Chapter 112: The Trade Fair

Yang Ze, standing to the side, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at these words. He looked at Lin Hui with a mix of surprise and a strange, subtle gleam in his eyes.

Lin Hui noticed Yang Ze’s odd look but remained unfazed. The disciple from the Alchemy Hall, however, had a slight change in expression.

"So, you’re a novice who doesn’t know the rules. You’re lucky to have an old hand showing you the ropes. These two bags of spirit soil are yours." After speaking, the Alchemy Hall disciple tossed two bags toward them, which landed in the hands of Yang Ze and Lin Hui.

Only then did Yang Ze realize what he was holding, and his composure wavered.

"Many thanks for your generosity, Senior Brother!" Lin Hui said, pulling Yang Ze along as he cupped his hands in a salute. The two then hurried away from the spirit garden without stopping or looking back.

They didn't slow down until they were a good distance away.

Lin Hui swung the bag in his hand and, along with the gourd filled with spirit water, tucked it into the pack at his waist, chuckling twice.

Yang Ze, however, did not rush to stow his bag away. Instead, he opened a small slit in it. Through the gap, a faint trace of spiritual energy drifted out, hitting his senses. He saw that the bag was filled with grains of fine soil.

"Spirit soil from the spirit garden... the Alchemy Hall disciples are truly generous." Yang Ze resealed the bag and tucked it into his pack along with the gourd.

"Now you see why I told you we had to take this spirit garden mission? It looks grueling, but if you can find the trick behind it, you’ll never lose out. The people in the Alchemy Hall have strange tempers, that’s true, but they are also very generous. As long as you don't provoke them, follow their rules, and ask nicely afterward, they will surely give you some spirit soil.

The trouble is, this rule isn't written down, and most people don't know about it. Unless you know the secret, most people just leave as soon as the mission is done. This soil isn't the best in the garden, but the spiritual energy it holds is far superior to ordinary dirt. If you take this small bag to sell, it’ll fetch a good price. A bag of spirit soil plus that gourd of spirit water—five contribution points might seem low, but when you add these items in, it’s definitely a profitable deal." Lin Hui explained as they walked, clearly satisfied with their haul.

"Then how many contribution points can this bag of spirit soil fetch?" Yang Ze had no use for it himself; he was more concerned with how to sell it.

"Don't let the small size fool you. If you sell this properly, you can get over thirty contribution points. Of course, that’s assuming you don't take it to the Artifact Hall. Their exchange rates are the lowest on the market; selling it there would be a total loss," Lin Hui said.

"If we don't sell it at the Artifact Hall, where else can we go?" Yang Ze asked, puzzled. He had heard of the Artifact Hall on Qingyang Peak, which was dedicated to disciples buying and selling goods.

"With so many registered disciples, the Artifact Hall sells high and buys low. Some disciples have organized private trading sessions to exchange goods, which offers much better profit margins than the Artifact Hall," Lin Hui explained.

"Since you've told me about this, it must mean you have a way in. Would you be willing to take me along to participate in this trading session?" Yang Ze asked with a grin.

Lin Hui turned his head to the side and said, "Because these trading sessions involve contribution points, we can't hide our identities. Participation is strictly controlled, and not just anyone can join. The session I’m part of is organized privately by a group of friendly registered disciples. It’s led by a disciple at the eighth stage of True Yuan Energy, and the minimum requirement to join is the sixth stage. You pass that requirement, Junior Brother Yang.

However, beyond cultivation, the session is very strict about reliability. You need two people to vouch for you before you can join. I can certainly recommend you, but I need to find another person to vouch for you as well. That person might not be as easygoing as I am."

Upon hearing this, Yang Ze understood exactly what Lin Hui meant. He smiled and said, "What are you saying, Senior Brother? I wouldn't dream of letting you work for free. If this succeeds, I am willing to give you this gourd of spirit water!"

"Junior Brother Yang, I don't need your spirit water, and I don't want your contribution points. Just remember that you owe me a favor. If I need your help in the future, you cannot refuse." Lin Hui looked at him deeply.

Yang Ze felt a pang of concern. He already owed Lin Hui a favor for this, and now another. The debt was growing.

"Senior Brother Lin, I am only a registered disciple. If I owe you this much now, what if I can't repay it in the future?" Yang Ze asked with a wry smile.

"You’re joking, Junior Brother. Given your astonishing rate of cultivation, it’s clear your talent is among the best of all the registered disciples. Your future achievements won't stop at Qingyang Peak. A favor might seem small now, but in the future, it holds infinite possibilities," Lin Hui said confidently.

Yang Ze didn't say anything more. Since he had already displayed such shocking cultivation speed, it was inevitable that people would make assumptions.

They reached an agreement, and when they parted ways at the D-District, Lin Hui set the time to pick up Yang Ze the next morning.

Yang Ze returned to his room. Exhausted from the day, he didn't want to cultivate. He lay down on his bed and fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Refreshed, Yang Ze washed up and put on a fresh set of disciple robes. Lin Hui’s voice rang out from outside. When he opened the door, he saw not only Lin Hui, but also a short, stocky man standing beside him.

Seeing Yang Ze, Lin Hui greeted him warmly. "Junior Brother Yang, this is Senior Brother Jiang Hua. Both he and I will vouch for you to join the trading session today."

"Senior Brother Jiang, this is the Junior Brother Yang I mentioned to you. What do you think? A fine talent, isn't he?" Lin Hui said to Jiang Hua.

Jiang Hua’s small eyes scanned Yang Ze, as if trying to see right through him. Yang Ze didn't shy away, meeting his gaze directly. Their eyes clashed invisibly for a moment before Jiang Hua nodded.

"Not bad."

"Good, now that we all know each other, let's not waste time. The trading session starts in an hour." Urged by Lin Hui, the three of them headed outside the D-District.

The area at the foot of Qingyang Peak was vast, and beyond the ten residential districts lay a dense forest that circled the entire area. In a clearing within this forest, a group of people had gathered.

Underneath a massive ancient tree stood a robust man, surrounded by a dozen others. Their auras were all formidable; even the weakest among them had reached the sixth stage of True Yuan Energy. The robust man in the center possessed an aura that eclipsed everyone else’s.

As they were discussing matters, the three of them—Yang Ze, Lin Hui, and Jiang Hua—walked out from the edge of the woods. The gazes of the group were instantly drawn to them. The robust man, in particular, narrowed his eyes, his expression shifting as he saw them approach.

"Jiang Hua, Lin Hui! What are you two trying to pull?" the robust man shouted. At his call, several people stepped forward to block their path.

Lin Hui and Jiang Hua stepped forward, releasing their own cultivation auras, refusing to back down.

"Wu He, I recall a rule in the trading session: if two people vouch for a newcomer, they can join. Senior Brother Jiang and I wish to introduce a new member. What is the meaning of this?" Lin Hui stared at Wu He with a hostile look.

Hearing this, Wu He finally stepped out from the center of the crowd. "The trading session was founded on our mutual agreement. If someone wants to join, they must be recommended by two people who have never vouched for anyone else before. You two do meet that criteria."

As he spoke, Wu He moved to stand directly in front of them, his gaze shifting past Lin Hui and Jiang Hua to land on Yang Ze.

"But there is another requirement: the participant’s cultivation must meet the standard. I’m just not sure if this person has reached it."

"He has already reached it—"

"Whether he has reached it or not is not for you to decide! Only by testing him myself will I know if he truly qualifies!"

Wu He cut Lin Hui off. His aura exploded, crushing the auras of Lin Hui and Jiang Hua, and he clenched his right fist, throwing a punch directly at Yang Ze!