Not far down the mountain, the seven-story pagoda came into view, standing tall ahead of him.
Spiritual light glimmered faintly around the pagoda. Xu Ziqing suddenly had the sense that cultivators of profound cultivation lived within it. He quickly let the thought go. This was an important center of trade, so it was only natural for powerful cultivators to be stationed here. There was no reason to make a fuss over it.
When he reached the pagoda, there was no one guarding the entrance. His token merely emitted a faint light as he entered, evidently verifying his identity. Xu Ziqing did not panic and simply walked straight in.
The interior opened up before him at once. Contrary to how it had looked from outside, the pagoda was extremely spacious. Though people came and went constantly, it did not feel crowded.
Xu Ziqing looked around and carefully took in the scene inside.
The pagoda was octagonal, with a sealed alcove at each of its eight corners. A cultivator sat before every alcove, each apparently at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Refinement. Even among the great clans and sects outside the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, people of that cultivation would count as talented individuals.
Yet all these talented cultivators wore smiles and were fairly cordial. They were the stewards of the first floor, each responsible for the transactions handled there.
Xu Ziqing stepped a little closer and soon understood how things worked.
A length of silk hung over each tall alcove, densely covered in tiny writing. It listed the resources accepted by the steward responsible for that alcove, along with the corresponding contribution points offered for them. Everything was clear at a glance.
There was nothing at all in front of the stewards themselves, yet everyone was kept three steps away, showing that a restriction had been placed there, and one that ordinary cultivators could not break.
Very convenient, Xu Ziqing thought. He then walked past all eight alcoves, reading the fine writing on each silk sheet until he had a good grasp of the first floor.
Even after seeing everything clearly, however, he had no intention of taking out all his belongings right away. Instead, he turned and headed for the second floor of the pagoda.
As he climbed the wooden stairs, Xu Ziqing felt a thin layer of pressure settle over him. Spiritual power circulated around his body, and the pressure immediately vanished.
It seemed he had just passed through a second restriction.
The stairs were not tall, and he soon wound his way up to the second floor. When Xu Ziqing looked up again, he saw the same eight alcoves, but before each stood a small shop.
Eight stewards of similarly respectable cultivation stood inside the shops and conducted transactions with visitors.
Xu Ziqing immediately understood. The first floor purchased resources from cultivators in exchange for contribution points, while the second stocked resources in its shops so cultivators could freely exchange contribution points for what they needed.
The categories were clearly divided: pills, magical artifacts and talismans, cultivation methods, spiritual materials and herbs, foodstuffs, miscellaneous items, and so on. One steward handled each category, making the arrangement extremely convenient.
Xu Ziqing went through them one by one as before, silently calculating in his mind, then continued up to the third floor.
The pressure grew somewhat stronger as he passed along the stairs, but it still caused Xu Ziqing little difficulty, and he made it through smoothly.
The moment he reached the third floor, the number of people dropped sharply.
There were still eight corner alcoves on this level, and cultivators still sat inside them, but these people were not stewards. They were high-level cultivators at the ninth or even tenth layer of Qi Refinement.
Xu Ziqing had developed some discernment by now. Although he could not determine exactly how deep their cultivation ran, he could tell from their pressure that none of them were people one would want to provoke.
And the purpose of these formidable cultivators was precisely to mediate disputes among members of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
Aside from the alcoves, meditation cushions had been placed throughout the floor. Brocade cloths lay before them, each protected by a restriction, and inside those restrictions were magical artifacts, pills, and other items.
So this floor was where cultivators freely exchanged resources among themselves.
Some resources were difficult to obtain, and their owners felt that exchanging them for contribution points on the first floor would not be worthwhile. They therefore set up stalls here on the third floor to try their luck.
Seeing all this, Xu Ziqing could not help feeling impressed.
The Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s Trading Hall truly covered every need. It was difficult to find a single flaw in its arrangements.
This was far enough for now. Xu Ziqing was curious about what kinds of transactions took place above the third floor, but there was no need to rush. His immediate concern was to look around this floor and see whether anything here suited his needs.
He stopped walking and began with the stalls on his left, inspecting them one by one.
Cultivators setting up stalls naturally did not hawk their goods like ordinary mortals. Besides, the people here had come only to exchange resources, not to earn a living, so they carried a certain aloof pride.
Thus, behind every stall, a cultivator sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, either resting with eyes closed or quietly cultivating. None behaved discourteously. If someone took an interest in an item, they merely had to tap the restriction in front of the stall. Once it moved, the cultivator who had laid it would awaken, and the two sides could discuss a trade.
Xu Ziqing walked silently and stopped first before the nearest stall.
On the brocade cloth were several magical artifacts, two porcelain bottles, and a box of spiritual pearls.
The magical artifacts were of decent quality: two were middle-grade, one lower-grade, and another looked somewhat dim but still gave off a faint pressure. If there were not something wrong with it, it would likely have been close to upper-grade.
The porcelain bottles, however, were labeled with the three characters for “Fasting Pill.” Lower-grade Fasting Pills were common in every marketplace, so if these were worth displaying here, could they be middle-grade or even upper-grade?
Xu Ziqing paid no attention to the magical artifacts, but he was somewhat interested in the Fasting Pills and spiritual pearls. The only question was what the cultivator wanted in exchange.
He immediately looked toward one side of the brocade cloth.
Written there was the following:
Seeking Snake-Tongue Grass aged five hundred years or more; Essence-Cluster Grass aged eight hundred years or more; Pear-Jujube Blossoms with at least seven petals, in both red and yellow. All items must be middle-grade or better. Idle inquiries unwelcome.
After reading it, Xu Ziqing relaxed slightly.
If the cultivator had wanted magical artifacts, Xu Ziqing truly would have had none to offer. Spiritual herbs, however, were another matter.
Since a trade was possible, Xu Ziqing reached out and lightly tapped the restriction.
The cultivator’s eyes snapped open, a flash of light passing through them. “What does Fellow Daoist wish to obtain?”
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. “May I ask what grade these Fasting Pills are?”
The cultivator wore a blue robe, his hair loosely tied into a topknot. He had a rather unkempt appearance, though his gaze was upright enough. “Middle-grade Fasting Pills. Ten pills to a bottle.”
Xu Ziqing calculated briefly. Twenty Fasting Pills would allow him to abstain from food for ten years, making them very useful. Having made up his mind, he slipped one hand into his sleeve. When he withdrew it, a tightly wrapped leaf packet rested in his palm. “Fellow Daoist is seeking Snake-Tongue Grass. I happen to have two stalks here. Would they suit your needs?”
Seeing Xu Ziqing’s open manner, the unkempt cultivator did not stand on ceremony. With a flick of his finger, he released the restriction and took the leaf packet. The moment he opened it, spiritual energy spread through the air, accompanied by a pungent scent. The qi gathered into the illusory shape of a snake’s tongue.
“Upper-grade Snake-Tongue Grass?” he exclaimed in surprise. He lowered his head and sniffed it again. “These must be at least seven hundred years old.”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “What do you think?” He had thousand-year-old Snake-Tongue Grass in his ring as well, but after everything he had seen on his journey, he understood the wisdom of not displaying one’s wealth. He had therefore chosen a middle course and taken out the youngest plants he possessed.
The unkempt cultivator was delighted. “Snake-Tongue Grass is difficult to find. Since Fellow Daoist has brought such fine specimens, both bottles of Fasting Pills are yours.” With that, he swept up the two porcelain bottles and sent them straight into Xu Ziqing’s hands.
Xu Ziqing put away the Fasting Pills. Seeing that the man was fair in his dealings, he asked, “Now that this trade is settled, I also have some Essence-Cluster Grass. Would you…”
Before he could finish, the unkempt cultivator’s expression had already turned excited. “Fellow Daoist has Essence-Cluster Grass as well?”
Xu Ziqing gave a light cough and took out another leaf packet. “Only one stalk.”
The unkempt cultivator hurriedly accepted it and opened it. His face immediately broke into a broad smile. “It truly is eight-hundred-year Essence-Cluster Grass, and upper-grade at that.”
Obtaining the Snake-Tongue Grass had already filled him with delight. Essence-Cluster Grass was even rarer and could be counted among the hardest spiritual herbs to find. With specimens of such excellent quality, even someone carrying a great fortune might still fail to obtain one.
The unkempt cultivator had never truly expected success. He had only set up his stall to try his luck. No one had shown interest for days, leaving him deeply disappointed, but because he urgently needed the herbs, he had no choice but to keep waiting there day after day, growing more anxious all the while. He had never imagined that today he would encounter both of the spiritual herbs he needed most. He was overjoyed.
Afraid Xu Ziqing might take back the Essence-Cluster Grass, the cultivator hurriedly said, “Whatever Fellow Daoist wants, just say it. The magical artifacts here are all quite powerful. If any catch your eye, you may even try them out now.”
Xu Ziqing waited until he had finished speaking, then shook his head with a smile. “I do not want those magical artifacts. Rather…” His gaze settled on the box of spiritual pearls. “Whatever value Fellow Daoist believes this Essence-Cluster Grass has, simply exchange that amount in spiritual pearls.”
The unkempt cultivator was somewhat taken aback.
Essence-Cluster Grass was so precious, yet this young cultivator before him wanted only spiritual pearls?
He did not understand, but seeing the smile on Xu Ziqing’s face, he could tell that he meant it sincerely and suppressed his curiosity. In any case, all he wanted was the Essence-Cluster Grass. If he asked too many questions and angered the seller, that would be a terrible loss.
He therefore answered frankly, “Essence-Cluster Grass is worth a great deal. Since Fellow Daoist wishes to exchange it for spiritual pearls, take the entire box. If there is anything else you need, you may tell me as well. If it lies within my power, I will not refuse.”
For all his rough appearance, the cultivator was not one to take advantage of others.
Xu Ziqing merely smiled. “One box of spiritual pearls is enough.” A person of such character was worth forming a little goodwill with, even if they had only met by chance.
The unkempt cultivator paused. “My name is Kang Wenyu. May I ask Fellow Daoist’s name?”
Xu Ziqing smiled in return. “I am Xu Ziqing.”
Kang Wenyu packed away his stall and rose to his feet, cupping his hands. “I will remember Fellow Daoist Xu’s kindness. I have urgent business and must leave now, but I hope we may meet again someday.”
Xu Ziqing cupped his hands as well. “Until we meet again, Fellow Daoist Kang.”
Kang Wenyu turned and left without the slightest hesitation. Xu Ziqing had obtained both the Fasting Pills and the spiritual pearls and was quite satisfied. Then he suddenly remembered something else, an item he urgently needed.
After a moment’s thought, Xu Ziqing continued onward.
The trade between Xu Ziqing and Kang Wenyu had appeared discreet, but how could it truly escape the notice of the cultivators on this floor? In particular, the two kinds of spiritual herbs Xu Ziqing had produced naturally drew attention.
Thus, when the others saw that Xu Ziqing had not yet left, their gazes could not help lingering on him.
Xu Ziqing felt slightly awkward, but soon let it go and quickly swept his eyes across the many stalls.
From what he could see, most of the goods traded here were magical artifacts, with far fewer of anything else. He walked for quite a while before finally stopping in front of one meditation cushion.
Sitting upon it was a woman in a plain yellow robe, her face unadorned and her aura serene.
On the stall before her lay more than a dozen palm-sized pouches. Spiritual light flickered over them, varying noticeably in intensity.
This was exactly what Xu Ziqing needed.
Storage pouches.
Keeping one hand hidden in his sleeve, Xu Ziqing lightly stroked his storage ring. He did not know what grade the ring was, but since it could even hold a soul, it was clearly extraordinary. To avoid inviting trouble, Xu Ziqing felt he should use it as little as possible.
There was another reason as well: his good friend Yun Lie.
Back then, he had been forced to place the Blood Demon’s physical body inside the storage ring, and Yun Lie had plainly found it distasteful. Later, Yun Lie himself had entered the ring, and Xu Ziqing imagined he could not have been pleased about it.
Xu Ziqing had forgotten the matter at the time and felt rather apologetic toward Yun Lie. Yet out of consideration for Yun Lie’s dignity, it would have been awkward to bring it up again, so Xu Ziqing wanted to make amends in another way. If he had storage pouches, they could not only conceal the existence of his storage ring, but also spare his friend from suffering the same indignity if such a situation arose again.
He sighed softly. Xu Ziqing knew his cultivation was limited and that he could offer Yun Lie little help. He had always been the one receiving Yun Lie’s kindness. Since that was the case, he could at least put some thought into making things more comfortable for Yun Lie inside the storage ring.
Countless thoughts passed through his mind in an instant, though none showed on his face. After lightly tapping the restriction, he addressed the woman. “Fellow Daoist, may I ask the price of these storage pouches?”
He had not meant to disturb her, but her stall displayed no note explaining what she wanted in exchange, so Xu Ziqing had no choice but to wake her and ask. If he had nothing she needed, he would have to search the two lower floors instead.
The woman opened her eyes. Her features were ordinary, but her eyes shone like stars and were remarkably striking. “Demon-beast inner cores, hides, spiritual herbs, magical artifacts. As long as it is something useful to a water-aligned cultivator, you may take it out and let me see.”
Xu Ziqing paused, then understood.
No wonder she had written nothing down. She wanted to collect too many different kinds of things for a notice to explain them all clearly. The fixed prices on the lower floors were indeed less favorable than bartering directly up here, where there was also room to negotiate.
Xu Ziqing quietly went through his belongings, but soon felt a little disappointed.
Water-aligned resources were generally found where water was abundant. Although Xu Ziqing had gathered some beside streams and lakes in the secret realm, there had not been much, so he possessed very little. Water-aligned demon beasts rarely came ashore as well, making them scarce even inside the secret realm.
After searching, Xu Ziqing opened his palm. On it lay one demon-beast inner core, several dark scales, and a leaf packet. “I only have the inner core of a first-rank Water Si demon beast and a few of its rib scales. The leaf packet contains Waterglow Grass, two hundred years old and upper-grade, but there are only three stalks.”
Elio’s Notes: The si (兕) is an ancient Chinese beast described in early texts as ox-like and one-horned, and it is often associated with the rhinoceros. The demon beast 水兕 is rendered here as Water Si to preserve that specific cultural creature-name.
The woman swept a calm glance over the items. “I have one upper-grade storage pouch, three middle-grade ones, and more than ten lower-grade ones. What you have is not enough for the upper-grade pouch. If you want a middle-grade pouch, you may choose one. If you want lower-grade, you may choose three.”
Storage pouches were considered magical artifacts, but they differed from most others. Even an upper-grade storage pouch was merely sturdier and able to hold more. It was far easier to refine than other upper-grade magical artifacts. That was why Xu Ziqing’s handful of items could still be exchanged for a middle-grade storage pouch. Even so, this was largely because the Waterglow Grass was of such high quality. Otherwise, he might only have been able to obtain a single lower-grade pouch.
Xu Ziqing had not expected to be able to trade for a middle-grade storage pouch and was naturally pleased. He immediately reached for the green one embroidered with bamboo.
Unexpectedly, several people suddenly crowded over. One of them called out, “My brothers and I want all three of these storage pouches! One second-rank Iron-Horned Rhinoceros inner core and two first-rank Water Python inner cores. How about it?” As he spoke, one hand swept out and rolled all three middle-grade storage pouches away.
Xu Ziqing’s fingers paused.
He could naturally tell that all three inner cores were water-aligned. One of them was even second-rank and far more difficult to obtain than a first-rank inner core.
Sure enough, when the woman saw them, her expression changed slightly. When she looked back at Xu Ziqing, she appeared troubled.
Strictly speaking, she and Xu Ziqing had already agreed on the trade, but he had not yet taken the pouch, while the newcomers had acted first. What should she do?
Xu Ziqing looked up and saw three cultivators emerging from behind him. Their clothing was dusty, suggesting they had only just returned from gathering resources outside.
But once Xu Ziqing saw the three clearly, a trace of doubt flashed through his mind.
They seemed… somewhat familiar.
The three cultivators wore matching purple robes and all looked to be in their twenties or thirties. Their appearances were fairly handsome. One was somewhat rougher-looking than the others and clearly quick-tempered. He was the first to shout, “My brothers came to ask your price yesterday, then went out to sea to hunt. We finally managed to obtain these inner cores, so naturally you should sell to us first!”
Another added, “Exactly. Miss Shui, you cannot go back on your word.”
A trace of helplessness appeared on the woman’s face. “You did ask yesterday, but we never settled on a time. Someone came to buy today, so naturally I could not turn him away.”
Truthfully, she preferred the inner cores brought by these three returning customers, but she had already accepted the new customer’s goods and was only one step away from completing the trade. Her business was the purchase of water-aligned resources. If she went back on her word, she would soon have no business left to conduct.
After listening to their exchange, Xu Ziqing understood what had happened.
The three cultivators looked at one another and realized that the matter now depended on the two groups of buyers reaching an understanding. One of them stepped forward and greeted Xu Ziqing. “Fellow Daoist.”
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. “If Fellow Daoist has something to say, please speak plainly.”
The cultivator said, “My brothers and I are about to travel far from here, and we truly need middle-grade storage pouches. Our old storage pouches have already been damaged. I wonder whether Fellow Daoist might be willing to let us have them…”
Xu Ziqing had always been someone who returned courtesy many times over. Since the other party had not tried to bully him with superior force, and since he only wanted the pouch to conceal the storage ring anyway, he had no desire to make trouble for them. He said, “It is no problem. I only need them to hold a few small things. Three lower-grade storage pouches will do.”
The three cultivators were delighted. “Fellow Daoist is broad-minded. Many thanks.”
Miss Shui was also quite satisfied. This way she offended neither side, which was naturally the best outcome.
Xu Ziqing said nothing more. He took three lower-grade storage pouches, then turned and headed toward the stairs.
Once Xu Ziqing had gone some distance, the rough-looking cultivator spoke first. “Second Brother, why were you so polite to him?” Among the three of them, two were at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement and one at the seventh. There was hardly any reason to fear that young cultivator.
The cultivator who had spoken to Xu Ziqing did not answer. Instead, he turned to the tallest man. “Eldest Brother, do you think that person looked familiar?”
The man addressed as Eldest Brother nodded. “He did.” His expression darkened. “The sea.”
The rough-looking cultivator remembered as well and cried out, “Ah! It’s him?”