Starry Sky Professional

Morning light filtered through the haze.

A delicate mist shrouded the landscape, with the Azure Forest Market perched atop a verdant mountain. Surrounding the peak were towering ancient trees, their trunks a rich shade of green.

The mountain itself was enwrapped in dense fog, rendering its features indistinct from afar. Yet at the base, rows of shanties emerged, constructed from the same massive timbers, their arrangements cramped and oppressive, with no drainage to be seen, allowing wastewater to flow unchecked.

“So, this is the famed Azure Forest Market? Seeing is not quite the same as hearing its reputation…”

Fang Xing mused aloud. Draped in a simple green robe with his hair tied in a neat topknot, he carried a bamboo basket slung over his shoulder. His face had been expertly disguised to look like a simple, honest local, blending seamlessly with the city's inhabitants.

He released a quiet sigh, surreptitiously guiding a realistic-looking mechanical finch from the sky above into his basket. He had invested significant effort preparing for today’s expedition.

Numerous escape routes were meticulously mapped in advance. Beneath his robe, he wore advanced nano-armor, and an electric baton was tucked at his waist—he truly was armed for anything.

Not only that, on his journey here, he had deployed birdlike drones, constantly surveilling for any movement. Several times, this precaution had enabled him to evade groups that seemed menacing at a glance.

“Is this truly an immortal cultivator market, or just a slum?”

The moment Fang Xing stepped into the shantytown, he was greeted by a foul stench, prompting him to wave his hand before his nose in distaste.

The path was muddy and overgrown with wild grass, occasionally revealing stark white bones protruding from the earth. They resembled human femurs.

“What the hell…”

Rounding a corner, he spied a fresh corpse lying on the ground, already stripped bare by unknown hands. Passersby moved quickly past, occasionally glancing from behind cracks in the wooden walls or peering between window shutters.

All seemed indifferent to the presence of death.

‘Chaos, disarray… immediate peril around every corner?’

he thought critically, his gaze hardening. ‘To survive in this environment must take an immense psychological toll!’

A tall, thin middle-aged man approached, clad in a grey Taoist robe, his expression cold and inscrutable.

Even more striking was that with each step he took, faint spiritual lights seemed to shimmer around him!

"A Taoist robe? A cultivator?"

Fang Xing's heart skipped a beat as he quickly mimicked a few nearby martial artists, stepping aside to clear the main road.

Some warriors even bowed deeply in greeting, their faces masked with humble and fawning smiles.

It all seemed so natural, as if it were an unwritten rule.

'Ritual respect, survival of the fittest...'

'If I don't step aside and pay my respects, will I be killed, my death going unchallenged?'

Carrying a weighty feeling in his heart, Fang Xing left the shanty area, heading upwards.

The mountain path was paved with bluestone slabs, some overtaken by moss, offering a unique kind of scenery.

As he reached the mountainside, a vast area of buildings came into view, all more orderly, with stone-paved and cleaner streets.

A few martial artists were cleaning in the distance, some carrying wooden buckets, much like servants.

After walking several dozen meters, Fang Xing spotted an archway displaying the words 'Azure Forest Market.'

Upon entering the market, the crowd visibly increased, with various vendors lining the roadsides, their goods bizarre and diverse.

Exotic plants, fruit and vegetables glistening with morning dew, wild beast pelts and bones, and gleaming white rice...

Naturally, there were also all kinds of strange weapons, peculiar talismans, and numerous jars and bottles...

Many people stopped at stalls, either watching intently or haggling over prices.

Fang Xing observed coldly, broadly confirming that most transactions here were barters; aside from that, the most commonly used item was something called 'spiritual sand,' essentially the rice-grain crystal stones he held.

Besides the stalls, there were numerous shops within the market.

Qing Dan Pavilion, Hundred Treasures Hall, Fire Refining Workshop, Little Talisman Hall, Listening to Rain House...

The names of some shops clearly indicated what they sold, while others required a mix of speculation and guesswork.

Fang Xing paused briefly before the Listening Rain Pavilion, his ears seemingly catching a seductive melody, instantly recognizing what kind of place it was.

“Young man, fancy a good time? Only one spiritual stone for a session!”

Perhaps because he lingered too long, a young lady with a partially uncovered chest waved at him, her gaze like silk, oozing charm from her bones.

‘Spiritual stone? It seems to be the higher currency than spiritual sand.’

Fang Xing felt a stir in his heart, but his face feigned a slight blush as he shyly departed, prompting a chorus of silvery laughter behind him.

Half an hour later, “How much for this ‘Vermilion Dragon Grass’?”

Having wandered around, Fang Xing stopped at a stall, pointing to a herb as red as jade with thick leaves.

The vendor was an elderly man with the appearance of a farmer, puffing on a brass-mouthed smoking pipe, wisps of blue smoke rising from the bowl.

Hearing Fang Xing’s inquiry, the old man was in no rush, taking another hearty puff before leisurely tapping his pipe on the adjacent bluestone slab.

The place on the stone showed a depression, who knows how long the old man had been tapping on it out of habit.

“Vermilion Dragon Grass is two pieces of spiritual sand each... but if you want to sell to this old man, it's only one piece of spiritual sand per stalk.”

The elder spoke slowly.

Fang Xing felt another stir in his heart, his expression a bit flustered, like an inexperienced young man.

“Heh heh...” The old man chuckled triumphantly, “This old man can smell the herbs in your basket from a yard away, isn’t it Vermilion Dragon Grass? If you want a higher price, you should ask around more first...”

“You truly have sharp eyes...”

Fang Xing replied with a simple smile.

He had done quite a lot of preparation for this market trip, and the main commodity he had brought along was the ‘Vermilion Dragon Grass’!

After all, the territory of that boar demon had a considerable amount of this herb.

Using drones to harvest it was relatively risk-free.

This time, Fang Xing had brought twenty fresh stalks of Vermilion Dragon Grass to see how the market reacted.

"To tell you the truth, Vermilion Dragon Grass is only useful for Qi Refining cultivators. As martial artists, we're just earning a hard living. Lately, the buying price in the market has gone up. Otherwise, normally, two or three stalks would only get you a single piece of Spirit Sand!"

The elderly vendor, with little business to attend to, spoke leisurely, casually chatting with Fang Xing, "Young man... I won't deceive you. Even if you take this Vermilion Dragon Grass to a shop, they'll offer the same price. But I can give you a deal: ten stalks for eleven pieces of Spirit Sand..."

"I don't have that much. These few stalks were hard-earned."

Fang Xing shook his head, a hesitance flashing across his face, "I'll take another look..."

Without much more to say, he turned and blended into the bustling crowd.

"Damn, the people in this world have such low standards. I can't really trust them..."

"Comparatively speaking, at least a shop's reputation is somewhat more reliable than an individual's..."

"A business shouldn't risk its reputation for such a small gain, but an individual might."

Weighing his options, Fang Xing decided to go to a shop for the transaction, even if the buying price was a bit lower.

"Selling talismans, freshly drawn talismans... Wind-riding Talisman, Fire Rain Talisman, Golden Bell Shield Talisman, Spirit Measuring Talisman... come and take a look."

At that moment, Fang Xing's attention was caught by a call, and he found himself in front of a stall, his expression turning serious.

The stall owner was a middle-aged man dressed in a robe adorned with a radiant aura; he was a cultivator!

"Wind-riding Talisman, stick it to your leg, make yourself fleet-footed, a must for traveling... selling cheaply, just one Spirit Sand per talisman..."

"Fire Rain Talisman, a lower-tier attack talisman, five Spirit Sand..."

"Spirit Measuring Talisman, capable of detecting spiritual roots. It is well known that without spiritual roots, one cannot cultivate immortality. Every dragon among men might have been mismeasured in their youth; today is your second chance, defy fate, seize this moment... only eight pieces of Spirit Sand!"

Hearing this, Fang Xing couldn't help but feel intrigued and glanced at the last item, the 'Golden Bell Shield Talisman'.

This talisman was placed prominently at the center of the stall, evidently a premium item.

"Mid-tier Golden Bell Shield Talisman, capable of warding off several attacks from a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, truly a masterpiece among masterpieces, and it's only three Spirit Stones, I'm practically giving it away at a loss..."

Having shopped around for some time, Fang Xing knew that ten pieces of Spirit Sand could be exchanged for one lower-tier Spirit Stone. He found the stall owner's words somewhat amusing.

He squeezed through the crowd, compared a few shops, and finally walked into 'Qingdan Shop'!

The reasons for choosing this place were that it appeared to be a potion shop, surely in need of herbs.

The second thing that caught Fang Xing’s attention was the green leaf emblem on the signboard, identical to the mark at the bottom of the Qi and Blood Pill bottle, giving him a sense of goodwill.

“Welcome, esteemed guest! Is there a specific medicine you need?”

Upon entering the shop, a bright-eyed, beautiful young woman came to greet him.

Despite seeing that Fang Xing appeared to be an ordinary young martial artist, her face showed no sign of disdain.

‘While such service is standard on Eagle Star, it's quite rare in the Qinglin Market...’

Fang Xing mused to himself, then responded, “I want to sell some herbs... Do you purchase Vermilion Dragon Grass?”

“Of course we do, one piece of spirit sand per herb. How many do you have?” The young woman hesitated for a moment, then answered.

“Just these...”

Fang Xing removed the basket from his back and took out twenty strands of Vermilion Dragon Grass.

“Hmm, freshly picked. Although a bit clumsily handled, their medicinal properties are largely intact... That would be a total of twenty pieces of spirit sand. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

After inspecting them one by one, the young woman quoted the price.

“Agreed!”

Fang Xing replied tersely, watching as the young woman took the Vermilion Dragon Grass and handed him two small crystals.

“Lower-grade spirit stones?”

His eyes lit up as he accepted the spirit stones, placing them in the palm of his hand.

These spirit stones were no larger than a fingernail, but their crystalline clarity and densely swirling mist gave off a cool touch.

“Do you require anything else?” the young woman seemed eager to continue the transaction.

“Qi and Blood Pills...”

Fang Xing thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, “How much do they cost?”

“Qi and Blood Pills are intended for mortal martial artists, and are quite affordable—only one spirit stone per bottle.”

The young woman replied with a light laugh, her tone as consistent as ever, yet naturally carrying an aura of superiority.

“I'll take a bottle!”

Fang Xing handed over the freshly obtained spirit stone, not yet warmed by his hand, in exchange for a jade vial identical to the one seized from the female martial artist.

Exiting the Qingdan Shop, he glanced towards the stalls, then thoughtfully entered another building, the 'Little Talisman Hall'.

(End of Chapter)