Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: Communication Meeting

Grand Market in Yunzhong City

Lin Jiang observed that the area around him was relatively quiet, and he began to let his mind wander.

He started calculating his expenditures over the past two years in Yunzhong City.

Lin Jiang had always kept track of his significant expenses.

During the first year, he spent approximately six thousand eight hundred spirit stones and earned about three thousand five hundred.

In the second year, his expenditure rose to seven thousand two hundred spirit stones, while his income was four thousand two hundred.

Over the course of two years, he had exhausted his savings of six thousand three hundred spirit stones.

“Income and expenses are out of balance. Earning three thousand a year would barely cover my costs for more than ten years,” Lin Jiang thought.

If it weren’t for his savings, he would have run out of resources much sooner.

He had two options: either find a way to share a living space with others to cut costs, or somehow survive the harsh reality of life in Yunzhong City.

Lin Jiang looked down at the magical charm in his hand.

The items displayed on his stall were accumulating, suggesting that his sales were not keeping up with his production, leading to a stockpile.

He still had hundreds of these items stored in his bag.

Ultimately, he couldn’t bear the thought of selling the store as it would result in significant losses.

“Big brother, big brother…”

The familiar voice rang in Lin Jiang’s ears again, and he felt a tug on his sleeve.

He secretly used his spiritual power to flick away Zhang Ruifeng’s hand.

“What is it?”

Lin Jiang tried to appear as indifferent as possible.

He was genuinely tired of this constant presence of Zhang Ruifeng.

Zhang Ruifeng was always too familiar, with no sense of personal space.

Even though Lin Jiang had no interest in him, Zhang Ruifeng kept initiating conversations every day.

“Big brother, you leave your stall unattended all day. Can I use it after you’re done?”

Zhang Ruifeng asked eagerly.

“In the markets of Yunzhong City, stalls can be resold, rented, or lent. As long as they pay the city’s fee, it doesn’t matter,” Zhang Ruifeng explained.

“No.”

“Come on, big brother, don’t be so stingy. I’ll pay you rent. The usual stall fee is one spirit stone per day. I’ll pay three spirit stones per day for the remaining time.”

“Why not go ask someone else?”

“I don’t know anyone else. You’re the best brother!”

“If I let you use the stall, will you stop bothering me?”

“Of course! I promise I’ll stop.”

“Alright, after I’m done, you can take over.”

As soon as Lin Jiang heard that, he agreed.

It wasn’t really about the money—it was just that he couldn’t stand being pestered anymore.

Lin Jiang realized he had become more introverted over time, unable to tolerate the endless chatter from people like Zhang Ruifeng.

As for the two siblings, they were quite unusual.

Zhang Ruifeng, the older brother, was excessively talkative, while his younger sister suffered from severe social anxiety.

Despite knowing her for over a year, Lin Jiang had never heard her speak more than a few dozen words.

She would sit there at the stall every day, staring blankly ahead, making others assume she was mute.

“Thank you, big brother!”

Zhang Ruifeng smiled widely, clearly pleased that Lin Jiang had agreed.

Now he could bring in even more medicinal herbs for sale.

“Little brother, why don’t you rent my stall as well?”

A voice interrupted them—one belonging to the beautiful young lady who operated the stall next to Lin Jiang’s.

She was indeed a beautiful sight, her charm unmistakable.

The young woman knew nearly every stall owner in the market and was well-liked by most.

“No, sister, you work for about ten hours a day, and the rent isn’t worth it. Unlike big brother, who only works four hours a day.”

Zhang Ruifeng shook his head, dismissing the offer.

It wouldn’t be worth renting her stall.

She worked for long hours, overlapping with his, unlike Lin Jiang, who sometimes barely worked four hours a day.

That’s when he was earning money.

“You’re a clever little rascal.”

The beautiful woman looked at Zhang Ruifeng with a playful grin.

Zhang Ruifeng might be young, but his sharpness in business was something she could never deny.

“I haven’t seen you around for a while. Have you stopped buying talisman paper from me?”

The beautiful young lady asked, turning her attention to Lin Jiang.

“I’m still using the talisman paper, but I haven’t run out yet.”

Lin Jiang calmly responded.

The young lady sold talisman paper, which competed with Lin Jiang’s business, as they both offered basic spiritual talismans and paper.

Her family cultivated a special herb for the Zhonghang Sect, which was then used to produce talisman paper.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, when can we exchange some of our drawing techniques?”

The woman’s voice was persistent.

“I’m busy and don’t have time,” Lin Jiang replied quickly.

Her voice seemed to irk him, reminding him of some annoying sound.

“Taoist friend, why so hasty in your refusal? I have many good connections with fellow Taoists. As independent cultivators, we must unite, exchange knowledge, and share resources. I know you’re quite a distinguished Taoist…”

Before the woman could continue, Lin Jiang packed up and stood up.

It was better not to interact too much with such people.

He felt the woman’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

It was no wonder she had a reputation for being involved with several male cultivators on this street, sparking jealousy from others.

“I’m done with this,” Lin Jiang thought, walking away without a second glance.

The beautiful woman watched him leave, her thoughts running wild.

She was aware of his wealth and assumed he wasn’t interested in women, thinking perhaps he was missing out on a good thing.

“Such a strange person,” she muttered under her breath.

······

“Dear friend, come in and join us for an exchange of Taoist knowledge!”

A melodic voice echoed from Spring Coming Tower.

Lin Jiang looked up and saw a group of attractive fairies gesturing toward him.

They were clearly trying to charm him with their beauty.

But Lin Jiang didn’t want to deal with that, and quickly walked away.

The price of indulgence in Yunzhong City was far higher than in Lin Family Market.

In his home market, he could easily find something for a few spirit stones, but here in Yunzhong City, a simple meat dish could cost twenty spirit stones.

Better quality items were practically priceless.

Lin Jiang didn’t want to spend his resources for fleeting enjoyment.

It had been years since he moved to Yunzhong City.

He only indulged on rare occasions to satisfy his cravings.

However, too much indulgence led to worries about his waistline and the risk of his storage bag bursting.

After walking a short distance, Lin Jiang arrived at Duobao Pavilion.

Duobao Pavilion was a renowned establishment under the Cloud Sword Sect.

They had branches scattered all over Yun State, maintaining a solid reputation.

It was known to be a relatively safe place where one wouldn’t easily encounter danger, unlike small shops where theft and robbery were common.

Upon entering, a familiar steward approached.

“Taoist Friend Jiang, welcome.”

Lin Jiang nodded in greeting as the steward led him to a private room.

“Is there anything I can assist you with today?”

“Yes, the usual: Energy Nourishing Pills, Spirit Gathering Pills. I need top-quality ones,” Lin Jiang replied.

“Understood,” said the steward, taking note.

The quality of medicinal pills was categorized into different tiers: top, high, medium, and low.

In the Lin Family Market and Anhua City, these categories weren’t as distinct, but in Yunzhong City, the differences were very clear.

Higher quality pills were more potent, with milder spiritual effects and fewer side effects.

If one took a low-quality pill, it might take days to recover from its side effects, and it could cause serious damage over time.

Repeated consumption of low-quality pills would diminish their effectiveness or even result in critical consequences during key cultivation breakthroughs.

“Very well, Taoist Friend Jiang. We will prepare them for you immediately,” the steward assured.

“Thank you.”

Lin Jiang’s straightforwardness made him a rare but valued customer.

Unlike most cultivators, who were cautious about spending their money, Lin Jiang didn’t hesitate when it came to paying for quality products.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Just a moment, Taoist Friend Jiang.”

The steward called after him.

“I wanted to let you know about our regular exchange meetings at Duobao Pavilion.”

“What kind of exchange meetings?”

“We host gatherings where senior experts from the Building Foundation Period share their knowledge and answer questions. We also organize occasional auctions and trading sessions for participants.”

“Who can attend?”

“Only customers who have spent a certain amount of spirit stones are invited to participate.”

“When is the next one?”

“It’s scheduled for the beginning of each month.”

“I’ll come by to check it out.”

“In that case, you can arrive earlier, and I’ll personally escort you.”

“Thanks.”

Lin Jiang nodded and then left, reflecting on how valuable these exchange meetings could be.

Having more access to knowledge from experienced cultivators could only benefit his growth.

By attending these sessions, Lin Jiang hoped to fill the gaps in his understanding of the cultivation world.

And indeed, it was true.

Lin Jiang had spent at least five thousand spirit stones at Duobao Pavilion to receive the invitation.

Regular independent cultivators had no qualifications whatsoever.

Half a month later, Lin Jiang attended his first exchange meeting.

As a newcomer, Lin Jiang was very cautious and didn’t say a word from beginning to end.

He also didn’t participate in the resource exchange.

This time, he considered it a learning experience.

However, this exchange meeting opened Lin Jiang’s eyes.

There were countless cultivation techniques and various spiritual objects in the world that Lin Jiang had never seen before.

It was his first time seeing them.

“Usually, the exchange meetings are organized every two to three months, lasting four to six hours.

It doesn’t take up much time, but the gains are substantial.

You should participate more in the future.”

Lin Jiang made up his mind.

He wanted to attend more of these exchange meetings because isolating himself and relying solely on his own knowledge was not advisable.

He realized that he knew very little about the cultivation world.

Moreover, the information shared by the majority of elite participants in the exchange meetings was much more reliable than what independent cultivators at the marketplace provided.