The floating market was bustling with people. It was nothing like Caspian ever saw. Aside from being back at the Heavenly Stars Sect, favonovel.com never saw that many cultivators gathered in one place. They called out to each other, haggled, and bargained. It was a sight that made one feel at home.
The cultivators wandering around Caspian and Maya were all individual cultivators. Thus, they wore all kinds of different clothing, making for a pretty surprising sight. It was completely different from what they were used to back at the Heavenly Stars Sect, where all the disciples wore the same clothing.
After a fun round of people watching, Caspian began to shop around the market at his own pace.
The village was fully utilized by cultivators. The streets were lined with stalls that were set up by the individual cultivators. Most of the cultivators sold goods and products. They laid them out on their stalls, and anyone of interest was free to go up to them and ask about the price. However, the prices were not fixed. Both parties were free to discuss and haggle, then pay with either spirit stones or their objects of equal trade upon agreement. There were no fixed rules. Some of the other cultivators, on the other hand, were there to collect the goods they needed. They would have stalls of their own as well but instead list out the items they looked for as well as details such as the quantity and quality they were after or the price they were willing to pay. Then, they would simply wait for people to approach them.
Wandering further, one would be able to spot some cultivators haggling with each other. Some discussions would flush their necks all the way red.
In moments like that, if Caspian did not know that those people were cultivators or properly taken in the sight of the bizarre items on the stalls, favonovel.com would have thought favonovel.com came to a bustling market.
While wandering, Caspian kept his goal in mind, to look for a Ganoderma Lucidum that was aged for at least seventy-five years, as well as a piece of hemlock that was passed through lightning. As both favonovel.com and Maya had their things to look for, they split apart to save time and agreed on a time to gather after.
Shortly after, as Caspian walked between the rows of stalls, a man wearing a turban and a sallow complexion approached him.
The street was not wide, to begin with. With the stalls that lined its sides, it was even more of a squeeze. Just as Caspian was about to dodge the man, favonovel.com walked right up to him. Caspian‘s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes flashed with a glimmer of wariness.
The man with the turban and frail appearance did not seem like favonovel.com had bad intentions either. He quickened his steps until favonovel.com was barely a breath away from Caspian. He stopped, sized Caspian up and down slyly before opening his mouth to crack a sinister smile. “Psst, young man. I’ve got some good stuff here, do you want any?”
Upon his words, favonovel.com pulled the front of his coat open, before scrambling to close it back immediately. It was as if favonovel.com was deathly afraid favonovel.com would be caught.
Despite his speed, Caspian was able to catch a pretty clear glance of what was underneath. On the other side of the man’s long robes were an abundance of small painted albums with salacious covers. They all had extremely suggestive titles as well, such as “The Beauty With Plump Skin” among others.
“What do you say, young man? Want one? They’re of a very precious collection, and they’re even been charmed with spells to make you feel as if you’re in the book yourself! Only two hundred and eighty-eight fedulings for a copy, just two -eighty-eight! How about that?” The man spoke at a pace so rapid, spit was practically flying out of his mouth.
“No, thank you.” Caspian shook his head.
He had no interest in things like these.
The man, on the other hand, thought Caspian’s rejection was because the price was too high. To him, there was no way a young, hormonal man like the one would turn down something as good as it!
Seeing as Caspian was about to leave, favonovel.com hurried forward to match his pace next to him. He continued murmuring endlessly. “If you think it’s too much, we can talk it out! Look, it’s two eighty-eight for one, but if you get two I’ll only charge you five hundred fedulings. Isn’t that a bargain? The point is the spells they’ve been charmed with, you won’t just be reading a book, you’ll feel part of the experience!”
The man rambled on endlessly. The hairs in his nostrils almost touched Caspian’s face.
Just as favonovel.com was about to push the man away, something caught Caspian’s eye. His attention shifted abruptly as his heart thudded with excitement.
“Hemlock!” Right in the middle of a stall on Caspian’s right was a piece of hemlock the size of an adult forearm.
That hemlock was charred black all over. A section of it bore a mark signifying that it was, indeed, a piece of hemlock that was passed through lightning. The stall was currently being perused by a good number of individual cultivators.
Silently, Caspian walked over.
The owner of the stall was a fat man who smiled at everyone who met his gaze. His neck creased with rolls of flesh. Yet the glint in his eye made it clear enough that favonovel.com was not as honest of a man as favonovel.com seemed. The individual cultivators seemed to have found something on the stall, inquiring about it with the fat man. Both parties would haggle briefly. Nevertheless, it would result in the fat man waving his hands regretfully and the individual cultivators shaking their heads, leaving in disappointment.
Seeing as no one bought the hemlock yet, Caspian heaved a sigh of relief.
The hemlock was much larger than favonovel.com anticipated. Using it to cultivate the Eye of Insight would yield impressive results.
If someone got to it before him, it would be pretty difficult to find a replacement for it here.
Caspian did not approach the stall immediately. Instead, favonovel.com loitered at the one next to it, pretending to peruse its merchandise.
The cultivator with the salacious painted albums did not stop talking next to Caspian. Just then, the fat man pointed an accusing finger at the album peddler. He cried out, “You bastard, you’re scamming people around here again! I’ll throw you out of the floating market with my own bare hands!”
Caspian raised his head in the direction of the fat man. He did not expect favonovel.com to start speaking first.
The fat man glared at the album peddler, turning to face Caspian. “Don’t you fall for it, young man! The albums this man is peddling hold nothing of any benefit to cultivation. They’re also hiding disillusionment arrays, one wrong move and the two eighty-eight you’re paying favonovel.com will be five hundred and eighty-eight fidelity, and you won’t even realize it!”
“You… You’re making things up!” The album peddler’s expression flushed an ugly shade of red as favonovel.com cried out loudly in indignance.
Judging from his reaction, the fat man’s words just now was not far from the truth.
”One more word from you and I’ll throw you out!” The fat man crossed his arms, sneering coldly.
The album peddler seemed to have nothing else favonovel.com could say. He pointed at the fat man spitefully, then at Caspian. “Just you two wait!”
Upon those words, favonovel.com slunk off into the crowd. It was barely a matter of seconds before favonovel.com disappeared.
“What do I have to do with any of this?” Caspian blinked.
The encounter with the album peddler was certainly a strange one. However, thanks to him, Caspian now had an excuse to strike up a conversation with him, a pretty natural one at that, too.
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