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The innkeeper was specifically looking for outside Loose Cultivators, acting as an intermediary to earn a referral fee.
Seeing the innkeeper speak so frankly, Xunuo thought to himself that this fellow wasn’t afraid of him, dismissing him as an intermediary. But then he realized how naive that was. As a stranger in an unfamiliar place, he wouldn’t even be able to find the temple with a pig’s head in hand. Without this intermediary, it would be impossible to accomplish his task.
However, Xunuo still had some doubts and asked, “Isn’t your approach damaging the revenue of Three Star City? Won’t they pursue this matter?”
The innkeeper quickly replied, “Fellow cultivator, you worry too much. How could we possibly harm their revenue? The outer caves have fixed rents and are not leased through auctions. What we’re doing will only increase the popularity of Three Star City. The prices for auctioning rental rights are higher; there’s no loss at all. Otherwise, we Loose Cultivators who rely on Three Star City for our livelihood would have been eradicated long ago. Although these dealings happen in the shadows, they are not a secret to the managers of Three Star City. It can be said that they are tacitly allowing it.”
Xunuo nodded and said, “Then take me to meet your manager; I’m quite interested in this.”
The innkeeper smiled obsequiously again and said, “Please don’t mind me; I’m just a runner. It’s no trouble to take you there, but about that referral fee... heh heh.”
Xunuo chuckled and tossed two spirit stones onto the table. The innkeeper gleefully pocketed the stones and led Xunuo through the Market, turning left and right until they arrived at a shop with a sign reading One Crown Dan Workshop.
Xunuo couldn’t help but laugh silently at the sight, thinking: Could it be that the path for alchemists here is so difficult that they must rely on underhanded means to survive?
The innkeeper entered the Dan Workshop and greeted the staff inside before leading Xunuo through the curtain into the back hall.
In the back hall sat a black-faced middle-aged cultivator at the Eleventh Layer, reading a book while pondering its contents. He initially glanced at the innkeeper without paying much attention but then noticed Xunuo following behind him. Seeing an Eleventh Layer Grandmaster, he quickly stood up to greet him.
The black-faced cultivator offered Xunuo a seat and called for someone to serve Spiritual Tea before casually telling the innkeeper, “You can go collect your reward now.”
Though both were Eleventh Layer Grandmasters, the innkeeper dared to chatter in front of Xunuo but became utterly respectful in front of the black-faced cultivator. Only after receiving his words did he bow and leave.
Xunuo glanced at the book resting on the table in front of the black-faced cultivator and immediately understood why this Dan Workshop was struggling. It was a book on Alchemy but focused solely on basic healing methods and life-saving ointments. Most of it detailed techniques for extracting and combining medicinal materials.
The Black-Faced Cultivator frowned at the introductory book on Alchemy. His lack of skill in this area was evident.
After a brief chat, the Black-Faced Cultivator openly shared the history of the One Crown Dan Workshop.
This Dan Workshop was his family legacy, with several renowned Alchemists in previous generations. However, in his generation, he lacked talent in Alchemy. The inherited Dan Workshop had gradually fallen into decline. Out of desperation, he turned to the side business of transferring the rental rights of a Cave in Three Star City.
When the conversation reached this point, Xunuo asked about the transfer fee. The Black-Faced Cultivator replied readily, "The transfer fee is equal to one year's rent, which is three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. However, when your rental period ends, you can also entrust me to handle the transfer for you, and I will take one and a half Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo realized that not only was the man’s face dark, but his heart was as well. Xunuo did not plan to stay long in Three Star City, so he could afford these spirit stones. He then asked, "Are there any available Caves at the moment?"
The Black-Faced Cultivator chuckled, "Of course! I wouldn't dare let you come here for nothing. However, there is one thing I must make clear—please think it over."
Xunuo quickly asked what it was, and the Black-Faced Cultivator explained that Loose Cultivators renting Caves in Three Star City must register with a designated agency. However, the Cave being transferred here could not be registered anew; it would have to use the original registration information. The subsequent renting Cultivator would only need to pay regularly. This meant that any Cultivator holding this proof to occupy the Cave would have to live under that name in Three Star City.
Xunuo smiled oddly; he welcomed this rule immensely. It seemed tailor-made for his current predicament.
Seeing that Xunuo had no objections, the Black-Faced Cultivator took out a ring for Xunuo to inspect. Upon looking at it, Xunuo noticed that the ring was black, wide like a willow leaf, and unusually warm, resembling gold or jade. A probe with his Divine Sense revealed some identity information: District Three, Number 3862, Zhang Huanqiang, Basic Skill Method Level Ten Cultivator from Qi Country's Double Crane Mountain, a Loose Cultivator.
Xunuo felt reassured by this simple personal information. Especially with a name like Zhang Huanqiang—so ordinary that one could read it ten times without remembering it.
Satisfied, Xunuo nodded and handed over three Mid-Grade Spirit Stones to the Black-Faced Cultivator.
The Black-Faced Cultivator smiled as he accepted the spirit stones and said to Xunuo, "This ring is not only your key to enter and exit the Cave but also your proof for entering and leaving Three Star City. However, this Cave's rental period has expired. Your first priority upon entering Three Star City is to promptly go to the Cave Management Office to renew your rent. If you fail to pay within ten days, this Cave will be rented out according to regulations—keep that in mind."
Xunuo thanked him and asked about various aspects of Three Star City, such as payment locations, city rules, and the Cave's location.
Moments later, Xunuo wandered curiously through the Market. The main purpose of Xunuo's visit to the Market was to broaden his horizons.
Unlike Cultivators from established Cultivation Sects or families, who have a lineage and can trace their knowledge and experiences through their masters, Xunuo had to rely on continuous accumulation to gain this knowledge. This approach had its drawbacks, as it required a significant amount of time, but the advantage was that the knowledge gained was more genuine and nuanced. For Xunuo, this was the only option.
As long as he reached Three Star City within ten days, and since this Market was almost right outside the city, he could fly there in half a day if he hurried. Therefore, Xunuo was not in a rush; he planned to linger in the Market for three to five days and explore every corner.
Starting from the southwest of the Market, Xunuo slowly strolled through each Shop. This area was filled with numerous stores selling Refining Materials, which suited Xunuo perfectly. That day, he managed to acquire two types of materials needed for refining the Heaven and Earth Four Killing Formation, which delighted him greatly. With these additions, he was only missing two more materials for the formation.
Thus, Xunuo spent three days wandering around the Market. After acquiring another type of material for the Heaven and Earth Four Killing Formation, he found it increasingly difficult to make further gains. Eventually, he decided to visit a trading area among Loose Cultivators to try his luck.
Large Markets typically have a designated area for free trading among Loose Cultivators, allowing them to display their items for sale or exchange. This is also a way for the Market to attract more visitors. However, such free trading areas are often chaotic and filled with mixed quality goods without any guarantees. It truly tests a Cultivator's discernment.
After walking around this free trading area for a while, Xunuo quickly grasped the chaos of the place.
While he wouldn’t claim to be an expert in Refining Materials, he did have some insight into Alchemy materials, especially herbs. When he noticed some Loose Cultivators trying to pass off purple skin as golden skin and coloring Shou Wu to sell as hundred-year-old Shou Wu, he couldn't help but shake his head and became even more cautious.
As he passed by a stall, Xunuo suddenly felt a stir in his Sea of Consciousness. The Killing Blade began to tremble violently. Startled, Xunuo thought to himself that it better not go berserk and disrupt his Sea of Consciousness.
He quickly sent a portion of his Divine Sense in. Upon seeing the Killing Blade flashing wildly at the center of his Sea of Consciousness, it resembled someone encountering something extremely exciting. The dark clouds above his Sea of Consciousness were also influenced by this energy, swirling chaotically and faintly rumbling.
Seeing this situation made Xunuo's face turn pale; he didn't dare breathe too loudly. Carefully approaching the Killing Blade, he said, "Killing Blade, if there's something you want to say, just tell me; don’t scare me like this."
The Killing Blade trembled even more violently. A frail voice echoed in Xunuo's ear: "I want that string of beads."
At that moment, Xunuo noticed a string of beads at the stall beside him. He hurriedly reassured the Killing Blade: "Killing Blade, don’t get excited; I’ll buy it for you. Be good."
Killing Blade suddenly came to a halt. Xunuo felt an ominous sensation wash over him, instantly recalling the last time he was kicked out of the Sea of Consciousness by Killing Blade. It seemed that Killing Blade was also set on this course, and then...
Xunuo's expression changed as he said, "I'll go out myself." With that, he swiftly exited the Sea of Consciousness.
At that moment, Xunuo took a closer look at the stall of the Loose Cultivator. The man was in his thirties, with a disheveled appearance and gaunt cheeks. He was picking his teeth with a toothpick, revealing a mouthful of uneven yellow teeth.
Xunuo turned and crouched in front of the stall. He noticed a haphazard display of over ten odd items. There was a short knife, two pieces of Refining Materials that Xunuo couldn't identify even after staring at them for a long time, and several herbs like Golden Ginseng. One ginseng caught Xunuo's eye immediately; it was clearly a fake made from Grass Ginseng. There were also several other objects whose names Xunuo couldn't recall. What left him speechless was the presence of a Silver Night Pot on the stall. A string of Soul Pearls lay piled in one corner.
Crouching on the ground, Xunuo examined the peculiar assortment of items before him while the Sleazy Vendor scrutinized him closely.
At that moment, two Cultivators who appeared to be Dual Cultivation Partners passed by. They spotted a piece of Refining Material on the stall and stopped in their tracks, pointing at a yellowish material as one asked, "Is this Dark Yellow Crystal?"
The Sleazy Vendor chuckled slyly, "I'm not sure; it might be Dark Yellow Crystal, or it could be Gold Sand Crystal, or something else entirely."
The Female Cultivator looked skeptical and replied, "If you can't even confirm it, how can you sell it? How much for this material?"
After some deliberation, the Sleazy Vendor finally said, "Ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."
The Male Cultivator snorted and remarked, "Even if it's Gold Sand Crystal, it's not worth that price. Besides, this material is very likely Dark Yellow Crystal; are you out of your mind?" With that, the two turned and walked away.
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