"Tch, I was worried for nothing!"
Lü Zhong had thought he would have to be sneaky to get into the Ghost Market, but who knew it would be just like a crowded fair.
The only difference was that at the Ghost Market, you had to hide your identity.
He then hurried toward the Ghost Market's location, a small, flat clearing in a mountain hollow.
Perhaps because no one could set up stalls in Qingliu Square, the number of people at the Ghost Market far exceeded Lü Zhong's expectations. There were quite a few participants—a conservative estimate would be five or six hundred—with Loose Cultivators setting up stalls everywhere.
At first glance, it really did look like a bustling fair.
People were selling Talismans, Pills, Magical Artifacts, and even Talisman Grass.
He took a quick stroll around the Ghost Market and found that there were indeed many stolen goods for sale.
From crates of unknown ore to all sorts of assorted clothing, many items clearly looked like plundered goods. Some even still had the seals of a certain Commerce Association, yet they were now being sold so brazenly.
When he asked about the price, he found it was much lower than the market rate.
However, there was a condition: you generally had to buy everything in bulk.
Remembering his purpose for coming to the Ghost Market, Lü Zhong stopped wandering and chose an empty spot to set up a stall.
He spread a cloth on the ground, then took out the Qingyang Jade Profound Technique and placed it on top.
Although he had no intention of practicing this basic Cultivation Method Book, he had read it.
It was a basic Cultivation Technique that could be practiced all the way to the Foundation Establishment Stage; the Cultivation Technique Mantras from the First to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining were all there.
At market price, a Cultivation Technique like this would sell for at least two hundred Spirit Stones.
But since Lü Zhong was trying to sell the Qingyang Jade Profound Technique, he guessed that local cultivators wouldn't dare buy it because of the Qingyang Sect. His target customers were only passing cultivators, so he estimated the selling price wouldn't be that high.
However, the price he was willing to accept was actually quite low. Eager to get this troublesome item off his hands, he would be content with just thirty or forty Spirit Stones.
Soon, people began to approach and inquire.
"The Qingyang Jade Profound Technique?"
The person was startled upon clearly reading the title on the book's cover.
Hearing his cry, a few bored Loose Cultivators immediately drifted closer.
Seeing the Cultivation Technique on the cloth, every one of them was quite surprised.
"Hiss... a complete Cultivation Method Book, no less. Don't tell me... Fellow Daoist, did you kill an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingyang Sect?"
As soon as he said this, the surroundings fell silent.
This was especially true because Lü Zhong had already pushed his Breath Concealing Skill to its limit.
Unable to see through his true cultivation, the onlookers all took Lü Zhong for a ruthless expert—the kind of person who could kill an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingyang Sect and obtain a complete Qingyang Jade Profound Technique.
A cultivator with such power had to have a cultivation level of at least Late-stage Qi Refining.
Somehow, the news that a Late-stage Qi Refining Loose Cultivator was running a stall in the Ghost Market spread like wildfire.
For a Ghost Market typically attended by Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and rarely by those in the Middle Stage, this was undoubtedly explosive news, drawing large crowds of Loose Cultivators who came rushing over.
Seeing more and more cultivators gathering in front of his stall, Lü Zhong naturally grew increasingly nervous.
'This won't do,' he thought. 'If this keeps up, half the people in the Ghost Market will be crowded around me.'
The more attention he attracted, the greater the chance of his ruse being exposed.
'Instead of waiting to be found out, I should cut this short. While no one can see through my Breath Concealing Skill, I might as well put on a bold front and play the part.'
'Since you all think I'm in the Late-stage of Qi Refining, then I'll play the part for you.'
"If you want to buy, you can stay. The rest of you, get lost."
Lü Zhong stared at the crowd, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Hearing this, the surrounding Loose Cultivators, terrified of offending this Late-stage Qi Refining expert, quickly dispersed and went on their way.
Although many of them were suspicious, thinking Lü Zhong was just bluffing, they couldn't see through the stall owner's power. Ultimately, they decided it was better to avoid trouble and left.
Just like that, only three interested Loose Cultivators remained in front of Lü Zhong's stall.
He then noticed that they were all extremely adept at concealing both their auras and their figures—it was clear they were accustomed to hiding their identities.
Lü Zhong glanced at the three people before him and said, "Make your offers."
One of the three, a tall Loose Cultivator, glanced at the other two before speaking in a raspy voice.
"I'll offer seventy."
"Seventy-five," another person immediately countered.
The last person heard their offers and, without making a bid of their own, chose to back out.
Lü Zhong suppressed his elation, glanced at the person who had bid seventy-five, and then pointed to the Cultivation Method Book on the stall. His voice remained completely devoid of emotion.
"It's yours. Pay up."
The man nodded and tossed over a small cloth pouch.
Lü Zhong weighed it in his hand, confirmed the number of Spirit Stones felt right, and put it away in the Storage Bag at his waist.
When the man who bought the book saw the Storage Bag, his doubts instantly vanished.
And with that, the transaction was complete.
Carrying such a huge sum, he felt like he was walking on air.
After selling the Cultivation Method Book, Lü Zhong didn't hurry off. It was rare for him to attend a Ghost Market, and with so many cheap goods for sale and a Storage Bag on him, it would be a shame not to buy anything.
There were quite a few Loose Cultivators selling Spirit Rice here, and the price was at least thirty percent cheaper than in the Workshop Market. It was even about ten percent cheaper than the Spirit Rice sold at the old Qingliu Ruins.
After comparing a few sellers, Lü Zhong eventually paid for a hundred catties of Cyan Rice Spirit Rice.
...
「In a room lit by a large tallow candle.」
Lü Zhong continuously chanted one spell after another, his hands flying as he formed Hand Seals.
As he channeled his Spiritual Power, a Fireball began to coalesce before him.
At first, it was merely the size of a date pit.
Gradually, it grew to the size of an egg.
Under the Fireball's influence, the temperature in the room began to rise dramatically.
Seeing the small Fireball he had formed, Lü Zhong suppressed his excitement and continued to chant the Casting Spell.
Just then, the Fireball became unstable before exploding with a POP!
"Failed again!"
Lü Zhong had lost count of how many times he had failed to practice the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique.
He didn't continue practicing. Instead, he closed his eyes and entered the Gray Mist Space to review the memory of his casting attempt. He compared it with the memory of Yuo Qing using the Fire Rain Technique, from the Casting Spell and Hand Seals to the very flow of Spiritual Power.
Lü Zhong had mastered all the conditions for casting the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique, yet he was still unable to successfully cast it.
At most, he could only conjure a highly unstable Fireball, just as he had done moments before.
'Where is the problem? Is there something I'm missing?'
After a period of intense thought, he accessed the memory once more, returning to that day.
After a long while, Lü Zhong opened his eyes as he sat cross-legged on the bed, a glimmer of understanding in them.
"So that's it! It has to do with Yuo Qing's breathing rhythm!"