The Trade Fair

Qin Sang noticed that the Lesser Cold Domain cultivators lacked a strong will to fight. Having missed the best opportunity to pursue and kill the Heaven-Traversing Alliance cultivators, they exchanged a few hurried blows and then separated. Without using his magic treasures, Qin Sang's strength would be greatly diminished, leaving him no choice but to let the Heaven-Traversing Alliance cultivators flee. Qin Sang rendezvoused with the Lesser Cold Domain cultivators. After verifying each other's identities, he learned that they had not been assigned on a mission together, but had attended a secret trade fair instead. Unexpectedly, after the trade fair ended, they ran into the infiltrating cultivators from the Heaven-Traversing Alliance, which led to the skirmish. No wonder their coordination in battle had been so loose. Fortunately, they were not far from the location of the trade fair at the time and had not scattered too much; otherwise, picked off one by one by the Heaven-Traversing Alliance, they could never have held out until now. With so many cultivators gathering in the Yuncang Great Marsh, secret trade fairs were bound to exist. Qin Sang was well aware of this, but he had been cultivating diligently in secluded meditation and lacked the leisure to go out searching for them. Encountering this opportunity, Qin Sang naturally would not let it slip by, immediately asking them for details. The secret trade fair had not been large. Now that it was exposed, that location was no longer safe. Once their shaken nerves settled, they had no intention of organizing another one anytime soon. However, Qin Sang learned the location of another trade fair from one of the cultivators. The location of this other trade fair was exceptionally well-hidden. It opened once every three months, and attendance required a token. This trade fair was quite substantial in scale. It was a mixed bag, drawing righteous, demonic, and rogue cultivators alike. Most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and one could scavenge quite a few good items there. Grateful for Qin Sang's assistance, that person gave his fair token to Qin Sang. After verifying that the trade fair was legitimate, Qin Sang frequently paid visits to it, occasionally finding items he fancied. Tomorrow would be the start of another fair. Qin Sang emerged from seclusion. Compared to two years ago, his aura had grown even more steady and composed. After instructing Xie Ying to watch over the herb garden, Qin Sang flew out of the restriction, checked his bearings, and then concealed his figure, quietly flying toward the waters to the southwest. Through channels at the trade fair, Qin Sang had also gained a rough understanding of the latest movements between the Lesser Cold Domain and the Heaven-Traversing Alliance. Presently, fighting occurred both in the Yuncang Great Marsh and south of Tianduan Mountain, yet there were no signs of all-out warfare. Both sides exercised restraint; the strongest combatants on the battlefield were only at the False Core stage, and there was no word of any experts at or above the Core Formation stage taking action. However, it was said that Core Formation cultivators from each of the major sects had arrived in the Yuncang Great Marsh, gathering together to covertly steer the development of the situation. They wielded immense authority, universally recognized by the major sects. They could conscript disciples from any major sect at will, and no one was permitted to disobey; otherwise, they would be treated as traitors colluding with the enemy. Quite a few disciples from Shaohua Mountain had already been conscripted. This was not the first time such clashes had occurred; they seemed to follow an established routine. What both sides did most was organize people to infiltrate the other's sphere of influence, sabotage vital sites such as spirit stone mines and herb gardens, or intercept and slaughter lone cultivators, thoroughly muddying the waters of the Yuncang Great Marsh. Only a few small sects were caught in the crossfire. Whether infiltrating the Heaven-Traversing Alliance or patrolling the borders, casualties were unavoidable. By comparison, Qin Sang found his current assignment to be a rather cushy post. Seeing that things would not truly descend into chaos in the short term, Qin Sang set his mind at ease. He would simply wait until the spirit herbs in the herb garden matured, complete the mission Qi Yuanshou had tasked him with, and then decide where to go next. It was best not to get dragged into the center of the whirlpool. Although he was stronger than cultivators of the same realm, none of the magic treasures on him could be exposed. Moreover, once caught in a chaotic melee, circumstances were fickle and unpredictable, and even magic treasures could not guarantee his safety. Fortunately, having Qi Yuanshou as a backer meant he did not have to worry about being used as cannon fodder. Qin Sang skimmed close to the water's surface, flying at a moderate pace. It took him a full day to reach the vicinity of the waters where the trade fair was held. The terrain in this area was peculiar: across an immense expanse, countless stone islands of various sizes were scattered like stars on a chessboard. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy here was exceedingly thin, and the underground spirit veins were barren, making none of them suitable for cave abodes. Yet these desolate stone islands served as prime hiding spots for a trade fair. His figure flashed as Qin Sang landed on a deserted island. After observing for a moment, he retrieved a jade compass from his mustard seed bag. In the center of the compass sat a round, blood-colored droplet of liquid. The instant Qin Sang took out the compass and touched the blood drop with his spiritual power, the drop seemed pulled by some tugging force, gradually stretching thin into the shape of a blood needle. No matter how Qin Sang turned the compass, it consistently pointed in one direction. Cradling the compass, Qin Sang flickered and darted toward the direction the blood needle indicated. As Qin Sang sped along, the blood needle gradually shortened until it reverted to the shape of a droplet. At this moment, Qin Sang happened to be in the sky above a stone island. He looked down. The stone island was tiny, only several zhang across, composed entirely of rock without a blade of grass or tree. Eroded by the lake water, moss grew across the stones, their bases stained a blue-black hue. Qin Sang found no trace of restrictions on the island, but when he peered closely, he noticed something amiss about one of the rocks. It was a mortal mechanism. While such a mechanism would be laid bare the moment an immortal cultivator's spiritual sense swept over it, using it here made it far better suited for concealment than a restriction. Qin Sang landed before that rock, reaching out to press several spots with precise gestures. With a succession of clicks and clacks, the rock split down the middle, revealing a flight of stone steps. The stone steps wound downward. Reaching the end of the steps, Qin Sang stood before a patch of darkness when he suddenly heard a soft shout from within: "Who goes there?!" "Ahem!" By now, Qin Sang had put on a cloak. Clearing his throat, he adopted a raspy voice. "A trade fair attendee. Here is this old man's token." With that, Qin Sang raised his hand, presenting the compass. A moment later, Qin Sang felt the ripples of a spirit formation from ahead. A cultivator wearing a tiger-head mask stepped out, gave Qin Sang a slight nod, and made a welcoming gesture with one hand. "Fellow Daoist, please enter!" He said nothing more. Knowing the nature of these people, Qin Sang said nothing either, quietly stepping into the darkness. After only a few paces, light flashed before his eyes, and his figure appeared inside a stone room. Pushing open the heavy door of the stone room and stepping out, what met his eyes was a spacious hall. The hall was crude, clearly excavated in haste using magic power. The trade fair lasted only a single day, and each subsequent opening would take place in a different location. At present, dozens of cultivators had already gathered in the hall, most squatting on the ground like mortals and haggling over prices. This trade fair was quite renowned in the surrounding area. More people would arrive later, with at least a hundred cultivators attending every time it opened. The hall had no exits. Lined around the hall were numerous identical stone rooms, sealed by restrictions; covert transactions were conducted inside them. Below, there was even a second level. Qin Sang's appearance drew quite a few glances, some watching him with expectant eyes. However, Qin Sang had not come this time for the trade fair itself. Sweeping his gaze casually around, he found nothing of interest. Withdrawing his gaze, he picked out a stone room and strode inside.