Chapter 392

In the Chaotian Palace marketplace, an official from the palace waited by the back door of the Fuyou Trading House; seeing a cloud-chariot approach, he hurried forward with a bow and whispered, "Your Highness!"

The occupant inside did not lift the curtain, only spoke softly from behind: "Speak once inside!" After entering through the back door, the official knelt reverently on the ground, head bowed; Master Sima Wu Yue slowly descended from the chariot and entered the quiet chamber. He stood with his hands behind his back, listening as the kneeling official reported: "Your Highness, after that man entered the marketplace, Chang Xing arranged for him to stay in a small courtyard within Chaotian Palace. By day, he wanders aimlessly, showing no particular interest in anything."

"His only known vice might be alcohol…"

He presented a rusted iron sword: "After wandering for hours, the only time he stopped was when he smelled wine from a tavern—he traded this broken sword for a gourd of wine, promising to redeem it tomorrow."

Master Sima Wu Yue picked up the iron sword, glanced at it twice, and sneered: "This performance proves nothing. True disciples of the Dao Academy often have eccentric habits—pretending to be poor and destitute is hardly unusual. Even Nascent Soul True Persons are known to beg! A full-fledged Core Formation cultivator who can't afford a gourd of wine? Self-deception!"

The official below ventured cautiously: "Then, Your Highness, not long ago, someone from the Wang family came to redeem this iron sword—I've been stalling them. I'm unsure whether…"

"Give it back to them!" Master Sima Wu Yue disdainfully tossed the sword down; the official finally exhaled in relief. Even serving the Prince of the Eastern Sea, he had no desire to provoke the Wang family. Master Sima Wu Yue fell silent for a long while, then suddenly spoke to the eunuch beside him: "His fondness for wine may be feigned, but since his swordplay is astonishing, he likely truly loves it. Go fetch my treasured ancient Master Chunyang Qi Sword of the Tai Bai Sword Sect, and let it be seen along his usual path."

"Yes!" The eunuch bowed low in reply.

Brother Qian Chen returned to his courtyard to find a man holding a blue-stone sword case waiting outside. Brother Qian Chen glanced at the open case and shook his head with a smile: "I traded my sword for wine out of greed—now you've gone to the trouble of redeeming it?"

The man performed full formalities, respectfully saying: "Sir, you are a friend of my young master's. Our family owns property in this marketplace, and as local hosts, it is our duty to entertain you. My young master is aloof and dislikes servants lingering nearby, so we neglected you unintentionally—this was a breach of propriety. I have already instructed that all your expenses within the marketplace be covered by our family."

Brother Qian Chen took the blue-stone sword case, felt its material, and shook his head with a smile: "My broken sword—when did it become worthy of being enshrined in yangqing stone? This is like buying the casket and returning the pearl!"

He returned the case, kept his rusted iron sword in hand, and walked straight into the courtyard.

Brother Qian Chen was accustomed to extravagance, but constrained by his persona, he now pretended to be "possessing nothing." Not even the qi-essence elixirs in his waist gourd, nor the thick stack of San Shan talismans he'd traded with Si Princess Qingcheng, could be used. His spiritual sense detected hidden observers everywhere, so he chose the one with the strongest malice, feigned a wine trade, and pawned his iron sword. He hadn't placed any Formless Secret Demon inside the blade—such a move would ruin his persona and required extreme caution; Chaotian Palace marketplace had no shortage of sages, and if anyone discovered he, a sword cultivator, wielded dark demons, his carefully constructed image would collapse!

Yet merely by having used this iron sword, he could remotely lock onto its location with his sword intent. As he wandered leisurely, he tracked the sword's movements—and unexpectedly sensed an intriguing aura!

He was about to secretly slip away to investigate the source when suddenly a flying vessel descended through Chaotian Palace's direct barrier to the azure heavens—the very vessel ridden by Wang Longxiang. Wang Longxiang, too, was a true disciple of the Dao Academy; though Brother Qian Chen had not fully probed his root method, his magic power clearly belonged to the primordial pure qi type, and each day he cultivated by inhaling the Nine Heavens' pure qi. Brother Qian Chen calculated the time and realized Wang Longxiang was no fraud—he had reached the peak of his cultivation, beyond mere diligent practice, yet still spent several hours daily refining his magic power.

Such diligence was beyond ordinary endurance.

Seeing the flying vessel descend toward his courtyard, Brother Qian Chen rose to greet it with a smile: "I've been searching for you everywhere—so Chaotian Palace has such convenience, allowing one to cultivate atop the Nine Heavens!"

Wang Longxiang replied sincerely: "This barrier permits only Dao Academy cultivators to ascend—it's not proper to invite a fellow cultivator."

Brother Qian Chen smiled: "I didn't mean to ask for access. Earlier, I killed a demonic cultivator and seized his Qiankun Bag. I intended to exchange some items for use, but feared many of the weapons and rare materials inside were inherently malevolent, with peculiar cultivation properties—I worried they might fall into evil hands and aid wrongdoing. So I ask: do you have a better way to handle them?"

Wang Longxiang smiled: "Chang Xing mentioned you wished to observe the Chaotian Palace Treasure Fair, so I came down specifically to take you."

"Give me the demonic weapons and materials—I'll trade them for San Shan talismans. The Dao Academy has methods to purify demonic artifacts, transforming evil into good, and rewards disciples for surrendering demonic items. I'll handle the exchange for you now. The rest you can sell at the Treasure Fair—among hermits, left-path methods are popular, and these items sell well; you can trade for useful things."

After becoming familiar with Brother Qian Chen, Wang Longxiang's speech finally became less strained.

Demonic weapons were never sold lightly—a silent, unwritten understanding among orthodox cultivators. Though merely an unspoken norm, this single rule had caused the demonic sects immense hardship: in the Central Lands, they had to refine all materials and weapons themselves, often exposing themselves during the very act of gathering materials, only to be slain as demons.

Night fell, nearing the start of the Treasure Fair. Chang Xing arrived early at Brother Qian Chen's courtyard, surprised to see Wang Longxiang there, and hurried ahead to guide them along the palace corridors to a stone chamber carved into the eastern face of the roaring river.

The chamber was vast, with several terraces carved into its walls, all concealed by barriers beneath a faint, hazy mist.

Inside, cushions were casually placed, with bamboo and orchids arranged, and long tables held incense tea and fruits—seeming haphazard yet brimming with rustic charm. At the center stood a slightly elevated stone dais, upon which sat an old man with white hair and beard, his complexion radiant like a crane's—clearly a Core Formation cultivator, the fair's host.

Beside him were several lower stone dais, each sealed with barriers, displaying the fair's previewed treasures.

Among them was Brother Qian Chen's Master Chunyang Elixir, stored in a jade gourd, gently nurturing its qi.

The eastern side of the chamber had been opened to face the surging river, where dozens of various pavilion-ships floated. Servants stood on their decks observing the fair. Excluding the Dao pages and servants, over a hundred cultivators filled the chamber and ships, all radiating potent Dao energy. Soon, hundreds of parrots flew out from a pavilion, each landing before a cultivator. The parrot that landed before Brother Qian Chen's table, sensing his unfamiliarity, spoke: "Honored guest, you're new to our Chaotian Palace Treasure Fair. Our species possesses innate talent: beyond mimicry, we can sense intent. If you see a treasure you wish to bid on, simply tell me your offer!"

"At the Treasure Fair, unless the owner demands barter, bids must be made exclusively in San Shan talismans."

It glanced timidly at Wang Longxiang beside Brother Qian Chen and whispered: "If you have rare materials or weapons you wish to exchange for San Shan talismans, just say the word—someone will come to assist you. Normally, you'd hand your talismans to me before bidding. But since you're a friend brought by the True Dragon of this age, we'll waive that step…"

Wang Longxiang casually placed five hundred San Shan talismans beside the parrot.

The white-feathered parrot perked up instantly, its claw pressing against the stack, excitedly exclaiming: "Got it! Honored guest has pledged five hundred San Shan talismans…"

Chang Xing pointed to several treasures on the stone dais: "The Treasure Fair begins only after the moon reaches its zenith. Until then, this is the time for exchanging Dao insights and networking. These treasures are merely warm-up items—anyone interested may negotiate directly with the owners."

Brother Qian Chen nodded slightly; his spiritual sense swept through the chamber and immediately detected numerous spiritual senses flickering in exchange—among them, the most numerous hovered before the jade gourd of Master Chunyang Elixir.