Early that morning, Xitu packed his things and headed out.
First, he quit his job at the Spirit Field. It was easy, as only a few words and a day's worth of Spirit Stone were enough for the abrupt departure. After all, jobs that were easy and safe never lacked people.
His destination was the west side of the inner district, where most rogue cultivators set up stalls.
Once there, he made his way to a large 2-story building in the center of the area—the administration office responsible for maintaining order and overseeing vendor registration. His purpose was to reserve a spot for the upcoming month.
If you set up a stall without registering, you'd face heavy punishment when a patrol squad came by to inspect. One benefit of having residency rights was that you could register a spot for free. Otherwise, a monthly fee was required.
Xitu handed over his proof of residency—a jade tablet engraved with his name to the stern man behind the counter. He took it and placed it into a peculiar box-shaped artifact.
Soon after, a green light lit up, confirming the tablet's authenticity and that there were no unpaid fees or criminal records. After disappearing into the back room, the man returned a few minutes later and handed the jade tablet back to Xitu.
"I've registered you. Pick any unused spot, and you're good to go. Just remember—don't sell anything forbidden like evil cultivation methods or fake pill recipes!"
Xitu nodded earnestly and stepped outside. He chose a quieter corner with less foot traffic, laid down a cloth, and arranged his wares. Then, he propped up a simple wooden sign that read: 'Pills. Talismans. Artifacts. Passed down for cheap!'
Xitu had brought his entire stock today. Since neither the originals nor the copies could be used for further duplication, he planned to liquidate everything except 1 Steel Fang Dagger, 1 Golden Protection Talisman, and 1 Quickstep Talisman for safety.
As he finished setting up, he glanced to his left and noticed his neighboring vendor: a thin man in his 30s selling what looked like journals, spell manuals, and cultivation scripts.
His skin had a sickly yellow tint, like melted candle wax. His hair was messy and unkempt, and deep dark circles sagged under his eyes. His gaze was unfocused, like someone with chronic insomnia.
'Weird-looking guy. Probably better not to talk to him,' Xitu thought.
The morning passed quickly. Only 1 visitor came by, asked a few questions, bargained a little, and walked away.
'Did I set the price too high? But all the other stalls of rogue cultivators had the same price!'
With no prior experience, Xitu quickly realized it was more difficult than expected. Right as he was wondering what to do, a quiet voice came.
"Are you new to selling?"
Xitu turned to see the slim man talking. After a moment's hesitation, he replied,
"Uhm...yes. I work in the Spirit Field now, so I don't venture out much. I bought these a while ago, but I don't need them anymore, so I decided to sell the entire collection."
The man cast a doubtful glance at the bottle of Qi Harmonization Pellets, then asked:
"Why did you pick such a secluded corner? Didn't you know people usually come here only to find unofficial goods or items of unknown origin? You should pick a central location if you're selling items from reputable sources."
"Ah... I didn't know that. If I still want to stay here, what should I do?"
"Hmm... Pretty simple. Lower your prices to attract customers. Why would anyone buy from a newcomer offering the same goods at the same price?"
"Thank you! I'm Xitu. Please accept this as a token of gratitude."
Saying so, Xitu handed him a Body Protection Talisman.
"No problem. The name is Luo An. If you have questions or want to buy some journals about the world, just let me know," the man said, casually pocketing his gift.
Not long after, a new customer arrived. It was a plump middle-aged woman. She glanced over the items, picked up a Meridian Opening Pill, and sniffed it.
"The color and shape are good. No blemishes. And the medicinal scent is clean and soothing. Looks like good-quality Meridian Opening Pills. How much?"
"Only 4 Spirit Stones a bottle. They are from Floating Cloud Sect's official store. You can find the marker at the bottom."
"15 Spirit Stones and I'll take all 4 bottles."
"Deal!"
As he handed her the bottles, Xitu added cheerfully,
"Here you go. If you ever need anything else, come by. Best prices guaranteed! Don't forget to tell your friends!"
"…Okay." The woman gave him a strange look and walked off.
By the time the sun began to set, Xitu decided to call it a day. He had 2 more customers. 1 person purchased a Golden Protection Talisman for 5 Spirit Stones, while the other bought all 4 of his Evil-Suppressing Talismans for 12. In total, he made 32 Spirit Stones.
With a spring in his step, he rushed home, eager to hide the stones in his 'secret stash' piece by piece.
On the way, he passed a Magic Beast meat vendor. Unable to resist temptation, he spent 10 Spirit Stones on a juicy chunk of thigh meat.
'Tonight, I will eat meat!' Xitu thought with resolve.
He even bought a few herbs and spices for cooking, paying for them with copper coins—the lowest-tier currency, typically used only for change and daily necessities. Once a cultivator graduated from the Vein Opening Realm, such currency lost its usefulness. That was why the exchange rate varied from 80 to 100 copper coins per Spirit Stone.
Once home, Xitu followed his usual routine of cleaning up. Then, just to be sure, he counted his earnings again. With his eyes squinting and darting around like a thief, he carefully stashed the Spirit Stones in their usual hiding spot.
'56 Spirit Stones! The path to riches isn't far off!'
After that, Xitu pulled out a large pot, filled it with water, and placed the meat inside. He seasoned it with salt, cinnamon, and black pepper, then added a few Spiritwind Leaves to help calm the mind. Covering the pot, he left it to simmer for several hours.
While waiting, he practiced the Qi Bullet Spell. To his surprise, his progress was better than expected. He was nearly hitting the target a few meters away.
'In a few more weeks, or with a breakthrough, I should be proficient enough to hit any target within 10 meters.'
With anticipation, Xitu approached the pot.
'It's been so long that I forgot what Magic Beast meat tastes like!'