The marketplace lay at the very heart of Meteorite City, barely a mile from the Ling family estate. It took him about fifteen minutes to reach it on foot.
It was Ling Xiao's first time encountering such an extraordinary trading hub, and he immediately found himself wandering about with keen interest. He listened to the vendors' bellowing cries echoing through the streets and alleys, marveling at the dazzling array of exotic trinkets and ornaments lining the roads. For the first time, Ling Xiao found this world genuinely fascinating, as if he'd stepped back into ancient times.
His earlier gloom vanished. Today, he intended to relax thoroughly. After half a month of continuous cultivation—though not tedious—he realized relentless training without respite wasn't his most effective method. Ling Xiao had always believed a balance of work and rest suited him best.
Ling Xiao peered left and right, gawking like a country bumpkin in the city for the first time. His wide-eyed wonder at everything around him was downright comical.
He came upon a rather grand ancient building. Above its entrance hung a plaque carved with three bold, ancient characters: "Spirit Herb Hall."
Ling Xiao searched his memory and recognized it as the only establishment in Meteorite City specializing in the purchase and sale of spirit herbs.
On the Xuanling Continent, spirit herbs were graded from first to tenth tier. The higher the tier, the greater their value. Typically, a first-tier spirit herb cost over ten gold coins, a second-tier herb over a thousand gold coins, and a third-tier herb over ten thousand gold coins. Fourth-tier herbs often commanded prices exceeding a hundred thousand gold coins, though they were usually scarce on the market. As for fifth to tenth-tier spirit herbs, their value was virtually incalculable.
The Spirit Herb Hall only deals in Grade 1 and 2 herbs. Herbs of Grade 3 and above are typically auctioned off at public auctions, where their prices can be driven even higher.
In Meteorite City, numerous mercenary groups and adventurers venture into the nearby Wasteland Mountains to hunt for spirit herbs. They then trade these herbs at the Spirit Herb Hall for gold coins. If someone is fortunate enough to obtain third-tier or even fourth-tier spirit herbs, they strike it rich. However, the Wasteland Mountains teem with spirit beasts. While low-tier beasts in the outer regions pose little threat, venturing deeper risks encountering high-tier creatures that could cost one their life. Thus, dreaming of finding high-tier spirit herbs everywhere is unrealistic—often, adventurers are torn apart by powerful beasts before they even discover any herbs.
Ling Xiao hesitated briefly before stepping into the Spirit Herb Hall.
At the entrance, two rather attractive maids bowed respectfully. "Welcome, honored guest."
Ling Xiao glanced at the two maids, silently admiring, "These two girls are way prettier than those three-star reception hostesses."
Inside the Spirit Herb Hall, the spacious and airy lobby was filled with the potent scent of spirit herbs. Even a single breath felt invigorating.
Ling Xiao began examining the display counters on the right. Rows of exotic spirit herbs he'd never seen before were arranged in the counters, dazzling his eyes. After scanning the section for first-tier spirit herbs, he moved on to the second-tier section.
Ling Xiao's gaze settled on a dull, gray-colored spirit herb. He read the description in front of it.
"Second-tier, low-grade spirit herb: Cold Star Grass. Value: 1,500 gold coins. Water-attribute spirit herb. Can be used in medicine and alchemy. Aids water-attribute martial artists in absorption, increases mystical power, and assists in healing injuries..."
"Damn, this worthless weed costs that much?"Ling Xiao inwardly scoffed.
Then, his gaze shifted to another spirit herb, where he spotted a familiar one.
"Second-tier low-grade spirit herb, Black Ginseng King. Value: 1,800 gold coins. Attribute-less spirit herb. Can be used in medicine and alchemy. Increases mystical power, extends lifespan..."
"This ginseng must be at least five hundred years old, yet it's only a low-tier second-grade spiritual herb? Then wouldn't mid-tier second-grade herbs require over a thousand years?"Ling Xiao couldn't help but think in astonishment.
In truth, Ling Xiao had only partially guessed correctly. While age matters, the primary factor determining a spiritual herb's grade is its efficacy—the more pronounced the effect, the higher the grade.
After browsing for a while, Ling Xiao approached an elderly man behind the counter. "Young master, have you found any spiritual herbs that catch your eye?"the old man asked with a smile.
"Hehe, I'm just looking around,"Ling Xiao replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"No problem,"the old man nodded slightly, his expression showing no trace of displeasure.
After circling the shop, Ling Xiao felt awkward leaving without buying anything. Just as he turned to leave,
the old man produced a scroll from somewhere and handed it to Ling Xiao. "This is our complimentary copy of the Record of Spiritual Herbs. Please take it home, young master. Should you find any suitable herbs, feel free to purchase them here. Alternatively, if you come across exceptional specimens, we'd be honored to acquire them. Our prices at Lingcao Hall are always fair and reasonable."
Ling Xiao's eyes lit up. He gratefully accepted the Compendium of Spiritual Herbs, offered a word of thanks, and departed the Spiritual Herb Hall.
With the Compendium in hand, Ling Xiao could now study the varieties, properties, and appearances of spiritual herbs across the continent. Once he opened his twelve main meridians, he would inevitably need to seek out spiritual herbs to nourish his body, enhance his mystical power, and facilitate advancement—or perhaps sell them for profit. These days, having no money on hand was simply unacceptable, and seeking out spirit herbs was undoubtedly one of the fastest paths to wealth.
Ling Xiao tucked the Spirit Herb Compendium into his robe with satisfaction, preparing to head back when he noticed the street ahead blocked by a crowd. Curious, he pushed his way toward the gathering.
There, kneeling before the road, was a long-haired woman clad in simple garments. Her face was hidden by her cascading locks, but her slender frame suggested she was only fifteen or sixteen. A paper sign hung before her chest, bearing the stark, blood-red characters: "Selling Myself to Bury My Mother."
In Meteorite City, beyond the great clans and a handful of shrewd merchants, ordinary commoners were fortunate to have enough to eat each day. For impoverished families, starvation was no rarity. Thus, the sight of this girl "selling herself to bury her mother"was a common occurrence in Meteorite City.
"Hmm... This girl has a fine figure. She'd make a decent personal maid if bought,"remarked a wealthy merchant with a bulging belly, his eyes leering at the kneeling girl.
"True enough,"a short, thin middle-aged man in ornate robes chimed in with a sneer, "but she's dead. Mightn't that bring bad luck? What if buying her brings misfortune to your household?"
"Go on, everyone knows you're scared of your shrew of a wife, Lu Wintermelon. If she found out you bought a maid, she'd probably break your legs,"the potbellied merchant sneered at the short, thin man. Then, turning to the girl, he commanded, "Hey, lift your head so this old man can take a look. If you're decent-looking, I'll buy you."
The girl's body trembled slightly as she slowly raised her head, then gently swept the long hair from her face.
A clean, fair face appeared before them, utterly free of makeup, revealing natural beauty. Her willow-leaf brows curved gracefully, her autumn-like eyes brimming with inexpressible sorrow, evoking pity. Her delicate nose was straight and pert, her full red lips tempting, stirring an immediate urge to lean in and kiss them.
This girl was a true beauty in the making. Though traces of childish innocence lingered on her face, along with a hint of youthful awkwardness, her delicate figure stood gracefully upright. It wasn't hard to imagine that given just two more years to mature, she would undoubtedly blossom into a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
The men around her swallowed hard, their eyes gleaming with greed.
"Ten gold coins—I'll take her,"the potbellied merchant blurted out impatiently. Ten gold coins could sustain an ordinary person for a year. Even a common servant would fetch no more than five. After all, the Xuanling Continent had no shortage of people. Meteorite City alone held two to three hundred million souls—imagine the vastness of the land beyond.
"I'll give twenty gold coins,"declared the short, thin middle-aged man. He thought to himself, Damn it, even if I have to fight my tiger-like mother at home, I'm buying this girl. She's too beautiful.
"Hmph, I'll give thirty gold coins,"the potbellied merchant snorted coldly.
"I'll give fifty gold coins,"another wealthy merchant joined the bidding.
"I'll give fifty-five gold coins."
"I'll give sixty gold coins."...
The price climbed steadily, leaving the surrounding commoners gaping in astonishment. They'd never seen such exorbitant sums paid for a servant. If it were them, they'd be crushed to death by all that gold.
The girl kneeling on the ground let her long hair fall over her face again. She remained motionless, seemingly indifferent to the merchants' bids.
Finally, the potbellied merchant's corpulent frame shook as he bellowed, "Two hundred gold coins! If anyone tops that, I'll concede!"
"Whoa!"The crowd erupted in astonishment.
Two hundred gold coins could buy many servants—or even many beautiful women.
Many merchants fell silent. It wasn't that they lacked the funds to bid, but two hundred gold for a mere maid seemed an outrageously poor deal.
"Heh... no one's bidding against me? Then she's mine,"the potbellied merchant declared greedily, eyeing the kneeling girl.
Suddenly, the crowd stirred, parting to make way.
A cocky young servant strode up to the merchant, pointing at the girl. " This girl is for our young master. None of you can have her."
"How can that be? I've already bid two hundred gold coins. Does your young master offer more than me?"the potbellied merchant protested reluctantly.
The servant snorted coldly. "Do you even know who my young master is?"
"Whoever it is, if they want to compete with me for this woman, they'll have to pay more than I did."The potbellied merchant was somewhat well-known in Meteorite City. Aside from the major families, he truly feared no one.
"Is that so? Seems the Li family's influence doesn't hold much weight in Meteorite City anymore."The crowd parted once more, clearing a path for a young man in his early twenties to walk in slowly, followed by several burly servants.
The youth was plain-looking, slightly thin, with a sickly pallor and unsteady gait—obviously someone who indulged excessively in wine and women. He was none other than Li Guangyin, a direct descendant of the Li family—one of Meteorite City's three great clans. Renowned as the city's notorious young tyrant, he routinely bullied men and oppressed women under the Li family's banner. Alongside Ling Rui of the Ling family and Luo Biao of the Luo family, he was dubbed one of Meteorite City's "Three Great Young Tyrants."
The potbellied merchant glanced sideways, his expression shifting instantly. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he bowed respectfully to Li Guangyin. "M-My apologies, Young Master Li. How could I dare compete with you for a woman? I'll leave immediately... I'll leave at once."
The merchant bowed low, retreating backward step by step.
"Hmph. Think you can just walk away? Without a lesson, you'll never respect the Li family. Break one of his legs,"Li Guangyin coldly ordered.
Hearing this, the wealthy merchant immediately knelt down, begging for mercy: "Young Master Li, spare my life... Please let me go..."