Chapter Six: The Trading Market

“Come and take a look, don’t miss out as you pass by! Freshly made Blood-Replenishing Pills, Qi-Boosting Pills, Universal Elixirs, Foundation-Stabilizing Pills, Foundation-Building Pills… Everything you could want is here!” someone shouted loudly at a booth in the market.

“Step right up, brand-new magical treasures—blades, spears, staves, swords, clubs, robes, shoes, pants, hats. So many choices, there’s bound to be something perfect for you!”

“Don’t be afraid of not knowing quality, only of not comparing. The latest from Divine Talisman Hall: all kinds of spirit talismans, curse talismans, five-element talismans, escape talismans… plus special Soul Fire talismans and the rare Seven-Colored Divine Talisman!”

“Storage bags, storage belts, storage bracelets, storage pendants, storage rings… Essential for home, travel, murder, arson, protection from fire and theft! And beast pouches, pink and emerald green, in all styles and colors for you to choose!”

“Heavenly Secrets Pavilion presents: array suit sets, buy one get one free! Purchase any set and receive a complimentary Spirit Gathering Array Disc, while supplies last! Don’t wait, act fast!”

“The Celestial Paradise Millennium Celebration, grand discounts! All kinds of rankings, medicinal herbs, materials, pill formulas, refining tools, weapons, cultivation techniques, astronomy, history, geography, and more—every book at twenty percent off! There’s nothing you can’t buy, only things you haven’t thought of!”

“Who would have thought a small trade fair could be so lively? We should definitely host more of these in the future!” Old Lu stroked his long beard, nodding and smiling.

“Old Lu is right, I think we should hold such trade fairs before every Talent Selection Conference. Of course, it would be best if we could collect a little rental fee,” Su Xiong chimed in.

“Indeed, Little Su speaks for us all! If the trade fair runs well, perhaps the spirit stone expenses for the Talent Selection Conference could be entirely covered by the venue rental. What do you all think?” Sang Kaitian proposed.

“That’s perfectly feasible! Hahaha… We could save a fortune in spirit stones…”“Absolutely…” Li Xianyun and others agreed.

Watching the bustling scene at the trade fair, the heads of the six main sects presiding over the Talent Selection Conference were all smiling with great satisfaction.

“Damn it, we’ve come out again. I clearly saw a mountain peak, so why did we end up outside again?” Tang Yi complained from the airship. This was already the fifteenth time; each time, just as they seemed to approach the peak, it would suddenly vanish.

“Master Zhao, we need to return now. We’re running low on fuel—if it runs out, controlling the flight direction will become very difficult,” Scholar Zhu said regretfully to Zhao Songming.

“Ah!” Zhao Songming sighed upon hearing this.

“No matter, Brother Zhao. Although we didn’t make it to the Talent Selection Peak, the magnificent scenery atop Mount Tai was still worth the journey,” Tang Yi said with a smile to Zhao Songming.

The Sky Lantern went out, and the airship landed steadily at the foot of Mount Tai. Tang Yi and his companions disembarked, and Scholar Zhu began instructing his men to dismantle the airship. Not far away, a group approached—they were the servants Zhao Songming had left behind.

“Brother Tang, we part ways here. If you visit the capital, be sure to find me; take this waist token. With it, you can come directly to the Prince Ming’s Mansion in the capital to find me,” Zhao Songming said, handing Tang Yi a token.

“Thank you, Brother Zhao. I’ll definitely visit the capital someday to chat more with you. For now, take care,” Tang Yi replied, examining the token before tucking it away.

“You as well, Brother Tang. Please—” Zhao Songming finished, mounted his horse, and rode northward with his entourage.

“Qiangzi, let’s go. Wait—where did you get all this junk?” Tang Yi noticed Zhang Qiang laden with bundles.

“These? Master Zhao’s servants said they weren’t much use and gave them to us. Look, Tang Bro, there’s rice, flour, even some vegetables. It’d be a shame to throw them away,” Zhang Qiang explained earnestly.

“I surrender to you. Can’t you have a little nouveau-riche awareness and throw all this stuff out? These are things you can buy with money, and money—do you think Tang Bro lacks it?” Tang Yi said helplessly.

“My mother always said wasting things is shameful…” Zhang Qiang began, but Tang Yi cut him off.

“Stop—don’t give me that. I know ‘honor and disgrace’ better than you do; forget it, you don’t even really understand what that means. Fine, recite it if you want, but I won’t care!”

“Tang Bro, the inn where we left the horses is pretty far from here. Can you use your magic to help me out one more time?” Zhang Qiang pleaded.

“No way!” Tang Yi was annoyed, though the consequences were not very serious.

“Alright, I’ll crawl along slowly then!” Zhang Qiang gritted his teeth, his face streaked with aggrieved tears, struggling under his baggage with the expression of a martyr.

“I—” Tang Yi was exasperated, never expecting Zhang Qiang to be such a person. “Forget it, just this once.” Tang Yi, Zhang Qiang, and all his bundles vanished from the mountain path in an instant.

Truthfully, it wasn’t Zhang Qiang’s fault. Growing up poor, never knowing when his next meal would come, he developed a stubborn refusal to waste anything. Even now, with money, that habit was hard to break.

Back at the inn, Tang Yi looked at the clutter covering his room’s floor and felt an even stronger desire for a legendary storage ring or space ring from the cultivation world.

Recalling the journey to Talent Selection Peak by airship, Tang Yi was certain that the area was protected by a legendary array, making entry impossible for most. But he wondered if, with the array’s protection, his ability to traverse time would still work. He’d test it after a good meal the next day.

To be honest, Tang Yi didn’t like using his superpowers unless necessary. To compare: learning to drive—a person who can’t drive desperately wants to learn, and once they do, they’re enthusiastic at first, driving at every opportunity. But over time, interest fades; not everyone likes being a driver. Tang Yi was the sort who didn’t want to be a driver. Don’t forget, using superpowers consumed both his mental and physical energy, which was a major reason for his reluctance.

The next day, after a hearty breakfast, Tang Yi prepaid half a month’s rent at the inn and called Zhang Qiang to set out. Today, Tang Yi insisted Zhang Qiang bring nothing. The two left empty-handed, found a secluded spot, and disappeared into thin air—only to reappear atop Mount Tai.

“Qiangzi, listen—I'm not sure I can enter Talent Selection Peak, so wait here first. If I succeed, I’ll come back to get you. Understood?” Tang Yi said solemnly.

“Mm, got it!” Zhang Qiang nodded. Though he hadn’t known Tang Yi long, he understood that Tang Bro was always cautious, never acting without certainty; seeing him so serious, Zhang Qiang knew this was no simple task.

Inside a stone hut atop Talent Selection Peak, an elder monitoring the array rested his left hand on a magical device—a long staff connected at one end to a massive rectangular stone platform standing against the wall. In the center was a circular, mirror-like surface rippling in regular patterns, surrounded by objects resembling buttons, giving the impression of a filter device. Suddenly, the elder noticed a strange fluctuation, a brief flash. Alarmed, he checked every array carefully but found nothing amiss. Shaking his head, he decided it must have been his imagination.

Tang Yi appeared on Talent Selection Peak. “Whew!” He exhaled softly. He found himself amidst a crowd; buyers and sellers haggling all around paid no attention to his sudden arrival. Pleased, Tang Yi quickly brought Zhang Qiang up via the time corridor. This time, the array surveillance device did not register any abnormal fluctuation.

Seeing the market-like scene, Tang Yi wondered if he’d come to the wrong place. But spotting a monument at the entrance with “Talent Selection Peak Trade Fair” inscribed, his doubts were dispelled. Who would have thought the Talent Selection Conference had a trade fair? Tang Yi didn’t know it was thanks to him.

Tang Yi and Zhang Qiang began to roam the trade fair; everything was strange and novel to them. Although Tang Yi had read many novels by great authors, he couldn’t guarantee what kind of cultivation world this universe was. So he decided to first understand the situation before acting—after all, no one likes to rush in blindly.

“You there, with the stylish hair! Come take a look—Wu’s General Goods, full range, guaranteed quality, honesty for all ages!” A stall owner called out to Tang Yi and Zhang Qiang.

“Oh, really? Any recommendations? Let’s hear it!” Tang Yi was keen on getting a storage ring.

“May I ask your name, sir? I am Wu General Goods.”

“I am Tang Yi. Boss Wu, please introduce your wares.”

“What sort of items are you looking for, Fellow Daoist Tang? That way I can give you a proper introduction.”

“I need a ring for storing things. Do you have one?”

“Yes, yes! Please look, Fellow Daoist Tang. These are all storage-type magical tools: storage belts, storage bracelets—this one has an added defensive function, perfect as a gift for your partner. This is…” Wu General Goods launched into an endless pitch.

“Hold on, I just want a ring, thanks!” Tang Yi interrupted.

“Oh, then let me show you this storage ring. Crafted by a famed master, it can store items about this large.” Wu gestured to his stall.

“That small?” Tang Yi was disappointed at the ring’s modest capacity—about the size of an ordinary desk, roughly 1.5 cubic meters.

“Any larger ones?” Tang Yi asked.

“There are. This bracelet is five times bigger than the ring, and the belt is ten times bigger. The storage bag is the same size as the belt.”

“No bigger rings?” Tang Yi pressed.

“There are, but I’m sorry, I don’t have any. If you want a large-capacity storage ring, it’s very rare—only major sects and clans possess them, and they’re hardly ever sold.” Wu began to suspect Tang Yi was a novice, scrutinizing him and Zhang Qiang, unable to discern their cultivation. They seemed to have none, but Wu didn’t believe they were ordinary mortals—after all, mortals couldn’t ascend Talent Selection Peak. He decided they were high-level novice cultivators, perhaps clan or sect disciples raised in seclusion.

“Alright, I’ll make do. I’ll take two rings, two belts, and two bags. How much?”

“Payment? Spirit stones, right? Since you’re buying six at once and you’re my first customer today, I’ll give you twenty percent off—five mid-grade spirit stones total!” Wu was delighted.

“Six mid-grade spirit stones? Okay, here you go—wait, I forgot to bring them. Hold on, I’ll borrow some from a friend. Qiangzi, wait here.” Hearing spirit stones were the currency, Tang Yi groaned inwardly, feigning forgetfulness while scanning for a mark, using his superpower to listen in on others’ thoughts. Most people’s thoughts were accessible, but some were not. Odd as this was, his immediate need was spirit stones.

He targeted Hua Shaojie, a genius of the Hua clan, who happened to have plenty of spirit stones.

“Brother Jie, finally found you! Didn’t we agree to come together?” Tang Yi hurried over to Hua Shaojie.

“You are… Oh, Brother Tang! Sorry, I was eager to see what was on offer and forgot to call you,” Hua Shaojie said, suddenly remembering.

“Who’s this?” asked one of Hua Shaojie’s companions.

“Oh, Brother Lü, Brother Ding, this is my friend, Fellow Daoist Tang Yi,” Hua Shaojie replied to Lü Zhengyang.

“When did you two meet, Brother Hua? I don’t recall hearing about it,” Ding Pengfei asked.

“I am Tang Yi. Greetings, Fellow Daoists.” Tang Yi then said to Hua Shaojie, “Brother Hua, may I speak with you privately?” He pulled Hua Shaojie aside.

“What’s the matter, Brother Tang?” Hua Shaojie asked, puzzled.

“Didn’t we agree you’d call me Tang Bro? It’s like this: I happen to be out of spirit stones, found something I want, and hope you can lend me five mid-grade spirit stones. I’ll repay you soon,” Tang Yi said, noticing he grew more formal when speaking to scholarly types.

“That’s nothing, Tang Bro, you’re too polite. Here, twenty mid-grade spirit stones—take them, no need to talk about borrowing.” In Hua Shaojie’s heart, Tang Yi was a brother for life; he’d give him anything he could.

“Ha, good brother, I won’t be shy then. I’ll take these spirit stones and go buy my things, then we’ll meet up.” Tang Yi was thrilled.

With storage bags, rings, and belts purchased, Tang Yi and Zhang Qiang were fully equipped. Then Tang Yi realized—how did one actually use these things?