nownovels Chapter 38 Even a Taoist nun is a woman [Explosive]
Chapter 38 Even a Taoist nun is a woman [Explosive]
Under the dead tree.
Ma Wencai's abacus beads never stopped clicking.
From the valley entrance to the river valley's restricted area, a distance of less than thirty li, he had already increased the guide fee from five spirit stones per hour to six.
"The time it takes to drink a cup of tea is about half an hour. Rounding it up or down, it comes to exactly six yuan."
Li Tianran glanced at him: "Senior Brother Ma, if you keep fiddling with that broken abacus, your finger is almost worn out."
Ma Wencai chuckled: "That's perfect, now you have to pay my medical bills. Twenty spirit stones for a broken finger."
Li Tianran did not respond.
Arguing with this guy is just asking for trouble.
Ma Wencai has been squatting at the entrance of Bloodtooth Valley for so many years, and he's managed to squeeze oil out of stones all thanks to his mouth and his abacus.
The two passed through the valley's barrier.
A mixed smell wafted towards me.
The smell was a mixture of herbs, blood, and a strange aroma of roasted meat. There was also an indescribable fishy, pungent odor, as if something had just been slaughtered in a corner, and the blood hadn't been rinsed off yet.
The entire valley floor was hollowed out and a huge underground market was built.
Temporary stalls lined both sides of the street. A burly stall owner was placing a still-bleeding monster heart on his shelf, while a half-grown boy squatted below, sharpening a knife with bits of meat still stuck to the blade.
At the next stall, several rogue cultivators were kneeling, chained together, with wooden plaques hanging around their necks.
"Unable to repay the debt, I will pay it with my own body. I am at the fifth level of Qi Refining, capable of both fighting and enduring. Starting bid: eighty spirit stones."
A fat man wearing a greasy leather apron poked one of the arms with his finger, as if he were picking out livestock.
Li Tianran didn't look at it much.
Because an old woman carrying a bamboo basket was walking towards us.
She lifted the lid, revealing half a basket of dark, murky things, and shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Fresh monster eyeballs, just dug out, still steaming hot, soaked in wine to enhance male virility..."
This is the market in the Demonic Realm.
There are no rules, only market conditions.
Ma Wencai led him through the stall area to a secluded corner in front of a stone wall.
The walls were covered with all sorts of bounty posters.
The ink on the newly pasted sheets of paper wasn't completely dry yet, and the outlines of human figures were drawn on the paper.
The text below reads: "Blood Spirit Sect disciples, life or death, will receive 300 spirit stones."
The bounty for Black Wind Mountain was also nearby: eighty spirit stones for the head of a Qi Refining cultivator.
Ma Wencai couldn't help but curse:
The heads of the Blood Spirit Sect are more than twice as valuable as those of Black Wind Mountain, and the bounty posters are put up more frequently than job advertisements.
Li Tianran's gaze lingered on the bounty posters for a moment before shifting away.
Ma Wencai then led him into a small alley that specialized in buying materials from monsters.
A burly stall owner was placing a still-bleeding monster heart onto the shelf.
A lame old yellow dog lay nearby, licking the blood dripping from the ground with its tongue.
"A level one demon beast heart, worth 150 spirit stones."
Li Tianran stared at the price tag, momentarily stunned.
He turned to look at Ma Wencai.
"You told me last time that each level-one toad heart is worth one hundred spirit stones?"
"Market prices fluctuate. Our Bloodfang Valley purchase price is one hundred, but we sell it for one hundred and fifty at the market. The fifty in between is for operating costs."
Warehousing, transportation, labor, booth fees, intelligence fees, and image renovation costs are all expenses.
Li Tianran sneered: "No wonder the Demonic Sect is wanted by all the major sects."
Ma Wencai continued with a laugh, "That's right, the pressure from the various sects is also part of the cost."
Li Tianran shook his head.
In the Demonic Sect, if you don't understand the market trends, you'll be treated like market trends by others.
Without saying a word, he continued to let Ma Wencai lead the way.
His goal was simple.
He asked Ma Wencai to show him around the market where spiritual herbs, pills, and materials from demonic beasts were sold.
Once he was familiar with the place, he took out seven toad hearts, exchanged them for spirit stones, and then went on a shopping spree.
He didn't want Ma Wencai to know.
He stole seven toad hearts from Bloodfang Valley.
We strolled along the way.
Li Tianran silently memorized several key shop locations.
There's a restaurant called Poison Bone Restaurant in the South District. The price list at the entrance lists the price of toad hearts at 150 spirit stones, which is a full 50 spirit stones higher than the price quoted by Ma Wencai.
Deep in the western district stands a three-story stone building with no sign outside. Two late-stage Qi Refining guards stand at the entrance, and everyone entering and leaving wears a hooded cloak.
It's an auction house.
The best stuff isn't displayed on stalls; it's all inside.
Upon arriving at the talisman area, Ma Wencai pointed to a tiny shop with only the character "Chen" written on its signboard.
"This family's earth-遁符 (earth-遁符) is the best in the Eastern Region. After using it, people won't be able to track you to the outhouse by following the residual spiritual energy."
Junior Brother Li, if you want to buy, I can lend you the money. It's 23 spirit stones per sheet, and I won't charge you interest.
Li Tianran said expressionlessly, "Thank you, Senior Brother."
They continued to wander inside.
Ma Wencai led him around for more than two hours, and when they reached the public toilet at the end of the street, he said he was going to relieve himself.
Ma Wencai told him to wait there and not wander off.
Li Tianran watched as Ma Wencai went into the outhouse, where a withered old woman was squatting at the entrance.
Ma Wencai came out cursing.
"Damn it, this world is really making it impossible for cultivators to survive."
Even the outhouse has a membership system, costing two spirit stones per use, with a 20% discount for monthly cards. The gatekeeper almost miscalculated the bill and insisted that he hadn't paid, so he checked the ledger three times before finding out.
Li Tianran's lips twitched, and he cursed inwardly.
"Junior Brother Li, I think we've had enough of sightseeing."
"Is there anything you need?"
"Senior brother can help you bargain! It's only one spirit stone per transaction! Not expensive, right?"
Ma Wencai looked at Li Tianran with a smile. Although he had put away the abacus, his fingers were still habitually fiddling with it in the air.
Li Tianran said with a serious expression: "Senior Brother Ma, I do indeed have many things to purchase."
My master also gave me funds for purchasing supplies, but my stomach is a little upset... I need to use the restroom.
These words were spoken.
Ma Wencai's eyes lit up, and he immediately took out the toilet membership card he had just obtained.
"No rush, no rush, junior brother, please go ahead and use my card for free."
I'll wait for you outside. I promise I can get you the lowest price!
Li Tianran nodded seriously: "Thank you, senior brother. I'm going to the restroom now."
He took the toilet membership card and walked quickly toward the outhouse, looking like he was about to burst.
Need to use the restroom?
impossible!
After Li Tianran entered, he took advantage of the bustling crowd and went directly to a side path to conceal his presence before squeezing into the throng.
He quickened his pace, crossing two blocks to make sure Ma Wencai wasn't following him.
He turned into the alley in the East District and found the Poison Bone Pavilion, which had previously been priced at 150 spirit stones.
The stall owner was a one-eyed old man who was wiping bloodstains off the counter with a greasy rag, while a rib of some kind of monster was dangling from his mouth.
He hummed a vulgar, off-key tune: "A young woman's legs, so white and tender, to touch them and not take spirit stones is just bragging—a young widow's waist, a waist like a water snake, to hug her all night and not give her spirit stones, she'll curse your grandmother—"
Hearing the vulgar tune, Li Tianran smiled wryly.
This is the kind of art that the people love to see and hear.
He took out seven Grade 1 toad hearts from his storage bag and placed them on the counter.
"Shopkeeper, let's inspect the goods."
The old man's cloudy one eye lit up. He pulled the bone out of his mouth, picked it up, looked at it for a long time, and then smelled it under his nose.
"Mysterious Water Poison Toad, Level 1".
"Good quality. Only Bloodfang Valley has this kind of thing. What's your relationship with those bastards from the Blood Spirit Sect?"
Li Tianran: "To accept or not to accept?"
Old man: "Take it. I don't ask where it came from, and I don't check where it's going. That's my rule."
He pulled a heavy bag of spirit stones from under the counter, without even counting them, and pushed it over.
Li Tianran took it and weighed it in his hand; the amount was more than enough.
This one-eyed old man has lived in this alley for twenty years, never asking where people came from, never haggling over prices, and never counting his belongings.
Three rules allowed him to live this long, but also cost him an eye.
Li Tianran stuffed the spirit stone bag into his pocket, turned around and left the shop.
He pulled his hood down half an inch.
Ready to go to the next shop to sell Blood Spirit Grass.
But as soon as he turned the corner, he bumped into someone.
I looked up.
The person in front of me wore a white Taoist robe, had a sword at his waist, and was holding several bottles of pills in his hands.
Her clothes and appearance are exactly the same as Shen Qing's.
Not good!
They're from the Heavenly Sword Sect!
He wasn't sure if the other person had seen his face!
Li Tianran's muscles were tense, and he was gathering his spiritual power.
The two stopped at the same time.
Less than three feet.
The other person's hand was already on the hilt of the sword, and their pupils suddenly contracted.
"Puppet horns! White hair! You're a heretical cultivator from the Blood Spirit Sect!"
Before the other person could finish speaking...
Li Tianran's scimitar was already drawn.
The blade pressed against the other person's Adam's apple, the icy touch causing the rest of their sentence to get stuck in their throat.
The speed was so fast that the other party didn't even have time to react.
Simultaneously.
He reached out with his other hand and took out the bottles of pills from the other person's arms and put them into his own storage bag.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed suddenly, and the sword was only half-drawn, hanging at the hilt of the sheath.
Li Tianran asked coldly, "What's your name?"
"Song...Song Qingfeng."
Ok?
Li Tianran pressed the knife against Song Qingfeng's neck by another half inch, and the other man stood on tiptoe.
"Who is Song Qingshu to you?"
"Senior Sister Shen Qing, where did you take her?"
Li Tianran looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
He lowered his voice: "Go back and tell your sect that Shen Qing is still alive."
If you want to save people, first withdraw all the bounty notices for our Blood Spirit Sect.
Furthermore, have your Heavenly Sword Sect issue an official document stating that you will never pursue the Blood Spirit Sect's responsibility.
"If you acknowledge that the Blood Spirit Sect is a reputable and righteous sect in the Eastern Region, we will release Shen Qing and will no longer pursue the matter of the Heavenly Sword Sect hunting us down. Otherwise..."
"You, you're insane? You heretic!"
Song Qingfeng opened his mouth, but could only utter a curse.
"You heretics who haven't even reached the Golden Core stage dare to make such demands?!"
Li Tianran chuckled: "And what is your Heavenly Sword Sect anyway?"
Done.
He slapped the other person hard and charged straight into the crowd.
Song Qingfeng coughed up blood, quickly got up, his face full of anger.
"Damn demonic cultivator!"
"I will definitely report this to the elders and have your mountain stronghold wiped out!"
Li Tianran did not turn around.
His hood covered most of his face, and he sheathed his curved sword at his waist.
Song Qingfeng will go back to report the news. Song Qingshu knows that Shen Qing is still alive, and he will definitely take action.
What he most wants to see is...
Only when the Heavenly Sword Sect attacks the Blood Spirit Sect can he take advantage of the chaos to find the Blood Guide or reap benefits.
He quickened his pace and walked through the alleyway leading to the herbal medicine shop in the south district.
After turning a few corners, I checked again to make sure no one was following me.
He then turned into an inn like a normal customer and booked a room at random.
The guest rooms were basic.
Li Tianran stood behind the door for a moment, waiting for his breathing to completely stabilize.
He took out the spirit stone bag given to him by the one-eyed old man from his pocket, poured all the spirit stones onto the bed, and counted them one by one.
With a total of 1,050 spirit stones, plus the 40-odd spirit stones Zhao Ling gave him, plus the remaining 100 spirit stones from Old Demon Han's reward, he now has less than 1,200 spirit stones in his pocket.
This is a considerable fortune, especially for Qi Refining cultivators.
That's enough for him to do a lot of things.
He stuffed the spirit stone bag back into his bosom, leaned against the headboard, closed his eyes, and pondered.
We must find a way to convert all the spirit stones into strength!
To cultivate the Blood Puppet Technique, one must have a calming pill. Find a way to enrich oneself with the sect's Blood Spirit Grass, save some spirit stones for cultivation, and buy more talismans to enhance them with immortal water…
These thoughts kept running through Li Tianran's mind.
I could faintly hear the one-eyed old man's hoarse voice coming from outside the window.
His singing was even more outrageous than before.
"Oh, the nun who cultivates the Tao, the pretty nun, once she takes off her robes she's a woman too. Sir, if you want an old man, I'll send you one—"
Huh?
After listening, Li Tianran opened his eyes.
The water has just run dry.
Buy a few high-quality nuns-squeezed elixir from the one-eyed old man.