveloped in a Tier One High-grade Array that had illusory, defensive, and offensive capabilities.
Therefore, the demons coming and going for trade couldn't just barge in as they pleased.
They had to enter through the marketplace entrance.
"Halt! Pay the deposit and register your identity information first."
At the entrance, a gatekeeping demon stopped Xu Chang'an.
The deposit system ensured that all demons entering and leaving the marketplace were registered.
Registering identity information, of course, was for preliminary checks and tracking.
Although its effectiveness against demons with ill intentions was limited, it served as a deterrent for the vast majority.
Xu Chang'an first paid one Demon Stone as a deposit.
Then, after making up a random mountain name and registering his identity as a Loose Cultivator and Wild Wolf Demon, he received a temporary Pass Token.
"The Pass Token is valid for one day and one night. If the time limit is exceeded, the Array will issue a warning or even expel you.
If you intend to stay for a few days, you can exchange it for a corresponding token at one of the cavern-inns inside the marketplace."
The gatekeeping demon reminded him as a matter of routine.
"Thank you."
Xu Chang'an replied with a smile.
Carrying the Pass Token, he entered the marketplace.
The marketplace's layout resembled a human city, with streets and alleys crisscrossing through it.
Shops lined both sides of the streets, selling a dazzling array of goods.
In addition, there was also a designated area for stall-based trading.
Quite a few demons were milling about, making the marketplace seem extremely lively!
'The variety of shops is quite complete.'
Xu Chang'an surveyed his surroundings, a sense of certainty growing within him.
He should be able to get what he wanted on this trip.
'First, I'll offload a batch of my elixir inventory.'
Xu Chang'an wandered through the marketplace's streets and alleys for a while.
After asking around, he eventually entered a shop called Ruyi Pavilion.
"Sir, what can I help you purchase today!?"
The one who greeted Xu Chang'an was a Mountain Chicken Spirit.
Though called a spirit, it had not yet truly become a demon.
It had only awakened its Spiritual Wisdom.
Ordinary shops loved to employ these creatures that had awakened their Spiritual Wisdom but had not yet truly become demons.
They were cheap, obedient, and had a good attitude.
"I'm here to sell something."
Xu Chang'an was concise.
He casually but deliberately revealed the aura of his Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation.
"Of course, sir. Please, follow me."
With a respectful expression, the Mountain Chicken Spirit led Xu Chang'an to the upper floor of the pavilion.
To any ordinary power, a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator was already beyond the category of a common Little Demon.
They were considered demons with real status and position, the backbone of any faction.
In a room on the second floor of the pavilion, Xu Chang'an met the Manager Shopkeeper of Ruyi Pavilion.
A Dog Demon at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.
For Ruyi Pavilion to operate a shop of this scale in the White Maple Mountain Marketplace, it naturally had to have a powerful backer.
Having a Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator as the Manager Shopkeeper was perfectly normal.
As soon as the Mountain Chicken Spirit left the room, Xu Chang'an took out a large number of bottles and jars—his stock of elixirs—from his Storage Bag.
These were all elixirs he had refined for practice at the Alchemy Hall and secretly siphoned off.
The fruits of many years of accumulation!
The vast majority were Tier One Beginner Elixirs; only a very small portion were Lower-grade Elixirs.
They were of no use to him at his current level.
"So many!"
The Manager Shopkeeper's eyes lit up.
"Take a look. How much can I get for these?"
Xu Chang'an said nonchalantly.
He was a Wolf Demon now; he had to play the part.
"Fellow Daoist, one moment."
The Manager Shopkeeper began to take inventory.
"Detoxification Pills, Muscle Regeneration Pills, Anti-Plague Pills..."
The grade of the elixirs wasn't high, but the variety was comprehensive, and the quantity was immense.
This...
'To have such a massive stash... could it be...?'
The Manager Shopkeeper secretly speculated as he continued his count.
It was unrealistic for an ordinary Scattered Demon to produce so many elixirs in one go.
Xu Chang'an waited patiently for the final tally.
「A moment later.」
"Fellow Daoist, you have seventeen bottles of Detoxification Pills, Muscle Regeneration Pills..."
"After calculating everything, the total value comes to fifty-seven Demon Stones!"
Fifty-seven!
That was about what he had expected.
"Sixty Demon Stones, and you can take them all."
"Fellow Daoist, I'm running a small business here. I'll take a loss at sixty Demon Stones! The offer is fifty-seven."
The Manager Shopkeeper refused outright.
"Let's not play games. I know the market. Sixty Demon Stones for these elixirs is a fair price—not too high, not too low."
"This..."
The Manager Shopkeeper's eyes flickered, and he finally gritted his teeth.
"Fellow Daoist, we'll do it your way.
However, I have one condition: you must spend at least half of those sixty Demon Stones here in our shop.
If you agree, we can make the deal right now. If not, then there's nothing more I can do. You're free to take your business wherever you can get a better price."
'I came to the marketplace to buy Qi Replenishing Pills anyway. As long as the price is the same, it doesn't matter where I buy them!'
After a moment of consideration, Xu Chang'an agreed.
"Fine, as long as you have what I want to buy. But I want to negotiate the price first before we finalize the deal."
"Done."
The Manager Shopkeeper understood Xu Chang'an's concern.
If he agreed to spend at least half the Demon Stones here, he would naturally worry that the shopkeeper would deliberately inflate the prices.
That's why he needed to negotiate the price beforehand and only proceed with the deal if it was feasible.
After some discussion, Xu Chang'an ended up buying a full twenty-one bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills from Ruyi Pavilion.
Qi Replenishing Pills were three Demon Stones per bottle.
Xu Chang'an bought twenty bottles at once, spending sixty Demon Stones.
He had to haggle with the Dog Demon Shopkeeper for a while before managing to get an extra bottle thrown in for free.
Counting the earlier price negotiation where fifty-seven Demon Stones became sixty...
Between the two negotiations, Xu Chang'an had netted a profit of two bottles of Qi Replenishing Pills.
That was nearly half a year's stipend for him!
"Fellow Daoist, any interest in a Middle-grade Magical Artifact?"
The Dog Demon Shopkeeper asked this suddenly after the goods and money had been exchanged and the transaction was complete.
"What? You have one?"
A sharp gleam flashed in Xu Chang'an's eyes.
Unlike Low-grade Magical Artifacts, which were frequently traded, Middle-grade Magical Artifacts rarely appeared in the regular commerce of marketplaces and trading fairs.
For an ordinary small-time faction, a single Middle-grade Magical Artifact was already a foundational treasure that could secure their entire heritage.
Even for a faction led by a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, although they might have accumulated a few Middle-grade Magical Artifacts, their circulation was restricted to within the faction itself.
They were offered as treasures to be redeemed with Merit Points, given out as major rewards, and so on.
They would not normally be allowed to fall into outside hands!