Chapter 63: Senior Brother, You Are a Good Person

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Senior Brother, You Are a Good Person

"Senior Brother of the Cyan Sun Sect, you have an excellent eye! You spotted this gourd at first glance. Though it may look ordinary, I found it in the Shangyang Ruins. It is impervious to water and fire.

"It’s a pity that I’ve studied it for three whole years but couldn’t figure out its use.

"As the saying goes, treasures wait for the fated. Perhaps you are its destined master, Senior Brother. For eighty mid-grade Spirit Stones, I’ll transfer this treasure to you..."

"You boast about a broken Purple Sun Gourd as if it were a divine relic. Why don’t you become a storyteller? I just think it looks decent enough to play with. Thirty low-grade Spirit Stones, and I’ll take it."

"Senior Brother, this isn’t your average Purple Sun Gourd. Look at the Array Patterns on it..."

"Just a variant of the water and fire patterns."

"Senior Brother, add a little more. Fifty low-grade Spirit Stones. Any lower, and I might as well keep it for myself!"

"Thirty-five! Any more, and I’m walking away!"

"Fine, seeing how sincerely you want it, it’s yours. Let’s just consider it making a friend..."

After wandering around the market a few times, Li Ye figured out its structure. It was a trading gathering established by five Cultivator Sects—the Cyan Sun Sect, Wuji Sect, Divine Sword Sect, Lingyun Temple, and Celestial Pine Mountain—for their disciples. Opening for five days each month, it provided a place for disciples from various Sects to trade Magical Treasures, Spirit Medicine, Dharma Artifacts, and more. High-level disciples could turn their unused Magical Treasures into Spirit Stones, while low-level disciples could find suitable treasures at reasonable prices. Both sides got what they needed, making everyone happy.

Over time, surrounding Loose Cultivators also joined in to hunt for the treasures they needed. As transactions increased, some clever Sect disciples began creating fake Magical Treasures to deceive their naive juniors. Those with poor judgment would easily fall for these scams. However, even if someone bought a fake in the market, the five great Sects wouldn’t pursue liability. Identifying Elixir Pills and Magical Treasures was a mandatory lesson for every Cultivator. If you bought a fake, you could only blame your own inadequate cultivation. After all, trading in the market was considered a form of experiential learning for the disciples.

Rather than calling it a regular market, it was more like an antique flea market. Buying and selling relied entirely on experience and a keen eye; once a deal was made, the buyer bore all the consequences. While selling fakes was allowed, seeking revenge, robbing, or killing afterward was strictly prohibited. The five Cultivator Sects took turns assigning disciples to maintain order. If such violent incidents occurred, the Sects would severely punish the offenders. This safety was the very reason the market had managed to survive for so long.

A handful of sand could be called Star Sand, and a dull, dusty piece of wood could be touted as Celestial Fir Wood. The items displayed on the stalls were bizarre and diverse. In the eyes of a Cultivator rookie like Li Ye, everything was novel. This was going to be a bit tricky! Watching the Sect disciples haggling at the stalls, Li Ye silently lamented how difficult survival was going to be.

In his previous world, he had fought his way in by force, subdued a bunch of Martial World figures, and quickly integrated into that society. But here, relying on his old methods would only lead to a swift death. No matter how difficult it was, he had to blend in. The market was already on its final day and would close by nightfall. If he missed this chance, he feared he wouldn’t even be able to enter a Sect’s gates. However, judging from the order maintained in the market, these Sects were likely Renowned and Righteous Sects, so his safety shouldn’t be an issue.

"Senior Brother of the Cyan Sun Sect, can anyone set up a stall here?" Li Ye stopped a young man in green clothes, cupped his fists in a deep bow, and asked timidly.

He had been observing for quite a while. The young man he selected had a laid-back personality and didn’t haggle at all when buying things. He was also generous with his money; as long as something caught his eye, he would buy it outright regardless of the price. Whenever he encountered stalls run by female Cultivators, he would blush just speaking to them and didn’t even dare to look them in the eye. He was an absolute cultivation newbie, yet his status within his Sect was probably quite high. The Demon Hunting Bureau had specialized profiling courses that taught exactly how to identify such people.

As for how Li Ye knew he belonged to the Cyan Sun Sect? The disciples of the various Sects were incredibly easy to distinguish. Those in green were from the Cyan Sun Sect, those with Eight Trigrams patterns on their clothes were from the Wuji Sect, those dressed in black and carrying swords on their backs were from the Divine Sword Sect, those in Taoist robes were from Lingyun Temple, and those with pine trees embroidered on their cuffs belonged to Celestial Pine Mountain. Anyone wearing bizarre, mismatched clothing was a Loose Cultivator.

The young man returned the bow. "You’re too polite. Senior... little brother, it’s true that anyone can set up a stall here. But seeing your vigorous vitality, you must be a Martial Artist. I’m afraid no one here would be interested in your items if you were to set up a stall."

"Senior Brother, you have a great eye," Li Ye said with a faint smile. "I am indeed a martial arts practitioner, but my dream is to become a Cultivator capable of soaring through the skies and delving into the earth. A few days ago, I accidentally wandered into a cave and found a Secret Manual inside, along with some items belonging to Cultivators.

"However, despite practicing the Secret Manual in every possible way, I couldn’t grasp the basics. I heard that there was a Cultivator market hosted by the Cyan Sun Sect here, so I wanted to come try my luck and see if I could use this chance to enter a Cultivator Sect..."

Hearing that Li Ye had found a Secret Manual, the young man’s eyes lit up. He dragged Li Ye into a corner, lowered his voice, and asked, "You found a Secret Manual?"

"Yes." Li Ye nodded and took an Energy Bar out of his sleeve. "I also found these things. They are sweet, fragrant, and very delicious. Eating just one keeps you full for an entire day."

The Energy Bar was specially made by the Demon Hunting Bureau. Its outer packaging lacked any text or labels. Vacuum-sealed, it looked much like a ration biscuit. Originally, Li Ye had planned to set up a stall to sell these Energy Bars for Spirit Stones, then slowly search for a target to plot his next move. However, after seeing this young man, he changed his mind.

"What material is this?" The young man’s gaze was instantly drawn to the Energy Bar’s outer packaging. He took it from Li Ye’s hand. "It doesn’t look like silk, nor does it look like cloth, yet it’s incredibly smooth..."

"I don’t know either. It’s very easy to open; it tears right apart." As Li Ye spoke, he reached out to tear the Energy Bar open. "The stuff inside is delicious."

"Don’t." The young man stopped him and asked, "What is the name of the Secret Manual you found?"

"The ’Five Elements Mutual Production Technique’, as well as a ’Mental Tranquility Spell’," Li Ye replied. "Senior Brother, if I give you these items and the Secret Manuals, would you be willing to guide me into your Sect?"

"Bring out the Secret Manuals and let me have a look," the young man said.

"After I read the Secret Manuals, they turned to dust and scattered in the wind." Li Ye smiled sheepishly. "But I have an eidetic memory and memorized all the contents. I can recite them for you, Senior Brother. Close the eyes, sit with a tranquil mind, hold firm, and quiet the spirit..."

Seeing Li Ye eagerly beginning to recite the Secret Manual, the young man hastily interrupted him. "Wait."

Li Ye looked at the young man in confusion. "What’s wrong?"

"Little brother, you trust people far too easily." The young man smiled and shook his head. "Aren’t you afraid that I’ll just abandon you after hearing your Secret Manual?"

"I’m not afraid, because I won’t recite the whole Secret Manual." Li Ye blinked a few times, revealing a hint of slyness. "I observed you for a long time, Senior Brother. You blush whenever you talk to girls. A man who blushes when talking to girls must surely be a kindhearted person."

WHOOSH!

The young man’s face suddenly flushed red. He looked around nervously. "Nonsense, when did I ever blush?" ℴ

"Just now, at that stall..." Li Ye acted even more innocent than the young man. His eyes widened, and he turned to point at a stall the young man had previously patronized, eager to prove that he was telling the truth.

The young man quickly grabbed his hand and covered his mouth. "Say no more! You must have seen wrong. Come, I’ll take you to meet my senior brother to let him see what these things are. If the Secret Manual is useful, I can ask him to give you a spot to enter the Sect. If it’s useless, I won’t be able to help you."

Perhaps the young man sensed a trait in Li Ye that mirrored his own, or perhaps the outer packaging of the Energy Bar had truly moved him, but he decided to give Li Ye a chance.

Overjoyed, Li Ye bowed once again. "Thank you so much, Senior Brother! I was even thinking about selling these things in exchange for some Spirit Stones to gift to those other senior brothers so they would guide me into a Sect. You truly are a good person, Senior Brother..."

"Don’t celebrate just yet." The young man glanced at him. "If you don’t have the aptitude, even if you meet my senior brother, you might not be allowed to stay."

"I understand." Li Ye nodded heavily, his gaze resolute. "If I’m not kept around, it just means my destiny hasn’t arrived yet. I will continue to work hard and look for other opportunities. Entering a Cultivator Sect is my dream, and it was also my master’s dream. My master has passed away, so I will definitely join a Cultivator Sect in this lifetime to fulfill his dying wish..."