Chapter 20: Fengyun Pavilion

The next day.

Baiyun Sect, Fengyun Pavilion.

Cheng Buzheng walked along the quite bustling streets. Looking at the restaurant in the center of the street, he saw groups of friends entering and exiting from time to time, the frequency of movement quite high.

This restaurant was none other than the Fengyun Pavilion, the only place within the sect where one could order food and eat, and a restaurant specifically built by the sect for Qi Refinement stage cultivators.

Those in the Qi Refinement stage were completely unable to practice grain abstinence (Bigu). After long periods of using Bigu pills, many Qi Refinement cultivators would find their food tasteless. In response to everyone's expectations, the Fengyun Pavilion was born.

The Fengyun Pavilion had a total of three floors. The first and second floors became gathering places for many Qi Refinement cultivators, while the third floor was reserved specifically for Foundation Establishment stage uncles who visited occasionally.

Many Qi Refinement cultivators gathered here to chat about the world, share strange anecdotes, or dine with friends. Because many female Qi Refinement cultivators also occasionally came here to improve their diet, the place was even more lively and extraordinary.

Of course, at this moment, he would absolutely not step a single foot into the Fengyun Pavilion to squander his few remaining spirit stones.

Because of the large number of Qi Refinement cultivators passing through, the small paths on both sides of the "Fengyun Pavilion" had become places for Qi Refinement cultivators within the sect to exchange resources.

Many senior brothers and sisters would take out a piece of animal hide and place the items they wished to exchange upon it.

If one went directly to the Salary Pavilion to exchange, the price would be about two levels lower. For impoverished cultivators who lived day-to-day, splitting a single spirit stone in half, how could they endure such a loss?

Only those wealthy cultivators who didn't care about such small amounts of money would exchange spiritual items directly at the Salary Pavilion.

However, buying things at the Salary Pavilion was only slightly more expensive than the market price, as the quality was reliable, unlike the stalls where quality had no guarantee.

As a result, this market had never truly flourished; it remained a small-scale operation, merely serving the daily needs of Qi Refinement cultivators.

Walking along the street, Cheng Buzheng saw many senior brothers and sisters sitting cross-legged on both sides of the road, with animal hides spread before them containing various items for sale or trade.

A short while later.

He saw a stall displaying many porcelain bottles. The stall owner was a fat man wearing sect attire, his robes stretched tight against his body, and his chubby face squeezing his eyes into small slits.

At this moment, the stall owner was squinting, sizing up the passing fellow disciples.

Cheng Buzheng stepped forward, gave the owner a calm look, and then scanned the many porcelain bottles before saying indifferently, "Senior Brother, how much for the Bigu pills?"

While Cheng Buzheng was sizing him up, the owner was also sizing up Cheng Buzheng. Seeing that although he was only a first-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, he did not look down on him, and instead said with a smile

"Junior Brother, for Bigu pills, there are discounts for large quantities. Moreover, these pills are refined by Fairy Jiang of the sect; the quality is absolutely reliable!"

Hearing this.

Cheng Buzheng thought to himself secretly, but his expression remained unruffled as he said

"What is this person's relationship with Fairy Jiang that he is actually selling her pills?"

He did know of Fairy Jiang. Within just two months of being in the sect, he had heard various rumors about her no less than three times.

Just yesterday, Senior Brother Niu and Senior Brother Dai, who guarded the Scripture Tower, had also told him how Fairy Jiang was incomparably beautiful and peerless in grace, their faces filled with longing as they spoke.

Within the sect, no female cultivator's beauty could overshadow Fairy Jiang, though there were two other female cultivators who could rival her, collectively known as the Three Immortal Flowers of the Baiyun Sect.

Rumor had it that Fairy Jiang not only possessed extraordinary talent—reaching the late stage of Qi Refinement at only sixteen years old—but was also kind-hearted and approachable. Many brothers who came to request pills were rarely refused.

All sorts of rumors flashed through his mind in an instant.

Looking at the fat senior brother before him, even if the pills were truly refined by Fairy Jiang, he would still not buy them if the price was not satisfactory. In his past life, he was never a fanatic of celebrities, let alone now.

At the same time, he also knew that a fairy like Fairy Jiang was not someone he could touch at his current level.

Cheng Buzheng glanced at the fat senior brother and said slowly

"Regardless of whether they were refined by Fairy Jiang, the main thing is the price. Otherwise, no matter how much you say, I won't be able to afford them!"

The fat senior brother said with a smile

"Fairy Jiang is kind-hearted and would never cheat her fellow disciples; she does this mainly to give back to the affection of the sect. One bottle of Bigu pills is only one spirit stone! Five bottles for four spirit stones, ten bottles for seven spirit stones. The larger the quantity, the better the discount!"

Cheng Buzheng did not respond immediately.

He reached out, and a bottle of Bigu pills from the stall landed in his palm. He opened the lid, which contained ten pills, poured one out, and examined it closely.

Cheng Buzheng found that it was no different from the Bigu pills he was currently taking. Judging by the aura, color, size, and luster, there was no difference.

"I'll take one bottle!"

As he spoke, he put the Bigu pills into his storage bag and simultaneously took out a spirit stone to hand to the owner.

At this moment, the fat senior brother's smile became somewhat forced

"Junior Brother, that bottle has been sitting there for a bit too long, so its effect might not be at its peak. Let me exchange it for a new bottle for you!"

"There is no need. As long as the Bigu pills are effective, it's fine. They aren't pills for advancing one's cultivation!"

Cheng Buzheng shook his head, acting as if it didn't matter.

He knew the Bigu pills were definitely not an issue. Besides, this was the sample displayed on the stall; the claim that "it had been sitting too long and the effect wouldn't be optimal" was nothing but a lie.

In his past life, street vendors used this trick all the time: the sample was a premium product, while everything in the warehouse was substandard.

One lesson learned, one wisdom gained.

Ever since he had learned his lesson once, whenever he bought things at small stalls, he only bought the samples—things like kitchen knives or cutting boards.

The fat senior brother awkwardly accepted the spirit stone, but finally asked out of kindness

"Are you sure you don't want me to exchange it for a new bottle?"

Cheng Buzheng replied coldly yet politely

"Thank you, Senior Brother, but there is no need!"

With that, he turned and left.

Watching Cheng Buzheng walk away, the fat senior brother muttered to himself

"Is this kid that shrewd? Although I didn't lose a spirit stone, I didn't make one either! This is the first time a first-layer Qi Refinement rookie has prevented me from making a profit. Although the profit on one bottle of Bigu pills isn't much, if I sell five bottles, I make one spirit stone in profit! Sigh... there are so many shrewd people, business is hard to do. Even rookies are hard to coax, let alone old foxes!"

Cheng Buzheng continued to wander along the street, seeing all sorts of spiritual pills and items, such as the 'Qi Nourishing Pill' used to advance early-stage Qi Refinement cultivation. A bottle of ten Qi Nourishing Pills cost twenty spirit stones.

Meanwhile, a pill with better effects for the same purpose cost forty spirit stones per bottle. The price difference was twofold, showing that cultivators with more spirit stones progressed faster—it was all about "pay-to-win."

As for magical tools, they were even more expensive. A low-grade magical tool cost at least fifty spirit stones, while higher-quality tools were even more costly.

Walking and listening along the way, what he learned from books was just a set of numbers, but what he saw now was much more real. At the same time, he silently memorized the prices of various spiritual items, some of which were not mentioned in books.

This allowed him to see a more authentic cultivation world. Once he advanced to the middle stage of Qi Refinement, he would go to Baiyun City outside the Baiyun Mountains to broaden his horizons.

(End of Chapter)