Chapter 47: Inquiring for News

After bypassing several high mountains, Song Qingming traveled rapidly south for over a hundred li and arrived at a high mountain.

Upon arriving at the location, Song Qingming took out a black token, gripped it tightly with both hands, and slowly injected his spiritual power into it. Before long, the token shot out a beam of white light, heading straight toward an open area on the high mountain ahead.

The originally empty ground, illuminated by the white light emitted from the token, suddenly revealed a burst of colorful spiritual light. As the spiritual light slowly dissipated, a large area of green tents appeared on the originally empty mountain peak.

More than twenty tents were arranged in a continuous line on the mountain peak. Looking down from the sky, it looked like a giant green python coiled on the mountain peak. This was precisely one of the temporary encampments of the Flying Cloud Guard in the Fuyun Mountain Range.

The Flying Cloud Guard was active year-round deep in the Fuyun Mountain Range. To facilitate their work, whenever they investigated an area, they would choose a suitable nearby location to first establish a temporary camp so that they could be stationed there for a long time.

This high mountain was also a Level 2 spirit vein, originally occupied by a low-grade Level 2 Flying Feather Tiger. More than a month ago, Song Qingming and others, led by a Foundation Establishment senior of the Flying Cloud Guard, killed this demon beast and set up the camp here.

Apart from a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was not often present, there were more than thirty Qi Refining stage cultivators stationed in the camp. These Flying Cloud Guard members went out during the day to their assigned locations to investigate demon beast information and returned to the camp to rest before sunset.

Having joined the Flying Cloud Guard for two months, Song Qingming already had a preliminary understanding of the place.

The entire Flying Cloud Guard consisted of over a hundred people, including three Foundation Establishment cultivators, while the rest were Qi Refining stage cultivators, basically all having a cultivation base of the fifth level of Qi Refining or higher. These people were divided into twelve guards, each with a dozen or so people. After Song Qingming joined, he was arranged by Lu Yunfei into the Eleventh Guard.

About thirty percent of the Flying Cloud Guard were cultivators from within the Carefree Sect. Lu Yunfei, who had recruited Song Qingming into the Flying Cloud Guard that day, was an inner sect disciple of the Carefree Sect. It was only because the sect sent him to be stationed at Guiyun Market that he entered the Flying Cloud Guard to serve as a team leader of one guard.

Apart from the cultivators of the Carefree Sect, the remaining cultivators were loose cultivators hired from various places in Guiyun Market. Every time the Flying Cloud Guard went out to perform missions, there were strict mission procedures and time arrangements, and cultivators were forbidden from leaving the camp at will when there were no missions.

For a new member like him, the mission distribution from above would not be too heavy. Today, he had finished his mission early and returned to the camp.

Just as he walked to his tent, Song Qingming saw a commotion in the tent next to his, and an old man also dressed in black walked out. Seeing Song Qingming’s figure, the old man approached with a smile.

"Daoist friend Song, you finished your mission so early today. I thought I wouldn't see you until later." The black-clad old man walked up to Song Qingming and said with a face full of smiles.

This black-clad old man was named Shi Mofeng. He was over ninety years old and was a loose cultivator who had joined the Flying Cloud Guard for many years. Song Qingming and this person were both in the Eleventh Guard of the Flying Cloud Guard, and their tents were next to each other, so they had naturally met. It was just that he was a newcomer, and apart from Lu Yunfei who brought him in, he was not yet familiar with the others.

Seeing that Shi Mofeng seemed to have been waiting for him here for a long time and seemed to have something to find him for, Song Qingming cupped his hands, performed a salute, and said, "Senior, you came to find me today; is there something the matter?"

"I heard from Captain Lu last time that Daoist friend Song still has mid-grade God-Speed Talismans. My luck was a bit bad this time when I came out, and I encountered several bad-tempered demon beasts in succession, using up all the life-saving spirit talismans on me. Could you sell a few to me, little friend? Consider it me owing you a favor." Seeing that Song Qingming seemed to know his intention, Shi Mofeng did not beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose.

"Senior Shi, you are too polite. We are all fellow travelers, so we should naturally look out for each other. It’s just that I don't have many spirit talismans left on me either, so I can only spare two for you. I hope you won't mind, Senior." Song Qingming hesitated slightly before readily agreeing.

"In that case, I thank you, little friend."

Shi Mofeng reached out and took the two spirit talismans handed over by Song Qingming, happily put them into his storage bag, and then gave Song Qingming a few spirit stones.

Song Qingming did not decline. After joining the Flying Cloud Guard, he discovered that because they had to stay in the Fuyun Mountain Range for at least three months each time for missions, they were often short of various supplies and had no way to replenish them.

Like Shi Mofeng, who was unlucky enough to encounter several high-level demon beast sieges, once consumables like spirit talismans were used up and there was no safety guarantee on his person, he wouldn't dare to go out to perform missions.

Fortunately, the number of spirit talismans on Song Qingming was still sufficient, and selling a few to him would not affect his own performance of missions in the future.

Among the spirit talismans Song Qingming had refined at Lingyuan Mountain over the past few years, auxiliary ones like God-Speed Talismans, Earth-Escape Talismans, and Invisibility Talismans had never sold well at Caolu Mountain, and he had stockpiled quite a few over the years. He hadn't expected that here, these relatively niche spirit talismans would become sought-after supplies.

Being able to exchange the stockpiled spirit talismans for spirit stones and also befriend some fellow travelers, Song Qingming was naturally happy to see it happen. It was just a pity that there was no way to find all kinds of talisman-making materials in the Fuyun Mountain Range; otherwise, he could also make a small profit from these dozen or so cultivators in the team.

After completing the transaction with Song Qingming, Shi Mofeng stroked his already graying beard, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said another sentence.

"I heard that you are inquiring about news of the black market, little friend. I have been roaming the Fuyun Mountain Range for many years and happen to know some. I wonder if Daoist friend Song has time to chat?"

Song Qingming was just about to return to his tent, not expecting Shi Mofeng to suddenly say something that surprised him.

After arriving at Guiyun Market, Song Qingming didn't know many people. He had only asked Lu Yunfei about news of the black market, but it was a pity that Lu Yunfei had only been at Guiyun Market for two years and had only heard of the black market, not knowing the specific situation.

After hearing Shi Mofeng’s words, Song Qingming hurriedly and enthusiastically invited him into his tent. An old-school loose cultivator like Shi Mofeng, who had been roaming the Fuyun Mountain Range for decades, must definitely know some news about the black market. Song Qingming had also wanted to ask him, but the two were not familiar before. Today, since this old guy took the initiative to come to his door, Song Qingming naturally wouldn't turn him away.

After the two walked into the tent, Song Qingming poured two cups of spirit tea and then began to inquire about news of the black market. Shi Mofeng was not a slippery person and was very enthusiastic toward Song Qingming, telling him quite a bit of useful information.

After Shi Mofeng’s guidance, Song Qingming finally learned that the so-called black market was a place where some cultivators sold items that were not fit for the light of day or were rare. There were several such places in the Fuyun Mountain Range, and they were also places for cultivators near Guiyun Market to sell stolen goods.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 48 =====