Chapter 47: Setting Up a Stall

The cultivators who had witnessed the entire process whispered among themselves, "Tsk, tsk, so the legend is true. A Lin family descendant really did join the Purple Cloud Sect, and even a disciple from the Purple Cloud Sect has come. It seems the news about the auction of a spiritual item that aids Foundation Establishment is real."

"Heh heh, I wonder whose hands that spiritual item will fall into. A spiritual item that aids Foundation Establishment... could it be a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

"I think it's possible. It looks like coming to this Sky River Gathering was the right decision."

Wang Changsheng paid little attention to these comments. He was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, still far from Foundation Establishment. He simply didn't care what the spiritual item for Foundation Establishment was.

After entering the market, he began to stroll around with Wang Changxing.

The streets were lined with buildings of varying heights, from exquisite pavilions dozens of feet tall to simple stone houses only ten feet high. All the goods sold were items used by cultivators.

Talismans, elixirs, spiritual robes, spiritual artifacts... Every conceivable item was available, dazzling Wang Changsheng.

"Walk by, don't miss out! A century-old artifact forging shop, quality guaranteed. Fellow Daoists looking for a handy weapon shouldn't miss this – come on in and take a look!"

"Rainwell Spirit Tea, just harvested this year! Come on in and take a look. Drink a cup of Rainwell Spirit Tea before cultivating to calm your mind."

"Excellent first-tier talismans, unsurpassed quality! Attack, defense, and auxiliary types available."

Almost every shop had an attendant shouting at the entrance to attract customers.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wang Changsheng followed Wang Changxing to a street with relatively fewer people. The air was filled with various aromas.

This was a food street, selling delicacies made from various spiritual ingredients, their fragrance enticing.

Wang Changxing led Wang Changsheng into a two-story teal pavilion with "Hundred Flavors Pavilion" written in three large golden characters on its plaque.

"Ninth Brother, Hundred Flavors Pavilion is the best pastry shop in Sky River Market—no, it should be the best in Ningzhou. Since you rarely visit, you must buy some pastries to take back." Wang Changxing introduced it, pointing to the teal pavilion, then stepped inside. Wang Changsheng followed.

Behind a long wooden counter were several shelves laden with prepared pastries.

Wang Changxing approached a section of the counter and asked the attendant behind it, "How many spirit stones per catty for Osmanthus Pastries and Red Bean Cakes?"

"Osmanthus Pastries are three catties for four spirit stones, and Red Bean Cakes are two spirit stones per catty."

"Last time I bought them, Osmanthus Pastries were one spirit stone per catty. Why have they raised the price now? Are you perhaps trying to take advantage of me because I'm from out of town, deliberately inflating the price?" Wang Changxing frowned, a look of displeasure on his face.

"Please don't misunderstand, honored guest. Osmanthus Pastries now include spiritual honey, and since spiritual honey's price increased, so did the pastries'."

"Alright then! I'll take two catties of each."

A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Changsheng's eyes as he asked, puzzled, "Third Brother, I thought you didn't like sweets?"

"Your sister-in-law likes sweets, and it's not easy for her to take care of the child by herself at home. I'm buying these for her." As he spoke of his wife, a happy expression appeared on Wang Changxing's face.

Wang Changsheng understood and nodded, saying, "I'll also take two catties of each."

The two paid their spirit stones, put away the wrapped pastries, and left the Hundred Flavors Pavilion.

As they passed a noodle shop, an alluring aroma wafted into Wang Changsheng's nostrils. Wang Changxing sniffed lightly, a look of delight on his face.

Wang Changsheng's stomach rumbled, and he suggested, "Third Brother, let's go in and have a bowl of noodles! I remember you love beef noodles the most."

Wang Changxing was tempted, but then he thought of his wife and child at home and shook his head in refusal. "No, a bowl of beef noodles costs one spirit stone, which is too expensive. I'll just eat the dry rations. Your sister-in-law made me a lot of dry rations before I left home; they'll be fine."

"It's rare to come here. Having one bowl won't hurt, and it's not like we're eating it often."

Wang Changxing still shook his head, stating earnestly, "One spirit stone can buy three catties of first-tier low-grade spirit grain, which is enough to last several days. Eating noodles is too wasteful; dry rations are fine. Ninth Brother, you don't know the cost of living until you manage a household, nor the kindness of parents until you raise children. All I wish for now is for Qingze to go further on the path of cultivation. I need to save my spirit stones to buy spirit grain to feed the Snow Cloud Chickens. If your nephew has spiritual roots, I want him to have spiritual eggs every day. I'm not very capable as a father, so I can only accumulate cultivation resources for him."

"Third Brother, what if Qingze doesn't have spiritual roots?" Wang Changsheng asked cautiously.

"Then we'll have another one, until we have a child with spiritual roots. Your sister-in-law and I don't have good aptitudes, so we just hope our children's aptitudes are better than ours and that they achieve more. If you want to eat noodles, go ahead and eat. I'll wait for you here, and after you're done, we'll go set up our stall."

Wang Changsheng's eyes twinkled as he smiled and said, "Third Brother, you took good care of me when I was young. I'm treating you to a bowl of noodles; you won't refuse, will you?"

After a slight hesitation, Wang Changxing agreed.

Not many cultivators were eating in the noodle shop. Wang Changsheng and Wang Changxing sat down at an empty table and ordered two bowls of beef noodles.

Soon after, the attendant brought out the two bowls of beef noodles. A layer of oil shimmered on the soup, with a few thin slices of beef and two pieces of green vegetable atop the noodles. The tantalizing aroma stimulated their appetites.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Changxing picked up their chopsticks and began to eat. In no time at all, they finished their beef noodles, leaving not even a drop of soup.

"Ah, that was satisfying. It's been a long time since I've had something so delicious." Wang Changxing exhaled slowly, a look of contentment on his face.

"Now that we've finished the noodles, it's time to set up our stall."

Wang Changsheng paid the spirit stones, and then he and Wang Changxing left the noodle shop.

A quarter of an hour later, the two arrived at a large bluestone plaza, where numerous small stalls were spread out. Setting up a stall in the plaza required no rent, which was one way the Sky River Gathering attracted cultivators for trade. However, the stalls could not be too large.

Wang Changxing found an empty spot, took out a coarse cloth a zhang (about 10 feet) in length and width, and arranged his goods on it. First-tier medium-grade spirit grain, first-tier artifact forging materials, first-tier elixirs, first-tier talismans, and several first-tier spirit herbs—most of these items belonged to Wang Changxing. Although his aptitude wasn't great, he was enthusiastic about business and had long prepared for this Sky River Gathering.

Wang Changxing didn't shout loudly; he simply marked the prices and chatted with Wang Changsheng. He shared some of his experiences with Wang Changsheng, such as how to bargain when buying things, how to tell if a stall had shills, and some common scamming methods. Wang Changsheng nodded subtly, having learned a great deal.

Looking at the goods on the surrounding stalls, Wang Changsheng felt an irresistible urge to explore. It was his first time attending such a grand event, and he wanted to browse properly.

Wang Changxing saw through Wang Changsheng's thoughts and said, "Ninth Brother, I can watch the stall by myself. Since it's your first time here, go ahead and browse! Remember, don't buy anything easily. If you really want something, come back and tell me right away, and I'll help you investigate its authenticity. Every Sky River Gathering has many tricksters; even our Second Sister was scammed once. Spirit stones are hard to come by, so don't waste them."

"Understood, Third Brother. I'll go have a look around then." Wang Changsheng agreed, stood up, and left.