Chapter - 14
Dahefang City stood at the edge of Yuding Prefecture, bordering the vast and perilous Donghuang Million Mountains.
According to the records of a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had written travel notes in past years, the city's location on a first-order spiritual vein allowed tens of thousands of cultivators to gather here year-round.
Most were disciplined cultivators—rogue cultivators striving to survive outside major sects. Disciples of large sects rarely lingered, only visiting to oversee their sects' businesses before rotating out every few years.
As a result, the city was primarily shaped by rogue cultivators, resembling a vast, lawless marketplace divided into major and minor trading hubs.
The large market was held once a month, drawing the biggest crowds.
The small market occurred every ten days.
Outside of these, some cultivators set up daily street stalls, but the foot traffic was much lower.
Now, ten days had passed since the last small market.
---
A Fortunate Windfall
Early in the morning, a rotund figure bustled into the marketplace.
Zeng Wen, a rogue cultivator, was grinning ear to ear.
He had barely entered the mountains this time when fortune smiled upon him—a first-order beast fell into his hands, yielding nearly a thousand jin of monster meat!
His storage bag was limited—barely enough to hold his haul. So, knowing when to quit, he swiftly withdrew from the mountains before greed could cost him.
Ten jin of first-order monster meat could be sold for a single low-grade spirit stone, and the beast's skeleton was also a valuable spiritual material. His earnings this time were decent—enough for him to enjoy some luxuries.
The previous day, he had already found a familiar butcher to process the meat. Now, unable to contain his excitement, he rushed straight to Tianxiang Tower—ready to indulge.
---
A Familiar Trick
When Zeng Wen arrived at the southern marketplace, early vendors had already begun setting up their stalls.
Among them was Old Daoist Chen, who sold talismans, perched on a wooden stool.
"Has Daoist Gu not arrived yet?" Zeng Wen asked.
"No, he's refining pills at home," Old Chen replied.
"Will he still set up a stall today?"
"At this point? Unlikely."
Zeng Wen sighed in disappointment.
Still, he struck up a conversation with Old Chen about his recent trip into the mountains.
Just as he was about to leave, something caught his attention.
Old Chen, usually reserved, was suddenly trying hard to persuade a reluctant customer.
"Fellow Daoist, are you interested in learning about the Shenyin Qi Talisman?"
"Shenyin Qi? A stealth talisman?"
"Exactly! You've heard of Master Lingyin from the Shenfu Sect, right? Let me tell you—"
Zeng Wen frowned. Something about those words sounded oddly familiar.
As he left the market, the realization hit him.
Wait a minute… isn't that exactly how Gu Shengtian pitched his pills to me?!
"Damn it, the old man is copying his sales pitch!"
But he knew Gu Shengtian hadn't deceived him. When selling the Zhongmiao Pills, Gu had always been careful with his wording—never making exaggerated claims. And the pills did work as described.
So, this could only mean one thing—Old Chen had stolen Gu Shengtian's marketing strategy!
---
Refining Pills
Meanwhile, Gu Shengtian was holed up in his residence, wearing an apron as he made offerings to Guan Yu's statue.
"The last few batches failed, but that was just preparation. Today's the day I finally succeed!"
He clasped his hands together in prayer.
"Second Master Guan, I'm giving you incense today, so please bless me!"
Muttering to himself, he carefully placed medicinal herbs into the alchemy furnace.
A processed Fire Hound Whip released its natural musky scent, mixing with the aroma of various elixirs to create an indescribably strange smell.
The brewing process stretched from morning until afternoon.
When Gu Shengtian finally lifted the lid, a crimson medicinal paste gleamed inside, exuding a refreshing fragrance.
His fists clenched in triumph.
"Yes! The sixth batch was a success—huge progress!"
"Second Master Guan, I knew you wouldn't let me down, even across time and space!"
"Tomorrow, we keep going!"
---
Half a Month Later
Gu Shengtian sat at his table, satisfied as he admired fifty small jade bottles—the fruit of nearly a month of effort.
Thirty bottles contained Bigu Pills, hastily refined over the past two days.
The remaining twenty bottles contained Zhongmiao Pills.
But unlike Bigu Pills—where each bottle held ten—each Zhongmiao Pill occupied its own bottle.
In other words, out of nineteen failed attempts, only two successful batches had been produced.
The success rate was abysmal. Worse, even these successful Zhongmiao Pills were only low-grade, meaning their effects were limited, and excessive consumption could lead to strong side effects.
But Gu Shengtian wasn't too worried.
After all, he trusted his fellow cultivators to have self-control—to enjoy the effects without overindulging.
"Well, this is the best I can do for now. But as my proficiency improves, things will definitely get better!"
"The future is bright—keep pushing forward!"
Packing the jade bottles into storage bags, Gu Shengtian locked his door and sprinted toward Dahefang's inner city.
Today was the big market day. He had to make a good sale!
---
The Market Opens
By the time he arrived, the crowd was still sparse—he was early.
Old Chen hadn't arrived yet, but his old acquaintance, Wang Yuan, was already seated cross-legged on the ground.
"You young ones never cherish your health. The ground is freezing," Gu Shengtian muttered as he greeted Wang Yuan and casually squatted in front of his stall.
Immediately, his eyes lit up.
"Hey, you've got some new stuff!"
Compared to last time, there were several old books and even a damaged jade slip among the wares.
There were also four or five additional magical artifacts, some still stained with black blood.
Gu Shengtian smirked.
"Brother Wang, you've been doing big business lately, huh?"
Wang Yuan barely lifted his eyelids.
"Look if you want, but don't touch anything."
Gu Shengtian flipped through the books:
Five Must-Know Spells for Qi Refining Cultivators
Miscellaneous Notes on Spiritual Herbs
Everlasting Spring Technique—Qi Refining Chapter
They were exactly what he needed. Unfortunately, he was broke.
He sighed, thinking about how much Wang Yuan would earn selling all these artifacts.
A single low-grade magical artifact was worth at least a hundred low-grade spirit stones. Mid-grade and high-grade ones were even more absurdly expensive.
Truly, killing and looting was the fastest way to make money in the cultivation world.
Too bad that wasn't his style. He was just a humble alchemist.
He sighed again, picking up an old book titled Records of the Six Eastern Domains and flipping through it with interest.
The book described the six great sects that had produced Nascent Soul cultivators—sects like Yuding Sword Sect, Hehuan Sect, Shenfu Sect, and Medicine King Sect.
Though limited in accuracy, it was a fascinating glimpse into the greater world of cultivation.
"The legendary Yuding Real Person shaped mountains and rivers with a single sword… What a majestic sight that must've been!"
Lost in thought, Gu Shengtian reluctantly closed the book.
"If you like it, take it. That book's full of errors and hasn't sold in months," Wang Yuan said flatly, flicking his fingers to toss the book to him.
Gu Shengtian was stunned—then delighted.
"Thank you, Brother Wang! I'll return it after I'm done!"
Just as he returned to his own stall, Old Daoist Chen appeared, grinning widely.
Gu Shengtian smirked.
"Let me guess—you're here to tell me how great my business has been lately?"
Old Chen shook his head.
"No. I'm here to remind you—don't forget to pay back your debts!"
"Uh…"
Gu Shengtian winced. So much for thinking there were good people in the cultivation world.