YM778.TV Chapter 20 – Cultivator’s Marketplace
“What do you want from me?”
Long Chen’s feud with her brother; she knew well in her heart that it was only a small fight, and even if Long Chen stripped Yang Zhan’s clothes off in front of everyone, she felt that it wasn’t such a big deal since Yang Zhan was not a maiden. But Yang Zhan was actually not able to endure the humiliation and he committed suicide, which made things even more complicated.
Yang Lingyue thought that Long Chen did not mean it. But it was because of Long Chen that her brother died, so even though she wasn’t that close with her brother, nonetheless blood is thicker than water.
Looking at the anger welling in Yang Lingqing’s eyes, Long Chen knew that he had given this girl a kind of suffering. He did not feel so good about it deep down so he said: “Your brother’s incident, I also did not expect that ending, so I can only say I’m sorry. Today I am here merely to ask you about a few things.”
Yang Lingqing detachedly said: “Ask what you want, I still have to hurry and practice my cultivation. The demonic beast hunting competition is right around the corner and I do not want to lose to the Bai family’s younger generation.”
“I need a medicine that has spirit healing properties. Do you know where I can get some of it? Does our house have any?”
Long Chen had asked with an anticipating look. But Yang Lingqing was a little cold towards him, so he was worried that this girl may not help him.
However he had still lowered his pride and asked her.
Yang Lingqing thought for a while, and then said: “In the family there shouldn’t be any of these medicines, but you can go to the medicinal stores in the cultivator’s market to have a look. The herbal medicines there have all come from cultivators; either that or the stores have purchased them directly from a larger city, so it’s possible to have the medicine you asked about.”
Long Chen had always been mingling with inns and brothels, so how could he have known where the market was. So he asked: “Where is the location of this place?”
Yang Lingqing replied to him haughtily: “The cultivator’s market is indeed a bit hidden. Alright then, I will show you the way.”
Long Chen looked at her gratefully. Although this girl did harbour some hate for him, but during the time where Long Chen needed her most, she still tried her best to help. Her character was way better then Yang Lingyue and Yang Wu.
It was indeed an eye-catching scene for Long Chen and Yang Lingqing to be seen walking together. But the people watching did not dare say anything much since both of them were the young master and the young miss of the Yang family after all.
Long Chen’s reputation had been spreading in Poplar Town in the past few days, leading him to become a figure that almost every household knew. Before that, many people did know him, but the only feeling they had for him was disdain. But to think that in such a short period of 1 month, the salted fish had flipped its body. And so he had become a reputable figure among the younger generation in Poplar Town.
[TL Note: (Idiom) “Salted fish has flipped its body.” means to make a huge turnaround change.]
“Oh right, since you have practiced the [Falling Star Fist] so quickly, what about the [Seal of the Dragons]?”
Walking on, Yang Lingqing suddenly posed the question.
Long Chen smiled nonchalantly and said: “Are you envying me now? I could teach you again, but you have to call me Big Brother Long Chen first.”
Yang Lingqing at this moment made an angry expression and said: “Right now I’m only in the fifth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm, I don’t have the Qi to practice [Seal of the Dragons]. And also I want to be able to obtain the [Seal of the Dragons] with my own strength!”
Looking at the determination of this girl, Long Chen secretly started respecting her.
After walking for a while longer, Yang Lingqing frowned and said: “You’re also in the fifth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm. The [Seal of the Dragons] is a high level martial technique, so it doesn’t have much uses for you. So you might as well give it to Elder Sister Lingyue. With her strength who knows, she may have a little hope of getting close to the seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm……”
After all it was an advanced martial technique, and his true strength was only at the fifth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm. Long Chen did not feel surprised at all about the fact that Yang Lingqing did not think highly of him. He only smiled plainly and stopped speaking.
“Long Chen, you know about the demonic beast hunting competition? The Bai family has always been stronger than our Yang family. So if they were to gain the title of mayor of Poplar Town, our Yang family, I’m afraid will have to lead a difficult life. Now in Poplar Town, the general consensus is that the Bai family will become the mayor of Poplar Town after which they will become a faction of the Lingwu family in Yuanling City and exercise the authority of the Lingwu family!”
The Lingwu family was situated in Yuanling City. Long Chen had heard of it before, this was the first family of Yuanling City. They were venerated by the imperial family of the Central Granary State and they had the power to rule over the whole Yuanling City. It could be considered as the overlord of Yuanling City. So the mayor of Poplar Town will undoubtedly receive the protection of the Yuanling City, and in addition will also reap enormous benefits.
So even though the masters of the Yang and Bai families are good friends, this time they wanted to compete for once.
Long Chen laughed: “That’s because the current Yang family younger generation doesn’t have any real experience!”
Yang Lingqing’s ears had turned red from embarrassment. Her eyes showing a helpless look as she said: “In our Yang family’s younger generation, we have Big Brother Yang Wu, Elder Sister Lingyue. Also including you, this would only be the equivalent of one cultivator at the seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm and two cultivators at the sixth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm.”
“The Bai family has four cultivators, two are at the sixth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm and two are at the seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm. Among them Bai Shiji is average, his cultivation can be matched by Big Brother Yang Wu’s. But that Bai Shichen, at seventeen years old, had already reached the seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm. Among Poplar Town’s younger generation he was the first to reach the seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm and he has a cultivation that is difficult to even imagine. He has always been the strongest among Poplar Town’s younger generation.
Long Chen suspiciously asked: “He is only at the seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm, what makes this Bai Shichen so special?”
Yang Lingqing shook her head and said: “You don’t know, but rumor has it that he’s about to break through into the eighth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm already. Also from the Bai family’s advanced Huang martial technique, the [Dark Heavenly Finger], it is said that he has mastered the second finger! The [Dark Heavenly Finger] martial technique, is stronger than our Yang family’s [Seal of the Dragons] by 30 percent. Our [Seal of the Dragons] has two levels, but the [Dark Heavenly Finger] has three and the second finger’s attack power, has long surpassed [Seal of the Ashened Dragon]. Also Big Brother Yang Wu has only learnt up till [Seal of the Ashened Dragon].
As Yang Lingqing was describing Bai Shichen, her tone was giving off a powerless feeling.
“Seventh level of the Dragon Pulse Realm and the [Dark Heavenly Finger] huh? Indeed it is terrifying. But I, Long Chen, have only lost to him in terms of Qi.”
At this moment, Yang Lingqing looked over and said: “With Bai Shichen’s help, their Bai family could even slay a Huang 8th Grade demonic beast. Now you tell me, how can our Yang family be their match?”
Long Chen did not know how to answer her, so he said: “Right now is not the time to be dismayed. If one were to admit defeat before starting, then that person is no better than a useless trash. Anyway I, Long Chen, am not a useless trash, so whatever that Bai something is, even if he is a white flower, I will still beat him into a blackened colour!”
[TL Note: “white flower” Author making a pun from his name in chinese.]
Yang Lingqing could not stand it when Long Chen was not serious. She rolled her eyes to Long Chen and said: “Your trumpet blowing abilities have not changed, but you and the Bai family have great enmity. Speaking of the demonic beast hunting competition, the one in the most danger there is you. I think you had better cultivate diligently and also at that time you had better hide yourself far away in order not to embarrass yourself……”
[TL Note: (Idiom) “Trumpet blowing” means self-praise]
Long Chen hurriedly said: “Okay, Great Grand-Aunt, your servant knows what to do already.”
However deep in his heart he was smirking, he thought: “Hide far away? This isn’t my style.”
Looking at Long Chen who still had a nonchalant look on him, Yang Lingqing didn’t have anything more to say to him.
In an instant, Long Chen followed Yang Lingqing and walked into a huge pavilion. After a few winding hallways, and entering yet another door, he did not expect to come to a wide and clear open space.
Looking at each and every street, and at the great numbers of shops and stores, Long Chen was momentarily stunned.
“This is the cultivator’s market. However this spirit healing medicine I am not too sure about what it is, so you have to ask around yourself. You have been shrewd from a young age, so I don’t think someone can scam you. Right now I am almost entering the sixth level of the Dragon Pulse Realm, where I’m only lacking an insight in order to break through. And this time it has finally come. I will go find myself a place and save myself from being angered by you to death.
After saying this, she did not wait for Long Chen’s opinion, and turned into a winding alley.
The number of cultivators in Poplar Town were not few. Long Chen’s eyes swept across, and had already seen hundreds of people walking about, these were all cultivators. Among them there were even some experts.
“This cultivator’s market is a place filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons.”
[TL Note: (Idiom) “Crouching tiger, hidden dragon” means a place where there are talented individuals concealed.]
“Xiao Xi, can you sense the existence of any medicine with spirit healing properties?”
Lingxi’s feeble voice rang beside his ears: “You have to go a little closer, it’s too far away now so I am unable to sense it. In this small town, such medicinal herbs should be very rare, I have to look carefully……”
Lingxi’s voice had weakened yet again, and Long Chen had been anxious in his heart, so he kept praying that he must definitely find that kind of medicine.
After making up his mind, Long Chen entered the first medicinal store. The cultivator’s market had many stores, there were blacksmith shops, pharmacies, and even pawn shops.
These pawn shops mainly collected materials obtained from demonic beasts, as well as a few other treasures. Of course, if it was pawned, it would be bought, after all these shops had roughly all the items that cultivators would need.
Entering the first medicinal store, Long Chen had sensed that a strong herbal scent had drifted to his nose. There should even be spirit medicine of the same grade as the Enchanted Hill Ginseng, and there should be quite a few in here. Long Chen had already noticed that the transactions here were all made with pieces of spirit jade. Gold and silver taels were not used. He only had 500 pieces of spirit jade, so he knew he had to use them sparingly.
These 500 pieces of spirit jade had been given to him by the Yang family founder for cultivation. However for the sake of Lingxi’s life, Long Chen wouldn’t care about using these pieces of spirit jade.
Long Chen pretended to look around, and made his way around once. But the person that was actually looking was Lingxi. Unfortunately, after going in a circle, she realised there weren’t any.
Long Chen had started to panic, and started looking for the owner of the shop. Finding a grave and stern looking middle aged man he asked: “Excuse me, does this shop have any medicine that has spirit healing properties?”
That shop owner was startled, but then said: “I’m sorry, we don’t have any.”
Long Chen was disappointed.
“Young man, in this small Poplar Town, spirit healing medicine, basically has no demand. So shops like us, normally do not sell it. But if you need it urgently, then you can take a look at the other stores and try your luck.”
Long Chen nodded his head, and thanked the shop owner. After that he walked out of the shop and feeling flustered, he asked Lingxi: “According to him, all of Poplar Town does not have medicine like this, Xiao Xi……”
“Then what can we do……”
Xiao Xi had sounded flustered too. The extent of Poplar Town’s remoteness had far exceeded her expectations.
Long Chen clenched his fist and said: “No way, we haven’t even looked at the other shops. Right now we cannot conclude anything, so I will continue looking. I do not believe that such a large cultivator’s market does not even have one spirit healing medicine!”
After saying this, he then promptly walked into each and every store in the cultivator’s market. There were a bit less than 50 of these medicinal stores. Long Chen had went into each and every one and asked, this consumed a lot of time. However this was fine, but what made him worry the most was the fact that the answer was always negative.
“I’m sorry; we don’t have this type of medicines here.”
“Normally we don’t keep this type of medicine.”
“We’re not able to sell it out because we don’t have it in stock.”
Long Chen’s expression was growing darker by the second, and in his heart he was becoming more and more flustered.
“If you really can’t find it, then forget about it. Ever since my physical body has been broken into pieces, I have already known that the time left for me wouldn’t be much longer. However Long Chen, knowing you, was nice……”
Long Chen’s eyes gradually turned bloodshot, he then growled and said: “Don’t say such silly things, aren’t there stores which we still haven’t searched? I don’t believe I can’t even accomplish a small task like this. If Poplar Town doesn’t have it, I will go to another place. This stupid demonic beast hunting competition, I will not participate in it anymore!
“This can’t do, and I still have to open the barrier for you……”
Just as the both of them were at their wits’ end, suddenly a few noises rang loudly from afar. The people around all hurriedly looked towards the origin of the noise. Long Chen originally did not care, but very soon someone had actually said: “It looks like a young lady from the Yang family and some guys from the Bai family have a dispute!”
“Yang Lingqing?”