Yin Ya eventually acquired two Ice Wall Talismans from her. Feeling indebted, the cultivator sold her a storage bag capable of holding a cubic zhang at the low price of 150 spirit stones each.
Suddenly flush with over 400 spirit stones, Nan Yan struggled to process her newfound wealth. The buyer, however, seemed even more delighted, repeatedly examining the Silver Mermaid Gauze and praising it.
“It’s indeed genuine Silver Mermaid Gauze. The last time the North Sea merfolk appeared was a decade ago… A city of human cultivators perished. I never thought I’d see something from the merfolk again.”
Nan Yan couldn’t shake the feeling that this person was so happy his tail might be wagging if he had one.
“Chubby girl,” Yin Ya said, turning to Nan Yan after his moment of ecstasy, “Forget you ever saw me and this transaction.”
Nan Yan felt that same bewitching sensation again, but this time she was prepared. As her mind stirred, a cool sensation spread from her neck, instantly dispelling the charm spell.
Huh?
Nan Yan looked puzzled, but Yin Ya, assuming his illusion had worked, left smugly.
She stood there for a moment, unable to understand how the pearl necklace could resist a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s illusion. Realizing his cultivation level, she decided against further involvement. Clutching her new storage bag, she visited three or four pill vendors, exchanging twenty Bone-Warming Pills from her sect for two Qihuang Pills.
Nan Yan counted her acquisitions. With the five Liqi Pills she’d gotten from the Silver Mermaid Gauze vendor, she had enough for her mother’s treatment.
Relieved, Nan Yan calculated that her finances were still comfortable. Feeling guilty about selling the protective talismans Ji Yang had given her, she pondered what to buy him as compensation.
Cultivators generally followed three paths: improving through combat, consuming large quantities of pills, or secluded cultivation. Ji Yang seemed to fall into the last category, rarely socializing and exchanging sect-issued pills for spirit stones. He only spoke with Nan Yan and Mu Zhanting, otherwise focusing on solitary cultivation.
A nearby magical tool stall displayed an array of glowing items. Swords were most common and versatile for exorcism and combat. There was also a set of six small swords that could form a deadly sword formation.
Other items included knives, small flags, compasses, and armor. Nan Yan noticed offensive tools outnumbered defensive ones, as the latter were harder to craft and consumed more spiritual energy. Most cultivators preferred convenient protective talismans instead.
…No wonder the Ice Wall Talismans sold so quickly.
Overwhelmed by choices and wary of being taken advantage of due to her youth, Nan Yan hesitated.
Suddenly, a commotion drew a crowd nearby. An elderly cultivator at the late Qi Refinement stage had set up a stall, producing sixteen jade boxes from his storage bag.
“Old Qiu, what treasures do you have today?” someone asked.
The crowd seemed to know him. Old Qiu smiled, “Same rules as always. One hundred spirit stones per box, choose freely. It might contain junk or treasures. Today, one of these sixteen boxes holds a high-grade magical tool – the Lotus Inkstone Brush. It’s excellent for both talisman drawing and combat.”
“A high-grade magical tool? That’s worth at least 500 spirit stones!”
“Brush-type magical tools are rare. Paired with a suitable inkstone, its power would increase even further.”
Nan Yan, known for her good luck in drawing red envelopes at lantern festivals and receiving auspicious fortune slips at temples, was intrigued. Remembering that Ji Yang used a simple bamboo brush to teach her writing, she pushed through the crowd and raised her hand.
“I want one!”
Old Qiu looked down at the chubby child and smiled, “Young Daoist, did you hear clearly? It’s one hundred spirit stones per box.”
The crowd laughed. Someone said, “Little girl, save your spirit stones for spirit fruits instead.”
Another person noticed her sect emblem and said, “Don’t laugh. She’s from the Yanyue Sect. She might be richer than you think.”
“…But she seems to be just an outer disciple.”
Nan Yan blinked and said, “I’m buying for my senior brother. Is that not allowed?”
“That’s fine, but…” Old Qiu was about to advise Nan Yan to act within her means when she handed him a bag of spirit stones. He weighed it and found exactly one hundred.
“I underestimated you, young Daoist,” Old Qiu said, satisfied as he put the spirit stones in his storage bag. “Go ahead and choose. And let me remind you, the size of the box doesn’t indicate the value of its contents. It’s best not to open it in the market.”
Nan Yan appreciated his kindness. She rubbed her hands together, noticing one box with slightly stronger spiritual light. As she reached for it, her hand brushed against a duller box, causing a slight sting.
“Huh?”
Old Qiu asked, “Is something wrong, young Daoist?”
Nan Yan hugged her chosen box, looked at the one that stung her, tilted her head in thought, and dismissed it as imagination. Realizing it was time to leave, she was about to go when she heard someone nearby say—
“Your sect’s disciples are indeed wealthy. Even an outer disciple can spend a hundred spirit stones so easily. Maybe one day when I’m tired of my small sect’s master, I’ll join yours.”
“Which outer disciple?”
Hearing this voice, Nan Yan wanted to leave quickly, but it was too late.
Sure enough, Chu Jing appeared with a few outer disciples who had some conflicts with her before, swaggering toward them.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the little fatty,” Chu Jing sneered upon seeing her, remembering the embarrassment she had caused him. “A hundred spirit stones, impressive. Must be from Mu Zhanting. He’s quite generous.”
Inner disciples received a monthly allowance of one hundred spirit stones. Mu Zhanting, being exceptionally talented, was favored by several elders in the inner sect. Chu Jing assumed the money was from him.
“Oh, a storage bag too. What did you buy? Let your senior brother have a look,” Chu Jing demanded.
The elderly Qiu, having just done business, frowned slightly. “Friends, Ravine Market is Qiu’s family territory. Your small quarrels outside are your own business, but inside the market, it’s best to follow the rules. If we alert the law enforcement cultivators, it won’t look good for anyone.”
Old Qiu, at the late Qi Refinement stage, outranked Chu Jing and the other disciples. Moreover, as a Qiu family elder, his words carried weight in the market.
Chu Jing, having grown more diplomatic recently, replied, “You worry too much, friend. Our Yanyue Sect is always harmonious. With the sect trials approaching, we’re merely concerned about our junior sister’s progress. There’s no harm in seeing what she bought, right?”
Old Qiu fell silent, having done all he could as a bystander.
“I heard the best item here is a high-grade Lotus Inkstone Brush. Doesn’t everyone want to see it?” Chu Jing prodded.
Many cultivators had stopped to watch, all very interested.
“The upper States have annual stone gambling events. We in Fan State have few entertainments, so watching someone open a treasure box is quite exciting. Young Daoist, you’re so generous, spending a hundred spirit stones without blinking. Let us have a look,” someone urged.
The crowd’s gaze was far from friendly. Only Old Qiu spoke mildly, “To be honest, young Daoist, half of these boxes contain first-grade spirit grass and beast hides worth only twenty spirit stones. If they want to see, let them.”
His words implied he didn’t expect Nan Yan to win the grand prize.
Nan Yan pressed her lips together. Surrounded by Yanyue Sect’s disciples, it was clear they wouldn’t let her leave without opening the box.
“Open it!” they demanded.
She touched the jade box in her storage bag, gritted her teeth, and asked, “If I open it, will you let me go?”
“Of course. We’re sect mates. How could we trouble you?”
Left with no choice, Nan Yan opened the box. The crowd gasped.
Inside, next to two or three first-grade spirit herbs, lay a porcelain brush with white bristles. Its body resembled peach blossom porcelain, and its end bore a blooming red lotus with green sepals. A faint lotus fragrance wafted out, and the brush emanated a precious glow, clearly a high-grade item.
Nan Yan: …Oh no.
The crowd exclaimed in surprise.
“This little girl has such good luck!”
Greed flashed in Chu Jing’s eyes. “What a fine magical tool!”
The outer disciples around him said, “Congratulations, Senior Brother Chu! This Lotus Inkstone Brush matches your cultivation technique. You’ll surely excel in the hunting ground trials!”
They completely ignored who currently possessed the item, their intentions clear.
Nan Yan: Heh.
Barely concealing his greed, Chu Jing feigned a cough and said, “Mu Zhanting has a fire spirit root. This water-wind-attributed brush doesn’t suit him. I won’t bully you—I’ll trade you a fire-attributed knife for it. We’ll call our past grievances settled.”
Even inner disciples usually only received low-grade magical tools, incomparable to this Lotus Inkstone Brush.
Nan Yan suddenly felt sad. She wanted to give this brush to Ji Yang, but her lack of strength meant she could be bullied in broad daylight by those with higher cultivation.
She suddenly understood her mother’s parting words: “The brave prevail in narrow passages; one must know when to advance and retreat in the face of fortune and misfortune.”
Becoming a cultivator hadn’t changed much from her life as a mortal. She was still bullied, just like by the village children before.
Few people were as consistently kind and caring as Ji Yang.
“Why are you silent? An inner disciple willing to trade with you is your good fortune. Are you trying to raise the price?”
“Fine,” Nan Yan swallowed her bitterness and said, “I bought this brush for a hundred spirit stones. I don’t want your magical tool. Instead, buy another jade box from this grandfather for a hundred spirit stones, and I’ll give you the brush.”
Old Qiu was moved. The most enticing treasure had been revealed first, which usually meant a loss for him. But this little girl was making someone buy another of his boxes, helping him recoup some losses.
Chu Jing could afford a hundred spirit stones, but it still pained him. He snorted, “Hmp, you must be an idiot. The rest are probably just junk.”
But compared to the Lotus Inkstone Brush, a hundred spirit stones was indeed a great deal. To prevent higher-level cultivators from interfering, Chu Jing quickly paid and snatched the brush before leaving.
“The cultivation world is full of fickle people. Why did you do that, young Daoist?” Old Qiu sighed as he saw Nan Yan choose a dim jade box. “I’m an outer elder of the Wannan Qiu family. If fate allows, consider me owing you half a favor in the future.”
Nan Yan hugged the box she had sensed earlier, no longer feeling it might shock her. “It’s alright, grandpa. When I become powerful, I’ll beat them up so they never dare bully anyone again.”
As she spoke, she released a bit of her aura. Old Qiu, sensing she was at early Qi Refinement, looked surprised. “You… how old are you?”
“I’ll be nine in two months.”
“Early Qi Refinement at eight… remarkable, truly remarkable.” Astonished by her talent and wishing to befriend her, Old Qiu said, “We’ve met by chance today. Let me give you a Spirit-Sensing Jade Clasp. It’s nothing special, but may your cultivation path be smooth.”
The Spirit-Sensing Jade Clasp, capable of faintly detecting evil spirits, was one of the most common accessories in the cultivation world.
Nan Yan, always deeply appreciative of others’ kindness, hurriedly thanked him. Suddenly, a mechanical bird flew overhead, speaking in a human voice:
“Lost young Daoist Nan Yan, your senior brother is waiting for you at the market entrance. If you hear this, please head to the entrance! Please head to the entrance!”
Nan Yan: …