Chapter 19 – Whispers in the Market of Shadows
The sun rose gently over the misty peaks, casting a warm golden glow across the valleys. Ye Tianlan stood at the edge of the forest, his face hidden behind a plain black mask. His hair was tied loosely, and his robe had been deliberately dirtied—he looked like nothing more than a wandering rogue cultivator.
Three days had passed since his last cultivation session on the cliff. His energy had stabilized, but his body ached for more resources—Qi Condensing Herbs, Beast Cores, and Spirit Stones. Without them, his progress would soon hit a wall.
> "I can't stay hidden forever," he murmured, adjusting the strap of his mask. "But I can blend in."
He began his descent down the rocky trail that led to Luo River Market, one of the few open trading hubs in the Earth Realm where cultivators, mercenaries, and mortal traders mingled freely.
The moment he entered the outskirts, the air shifted.
Smells of roasted meat, incense, and hot metal filled the streets. Merchants shouted over each other, their tables cluttered with elixirs, blades, talismans, and beast hides. Cultivators bargained with loud voices, some radiating power, others barely concealing hostility.
Ye Tianlan walked quietly through the crowd, keeping his spiritual aura suppressed. His sharp eyes observed everything—the hidden formations, the false smiles of traders, and the watchful gazes of beggars that were clearly spies in disguise.
> "Nothing here is simple," he thought. "Even a market is a battlefield."
He stopped at a small stall where an old man was selling low-grade spiritual herbs. Tianlan picked up a dried leaf and examined it.
"Qi Condensing Grass," he said calmly. "But mixed with mortal weed. You're cheating cultivators with impure blends."
The old man froze, his face turning pale. "Y-you have good eyes, young master. I meant no harm—profit is thin these days—"
Tianlan flipped a small spirit coin onto the counter. "Honesty has more worth than deceit. Sell me what's pure."
The old man blinked in confusion, then nodded quickly, pulling a small pouch from beneath the table. Inside were genuine herbs, glowing faintly with energy.
> "Who is he?" the old man whispered as Tianlan walked away. "Such sharp eyes… but I can't feel his cultivation level at all."
Meanwhile, in a tea house across the street, two men watched Tianlan's movements carefully.
One was dressed in gray robes, his aura faint but disciplined. The other, a burly man with a scar across his nose, leaned closer.
> "That masked one," the scarred man said. "Doesn't look like much, but he moves like someone trained in royal technique."
"Quiet," the other hissed. "I've seen him before… near the Xu Clan ruins."
Ye Tianlan continued through the market, unaware that his presence had stirred buried suspicions. He purchased a few more items—a broken talisman core, a vial of Beast Blood, and several Spirit Stones—and turned toward the mountain path again.
But before he could leave, a young girl bumped into him, dropping a small pouch. Tianlan instinctively caught it mid-air, his reflexes too sharp for a normal man.
The girl froze, eyes wide. "You—your movement technique…"
Tianlan's gaze hardened. "Watch where you walk," he said coldly, returning the pouch. Then he turned away, his steps silent.
Behind him, the girl's trembling hand reached for a jade communication slip hidden in her sleeve.
> "Target confirmed," she whispered. "The survivor of the Xu Clan… has been found."
As Tianlan disappeared into the mountain road, the wind carried faint whispers through the market—rumors of a masked cultivator who moved like a shadow and carried the aura of a fallen clan.
The hunt had begun again.