The Shadowpeak Finch

A short while later, Chen Jinshu came to a stop before a market stall, her face hidden beneath a veiled hat.

The stall was brimming with vibrant spiritual herbs and plants, each one lush and brimming with vitality—instantly capturing her attention.

"Daoyou, how much for these spirit fruit saplings?"

"Prices vary by species! Just point out the ones you're interested in."

The stall owner was a middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat, his boots still caked with yellow mud—clearly, he had just returned from the spiritual fields. If her guess was correct, he was likely an orchard farmer from the Wang Clan.

The Wang Clan was renowned for their vast orchards and herb gardens, producing bountiful yields year after year.

"I'll take these two."

Chen Jinshu pointed at two saplings faintly glowing with green light at the bottom of the display.

"Ah, those are Woodspirit Peach Trees," the man said smoothly. "The fruit they bear aids wood-attribute cultivators in their cultivation—comparable to medicinal pills, but without any pill toxicity."

"And they're quite affordable—twenty spirit stones per sapling."

"But planting these would take over a decade before they bear fruit, wouldn't it?" Chen Jinshu wasn't swayed by his sales pitch and immediately pinpointed the catch. However, with her spiritual planting space and growth-accelerating techniques, she could shorten that decade to four or five years.

Rather than taking offense, the stall owner's smile widened. Only buyers who were genuinely interested would nitpick details before making an offer.

"What price did the fairy have in mind? As long as it's not too unreasonable, this Wang can consider it."

"These saplings aren't top-grade, and they're still too young—they'd need even more years to mature. At most, I'll pay four spirit stones per sapling." Recalling her Third Uncle's advice, she knew the Wang Clan had no shortage of ordinary saplings—only rare ones fetched high prices.

"Fairy, that's far too low. Could you add a little more?" The Wang farmer hesitated, his expression conflicted. Had Chen Jinshu not known better, she might have fallen for his act.

"Five spirit stones per sapling—but you'll have to throw in a few of those withered herb seedlings."

Her gaze landed on a cluster of yellowed, wilted sprouts in the corner. If she wasn't mistaken, these were Snowlotus Sprouts. Though their leaves were shriveled, the faint vein patterns resembled lotus petals.

These seedlings were notoriously difficult to cultivate—even the slightest mishap would stunt their growth. But if nurtured properly, the fully bloomed Snowlotus could help break through minor cultivation bottlenecks.

For example, advancing from the third to the fourth layer of Qi Refining would become effortless. Even breaking through from the sixth to the seventh layer would benefit greatly from its effects.

Of course, Snowlotus took three years to mature—meaning she'd have to plant them well in advance.

The Wang farmer lowered his eyes, deep in thought, before finally nodding. These seedlings had been grown from random spirit seeds he'd scattered on a whim. After over a year, they showed no signs of flowering—only steady decline. So, he'd uprooted them to sell at the market.

"Very well, the fairy's offer is accepted."

Chen Jinshu nodded calmly, suppressing her delight as she collected the Snowlotus sprouts and the two Woodspirit Peach saplings.

After paying, she swiftly departed.

Market stalls truly were the best places for hidden bargains—though not as miraculous as the rumors claimed. Most "lucky finds" simply came from exploiting gaps in knowledge.

~

Further down the street, the noise of the crowd grew louder. Suddenly, a melodious voice rang out, drawing swarms of cultivators toward its source.

"Rare spirit beasts at bargain prices! First come, first served!"

"A spirit beast merchant?"

Chen Jinshu had heard of spirit beasts—creatures far easier to tame than demonic beasts, often used as battle companions or assistants in menial tasks.

There was even a major sect called the Beast Taming Sect, rivaling Xuanming Sect in power, whose disciples spent their lives bonded to spirit beasts.

Rumor had it that their beasts could farm, refine pills, forge tools, and even fight—practically omnipotent.

But Chen Jinshu knew most of that was exaggeration. Before she could react, the surging crowd pushed her straight to the front of the spirit beast stall. A young man in silk robes and a scholar's cap was enthusiastically hawking his wares, his Beast Taming Sect token prominently displayed at his waist.

With such a backing, business naturally thrived—who would dare scheme against a disciple of a major sect?

"Ah, Daoyou! You've got a sharp eye! This spirit fox carries the bloodline of a Nine-Tailed Fox! Don't let its scruffy fur fool you—it's just newborn and hasn't shed its first coat yet. Once it does, its fur will shine like silk!" The young man spoke with the air of a seasoned merchant.

"You're not tricking me, are you?" The skeptical male cultivator hesitated but, seeing the sect token, decided to take the gamble.

"Then I'll take this one." He pointed at a fox with slightly cleaner fur.

"Daoyou, don't be fooled! This man sells fakes!"

BANG!

A small, pitch-black finch was slammed onto the iron cage, its feathers streaked with red—whether blood or dye was unclear.

Its condition looked dire.

"What do you mean?" The buyer instantly retracted his spirit stones.

"I bought from him yesterday! He swore this was a Flame Sparrow, but within a day, the color faded!"

The accuser—a thin-browed man in dark robes—angrily pointed at the blackened bird. "Look! Faint traces of red dye are still there!"

"He's right!"

"Using the Beast Taming Sect's name to sell fakes? Shameful!"

The crowd's mood shifted instantly, hostility turning toward the young merchant.

"Refund the spirit stones! Now!"

The young man stared at the unfamiliar accuser, his face flushing red.

"Daoyou, this isn't one of our Flame Sparrows!"

"Look—our genuine Flame Sparrows are born red, and the color doesn't fade!" He pulled a crimson-feathered bird from a cage, flipping its plumage to prove his point.

The little bird remained docile in his grip, its fiery feathers unmistakably natural—nothing like the bedraggled black finch.

"What's going on here?"

"Those feathers do look real…"

"Maybe this guy just grabbed some wild bird to extort a refund!" The merchant glared at the troublemaker.

"Esteemed cultivators, you're all wise judges—truth needs no defense!"

The crowd's suspicion shifted toward the dark-robed man—only to find he'd already fled.

But the damage was done. The fox buyer had long since left. With a sigh, the young merchant could only swallow his losses.

"Chirp… chirp…"

The little black finch weakly raised its head, gazing enviously at the Flame Sparrow in the next cage.

"What kind of spirit bird is this?" Chen Jinshu asked, curiosity piqued.

"A defective variant—a Shadowpeak Finch. Some call it the 'Omen Bird.' Most Flame Sparrow mutations lean toward stronger fire attributes, but this one regressed, losing even its innate fire affinity."

The merchant frowned slightly, as if blaming the finch for his ruined sales.

"That's why it often seeks out Crimson Berries, smearing the juice on its feathers to mimic a Flame Sparrow."

Chen Jinshu fell silent, a pang of sympathy striking her. This little bird… was so much like her before her awakening. Even the desperate act of dyeing itself to fit in—

"If you don't want it, I'll take it."

"Are you sure, fairy? The 'omen' might not be entirely superstition…" The merchant seemed puzzled.

"Sell me a Spirit Beast Bag as well." She pointed at one priced at ten spirit stones.

Finally, the young man's expression brightened.

"Many thanks, fairy! I'll even throw in a free Contract Formation Manual!" He handed her a small booklet along with the bag.

"My thanks."

With a calm nod, she took the items and gently gathered the little finch.

"From now on, you're with me. Whether you are beautiful or ugly, I will take care of you!"