Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 377 198: Yujing Black Market! Bai Buran and Black Nightmare

Two months ago, Shi Shougong had his eye on a special insect here, named the "Golden-Horned Ant". If he could cultivate it as medicine, his cultivation would greatly increase.

"Golden-Horned Ant?"

Zhang Fan seemed to have seen a record of this creature on the homepage of the "Thousand-Year-Old Demon" in the Little Yellow Book, and found it quite interesting.

During the Eastern Jin, in Chenzhou, a farmer heard a great wind outside his house one night. When he went out to check, the sky was clear, and the air was so stiflingly still that even the leaves did not move.

The farmer was greatly surprised and followed the sound of the wind to his backyard, where he discovered a small pit in the ground, no larger than a hand, from which the sound of wind emanated.

The next day, the farmer dug up the pit and gold sand gushed out from it.

The farmer was overjoyed and for several days he was able to obtain several liang of gold sand daily. He determined that there was treasure buried under the pit and began to dig deeper, reaching a depth of about ten feet, when he heard a dull rumbling from the ground, like a passing army.

Terrified, the farmer backed out, and then an ant crawled out of the pit. The ant was the size of a thumb, with a pair of golden horns on its head, and in the blink of an eye, it darted into the fields and disappeared.

After that, the farmer never found gold coming from that pit again. Within a year, he contracted a severe illness and died, and on the day of his funeral, his two children also fell into a well, a very tragic fate.

The Daoist from Zhongnan Mountain said that the farmer was too greedy; having acquired an exotic treasure, he could not keep it for long. That ant was called the "Golden-Horned Ant", rumored to be a creature from the Underworld, leading the way for ghost soldiers. If it dwelled beneath a household, it could seek treasure and gather wealth, bringing prosperity for generations. But once the pit was dug and the ant seen, misfortune would follow, leading to the ruin of the family.

"I've heard the pair of golden horns on this creature's head are quite rare..." Su Shiyu murmured solemnly.

During the Western Han Dynasty, a king placed a pair of golden horns in his arms at the time of burial, and when his tomb was raided during the Eastern Han's end when Wang Mang usurped the throne, the tomb raiders found the king's body uncorrupted, lifelike, and even with a hint of warmth at his heart.

"There was such a thing?" Zhang Fan exclaimed in surprise.

"These days, they sell stories along with goods; otherwise, how could they fetch high prices?" Su Shiyu chuckled lightly.

It's all very mysterious, but in reality, while the Golden-Horned Ant is indeed rare, there are quite a few in Ailao Mountain. It's said that this vendor goes there every year to capture some exotic insects.

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Shougong finally came out, holding a glass bottle in his hand, which indeed contained an ant the size of a thumb, with a pair of golden horns on its head.

"Finally got it. Let's head to Hong San's shop now." Shi Shougong was very satisfied.

"How much was it?" Su Shiyu couldn't help but ask.

"It practically drained my savings." Shi Shougong said with a hint of heartbreak.

But the price was worth it; cultivating the Golden-Horned Ant would elevate his cultivation by another level.

Money, after all, is an external thing; at most, he could sell more geckos online later.

"Hmm?"

At this moment, Zhang Fan looked up and saw through the curtain gap that the lights in the "Insect Treasure" shop had gone out.

"What kind of person is the owner here? Very odd." Zhang Fan couldn't help but comment.

"Shh..."

Shi Shougong hurriedly pulled Zhang Fan aside after hearing this.

"Brother Fan, keep your voice down. The owner of this shop is from the Deserted Mountain."

"The Deserted Mountain near the outskirts?" Zhang Fan's expression changed slightly, thinking of the big black rat he encountered in the mountain that night, and the mysterious Observatory Master of the Perfect View.

Lin Jianyue had said that the true identity of the Observatory Master was actually the Vice Sect Leader of the Wuwei Sect.

He had been trapped in the Deserted Mountain for years, training numerous formidable demons, ghosts, and spirits.

That night, the big black rat Zhang Fan encountered was no ordinary creature; it managed to escape his Fire Dragon Pill Sword alive.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but look towards the darkened "Insect Treasure" shop.

The owner of this place turned out to be a demon from the Deserted Mountain as well.

"Brother Fan, this is the black market; what kind of people are not here?"

"Indeed, there are many powerful demons in the Deserted Mountain, and some venture down to gather resources," Su Shiyu whispered.

"Try to keep a low profile here; if you provoke those mountain demons, it will be very dangerous."

"Let's go, Hong San's shop is on the third floor." Shi Shougong instinctively glanced back at the dark "Insect Treasure", calling Zhang Fan to head straight to the third floor.

...

It was dark.

On the Yujing Elevated, the Five Spirits Rainbow Light moved along the road.

Bai Buran drove, glancing into the rearview mirror; in the back sat a tall, thin man wrapped in a trench coat, his eyes like mung beans darting around.

"Brother Bai, I always trouble you when entering the city."

"Younger Brother Hei, why have you come down from the Deserted Mountain this time?" Bai Buran asked casually.

"Hehe, the four essentials of cultivation are wealth, companions, techniques, and place. Of course, with wealth, one must exchange it for cultivation, buying resources needed for training." Black Nightmare spoke in a low voice, his mung bean-like eyes glittering with a sinister light.

"With your level of cultivation in Yujing City, there aren't many demons that can suppress you," Bai Buran remarked without looking back.

"As you humans say, there's always a sky above the sky, and someone stronger. There's always someone who will keep you striving hard each year." In Black Nightmare's mind, the figure of Zhang Fan appeared.

The defeat in the Deserted Mountain that day lingered in the big black rat's mind, prompting it to undergo closed cultivation and even risk visiting the Observatory Master of the Perfect View for guidance, causing its cultivation to surge. Facing a bottleneck, it descended the mountain to purchase resources, seeking a breakthrough.

"Little ghost, I hope we meet again soon." Black Nightmare looked out at the dragon-like elevated road, his thoughts dark.

"Let's head straight to the black market then." Bai Buran pressed the gas pedal, accelerating sharply.