Chapter 36: Immortal Treasure Trading Fair

……

By the time Xu Chen woke up, the sky was already bright.

The room was filled with the rich aroma of food; Eldest Senior Brother and Zhao Xuan were eating steamed buns and drinking rice porridge. Xu Chen felt hungry instantly, so he scrambled up, and without even washing his face or rinsing his mouth, he grabbed a bun and began to eat voraciously.

Compared to the ascetic life at the sect, the food in the mortal world was truly a feast for the senses.

Furthermore, there was someone to prepare and serve three meals a day, and someone to clean up carefully after eating; it was far more pleasant than eating dry cakes and drinking cold water on the mountain.

The three of them swept through the food like a whirlwind, and soon they were all full and satisfied.

Xu Chen rubbed his belly and asked, "What's the plan for today?"

Jiu Shixiong said with an excited face, "Now that we have so many good things, it is only natural to go and exchange treasures with Daoist Friends from other sects."

Xu Chen asked in surprise, "Aren't you afraid that news of this will leak out, Senior Brother?"

Jiu Shixiong curled his lips and said, "What is there to fear? Wealth does not ask for its origin; this is the rule of the Immortal World. Moreover, these things were snatched from the hands of Ziyang Sect cultivators, and it has nothing to do with the Immortal Sects of the Song Kingdom. By doing this, we are also letting that fellow from the Ziyang Sect who is hiding in the shadows see, to disturb his mind. I want him to know the outcome and consequences of coming to the Great Song to rob us."

Zhao Xuan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I have no objection to Jiu Shixiong's arrangement, but it would be best to place a Soul Lock restriction on the Storage Bag first, otherwise, I fear the wealth might be peeped at by others."

Jiu Shixiong chuckled, took out the Storage Bag, and said, "Don't worry, Junior Sister, I have already set it up."

Xu Chen's face darkened instantly, and Jiu Shixiong hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Junior Brother, I never thought of keeping this Storage Bag all to myself. However, there are too many treasures right now, and the Blood God Grass also needs to be put inside to mask its aura so as not to be discovered by powerful experts. Once we return to the mountain, this Storage Bag will belong to you and Junior Sister; I only want the Guiyuan Pill."

Zhao Xuan quickly said, "I didn't contribute any effort, so the Storage Bag should naturally belong to Little Junior Brother."

Xu Chen suddenly felt that he was being a bit petty, so his face flushed slightly and he laughed awkwardly, "Actually, the Storage Bag is nothing. Isn't there still another fellow from the Ziyang Sect? Once we finish him off, there will surely be another one."

Jiu Shixiong's eyes lit up, and he patted Xu Chen on the shoulder, laughing, "Little Junior Brother is becoming more and more enlightened. That is exactly how you should think. We, the brothers and sisters of the Taiyuan Sect, all achieve success in our cultivation by robbing others. What belongs to the enemy is ours, and what is ours remains ours."

Zhao Xuan rolled her eyes at this and chided, "Can you not be so disparaging of other senior brothers and sisters, Senior Brother? We are not like you."

Jiu Shixiong said righteously, "Then does Junior Sister not want a Storage Bag? Given the strength of our Taiyuan Sect, I fear that even if you cultivate to the True Essence Late Stage, you might not be able to afford one."

Zhao Xuan's little face suddenly fell.

Jiu Shixiong said triumphantly, "Look, Junior Sister, I was right, wasn't I? That Lin Qiu Ya also has a Storage Bag on her person; when the time comes, we will snatch that one too and give it to you."

Zhao Xuan was caught between laughter and tears, and she curled her lips, saying, "Are you really willing to part with it!"

Jiu Shixiong puffed out his chest and said, "Hmph, I want the person, and I want the Storage Bag too."

Xu Chen could no longer hold it together, so he quickly stood up and said, "I'm going to wash my face and change my clothes!"

Just as the three of them were finished tidying up and discussing which cultivator trading venue to go to, the shopkeeper's daughter came running up to deliver a message, saying that the woman who was as beautiful as an immortal yesterday had come again and wanted to take the three of them out for a stroll.

Thus, the three of them exchanged a few words via Divine Sense and quickly went downstairs.

Sure enough, Lin Qiu Ya was already waiting at the entrance of the inn, but today she had changed into a slightly more plain light-yellow long dress, which made her look a bit more elegant and less enchanting. Not only did Jiu Shixiong secretly swallow a mouthful of saliva, but even Xu Chen felt his heartbeat quicken significantly.

She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Seeing the three of them come down, a smile immediately appeared on Lin Qiu Ya's face, and she performed a salute, saying, "This is Qiu Ya's first time in the Jingshi of the Great Song; it is indeed far more prosperous than the Eastern Wasteland. Therefore, I couldn't wait to come and find the three Daoist Friends today, and I would also like to invite the three of you to be my guides for a stroll. I hope I haven't disturbed the three Daoist Friends."

Before Xu Chen could speak, Jiu Shixiong waved his hand heartily and said, "Daoist Friend Lin is too polite. We only arrived in Jingshi yesterday, and today we were just preparing to go to a few trading venues of Daoist Friends from the Immortal Sects to exchange ideas. Since Daoist Friend Lin is not familiar with Jingshi, it is only right that we lead the way. Please!"

Lin Qiu Ya said with a face full of joy, "Then many thanks. Please, three Daoist Friends!"

The four of them exchanged a few simple pleasantries and soon left the inn together.

This was Xu Chen's first time in Jingshi, so naturally, he did not know north from south.

And Lin Qiu Ya also seemed to be truly unfamiliar with Jingshi, finding everything novel. She looked around while walking down the street, curiously asking a few questions about everything she saw, and occasionally mentioning the customs and traditions of the Dongwu Kingdom. She had an outgoing personality and was very talkative, so after walking only two or three streets, the four of them already seemed quite familiar with each other.

Near the East Gate of Jingshi, there was a large mansion covering dozens of acres. The tall gate wall was very wide, and the three ancient, simple characters "Liushang Garden" were written on a black plaque.

On both sides of the gate stood a warrior with a powerful aura and a long sword on their back. Seeing the four of them, they immediately withdrew their momentum, lowered their heads, and bowed in unison, saying, "Welcome, four Immortal Masters, to Liushang Garden."

Xu Chen swept his Divine Sense slightly and discovered that these two guards actually had quite high cultivation; they were both Innate Realm experts who had opened their Ren and Du meridians.

Such cultivation was already a pinnacle existence in the mortal world, and each one was a peerless expert who could dominate a region.

However, at Liushang Garden, they could only watch the gate.

It was evident that no matter how strong a mortal expert was, they were nothing in front of an Immortal.

However, looking at their ages, they were not very old, around thirty years old, so this cultivation was certainly not achieved through diligent practice since childhood, but rather through the assistance of pills to break through the realm.

And to create such a mortal Innate Realm expert, it would require at least several Qingshui Pills and Peiyuan Pills, which were top-tier Mortal Pills.

Therefore, the cost was not cheap.

Jiu Shixiong smiled slightly, flicked his finger, and two gray pills the size of mung beans flew in front of the two men, saying, "Are there any Immortal Treasure trades today?"

The two warriors were extremely excited and hurriedly grabbed the pills. One of them respectfully cupped his hands and saluted, saying, "Naturally, there are. Recently, there have been several Immortal Treasure trading fairs every day. However, the four Immortal Masters have arrived a bit early; it will not start for another half an hour. But there are already more than ten Immortal Masters inside. The four Immortal Masters may go in first to drink tea and discuss the Dao; there will be someone to receive you after you enter!"

"Hmm, let's go in!"

Jiu Shixiong nodded slightly, and the four of them walked straight through the gate. Inside was a huge courtyard with rockeries, lotus ponds, bamboo, ancient trees, winding streams, and pavilions half-hidden among the flowers and trees. Additionally, the sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from the depths of the courtyard.

The tranquility revealed an elegance and simplicity that, compared to the bustling street just now, instantly made one's worldly thoughts vanish.

Two beautiful young girls dressed in Daoist robes stepped forward and bowed, "Welcome, four Immortal Masters, to Liushang Garden."

"Lead the way!" Jiu Shixiong waved his hand.

"Yes, please, four Immortal Masters!" Although the two girls were respectful, they were not timid, as they were accustomed to dealing with these Immortal figures from all over the world. Thus, they led the way, guiding the four of them along the corridors and paths, past flower ponds and rockeries, all the way into the depths of the courtyard.

"This place is truly nice!" Xu Chen looked around as he walked, clicking his tongue in secret.

Jiu Shixiong smiled and said, "This place is a venue specifically set up by the Emperor of the Great Song for the Immortal Sects to communicate, so naturally it is nice. However, it is not the best; it is only used when there are many people from various Immortal Sects coming and going during annual birthdays or special festivals. For ordinary cultivators and loose practitioners, there are other more casual and better places, mostly outside the city. After we finish looking here, I will take Little Junior Brother and Daoist Friend Lin out of the city to have a look; those places are even livelier, and there are more treasures."

Lin Qiu Ya said happily, "Then many thanks, Daoist Friend Lu."

Jiu Shixiong laughed heartily and said, "Daoist Friend Lin is too polite. Being able to meet a Daoist Friend from the Dongwu Kingdom upon coming to Jingshi is fate. Perhaps one day when we go to the Dongwu Kingdom, we will need Daoist Friend Lin to act as our guide and host."

Lin Qiu Ya smiled gently and said, "That is only natural, but our Eastern Wasteland is not as prosperous as the Great Song; I fear the three Daoist Friends will be disappointed when the time comes."

Jiu Shixiong waved his hand with a smile and said, "What are you saying, Daoist Friend Lin? Those of us who cultivate and seek the Dao have never cared for the prosperity of the mortal world. I heard you mention to Little Junior Brother yesterday that Soul Beasts appear in the Black Water Void Abyss overseas in the Eastern Wasteland; I am quite interested in that."

Lin Qiu Ya nodded with a face full of smiles, "As long as Daoist Friend Lu goes to the Eastern Wasteland, Qiu Ya will certainly act as your guide and companion."

Jiu Shixiong laughed heartily, and the four of them soon followed the two girls into a luxurious hall.

There were already quite a few cultivators inside the hall, totaling more than a dozen. Some were dressed as Daoists with Daoist robes and buns, while others wore wide-sleeved robes with high caps, looking like cultivators. Each one of them had surging True Essence and a steady aura, sitting or standing in small groups chatting.

Apart from a few young girls in Daoist robes serving tea, there was also a group of young songstresses in thin gauze dresses singing and dancing in the middle, with the sounds of zithers, bells, and chimes ringing out, looking very lively.

Seeing Xu Chen and the others enter, all the cultivators raised their heads, and among them, someone with a look of joy on their face stood up and said, "More Daoist Friends have arrived; it seems today is even livelier than yesterday."

Among them, a Daoist priest of about thirty years of age smiled, strode forward, bowed with hands cupped, and said, "So it is Daoist Friend Lu Yuan of the Taiyuan Sect. It has been three years since we last parted; I did not expect we would meet again in Jingshi."

Jiu Shixiong smiled, bowed with hands cupped in return, and said, "So it is Daoist Friend Liu Chenfeng of Yunmeng Mountain. Indeed, it has been a long time. It seems we have arrived late."

The middle-aged Daoist smiled and said, "Not late, not late. I also only just arrived in Jingshi yesterday evening."

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Jiu Shixiong introduced Xu Chen and the others to one another one by one, followed by another round of bows and greetings, after which Jiu Shixiong smiled and bowed with hands cupped to the other cultivators in the great hall before finally taking a seat at a row of low tables and mats to one side of the hall under the guidance of a young girl.