33: Living Exercises

Red Leaf Market was a trading place formed spontaneously by the Sect's Disciples.

It was named for the Red Leaf Trees that surrounded it, their crimson leaves scattered like clouds.

The items traded here were diverse, and the origins of the goods were never questioned, making it an excellent place for Disciples to dispose of windfalls.

As soon as Fang Huai reached the entrance of the market, he was surrounded by a dozen or so Market Rats who earned contribution points by acting as guides.

Thinking that he was a newcomer and unfamiliar with the place, he decided it would be better to spend some contribution points to save time.

He picked a Disciple who looked sharp and transferred fifty contribution points: "Lead the way!"

"Senior Brother, you've come to the right person!"

The Disciple beamed: "My name is Cui Ji. I've been in the Red Leaf Market for over ten years. I know exactly where the good Cultivation Techniques are!"

The clear path Lin Yan had pointed out to him was the Red Leaf Market.

There were various Cultivation Techniques in the market, including many that could improve one's skill with the Skinning Technique, but whether one could pick a good one depended entirely on their own judgment.

Cui Ji led him quickly through the market, visiting several areas dedicated to selling Cultivation Technique Jade Tablets.

However, those Cultivation Techniques were either outrageously expensive or inferior defective products.

Seeing Fang Huai's somber expression, Cui Ji leaned in closer and lowered his voice:

"If Senior Brother doesn't care for the techniques in the Jade Tablets, then I recommend a place where you can choose your own Cultivation Technique at a very low price."

"Choose my own? You're not trying to swindle me, are you?"

This was the first time Fang Huai had heard of such a thing.

Cui Ji winked: "I've been a Market Rat for over ten years; my reputation is guaranteed. Just follow me, Senior Brother, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

————

The two didn't stop, passing through several noisy areas before finally stopping at a strange section.

There were few stalls, but they exuded an air of eeriness—

At each stall, several Profound Sword Sect Cultivators were bound with Immortal-Binding Ropes.

Fang Huai was full of doubt: "Junior Brother Cui, it doesn't look like they sell Cultivation Techniques here."

"Senior Brother, the Cultivators at these stalls are 'living manualss'!"

Cui Ji explained: "We've captured many prisoners during the battles with the Profound Sword Sect over the past few years.

The Sect rules state that prisoners are at the disposal of the Disciples.

It would be a waste to only extract their Qi and blood. So, some Genius Disciples thought: our Sect's techniques are monotonous and expensive, but the techniques practiced by the Profound Sword Sect Disciples are varied. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could learn something useful from them?

Thus, these prisoners flowed into various markets.

However, once you buy a prisoner, how much real information you can pry out of their mouths depends entirely on your own methods."

Fang Huai suddenly understood.

Thinking about it now, the clear path Lin Yan mentioned was probably for him to buy these living manualss.

After bidding farewell to Cui Ji, Fang Huai wandered from stall to stall but found himself in a dilemma.

[Fireball Art Mastery], [Spirit Sword Manual Entry], [Kind and Pleasant Countenance Art Mastery]... a mess of techniques, none of which were useful.

He asked about the prices; these Profound Sword Sect prisoners had a minimum price of five thousand contribution points, which really made his heart ache.

After wandering for a while, at least two met his needs.

One had [Silk Extraction Art Mastery], and the other had [Skillful Hand Art Entry].

The former required thirty thousand contribution points, and while the latter was cheaper, they had been beaten until their face was distorted and they were a bloody mess.

After hesitating for a long time, he decided to keep looking.

This search actually led him to an unexpected discovery.

Tied up at the stall in front of him was the very Profound Sword Sect female Cultivator who had chased him yesterday!

She was the daughter of a Sect Elder, so she must have practiced many Cultivation Techniques. Buying her would be a good deal.

At the same time, he marveled at the high efficiency of the Corpse Fiend Sect.

Li Sirou had only been caught by Meng Yi yesterday, and today she was already displayed at a market stall.

Li Sirou's eyes were red, and she was trembling, yet even in this state, she didn't forget to glare at him a few times.

Fang Huai chuckled to himself, pretending not to care about her as he chatted with the stall owner:

"Senior Brother, I am a Skinning Peak Disciple. Could you recommend a living manuals to help with my cultivation on Skinning Peak?"

Hearing that he was from Skinning Peak, the stall owner's enthusiasm immediately surged.

Skinning Peak Disciples had relatively low cultivation bases but held a large amount of contribution points and were in dire need of techniques for self-protection, making them excellent buyers for living manualss.

"Junior Brother, look at this Profound Sword Sect male Cultivator. He is a master of the Spirit Sword Art. Learning it will not only improve your skinning skills but also significantly boost your combat power."

Fang Huai shook his head: "This male Cultivator's eyes are full of rage; he looks like he'd rather die than submit. I'm afraid he'd kill me."

The stall owner said: "There's no need to worry about that. All the living manualss at the stalls have been placed under a Servant Curse by a Curse and Gu Peak Elder."

"Once you drip their blood onto your identity token, they can only obey your commands."

"If they resist, you can circulate your spiritual power to instantly destroy their Divine Soul."

Fang Huai clicked his tongue. As expected of a demonic Sect, they had already formed a complete industrial chain, with Elder-level figures involved behind the scenes.

As they spoke, another male Cultivator at the Qi Refining Third Layer arrived at the stall. After a few glances, his gaze locked onto Li Sirou.

"Stall owner, what's the price for that little lady?"

The male Cultivator seemed to practice an evil technique, shrouded in a thick, putrid stench, with tiny Gu insects occasionally crawling out of the malignant sores on his body—it was quite terrifying.

"Junior Brother has a great eye. This is fresh stock that arrived just yesterday. I guarantee she hasn't been touched; she's perfect for use as a Cauldron."

The stall owner's eyes were sharp; he understood the man's intentions just from his expression and words.

He continued his sales pitch: "The price isn't expensive either, only twenty thousand contribution points."

Hearing the male Cultivator inquiring about her, Li Sirou's face instantly turned pale, and she shrank back.

Fang Huai lamented; this middleman was making too much of a profit margin!

Yesterday Meng Yi only received eight thousand contribution points, and today at the stall, the price was already twenty thousand.

Hearing the price, the male Cultivator's brow furrowed, and he showed a look of hesitation.

Just then, Li Sirou shouted anxiously toward Fang Huai: "bad person, you buy me!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes around the stall all converged on Fang Huai.

"You know her?" The male Cultivator's eyes were hesitant.

"Indeed. It was because of me that this woman fell into the Corpse Fiend Sect's trap."

Seeing that he was already at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, with strength higher than his own, the male Cultivator asked tentatively: "Are you going to buy her?"

Before Fang Huai could speak, Li Sirou blurted out first: "He'll buy me! He's going to buy me! bad person, hurry up and pay!"

After spending a day in the Red Leaf Market, the gazes of the passing male Cultivators that swept over her were all filled with desire for her Physical Body.

If the stall owner hadn't set such a high price, she would have been bought by some lecher long ago.

As for why she wanted Fang Huai to buy her, the reason was actually quite simple.

In the Corpse Fiend Sect, Fang Huai was the only one she had once beaten into a head-clutching retreat.

"Why should I buy you? Even if I buy you, you won't be obedient. Besides, I can't afford twenty thousand contribution points."

Hearing this, the stall owner smiled: "Junior Brother, if you don't have enough contribution points, Spirit Stones are also acceptable. If you can't even scrape together enough Spirit Stones, paying in monthly installments is fine too."

Fang Huai hesitated.

Although Li Sirou had practiced many techniques, if none of them could improve his Skinning Technique, buying her would be useless.

While he hesitated, the Qi Refining Third Layer Disciple had already taken out his identity token, ready to have the stall owner transfer the contribution points.

Seeing this, Li Sirou grew frantic, her voice carrying a hint of a sob:

"bad person, I know the Thousand Silks Entwining Jade Hand! That technique will definitely help you!"