Chapter 37: Dongjun County Seat, the Profitable Market

“In that case, I shall trouble Fairy Xu.”

Jiang Sheng pondered for a moment before expressing his agreement.

“Daoist Jiang, there is no need for such politeness. I originally came to Qingshan County because of Qing'er's request; now that the matter is settled, I naturally must return to my sect.”

“The East County Prefectural City happens to be on my way, so there is no need to speak of trouble,” Xu Xiao said with a smile.

Jiang Sheng took a green talisman depicting a cloud pattern from his storage bag and presented it to Xu Xiao. “Regardless, Fairy Xu has helped this poor Daoist. I currently possess nothing of great value, save for this single green talisman, as a small token of my gratitude.”

Xu Xiao accepted the talisman and smiled. “In that case, I shall not decline. Speaking of which, there are still some matters left unsettled in Qingshan County. Daoist Jiang may come to find me in the county town in three days.”

Having agreed upon a date, Jiang Sheng escorted Xu Xiao to the mountain gate and only turned back toward the Daoist temple after watching her depart.

“Ming'an.”

Hearing Jiang Sheng call him, Tian Ming'an hurriedly paused his studies and rushed over. “Master.”

“In three days, I must make a trip to the prefectural city. You must look after the temple well in my absence; do not let idle people disturb its tranquility,” Jiang Sheng instructed.

Tian Ming'an froze for a moment, then replied, “Please rest assured, Master. This disciple will certainly guard the temple well.”

Seeing Tian Ming'an's confident expression, Jiang Sheng couldn't help but chuckle. “Heh, you have yet to even achieve Qi Refinement, and in terms of martial arts, you are inferior even to a mundane Xiantian expert—at best, a second-rate talent. Where do you get the confidence to guard this temple?”

Tian Ming'an replied, “This disciple is naturally unskilled, but this temple is your place of cultivation, Master. Is there anyone in Qingshan County who would dare set their sights on your temple?”

“Quite clever. Now, go back to your studies.” Jiang Sheng waved his hand, and Tian Ming'an obediently withdrew.

Strolling toward the rear hall, Jiang Sheng looked around and mused, “I am still lacking an alchemy furnace and several types of spiritual herbs. Not only do I need to refine Tiger Bone Primordial Pills, but I also need to refine a batch of Qi Gathering Pills for my cultivation. This outing was truly a loss.”

“If it weren't for the acquisition of a set of formations, I might have lost everything in this demon-slaying endeavor. In the future, I must investigate such matters thoroughly. Acting without calculating the opponent's net worth makes it too easy to suffer a loss.”

In reality, whether it was slaying demons or exploring the caves of predecessors, the ratio of effort to reward was consistently disproportionate.

No one could guarantee that a predecessor's cave contained a legacy rather than a trap, nor could anyone guarantee that a notorious evil spirit possessed a vast fortune. Many cultivators would set various traps in their caves before death to kill those who followed, and most of the time, cultivators kept their wealth on their person. Often, after exerting immense effort to clear a cave, one might find it to be nothing more than an empty shell.

Therefore, when rogue cultivators explored predecessor caves or searched for resources, the ratio was typically 80/20 or even 90/10; there was only a ten percent chance of not breaking even.

Jiang Sheng was now truly experiencing the hardships of a rogue cultivator.

Since arriving at Qingping Mountain, he had officially made three moves, and the only result was the tiger demon at the very beginning, which contributed a Foundation Establishment demon corpse to him.

Nothing was left of the Eight Wolves of East County; their entire fortune had been used to forge that magical tool, which Jiang Sheng ended up destroying in the end.

As for the River God, it went without saying. A Great Demon of the Purple Mansion realm—his cave was so empty a mouse could run through it, as if all resources had been used to maintain that sinister formation. If it weren't for the set of third-grade formations and the batch of Flower-Red Fruits Zhang Qingyun had provided, Jiang Sheng's Dao heart might have been damaged.

This only further solidified Jiang Sheng's resolve to avoid going out unless necessary.

On New Year's Eve, Jiang Sheng had Tian Ming'an descend the mountain to spend the New Year with his family. Watching the fireworks filling the sky outside the mountain, Jiang Sheng felt little emotion.

He didn't have much leisure time; besides his daily cultivation, he had to draw a batch of talismans to sell, as he needed to stockpile resources. Once he had enough, he planned to devote himself entirely to cultivation and ignore external affairs; he would only consider other matters once he had opened his Purple Mansion at his brow.

New Year's Day was the date Jiang Sheng had agreed upon with Xu Xiao. He called Tian Ming'an over.

After giving several instructions, he handed three talismans to Tian Ming'an. “These are second-grade Water Arrow Talismans I have drawn; use them if someone attacks. This is a Profound Water Talisman; if the intruder is too strong, use this to save your life. This is a Hundred-Mile Escape Talisman; once you have used the Profound Water Talisman to protect yourself, use this to flee and wait for my return.”

“This disciple understands.” Tian Ming'an carefully tucked the three talismans close to his body.

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly, then took to the air and flew toward Qingshan County.

By noon, Jiang Sheng arrived at the county town.

The town was currently filled with lanterns and festive decorations, brimming with joy, which dispelled the panic and sorrow brought by the River God's previous rampage.

Xu Xiao was whispering with Zhang Qing; once the two women finished chatting, Xu Xiao left with Jiang Sheng.

After a brief discussion, the two of them redressed and changed their manner of address.

Jiang Sheng shed his Daoist robes for a flowing white robe with a brocade belt at his waist. His hair, once in a Daoist bun, was now held by a jade hairpin. Combined with his jade-like countenance, his temperament was ethereal, making him look like a refined, elegant young gentleman of the mortal world.

Even Xu Xiao couldn't help but laugh upon seeing him. “With such striking temperament, Young Master Yuanchen, I fear many of the noble ladies in East County will be utterly enchanted.”

Jiang Sheng merely smiled and said nothing more.

The distance from Qingshan County to the East County Prefectural City was not far, taking roughly three days.

Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao did not make many stops along the way. By the time they reached the East County Prefectural City, it was exactly noon on the fourth day of the New Year.

The prefectural city was much larger than Qingshan County, with towering walls inscribed with subtle formations. Besides the gates guarded by ordinary soldiers, several Qi Refinement cultivators stood guard at a grand, high gate.

Xu Xiao explained, “Those soldiers guard the gates for mortals—peddlers, common merchants, and travelers all use those gates. The Qi Refinement cultivators guard the gates meant for practitioners; the cultivation clans within the city primarily use this entrance.”

The East County Prefectural City was not like Qingshan County; the prefectural city housed over a million people, with countless markets and streets. Gentry, wealthy merchants, commoners, and peddlers each had their own districts, while cultivators and clans had specialized residential streets. Although cultivators and mortals coexisted within the city, the boundaries were clearly defined.

As Xu Xiao and Jiang Sheng flew toward the city gate, the Qi Refinement cultivators on guard immediately approached them respectfully.

Those capable of flight and long-term hovering were undoubtedly Foundation Establishment cultivators. Not to mention, the two newcomers were exceptionally handsome and beautiful; such celestial appearances suggested they were extraordinary, and given their youth, they were likely nobles from a great house or true disciples of a sect.

“Please, two Foundation Establishment seniors,” the leader, an old man only at the third level of Qi Refinement, said with a fawning smile, bowing repeatedly as he invited Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao into the city.

Upon entering the prefectural city, one saw bustling streets, dense crowds, lively markets, and rows of shops. Merchants and peddlers were everywhere, and the streets were filled with a constant flow of traffic. Being the New Year season, the city was exceptionally lively.

Xu Xiao led Jiang Sheng along the main road, and before long, they arrived at the city's cultivation market.

Clearly, this market was specifically designed for the convenience of cultivators, located very close to the specialized residential areas. Guarding the entrance were two mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Both wore identical clothing with the character "Cha" (查) embroidered on their chests.

Xu Xiao introduced, “This market is actually jointly operated by the Cha family and the various Foundation Establishment clans in the prefectural city. The Cha family holds half the stake, and the remaining Foundation Establishment clans share the other half.”

“The guards are not just the Qi Refinement cultivators from the Cha family; the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the various clans and the Cha family take turns guarding the market.”

“To enter the market, the rule is two spirit stones per person. If you sell goods within the market, an additional twenty percent tax in spirit stones is collected. It seems expensive, but all transactions in the market are guaranteed by the East County clans and the Cha family, so the credibility is reliable.”

Jiang Sheng sensed the auras within the market. A large number of them were at the Qi Refinement stage, fluctuating significantly, but two auras were exceptionally prominent. They were located in the most conspicuous high-rise building in the market—two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. They were clearly the Foundation Establishment representatives sent by the East County clans to guard the market.

When they reached the entrance, Xu Xiao paid four spirit stones, and the guarding Qi Refinement cultivator handed two tokens to Xu Xiao.

Xu Xiao gave one token to Jiang Sheng. “These are your entry and exit permits. Collect them when you enter and hand them back when you leave. Keep them safe.”

Jiang Sheng took the token, looking at the finger-sized object in his hand, and smiled. “This market is indeed very meticulous.”

“One cannot afford to be careless here. Does Young Master Yuanchen know how much profit this market provides to the East County clans every year?” Xu Xiao asked with a smile.

Jiang Sheng thought for a moment and shook his head. “Though I cannot guess the exact figure, I imagine it must be a staggering number.”

Xu Xiao said, “Every cultivator pays two spirit stones just to enter and exit, not to mention the annual fees from shops and the twenty percent tax on rogue cultivators' stalls. This market provides at least hundreds of thousands of spirit stones to the East County clans every year!”

Hundreds of thousands of spirit stones!

This figure truly surprised Jiang Sheng. With an annual income of hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, even after distribution, each family's share would be substantial.

“These clans control the market, and after collecting the spirit stones, they use them to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills and various magical tools and medicines from the provincial capital to maintain their families. That is why every generation has Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

“And the Cha family goes without saying; the amount of spirit stones they invest in pills and magical tools every year is a massive sum,” Xu Xiao continued.

Jiang Sheng nodded. These clans had large populations, and the resources provided to their clansmen every year were not small. Not to mention the need to ensure every generation produced Foundation Establishment cultivators, which required a massive consumption of Foundation Establishment-level tools and pills. So, while they appeared to earn a lot, their actual surplus was not that large.

In the entire Qing Province, the ones who truly made money were the three great sects at the very top. After all, whether it was Foundation Establishment Pills or the resources required to open a Purple Mansion, most were controlled by them. While these clans seemed to earn much, the majority of it eventually flowed back into the hands of the three great sects.

Over time, the resources held by the three great sects would be absolutely staggering!