Chapter 6: Cuishan Exchange Meeting

Green Mountain was not particularly high. As Liang Yan and the old monk ascended the mountain path, several pedestrians gradually appeared around them as they reached the mountainside. Most were youths around seventeen or eighteen, though there were also some middle-aged individuals.

With a single glance, Liang Yan knew they were all cultivators. A strange sensation suddenly rose within him; even though he was only at the first level of Qi Refinement, the cultivation levels of everyone around him fell into his mind with absolute precision. For instance, looking at the youth in black to his left, Liang Yan knew at a glance that he was at the second level of Qi Refinement. Similarly, he knew clearly that the burly man in yellow ahead of him was at the third level.

Perplexed, Liang Yan looked toward the old monk, but he saw only a withered, dull old man. There wasn't a trace of spiritual energy on him; he was nothing more than an ordinary mortal.

Naturally, Liang Yan did not consider the old monk a mortal. After some thought, he concluded it must be a profound effect of the cultivation technique the monk had taught him. Since practicing this method, Liang Yan had clearly felt his hearing, vision, and intuition become dozens of times more acute than before.

While he was lost in thought, the travelers around them suddenly stopped. Liang Yan looked up to see a patch of white mist appearing ahead, a vast, milky expanse that seemed endless.

The people around them seemed prepared. One after another, they pulled out talismans and flicked them into the air. Upon meeting the wind, the talismans ignited, spinning rapidly before landing in front of their owners, then darting into the white mist as if acting as guides. Those who had cast the talismans hurried after them, disappearing into the mist.

Curious, Liang Yan asked, "What are those?"

"Path-guides," the old monk replied without looking back.

"Oh? Then why don't we have any?"

"No need. Just stay close behind me," the old monk said, stepping boldly into the white mist. Liang Yan followed closely. As soon as he entered the mist, a chilling sensation washed over him, but since the monk was leading the way, he wasn't afraid of any danger.

After wandering through the mist for an unknown amount of time, a sudden brightness appeared before their eyes, and the two finally emerged.

Looking up the mountain path, Liang Yan saw an ancient, quaint town nestled on the mountainside. The houses were scattered, all built with red bricks and blue tiles. The streets were bustling with people coming and going.

Upon entering the town, he realized that these people were all cultivators. Many were sitting on the ground along the sides of the streets, having set up stalls. Some stalls were deserted, while others were so crowded they were impenetrable.

Being young at heart, Liang Yan loved a lively atmosphere. Seeing so many cultivators gathered together for the first time, he couldn't help but gravitate toward a crowded stall.

He saw a man with a horse-like face sitting on the ground, head bowed in deep concentration as he read a book, seemingly indifferent to the crowd surrounding him.

Various items were laid out on the ground: several thread-bound books, a basin of green powder, a small blue knife, and an ancient longsword.

A faint spiritual light emanated from the longsword, making it clear it was no ordinary object. Most of the onlookers' gazes were fixed on this ancient sword, but they clearly knew it was expensive, so no one had stepped forward to ask about it yet.

Liang Yan thought to himself, *I have been practicing with the old monk for many days. Usually, I rely solely on my fists in combat; it is high time I found a suitable weapon.*

Having traveled the world with the old monk and engaged in some "robbing the rich to aid the poor," he actually had a fair amount of silver on him. Thus, he spoke up, "How much silver for this longsword?"

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding crowd looked at him as if he were a monster. Even the horse-faced vendor looked up from his book, staring at him with a strange expression.

A moment later, the crowd erupted in laughter. Some laughed so hard they doubled over, while others shouted, "Where did this country bumpkin come from? Did he follow his master out just to broaden his horizons?"

A young woman in green could not help but chuckle. "Little brother, which family are you from? Do you not know that this Green Mountain Exchange is an assembly for cultivators? Mundane silver is useless here; you need spirit stones for transactions."

These words immediately turned Liang Yan's face bright red. He had been clever since childhood and had never been so humiliated. He thought bitterly, *That old monk is so unreliable. He's been teaching me for so long and never mentioned spirit stones.* He turned back indignantly, only to find that the old monk had already vanished without a trace.

Liang Yan's heart skipped a beat. *Oh no, did the old monk run out of money and feel too embarrassed, so he ditched me and made a run for it?* The old monk's entire fortune consisted of nothing but a tattered monk's robe; the more Liang Yan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Had he really run away?

Just as he was lost in his frantic thoughts, a voice suddenly drifted into his ear: "I have matters to attend to. Wander around as you please. Find me at the Heaven-grade room of the Floating Cloud Inn in town this evening."

Knowing this was the old monk's secret transmission, Liang Yan's heart settled. He began to wander aimlessly through the town, glancing at every stall he passed. Since he didn't have a single spirit stone, he treated it like sightseeing.

Time passed unnoticed until evening arrived. Liang Yan was rising from a stall, preparing to head to the Floating Cloud Inn, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see two men and one woman standing behind him: a girl in red, a short, stout youth, and an elegant man. All three appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen. Aside from the elegant man, who was at the second level of Qi Refinement, the other two were at the first level.

The elegant young man was currently looking at him with a smile.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Chen Chong. May I ask your honorable name?"

After a brief hesitation, Liang Yan cupped his fists and said, "Liang Yan."

Chen Chong laughed heartily. "So it is Fellow Daoist Liang. Let me introduce you: this is Fellow Daoist Tang Yan, and this is Fellow Daoist Xu Kun."

Liang Yan nodded to each of them. Chen Chong continued, "Fellow Daoist Liang has been looking around for quite a while without making a purchase. I assume you find these items beneath your notice?"

Liang Yan smiled bitterly in his heart. *It's not that they are beneath my notice; it's that I can't afford them.* However, he could never say that aloud, so he simply nodded. "Indeed, there isn't much good stock here."

Chen Chong's eyes lit up. "In that case, Fellow Daoist Liang is like us, heading for tomorrow's summit auction, I presume?"

Liang Yan froze and asked instinctively, "What auction?"

The three of them looked at him strangely. "You don't know about the Green Mountain Summit Auction? Which sect or cultivation family do you belong to?"

Liang Yan thought to himself, *What sect do I have? I'm following a lazy monk who won't even call me his disciple. I don't even know the common knowledge of the cultivation world. Today is a massive embarrassment.*

Despite his thoughts, he maintained a smile. "Fellow Daoist Chen is unaware. My master is a rogue cultivator. I have been practicing bitterly in the mountains with him since childhood and have been sent out to broaden my horizons."

Chen Chong smiled warmly. "So you are a disciple of a rogue cultivator. Actually, the three of us are also rogue cultivators. Sects are good, but they lack the freedom we have. However, rogue cultivators are solitary and weak; when we meet out in the world, it is best to unite and help one another."

Liang Yan nodded in agreement.

"Since Fellow Daoist Liang is unaware of the summit auction, let me introduce it to you. This Green Mountain Exchange is hosted by the Outer Court of the Yixing Pavilion, the premier cultivation sect of the Zhao Kingdom. Every so often, Yixing Pavilion holds exchanges of small, medium, and large scales across the country. During these times, everyone can exchange cultivation experiences and sell or trade various spiritual tools, pills, and materials."

"This Green Mountain Exchange is a small-scale one, specifically for newly entered Qi Refinement cultivators to trade resources."

"I see. I have learned much, Liang Yan thanks you. So, what is the deal with this summit auction?"

"Fellow Daoist Liang, you must understand that the periphery of this exchange is filled with miscellaneous goods that aren't worth much. No one brings the good stuff to a street stall. Just as you saw earlier, Brother Liang, did you not find anything you liked? The truly precious items are all at the summit auction tomorrow night."

Liang Yan looked enlightened. "I wonder, what are the requirements to participate in this summit auction?"

Chen Chong laughed. "There are no specific requirements, but the participants are usually from nearby cultivation families or sects and are familiar with one another. Since Fellow Daoist Liang has been practicing in deep mountains, you are quite a stranger; the gate disciples might make things difficult for you."

Liang Yan sighed. "It sounds like the auction is not meant for me, then."

"Not necessarily. My cousin is a disciple of the famous Tanshan Sect and has been selected as one of the assisting patrol disciples for this auction. When the time comes, he can help us get in to join the fun."

"To trouble Brother Chen like this makes me feel quite bad."

Chen Chong said seriously, "Brother Liang, why say such things? As I said, we rogue disciples should help each other out in the world. Going to that auction is also a way for us to broaden our horizons."

Liang Yan thought that since he had nothing else to do and the other party was so sincere, it would be impolite to refuse. He nodded immediately. "Then I thank Brother Chen in advance."

Chen Chong smiled. "That is only right. Let us agree to meet here at the hour of the Pig tomorrow night and set out together."

Liang Yan nodded, chatted with the group for a while longer, and then departed. By the time he reached the Floating Cloud Inn, it was already night. After inquiring with the shopkeeper, he found the Heaven-grade room, which, to his surprise, was a VIP guest room.

*When did the old bald donkey get so rich?* he thought as he pushed the door open.

The old monk was inside, sitting at the tea table with his hands pressed together in meditation. Seeing Liang Yan's sullen expression, he asked, "How was it? Did you find anything you liked today?"

If he hadn't asked, it would have been fine, but the question made Liang Yan angry. Rolling his eyes, he said irritably, "I liked plenty of things; it's just that I couldn't spend the silver."

The old monk knew he was mocking him but did not get angry. He smiled slightly and, as if performing a magic trick, produced a small cloth bag from behind his back and handed it to Liang Yan.

Liang Yan instinctively reached out to take it. His eyes swept over the contents. *Could this be the legendary storage bag?* When he opened the small bag, he was utterly shocked. Inside, one hundred spirit stones were neatly arranged.

*Did this old monk spend the whole day out just to gather these spirit stones for me?* As this strange thought surfaced, Liang Yan felt it was unbelievable. This old man was usually so poor he couldn't even afford a steamed bun, yet he had managed to scrape together such a large sum in such a short time.

Thinking that the monk might have endured hardships just so he could gain something from this exchange, Liang Yan felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He wanted to say thank you, but because of his proud nature, he found himself opening his mouth only to stammer, unable to speak.

Seeing his strange expression, the old monk did not mind and continued, "You must understand that wealth is an external thing. We cultivators value our own cultivation most of all. When you encounter something that can increase your cultivation and strength, you must act when the time is right. This is actually why many good items are often unavailable regardless of price."

Liang Yan took a deep breath and said, "This boy will remember."

The old monk nodded with satisfaction. "Now, go perform your daily exercises."

The night passed quietly. The next morning, the old monk went out again. Having experienced yesterday, Liang Yan was no longer worried; he simply sat in the inn to practice his Qi Refinement.

The day passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was evening. Liang Yan snapped out of his meditation to find he was alone in the inn; the old monk was nowhere to be seen. Looking out the window at the street, he saw people in small groups, most of whom had already packed up their stalls.

"Is the old monk coming back late today?"

"Forget it, it's about time to meet. I'll go to that auction first and see if there's anything good." With that thought, Liang Yan stood up, tucked the storage bag the monk had given him into his robe, pushed open the door, and stepped out.