Remember to Pay Me Back

Dahe Market was located on the outermost border of the Jade Cauldron Domain, right alongside the Million Mountains of the Eastern Wilderness. According to estimates compiled a few years ago by a Foundation Establishment cultivator writing travel memoirs, since it sat atop a Tier 1 spirit vein, more than ten thousand cultivators drifted through the place year-round. Most were loose cultivators; members of the major sects never stayed long, remaining only to oversee business interests. Even that presence was cyclical, with the managerial staff of the shops in the inner city rotating out every few years. As a result, most activities throughout the market were driven organically by the loose cultivators themselves. For instance, the loose cultivator bazaar was split into major and minor market days. Major market days occurred once a month, while minor ones took place on every day ending in one, four, or seven. Naturally, cultivators still set up street stalls on ordinary days, but foot traffic was nowhere near as heavy. Ten days had passed since the last minor market day. Early in the morning, a chubby figure came barreling into the bazaar. Zeng Wen was in luck. This time, after spending just a few days in the mountains, he had hunted down a Tier 1 demon beast and procured over a thousand jin of beast meat! His storage pouch was not large—measuring a mere cubic meter—barely enough to hold it all. Knowing when to quit while ahead, he withdrew from the mountains once he had gathered a decent haul. Ten jin of Tier 1 demon beast meat fetched one low-grade spirit stone, and the beast's bones served as a spiritual material as well. All told, this trip's earnings were decent enough, sufficient for him to live lavishly for a while. After returning home yesterday, he found a familiar butcher to dress the meat and immediately rushed off to indulge himself at Tianxiang Pavilion. As for how the experience went, it was a bit hard to describe. The beauties were exquisite, and his performance had been as steady and efficient as ever. Yet compared to his past glory of taking on ten at once, it paled in comparison. Hence, it was only through immense willpower that he tore himself away from that sweet grave of heroes early this morning, all to do some business with the little brother he had hit it off with last time. By the time he reached the South City bazaar, several vendors had already set up stall, and Old Daoist Chen, the talisman vendor, was sitting serenely on his small folding stool. "Is Little Fellow Daoist Luo not here?" "Nope. Probably at home brewing pills!" "Is he still coming to set up stall today?" "Usually, if he hasn't shown up by this hour, he won't be coming to the minor market today." Disappointment was written all over Zeng Wen's face. Feeling rather let down, he idly chatted with Old Daoist Chen about his experiences in the mountains. When a customer approached the stall, he prepared to take his leave. Before departing, however, he saw Old Daoist Chen cautiously stop a dissatisfied customer. "Fellow Daoist, care to hear about the Divine Concealment Qi-Concealing Talisman?" "What's that? Something to conceal one's aura?" "You know Master Lingyin of the Divine Talisman Sect, don't you? Let me tell you..." Zeng Wen's expression turned odd. He felt a nagging sense of deja vu at those words. Only after he had walked far from the bazaar did the realization hit him. Wasn't that just a rehash of what Little Fellow Daoist Luo had told him back then? "Damn it, the old geezer has gone bad!" He didn't think Luo Chen had deceived him. When Luo Chen pitched the Myriad Wonders Pill to him, he had never made definitive claims, using ambiguous phrasing throughout. What was more, the effects of the Myriad Wonders Pill had matched Luo Chen's description to the letter. He could only conclude that Old Daoist Chen had plagiarized Luo Chen's sales pitch. Meanwhile, the victim, Luo Chen, was holed up at home, wearing his apron and praying to Lord Guan. "The first few cauldrons all failed, and I've built up enough bad luck padding by now. It's about time for a successful batch today!" "Lord Guan, I've burned incense for you today. You must watch over me!" Muttering prayers under his breath, he continuously tossed medicinal ingredients into the cauldron. The processed fire hound whip gave off its natural foul stench, blending with the fragrance of the various spirit herbs into an indescribably bizarre odor. The decocting process stretched from morning well into the afternoon. Upon lifting the lid, Luo Chen gazed at the deep red paste and inhaled its refreshing fragrance, pumping his fist hard. "Not bad! Succeeding on the sixth cauldron this time is huge progress!" "Lord Guan, I knew you cared about me. Even after I transmigrated, you're still watching over me." "Keep it up tomorrow!" ... Half a month later, Luo Chen gazed contentedly at the fifty small jade vials on his table. This was the fruit of nearly a month's hard work. Thirty of the vials contained Fasting Powder, which he had rushed to make over the past two days. The remaining twenty vials all contained Myriad Wonders Pills. Unlike the Fasting Powder, which held ten per vial, the Myriad Wonders Pills were packed one per vial. In other words, out of this entire run of Myriad Wonders Pills, he had only succeeded with two cauldrons. Out of nineteen sets of ingredients, only two cauldrons succeeded—a success rate that was hardly anything to boast about. In terms of pill quality, they were merely low-grade. Low-grade pills had major limitations: their medicinal potency was mediocre, and consuming too many carried severe side effects. Then again, that was not his concern. He trusted his fellow Daoists possessed strong self-control—enjoying themselves was fine, so long as they didn't overindulge. "This is the best I can manage for now, but once my proficiency is ground up, things will definitely improve!" "The future is bright. Keep fighting, Chenchen!" Packing all the jade vials into a bag, Luo Chen pulled the door shut and dashed like the wind toward the Dahe Market inner city. Today was the major market day, and he had to make sure this batch sold well. When he arrived at the bazaar, people were still sparse; Luo Chen had arrived far too early. Old Daoist Chen had not arrived yet, but his old acquaintance Wang Yuan was already seated cross-legged on the ground. "Young people these days, not taking care of their bodies at all. The ground is so chilly!" Muttering under his breath, Luo Chen greeted Wang Yuan and naturally squatted down in front of his stall. "Oh? You've got more stuff!" Compared to last time, there were several more old books, and even a damaged jade slip. As for magical artifacts, there were four or five new additions, several of which bore blackish bloodstains. "Brother Wang, pulled off a few more big jobs recently?" Wang Yuan drooped his eyelids. "Look all you want, but don't touch." Luo Chen cast covetous eyes over several old books: *Five Essential Spells of the Qi Refinement Stage*, *Miscellaneous Notes on a Hundred Herbs*, *Eternal Spring Art: Qi Refinement Chapter*... All things he wanted, but alas, he had no spirit stones! If Wang Yuan sold all of this, along with those magical artifacts, there was no telling how much he would make. From what Luo Chen knew, a low-grade magical artifact went for at least one hundred low-grade spirit stones, while mid-grade and top-grade ones were absurdly expensive. Killing others for their treasures was truly the swiftest and surest path to wealth in the cultivation world. Too bad he was completely unsuited for such things; he was just an honest little cultivator who enjoyed brewing pills. Sighing, he picked up the unsold *Record of Customs Across the Six Domains* and began reading with relish. In the Far East Six Domains, each domain possessed a supreme sect that had produced Nascent Soul True Persons—such as the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, the Hehuan Sect, the Divine Talisman Sect, and the Medicine King Sect. Yet beyond these great sects, numerous smaller sects and cultivation clans existed within each vast domain. The vast territory and abundant resources had birthed countless peerless geniuses. In every era, mighty figures would inevitably rise. And during their ascent, strange tales and astonishing anecdotes were naturally never lacking. The author of *Record of Customs Across the Six Domains* had been a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement who, having no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, spent the rest of his days writing this book. Constrained by his realm and worldly experience, much of what was recorded was mere hearsay. Yet that did not stop Luo Chen from using it to glimpse a mere tip of the cultivation world's iceberg. Even those fragmented glimpses stirred his spirit and filled him with longing. "With a single sword strike, Perfected Jade Cauldron swept across mountains and rivers, anchoring the domain. Such magnificence is truly breathtaking!" After marveling for a moment, Luo Chen reluctantly set the book down, ready to set up his stall. "Take it if you like reading it. That travel record has too many errors; it's been sitting here for months without selling," Wang Yuan said flatly. With a flick of his finger, the book drifted lightly into Luo Chen's hands. Luo Chen was surprised, then overjoyed. "Thanks, Brother Wang! I'll return it as soon as I finish." Carrying the book back to his bluestone stall, Old Daoist Chen eagerly bustled over. Seeing the old man's face, Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Come to tell me how good business has been lately?" "Nope. Came to tell you—remember to pay me back!" "Urk!" Luo Chen took quite a hit. Just a moment ago, he had been thinking there were plenty of good people in the cultivation world. However, once Luo Chen laid out his pills, Old Daoist Chen shared a piece of good news after all. "Lately, a lot of fellow Daoists have been asking after your Myriad Wonders Pills. Boy, you're about to strike it rich!"