What Are You Posturing For?

"Give us two bottles of insect-repellent fluid. The most expensive kind." Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou arrived at the Demon Quelling Pass branch of the Falling Coin Chamber of Commerce to purchase supplies. Demon Quelling Pass was one of the border's premier major cities. Massive quantities of demon-beast-related goods were sold here daily and transported to every corner of the Central Continent to satisfy cultivators across various realms, resulting in a staggering turnover of spirit stones. Insect-repellent fluid was a local specialty of the borderlands, a specially concocted spiritual fluid tailored against the forest's insidious, unavoidable bugs. Smeared over the body, it released a distinct scent detectable only by insects, driving them far away and keeping them from daring to approach cultivators. With this, there would be no repeat of leeches crawling all over them. "Do you have much insect-repellent fluid in stock?" Meng Jingzhou suddenly thought to ask. The attendant paused slightly, not understanding what Meng Jingzhou meant, and politely inquired, "May I ask how much insect-repellent fluid you need, honored customer?" "Probably enough to drive all the insects completely out of the dense forest." Even as a well-trained clerk, the attendant's lips could not help but twitch. "My apologies, honored customer, but that quantity is far too vast. Even emptying the headquarter's warehouse would likely fail to meet your demand." Everyone else smeared the repellent on their skin; this customer, however, wanted to douse the entire jungle. No amount of fluid on earth could suffice for that. Meng Jingzhou curled his lip, somewhat dissatisfied with the chamber's promotional slogan. "And they claim that with enough money, they can satisfy any customer request? Fine, fine, forget it if you don't have it." The conditions in the dense forest were brutal. Even the mosquitoes possessed the strength of the first level of Qi Refinement; Qi Refinement cultivators entering the forest had virtually no chance of survival. Viewed from another angle, however, if a Qi Refinement cultivator could survive in that jungle, they were bound to achieve great things in the future. In fact, many renowned great cultivators in history had chosen to hone themselves in the forest during Qi Refinement, forging a wealth of skills—and laying a solid foundation for severe internal dampness later in life, along with the need for prolonged convalescence. "Give us two bottles of Moisture-Dispelling Pills as well. The most effective ones you have." "And Detoxification Pills." "I heard some demon beasts carry aphrodisiac poisons. Give us two bottles of aphrodisiac antidotes... Wait, no, I'm not here asking for brothel recommendations—I mean two bottles of pills that neutralize aphrodisiac poisons." "Poisons... The quality of your poisons really doesn't cut it. Good thing I came prepared. This paper lists the names and weights of the medicinal herbs. Pack them according to this, and we'll brew them ourselves." Lu Yang felt genuine concern over the Falling Coin Chamber of Commerce's poison quality; it was simply too substandard. Any random disciple plucked from their Dao Seeking Sect could compound something far superior. "Would the two of you care for the latest edition of the *Dense Forest Illustrated Guide*? It details most of the demon beasts found in the forest, as well as the perils one might encounter within." "Good stuff. Give us one." "Will you be needing tents? They might come in handy for camping in the wild, and they're one of our top sellers. Every tent comes with a complimentary bottle of Golden Core stage demon beast urine. Sprinkling it around your campsite while sleeping effectively repels low-level demon beasts." "It could just as easily attract higher-stage demon beasts. Not safe. Forget it." "Directional Teleportation Talismans? What are these used for?" Lu Yang noticed a stack of high-priced talismans that made him secretly click his tongue. By comparison, the Ten-Ox-Strength Pills seemed practically dirt-cheap. "You have a keen eye, honored customer! This is a premier lifesaver. Should you encounter a mortal crisis in the dense forest, simply activate this talisman to be teleported straight back to Demon Quelling Pass. Not even a demon race expert at the Nascent Soul stage can interrupt the teleportation process!" "Sounds great. Give us five!" Meng Jingzhou spent money lavishly. He had always bought whatever caught his eye without ever glancing at the price tag. The attendant beamed, his demeanor growing warmer by the second. The commission from five Directional Teleportation Talismans alone equaled an entire month of his wages. These two were genuine, deep-pocketed patrons; it looked like he was taking home a handsome cut today. Who knew where these two wealthy young masters had sprung from? They were likely disciples of some great clan or major sect out for experiential training, visiting for the very first time. With that in mind, the attendant kindly offered a word of caution: "Honored guests, the borderlands aren't like where you come from; here, one must keep wealth strictly hidden. Not only are the demon beasts perilous, but people are equally dangerous. People go missing in the forest every day, especially of late. Rumor blames the demon beasts, but everyone knows it's not necessarily their doing." He figured these two guests would be training here for a while and that they would cross paths again in the future. Naturally, he wanted to do everything he could to curry favor with such prized customers. "Although the Garrison Commander established [Rules] within this city stating that [No person may steal, snatch, or rob], this rule only applies within Demon Quelling Pass. Once you leave the pass and enter the dense forest, rules cease to exist." This was the advantage of having a Body Integration cultivator: they could set rules in the cities under their charge that everyone was forced to obey, ensuring order to the greatest extent possible. Were it not for the extreme rarity of Body Integration experts, the Great Xia Dynasty would have posted one in every single city. "Please, allow me to escort you both to the VIP lounge." The attendant bowed slightly, gesturing politely toward the inner rooms, only to be turned down by Lu Yang. "No need. We two brothers are dignified middle Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the world is peaceful these days. Who would dare rob us?" Seeing this, the attendant could hardly press further and simply continued attending to them. "What healing pills do you have?" "Golden Sore Pills: take one, and injuries mend swiftly. Blood-Staunching Pills: in the event of severe bleeding, taking one rapidly staunches the flow. Qi-Replenishing Pills: maximize the recovery speed of spiritual energy. And White Bone Pills from the Buddhist Kingdom Merit Creation series: capable of bringing flesh back to bare bone..." "Two bottles of each." "Do you have protective dharma treasures? Two of each kind as well." Once their shopping spree concluded, they took inventory and found nothing missing. "Settle the bill." "As honored guests of our chamber, you will enjoy a ten percent discount on all future purchases." Meng Jingzhou said nothing. He merely retrieved a black medallion inscribed with the single character "Meng" and held it out nonchalantly. The moment the attendant saw the medallion, his pupils contracted sharply, and his hands began to tremble. The very first lesson of his pre-job training had been learning to recognize the chamber's specially designated medallions. These tokens represented distinct statuses—such as the imperial family or the Meng Family—and demanded nothing less than absolute reverence; on no account could they ever be offended. He had worked here for over a decade and had seen members of the Meng Family before, but those were all from branch lines. A medallion bearing only the lone character "Meng" meant the bearer was of the direct lineage, someone destined to hold real authority in the Meng Family. A monumental background. An utterly terrifying background. How ridiculous that he had just offered a measly ten percent discount; someone like this would never look twice at such pocket change. "Don't make a fuss," Meng Jingzhou said, his tone casual, though inwardly he was overjoyed. *Yes, exactly! That's the look I wanted!* Lu Yang eyed Meng Jingzhou from the corner of his eye, his face full of disdain. *What are you posturing for?* The Dao Seeking Sect had similar medallions too, though only Eldest Senior Sister and the elders were qualified to use them. After taking the token and verifying its authenticity, the attendant swiftly settled the payment and threw in a mountain of complimentary gifts. "Do the two of you have storage rings? I can stow everything inside for you directly." Lu Yang nonchalantly drew out his Dao Seeking Sect identity jade plaque, inscribed with the two characters "Lu Yang." Seeing the jade plaque, the attendant's heart clenched all over again. A disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect—a status that carried world-shaking influence throughout the cultivation world. He had guessed they hailed from great clans or prominent sects, but he truly had not imagined their origins would be *this* colossal. "Don't make a fuss," Lu Yang said, his tone casual, though inwardly he was overjoyed. *It's finally my turn!* Meng Jingzhou eyed Lu Yang from the corner of his eye. *What are you posturing for?* Collecting their belongings, the two headed off toward the dense forest. What neither of them noticed, however, was that the moment they exited the chamber, five figures stealthily slipped after them, their eyes glinting with a vicious, sinister gleam.