Chapter Ninety-One: Rumors of the Market Town

Qin Ming paid the spirit stones and entered the market town.

This Tianhe Market was also something he had learned about from the map he had bought from Gu Qingzhao.

Its scale was much smaller than Qingyang Market.

Still, the shops within had a distinctive character, with every kind of establishment one could wish for.

Qin Ming strolled casually into an inn.

“Esteemed customer, what can I get for you? Our Azure Dragon Spirit Fish is famous far and wide. Would you care to try a fresh one?” the waiter asked, hurrying up with an eager smile.

At that, Qin Ming became interested. He had long heard that the Spirit Roaming Archipelago was known for a special spirit fish found only in these waters.

The fish soup made from it was of no small help in increasing mana for Qi Refinement cultivators. It was a rare delicacy among immortal abodes, known as Little Azure Dragon Soup.

“How much is the Azure Dragon Spirit Fish?” Qin Ming asked.

Seeing that he was engaging, the waiter assumed he was another wealthy patron and promptly beamed. “The Azure Dragon Spirit Fish is extremely difficult to catch, and it cannot be artificially raised, so the price is a bit high.”

“One jin of Azure Dragon Spirit Fish costs one hundred and eighty spirit stones.”

Clearly, this special spirit fish was not something ordinary cultivators could afford.

“Uh... then bring me a few home-style dishes,” Qin Ming said. Though he now had more than enough spirit stones and could easily afford a full fish banquet, he considered that he had only just arrived and should not flaunt his wealth, lest he attract unwanted attention.

Better to keep a low profile.

As for the spirit fish... he could try catching one himself another day.

Afterward, Qin Ming briskly ordered a few dishes.

The waiter gave an awkward smile, not expecting him to change his mind the instant he heard the price.

Still, he remained warm and attentive, brewing Qin Ming a pot of tea and inviting him to rest while the food was prepared.

After a short while, several dishes unique to the Spirit Roaming Archipelago were brought out, all seafood.

The prices were very reasonable, affordable even to ordinary cultivators, nothing like the exorbitant Azure Dragon Spirit Fish.

Qin Ming’s appetite rose at once. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

Halfway through the meal, he heard the cultivators at the next table start talking.

“Hey! Have you heard?”

“The Yu family from White Wave Island, who make their living by fishing, hauled in an Azure Dragon Spirit Fish King in the Min River watershed yesterday. It even bore a trace of flood-dragon bloodline.”

“A rarity seen once in a hundred years!”

“That great Azure Dragon Soup made from the Fish King is said to be tremendously beneficial even for improving Foundation Establishment cultivators’ progress.”

“That means the Yu family is about to strike it rich!”

“How many spirit stones would that fetch?”

“I heard it was bought on the spot by a Foundation Establishment senior for an outrageous price of over two thousand spirit stones.”

“Two thousand?!”

“I heard that wrong, didn’t I? Two thousand spirit stones!”

Qin Ming夹菜 and ate while mulling it over.

A single fish could sell for two thousand spirit stones?

If he caught an Azure Dragon Spirit Fish and used the Bloodline Ancestral Return effect on it, who knew whether it might produce an Azure Dragon Spirit Fish King containing flood-dragon bloodline?

But then he dismissed the thought.

The newly refreshed effects from planting spirit herbs should probably only work on spirit plants or on himself, right?

He shook his head and continued eating.

“Also, there’s another piece of news.”

“I heard the lease on the Mo family’s Azure Cloud Island up north is about to expire.”

“Right now, several Qi Refinement families have set their sights on that treasure land and are eyeing it covetously.”

“After all, it’s a second-rank spirit island. Who wouldn’t covet it?”

“Compared with that, I bet you’re more covetous of Fairy Azure Cloud, aren’t you? Hahaha!”

“After all, Mo Lingwei of Azure Cloud Island is the greatest beauty in the entire Spirit Roaming Archipelago.”

“I heard Fairy Azure Cloud is going all in this time. In order to keep the spirit island, she’s recruiting two capable rogue cultivators and intends to continue jointly renting Azure Cloud Island with them.”

“No way, such a good thing? Think I could go?”

“Dream on. Fairy Azure Cloud has requirements for prospective co-tenants.”

“They must have sufficiently stable spirit stone income.”

“And they have to be introduced by someone trustworthy, with impeccable character.”

“After all, in previous years, some Qi Refinement families recruited outside retainers, only to invite wolves into the house, have their homes taken over, and bring ruin upon their entire clans. That kind of thing has happened more than once.”

...

Qin Ming finished his meal at a leisurely pace and also learned a thing or two.

He still planned to make a field inspection.

But before that, Qin Ming intended to dispose of some of the spoils he had obtained earlier.

After that, he went to three or four shops in succession and sold off everything he did not need, including various low-grade magical artifacts, pills, and cultivation methods.

He pocketed several thousand more spirit stones.

Once that was done, Qin Ming found an ordinary inn in the market town and stayed the night.

The next day, after rising and circulating one round of the Longevity Spring Art, washing and eating breakfast, he received a transmission talisman message from Wu Jiang.

He promptly sent back the location.

An incense stick of time later, Wu Jiang followed the directions and arrived at Qin Ming’s room.

As soon as he entered, his expression was a little unnatural, and he said hesitantly, “Fellow Daoist Qin, I have some bad news... I’m afraid the island-rental matter you were pursuing may not work out.”

“I trust you heard some of the rumors in the market town yesterday as well.”

“That Fairy Azure Cloud, Mo Lingwei, seems determined to keep looking for people to rent the island with her.”

Qin Ming nodded when he heard this, then said, “I’ve learned as much.”

“However, could Fellow Daoist Wu take me to Azure Cloud Island for a firsthand look? That way I can make my decision.”

Wu Jiang had originally looked rather dejected, but upon hearing Qin Ming’s words, his eyes lit up instantly and his whole spirit revived.

“No problem! Fellow Daoist Qin, if nothing else, I, Wu Jiang, am practically a local guide in this part of the Spirit Roaming Archipelago.”

“Even if you want to seek out Fairy Azure Cloud for joint tenancy and discuss cooperation, I can still make an introduction or two.”

Having said that, Wu Jiang thumped his chest, full of confidence.

Their conversation concluded, and the two left Tianhe Market, mounting their flying artifacts and heading north.

“Brother Wu, I have one thing I don’t understand.”

“Since Vast Sea Immortal City is so close to you, why did you go out of your way and travel thousands of miles to develop yourself in the Cloud Marsh Wilderness?” Qin Ming asked casually, voicing the doubt in his heart.

Wu Jiang gave a wry smile. “I’m not afraid of you laughing at me, Brother Qin... but only after arriving at Vast Sea Immortal City does one realize just how brutal the competition is for the lowest-level rogue cultivators in the cultivation world.”

“I once drifted about in the immortal city for several years, but because my cultivation was unremarkable and I had no noteworthy skills to offer, I achieved very little, and my cultivation remained at a standstill.”

“Sigh! Even when opportunities exist, they belong to rogue cultivators with backing, roots, and real strength.”

“That kind of life, where you can see the end from a single glance, is probably something a high-tier spirit herb cultivator like Fellow Daoist Qin has never experienced.”

“So I decided to go out and take a risk, to fight for a chance.”

Wu Jiang spoke with considerable emotion.

“Brother Wu is joking. I can understand that feeling. To be honest, a few years ago I was also a lowly spirit farmer, struggling desperately just to survive.”

“Only by relying on my own efforts in farming did I gradually reach where I am today.”

Qin Ming smiled warmly and offered the other man a word of comfort.

But he left out the last sentence.

Besides, I also had a little help from my golden finger!

When Wu Jiang heard this, he looked moved. “Is that really so? I never expected Fellow Daoist Qin to be so inspiring!”

“It seems I’ve grown slack. Sigh! My Dao heart still isn’t firm enough...”

“From now on, I’ll take Fellow Daoist Qin as my model and learn from you more often.”

Qin Ming smiled and said nothing more.

Two hours later, a spirit island shrouded in mist came into view before the two of them.