Chapter 8- Preparations

Lan Wei woke up before Ling Ling, studying her face in the dim morning light before the sun had fully risen. Her features were delicate, her skin smooth, her dark eyelashes slightly fluttering in her sleep. Though she was beautiful, he could not deny that Ning Xue possessed a beauty that was just slightly more refined. The thought of Ning Xue made his expression tighten—if she were to learn of Ling Ling, he would have to find a way to soothe her. He preferred to keep both, but his initial position in the sect had not afforded him such luxuries. Now, however, things were different. With his newfound potential and abilities, there was no one in this world who could limit his future. He would have what he desired.

Before waking Ling Ling, he made a small inventory of his possessions. He had two kilograms of spirit beast meat, ten communication talismans, his second-grade sword, and the body of the Shadowfang Panther he had slain. After separating the bones and organs, he had managed to salvage nearly seventy kilograms of grade-one spirit meat. It was a valuable resource, with the going price of one gold tael per kilogram. He planned to sell fifty kilograms to a merchant to replenish his funds, as his financial reserves were running low. He was down to only three gold taels and seventy-five silver taels. The remaining twenty kilograms would be for himself and the slaves he had purchased on his travels. The bones of the panther had little market value, but he intended to keep them for his blacksmiths to practice their craft.

In two days, his silverleaf vines would be ready for harvest. The spirit rice would follow two days after that, and in five days, the ginsengs would be ready. He planned to replant the ginsengs, expanding their number to five hundred and letting them age for greater potency. Once this was done, he would look into acquiring livestock for his world. With no pressing tasks ahead, he decided to explore the city for potential business opportunities.

Silently, he slipped out of bed and dressed, calling for hot water and breakfast. When he returned, Ling Ling was still asleep. He walked to the balcony, opening the curtains to let in the golden rays of early summer. A fresh morning breeze carried the scent of cooking fires and distant market stalls into the room. The city was already waking—laborers shuffled to work, merchants prepared their wares, and the distant hum of morning prayers echoed through the streets.

Returning to the bed, he gently shook Ling Ling awake. She stirred, cracking a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," she murmured.

"I've called for hot water and breakfast. You should get changed."

She nodded and rose, slipping into the robe she had worn the day before. By the time the servants arrived with breakfast and bathwater, they were seated at the table. They ate in quiet companionship, the soft clinking of chopsticks the only sound. Once the meal was finished, the servants departed, leaving them alone to share a bath.

As the warm water enveloped them, Ling Ling suddenly became emotional. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. Lan Wei immediately understood—this was about her sister. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. We will find her."

Ling Ling looked up at him in surprise, then buried her face against his chest. "Thank you," she whispered.

She wept for a few minutes before regaining her composure. They finished their bath, dressed, and left the inn.

Meeting with their guide, they first traveled to his rented house where the slaves were staying. The house was well-kept—clean floors, neatly arranged bedding, and the scent of cooking lingering in the air. The cook was scrubbing pots with two other slaves while the rest tidied the house and its surroundings. Satisfied, he ordered five of them to accompany him while the others remained behind to guard the storage. He descended into the basement, storing the fifty kilograms of spirit meat in satchels for transport. When they emerged, the guide eyed the bags but did not question them. The slaves, too, remained silent. They understood that their master possessed a spatial treasure, and it was not their place to pry.

Their next stop was a merchant specializing in spirit beast meat. The merchant's shop was a grand structure, standing near one of the inner city gates. It was an ideal location—high foot traffic from both local buyers and traveling merchants ensured brisk business. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of drying meats and rare spices. Rows of wooden shelves displayed various preserved cuts, and attendants bustled about, attending to customers.

Ling Ling took charge of the negotiations. After a brief discussion, she secured a favorable deal—fifty-five gold taels for the fifty kilograms of meat. Pleased, Lan Wei turned to the guide. "Find me a shop that sells seeds."

The guide led them five buildings down to a large-scale agricultural supplier. This shop catered to local villages and merchants who traded in produce. The interior was packed with sacks of grains, crates of vegetables, and barrels of preserved goods. Lan Wei browsed the selection carefully, purchasing a wide variety of seeds—rice, wheat, barley, corn, buckwheat, cabbages, carrots, radishes, turnips, potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and five varieties of peppers. He also acquired lentils, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, eggplants, lettuces, and an assortment of berries. To diversify his world's flora, he bought crates of oranges, apples, grapes, lemons, limes, peaches, plums, and cherries, all chosen for their potential as fruit-bearing trees. Additionally, he purchased a selection of herb seeds and spice seeds—thyme, basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, sage, parsley, dill, chives, lemongrass, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

The total cost came to four gold taels and fifty-five silver taels. Each seed variety would be enough to plant an acre of land. Lan Wei instructed the slaves to carry the supplies back to the storage house before setting off on his next errand.

As they moved through the city streets, he took in the scene around him. The outer city was sprawling, teeming with life. It was a place of stark contrasts—grand estates of wealthy merchants stood alongside crumbling tenements housing the poor. Narrow alleyways bustled with vendors selling skewers of roasted meat, steamed buns, and fragrant soups. Beggars huddled in corners, their hollow eyes tracking passersby in the hopes of alms. Rickety carts weaved through the congested roads, pulled by tired-looking mules. The scent of smoke, sweat, and spices filled the air.

Closer to the inner city, the atmosphere shifted. The streets were wider and cleaner, lined with tea houses, brothels, and well-stocked shops selling silks, medicines, and luxury goods. Guards patrolled regularly, their presence maintaining order. It was here that the true wealth of the city lay—small officials in embroidered robes sipped fine wine in shaded courtyards, while couriers hurried between estates, carrying news and orders for powerful families. The contrast to the outer city was striking.

Lan Wei absorbed all of this in silence. The city was full of opportunities, but also dangers. He would have to tread carefully.

While he left for a stable to purchase travel animals with Ling Ling and the guide, Lan Wei took in the sights and sounds of the bustling outer city. The streets were lined with mud-brick and wooden houses, many of them poorly maintained, with peeling paint and thatched roofs in various states of disrepair. Vendors called out loudly, trying to sell everything from fried dough to simple linen clothes. The smell of livestock mixed with the pungent aroma of unwashed bodies, a stark reminder that the majority of this city's population lived in poverty.

After 15 minutes, they arrived at a large building close to the outer walls, where a large number of horses and oxen waited in open-air enclosures. The stable was a sprawling, noisy affair, with beasts of burden tied to wooden posts while merchants haggled over prices with potential buyers. The ground was thick with trampled straw and dung, the air filled with the occasional neigh of a horse or the deep grunt of an ox.

Lan Wei planned to buy iron-hoofed horses for the journey, acquiring one carriage for himself and Ling Ling, with two storage carriages for the slaves. He chose to purchase six horses, ensuring they had enough mounts in case of emergencies. The alternative was thunder oxen, large, sturdy creatures suited for pulling heavy cargo. However, they were too slow for his needs, and he had no use for excessive weight capacity at this time. The iron-hoofed horses, descended from the spirit beast iron horses, were once covered fully in metal. After generations of domestication, their bloodline had weakened, leaving only their hooves encased in iron-like material. They were faster and more enduring than regular horses, making them a favorite for mortal armies across the central, southern, and eastern continents.

The price was fair; six horses and three carriages cost him nine gold taels, with the stable offering a free week's stay to allow travelers time to prepare their journey. He received a small sale paper as confirmation and carefully stored it in his sleeve. With this part of his preparations complete, he left the stable and made his way back toward his storage house to collect five slaves. He had a new task for them—purchasing small livestock to raise within his private world.

Instructing the guide once again, they set off and, within ten minutes, arrived at a bustling livestock market called Golden Hoof Market. The streets here were even more chaotic, filled with the shouts of sellers trying to outdo one another. The overwhelming scent of animals—fur, dung, and raw feed—hung in the air. Pigs squealed from their pens, goats bleated as their leashes were pulled, and chickens clucked madly as potential buyers examined them.

As Lan Wei walked through the market, his eyes landed on a crate of young chicks, barely a few weeks old. Something about them caught his attention. Upon closer inspection, he realized that two of them were not normal chickens. He recognized the faint golden tint to their feathers and the slightly sharper beak shape. These were the offspring of a second-rank magical beast—the golden dawn hen. He had seen them before during his time at the Everlasting War Sect, where one of his subordinates had raised them. Their eggs, called radiant dawn eggs, were highly prized among cultivators. Even first and second-grade cultivators sought them out, with just six eggs selling for a lesser qi stone.

Keeping his excitement in check, he casually asked about the chicks' origins. The seller, a simple villager, claimed his flock was raised near the forest outskirts. He likely had no idea that a golden dawn hen had wandered into his farm, laid eggs, and left. The creatures were docile, making them easy to mistake for ordinary chickens. However, if provoked, even a single golden dawn hen could kill a first-rank cultivator.

Not wanting to draw attention, Lan Wei calmly negotiated a price. He bought the entire crate of twenty chicks for a mere ten silver taels—a steal. When he inquired about the adult chickens, the seller pointed toward a separate pen, but they were just ordinary birds. It was clear that the golden dawn hen had long since departed.

Lan Wei personally picked up the crate, handing it to one of his slaves. "Take these to the basement storage," he instructed. The man nodded and left with eighteen chicks, while Lan Wei discreetly transported the two golden dawn chicks into his small world. He placed them in a safe area near a clear stream, ensuring they had access to fresh water and an open field for foraging. If raised properly, they would provide a steady supply of high-value eggs in the future.

After browsing the market a bit more, he found no further lucky opportunities. Still, he purchased a healthy rooster for two silver taels, ensuring that the normal chickens in his world would have a proper breeder. The rest of the slaves were ordered to return to the storage house with the rooster.

With his purchases complete, Lan Wei dismissed the guide and took Ling Ling with him to explore the inner city. The transition from the outer to inner city was stark. The streets became cleaner, paved with large stone slabs rather than packed dirt. The buildings were taller, constructed from high-quality wood and reinforced stone, with sweeping roofs and intricate carvings.

The people here were visibly wealthier, dressed in silk robes and well-stitched tunics rather than ragged hemp clothing. Marketplaces were filled with stalls selling exotic spices, fine porcelain, and rare herbs. Restaurants and tea houses lined the streets, the scent of roasted duck and spiced wine filling the air. Musicians played flutes and zithers, adding to the lively atmosphere. Yet, even in this prosperity, beggars and struggling merchants could be seen in the alleys, a reminder that wealth was unevenly distributed.

Lan Wei and Ling Ling strolled leisurely, enjoying the sights. Though he had no immediate business here, he made mental notes of establishments that might be useful for future trade. He spotted alchemy shops, weapon forges, and talisman vendors, all places where he could either sell goods or procure valuable items.

As they walked, Ling Ling's eyes shone with curiosity. "I never had the chance to explore a city like this before," she admitted.

Lan Wei gave a small smile. "Then let's make the most of it. There's still much to see."

For now, he would focus on gathering information and resources. His journey was only beginning, and the inner city held many opportunities waiting to be seized.