Not wasting any more time browsing artifact shops, Lin Feng quickly made his way to the Southern District Bazaar Market. Upon arriving, he was slightly stunned—the scale of this market far surpassed anything Vermillion Cloud City's lone bazaar could offer.
Azure Spring City boasted four such bazaars, one in each district: east, south, west, and north. The Southern District bazaar alone was several times larger than Vermillion Clobud City's sole bazaar place. Bustling and noisy, Lin Feng stood at the head of one street near the entrance; looking down its length, he couldn't even see its end. Rows of orderly stalls lined both sides, displaying a dazzling array of goods.
Apart from being larger and more prosperous, this bazaar was also far more regulated than Vermillion Cloud City's free bazaar . Setting up a simple 'ground stall' was not allowed here. Along both sides of the streets stood rows of simple, shed-like structures partitioned into stalls of varying sizes. Cultivators wishing to use these spaces had to pay rent.
The bazaar comprised over a dozen streets. After entering through the main gate, Lin Feng walked into one and began browsing casually.
Compared to the offerings in Vermillion Cloud City's bazaar , the goods here were more plentiful and of higher quality. He even spotted third-grade materials—items only available at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion back home. He also saw several cultivation manuals and spell techniques on a few stalls, though their grades were low, merely Human-rank low or mid-grade, failing to pique his interest.
Additionally, materials and cores harvested from demonic beasts were commonplace, even including second-grade demon cores. Lin Feng couldn't help but marvel at the difference a major city made. He recalled Long Chengkong mentioning that Azure Spring City was surrounded by four demon beast gathering zones, home even to third-grade demon beasts.
Lin Feng had already noticed during his cultivation last night that the ambient spiritual energy density around Azure Spring City far exceeded Vermillion Cloud City's. This very richness nurtured more powerful demon beasts in the region.
Lin Feng's primary focus naturally remained on magical artifacts, specifically scrap artifacts. However, after browsing two entire streets, he was disappointed with the results. It wasn't that there were no artifacts; rather, most displayed were either new or minimally damaged. Buying these offered little profit margin.
He also encountered several types of first and second-grade medicinal pills on some stalls. Repairing pills for profit was theoretically possible, but demand for pills couldn't match that for low-grade artifacts. Pills were still considered 'luxury items' among low-level cultivators, and medicinal herbs were generally more expensive than artifact refining materials. In terms of pure profit, repairing pills couldn't rival repairing artifacts.
Abandoning the hope of finding scrap artifacts on others' stalls, Lin Feng decided to employ the same method he'd used back in Vermillion Cloud City's bazaar: putting out a call for purchases.
He found an unoccupied stall on one street. He went to the stall rental office at the street entrance and paid twenty low-grade spirit stones to rent this stall for four hours.
The stall he rented was relatively small, costing five low-grade stones per hour. Larger stalls likely cost far more. Estimating the total number of stalls across the entire bazaar ... Lin Feng inwardly clicked his tongue. Just the rental income from the Southern District Bazaar each day must be astronomical.
...
Stepping into the roughly four-to-five square meter stall booth, Lin Feng examined it carefully. Besides a display counter at the front, he noticed a small shelf on the back wall for additional goods. Paper, brushes, and other supplies were thoughtfully provided on either side.
Setting up a stall to 'collect scrap' was routine for Lin Feng. He took down the half-meter square white 'signboard' hanging on the left wall, picked up a piece of charcoal from nearby, and began writing rapidly on it.
After finishing the notice about purchasing scrap artifacts, a sudden idea flashed through Lin Feng's mind. He slapped his forehead and muttered, "Stupid, idiot! Why only think about buying scrap artifacts to repair and sell myself... I can also do this!"
Seemingly pleased with his new idea, Lin Feng grinned and continued writing on the board...
When the entire signboard was nearly filled, he finally finished. He reviewed his writing, nodded in satisfaction, and placed the sign prominently in the center of the display counter.
Lin Feng initially thought about loudly hawking his services like he had in Vermillion Cloud City. However, recalling that he hadn't heard any stallholders shouting during his walk here, he guessed it wasn't the 'custom' or perhaps even permitted. He gave up on the idea and simply sat down behind the stall, deciding to wait and see what happened first.
Even without shouting, his stall was distinctive enough to quickly draw attention. While other stalls displayed various goods, whether neatly or chaotically arranged, his stall had nothing but a 'sign' prominently displayed. It was impossible not to notice.
Passersby invariably glanced over, their eyes instinctively drawn to the sign in the middle of the counter. Curious individuals even read the notice aloud softly:
"PURCHASE: All types of scrap magical artifacts sought. Any condition accepted as long as not completely destroyed. Prices guaranteed to satisfy." "REPAIR SERVICES: All orders for artifact repair accepted. Any damaged Magical Instrument or Treasure Artifact can be restored to original condition." "Competitive pricing. Fair dealings for all ages." "Next-day pickup guaranteed." "(NOTE: To alleviate concerns: Upon handing over the artifact for repair, our shop will provide a spirit stone deposit of equal value. The deposit will be returned, plus the repair fee, upon collection the following day.)"
After reading this somewhat unprofessional but understandable notice, the lean young cultivator who read it paused for a few seconds, then exclaimed incredulously, "Heh, a stall buying scrap artifacts? And... taking repair orders? Any damaged artifact can be repaired? That's not bragging, that's outright lying! Giving a deposit of equal value first? What kind of business practice is that? This is fascinating..."
He looked up at Lin Feng skeptically. "Are you actually an Artificer?"
Lin Feng adopted an air of 'profound mystery' and nodded. "This humble one is merely an 'apprentice', unworthy of the title 'Artificer'. However, my master possesses exquisite skill. Repairing Magical Instruments or Treasure Artifacts is effortless for him. Rest assured, esteemed patrons, bring us your damaged artifacts, and our shop will guarantee their complete restoration."
He knew claiming he could personally repair any Magical Instrument or Treasure Artifact would be dismissed as bragging. Therefore, he decisively fabricated a 'master'. In the cultivation world, especially among low-level rogue cultivators, the aura of having a 'master' held significant weight – particularly one who was an Artificer.
"A genuine Artificer?" The young man's expression turned serious. Artificers held considerable status in the cultivation world. If the other party's claim was true, offending him would be unwise.
"Indeed. My master and I are travelling through this region. As we will be staying for some time, he dispatched me to conduct some business. This is a rare opportunity, esteemed patrons, do not miss it... As stated, if you present an artifact for repair, our shop will provide you with a spirit stone deposit of equal value upfront. This way, even if I were to abscond with your artifact, I gain nothing, and you suffer no loss. Therefore, you need have no worries whatsoever."
"..."
Lin Feng's explanation caused a stir of surprise among the onlookers. Such a business practice was unheard of. Some sneered dismissively and walked away. Others discussed it in hushed, intrigued tones. Many more spectators gathered to see what the fuss was about...
As the crowd around his stall thickened, the initial few who understood the sign became impromptu commentators, explaining the contents to newcomers. Lin Feng didn't elaborate further, choosing instead to wait patiently.
His explanation wasn't entirely foolproof; a determined skeptic could poke holes in it. However, he only needed a few willing individuals to try his service. Once the initial results were seen, he was confident all doubts would vanish.
Repairing artifacts for others was the new money-making method he'd just conceived. This way, he wouldn't be limited to seeking out heavily damaged artifacts to repair and resell himself. He could accept artifacts belonging to others, regardless of the extent of damage, and simply earn a repair fee.
Large artifact shops did offer repair services. However, as noted earlier, repairing Magical Instruments was manageable – most ordinary second or third-grade Artificers could handle them. Treasure Artifacts, however, were a different matter. Unless the specific repair materials were known, analyzing them was extremely difficult. Even when commissioning a shop for repairs, cultivators often faced long waits and high costs. Yet, many cultivators were reluctant to abandon artifacts they had grown accustomed to wielding. If possible, they were often willing to pay a bit more for a reliable repair.
Lin Feng waited for quite some time. The crowd around his stall changed – some left, new ones arrived. However, most remained curious onlookers, discussing and observing. The scrap artifact purchase notice was largely ignored; all the buzz centered on the artifact repair service.
Artificers were rare figures in the lower echelons of Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment circles. Any Artificer with genuine skill was usually recruited by major shops or factions. An Artificer setting up his own stall to take orders was virtually unheard of.
Lin Feng wasn't entirely sure if his plan would work. After waiting over ten minutes without a single customer, he began to feel anxious – was his plan to earn spirit stones already doomed to fail?
To his immense relief, after another short while, his first customer finally arrived...