Chapter Seven: The Market of Bluestone Town

“Father, is that… Qing Shi Town?” Jiang Yiyi’s eyes sparkled like stars, filled with the purest curiosity and longing for the world below the mountain. Her hand instinctively gripped my sleeve, both excited and tinged with a hint of nervousness at entering an unfamiliar place.

“Yes, we’ve arrived.” I smiled and nodded, subtly adjusting our “disguise.”

Before stepping into this inhabited area, I reassessed our identity. A late Foundation Establishment stage cultivator accompanied by two mortal girls without any cultivation (Jiang Xiaobai had completely concealed her demonic aura). Though keeping a low profile was essential, openly offering spiritual grains far superior to the mundane would seem incongruous and invite unwanted scrutiny. A fallen high-level wandering cultivator living in seclusion with family in the deep mountains, venturing down the slope occasionally to trade supplies—this persona was more plausible and better explained the origin of our goods.

Thus, I subtly activated the Breath Concealment technique from the “Penglai Dongxuan Scripture” to elevate and stabilize my aura from late Foundation Establishment to early Nascent Soul, though I deliberately made it appear somewhat unstable and fragile, as if recently injured. Jiang Yiyi and Jiang Xiaobai retained their mortal girl appearances. This way, the image of a “fallen” Nascent Soul elder accompanied by two bloodline descendants became vivid and logically consistent.

We followed the well-trodden dirt path, polished smooth by countless footsteps, slowly approaching the town’s entrance.

Qing Shi Town, true to its name, had streets paved entirely with large blue flagstones, their surfaces etched with the marks of time. At the town’s gate stood a simple stone archway, inscribed with the three ancient characters “Qing Shi Town.” Beneath the arch, two men clad in uniform gray short jackets, each carrying a long knife at their waist, stood guard. Their aura was steady, their temples slightly bulging—both were Qi Refining stage cultivators. Having cultivators guard the town gate suggested Qing Shi Town wasn’t a purely mortal settlement.

As we drew near, the guards’ gazes swept over us. When their divine senses brushed against my faint yet unmistakable Nascent Soul pressure, their expressions shifted drastically. Their previously relaxed stances turned respectful, and they quickly bowed, “Greetings, elder!”

I nodded slightly without a word and led my daughters straight into the town. This perfectly measured “master’s demeanor” was a necessary guise when navigating the cultivation world.

Upon entering the town, the bustling vibrance immediately enveloped us.

Jiang Yiyi’s eyes couldn’t take it all in at once. Her little head darted back and forth like a rattle, everything seeming fresh and fascinating.

On either side of the street were rows of tightly packed shops: a blacksmith’s shop with the sign “Divine Weapon Pavilion,” where the clang of hammer on metal rang out, sparks flying faintly infused with spiritual energy, clearly forging low-level magical tools; the “Herbal Hall,” exuding a strong medicinal fragrance with all manner of familiar and unfamiliar herbs drying at the entrance; as well as taverns, inns, and general stores—everything imaginable.

The passersby were even more diverse. There were hurried mortals carrying burdens, solitary cultivators with sword cases on their backs and cold expressions, groups of mercenaries laughing loudly, and young men in uniform attire who seemed to belong to local clans. Most cultivators were at the Qi Refining stage; seeing a Foundation Establishment cultivator elicited respectful gazes from those nearby.

“Wow! Father, look! It’s candied fruit!” Jiang Yiyi suddenly tugged my sleeve, pointing toward a street vendor. The vendor was coating bright red, hawthorn-like spiritual berries in crystal-clear syrup, filling the air with a tempting sweetness.

“That’s called ‘Red Pearl Fruit,’ a berry infused with faint fire spiritual energy. Mortals who eat it gain strength and health,” I explained with a smile, then stepped forward and took out about two taels of silver (taken from the Celestial Palace’s reserve)—the currency I had observed other cultivators using in transactions—and handed it to the vendor. “Three skewers, please.”

The vendor, a lean middle-aged man with a Qi Refining second stage cultivation, beamed upon receiving the silver. He respectfully handed over three skewers of the plumpest Red Pearl Fruit candied treats.

Jiang Yiyi and Jiang Xiaobai each took a skewer, licking cautiously. The sweet and slightly sour flavor, combined with a faint warmth of spiritual energy melting on their tongues, made their eyes narrow in bliss.

I held the remaining skewer but did not eat. The taste brought back memories of walking through temple fairs with Yiyi on Earth. Time had passed; people and things had changed, but the smile of my daughter remained an eternal comfort.

We did not rush into trading but wandered the town like genuine tourists. As we walked, I extended my divine sense to cover the entire town.

Qing Shi Town was small, with a permanent population of about several thousand, the ratio of cultivators to mortals roughly one to ten. The most powerful cultivator resided in a mansion at the town center—a middle-aged man with early Golden Core stage cultivation, steady aura, likely the town’s protector. Besides him, there were seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators, mostly heads of local families or shop owners.

This was a typical mixed settlement at the lower ecological level of the cultivation world—order and chaos coexisting, opportunities and dangers intertwined.

Having grasped the general situation, I led my daughters toward the western side of town, where spiritual energy fluctuations were densest. This was the market district.

The market was livelier and more specialized than the outer streets. No mortal vendors here; all shops and stalls dealt in cultivation-related goods.

We first entered a spiritual grain shop called “Ten Thousand Grain Pavilion.” The shop was spacious, filled with the scent of mixed spiritual grains. The shopkeeper, an older man with a goatee and mid Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, had sharp yet restrained eyes.

“Elder’s arrival honors this humble shop. May I ask what you need? We’ve just received a batch of ‘Black Millet’ from the northern lands—excellent for nourishing blood and qi,” the shopkeeper greeted me with a broad smile.

I said nothing, calmly taking a small cloth bag from my storage pouch and placing it on the counter.

Opening the bag revealed a handful of golden, plump grains shimmering as if alive—“Golden Silk Jade Millet.”

The shopkeeper’s smile instantly froze.

He first stared in disbelief, then abruptly leaned forward, ignoring etiquette, plucking a few grains to examine closely, even sniffing them. His expression shifted from surprise to shock, then to ecstatic disbelief.

“This… this is a second-grade spiritual grain?! No, the quality nearly rivals third grade! Each grain brims with spiritual energy and vitality—truly… a masterpiece!” His voice trembled.

Qing Shi Town, located in a remote area with poor spiritual veins, never saw grains higher than upper first grade, and even those were often out of stock. The quality I presented was unheard of here—he had never even heard of it.

“Name your price,” I said calmly, my tone carrying undeniable authority.

“Elder, elder!” The shopkeeper rubbed his hands excitedly. “Such quality spiritual grains—I am not authorized to decide! Please wait, I will summon our owner immediately!”

He hurried to the back room.

After a moment, a slightly plump, kindly-faced middle-aged man followed, one of the town’s Foundation Establishment cultivators, late stage.

Seeing the Golden Silk Jade Millet, his pupils contracted, but he composed himself better than the shopkeeper. He respectfully bowed, “I am Liu Hong, owner of Ten Thousand Grain Pavilion. I heard you wish to sell such premium spiritual grain?”

I nodded.

Liu Hong pondered briefly and said, “Elder, this Golden Silk Jade Millet is of exceptional quality, far surpassing ordinary market goods. I offer one hundred and twenty low-grade spirit stones per jin. How much do you have?”

This price exceeded my expectations. High-quality spiritual grains were indeed hard currency here.

“Let’s start with one hundred jin,” I said calmly.

“One hundred jin!” Both Liu Hong and the shopkeeper gasped sharply. They had expected me to offer merely three to five jin, not one hundred! This would cause a sensation throughout Qing Shi Town.

A gleam flashed in Liu Hong’s eyes but was quickly concealed. He decisively ordered the shopkeeper to fetch spirit stones from the storage. Twelve thousand low-grade spirit stones was a substantial sum for Ten Thousand Grain Pavilion.

The transaction proceeded smoothly. I handed over one hundred jin of Golden Silk Jade Millet, receiving a hefty storage pouch in return.

“If you have more of this quality spiritual grain, please come to me anytime. We can discuss favorable prices,” Liu Hong said with growing respect.

I nodded in acknowledgment, then asked, “I need some basic elixir formulas—such as fasting pills, qi recovery pills, healing pills—and a reasonably good alchemy furnace set.”

“Certainly, certainly!” Liu Hong quickly replied, guiding me to the other side of the shop, where jade slips and magical tools were displayed. I selected a few basic elixir formulas on jade slips and a bronze alchemy furnace engraved with a fire-gathering formation pattern. These items were considered mediocre at the Penglai Celestial Palace but were rare treasures here.

Liu Hong refused to accept payment for these, treating them as gifts. I accepted without objection, understanding this was his investment in me, the “high-level wandering cultivator.”

With our substantial “first pot of gold” and necessary supplies, we left Ten Thousand Grain Pavilion. Having spirit stones made our subsequent plans much easier.

We browsed other shops, purchasing cinnabar, talisman paper for drawing sigils, and unique minerals and herbs from this world for my research.

Jiang Yiyi and Jiang Xiaobai followed closely, their wide eyes filled with curiosity. This trip to the market was, for them, a vivid initiation into cultivation life. They saw firsthand how this world operated: resources, power, trade, and social intricacies.

As night fell and lanterns lit the streets, we returned laden with goods, leaving Qing Shi Town behind.

Walking back to the valley, Jiang Yiyi finally asked, “Father, will we come back again?”

“Yes,” I said, looking at her eager face. “Next time, what we bring will make all of Qing Shi Town remember the name ‘Gui Xu.’”

My gaze fell on the storage pouch, where a few freshly ripened, vividly red “Crimson Flame Spirit Peaches” lay.

The spiritual grains were merely the stepping stone. The true main event was just beginning.