As a cultivator who stumbled upon a treasure while bargain hunting departed under the protection of a Nine Xuan Sect disciple, Ji Yuan slowly retracted his gaze, a sense of awe welling up in his heart.
Although the market here did not guarantee the authenticity of the traded items, as long as it was within the town's boundaries, the Nine Xuan Sect would gratuitously ensure the safety of the transacting parties.
This was one of the reasons why cultivators from Feiyun Commandery and its surrounding regions were willing to come here to sell their spiritual belongings.
After all, cultivation was never a smooth journey. Once one embarked on this path, countless dangers followed, making a peaceful and stable life an impossibility.
Even when cultivating in a secluded cave, unforeseen calamities could strike. This was even more true for those possessing rare treasures. In the world of cultivators, there was no shortage of those who would resort to murder and theft.
Consequently, a town that could guarantee safety naturally became a favored spot for countless cultivators. Even if the journey was somewhat distant, as long as conditions permitted, they would undertake the arduous trip without hesitation.
As a significant commotion subsided, Ji Yuan noticed that the number of cultivators coming and going in the market seemed to have increased. Many who had heard the news flocked to the area, hoping to become the 'chosen one.'
However, their thoughts and intentions were of no concern to him. After misjudging items once, he now examined the goods displayed on the stalls with even greater care.
Despite browsing for nearly half an hour, he found nothing of value. Many items that seemed promising at first glance revealed numerous flaws upon closer inspection, making it obvious they were traps for the unwary.
Yet, there was one item that he couldn't quite make up his mind about. After considering it from various angles, it seemed likely to be a genuine spiritual item.
It was a fragment of a small, palm-sized cauldron. Judging by its curved shape, its original form was likely a circular cauldron with three legs and two ears.
Generally, cauldrons of this shape were used as alchemical furnaces or as special magical artifacts.
What made Ji Yuan hesitate was that this palm-sized fragment bore no lingering scent of alchemy, no residue from past use, and no spiritual energy within it.
However, the patterns hidden beneath the rust on its surface captivated him. Even the visible portions evoked a sense of joy within his heart.
If the price weren't so steep, he might have already purchased it to study it thoroughly in the quiet chamber of Stars Prefecture.
Just as he was contemplating whether to take a gamble and buy it, he heard footsteps approaching from his side.
Ji Yuan instinctively turned his head and saw a slender man with an incredibly pale complexion, who had appeared from nowhere and squatted a few steps away.
As soon as the man squatted down, his gaze fell upon the fragment on the stall. After scrutinizing it for a moment, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
"Can this item be sold for a little less?"
After much deliberation, the man directly asked.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan couldn't help but inwardly grumble. This wasn't a vegetable market where one haggled over produce. Why was he being so direct about bargaining?
For these itinerant cultivators acting as vendors, without any prior acquaintance, no amount of pleading would likely yield even a single copper coin in discount.
Unlike shops, they had no reputation or social obligations to consider. The transaction depended solely on mutual agreement. Only after a purchase and the establishment of some familiarity could one hope for a slight reduction on subsequent items.
Yet, judging by the man's demeanor, he wasn't a newcomer to the market. How could he not know such a basic principle?
Ji Yuan's brow furrowed. He had taken a casual glance out of curiosity earlier but hadn't been able to sense the man's cultivation level, not even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.
His heart immediately grew alert, and he subtly circulated the spiritual energy within his meridians.
Generally, anyone who could elude his senses would be at least at the peak of the second realm, or possess a cultivation technique of extremely high quality, or employ secret arts and treasures.
Regardless of the case, for such a person to appear by his side so coincidentally felt truly… too coincidental.
Although this market in Nine Xuan Sect town attracted cultivators from Feiyun Commandery and surrounding regions, those who possessed extraordinary treasures or secret arts, and could easily conceal their presence from him, were still a minority.
The probability of encountering such a person at a stall, by chance, was not zero, but it was certainly not high.
Coupled with Ji Yuan's current identity, it was hard not to suspect ulterior motives.
"Hey, can you say something or not!"
While he was lost in thought, the man, seeing the stall owner remain silent and even keep his eyes closed, spoke again.
As his words fell, the stall owner opened his eyes, rousing himself from a feigned doze. He pointed to a wooden sign on the ground with a twig. Scrawled crookedly on it were the eight characters: "Fixed prices, no bargaining."
Seeing this, Ji Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement. For some reason, those eight characters looked particularly pleasing to his eyes.
"You dare to sell a broken shard for five hundred taels of silver? Why don't you just go and rob someone!"
The man grumbled with displeasure, his eyes carrying a hint of hostility.
Upon hearing this, the stall owner cast a contemptuous glance and replied dismissively, "If I had the strength, I would have slapped you to death by now and taken all your money."
Ji Yuan hadn't expected the stall owner to be so… amusing.
His lips twitched slightly. He then glanced at the man beside him and saw that the man's pale complexion seemed to have darkened considerably in an instant.
"Five hundred it is. I'll buy it!"
After some thought, Ji Yuan took out a silver note worth five hundred taels of silver and handed it to the stall owner.
The owner hooked the silver note with his wooden stick and brought it closer to his face. Upon seeing the mark of "Chuhan Bank," a look of joy appeared on his face.
Chuhan Bank was established by the Great Yu Dynasty, and its issued silver notes held greater value than those from other banks. While it made little difference to mortals, it was highly favored by countless cultivators.
After all, for sects with lifespans of two to three hundred years and inheritances spanning centuries, they rarely chose banks established by ordinary powers.
Only entities like the Great Yu Dynasty, which had maintained centuries of stability and prosperity, and possessed sufficient strength to support its banking operations, could garner the favor of various sects and cultivators.
After confirming the authenticity of the silver note, the stall owner quickly tucked it away. He then picked up the fragment from the stall with a smile and handed it to the young Daoist priest before him.
Under the wistful gaze of the man beside him, Ji Yuan slowly put the fragment into his sleeve and prepared to leave.
To his surprise, the man immediately stood up and took two steps forward. If not for Ji Yuan's warning glance, the man might have even tried to cling to him.
Even so, the distance between them was now only about two steps.
This made Ji Yuan feel slightly uncomfortable, lacking a sense of security. He was about to take a few steps back to increase the distance between them.
But at that moment, the man opposite him suddenly spoke, "Young Daoist priest, let's make a deal. If you give me this fragment, I'll cancel the mission to kill you."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened, and a fierce killing intent appeared in his eyes. As the man spoke, he intentionally revealed a trace of his aura, which was identical to what Ji Yuan had sensed by the lake some days ago.
It was that demonic cultivator, radiating demonic energy and possessing a cultivation level in the middle of the second realm!
"You see, I didn't act back then, which means you owe me a favor."
The pale-faced man smiled. "Otherwise, even if you had some other means, and by some chance survived, you would have had to go into seclusion for at least half a year, and might even have lingering injuries."
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's lips curved into a cold smile. So, this man meant that he should be grateful for him *not* attacking him?
He took two or three steps back, his eyes already revealing a chilling coldness. "That's truly a shame. Otherwise, I could have earned a bit more that day!"
In the past, he would never have expressed his attitude so directly. But now, things were a bit different. Regardless, the person before him was someone who had almost attacked him.
If not for his earlier plan and the demeanor he had displayed, which successfully intimidated the man, they would have been locked in a life-or-death struggle.
Because of this, he couldn't possibly show any politeness to someone who had sought his life.
Upon hearing his words, the man before him was slightly taken aback. A hint of a smile appeared in his eyes, as if he found the young Daoist priest quite amusing, and he took a closer look.
"My name is Yang Qianhe. Remember it."
The man raised his eyebrows. "Because I will kill you."
The corners of his lips curled upwards. After speaking, he turned and left, as if their encounter was merely a coincidence and he had no other agenda.
Watching the man disappear into the crowd, Ji Yuan's brows furrowed deeply. His intuition told him that this person was by no means simple and might become a formidable enemy in the future.
If he weren't currently in the market town, he might have already launched an attack, attempting to kill the man on the spot with all his might.
With this interlude, Ji Yuan lost the inclination to continue browsing. He turned and left the market, heading swiftly towards Stars Prefecture.
As soon as he returned, he encountered Zhou Yan, who appeared flustered. Zhou Yan was a figure with some renown among the inner disciples of the Nine Xuan Sect.
Although he wasn't among the top thirty-six, his cultivation and strength were considerable, making him nearly invincible among cultivators of the same level. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned as the captain of the team guarding this market.
"Daoist friend Zhou, why such haste? Has something happened?"
After bumping into each other and exchanging pleasantries, Ji Yuan casually inquired.
Hearing this, Zhou Yan sighed. "An outer disciple has returned gravely injured, pursued for over a hundred li. The sect has ordered me to immediately dispatch disciples to apprehend the scoundrel responsible."
Within the market town, there wasn't just one team of nine guarding it; there were also a considerable number of inner and outer disciples responsible for maintaining the safety and order of the area.
Someone dared to pursue a Nine Xuan Sect disciple within a hundred-li radius?
His brow twitched. He hadn't expected such a thing to occur. He truly wondered if the culprit was daring or simply brainless.
"I can't talk with you any longer, Daoist friend. This outer disciple, named Zhao Yuansong, has already reached the second realm before being promoted to inner disciple. The sect attaches great importance to this matter and has ordered me to capture the culprit no matter what."
Zhou Yan let out a wry smile, then cupped his fists in farewell and strode out of the market town.
At the town gate, several second-realm disciples were already waiting, clearly intending to join him in pursuing the culprit.
After Zhou Yan had walked more than ten paces, Ji Yuan finally reacted. His expression instantly turned as grim as dark water, and he hurried into Stars Prefecture.
He hadn't expected that even with three top-tier talismans, coupled with Zhao Yuansong's own cultivation level and several defensive magical artifacts, he would still be pursued and gravely injured!