Chapter 12: Immortal Courts and the Mortal World

"I must first understand how the prices in this market work; why does this Fuyun Market look so expensive? This isn't right, is it?"

Chen Ci inexplicably had the feeling of browsing a luxury store in his past life.

Not only was the road beneath his feet paved with solid white marble, but the entire market was planned very neatly; a ten-meter-wide pedestrian cross-street divided the market into four large sections, with high buildings and jade pavilions, and many cultivators coming and going.

Where were the rogue cultivators setting up stalls?

Where was the flea market?

Where was he supposed to sell his Soul Fixing Talisman?

Chen Ci had a bad premonition in his heart.

"The consumption here is just too high, and gold doesn't seem to be currency here. It's not that it can't be used, but it's slightly different from what I expected."

Food Immortal Pavilion.

Today's signature dishes:

Old Ginseng stewed Spirit Chicken / one Spirit Pearl, Steamed Dragon Carp / one Spirit Pearl, Five Treasures Flying Dragon Soup / one Spirit Pearl.

This must be a food shop of the cultivation world, but what on earth is this Spirit Pearl?

He had absolutely no impression of it.

Chen Ci paused at the entrance for a moment, sniffed a few times, and left sheepishly.

"At least a pot of spirit tea at a roadside stall is only five taels of gold; that's still affordable."

It wasn't that he couldn't afford the immortal food, but that this kind of turbid tea had no cost-performance ratio at all; if this were in Changping County, and someone dared to sell it for five taels of gold a pot, he would have flipped their stall over!

Chen Ci, with a light purse, pretended to be nonchalant on the surface, browsing through some shops, looking left and right, and even boldly asking for prices a few times.

Finally, he stopped in front of a medium-sized shop called Qianjing Pavilion, adjusted his mindset, and stepped inside.

The interior of this Qianjing Pavilion was quite antique and elegant; apart from the shopkeeper who possessed cultivation, the rest of the clerks and maids seemed to be mortals, though their appearances and figures were excellent.

"I would like to purchase some items, but this is my first time at Fuyun Market, and I don't know what to use for payment. By the way, do you accept gold?"

Chen Ci asked politely, facing the maid in the shop, without any disdain for the fact that she had no cultivation.

"Greetings, guest. Our shop accepts Spirit Pearls and Five Elements Divine Sand. If you have Grass Return Pills from the Eight Views Palace, those are also acceptable. As for gold... I apologize, our shop does not accept it."

The maid first bowed, then said with an apologetic expression: "However, the guest can go to the Wanxiang Treasure Pavilion to exchange gold for Spirit Pearls; it is about two hundred meters around the corner."

After chatting for a few more sentences, Chen Ci finally figured out what these Spirit Pearls were.

There is a spirit beast in the cultivation world called the Spirit Fixing Jade Clam; the clam pearls produced within its body can accumulate clear and turbid spirit Qi, transforming into Spirit Pearls. Their efficacy is similar to Five Elements Divine Sand, and they even have other miraculous properties.

Most importantly, this kind of spirit clam can be farmed on a large scale in water-marsh spirit caves; not only is the output stable, but it is much easier to collect than Five Elements Divine Sand, which is mostly produced in wild mountains and great marshes.

However, the Liang Kingdom is remote and has no immortal sect spirit cave clam farms, so cultivators in the Liang Kingdom who do not frequent markets are unaware of this item.

Chen Ci vaguely remembered that when he was seeking the Dao at the He Mountain Sect, the Inner Sect Disciples had precious pearls to assist in their cultivation; he guessed that these were likely the same thing.

Spirit Pearls, Five Elements Divine Sand, and the so-called Grass Return Pills—only these consumable items beneficial to cultivation could become units of currency recognized by cultivators across the world.

"Five Elements Divine Sand is somewhat like spirit stones, but it is not mined; it forms randomly in mountains, rivers, and marshes, following the flow of clear and turbid Qi."

"This Spirit Pearl clam farm is somewhat like a spirit stone mine, yet it is a renewable resource."

"Another day of gaining knowledge."

After finding the Wanxiang Treasure Pavilion.

"Today's gold price... one hundred and eight taels and six mace of gold for one Spirit Pearl?"

Chen Ci blinked, feeling a bit dazed.

What is this?

Futures?

No wonder that even though gold can be exchanged for Spirit Pearls, the vast majority of shops only accept Spirit Pearls and Five Elements Divine Sand.

"The gold I brought can only exchange for less than half a Spirit Pearl; I'd still owe half a pearl after a meal, and that's only if I order a single dish."

"And Fuyun Market doesn't allow others to set up stalls at all. In their words, the rent for these shops in Fuyun Market isn't cheap... This is just too realistic! The evil capitalists..."

The gold in Chen Ci's hand was enough to buy a hundred sheets of talisman paper or a bottle of cinnabar ink, but having traveled thousands of miles to run so far, it was like a peasant going to the city only to learn a little bit of knowledge—it was just too not worth it.

"Sigh, the little foundation in the mortal world is nothing in front of true immortal families. I am still running around for a few bits of silver; I fear that in the eyes of true immortals, gold is just like ordinary building material, like steel in my past life, tsk."

"The separation between immortals and mortals..."

Chen Ci struggled to adapt to the new knowledge of the cultivation world, accepted the high prices of the cultivation world, and lamented the miserable life of a bottom-tier cultivator.

His heart was heavy, lost in thought.

Lonely, desolate, cold.

"Immortal Master, Immortal Master, this way..."

Suddenly, a strange call pulled Chen Ci back from his thoughts. He focused his eyes and realized he had walked to the deepest part of Fuyun Market, having already left the commercial district, and the white marble road beneath his feet had turned into a mountain path at some point.

Behind a hillside not far away, a young servant in green ran over fawningly and greeted Chen Ci: "This Immortal Master, please come this way."

Hm?

Where is this?

"Where are you going?"

Chen Ci first sized up the servant; he had no cultivation, but he was agile and must have practiced some martial arts, so he asked.

"To Xishan Market. It's very lively in the market tonight; the Immortal Stone Pavilion, the Spirit Clam Pavilion, and the Myriad Sound Pavilion all have events."

The servant's attitude was respectful: "Xishan Market is crowded and complex; an Immortal Master always needs someone to wait on them. If you feel that I served you well tonight, just reward me with a few coins, and I will be satisfied."

"Can you get to Xishan Market from here?"

Chen Ci was stunned; what kind of situation was this?

"Of course. This is the Fuyun Market, and the East and West Markets are naturally connected."

The green-clad servant chuckled: "The Immortal Master must be new here. Many local Immortal Masters of Xishan Prefecture are too embarrassed to go directly to Xishan Market to have fun, so most of them enter from Fuyun Market and then go into Xishan Market via the back mountain path of Fuyun Market."

This is what they call the separation between immortals and mortals?

It is clearly the mortal world of the Immortal Court, no different at all!

Chen Ci leaned back slightly, then came to his senses and said sternly, "Confused, do I look like one of those immortal masters to you? I am single-mindedly devoted to the Dao; I just happened to walk here by accident, withdraw."

After speaking, Chen Ci flicked a gold bean to the servant, held his waist, and strolled back, his expression indifferent.

Half an hour later.

A figure first looked left and right, then quickened their pace and vanished into the mountain forest.

"Is this Xishan Market?"

Chen Ci looked at the wooden buildings of varying heights before him, and suddenly had the feeling of having returned to a suburban fringe area.

There were shops, street stalls, a group of excited cultivators, and flirtatious female cultivators casting secret glances.

"Although I cannot afford Fuyun Market, Xishan Market has a better price-performance ratio. Brother Ding, I truly wronged you."

Chen Ci admitted that his own knowledge was limited, but looking at it this way, his own Soul Fixing Talisman might actually have a chance to be sold.

(End of this chapter)