Luo Chen was not surprised that Kang Dongyue had deduced his identity.
Once the terms "Jade Marrow Pill," "Danchenzi," "Foundation Establishment True Cultivator," and "Dahe Market" were connected, anyone with a working mind could figure out that he was the master of the Luotian Association.
Nodding, Luo Chen made no attempt to deny it.
Seeing this, Kang Dongyue nodded in admiration. "Cultivation is truly not easy for rogue cultivators. Having such a force at your beck and call makes many things far more convenient. Coming to Taishan Market this time, you must be looking to settle down here as well!"
Luo Chen did not hide it either, speaking frankly. "I do have that intention."
"If that is the case, then at this upcoming auction, you might need to put on a good performance," Kang Dongyue said, stroking his beard with a meaningful tone.
Put on a good performance at the auction?
Luo Chen blinked, falling into contemplation.
Kang Dongyue did not disturb him, instead sending someone to fetch the medium-grade spirit stones and equivalent resources.
The price negotiated with Luo Chen for the high-grade Jade Marrow Pills was naturally not the market price, but a wholesale cost far below it. Only in this way could they ensure a profit for themselves.
However, given the chaotic current situation, with the two Nascent Soul superior sects growing increasingly irreconcilable, the prices of pills, Dharma artifacts, and the like had been rising steadily. Consequently, even the wholesale price had soared to eighty spirit stones a bottle.
Once the Gold and Stone Pavilion took possession and sold them for ninety or a hundred spirit stones, they could easily turn a profit of over ten thousand spirit stones across the entire lot. It was truly a fine piece of business.
Luo Chen would not lose out either.
Before departing Dahe Market, he had spent three months concocting large quantities of high-grade Jade Marrow Pills, consuming much of the Luotian Association's stockpiles and spirit stones for the task. If he sold them individually, he could certainly earn slightly more, but the time cost would simply be too high. Under the present circumstances, recouping his capital quickly was the wiser course.
Two hundred medium-grade spirit stones, twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones, plus a massive quantity of peak-grade and high-grade Golden Quality Jade Liquid.
This batch of Golden Quality Jade Liquid would suffice for Luo Chen's personal use for a very long time, with even an excess left over to reward cultivators within the Luotian Association.
In addition, there were herbal raw materials, largely centered around metallic ores and mineral substances. A substantial amount of Huan Jade was also provided.
Most important of all, Kang Dongyue informed him of news regarding a method to purge pill poison.
*The Subtle Pill Method of Pure Origin*.
It originated from the Azure Pill Valley, one of the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects. Kang Dongyue did not explain exactly how it had been obtained, but it would certainly prove useful to Luo Chen.
Once the exchange of goods was complete, Luo Chen consulted Kang Dongyue on several questions regarding cultivation.
Perhaps out of appreciation for Luo Chen, or perhaps because they had just finalized a major commercial transaction, Kang Dongyue was not stingy and shared several minor knacks for cultivating during the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Listening to these and combining them with the advice Li Yixian had given him back then, Luo Chen felt immensely enlightened. If he resumed cultivation now, he would likely avoid many detours, and his cultivation speed would accelerate by a few notches.
"Let us conclude here for today! I have truly imposed upon you, Fellow Daoist."
"Not at all, not at all! To tell the truth, I rather hope you all can remain here in Taishan Market. We could exchange experience in the Dao of Alchemy far more often."
"Whether it works out or not still depends on the attitude of your three families!" Luo Chen said with a wry smile.
He had already grasped the implication: staying in Taishan Market would not be so simple.
After bidding his farewell, Luo Chen drifted away.
Kang Dongyue stood before the window of the Gold and Stone Pavilion's magnificent upper floor, watching Luo Chen's receding figure down in the street.
"Come out!"
"Ah!"
A lovely figure emerged from the inner room. "Grandfather caught me."
Ignoring the cajoling tone in his granddaughter's voice, Kang Dongyue stroked his beard and let out a long sigh. "What a pity. If he had not established his foundation, he would have made a capable right hand for our Kang family!"
Kang Xianqiong leaned curiously against the windowsill, yet she could no longer spot that figure amidst the crowd. "He isn't even a member of our Kang family. How could he become a capable right hand?"
"Subdue him, win him over, persuade him with reason, entice him with profit... If all else fails, there is always marriage!" Kang Dongyue spoke unhurriedly. As he reached the final remark, he shot a half-smiling glance at Kang Xianqiong.
Kang Xianqiong shuddered. "I don't want to! Anyone who concocts that sort of vile pill clearly isn't an honorable gentleman!"
Kang Dongyue did not speak up to explain on Luo Chen's behalf.
An honorable gentleman? In this world, honorable gentlemen might exist, but they certainly would never emerge from a place like Dahe Market.
***
Midnight.
On the upper deck cabin of the Luotian Association's vessel, a figure floated down like willow catkins.
Simultaneously, as though sensing her presence in advance, the wooden door slowly swung open.
Li Yixian's bright eyes quivered slightly. *Luo Chen's spiritual sense is so sharp; he must have sensed my approach long ago.*
Entering the cabin, she shut the door, and the two sat facing each other.
"What did you manage to find out, Fellow Daoist?" Li Yixian asked with a calm expression, her true feelings unreadable.
Luo Chen shook his head. "I am afraid the situation is not favorable! Taishan Market might not be so welcoming to us."
Looking at Luo Chen, Li Yixian nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I spoke with the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator of the Yu clan, and she did not conceal much from me. Taishan Market possesses four small spirit veins in total. Although one of them is a second-tier spirit vein, it is divided between the Kang family and the Huo clan. The resources here are far less abundant than those of Dahe Market, and the major factions it can accommodate are limited!"
Four spirit veins! It sounded like a lot, but in reality, it fell far short of Dahe Market's large first-tier spirit vein. From what Luo Chen knew, the small branch veins extending from that large spirit vein at Dahe Market numbered well into double digits! That had been the true holy land for rogue cultivators. Moreover, the main vein at Mount Luofeng possessed the potential to be upgraded to the third tier. By comparison, Taishan Market was rather barren.
"Furthermore, this place seems to be affected by the fallout of the war between the two Nascent Soul superior sects, and the balance of power is gradually shifting," Li Yixian said slowly.
Luo Chen nodded. This matched almost completely with what he had learned from Kang Dongyue.
"The Huo clan! In the past, Taishan Market looked to the Kang family as supreme. Even though the Huo clan was stronger, they still had to show deference to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect behind them. But now, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect is clearly pulling back its strength. The Yan Alliance has been an auxiliary of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect for years, so to keep them tightly bound to their side, they have yielded certain things—such as this Taishan Market!"
Li Yixian remarked, "Perhaps it is not yielding, but returning."
"Mm." Luo Chen agreed with her words.
Taishan Market was originally located within the territory of the Yan Alliance. For many years, being controlled by the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion and the Kang family had indeed encroached upon the Yan Alliance's interests. Now that the great war had begun, in order to stabilize their allies, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect would naturally relinquish things that had never belonged to them in the first place.
The Huo clan had funneled young disciples into the Yan Alliance year after year and was already an integral part of it. Now that the Huo clan had seized dominant control, a portion of the market's profits would naturally be handed over to the Yan Alliance. Power and status were currently changing hands.
Coming to Taishan Market at this time, they had truly chosen an abysmal moment.
"Therefore, while it appears we require the consent of all three families, under the current situation, staying in Taishan Market requires only the Huo clan's approval!" Luo Chen concluded.
This conclusion weighed heavily on Li Yixian's heart.
It was entirely impossible for all four major factions from Dahe Market to remain. In all likelihood, only one or two would have that opportunity.
Li Yixian rallied her spirits. "Danchenzi, what do you plan to do?"
"What do I plan to do?" Luo Chen echoed the phrase, slowly shaking his head. With contemplation in his eyes, he finally said, "We will see after the auction!"
***
Three days later.
The Huo Clan Auction!
It was not titled the Jade Cauldron Auction, nor the Taishan Market Auction; the name was explicitly designated with the words "Huo Clan." The intent was self-evident.
The Red Toad Mountain Huo clan was using the opportunity of hosting this auction to declare their sovereignty over Taishan Market both internally and externally. From then on, this place was no longer territory dominated by the Kang family and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
As for why they chose the format of an auction, the reason was simple.
Grand auctions had always required the deep heritage of a major power to host. Minor factions could manage at most black markets, which were merely platforms providing a free trading space for rogue cultivators. Only major factions could reach upward to procure high-tier materials, pills, cultivation techniques, or even Dharma treasures, and reach downward to draw upon their prestige to gather countless guests and build great momentum.
If attendance was sparse, the atmosphere could never be stirred up. A handful of people would simply discuss and settle on prices amongst themselves; there would be no soaring price surges, only haggling and mutual compromises.
Standing beneath Red Toad Mountain, Luo Chen looked up at the towering peak piercing into the clouds, a flicker of envy in his eyes.
A place with a second-tier spirit vein!
Even if only half of it was shared with the Taishan Kang family, it remained a second-tier spiritual land. Yet what made him most envious was that this place possessed a genuine fire vein. Having been arranged by Yan Alliance experts to draw out the earth fire, it provided a true first-tier earth fire.
It was said that this mountain was an active volcano, within which a first-tier demon beast known as the red toad was born. Hence, it had earned the name Red Toad Mountain.
Compared to this, Mount Xiaohuan lagged far behind.
Withdrawing his gaze, Luo Chen glanced subtly to the side. Wang Haichao, Nangong Jin, and Li Yixian were each leading their subordinates in preparation to ascend the mountain. As for the endless stream of other traveling lights, they had nothing to do with him.
"Let's go!"
Luo Chen waved his broad sleeve, riding a white cloud slowly up the mountain. Wang Yuan, Huiniang, Duan Feng, and the others followed close behind.
Aside from five people—Zeng Wen, Granny Yuan, Sima Wenjie, and the two newly joined ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators—who had been arranged to stay behind and guard their base, Luo Chen had brought along all remaining ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators of the Luotian Association. Ten in all, plus his entry-level disciple, Qu Lingjun.
Even if they did not bid on many resources, broadening their horizons was worthwhile.
However, upon reaching the newly erected palace at the mountainside, that "horizon" proved somewhat disappointing.
A dense crowd was blocked outside the palace's grand entrance.
"What happened up ahead?" Luo Chen frowned.
Huiniang nodded to her younger brother, Sima Wenjie, who immediately stepped forward and jogged ahead. Before long, he rushed back.
"Reporting to the Association Master: when rogue cultivators were submitting auction items ahead, a bit of trouble arose, blocking the passage."
"Oh?"
Sima Wenjie promptly gave a full account. It turned out a rogue cultivator had submitted a thousand-year spiritual herb. However, due to the nature of divine items concealing their brilliance, the spiritual glow displayed by the herb was extremely dim. As a result, a Huo clan elder had appraised it as having an age of merely five hundred years.
The difference in value between a thousand-year spiritual herb and a five-hundred-year spiritual herb was like night and day. Because of this, the rogue cultivator had kicked up a fuss.
At first, the Huo clan elder stiffened his neck, insisting his judgment was not mistaken. But then a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator from the Spirit Herb Pavilion happened to pass by, took a casual glance, and blurted out the exact age of the spiritual herb. Thus, the elder responsible for the appraisal was made to look utterly foolish.
Now, the rogue cultivator was refusing to let the matter drop, believing the Huo clan elder had deliberately undervalued it with the intention of lining his own pockets. Not only that, but several cultivators who had previously submitted auction items also suspected foul play and demanded reappraisals. Back and forth it went, thoroughly clogging the rogue cultivator passage.
The Huo clan elder was now left stranded in an awkward position, unable to step down gracefully.
"No matter. Follow me through the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator passage!" Luo Chen said, releasing the spiritual power fluctuations of the Foundation Establishment stage as he walked forward.
Wherever he passed, the Qi Refining rogue cultivators parted one after another. Many sized up this unfamiliar Foundation Establishment cultivator with curiosity.
Passing the counter where rogue cultivators' auction items were received, Luo Chen took a look and could not help shaking his head.
Qu Lingjun looked over curiously and remarked casually, "Master, why didn't the Huo clan hire a professional appraiser?"
"Is it possible that this is already the most professional appraiser their clan has?" The speaker was Su Xiaolin, a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator who had risen within the Luotian Association over the past two years. In his forties, he appeared quite youthful and possessed a rather lively temperament.
Just as he spoke, a handsome young man clad in a scarlet robe strode forward from the opposite direction.
"Hmm?" He shot a glance at Su Xiaolin, his expression darkening slightly. A Foundation Establishment aura surged over aggressively, sharp and overbearing!
Luo Chen frowned and gave a casual flick of his sleeve. That sharp aura broke like a wave crashing against a reef—seemingly fierce, but ultimately dissipating into nothingness.
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need to make things difficult for a junior!"
The young man's eyes widened, glaring fixedly at Luo Chen. "Who are you?"
"I am Luo Chen. On behalf of my subordinate's indiscreet words, I offer you an apology." As he spoke, Luo Chen cupped his hands.
"Hmph, you certainly ought to discipline these rustic miscellaneous cultivators properly." The young man snorted coldly, choosing not to tangle with Luo Chen. Brushing past them, he headed straight for the small appraisal room where the rogue cultivator passage converged.
Before he even drew close, he announced his identity: "Our Huo clan has no interest in such trivial things, and claims of baseless price-cutting are pure nonsense. A thousand-year spiritual herb, is it? I, Huo Hu, offer three thousand spirit stones to buy it!"
Listening to the voice carrying from behind, Luo Chen could not help shaking his head.
What an overbearing man.
Buying a thousand-year spiritual herb for three thousand spirit stones seemed generous, but in truth, he was taking immense advantage. Moreover, that rogue cultivator would never dare refuse a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. Forget about claims that the price would be higher at auction; the auction itself was hosted by the Huo clan. The rogue cultivator had no choice but to sell!
"Senior, are you the Master of the Luotian Association?" A shapely maidservant appeared before them.
Luo Chen nodded.
The maidservant offered a faint smile and gestured forward. "Your private booth is over this way. Please follow me."
"Very well."
Led by the maidservant, Luo Chen and his group soon entered a reasonably spacious private booth. Looking out over the open platform, one could take in the entire scene on the palace floor below. The location was quite decent.
However, the arrangements within the venue for those rogue cultivators were truly lacking. The seats were arranged haphazardly, and some were even of different colors. Furthermore, unlike the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, they did not offer complimentary melon, fruit, and spiritual tea. Ultimately, they were merely a cultivation clan that had risen to power abruptly, lacking the poise of a true sect.
Luo Chen shook his head and took a seat.
Only then did he notice the atmosphere among his group was somewhat stifled.
Following Luo Chen's gaze, Qu Lingjun pursed her lips, full of regret. "Master, I shouldn't have spoken out of turn just now."
Su Xiaolin dropped to one knee, directly seeking punishment. "Association Master, Xiaolin spoke out of turn and brought trouble upon you."
Chapter 206