Chapter 72: Cat Maid? Fox Woman? Snake Lady?

After parting ways with Lu Miaoge, Lu Changsheng strolled through the streets for a couple of rounds before entering an empty alleyway.

He took out a human skin mask from his storage bag, put it on, wore a drab brown wide robe, poured out a potion that had already been prepared into his palm, and applied it to his neck, making his skin no longer so fair.

Instantly, his handsome and elegant appearance turned into that of an ordinary young man with dark skin. Though his figure remained tall and slender.

This was the shapeshifting technique he had learned from Li Feiyu before.

It wasn’t particularly profound, but it was still usable.

Following that, Lu Changsheng took out a talisman from his storage bag and used it on himself, causing his spiritual energy to converge throughout his body.

A medium-grade Convergence Talisman!

Its effect was the same as the Convergence Technique. But it was several times better than the Convergence Technique that Lu Changsheng had just started learning.

If it weren’t for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators using the Heavenly Eye Technique to observe his spiritual cultivation, they wouldn’t be able to discern his level of cultivation at all.

This was also why Lu Changsheng didn’t spend too much time and effort on practicing techniques in his daily life. One reason was that it was too time-consuming and energy-consuming. On the other hand, many times, talismans could be used as substitutes.

“Sigh, sometimes being handsome is also a kind of trouble,”

Lu Changsheng sighed as he walked out of the alley.

His handsome appearance and outstanding temperament made him very easy to remember and influential at first glance.

If he were to go sell talismans, and people recognized him as the owner of the Lu’s Spiritual Talisman Shop, it would be hard to explain.

So, he changed his appearance, concealed his aura, and made himself look more ordinary.

Although this shapeshifting technique was quite ordinary, even a bit crude, some people could still see through it.

But as long as he wasn’t seen in his true form and wasn’t remembered by others, it was fine.

After leaving the alley, Lu Changsheng walked to an intersection.

He saw a couple of teenagers squatting there, looking around, holding a sign that said “guide.

Before he could approach, one of the teenagers immediately came forward and said enthusiastically, “Sir, do you need a guide?”

“I grew up in the Jiulong Market since I was a child, and I am very familiar with each area. Whatever you want to know or buy, I know it like the back of my hand,” the teenager said warmly.

Although Lu Changsheng had changed his appearance and concealed his aura, making him appear like an ordinary person, they had been making a living in the Jiulong Market for a long time and were guides, so they naturally had a certain insight.

At a glance, they could see that Lu Changsheng had the intention of finding a guide. Even if he didn’t, at most, it was just a question, and nothing is lost.

“How much do you charge?” Lu Changsheng nodded and asked.

“Sir, I only charge one or two tiles of spirit stones a day,” the teenager immediately replied.

One spirit stone weighed ten taels.

After the spiritual energy inside was consumed, the weight would become lighter.

And during the mining of spirit stones, there would also be some broken ones.

This kind of unit of measurement for spirit stones was rarely used by cultivators and was relatively common only in these markets.

“Alright, then, lead the way. Do you have spirit stones for change?”

Lu Changsheng said and took out a spirit stone he had used before, probably weighing about four or five taels.

There was a hint of regret in the teenager’s eyes, but he immediately responded enthusiastically.

“Of course, of course.”

Taking the spirit stone, he examined it for a moment, then took out two broken spirit stones from his body and gave them to Lu Changsheng.

Then he said, “Sir, may I ask what you want to buy or understand?”

“Take me to the place where the stalls are set up for trading.” Lu Changsheng said.

“The trading stalls are on the southwest street. Please follow me this way,” the teenager responded.

“It’ll take about half an hour to get to the southwest street from here. If you have anything you want to buy, you can also tell me. I know many shops, and the quality of their goods is guaranteed,” the teenager added.

They made the most money by taking cultivators to shops to spend.

“Are there any shops selling heavenly treasures and earthly treasures in this market?” Lu Changsheng inquired.

“If you want to buy heavenly treasures and earthly treasures, you can go to the Qingyun Merchant Association and the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. These two not only have affordable prices and a wide range of goods, but their quality is also guaranteed.”

“If you want to spend a little less, I also know many shops that sell heavenly treasures and earthly treasures with guaranteed quality. I can take you there,”

The teenager said immediately.

Although he wanted to make money by taking people to shops to spend, he couldn’t just make things up and deceive others.

After all, he was just an ordinary person.

If he dared to deceive cultivators and was found out, it would be a dead end.

“If I want to sell some talismans, can I also find a store to sell them?”

Lu Changsheng asked in a calm tone.

Upon hearing Lu Changsheng mention selling talismans, the teenager immediately realized that Lu Changsheng in front of him might be a talisman master.

But as a guide, he naturally wouldn’t ask too much, just answer as required.

“Sir, most of the spiritual talisman shops in Jiulong Market will buy talismans.”

“Are there any well-reputed talisman shops in this market?”

Lu Changsheng continued.

“Actually, the shops that can operate in the market all have good reputations, but if we’re talking specifically about talismans, then Heavenly Talisman Pavilion of the Shen family has the best reputation.”

“Their talismans not only have guaranteed quality, but they also often have promotional activities. However, they don’t usually buy talismans from outside.”

“Next would be the shops of cultivator families like the Yu Family of Green Lake Mountain, the Lu Family of Qingzhu Mountain, the Chen Family of Hongye Valley, and the Zheng Family of Wugong Ridge. They also have guaranteed quality and reputation in terms of talismans.”

“If sir wants to buy talisman paper, I recommend the talisman paper from the Lu Family of Qingzhu Mountain and the Chen Family of Hongye Valley. Their talisman paper is made from locally sourced materials and is much better than ordinary talisman paper,” the teenager said incessantly.

Hearing the mention of ‘Qingzhu Mountain Lu Family’s Talisman Shop,’ Lu Changsheng nodded slightly.

He knew that this teenager’s words were quite accurate, similar to what he had learned about the shops from Zhang Shan yesterday.

“Hmm, White Jade Tower?”

At this moment, Lu Changsheng saw a quaint and elegant pavilion not far away.

On the signboard of the pavilion, it was written ‘White Jade Tower,’ which reminded him of Hong Yi mentioning that he had bought the two pet concubines for him from White Jade Tower at no small cost.

Seeing Lu Changsheng looking towards White Jade Tower, the teenager immediately spoke up.

“Sir, this ‘White Jade Tower’ is a place for arranging marriages, introducing wives and concubines, and selling maidservants.”

“If sir has the intention of marrying or taking concubines and wants to purchase maidservants, you can come to White Jade Tower.”

“This White Jade Tower is also an old brand. I heard that it not only has branches in Jiulong Market but also in many other markets, and even in Immortal City.”

The teenager spoke up in such a manner.

“Oh?” Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

In his heart, he couldn’t help but think, could it be that the White Jade Tower where Hong Yi bought Jiu’er and Shui’er is the same as this White Jade Tower?

Just different branches?

Then the business of this White Jade Tower is indeed quite extensive.

The next time he writes a letter to Hong Yi, he might ask if it’s the same White Jade Tower.

“Do the wives and concubines introduced by White Jade Tower include immortal ladies with Spirit Roots?”

Lu Changsheng asked.

Naturally, he wouldn’t forget about finding ‘immortal ladies.’

After all, everything else is fleeting, only marrying and taking concubines to have children is the true path.

He was quite satisfied with Jiu’er and Shui’er, whom Hong Yi had sent before.

If he could buy obedient and sensible maidservants with Spirit Roots for money, that would naturally be the best.

“Naturally, there are some, but they are also in the minority. Most of them are beautiful and charming descendants of cultivators,”

The teenager replied.

“I heard that in White Jade Tower, there are not only human women but also women from other races, even from the demon races. However, I’m not too sure about the specific situation and prices. If sir is interested, you can go in and find out.”

“Not only are there human women, but also women from other races and demon races.”

Lu Changsheng knew that Jiu’er and Shui’er, whom Hong Yi had sent, belonged to women from other races.

Hearing about demon women as well, Lu Changsheng immediately thought of cat girls, fox women, and snake ladies.

“Hmm.”

Lu Changsheng nodded, not asking further, but keeping ‘White Jade Tower’ in mind.

He planned to come back later to check it out.

After all, women in such places were likely to have difficult lives.

If he had the ability, helping and rescuing one would be worthwhile. Saving a life was more valuable than building a seven-tier pagoda.

With that in mind, Lu Changsheng chatted casually with the teenager along the way, learning various information about the market.

Eventually, they arrived at Lu Changsheng’s destination, the southwest street where Rouge Cultivators traded their goods.

“Sir, ahead is the southwest street where Rouge Cultivators trade freely. If you want to set up a stall, you need to go to the toll booth ahead and pay one spirit stone as a management fee,”

The teenager informed Lu Changsheng.

“Okay.”

Lu Changsheng nodded, thinking that Jiulong Market really charged for everything. Even setting up a stall required paying one spirit stone as a management fee.

He arrived at the intersection of the southwest street.

Instantly, he saw a street lined with lanterns, with stalls neatly arranged on both sides.

The middle was bustling with people, like a secular marketplace, with constant shouting, much livelier than the streets before.

“Alright, your task is complete. You don’t need to follow me anymore. I’ll wander around on my own,”

Lu Changsheng said to the teenager, waving his hand towards the bustling street ahead.

“Understood. I bid farewell, wishing sir good luck and prosperity, may all things go as you wish, and may you receive blessings from the heavens and have a prosperous immortal fortune,”

The teenager bid farewell respectfully.

The teenager, upon hearing this, bowed respectfully and recited a string of blessings.

Lu Changsheng, however, remained unaffected by these blessings.

He had no intention of giving a tip and proceeded to walk into the street without any hesitation.

The teenager, seeing this, wasn’t disappointed either.

After all, generous folks were rare. It was hard to encounter them even once a year.

Lu Changsheng didn’t rush to sell talismans.

Instead, he decided to browse around first.

He wanted to see if there was anything he needed or was interested in.

At the same time, he wanted to understand the prices here.

“Second-hand robes for sale cheap, all are ninety percent new robes without patches!”

“Tiger meat with red stripes, fresh and tender, just slaughtered last night!”

“Ten-year-old black truffles, three spirit stones per pound”

“Brother, do you need some elixirs? Just out of the furnace, Ascension Pills, swallow one and all your worldly troubles will disappear.”

One by one, people at the stalls shouted and advertised their goods.

Lu Changsheng followed the crowd and browsed through each stall.

The items being sold here were diverse, much higher in quality than the stalls at the gathering on Niutou Mountain.

Most of the goods sold here were spiritual items used by cultivators.

It made sense; if one had to pay one spirit stone to set up a stall, selling junk wouldn’t even cover the stall fee.

Lu Changsheng examined each item carefully.

When he found materials suitable for practicing the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique, he bought them directly.

Due to practicing the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique, Lu Changsheng could roughly sense the effectiveness of spiritual materials, so he wouldn’t be easily deceived.

As for finding bargains, it simply didn’t exist.

Not to mention the probability was too low, but he needed to have physical contact to sense the quality of spiritual materials with the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique.

Just by looking, he couldn’t discern much, as he didn’t have that keen eye.

Before he even finished browsing half of the street, Lu Changsheng had already spent half of his spirit stones on buying spiritual materials for practicing the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique.

This made him couldn’t help but sigh that money wasn’t easy to come by.

Afterward, Lu Changsheng also restrained himself a bit and focused more on observing.

If he really wanted to buy something, he would wait and come back after looking around more.

During this process, Lu Changsheng heard people bargaining, chatting, and discussing nearby.

If something interesting caught his attention, he would stand aside and listen.

Surprisingly, as he walked along this street and listened, Lu Changsheng actually learned a lot and gained a lot of insights.

“Friend, can I exchange this relic fragment for that thing you have? Would you consider it?”

“A relic fragment? Let me see.”

“What kind of relic fragment is this? It’s completely useless. No deal!”

At this moment, Lu Changsheng heard a conversation coming from a nearby stall. His curiosity was piqued and he turned his head to look.

He saw a middle-aged man of refined appearance standing in front of a stall, holding a black iron block the size of an egg, uneven and rough on the surface.

“Friend, you said this is a relic fragment. What effect does this fragment have?”

A woman in blue approached and politely asked the middle-aged man.

Clearly, she had also heard about the relic fragment and wanted to see if she could find a bargain.

“It doesn’t have any special effects, it’s just hard. I used a medium-grade magic weapon flying sword to chop it, and my flying sword ended up with a dent,”

The refined man said, his face showing a pained expression.

Upon hearing this, the others nearby also showed curiosity.

If it could cause a dent in a flying sword magic weapon, it indicated that it wasn’t ordinary material. Even if it wasn’t a relic fragment, it was still a very rare material.

“This brother, I’m willing to offer twenty spirit stones for this fragment. Are you selling?” someone spoke up.

“I’m not selling. If I were to sell, it would be at least one hundred spirit stones!”

The refined man directly waved his hand.

“One hundred spirit stones is too expensive. Friend, I’m willing to offer thirty spirit stones.”

“Friend, could you use your flying sword to chop it again in front of us? If it really creates a dent, I’m willing to offer forty spirit stones!”

However, upon hearing this, the refined man’s face darkened, and he rebuked, “Get lost!”

“Friend, could you let me take a look at this relic fragment?”

Lu Changsheng, who was standing nearby, also stepped forward and asked politely.

His Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique required heavenly and earthly treasures to cultivate.

If this iron block in front of him was truly a relic fragment, and he could refine it into his body to cultivate the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique, it would be worth much more than just one hundred spirit stones.

Even if it wasn’t a relic fragment but some kind of heavenly or earthly treasure, it would still be beneficial for him.

“One hundred spirit stones, not a single one less!”

The refined man handed the pockmarked black iron block to Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng took the iron block.

It felt cold in his hand and weighed at least twenty to thirty pounds.

The fact that such a large piece of iron had this weight indicated that it was quite extraordinary.

Lu Changsheng slowly activated the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique.

His fingertips turned slightly red as he sensed the essence of heaven and earth within the iron block.

He immediately felt that the essence contained within was extremely vigorous, far superior to the materials he had purchased before.

Although he didn’t know if it was a relic fragment, Lu Changsheng could be sure that it was a valuable item and buying it shouldn’t result in a loss.

“Friend, I don’t have enough spirit stones on me. Could I use these two high-grade talismans to exchange for some of the spirit stones?”

Lu Changsheng said calmly, taking out two high-grade talismans from his sleeve.

He only had one hundred and forty spirit stones left on him now.

If he bought this fragment, he wouldn’t have any spirit stones left to buy other things.

So, he decided to try exchanging goods and also use up a few talismans he had on him.

Along the way, he had seen quite a few exchanges like this.

After all, most Rouge Cultivators didn’t carry around a lot of spirit stones for trading.

“Flight Talisman, Golden Light Shield Talisman,”

The refined man recognized the two talismans immediately and his eyes brightened.

He said, “I won’t take advantage of you. These two spiritual talismans can be exchanged for seventy spirit stones. Just give me thirty more spirit stones.”

The refined man was straightforward.

He had guessed that the iron block might be a relic fragment, but he wasn’t sure.

He had tried to sell it several times and had it appraised by experts, but no one was willing to pay a high price for it.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have started with a price of only one hundred spirit stones.

Now that Lu Changsheng showed interest, he was naturally eager.

“Alright, but I still want to see the dent your flying sword made on this iron block. If it’s real, I’ll make the deal right away,”

Lu Changsheng said.

The two talismans were worth about thirty spirit stones each, and the other party was showing sincerity.

However, he couldn’t appear as if he had made a big profit, as it might raise suspicions.

“Sure,”

The refined man said, taking out a deep blue flying sword from his storage bag.

Pointing at a small dent on it, he sighed, “Look, this dent was made by my flying sword.”

Lu Changsheng could see a finger-width dent in the middle of the flying sword.

He nodded and handed the two talismans to the man, along with thirty more spirit stones, saying, “Alright, in that case, I’ll take the fragment.”

“Great! Friend, you’re straightforward!”

The refined man accepted the talismans and spirit stones with a pleased expression, nodding his head in thanks.

Lu Changsheng also nodded and collected the iron piece before continuing to browse.

“Wow, someone actually spent one hundred spirit stones to buy this so-called relic fragment.”

“This iron piece can make a dent in a flying sword; it’s indeed a good material, but it’s too small.”

“Indeed, if it’s really worth that much, he would have gone to Myriad Treasures Pavilion to appraise and sell it. Why would he start with just one hundred spirit stones?”

“Even if it’s a relic fragment, it must be from a large-scale magic tool. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have any prohibitive effects.”

“Right, relic fragments are not easy to refine. This thing belongs to the category of ‘needed but not valued’ or ‘valued but not needed.'”

“True, it’s useless for us Qi Refining cultivators!”

“Who knows, maybe they have other uses for it.”

Several people nearby commented on the scene, but Lu Changsheng didn’t pay much attention.

After all, as someone rightly pointed out, he did have another use for it—to use it for cultivation.

“I wonder if this thing is really a relic fragment. If it is, and I can condense it into my body for practicing the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique, then I would have made quite a gain.”

“As long as I complete the first stage of the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique, my body will be comparable to a low-grade magic tool. By then, my physical strength will have a qualitative improvement!”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

After half a year of nurturing, his physical body had already become much stronger than before.

However, there was still a considerable distance from completing the first stage of the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique and refining his body into a low-grade magic tool.

Unfortunately, body refinement techniques are time-consuming and expensive.

Moreover, the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique is far superior to ordinary body refinement techniques.

He had been practicing for only a little over half a year.

After spending over a hundred spirit stones on materials and another hundred on purchasing this ‘relic fragment,’ Lu Changsheng also worried about attracting unwanted attention. T

herefore, he decided to leave the Southwest Street of Jiulong Market directly.

Even though the Blue Cloud Sect oversees the market, ensuring good security, it’s always better to be cautious.