122: Chapter 122 Sister, Come Do It With Me!

In any case, your identity does not exist in the Cultivation World, so there is nothing to hide.

"I am not an Immortal Cultivator."

Chen Wei was taken aback for a moment.

"I am a Martial Artist," you said calmly, "in the Origin Qi Realm."

Chen Wei realized.

No wonder.

However, far from showing the slightest contempt, he actually sat up a bit straighter.

In the Cultivation World, it is common for Immortal Cultivators to look down on Martial Artists. But the Origin Qi Realm is the pinnacle of the Martial Dao, equivalent to the Early Stage of Qi Refining for Immortal Cultivators. Furthermore, if a Origin Qi Realm Martial Artist gets close, they can make Spell Cultivators experience the terror of Body Cultivators firsthand.

As a Loose Cultivator who couldn't even touch the threshold of the Qi Refining realm and would likely be stuck at the Aperture Opening stage for his entire life, how could he dare to look down on someone in the Origin Qi Realm?

"So you are a Senior in the Origin Qi Realm." Chen Wei's tone was significantly more relaxed, even carrying a touch of sincere politeness. "Please forgive my rudeness. Being able to Cultivate the Martial Dao to the Origin Qi Realm is by no means an ordinary feat."

"I am no Senior." You took a palm-sized wooden box from your bosom, placed it on the table, and pushed it over. "As this is my first visit, I have prepared a small gift. I hope you will accept it."

Chen Wei glanced at you, reached out to take it, and opened the lid.

Inside the box was a palm-sized piece of red snake skin, its scales as fine as the facets of a gemstone, with a faint spiritual light flowing across the surface.

Chen Wei's pupils suddenly constricted.

His fingers trembled slightly, but he quickly steadied them and closed the lid calmly, yet you clearly saw him swallow hard.

A piece of skin from an Early Stage demonic snake, palm-sized, would be worth at least a few dozen Spirit Essence in the market.

Spirit Essence is similar to Spirit Stones shattered into rice-sized grains; about one hundred Spirit Essence can be exchanged for one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind," he said, tucking the box into his sleeve with a natural, fluid motion. "This gift is too heavy."

While he said it was heavy, his hands showed not the slightest sign of refusal.

You understood, but remained outwardly calm: "Immortal Master Chen, there is no need for such formalities. I do have some matters I would like to ask about, and I hope you will be willing to enlighten me."

"Please ask, Fellow Daoist," Chen Wei said solemnly, his tone much more sincere. "As long as it is something I, Chen, know, I will tell you everything."

"First," you held up a finger, "where is the nearest Spiritual Vein? Second, what are the rules of the nearby markets? Third, have there been any major events in the Cultivation World in recent years?"

Chen Wei was slightly taken aback and glanced at you: "Fellow Daoist is... new to this area?"

You nodded: "I came from the other side of the Ten Thousand Mountains. Being new to the Cultivation World, I am truly in the dark."

Chen Wei understood, a flash of realization crossing his eyes. He didn't ask why you had come from the Mortal world; after all, while Origin Qi Realm Martial Artists were not mainstream in the Cultivation World, they were not non-existent. Coming from the Mortal world was rare, but not impossible.

"Then you have asked the right person." Chen Wei picked up his teacup, took a sip, organized his thoughts, and began to speak.

"The nearest Spiritual Vein to this place is in the northeast, about a half-month's journey away. There is a market there called Qingyue Market, which is the territory of the Qingyang Zhao Clan."

"The Qingyang Zhao Clan?"

"The Qingyang Zhao Clan is a Foundation Establishment Family, with two Old Ancestors at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment guarding it," Chen Wei explained. "In this region, they are considered a top-tier power. There are many rules in the market; Mortals are not allowed to enter without being brought by an Immortal Cultivator. Even for Immortal Cultivators, if they want to Cultivate in the Spiritual Vein, they must pay a fee in Spirit Stones to the Zhao Clan every month, otherwise, they can only enter and exit for trade and are not allowed to stay for long."

You noted this silently.

Chen Wei spoke in great detail, from the layout of the market to the ins and outs of the various shops, and even the rules for the Zhao Clan's tax collection; he held nothing back.

Not bad. It seems this gift was well-placed.

"Is that market safe?" you asked again.

"It is safe." Chen Wei nodded. "The Zhao Clan manages it strictly. Private fighting is not allowed in the market. If you break the rules, the punishment is expulsion at the lightest, and as for the heavier consequences... well, that is hard to say. Ordinary Cultivators generally follow the rules."

Hearing his positive assessment, you felt reassured.

In any case, you couldn't be bothered to go find a second Spiritual Vein.

"Thank you, Immortal Master." You cupped your hands. "Could I trouble you to draw a map of the route?"

"It's no trouble at all." Chen Wei immediately fetched paper and a brush, and relying on his memory, carefully drew a map, even marking the towns along the way where one could rest.

You took it, thanked him, stood up, and took your leave.

Walking out of the Chen mansion gates, your steps were much lighter.

After more than two months of hitting walls, you finally had a direction.

Following the map Chen Wei gave you, you headed west.

After half a month, the market finally appeared before your eyes.

Even from ten miles away, you noticed the difference.

The Spiritual Qi in the air was much denser than in other places.

You looked up along the mountain slope.

A market built against the mountain, with row upon row of pavilions with upturned eaves hidden in faint spiritual mist. Above the mountainside hung a faint cyan halo—that was the Formation protecting the market. Occasionally, a streak of escaping light would flash across the sky, turning into a stream of light as it descended into the market.

It was truly an atmosphere of the Immortal Family.

You stood in place, watching for a long time.

This was what the Cultivation World should look like.

About five miles to the southeast of the market, there was another town. This city was much larger than the market, with at least seventy or eighty thousand people. The city walls were made of ordinary rammed earth and bricks, full of the aura of human life.

This was the Mortal town that existed in dependence on Qingyue Market.

You were not an Immortal Cultivator, so if you wanted to enter the market, you would have to think of another way.

Immediately, you returned to a secluded valley thirty miles away and hid the Black-robed Puppet in a concealed stone cave, camouflaging it with rubble and dry branches.

This thing was too conspicuous; if it were discovered by an Immortal Cultivator, who knows what kind of trouble it would bring.

After hiding it, you turned and headed toward the Mortal town.

Just as you entered the city gates, you felt that this city had an atmosphere completely different from the towns you had passed through before.

Once inside, you could taste a different flavor.

A town near a market was, after all, different.

Along the way, you saw no fewer than ten Great Grandmaster stage Martial Artists—some with long sabers hanging at their waists, some carrying iron bows on their backs. Each of them had blood and Qi like a furnace, and as they walked, there was a faint flow of Protective Aura.

Back in Great Li, any one of them could be a figure who dominated a region, but here, they were just ordinary passersby.

However, you didn't see a single one in the Origin Qi Realm.

You wandered around the city and made some inquiries, finally figuring out the general layout.

On the north side of the city, there was a street specifically for "hiring" business. A row of wooden boards was plastered with various notices: some restaurants hiring waiters, some merchant firms hiring laborers, and some written with "Hiring guards, must be Innate Realm or above."

Qingyue Market had many industries—restaurants, Medicinal Pill shops, tool shops... These shops required a large number of hands, but Immortal Cultivators were precious and had to be provided with quotas for cultivating in the Spiritual Vein.

Martial Artists were different.

Martial Artists could not absorb much Spiritual Qi and did not occupy Spiritual Vein resources. Their monthly wages could be paid in Spirit Essence, or sometimes just silver. They worked much more efficiently than ordinary Mortals, had great strength, quick reactions, and could also serve as security.

They were simply cheap and easy-to-use working oxen and horses.

You sighed inwardly: As expected, whether in the Mortal world or the Immortal Realm, the faces of capitalists are all the same.

But for you, this was just the opportunity to enter the market.

Having found out clearly, you began to wait at the hiring area.

Over the first two days, several shopkeepers came one after another.

One was from a cloth shop, looking for female workers, with a monthly wage of fifty taels of silver, no Spirit Essence, so you didn't move.

One was from a general store, looking for laborers to move goods; they did pay in Spirit Essence, but only wanted men.

There was also a shopkeeper from a brothel, with penciled eyebrows and painted eyes, who actually walked straight toward you.

"Little sister," she said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, her eyes scanning your body, "you are quite pretty, and your figure is not bad. Do you want to work with me? Room and board provided, and the monthly wage is three times higher than other jobs. How about it, are you interested?"