I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 115 - 97: The Minor Competition Approaches
Nangu Market.
Three days later, it’s the Heavenly Interence Sect’s Qi Cultivation Disciple Competition. The market is crowded with people, calls to sell are incessant, and stalls stretch from the beginning to the end of the street, filled with an array of items.
Jiang Yuebai pulled Yun Shang’s sleeve to avoid the crowd and reminded her once more, "Remember, the vendors in the market know that recently it’s mostly Heavenly Interence Sect disciples buying things, so many of them will intentionally raise prices. No matter what you buy, you must haggle, understand?"
Yun Shang whispered, "For the past three months, Huaxi Valley has been thriving, monopolizing the majority of the food supply for the Heavenly Interence Sect. My spiritual insects are also in high demand among spiritual cultivators, and you’ve given me ten thousand low-grade spirit stones."
"Even if you have money, you can’t be taken for a fool. Besides, those spirit stones are earned from your hard work in cultivating spiritual insects, it’s what you deserve. Compared to Huaxi Valley’s monthly profit, this is nothing."
With people coming and going, Yun Shang uncomfortably shrank her body closer to Jiang Yuebai. "I, I understand."
"What are you planning to buy? I’ve mostly prepared the items needed for the competition, but I’m still short on some hidden weapons and mechanisms for battle puppets, and I plan to buy assembled ones."
Yun Shang hugged Jiang Yuebai’s arm as they navigated through the crowd, her weak gaze sweeping the surroundings.
"I want to look at spiritual insects. If I didn’t need the Foundation Establishment Elixir, I wouldn’t even join the competition."
Jiang Yuebai stood on tiptoe and looked around. "Someone over there is selling spiritual beasts and insects, let’s go have a look."
Jiang Yuebai pulled Yun Shang forward forcefully, making her blush and repeatedly apologize to the people staring at them.
"You stay here first and watch, I’m going over there to look at hidden weapons."
Yuebai withdrew her arm from Yun Shang’s grip and walked away. Yun Shang rushed forward to try to stop her, but Yuebai had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving Yun Shang standing there, helplessly gripping her skirt in anxiety.
After taking a few deep breaths, Yun Shang approached the stall to examine various spiritual insects sealed in amber. Fortunately, there were many people looking at spiritual beasts, so the stall owner couldn’t attend to her, allowing her to relax a little.
Moments later, Yun Shang selected a pair of golden beetles and asked softly, "Excuse me...how much are these spirit stones?"
"...it’s already very cheap, fellow cultivator, you have to let me earn a little, right? What? You fancy this pair of golden beetles? Let me tell you, these golden beetles are top-grade. Today, I’ll give you a discount, one hundred low-grade spirit stones for the pair."
Yun Shang frowned, recalling Jiang Yuebai’s advice, and nervously asked in a soft tone, "Can...can it be cheaper?"
The stall owner looked Yun Shang up and down and chuckled, "Alright, not one hundred, I’ll sell them to you for ninety-nine low-grade spirit stones."
Yun Shang exhaled in relief and reached for her spirit stones on her waist.
"Wait!" Suddenly, Jiang Yuebai appeared, pressing down on Yun Shang’s hand as she squinted at the stall owner, "You dare to say that dropping one low-grade spirit stone is a discount? Do you know my dad used to specialize in trading spiritual insects? This grade of golden beetle, thirty low-grade spirit stones is the most you can ask for."
Upon her words, Yun Shang’s eyes widened in surprise, afraid of revealing something, she quickly masked her expression and tightened her grip on her storage pouch.
"You’re not leaving me any profit at all, can you add a bit?"
"No adding! Just thirty, if you don’t sell, we’ll go look somewhere else."
"Hey, don’t go, I’ll sell, I’ll sell, my goodness, you really know how to haggle."
Jiang Yuebai raised her brows at Yun Shang, filled with admiration.
"Little Bai, is your father a trader of spiritual insects? How come you never told me before?"
Walking down the street, Yun Shang asked Jiang Yuebai.
"I made it up. If I didn’t pretend to be an expert, who knows how the stall owner might scam us."
"Can...can it really be done that way? But my parents told me since I was little to be honest and not deceive others."
Yuebai chuckled, "Honesty depends on who you’re dealing with. You need to interact with people more, rather than just staying with those spiritual beasts all the time."
Yun Shang twisted her clothing in her hands, "People are so complicated; spiritual beasts are simpler. I want to go to Mountain and Sea Building to look at magical artifacts; can you accompany me?"
"I can’t, I need to go to the restaurant over there to gather some information. You go ahead, and wait for me at Mountain and Sea Building after you’re done shopping."
Finishing her words, Jiang Yuebai ran off again without waiting for Yun Shang to try to persuade her to stay, leaving Yun Shang nearly in tears.
Jiang Yuebai had been in seclusion at Huaxi Valley for the past few months and today was her first visit to Nangu Market. The information hard to gather within the sect could be easily found in a well-informed place like the market’s restaurant.
Indeed, the Three Elements Sect has three branches: the White Bone Sect for Bone Refining, the Profound Corpse Sect for Corpse Control, and the Ghost Spirit Sect for Ghost Control. They are renowned evil cultivation sects within the Central Plains, with no fixed station, always elusive and hard to eliminate.
It is rumored that the Netherworld Sea Ghost Clan controls the Three Elements Sect from behind the scenes. Three hundred years ago, after the Netherworld Sea Ghost Tide, the ghost clan was defeated and sealed. The Three Elements Sect also vanished, not appearing for a long time.
Why have they suddenly resurfaced this time?
Following up on Xiao Ankuo, the Law Enforcement Hall indeed traced to Huaxi Valley, inquiring about Song Pei’er, asking Guo Zhen and Shi Xiaowu but finding nothing.
Because Hong Tao handled things meticulously, Song Pei’er was reported as passing away naturally. The Law Enforcement Hall could only continue to pursue Lv Ying and others who had contact with Song Pei’er.
Lv Ying took a mission outside the sect. The Law Enforcement Hall already suspects she might be problematic, hence defected, and issued a tracing command to various Daoist temples.
Regarding this, Jiang Yuebai was powerless and thankful that Lv Ying left early and was not implicated, but worried that she would encounter danger if tracked.
However, Qii Ming later communicated that it was strange the Law Enforcement Hall did not find fault with Lin Xiangtian, merely questioning Xiao Ankuo for his routine assistance in planting spiritual medicine.
Qii Ming said he would continue the investigation and asked Jiang Yuebai to wait for his news.
Jiang Yuebai buried her worries deep in her heart, hoping Lii Jiuchuan would return soon, then bought some materials for puppet making and went to the Mountain and Sea Building to find Yun Shang.
Upon reaching the entrance, she saw Yun Shang standing like wood in the hall; people came and went around her, and the shop assistants were busy attending to customers, ignoring her.
She raised her hand several times to call someone, but ultimately scratched her face in vain because the assistants didn’t notice her.
Jiang Yuebai shook her head, walked over, and shouted loudly, "Anyone there? A guest is here and no one’s attending?"
Yun Shang turned her head to look at Jiang Yuebai, her face turning red with fear; finally, an assistant nearby excused themselves to their customer and came to attend to the two of them.
Having spent most of the day procuring goods, the two bought all they needed and left the market to return to the sect.
When leaving Feifeng Forest, they brushed shoulders with two young girls; Jiang Yuebai took Yun Shang and flew up with their swords, not noticing.
"Tao Nian, what are you looking at?"
"That girl just now is about my age but can already soar on her sword, which is truly enviable. Also, I feel she..."
For some reason, there was a sense of familiarity.
"She must be a disciple of the Heavenly Interence Sect; we little independent cultivators just starting the Dao can’t compare. Let’s go."
Tao Nian stepped back, watching the remaining sunlight traces disappear among the ancient trees.
*
Clang—
Clang—
Clang—
Nine bell rings sounded, Jiang Yuebai and Yun Shang stopped at the Heavenly Interence Sect’s mountain gate, listening to the solemn voice announcing to the entire sect.
[Today, Inner Sect Qi Cultivation Disciple Hee Wangchen dismantled eighteen arrays of the Heavenly Gang Peak’s Linked Array and was accepted as a direct disciple of Heavenly Gang Peak. This is a special announcement to the entire sect, hoping everyone will strive together]
Jiang Yuebai paused, feeling a sense of loss and envy mixed with some bitterness.
But moments later, she came to terms with it. Being a direct disciple of Heavenly Gang Peak was less important than refining the Five Elements Foundation Establishment Elixir, so she forsook breaking arrays to learn alchemy. She had no regrets.
Moreover, by winning first place in the small tournament, she could choose a Nascent Soul True Monarch as her master and become a direct disciple in a similar manner.
"I’m so envious," Yun Shang said softly beside her.
Jiang Yuebai laughed and asked, "You’re learning Beast Taming, why envy Array Dao Disciples?"
Yun Shang quickly matched Jiang Yuebai’s pace, speaking more now that there were no strangers nearby.
"But being a direct disciple means having a higher status than an Inner Sect disciple. How should I put it, direct disciples in the sect receive treatment akin to a Golden Core Master, and can learn the four-lineage inheritance left by the ancestors, which includes upper three grades of cultivation techniques."
"Furthermore, whether it’s Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, or even Nascent Soul, the sect will protect them, ensuring resources are ample and training is thorough. With luck, they can study in the Ten Thousand Laws Hall, accessing the latest and most powerful spells and divine skills in the Cultivation Realm. How can one not be envious?"
"Do you want to be a direct disciple?" Jiang Yuebai asked.
Yun Shang thought for a moment, then shook her head firmly.
"No, I don’t want that. Even just the thought of having to pay respects to my master during festivals, serving faithfully, and getting along with other senior brothers and sisters gives me a feeling like the sky is falling. It’s more comfortable not being supervised now."
The two chatted all the way back to Huaxi Valley, and at the valley entrance, they saw a red-clothed female cultivator with a Hundred Treasures Box on her back standing there; Yun Shang’s smile instantly faded.
Yuu Qiuqi looked over from afar, "Yun Shang, I heard you’re participating in the small tournament. I specially refined a few magic artifacts for you, want to take a look?"
The atmosphere grew cold, Jiang Yuebai’s eyes darted.
"Well, I suddenly remembered I need to deliver spiritual medicine to Lin Xiangtian. Yun Shang, you invite Master Yuu inside for tea. Don’t lose Huaxi Valley’s etiquette."
"Ah?"
Once again, Jiang Yuebai left Yun Shang behind and ran off on her own.
Yuu Qiuqi smiled at Jiang Yuebai, walked closer to Yun Shang, and asked, "May I come in for a cup of tea?"
Yun Shang frowned, but ultimately followed Jiang Yuebai’s advice, "Come on."
