Chapter 10: The Market

“Yes.” Yao Qian nodded and smiled sweetly at the young male cultivator. “We’re all just newly inducted disciples. Senior Brother, you seem to have exceptional cultivation—did you formally join the sect several years ago?”

Yao Qian was strikingly beautiful despite her young age. The young cultivator had only been a disciple for five years himself. Coming from a respectable family and not yet fully influenced by the sect’s harsh ways, he found the flattering words of such an adorable little girl amusing. A faint smile appeared on his face as he replied gently, “I’m also a junior disciple like you, but I joined five years earlier.”

Hearing he had joined five years earlier, Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er were delighted. Yao Qian quickly said, “Senior Brother, we’re new here and unfamiliar with everything about the sect. Could we trouble you for a moment to ask a few questions?”

The young man glanced at the crowd of new disciples gathered around the stone tablet and realized he probably wouldn’t receive any assignments today. He sighed; he had almost lost track of time during his secluded cultivation, while other disciples had already taken most of the tasks two months ago. Since there was nothing to do today, he might as well help these new little sisters with their questions. “What do you want to know?”

Yao Qian replied, “We’re just new here and don’t have anything on us. Do you know if there’s a market nearby?”

The young cultivator said, “There’s no official market inside the sect, only a private exchange gathering run by outer disciples. It opens on the first and fifteenth of every month, and each time you enter, you need to pay ten spirit pearls as an entry fee. The market is relatively safe, but if others see how much you have, it could be dangerous once you leave the sect.”

He didn’t dare say out loud that young girls like them were the most sought after by outer disciples. Newcomers were the easiest to deceive, especially girls from mortal cities who habitually worshipped men. Just a little favor could make them trust a man instantly and do whatever was asked of them.

Of course, Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er couldn’t understand such things. Both were from cultivation families where strength was paramount and talent and power were everything, regardless of gender. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been chosen by their ancestors as heirs.

The young man spoke cautiously. Jin Xiu’er half-understood, but Yao Qian caught on and asked, “Senior Brother, can you tell us where the market is?”

The young man scratched his head. “Today happens to be the fifteenth. How about I take you there?” Seeing the wary look in the two girls’ eyes, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry. The sect has just been thoroughly swept by the eldest senior brother, so no one dares to do anything shady.”

He was only being kind to these cute little sisters. It was a pity that such adorable novices only appeared when they first joined the sect; the longer one stayed, the more people changed. The young man sighed.

“Eldest senior brother?” Jin Xiu’er blinked her big eyes and looked up at him. “Who is this eldest senior brother you’re talking about?” She could tell his temperament now; he seemed like a son of a noble family who had been spoiled. People like him were usually easy to talk to as long as they hadn’t suffered major setbacks.

The young man said, “The eldest senior brother is Changqing, the scion of our Divine Sect.” He spoke of Pei Changqing with reverence. The sect had lasted tens of thousands of years, taking apprentices every five years. If five years counted as one generation, the sect had countless disciples by now.

Therefore, the sect counted one generation every 350 years. Pei Changqing belonged to the same generation as the young man, Yao Qian, and Jin Xiu’er, but Pei Changqing was already a Nascent Soul cultivator, while the others hadn’t even established their foundations.

A scion of the Divine Sect? Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er were confused. What was that? Yao Qian thought the title “scion” made the eldest senior brother sound like cannon fodder. Did a demonic sect really have such things? It didn’t fit their style.

This was because Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er were unfamiliar with the demonic sect’s ways. Every five hundred years, the ten sects of the demonic path would produce a scion, a prodigy who, after advancing to the late Nascent Soul stage, could enter the sect’s sacred realm, the Nether River Sanctuary, to cultivate.

Every current sect leader of the ten sects had been a scion of their sect at one time, most stepping into the Yang God stage in the sanctuary. The current leader of the Divine Sect was no exception but had secluded himself shortly after advancing, leaving Pei Changqing to handle sect affairs.

Rumors said the leader had encountered problems during his ascension to Yang God, prompting his sudden seclusion. But rumors were rumors; few dared openly challenge the leader’s authority, for his faction was immensely powerful.

Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er exchanged glances and said in unison, “Thank you very much, Senior Brother.”

The young man waved his hand. “I’m Li Wei. Just call me Senior Brother Li.” Curious, he asked, “Are you two sisters?”

Jin Xiu’er nodded. “We’re cousins. I’m the younger sister, and Qian Qian is the elder.” She gave their names casually.

Yao Qian let Jin Xiu’er speak freely, weaving half-truths to better conceal their true identities.

“You’re quite lucky, then,” Li Wei remarked casually. If he remembered correctly, this batch of disciples had been recruited from outside by senior brothers and sisters. For two cultivators to come from one family was quite rare. Their ancestral graves must be smoking with good fortune.

Though Li Wei was friendlier than most disciples, as a member of an aristocratic family within the sect, his loyalty ran deeper. He sincerely believed Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er were fortunate to have joined.

Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er smiled in agreement. Jin Xiu’er genuinely believed it, but Yao Qian was indifferent. What use was the sect’s ascension technique? After entering Qingmu Valley, even without it, she could derive it herself. She didn’t need to fight desperately to join the Divine Sect.

The outer disciple market was at the foot of Liuxia Peak. It was originally set up for novices who couldn’t go down the mountain. New disciples had some money and contribution points, and some low-level disciples in the sect specialized in cheating these novices.

Before entering the market, Li Wei warned them, “There’s nothing good here. It’s just to open your eyes. The cultivation techniques and secret arts here are mostly incomplete and dangerous—using them could cause spiritual chaos. The so-called spirit plants and pills are worthless. If you find the fasting pills issued by the sect insufficient, you can buy some premium spiritual grains or fruits here.”

The sect’s fasting pills were a type of pill primarily used to stave off hunger but also aided cultivation, as they were refined from spiritual grains and contained some spiritual energy.

However, these fasting pills were made from the lowest grade and unqualified spiritual grains. The market also had high-grade fasting pills that could sustain one for a month, and mid-to-high grade spiritual grains rich in spiritual energy, which could help cultivation.

Yao Qian and Jin Xiu’er weren’t short on money for the moment but had no intention to buy anything. The spiritual food they ate in their family was comparable to the fasting pills, and they were accustomed to it, preferring to save their money.

Jin Xiu’er was drawn to a stall selling insect eggs, while Yao Qian couldn’t tear herself away from the book stall. Li Wei saw this and shook his head slightly. He had already warned them, yet they still would be deceived.

He didn’t stop them either. Almost every new disciple went through this. Being cheated early meant smaller losses, especially since they didn’t have much money now.

Yao Qian saw a book titled “Complete Collection of Talismans” on the stall and was puzzled. The Grand Elder had said talismans weren’t fundamental cultivation arts but were important secret techniques, kept closely guarded by every family. The few talismans Yao Qian knew came from the Grand Elder’s teachings in Qingmu Valley.

Why would such a book exist here? She looked up and asked the stall owner, “Senior Brother, may I look at this book?” From Li Wei’s words, they could call everyone on Liuxia Peak “Senior Brother,” as they were all of the same generation.

The stall owner nodded. “Go ahead.” The book was meant for little novices like them.

Yao Qian flipped through the book and found it was indeed a complete talisman compendium—though it only contained drawings of talismans, without instructions on how to draw or activate them. It was similar to a poor-quality picture book in later times.

Though full of images, most were blurry, suitable only for casual viewing. It was impossible to copy talismans accurately from such a book. Still, it was very useful to Yao Qian. With the Tianyan Stele, as long as she had talisman images, she should be able to deduce the correct drawing methods.

She asked the stall owner, “Senior Brother, how much is this book?”

“Five hundred spirit pearls,” he replied.

Yao Qian was shocked. “Just a picture book of talismans costs that much?”

The stall owner earnestly explained, “Junior Sister, even if it’s a picture book, it’s comprehensive! I spent twenty years collecting the finest talismans from various families. Just the effort alone is worth that much.”

“Oh.” Yao Qian replied, reluctantly putting down the book and preparing to leave.

The stall owner asked, “Junior Sister, aren’t you buying it?”

Yao Qian honestly said, “I want to, but I don’t have that much money.”

“How much do you have?” he asked.

“One hundred spirit pearls.”

The stall owner frowned. “That’s a bit little.”

Yao Qian looked at him hopefully. “Senior Brother, could you give me a discount?”

He said, “Why not ask your friend to lend you some spirit pearls? I’ll sell it to you for three hundred.”

Yao Qian shook her head. “I have no friends, and my cousin doesn’t have money either.”

Seeing her sect uniform, the stall owner sighed softly. “Fine, consider this a good deed to help a junior sister’s cultivation! One hundred spirit pearls, you can have it!”

Yao Qian’s eyes sparkled as she thanked him profusely.

Li Wei watched coldly from the side and only spoke after Yao Qian handed over all her spirit pearls. “That book isn’t worth more than one spirit pearl.”

Hearing this, the stall owner immediately protested, “Senior Brother Li, don’t say that! How could it be just one spirit pearl? I spent twenty years—”

“That’s because you spent twenty years to accumulate enough contribution points to get a complete talisman collection,” Li Wei interrupted, shaking his head as he explained to Yao Qian, “The sect also has a book containing all talismans below the Golden Core stage, and it’s much more detailed. But viewing it costs ten thousand contribution points.

This book only has talisman images. It doesn’t teach the brush strokes for drawing, the final sealing of spiritual energy, or the use of divine consciousness during creation. You can’t learn any talisman from it.”

Yao Qian stared blankly at Li Wei, then at the stall owner, and finally said after a long pause, “But I already bought it...” She knew all this, but Li Wei didn’t know she had a special advantage, so these things weren’t problems for her.

She also wanted to see the sect’s talisman compendium, but ten thousand contribution points couldn’t be earned overnight. Besides, Li Wei could afford to spend one spirit pearl on a book—would a newly inducted disciple like her? Being able to buy this book for one hundred spirit pearls was already very satisfactory.