txolops Chapter 9 Trade Fair
Chapter 9 Trade Fair
Every year when the triennial "Trading Merchant Qualification Competition" kicks off on Kuixing Island, this usually bustling but somewhat dull island will usher in its most noisy and lively moment.
As the hub in the southwest corner of the Chaotic Star Sea, Kui Xing Island seemed to be instantly injected with wild vitality, especially the "Tian Du Street" that runs through the core of the island, which has become a holy land that cultivators flock to.
This month-long cultivator trade fair is far more extraordinary than any ordinary market.
It was like a giant magnet, attracting independent cultivators, disciples of small sects, and even reclusive eccentrics from all around.
At this moment, Tiandu Street was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder, and the air was filled with the strange fragrance of various spiritual herbs and the spiritual energy fluctuations released when magical artifacts collided.
The temporary stalls on both sides of the street stretched as far as the eye could see. Shouts, bargaining, and the explosions of magical duels mingled together, creating a frenzied symphony belonging to the world of cultivation.
The importance of trade fairs is self-evident.
For rogue cultivators who spend their days adrift in the chaotic star sea, living hand to mouth, this is an excellent opportunity to acquire cultivation resources, exchange idle treasures, and even seek Foundation Establishment opportunities.
Rare materials that are hard to find on ordinary days might be found here by chance.
The monster materials you've accumulated can be exchanged here for urgently needed pills or talismans.
Tiandu Street was bustling with people. Han Xiaoliu strolled around with Daya in his hand. The little girl held the sleeping Bubble in her arms, her face full of curiosity.
They first went to the monster material area, looking at the sharp teeth of the three-eyed fish, the skin of the poison sac frog, and other strange first-level monster materials unique to the Chaotic Star Sea. Daya would occasionally ask in a low voice about the types of monsters.
Finding nothing particularly unusual, the beast wandered into the junk section, looking at rare items such as broken jade slips and bottles that sealed spirits.
After walking around and getting tired, Han Xiaoliu would take Daya to eat a bowl of steaming hot spirit beast meat soup noodles.
We continued shopping in the afternoon.
For several days in a row.
After this leisurely stroll, Han Xiaoliu had a clear understanding of the price system in the Chaotic Star Sea.
Just as I had imagined, the Chaotic Star Sea was teeming with monsters and abundant with magical materials, resulting in extremely low prices for monster materials and the magical artifacts made from them, often less than one-tenth or one-twelfth of what Tiannan was worth.
However, extremes beget their opposites. The scarcity of spiritual herbs in this area has led to exorbitant prices for medicinal materials, elixirs, and talismans, which are several times higher than those in Tiannan.
Han Xiaoliu's gaze swept over the popular talismans on the stall, and he secretly made a calculation in his mind:
"In Tiannan, a low-level fireball talisman commonly used in the Qi Refining stage can be bought for only one or two spirit stones; but here, it costs ten spirit stones! As for mid- to high-level talismans, the price has increased several times over, it's practically robbery."
He shook his head, then looked at the bottles and jars, feeling even more helpless: "No wonder the cultivators here generally take pills made from the inner cores of demonic beasts. It's not that they prefer potent and difficult-to-refine medicines; it's just that authentic pills made from spiritual herbs are 'priceless,' and ordinary rogue cultivators simply can't afford them. In this chaotic star sea, it's really not an easy thing to cultivate peacefully."
Yunlu Zamao, you deserve to die!
Han Xiaoliu couldn't help but curse in his heart when he thought about how terrible his losses were.
Yunlu will probably become Han Xiaoliu's inner demon for the rest of his life.
She became the person he thought about day and night.
As for Dong Xuan'er, who caused all this, Han Xiaoliu said that she could not possibly have any bad intentions; she was just lusting after his body.
She has such good taste, of course we can't blame her!
It's all Yunlu's fault; I can't quell my hatred without killing him.
As night falls, the hustle and bustle of Tiandu Street on Kuixing Island does not diminish with the darkness; on the contrary, it appears even more eerie and prosperous under the reflection of the spirit stones.
Han Xiaoliu, draped in a large black cloak, completely concealed his figure in the shadows of a secluded alley, revealing only a pair of deep eyes that coldly stared at the alley entrance.
At the intersection, six or seven raggedly dressed teenagers were weaving along the edge of the crowd, their eyes darting around as they tried to sell themselves to the passing cultivators.
These are the unique "Hyacinths" of the Chaotic Star Sea—a group of low-level, independent cultivators who depend on the trade fair for survival.
Their cultivation levels were low, mostly only at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, making them unable to participate in high-level competitions. So they relied on their familiarity with the market to run errands and purchase goods for those senior experts who did not want to show themselves, earning meager commissions in the process.
Suddenly, a faint light from a communication talisman shone near the ear of a boy who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. His face lit up with joy, and he quickly gestured to his companions, leaving the crowd behind and nimbly slipping into the dark alley where Han Xiaoliu was.
"Senior, are you looking to purchase supplies?" The young man bowed respectfully, his tone revealing a hint of cleverness. "I've lived here since I was a child and know Tiandu Street like the back of my hand. I'll definitely help you purchase the supplies you need."
Han Xiaoliu didn't say anything, but simply handed over a note that had already been written.
The young man took the package, glanced at it, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and then nodded emphatically: "Please wait a moment, senior." After saying that, he bowed and took his leave, turning around and walking briskly towards the monster material area.
Not long after, the boy returned quickly, carrying several porcelain bottles that reeked of blood, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. "Senior, this is the blood of the demonic beasts from that stall. There are six kinds of level one demonic beasts in total: Windblade Ray, Three-Eyed Fish, Poison Sac Frog... The stall owner originally insisted on twelve spirit stones, but I managed to bargain down to ten."
Han Xiaoliu nodded slightly, waved his hand to put the porcelain bottle into his pocket, and then flicked his finger, sending twelve low-grade spirit stones flying in an arc into the boy's hand.
"I promised you before, I'll give you the original price, and the price you get off will be your commission."
The boy clutched the two extra spirit stones in his hand, his face instantly lighting up with a delighted smile. He bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you so much, senior! You're so generous!" He raised his head, looking at Han Xiaoliu with eager eyes, "Does senior have any other needs? As long as it's available at this trade fair, I can get it for you."
Han Xiaoliu stared intently at the other person through the shadow of the hood, and said in a low voice, "I can give you the opportunity, it just depends on whether you can seize it."
Hyacinth's heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled with excitement as she bowed deeply, saying, "Please give your orders, senior! I will go through fire and water for you!"
"I'm interested in all the monster blood at this trade fair," Han Xiaoliu said in a deep, clear voice. "Same as always, one bottle of each type of monster blood, cash on delivery. How much commission you earn is entirely up to you."
Upon hearing this, the young man's eyes shone with an unprecedented light, as if he had glimpsed a path to heaven. He kowtowed deeply and exclaimed, "Thank you for your trust, senior! I will certainly not let you down!"
The boy walked towards the crowd, gave a few instructions, and then the children headed towards the monster resource area.
Watching the boy's departing figure, Han Xiaoliu secretly made plans in his heart.
He will be seven years old in a few months.
Although Bubble has regained some of its spiritual power, its special privileges in the Dream World have been revoked. It cannot directly collect the blood of these mortal monsters to complete the world upgrade mission. It must wait until it enters the "Dream World" before it can submit these resources.
Since we cannot absorb them directly, we can only stockpile resources in advance.
Taking advantage of this triennial trade fair, we'll collect a batch of unique monster resources from the Chaotic Star Sea. We'll then submit the mission to the Dreamy Minor Realm and see what kind of sparks it will ignite.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the boy, leading five or six ragged children, panting heavily, disappeared into the dark alley.
These children were all thin and pale, but their eyes were bright and clever. They were all clutching several porcelain bottles that smelled of fish, clearly members of the "Hyacinth" group who made a living in the market.
"Senior, we have not failed you!" The young man wiped the sweat from his brow and proudly displayed the porcelain bottles in his arms. "These contain the blood of 21 different level-one demonic beasts, all freshly slaughtered and still imbued with spiritual energy. We also have the blood of 6 level-two demonic beasts, which we managed to bargain down while the stall owner was busy with customers. The total price is 66 spirit stones. To gather all this, we scoured half of Tiandu Street and managed to negotiate a 6-spirit-stone discount for you."
Han Xiaoliu scanned the porcelain bottles with his divine sense, and after confirming that everything was correct, he nodded in satisfaction.
He casually tossed out 72 spirit stones, and the transaction was complete.
After doing all this, he looked at the tired but excited boy in front of him and said calmly, "Not bad, this is an extra reward for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dusty gray storage bag arced through the air and floated lightly into the boy's hands.
"This...this is a storage bag?!"
The boy held the bag in his hands, his hands trembling slightly, his eyes filled with unbelievable ecstasy.
He originally thought that he could earn the difference of 6 spirit stones and save up for a few months to buy a suitable magic weapon, which would be a great fortune. He never expected that this generous senior would directly reward him with a storage bag!
This was the treasure he had always dreamed of, but dared not hope for because he was short of money.
"Thank you, senior! Thank you for your great kindness!" The boy was so excited that he was incoherent and bowed deeply to Han Xiaoliu.
With this storage bag, he will no longer have to worry about where to put his purchases, and his status in the "hyacinth" will rise accordingly.
Han Xiaoliu nodded slightly, saying nothing more, but a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth hidden under his cloak.
To him, it was nothing more than a useless, low-level storage bag, but to these lowly "hyacinths," it was a treasure that could change their fate.
"Go ahead and continue collecting monster blood for me. I won't be stingy with the rewards."
Upon hearing this, the boy's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He kowtowed heavily and then led the group of children out of the dark alley as if they had found a treasure, disappearing into the vast night.