Chapter 15
Liu San stood at the edge of a ten-thousand-zhang abyss, fierce astral winds snapping his robes.
Across from him, Three Talents Market hung among the clouds, countless streaks of light darting through it. Everywhere he looked, the place was bustling with activity.
Yet a vast chasm lay between him and the market.
His cultivation was too low for him to fly, and he had no flying magical artifact. There was simply no way for him to reach Three Talents Market.
What was he supposed to do?
Before long, he noticed a wooden platform by the cliff. A spirit boat made of green wood hovered at its far end.
A cultivator who looked like a steward stood at the bow, lazily calling out, “Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s spirit boat, departing now! Ten spirit stones per person—no cheating, young or old!”
Ten spirit stones?
Liu San frowned. He had no spirit stones, only Three Talents Coins—and those were still in Liu Meng’s cave abode. He hadn’t brought them with him.
After all, his cultivation was far too weak. If someone stole his Three Talents Coins, he wouldn’t even have anywhere to seek justice.
Besides, Qin Shuang had said that apparently, you didn’t need to bring Three Talents Coins when shopping here.
The steward seemed to notice his hesitation. Without even lifting his eyelids, he added, “Of course, esteemed guests shopping at my Treasure Gathering Pavilion can ride for free.”
Liu San paused, instantly understanding.
So it was a way for the shop to attract customers.
He hesitated no longer and walked straight onto the spirit boat. “I’m going to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.”
“You got it! Right this way, esteemed guest!” The steward immediately put on a smile and ushered him aboard.
The spirit boat hummed, rose smoothly into the air, and headed for the opposite bank.
As the view widened, Liu San finally got a bird’s-eye view of the entire market. That was when his pupils suddenly contracted!
He clearly saw that countless natural caves had been carved into the rock beneath this bustling floating market, forming enormous workshops.
Inside them, countless cultivators with numb expressions labored without rest.
They carved runes onto sheets of talisman paper, infused them with spiritual power, and made talismans. They ritually refined materials into artifacts, using spiritual power to forge spirit materials and craft magical artifacts. They tossed baskets of ingredients into pill furnaces, used spiritual power to stoke the flames, and made pills.
These cultivators, each possessing spiritual power, were like workers on assembly lines in his previous life. Inside these enormous workshops, they sold their bodies, their freedom, and their spiritual power.
Liu San suddenly realized that “market” in Three Talents Market didn’t just mean a marketplace—it also referred to these workshops!
Most of the goods sold in the market were probably made in these workshops!
His understanding of this Demonic Sect was once again turned upside down. As expected, every corner of the sect reeked of the business of devouring people.
Before long, the spirit boat docked beside the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
Liu San disembarked and walked straight inside.
The pavilion was crammed with goods, and the sheer variety nearly dazzled Liu San. He glanced around and was startled once again.
Most of the goods were astonishingly cheap—or, more precisely, Three Talents Coins had astonishing purchasing power.
A hundred “Yang-Attracting Pills” cost just one Three Talents Coin. Ten “Qi-Replenishing Talismans” likewise cost only one, while thirty “White Bone Nails” used for ambushes cost a mere two Three Talents Coins.
By his calculations, a single Three Talents Coin was worth almost a hundred spirit stones!
Liu San thought it over and began to understand. These cheap goods were probably made by the “sweatshop workers” in the workshops, with their profit margins squeezed to the bare minimum.
But the prices of some pills and magical artifacts were several times higher.
Either they were so complicated to make that they couldn’t be produced in the workshops, or they were unique items that couldn’t be replicated. In any case, they weren’t cheap, and he couldn’t afford them at his current stage.
What Liu San was really interested in, however, was a Soul Banner.
He searched for a long time without finding a single Soul Banner. He frowned, utterly perplexed.
The Treasure Gathering Pavilion sold even precious spiritual materials like beast bones, so why couldn’t it sell even one Soul Banner?
Unwilling to waste any more time, he walked straight to the counter and cupped his hands toward the drowsy old shopkeeper. “Excuse me, do you sell Soul Banners here?”
Before he had even finished speaking, the old shopkeeper sprang up from his chair, eyes wide as saucers, and waved his hands frantically.
“A Soul Banner? No, no! The Treasure Gathering Pavilion never sells Soul Banners!”
“Not just us—the entire Three Talents Market doesn’t sell Soul Banners!”
Liu San frowned again and pressed him. “Why not? Are Soul Banners precious?”
“Precious?” The old shopkeeper gave a cold laugh. “Soul Banners aren’t precious at all. But do you know which Three Talents the ‘Three Talents’ in Three Talents Market refer to?”
Liu San shook his head.
He wasn’t afraid of looking ignorant. He didn’t know now, but his next clone would.
Seeing Liu San shake his head, the old shopkeeper chuckled, his voice as hoarse as a dead man’s:
“Human skin, human bones, and human blood! Those are the Three Talents!”
“Human skin makes talismans, human bones are refined into artifacts, and human blood becomes pills! Our Three Talents Market deals in flesh and blood—but we never touch souls!”
“If you want a Soul Banner and want to toy with souls, that’s the business of those ghost cultivators in Luofeng City. We’re not in the same line of work!”
Liu San kept his expression impassive, but couldn’t help grumbling inwardly.
What kind of lunatic came up with this definition of the Three Talents?
If you ask me, these aren’t the Three Talents at all—they’re the “Three Materials”!”
But since Three Talents Market didn’t sell Soul Banners, there was nothing Liu San could do. He could only commit “Luofeng City” to memory and look for it when he had the chance.
Just as he turned to leave, the old shopkeeper suddenly called out to him.
“Stop.”
The old shopkeeper called to him, his murky eyes sweeping over Liu San. “Look at you—you’re just some green kid fresh out of the gate. You think just anyone can enter Luofeng City? You need a token!”
Perhaps he’d taken a liking to Liu San. He turned around and rummaged beneath the counter, finally pulling out a black talisman painted with the head of a blue-faced, fanged demon. He tossed it over.
“Take this. Three hundred li north of the market, there’s a dead city. At midnight, go to the crooked old locust tree at its very center and burn this ‘Guiding Talisman.’ Then you’ll be able to see Luofeng City.”
Liu San caught the talisman. A sinister, ominous chill immediately seeped from it into his fingertips, making him slightly uncomfortable.
It was clearly nothing good, but he put the talisman away anyway.
“Thank you, Shopkeeper.” As he thanked the old man, Liu San pointed to the shelves. “I’d like a hundred Yang-Attracting Pills. Please deliver them to this cave abode.”
He left the location of his cave abode. The old shopkeeper could send someone to deliver the pills, and Liu San could pay in Three Talents Coins when they arrived—which would also settle the spirit boat fare.
After that, Liu San didn’t linger. He boarded a spirit boat and left Three Talents Market. Once he had oriented himself, he sped south toward the unknown dead city...