Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Entering the Market and Selling Pills

The other two passengers also jumped down from the carriage and gazed toward the Ruins District, but they still didn’t exchange any words.

When his eyes met the woman’s, she would give him a slight nod, but the old man remained as still and silent as a wooden statue.

Lin Changheng simply gave a faint smile, unconcerned.

’Only by remaining a complete unknown can I avoid potential trouble. It would be a problem if everyone was eager to talk to me and took notice of me.’

Soon, the caravan arrived before the Marketplace.

Lin Changheng immediately bid farewell to the caravan’s Steward, who reminded him to be back at this same spot at noon in half a month for the return trip.

He was told not to be late, as they would not wait for him.

Lin Changheng nodded, then turned and paid one Spirit Stone at the entrance to receive a Token before entering the Marketplace.

Shops lined both sides of the bluestone road, their signs packed together like fish scales. The street itself was a throng of people, shoulder to shoulder, creating a lively, bustling scene.

It was far more expansive than the Purple River District, where he had spent the last twelve years, and its prosperity was on a completely different level.

This new district was a hub of resources, at the height of its prosperity. In contrast, the Purple River District was in decline, its resources long exhausted, no longer drawing anyone in.

Lin Changheng adjusted his bamboo hat, taking in the sights as he walked. There were Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, Talismans, Materials, Puppets, Spirit Beasts—everything one could imagine.

After noting the locations of a few shops, Lin Changheng didn’t stop, but continued to weave through the crowd.

He also passed two patrol teams in distinctive uniforms.

After making two wide loops through the streets, Lin Changheng felt confident that no one could have followed him. He then slipped into the corner of an alley, changed into a green robe, and swapped out his Human Skin Mask.

After putting his bamboo hat back on, he strolled openly toward the shop he had noted earlier.

"Alchemy Pavilion."

It was a medium-sized shop with a decent flow of customers. It was likely backed by a family, but not the Xu Family.

Lin Changheng observed from the outside for a moment. He saw no arguments or disputes, and the customers leaving all looked pleased and satisfied.

’Its reputation must be decent. Since I want to sell Elixirs, caution is paramount.’

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

After a moment’s thought, Lin Changheng walked right up and tapped the back of his hand against the open door.

An assistant, who had just seen a customer out and was busy tidying the shelves, heard the sound and immediately stopped what he was doing. He greeted him with a smile, "Welcome, sir. Please, come in."

"How may I help you? We have just about any Tier One Pill you might need."

He added, patting his chest in assurance.

Lin Changheng shook his head, his voice coming out as a rasp. "Actually, I’m here to sell some Pills. Does your shop buy them?"

The assistant was taken aback for a moment—this was clearly a rare occurrence—but he maintained his professional smile. "Of course we do. May I ask what kind of Pills? And what is their quality?"

He then added cautiously, "I should mention, we don’t accept anything below Genuine Pill grade."

The reason for his comment was that the person before him was completely concealed. The faint aura he could sense placed the man in the Middle Stage Qi Cultivation, suggesting he might be difficult to deal with. It was best to state the terms clearly upfront to avoid any misunderstandings that could lead to trouble later.

"Of course."

Lin Changheng hadn’t overly suppressed his aura. When traveling, completely hiding one’s Cultivation often attracted more prying eyes, especially if one appeared to be in the Early Stage of Qi Cultivation.

Still, wanting to hold something back, he chose to present his Cultivation as being at the Fourth Layer of Qi Cultivation.

"So, what kind of Elixirs are they?"

"Wood Element Pills. And, uh, they’re Masterpiece Quality."

Lin Changheng uttered the pill’s name, then paused before adding its quality.

’He was here to sell Masterpiece Pills, after all. There was no point in being vague; it was better to be direct.’

"Masterpiece Pills?"

The assistant’s shock was plain to see. He gasped, muttered a quick apology, and hurried to the back courtyard to get the Shopkeeper.

A middle-aged Cultivator hurried out from the back courtyard. He smiled at Lin Changheng and dismissed the assistant to go about his business.

"How many are you looking to sell, Fellow Daoist? May I inspect them?"

But the cultivator in the bamboo hat merely let out a raspy chuckle. Instead of answering, he posed a question of his own: "How many can your shop handle?"

"Hahaha! We’ll take as many as you’ve got. Our shop is backed by a major Foundation Establishment Clan, so there’s no need to worry on that front."

The middle-aged Shopkeeper said with complete confidence.

"And the price?" Lin Changheng pressed.

"We follow the standard rate: seventy percent of the current market price. With the pioneering efforts underway, a Masterpiece Elixir like the Wood Element Pill, which enhances Cultivation, can sell for up to four Spirit Stones. Seventy percent of that would be two Spirit Stones plus eighty grains of Spiritual Sand."

"However, if you have a significant quantity, I can offer a flat rate of three Spirit Stones per pill. How does that sound? That’s the absolute best I can do; it’s the limit of my authority as Shopkeeper."

The middle-aged Shopkeeper had quoted a very sincere and fair price, and Lin Changheng couldn’t help but nod slightly in approval.

’That is a good deal.’

By comparison, the buyback price for this Pill within the Xu Clan was only two Spirit Stones and ten grains of Spiritual Sand.

’The difference is substantial—ninety grains of Spiritual Sand. That’s almost an entire Spirit Stone.’

Lin Changheng then produced the goods. "Then I’ll trouble you to take a look, Shopkeeper."

Before him were three long wooden boxes, each sealed with a Talisman Spirit Lock. The middle-aged Shopkeeper’s eyes lit up as he took out a Copper Mirror and began to inspect them.

The sheer brilliance of the golden light emanating from them left him feeling slightly dizzy. After a moment, he took a deep breath and said:

"They’re all Masterpiece Pills! Sixty of them in total! That comes to one hundred and eighty Lower Grade Spirit Stones."

"What do you say, Fellow Daoist?"

"Acceptable." Lin Changheng nodded, then added, "I wonder, could one hundred of those Lower Grade Spirit Stones be exchanged for a Middle Grade Spirit Stone?"

The middle-aged Shopkeeper was taken aback. A conflicted expression appeared on his face, and after a moment of internal debate, he said, "Fellow Daoist, you must know that while one hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones can theoretically be exchanged for one Middle Grade Spirit Stone, in practice, you always need more when exchanging up."

The bamboo hat hid Lin Changheng’s face, so the middle-aged Shopkeeper couldn’t read his expression. When he remained silent, the Shopkeeper eventually sighed and relented, "Very well. As you wish, Fellow Daoist."

Only then did Lin Changheng respond. "My thanks."

The middle-aged Shopkeeper was a decisive man and didn’t dawdle. He quickly took out a pile of Spirit Stones, which came to a total of eighty-one after a careful count.

One among them was especially lustrous, shimmering with a brilliant light.

A Middle Grade Spirit Stone!

With the transaction complete, Lin Changheng didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he asked with some deliberation:

"Shopkeeper, if I may ask, does your shop have any Pill Formulas for sale?"

"Pill Formulas?"

A thought struck the middle-aged Shopkeeper. He had originally pegged this customer in the bamboo hat as seventy percent Tribulation Cultivator and thirty percent Pill Master. After this question, however, he felt the odds had flipped: now he seemed seventy percent Pill Master and only thirty percent Tribulation Cultivator.

Unsure of his assessment, he still answered after a moment of thought, "Pill Formulas are always passed down in secret. Our humble shop does not sell them publicly."

"Is that so?"

Having received his answer, a flicker of disappointment crossed Lin Changheng’s face beneath his bamboo hat. He didn’t press the matter by asking about Middle Grade Pill Formulas, figuring those would be even more closely guarded.

He offered his thanks and was about to turn and leave when the middle-aged Shopkeeper called out to stop him.

"Fellow Daoist, if you’re looking for a Pill Formula, I’m afraid it won’t be easy. After all, everyone jealously guards their own secrets. But... it’s not entirely impossible..."