novelraw Chapter 414: The Market of the Wind Realm
Chapter 414: The Market of the Wind Realm
A soft breeze brushed against her face, and the oppressive tension of impending conflict dissipated significantly.
Yu Zhao’s eyes regained clarity, and she quickly stepped back.
Jin Yuan moved to pursue, but Feng Jiu Si had already positioned himself where Yu Zhao had stood. His expression was grim, a swirling vortex of azure wind gathering under his feet.
“Jin Yuan, one more step, and don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Jin Yuan stood still, her gaze shifting. After a long moment, she stomped her foot heavily.
“Fine! Fine! This is your choice. Don’t come crying to me later!”
Before leaving, she shot Yu Zhao a venomous glare, then swept her sleeves and departed in frustration.
Feng Jiu Si’s face filled with apology. “I’m sorry for startling you.”
“It’s nothing.” Yu Zhao shook her head, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “You and her…?”
“There’s nothing between us. I have no idea why she suddenly acted so irrationally toward you,” Feng Jiu Si replied hurriedly, distancing himself from any connection.Yu Zhao nodded and produced a storage pouch, which she handed to him. “This contains the gifts I received earlier. You should check that everything is there.”
“These were given to you; you should keep them.”
“I don’t accept unearned rewards.”
Yu Zhao’s insistence was firm. Feng Jiu Si couldn’t push her further. Before they could exchange more words, someone from the Feng family summoned him again.
Twice now, her visits to the pavilion had been disrupted by unwelcome guests. Yu Zhao decided not to linger outside any longer and returned to her room to cultivate.
Three days later, Yu Zhao saw Feng Jiu Si again.
When she tentatively mentioned leaving, he didn’t outright refuse but gently persuaded her to stay a bit longer until the tumult surrounding the ceremony had subsided. Reluctantly, Yu Zhao agreed.
As her injuries healed and her cultivation stabilized, she turned her focus to the Jade Ruyi she wore.
On the day of the grand ceremony, she had discovered that the ceremonial robe could be removed, but the Jade Ruyi seemed almost fused to her. No matter what method she tried, it wouldn’t come off.
She had examined it thoroughly with her divine sense and found that it caused her no harm. On the contrary, it nourished her body and even her soul.
These past few days, her complexion had grown noticeably fairer, her skin glowing with a translucent brilliance that could be described as having jade-like clarity.
Lowering her gaze, Yu Zhao’s lashes fluttered uneasily.
She was merely a stand-in.
The Auspicious Palace or Fairy Liu Yun had no reason to leave such a valuable artifact on her.
Unless the Jade Ruyi had some deeper significance.
“Daoist Yu,” came a knock at the door, followed by Feng Jiu Si’s voice.
Yu Zhao collected her thoughts and went to greet him. “Young Master Feng.”
Feng Jiu Si smiled faintly. “Daoist Yu, since you arrived at the Feng family, you haven’t had a chance to explore. Would you do me the honor of allowing me to accompany you on a tour?”
After some thought, Yu Zhao realized it was a rare opportunity to learn about the culture of the Wind Realm, so she readily agreed.
From her earlier aerial view, the Feng family’s architecture had struck her as grand and majestic. Walking through it now, she could sense the deep foundation and heritage of the family.
It took her nearly half an hour to walk from her residence to the grand gates.
Outside the gates, two rows of attendants awaited them.
Feng Jiu Si declined their company, choosing to act as her guide himself as they exited the estate.
“The Feng family occupies the core region of the Wind Realm. Surrounding this area is the largest market in the realm, filled with countless rare treasures and goods from other star regions. If anything catches your eye, just let me know. While I can’t give it to you outright, I can certainly help secure a good discount.”
Knowing Yu Zhao wouldn’t accept outright gifts, Feng Jiu Si cleverly framed his offer.
Touched by his thoughtfulness, Yu Zhao smiled. “Thank you in advance, Young Master Feng.”
“You’ve done me a great favor; it’s only fair.”
Initially, Yu Zhao kept part of her attention on Feng Jiu Si. But once they reached the market, her focus was entirely captivated by the dazzling array of goods. Her eyes roamed greedily, utterly forgetting Feng Jiu Si’s presence.
The market layout was typical, but its uniqueness lay in the abundance of exotic materials for artifact crafting and the novel, aesthetically pleasing designs of the treasures on display.
Notably, alchemy recipes that would cause fierce bidding wars in the Cultivation World were stacked carelessly on street stalls, ignored by passersby.
Hurrying to one such stall, Yu Zhao pointed at a stack of recipes. “How much for a fourth-grade alchemy recipe?”
The vendor lazily lifted his eyelids, his gaze briefly brightening before turning indifferent after assessing her cultivation level.
“One superior-grade spirit stone.”
Yu Zhao was stunned. She vividly recalled the time at an auction when Wang Qian, a profligate fool, had spent 3,000 superior-grade spirit stones for a fourth-grade recipe!
Even accounting for special techniques recorded in that recipe and her deliberate price manipulation, a genuine fourth-grade recipe wouldn’t cost less than 1,500 superior-grade spirit stones in the Cultivation World.
But here, just one!
One!
Yu Zhao took a deep breath and casually pointed to another stack. “What about fifth-grade recipes?”
“One hundred superior-grade spirit stones.”
Hearing the price, one thought overwhelmed her mind: This place was a paradise for alchemists!
If Mu Ye or Master Wu Sang were here, they’d probably faint from excitement.
Her gaze shifted uncontrollably to the sixth-grade recipes. “And these…?”
“Are you buying or not? Quit wasting my time if you don’t have the money!” the vendor snapped impatiently.
Yu Zhao’s expression darkened. In this realm, a Nascent Soul cultivator like her was clearly of little consequence.
“Who says she isn’t buying?”
Feng Jiu Si strode over.
The vendor’s attitude shifted instantly upon recognizing him. Scrambling to his feet, he rubbed his hands nervously.
“Young Master Feng, my apologies! I didn’t realize this was the young master’s wife. I deserve punishment.”
Forcing a smile, he turned to Yu Zhao. “Madam, please, feel free to browse and ask questions. Your presence honors my humble stall. Anything you fancy here is my gift to you both.”
“No need.” Yu Zhao shook her head and addressed Feng Jiu Si. “Let’s move on.”
The vendor panicked. “Madam! Please, forgive me! I truly didn’t mean any offense!”
“You don’t need to worry; I’m not upset,” Yu Zhao replied indifferently. “I was simply asking about the prices.”
The vendor’s obsequiousness wasn’t directed at her. There was nothing to take pride in.
On the contrary, his behavior underscored a harsh reality for Yu Zhao.
She wasn’t in the Cultivation World anymore. She couldn’t afford to face her current circumstances with the same mindset.
Here, anyone could potentially drag her into an abyss from which she might never escape.
Until she was confident in her ability to retreat safely, she couldn’t afford to reveal her true thoughts.
Discretion and restraint.
She repeated these words to herself, ensuring they were etched into her heart. Turning to Feng Jiu Si, she said, “Let’s continue.”
“As you wish.”
Feng Jiu Si remained ever genial in her presence.
After they left, the vendor wiped the cold sweat from his brow, grateful to have narrowly avoided disaster.