Chapter 49: Market Token

“Who do you think you are, acting like you can just see Senior Brother Han whenever you please?” the fat youth said, his face flushed with anger. “Get lost, or don't blame me for being impolite!”

Qin Sang did not yield. Showing no fear, he said coldly, “I am the savior of Immortal Han. He once said that if I had a request, I could see him. Why are you insisting on blocking me? What are your true intentions—do you wish to make Immortal Han break his word?”

“Savior?”

The fat youth was stunned. “You saved Senior Brother Han’s life?”

Qin Sang recounted the events at Guiling Mountain.

The fat youth's arrogance dissipated significantly. His expression shifted through various shades of uncertainty before he finally shot Qin Sang a resentful glance. He pulled out a palm-sized scroll and with a flick of his wrist, an ancient painting unfurled before them.

In the painting, mist shrouded the sky, with layers of clouds rolling endlessly, as if depicting the thirty-three layers of the heavens; it was profoundly mysterious. Within the clouds, a flock of cranes soared freely, their movements so lifelike and natural that they appeared to be living creatures.

Then, Qin Sang felt a surge of spiritual energy. The fat youth injected spiritual power into the scroll, and in the next moment, a cluster of mist flew out from the painting. Amidst the haze, the cry of a crane echoed incessantly.

The crane from the painting landed in the fat youth's palm. His lips moved slightly as he whispered a few words into the crane's ear. The crane spread its wings, its body growing larger as it caught the wind, eventually vanishing into the horizon.

Before long, the mist floating upon the ancient painting began to churn, eventually transforming into a person. It was none other than the young man surnamed Han, who had nearly lost his life at Guiling Mountain.

“Junior Brother Zhen Ming,” the Han youth said, his form appearing somewhat ethereal and his voice somewhat otherworldly. “Why have you summoned me in such a hurry?”

Immediately, the Han youth caught sight of Qin Sang beside him. Recognizing him instantly, he said with a smile, “General Qin, it has been many days. I trust you have been well.”

Just as Qin Sang was about to speak, Zhen Ming stepped forward and began to complain incessantly. “Senior Brother Han, it’s not that I wanted to disturb you, but this kid surnamed Qin insisted on seeing you. I had no choice. Following your instructions, I asked him if he was determined to pursue immortality. Once he decided, I tested his spiritual roots. I had already warned him that those with spiritual roots are one in ten thousand, and as expected, he is a mere mortal with no spiritual roots at all. I advised him to go back and live a good life, but he refused to accept good intentions, thinking I was trying to harm him. He kept claiming to be your savior and insisted on seeing you.”

After finishing, Zhen Ming glared at Qin Sang huffily, looking deeply aggrieved.

The Han youth looked at Zhen Ming, then at Qin Sang, and smiled. “General Qin, Junior Brother Zhen Ming is correct. It is indeed true that those among mortals possessing spiritual roots are one in ten thousand; he is not lying to you. The path of cultivation is harder than climbing to the heavens. Even if one truly manages to cultivate, the cultivation world is fraught with countless dangers; one might perish at any moment. Being a mortal is not necessarily a bad thing. Let Junior Brother Zhen Ming ask the Palace Master of the Pilgrimage Palace to look after you. Even if dynasties change in the future, it will ensure you live a life without worry.”

“But...”

Hearing the Han youth say the same thing, Qin Sang felt a sense of helplessness. He wanted to ask him: if one has no spiritual roots, how was he able to cultivate the *Netherworld Scripture*?

But thinking of the two encounters with immortals, where the righteous and demonic paths fought to the death, he knew that they inevitably fought until one side was annihilated. He had used the Yama Banner to kill many mortals. Relying on demonic arts to wreak havoc upon the world, Qin Sang felt he had no face to claim he was not a demon.

“Immortal Han, is it truly impossible to become a cultivator without spiritual roots?” Qin Sang asked with a face full of indignation. Could there truly be such absolutes in this world?

Was it because he was not a native of this world that he was an exception, or was it a power bestowed upon him by the Jade Buddha?

The Han youth’s expression shifted slightly, and even Zhen Ming froze, ceasing his incessant chatter. He glanced at Qin Sang and lowered his head in silence.

After a long hesitation, the Han youth said, “General Qin, as far as I know, there is indeed no precedent in the righteous path of entering the immortal journey without spiritual roots. Even among the great famous sects, their cultivation methods require the possessor to have spiritual roots. As for...”

Seeing the hesitation in the Han youth's eyes, Qin Sang's eyes suddenly lit up. “Immortal Han, is there perhaps another way?”

The Han youth gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Without spiritual roots, no method will work. How can one cultivate without being able to sense spiritual energy? What I meant to say just now is that our Han family only understands the situation of righteous cultivators; we know very little of the demonic sects. The cultivation methods of demonic cultivators are bizarre and they possess countless evil arts. Whether there is a way to break such a shackle, I do not know.”

“The demonic sects?”

Qin Sang was somewhat surprised. Was the Han youth suggesting he join the demonic sects?

He saw a cluster of mist in the Han youth's palm transform into a circular jade plate. The youth said solemnly, “Since I have made a promise, I will not go back on my word. This jade plate should be a token for a cultivation market located at the border of the Northern Lands and the demonic sects; I obtained it from that demon's storage bag. If you are determined to try your luck, I will have the Crane Shadow deliver it to you. However, if you truly enter the demonic sects, we will be enemies rather than friends when we meet again. I will show no mercy.”

Without hesitation, Qin Sang cupped his hands and said, “Qin Sang thanks Immortal Han!”

The Han youth gave Qin Sang a deep look, nodded, and the cloud shadow dissipated.

Qin Sang and Zhen Ming waited in place for a while until the Crane Shadow flew back, carrying a jade plate and a silk scroll in its beak.

Zhen Ming took them, handed them to Qin Sang, bowed, and rode off on the Crane Shadow.

Qin Sang unfurled the silk scroll and found it to be a vast cartographic map. This was the first time he had seen a map so large and detailed. He quickly located the position of Great Sui, which was indeed very small on the map.

To the north was the State of Heng, which was dozens of times larger than Great Sui. North of Heng, there were many more countries even larger than Heng.

Crossing Heng and several other countries, Qin Sang finally saw the Han youth's markings within the territory of the State of Biyun. As for the specific location of the cultivation market, the Han youth had left a note stating that Qin Sang only needed to bring the jade plate to the vicinity, and the plate would automatically sense the market and lead him there.

The Han youth provided a brief introduction to the cultivation market, finally warning him that demonic cultivators are extremely dangerous, especially to mortals. If things became unmanageable, he should flee as quickly as possible; that would be considered more than enough benevolence.

Qin Sang estimated the distance. If he rode a horse, traveling by day and resting by night, it would likely take several years to arrive. Fortunately, he discovered that to the west of Great Sui lay a great river called the Tianlu River that connected the north and south; the Wuling River was merely one of its tributaries.

Taking a boat on that river would be much faster.

Putting away the silk scroll and fiddling with the jade plate, Qin Sang resisted the urge to test it with spiritual energy. He nodded to the waiting Palace Master of the Pilgrimage Palace and began walking down the mountain.

As night fell, one could overlook the entire imperial capital from Mount Pilgrimage. The lights in the Jade Palace were bright; presumably, with the new emperor's ascension, everything was being rebuilt, and the officials' meeting had not yet adjourned.