The hustle and bustle of the Western Market far surpassed anything Song Changsheng had seen in the likes of Liuyun Market. As he wandered the area with Song Qingluo, he gave everything a quick, cursory glance, slowly forming an idea in his mind.
Most of the vendors here were adventurers people who hunted spirit beasts in the Ten Thousand Mountains, stumbled upon rare spiritual herbs, or even looted from others. They'd then come here to set up a stall and sell their spoils.
These folks rarely shouted to attract attention. Prices were marked: if you liked it, you paid; if not, you moved on.
The items they sold varied in authenticity often even the sellers couldn't tell for sure. But overall, fakes were relatively rare, since most of the goods were just raw materials harvested from spirit beasts or herbs they'd collected.
They weren't Song Changsheng's target.
There were no real opportunities to "pick up a bargain" from them.
The rest of the vendors were mostly rogue cultivators. Their goods were far more diverse ores, magical tools, pills, talismans, cultivation manuals... pretty much everything.
At a glance, Song could tell most of it was junk. The few authentic items were overpriced, with slim profit margins that favored the seller. You might make a small gain, but nothing worth your time.
That wasn't what he was looking for either.
Small-time tricks held no appeal.
In the end, his attention turned to a specific group known as the "Gamble Vendors."
Curious, Song asked Qingluo, hoping this local might shed some light on them.
Qingluo chuckled, "Young Master, the name says it all it's about the 'gamble.'
These vendors are still rogue cultivators, but they're a bit different. They're loosely affiliated under a scattered alliance of independent cultivators. This alliance includes quite a few Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators, and they spread out across the market to sell items."
"And what exactly are they selling?" Song asked, intrigued.
"Mostly things of uncertain value," Qingluo replied. "Like old maps, broken artifacts, ancient fragments things whose origins and purposes are unclear. Sometimes they're treasures, trash. It's all a gamble. Hence the name 'Gamble Vendors.'"
Song's eyes lit with interest. "Still, these things must have come from somewhere. How do they have such a large and constant supply?"
Qingluo grinned and shrugged. "There are all kinds of rumors, but the most credible theory is that their alliance has control over a ruined battlefield a relic of the past. Supposedly, they scavenge all this stuff from there. But no one's been able to prove it."
A ruined battlefield?
Now that was interesting.
Song stroked his chin. "Let's go have a look."
In ancient times, the human race had risen to power in this world, carving out vast territories in which they could thrive. Cultivators of great might had formed celestial dynasties and joined forces to stand against the powerful beast clans.
It was during this era that the various arts of cultivation began to flourish.
The Great Qi Kingdom where Song currently resided had once been one of these celestial dynasties. Its role had been to fend off beast clan incursions from the Ten Thousand Mountains.
To strengthen its dominion, the royal family of Great Qi had actively developed secret realms and pocket worlds within its borders. Inevitably, this led to countless battles against natives, beasts from the mountains, and even other celestial dynasties.
Wars between dynasties were brutal. Tens of thousands of soldiers clashed, and in the small worlds where the laws of nature were weaker, the destruction was cataclysmic, like the end of days.
Many such small worlds were reduced to rubble and even lost their connection with the Ziyu Realm, drifting endlessly in the void.
Eventually, some of them were drawn back to the realm by chance, forming new spatial pathways.
These were what Qingluo had referred to as "ruined battlefields" ancient war zones and burial grounds for fallen cultivators. While most relics left behind had long since decayed, there were still a few that remained intact and valuable.
If that loose cultivator alliance had access to such a battlefield, their strange and eclectic inventory suddenly made perfect sense.
Song Changsheng browsed around and eventually stopped at a small stall tucked into a corner.
The stall owner was an old man who looked like he was knocking on death's door, his cultivation barely at the late stage of Qi Refining. He sat cross-legged in front of his stall, arms tucked inside his sleeves, dozing off.
But the moment Song paused, the old man's cloudy eyes flickered with a hint of sharpness. He sprang to his feet and greeted him with surprising enthusiasm.
"Young friend, see anything you like? Feel free to look around!"
Most of the wares on display were fragments of tattered beast hides, broken magical items, and other timeworn pieces.
The rumor about their origin from a ruined battlefield wasn't far-fetched.
Song picked up a cracked beast horn and examined it. "Old man, why is your stall full of junk?"
The elder's eyes twinkled. Rubbing his hands together with a grin, he said,
"First time at the market, eh, young friend?"
Song feigned surprise, nodding with apparent innocence. "How'd you guess? One of my elders had some business in the city, so he brought me along for the ride."
Once a cultivator reached the Foundation Establishment stage, just a bit of spiritual energy was enough to maintain the appearance they had when they broke through.
Song Changsheng was already young to begin with just a little over twenty when he reached the Foundation Establishment so with some deliberate concealment, he looked even younger than Song Qingluo.
The old man, seeing Song's innocent and inexperienced expression, was inwardly overjoyed. Fresh-faced rookies were always the easiest to fool. He cleared his throat, lowered his voice mysteriously, and said, "Let me tell you, young friend, the items on this stall are no ordinary goods."
"Oh? Doesn't look like anything but junk to me. What kind of story could they possibly have?" Song Changsheng slipped into his role perfectly, putting on the act of a clueless beginner.
The old man glanced around carefully, then leaned in and whispered, "These are all treasures recovered from an ancient battlefield. You've heard of those, right? Artifacts from the ancient era!"
"An ancient battlefield?" Song feigned wide-eyed excitement as if his curiosity had just been piqued.
The old man, seeing his opening, eagerly pushed further. "Of course! Take a look at this artifact its glow may have faded, but it was once a true spiritual weapon, crafted from top-grade materials.
And this ancient manual here, though tattered and decayed, contains cultivation techniques above the second tier! Even if you can't use them yourself, they'd make a fine addition to your family's heritage.
You're a first-time visitor, so I'll give you a deal only one hundred low-grade spirit stones per item."
Song examined the two objects and scoffed inwardly. Sure, they were old, but the talk of spiritual weapons and tier-two legacies was absolute nonsense.
A hundred spirit stones? He wouldn't take them if they were free.
A broken clay bowl is still a broken clay bowl, no matter how long it's been buried.
Though he saw through the scam, his expression remained just hesitant enough like someone tempted but unsure.
The old man, sensing hope, secretly gave a signal to a burly man nearby. The man immediately got the hint, stood up, and walked over to Song with an enthusiastic smile.
"Fellow cultivator, I hear you've got some new stock again! Word is, someone found a fragment of an ancient spiritual artifact from your stall. I thought I'd try my luck too."
"Ancient spiritual artifacts may be rare, but in a battlefield ruin, they're not unheard of," the old man said with a grin. "My eyesight's not what it used to be, so I just put everything up cheap. Whether you find treasure depends on your eye for value."
"Indeed, indeed!" the burly man replied, picking up a jade token from the stall. He paid with spirit stones and then, in full view of Song, snapped the token open revealing a tiny piece of beast hide inscribed with faint markings.
He immediately looked delighted, hurriedly stashing it away while glancing around as if afraid someone might try to rob him. Then he hurried off without another word.
The old man shook his head in mock regret. "Such sharp eyes! He picked out a treasure. Alas, another gem has slipped through these old fingers..."
Song silently watched their performance unfold. The act was clumsy good enough to fool a real newbie, perhaps but it wasn't nearly convincing enough for someone like him.
"Young friend," the old man said smoothly, "surely you'd like to try as well? From your aura, I can tell you must be a prodigy from a prestigious family. Your eye for value must be far better than that rogue cultivator's. I'm sure you'll find something extraordinary."
Song put on a pleased smile, as if flattered, then sighed regretfully. "Elder, a hundred spirit stones per item is a bit steep. I don't have much on me perhaps I could go get more from my uncle nearby?"
The old man's expression twitched.
"This kid is naive easy to fool. But if he brings a senior along, my whole scheme will fall apart. I can't let that happen. Gotta keep him here."
As Song turned to leave with Song Qingluo, the old man quickly stepped in front of them and said with a wide grin,
"Why the rush, young friend? From your bearing, I can tell your future is bound for greatness. Let me extend a small gesture of goodwill two items for the price of one hundred spirit stones. What do you say?"
Song lit up, wearing a slightly embarrassed but delighted look.
"In that case… many thanks, Elder!"
He crouched in front of the stall and began carefully selecting items.
Seeing that he had finally convinced the young man, the old vendor was inwardly delighted, smugly thinking, "A rookie is a rookie. Selling him two five-spirit-stone trinkets for a hundred and he's even happy about it."
While the old man basked in his pride, Song Changsheng, hidden behind his lowered face, allowed a faint smile to surface. After rummaging through the goods, he ultimately picked out a fragment of a bronze artifact and a tattered piece of beast hide.
When the old man saw his selections, a trace of mockery flickered in his eyes. "Out of all the junk, he picked the worst two pieces. If he'd at least chosen two broken magical tools, he might've recovered some of the cost. What a fool."
"These are the ones I want, senior," Song Changsheng said, handing over a hundred low-grade spirit stones.
The old man quickly accepted the stones, showered him with flattery, and sent Song Changsheng and his companion off with a broad grin.
No sooner had they left than the burly man returned. The old man and the strongman began dividing the spoils right out in the open.
They weren't worried about Song Changsheng coming back for revenge once he realized he'd been scammed. After all, private fighting was strictly forbidden within Luoxia City. The stall was also under the City Lord's protection if both parties agreed to the trade, anyone trying to stir up trouble afterward would be dealt with accordingly.
And if someone dared act outside the city? Even better. The rogue cultivator alliance had been operating in Luoxia City for years they weren't to be trifled with.
While the old man and the strongman mocked Song Changsheng's supposed gullibility, they had no idea that he was thinking the same thing.
"This old fool is hopelessly ignorant," Song Changsheng chuckled inwardly, rubbing his fingers over the beast hide's texture.
"Did you find something valuable, Young Patriarch?" Song Qingluo had kept quiet the entire time, afraid of ruining the deal. Now that they had left, he couldn't hold back any longer.
Song Changsheng beamed. "Haha, you could say that. It's getting late let's head back."
He was beyond pleased this wasn't just a decent haul, it was a major win.
As soon as they returned to the general store, Song Changsheng locked himself in his room and laid out the spoils.
Thanks to his newly acquired Insight Technique, most fake items couldn't escape his eye. The real reason he had stopped at that old man's stall was that, amid the pile of fakes, he had spotted something glowing with golden light.
He first took out the bronze fragment and tossed it into a large cauldron for refinement. As the outer shell melted away, the fragment condensed into a pea-sized droplet of emerald-green liquid that shimmered faintly with a metallic glow.
"Just as I thought Tier Two Profound Nether Essence," Song Changsheng smiled. This substance, when ground into powder and added to refining materials, could enhance a magical artifact's quality. Even that small amount was worth no less than three hundred low-grade spirit stones.
However, the real treasure today wasn't that it was the beast's hide.
The hide was only about a foot square, with several worn and damaged areas. Time had left indelible marks on it, even fading the cinnabar ink of the text to near illegibility.
Still, the text wasn't what convinced him to buy it.
He gently rubbed his fingers together, summoning a small flame, and held the hide above it. Under the heat, the dull yellow-brown hide gradually turned a vibrant crimson, and strange markings began to emerge across its surface.
Within moments, the entire hide had transformed into a bright, glossy red, now covered in densely packed symbols. But these were unlike modern characters they resembled birds and beasts.
"Ancient Beast Script… This is an artifact from the ancient era," Song Changsheng's eyes burned with excitement. He had studied this writing in his clan's academy it was one of humanity's earliest scripts, derived from the forms of animals and birds. No one used it anymore.
Still, any faction with true heritage made sure its disciples learned it.
The reason was simple: if you couldn't read ancient texts, even the most powerful legacy manual would be meaningless in your hands.
"Recorded on the hide of a Crimson Flame Salamander, with special treatments added… Let's see what's written here."
Song focused his gaze on the top line.
Written there, in bold, ancient script:
"Flickering Shadows".
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