Chapter 192: Buying Information in the Marketplace—Who Is the Alchemist?

Casually putting on his bamboo hat, Yu Xian strolled leisurely through the bustling market.

The market was quite large, with winding paths branching in all directions.

But Yu Xian wasn’t in a hurry. He walked while observing his surroundings. The mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation fluctuations on his body were enough to deter most unwanted attention.

Places where one could inquire about information were usually not large, nor would they openly operate in the center of a market. After all, such trades belonged to the shadows. Everyone understood and even participated in the buying and selling of information, but it still remained a business not spoken of in the light.

Yu Xian didn’t make the mistake of asking around like a fool. After circling the market once, he locked onto a certain location.

It was a humble corner shop—nothing eye-catching. People came and went periodically, their cultivation ranging from late Qi Condensation to peak Foundation Establishment. Everyone wore disguises, clearly not wanting their true identities known.

With a calm expression, Yu Xian stepped inside.

It looked like a teahouse inside, with people lounging around, chatting and sipping tea. When Yu Xian entered, a few glanced at him casually.

However, once they sensed the fluctuations of his mid-Foundation Establishment realm, their gazes turned serious.

Someone of this cultivation might not be much elsewhere, but in Liehuo Market, it wasn’t low either. And judging from his unfamiliar appearance, his intentions were unknown.

Yu Xian glanced around without saying a word and seated himself calmly. “Waiter, tea,” he said flatly.

A young man approached, frowning slightly. “Senior… what kind of tea would you like?”

“Tea I can drink. Whatever they’re having will do.”

The young man hesitated, turned to glance at someone, and received a subtle signal. He then smiled and said, “Understood. Please wait a moment.”

Soon, a pot of spirit tea was brought to him.

“This is Tier-2 Spirit Tea—Sparrow Tongue. Please enjoy, Senior.”

Yu Xian quietly poured a cup, lifted the veil covering his face, and sipped slowly.

Several pairs of eyes flashed, observing him cautiously, trying to decipher his purpose.

Time passed slowly.

Yu Xian continued to sip his tea, and more people entered the shop. Each showed a specific token before disappearing into an inner hall, only to leave quickly afterward.

Two hours passed in this way.

Yu Xian finished his tea but remained seated, calm as a stone.

Those watching him were now visibly puzzled.

Then, a graceful figure emerged from the back and came to sit before him—a middle-aged, seductive-looking woman. She too emitted the aura of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

She smiled. “First time here, fellow Daoist?”

Yu Xian nodded. “Yes.”

“No wonder.” She chuckled. “So, are you here to enjoy tea? We also offer Tier-4 spirit teas, you know.”

Yu Xian remained calm. “You jest. Who comes here just for tea? I’m new and unfamiliar with the rules, so I waited quietly, not wanting to offend. Now that someone has approached me, let’s talk business. I’m here to ask about some information.”

The woman’s eyes gleamed. “Very well, follow me.”

She stood and walked into the inner hall. Yu Xian followed, though his brows furrowed.

That was too easy.

Convenient and smooth—always a warning sign.

Still, he followed her. Danger was unlikely inside the shop, though extortion was almost guaranteed.

These kinds of information shops, if they killed someone in their own business place, would destroy their reputation. No one would deal with them again.

After a turn, he entered a dimly lit room.

Inside were several cultivators wearing masks and grey robes. Their auras surged the moment they saw Yu Xian.

The weakest among them was Foundation Establishment early stage. One of them, however, was already late stage—pressure filled the room.

The woman sat down leisurely and smiled. “No need to be so tense. This fellow Daoist is just new here and was being cautious. He followed the rules.”

“Hah, rules?”

“Rules are spirit stones. Spirit stones are rules!” someone mocked.

“You got spirit stones, buddy?”

The laughter was thick with ridicule.

“Enough,” the woman waved her hand. “Tell us—are you here to sell information or buy?”

“Buy.”

“Then tell me what you seek. I’ll give you a price.”

“I want to know the true identities of the anonymous Core Formation elders in the Liehuo Sect.”

The atmosphere turned icy.

The woman’s smile vanished instantly. The other cultivators stopped moving.

“This is Liehuo Market,” the woman said coldly. “Run by Liehuo Sect. You ask about their secret elders—are you trying to court death?”

“I seek someone dear to me. I believe they may be one of those elders,” Yu Xian answered honestly.

“Who are you really? Name. Identity!”

“I cannot say. If you cannot provide the information, I’ll take my leave.”

But the door behind him slammed shut.

“You’ve already touched a taboo,” the woman stood. “Leave? Not unless you reveal everything.”

The cultivators began releasing their auras.

Yu Xian frowned. He didn’t want a fight—not here.

He was prepared to retaliate, his artifacts ready, but he still chose diplomacy.

“I’ll say three words: an alchemist.”

The woman’s expression changed slightly.

Yu Xian pressed, “The Core Formation elder I seek is an alchemist. Among those three elders—does any of them fit this description?”

“…What is your relation to this alchemist?” she asked, studying him closely.

“He is my master,” Yu Xian replied quickly.

This woman knows something.

“A master?”

The five cultivators exchanged subtle glances.

Could it be true?

The woman certainly had her suspicions. She had heard rumors—one of the three elders was a highly skilled alchemist, capable of refining upper-grade Tier-5 and even Tier-6 pills. The sect leader and both vice-leaders respected him deeply.

Could this young man be his disciple?

She turned to the only late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator among them.

He gave a small nod.

She understood.

“Very well,” she said, her tone softening. “One of the three elders is an alchemist. He has refined several exceptional pills for the sect leaders.”

Yu Xian’s eyes lit up. “Then… where does he reside? I wish to pay my respects!”

“Twenty thousand spirit stones.”

Yu Xian didn’t argue. He tossed a storage pouch over.

The woman inspected it, nodded, and said, “The transaction is complete. You may leave.”

“…What?”

“I never said I knew where he lives. You paid for the confirmation that one of the three is an alchemist. That’s what you got.”

Yu Xian was briefly stunned. Two thousand spirit stones… for such a vague answer.

But it was worth it.

This clue was precious.

A Core Formation expert who could refine high-tier pills—there weren’t many across the Eastern Continent. The chance that this was his master, Xiao Wusheng, was very high.

Yu Xian cupped his hands. “Thank you for the information.”

He turned and left.

Two of the cultivators followed after, disguising their auras and changing their appearances expertly. Yu Xian didn’t detect them—but he expected to be tailed.

That information shop was surely an outpost of the Liehuo Sect.

And the moment he asked about one of their key elders, it would inevitably be reported up the chain.

Good.

Because if the alchemist truly was his master—then the news of a disciple searching for him would reach him.

And if it did—he would come.

Back in his inn, Yu Xian sat cross-legged, quietly meditating.

Half a day, he told himself.

If no one came by then, he would find a way to infiltrate the Liehuo Sect.

But…

Three hundred li south of Liehuo Sect, nestled within a hidden formation lay a quiet courtyard on a small mountain.

In that courtyard, amidst rustling leaves and autumn winds, a faint voice stirred the silence.

“Searching for his master? A Core Formation alchemist… Could he be… a disciple of our long-lost Yaowang Valley?”