In his own courtyard, Wei Zhong clutched the high-grade Qi-nourishing Pill he had just purchased.
Half of the over 300 spirit stones he'd just earned were gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Wei Zhong lamenting the difficulty of cultivating immortality.
"Never mind, I'll just do my best at the auction."
Considering the scale of the auction, Wei Zhong debated whether to participate as a spiritual farmer, Wei Zhong, or as a free cultivator, Chu He.
Wei Zhong had been a spiritual farmer for many years and already had connections within the Yan family. Even if he managed to win some precious spiritual items, they would be safer within the Yan family's territory.
As a free cultivator, Chu He might well face a few battles.
"Let Wei Zhong take charge."
"Wei Zhong won't count on the Life-Extending Pill at the auction; given its rarity, he wonders how many people will be eyeing it."
"I'll be content to buy a few healing pills myself."
A high-level Qi-refining cultivator lives for at least 150 years, at least half as long as a mortal. The longest-lived can even reach 170 or 180 years.
However, Wei Zhong's maximum lifespan is only a hundred and thirty-seven.
His earlier martial arts training was ultimately too impulsive, and the injuries he incurred in the mortal world have severely impacted his subsequent path to immortality.
If he could purchase some elixirs to strengthen his body and
replenish his vital energy, that would be fantastic. Healing these injuries would free him from worrying about his lifespan for a while.
He wouldn't have to constantly downgrade, which would be troublesome if discovered by someone with ulterior motives. He
could also attribute this shortfall in
his lifespan to his injury treatment. It wasn't reasonable for a dying old man to be doing sit-ups.
This way, he could farm peacefully for a few more years at the
Yan
family compound. Three days later, the Yan family compound saw a surge in the number of outsiders. Tomorrow was the day for the auction.
The attracted cultivators began trading among themselves. For a moment, the area surrounding the Yan family compound resembled a marketplace, with numerous unsophisticated cultivators mingling among the crowds, and two or three casual cultivators perished.
To maintain order and stability, the Yan family simply set aside a piece of land for transactions with outside cultivators and dispatched clan disciples to patrol daily to maintain the Yan family's reputation.
"How much are you selling this mixed-feather parrot?"
Wei Zhong asked the elderly man behind the stall.
Before him stood a half-meter-tall birdcage, containing three birds.
Two had white feathers and were remarkably handsome. The other had a mixture of six or seven colors—black, red, gray, and so on—clearly indicating an impure bloodline.
The stall owner, a middle-aged man with a long beard that fell to his chest, looked a bit surprised when Wei Zhong inquired about the mixed-colored bird.
"This is a rare species of white-feathered parrot, suspected of a bloodline mutation. One hundred low-grade spirit stones, and it's yours, fellow Daoist."
Wei Zhong shook his head, clearly believing the other party was taking him for a fool.
"Ten spirit stones. Fellow Daoist, don't think this is a bargain. An ordinary white-feathered parrot costs only fifty spirit stones.
This mixed-breed parrot is probably a cross between a white-feathered parrot and an ordinary bird. Its eyesight is dull, unlike the other two, and it's probably no longer considered a spirit beast."
A white-feathered parrot is usually only a first-tier spirit beast, equivalent to the Qi Refining stage. Its strength is average, with neither combat power nor any other special abilities.
Its exceptionally beautiful white feathers, coupled with a certain agility, make it one of the more intelligent spirit beasts. It's beloved by cultivators and considered an ornamental spirit beast.
Wei Zhong's words made the other person's face turn pale.
"It seems I was right."
"Forty spirit stones, fellow Daoist, you can't go any lower."
As if eager to sell, he almost cut the price in half.
Wei Zhong held out his hands.
"Ten spirit stones,"
the stall owner seemed a little reluctant. "Thirty..."
Wei Zhong turned and walked away.
He simply thought the parrot's motley colors made it seem familiar, and he wanted to keep it in his courtyard as a small toy to entertain himself, without having to spend the spirit stones to raise it as a spirit beast.
Seeing Wei Zhong leave, the stall owner finally grew anxious:
"Daoyou, please wait..."
A moment later, Wei Zhong was walking through the market, carrying a smaller birdcage containing the motley parrot.
After wandering around the market, Wei Zhong discovered a wealth of valuable items, all at impressive prices.
Even more were independent cultivators with eager demands. Wei Zhong saw one holding up an unknown black fragment, claiming it was a magical artifact fragment, possibly containing the legacy of a Jindan cultivator, and priced it at five hundred low-grade spirit stones. A magical artifact is a magical
instrument of the third rank or higher, capable of being wielded flexibly by a Jindan cultivator.
Wei Zhong had never seen one before, so it was difficult to judge.
The other cultivators scoffed at his offer.
"Five hundred low-grade spirit stones—a spirit farmer like me would have to go without food and drink for at least five or six years to earn that. Who would spend money on this?"
Wei Zhong turned and left. Even if the stall owner's words were true, so what? A mere fragment, what use would it be to me? I'd rather use those spirit stones on a few bottles of elixirs to improve my cultivation.
As for the Jindan cultivator inheritance, Wei Zhong didn't think he had the luck.
In his previous life, card draws were always "clear skies," so how could he dare such a lottery?
But then he thought, could his ability to travel here mean he's blessed with this?
Wei Zhong shook his head. Traveling here means he can live for three days.
He had some good fortune, but not much.
Returning to his residence, Wei Zhong hung the parrot's cage in the yard.
He had no spirit beast, nor did he have the techniques to control them. The stall owner had sold such techniques before, but the price wasn't very good, not as good as buying from the Yan family.
He flicked two grains of spirit rice between his fingers, and the parrot flapped its wings twice, snatching them up into its mouth.
"Well, you know how to feed yourself, so you're not stupid. Since your fur is mottled, I'll call you Jiucai.
Jiucai, leek, these names are like a throwback to a past life."
Wei Zhong turned and returned to the room. Jiucai watched Wei Zhong's departing back without reacting. When he could no longer see him, he turned his head and looked towards the large tree in the courtyard.
He was stunned...
The next day, the Yan family's crowds began to flow, and all the cultivators headed towards the auction site.
Even the spiritual farmers in the fields were no exception. Seeing Wei Zhong join the crowd, the familiar spiritual farmers greeted him.
A spiritual farmer who had been farming for decades in the Yan family and had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining was quite a figure.
Wei Zhong nodded in return, but did not approach to chat, maintaining his previous persona.
Upon entering the venue, Wei Zhong was stopped by a young cultivator.
Seeing Wei Zhong exuding the spiritual pressure of a high-level Qi Refining cultivator, Yan Qiyu's eyes showed a hint of respect.
"Please pay the entrance fee of two spirit stones, senior."
Wei Zhong handed over two spirit stones with ease and took a token from him.
Kan, Jia, seventy-six, it seems that the scale of this auction is really large.
Behind Wei Zhong, Yan Qiyu stopped another cultivator and said the same words. The latter's face flushed and seemed a little angry...
Two spirit stones are not a lot, but they are not blown away by the wind.
This way of charging an entrance fee keeps those with limited wealth out of the venue, which can be regarded as a screening.
However, Yan Jiaguang must have made a lot of money collecting spirit stones this time.
(End of this chapter)