Chapter 136

"So, little friend, you are a spiritual farmer? How is it that you have spiritual rice given by your master? If you want to sell it, I can buy it from you at a price of nine spirit crystals per ten catties, how about that?" Seeing Xia Daoming rubbing his chin with a troubled expression, the old Daoist seemed to remember something, and his eyes couldn't help but light up.

Spirit crystals are fragments of spirit stones, the smallest currency unit in the cultivation world; ten spirit crystals can be exchanged for one spirit stone.

Generally speaking, if a cultivator does not specify, spirit stones refer to low-grade spirit stones.

In fact, spirit stones are also divided into middle-grade and high-grade based on the purity and quantity of the spiritual energy they contain, and the exchange rate for each grade is generally one to one hundred.

The amount of spiritual energy contained in spirit crystals is too small, so they only circulate among early and mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.

"Isn't it ten spirit stones per hundred catties?" Xia Daoming frowned slightly.

"That is the price sold by merchants; how could the acquisition price be that high? Generally, eight spirit stones per hundred catties is considered not bad. I want to eat it myself, so offering you nine spirit crystals per ten catties to buy a little privately is already a very high price.

Besides, with the small amount you have, if you go to a spiritual rice shop to sell it, who would pay attention to you? Moreover, you are not allowed to sell spiritual rice privately here unless you pay taxes. It's only because I, this old Daoist, rely on my seniority that I dare to do some private business with you," the old Daoist said with a serious face, a flash of cunning in his old eyes.

"So that's how it is. But it's a pity that I don't have any spiritual rice on hand, otherwise I would definitely sell it to you, immortal master senior." Xia Daoming said with a look of sudden realization.

"You don't have spiritual rice?" The old Daoist was stunned.

"Yes, I was just inquiring so that I could buy some in the future to improve my children's aptitude, so they might have more opportunities for cultivation," Xia Daoming said.

"Alright, fine, fine, you should go now." The old Daoist said, speechless.

"By the way, immortal master senior, are there any introductory cultivation technique manuals for sale in this market? Preferably from large sects like the Qingyuan Sect." Xia Daoming, as if he didn't see the old Daoist's impatience, continued to ask with a respectful and humble expression.

This old Daoist was from the Lingdao Sect and was of advanced age, having guarded the gate under the stone pillar of the Tianxuan Pavilion for years, greeting and sending off people; he must be very knowledgeable. Since Xia Daoming had caught him, he naturally had to consult him more.

"Alright, alright, such things exist, but every copy is expensive as hell. And you, a mere martial artist, even if I gave it to you, could you distinguish the real from the fake?

As for the Qingyuan Sect, that is a super large sect; who would dare to openly sell their introductory techniques? Even if they did, they would generally be sold on the black market." The old Daoist looked at Xia Daoming, speechless.

He had never seen a young man with such thick skin who also didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

First he asked about spirit-awakening elixirs, and now it was even more exaggerated—he was actually asking about the introductory techniques of a large sect!

"How expensive is 'expensive as hell'? And where is the black market around Wanluo Xianshan?" Xia Daoming followed up with his questions.

The old Daoist looked at Xia Daoming, sizing him up for a long while before saying: "I, this old Daoist, have lived for eighty-eight years and have never seen a young man with such strong curiosity as you. But that's fine, unlike me, who basically can't find much interest in anything anymore.

If it weren't for the fact that I had a change of heart a few years ago, married a beautiful wife, and added a big, fat son to my life, thinking of saving some spirit stones for him so he could have a way out in the cultivation world, I really wouldn't be willing to guard the gate at my age; I would have long since retired to enjoy my old age."

Xia Daoming rolled his eyes inwardly.

He was over eighty, could still marry a beautiful wife, have a son, and still wanted what? And he actually said he couldn't find interest in anything!

Xia Daoming complained inwardly, but on the surface, he immediately looked admiring and said: "Immortal master senior is truly still sharp in his old age; this junior is very impressed!"

"Haha!" The old Daoist stroked his white beard with satisfaction, then waved his hand and said: "It's nothing, it's nothing. I have a fellow sect member who, at a hundred years old, still added several beautiful concubines!"

Xia Daoming was speechless.

The cultivation world is indeed different!

"As the saying goes, the Dao is not passed to those who are unworthy, and techniques are not passed to those who are not meant to hear them. Although introductory cultivation manuals only record cultivation techniques for the early stage of Qi Refinement, it is

extremely rare for sects or clans to sell manuals; they are all passed down from generation to generation.

Only when some sects or clans fall, or for other reasons, do they flow into the market and get sold by others. As for the price, even an unknown introductory cultivation manual is estimated to start at a thousand spirit stones.

The introductory techniques of some large sects are not allowed to circulate outside; once discovered, they are all taken back, so they can only be sold on the black market.

Since it's a black market, it's something that cannot see the light of day, and naturally, it's not something an ordinary person can inquire about. So, little brother, asking me is a waste of time. When you can one day become a Wu Shi and enter a powerful circle, perhaps you will have the opportunity to hear news about this." The old Daoist felt proud for a moment, but soon returned to the main topic.

"It seems that obtaining introductory cultivation manuals is also very difficult, and those from large sects like the Qingyuan Sect are even more difficult," Xia Daoming sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling immense pressure.

"Alright, are there any other questions? If not, hurry up and leave!" This time, the old Daoist even started making gestures.

"One last question: are there any ways to make quick money around Wanluo Xianshan?" Xia Daoming asked.

"Yes, do tasks!"

"Tasks? What kind of tasks?"

"There are many kinds, such as going to some dangerous place to help people collect some special resources, or going to help someone in a fight, or hunting down evil cultivators on the wanted list, and so on."

"Where are these tasks posted?"

"The Tianming Mansion! Go right from here, pass through more than ten stone pillars, and you will see it."

"Thank you, immortal master senior!"

The old Daoist watched Xia Daoming's retreating back and couldn't help but shake his head: "The Tianming Mansion, as the name suggests, is only for those destined by heaven to have the fortune to enjoy the opportunities hidden within these great dangers. How could a mere eighth-rank Great Wu Shi like you get involved? Going there is nothing more than watching the excitement!"

Xia Daoming, however, did not think so; at this moment, his heart was burning.

The old Daoist's words had simply awakened the dreamer.

It made him suddenly think of Wu Rong.

Wu Rong was also a person on the wanted list, and at that time, Lan Xue had let it slip that the bounty was very high.

If even a Qingyuan Sect disciple thought the bounty was high, it certainly wouldn't be low.

Moreover, killing people on the wanted list was a legitimate way to kill and rob.

"No, no, I'm not doing this to kill and rob; I'm doing it to eliminate harm for the cultivation world!"

"However, those who can make it onto the wanted list and remain at large must all be very sinister, cunning, and have some powerful means. I must never be arrogant.

I can start by practicing on evil cultivators with lower rankings. Once I've practiced enough and my cultivation has advanced further, I'll practice on more powerful evil cultivators. In any case, I must advance steadily."

Xia Daoming thought to himself, and before he knew it, he arrived in front of a stone pillar.

This stone pillar could not compare to the one where the Tianxuan Pavilion was located; it was only two zhang high, with a very old and simple house built on top, with the three large characters "Tianming Mansion" written on it.

However, the flat top of the stone pillar was very large, making for a large square in front of the Tianming Mansion.

When Xia Daoming went up, there were quite a few people in the square.

They were gathered in groups of three or five, whispering about something. Seeing Xia Daoming come up, they all looked at him, but seeing that he was only an eighth-rank Great Wu Shi, they curled their lips and looked away.

At this moment, Xia Daoming suddenly discovered that in the square in front of the Tianming Mansion, they were basically all cultivators.

Martial artists were only a minority, and almost all of them were at the Wu Shi level, and one was even an eleventh-rank Wu Shi.

An eleventh-rank Wu Shi was already comparable to an eighth or even ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator in the cultivation world, and could be considered quite powerful in the cultivation world of Wanluo Xianshan.

An eighth-rank Great Wu Shi like him, suddenly appearing in the square of the Tianming Mansion, was simply like a "crane in a flock of chickens."

Xia Daoming didn't care about the contemptuous or even mocking gazes of the crowd and walked quickly into the Tianming Mansion.

The layout inside the Tianming Mansion was even simpler than outside; except for two counters, one for registration and one for settlement, one could hardly see any decorations.

Instead, the walls of the hall and the individual rooms were covered with task lists.

An hour later, Xia Daoming left the Tianming Mansion, and after taking a cursory look at the remaining shops in the market, he rode Wuyun Taxue and left the Wanluo Immortal Market.

On the way back, Xia Daoming's mood was complicated.

He found that he had still thought of things too simply.

The strength of the evil cultivators ranked lower on the wanted list was really nothing to him now; killing them should be relatively easy, and the bounty was quite tempting.

But the problem was, the reason they could hang on the wanted list for a long time and still be alive was not because there were no powerful people who wanted to hunt them, but because their whereabouts were hard to find.

If you can't find the person, how can you hunt them?

You can't spend a few years specifically searching for and tracking an evil cultivator; if he really did that, Xia Daoming might as well go back to Li Cheng and honestly farm and play cards at home.

After saving for ten or twenty years, he could probably buy the spirit-awakening elixir and the introductory cultivation manual.

Besides the path of earning bounty money, the Tianming Mansion had other tasks.

For example, going to a dangerous place similar to the Cangmang Mountains to find a certain special medicinal herb!

Such tasks were naturally both dangerous and time-consuming, and sometimes one would end up coming out of the mountains empty-handed.

Or, for example, becoming a retainer or guest for some small forces; this kind of work was relatively easy, but the income was average, and the other party generally required the person to be a cultivator, and the cultivation requirement would not be low.

There was another kind that made money faster, and that was to be a hired hand in a fight.

For example, if one force wanted to duel another force to compete for benefits and didn't have enough manpower, they would need to temporarily hire thugs to help.

This kind of task not only required charging into the fray and risking one's life, but it would also needlessly create powerful enemies.

Therefore, unless one was at the end of their rope, ordinary people would not easily accept this task and take the initiative to intervene in the conflicts of other forces.

Xia Daoming naturally wouldn't either.

However, what surprised Xia Daoming was that the Lu Clan of Jin Guifeng was actually recruiting hired hands, and the rewards were generous, regardless of whether one was a martial artist or a cultivator.

Privately, Xia Daoming specifically inquired about it.

Only then did he know that the Lu Clan and the Yan Clan were fighting fiercely over the mineral veins of Hanxing Valley, and both sides had suffered casualties these days.

"No wonder on the way, senior brother said that starting this year, Jin Guifeng has been recruiting the Lu Clan's cultivation descendants from Jinxiu Valley one after another, and also brought many Great Martial Masters over. It seems the Lu Clan's situation is a bit tense.

After I go back, I must inquire about this carefully, get to the bottom of it, and if the Yan Clan is really powerful, I'll take senior brother's family and leave first."

Thinking this, Xia Daoming gently patted the horse's buttocks, signaling Taxue to speed up.

Sorry, the second update today is late. The update for today is complete.

(End of this chapter)