Chapter 215
Chapter 215
Chapter 215 What's the use?
"Huh? What? Senior sister, you're coming with me?"
Ji Yuan was momentarily stunned.
Feng Zhitao accompanied him... Indeed, this was a path he had never considered, and he had never thought of relying on others in such a matter.
When he's out and about, he's always been used to being alone.
Just like this time when he went out alone, he had the Transformation Talisman and the Breath Concealment Technique.
If you want to escape, you can use talismans and top-grade spiritual artifacts.
If there's really no way to escape, there's always long-distance teleportation, so you can survive no matter what.
But it's different with Feng Zhi Tao around. He doesn't dare to use many of his methods. At least he can't be a demonic cultivator with a clear conscience. If something happens, he might have to take care of Feng Zhi Tao.
In short, in Feng Zhitao's view, she, who was already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, was able to protect Ji Yuan's safety.
But in Ji Yuan's view, she might still be a burden...
"Yeah, don't underestimate me! I'm very strong."
Feng Zhitao stepped forward with her head held high and her brows furrowed slightly, thinking that Ji Yuan looked down on her.
"Senior Sister is certainly strong, but... I still want to go alone and come back quickly, so I won't trouble Senior Sister," Ji Yuanqian said with a smile.
"I'm used to being alone."
"Master, look at our junior brother!"
Seeing that Ji Yuan was still refusing on this matter, Feng Zhitao had no choice but to seek Hua Yaoyue's judgment.
Lying on the soft chair, Hua Yaoyue seemed to be dozing off, too lazy to even open her eyes. "Let him go alone. He's so grown up. You can't keep protecting him forever."
"that is."
Ji Yuan quickly added, "I appreciate your kindness, Senior Sister."
"Hmph, whatever!"
"If something happens... just stay alive and wait for me to come and rescue you!"
Feng Zhitao was about to say something, but in the end she changed her mind.
With Ji Yuan's long journey imminent, it's best to say auspicious words.
After she finished speaking, she stormed off from the mountain pavilion, summoned her flying boat, and left Forget-Worry Island.
Clearly, she was unhappy about being rejected by Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan sighed inwardly... He could only hope that when he returned, he could bring Feng Zhitao some small gifts to appease her.
Regardless, she meant well.
"At worst, we can just use the teleportation token to come back. You're giving these things to me so I can use them. Don't hoard them and end up letting others benefit from them."
Hua Yaoyue only gave this one piece of advice.
"Okay."
Ji Yuan nodded. He had already understood this principle when he killed Wu Laochuan for the first time in Yunyuze.
At that time, Wu Laochuan was so confident in his strength that he was reluctant to use even talismans, which ultimately benefited Ji Yuan.
"Then this disciple will take his leave. Take care, Master."
Ji Yuan clasped his hands in a fist salute. He had just given her the spirit wine a few days ago, and even if he had it now, he couldn't give it to her again. He could only wait until he came back next time to give it to her.
While we're at it, let's see if we can buy some wine from the Corpse-Driving Mountain area on the way back, so we can put it in the 【wine cellar】 to bless it.
"Go."
Hua Yaoyue opened her eyes, glanced at Ji Yuan, and said nothing more.
"Um."
Ji Yuan nodded slightly, then summoned his flying boat and left Forget-Worry Island, heading north.
Within the territory of the Water Dragon Sect, he traveled at full speed, so in less than half a day, he arrived above the Falling Star River. Arriving here meant that he had left the Water Dragon Sect.
Since there was no protective formation around, Ji Yuan released his divine sense to confirm that no one was around.
He piloted his flying boat through a white cloud.
When he went in, he was still Ji Yuan, but when he came out of the white clouds, he had become an old man with white hair and beard.
His appearance and demeanor have completely changed.
Having left the sect, he could no longer travel at full speed, so he slowed down a bit.
He was also able to take in the sight of the fallen starry river.
Although he had carefully examined the Fallen Star River before, both when he was in Qingye City and during his last trip to Linhai City, this time was different.
This time, we're going to traverse the entire Falling Star River.
Therefore, Ji Yuan also gained a real understanding of the vastness of this Milky Way.
It's more like the sea than a river.
Even though Ji Yuan had reached the clouds, when he looked down, he still couldn't see either of them.
Even though he piloted the flying boat at almost full speed for half an hour, he estimated that he had only just arrived at the middle of the Falling Star River... A thought subconsciously arose in Ji Yuan's mind.
How big is this world?
The Canglu Continent is already so boundless, let alone the other continents outside.
With this thought in mind.
It took Ji Yuan an hour to cross the Falling Star River and officially arrive at the North River from the South River.
Once he arrived here, he became even more cautious, not only concealing his aura as much as possible, but also choosing the most open and accessible routes to the north.
There must be a road under your feet, which can be considered an official road between cities.
In short, we will never pass through any remote mountains or forests.
Half a day later, Ji Yuan arrived at the largest market town on both sides of the Falling Star River, called Dongyu Market Town.
Although it was called a market town, it was no different from a large city.
The Water Dragon Sect, Corpse-Driving Mountain, and independent cultivators from both the south and north of the water all gathered here to trade.
Therefore, this place naturally becomes a mixed bag, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a black market... As long as you have money, you can buy everything you need here.
Here, as long as you can afford the spirit stones, you can even hire a Golden Core cultivator to kill someone.
The location is nice, but unfortunately it's not Ji Yuan's target.
Even if he were to buy corpses, he planned to continue north, waiting until he was deeper into the territory of the Corpse-Driving Mountain before finding another city to buy them.
Buying here carries a greater risk.
Perhaps it was because he was too cautious, or perhaps he was simply an extremely old-looking Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Therefore, the journey north was very smooth, and even the one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators he encountered along the way were extremely friendly to him.
A full month passed before he finally arrived at a city called "Hongcheng".
Reaching this point means that two-thirds of the entire journey has been completed.
Moreover, Hongcheng is considered a large city within the territory of the Corpse-Driving Mountain. Ji Yuan estimated that it would be about the same size as Da'ai City. The entire city is under the jurisdiction of the Corpse-Driving Mountain, so there are not many miscellaneous forces.
Ji Yuan then planned to purchase some "immortal materials" here first.
Because it takes place within the territory of the Corpse-Driving Mountain, the buying and selling of corpses is done openly, unlike in the Water Dragon Sect where the buying and selling of corpses must be done in secret.
Ji Yuan first found a place to stay, and then spent a few days wandering around Hongcheng. He got a general understanding of the city and bought a lot of spirit wine before finally choosing a shop that sold immortal materials.
It is called "The Living Dead General Store".
The reason for choosing it is simple: it is a state-run shop selling medicinal materials at the Corpse-Driving Mountain.
It is somewhat similar to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion of the Water Dragon Sect, but also quite different.
The reason they are similar is that they are both state-run, but the difference is that this "living dead" general store only deals in corpses.
The next day at noon, Ji Yuan arrived at the Living Dead General Store in Hongcheng when there were the fewest customers. As soon as he entered the store, he felt the strong yin energy inside.
Not only that, he even felt that the monks on duty in the general store all looked rather strange.
His face looked unusually white, almost like a corpse, whether it was due to some kind of cultivation technique or because he had put putty on his face.
Upon seeing Ji Yuan enter, the Qi Refining cultivator on duty behind the counter immediately stood up, forcing a stiff smile, "Senior, please come upstairs."
After saying that, he came out from behind the counter and led Ji Yuan upstairs.
"Senior is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so it is only right that my uncle from Corpse Driving Mountain receives you."
"Senior, please come this way."
Upon reaching the second floor, Ji Yuan discovered that the room was divided into several rooms, each constructed of black bricks and rectangular in shape, with no connection between them.
Ji Yuan felt like he was in a coffin.
"Uncle Huang is on duty today... There is another senior inside, please have a seat here."
Before the man could finish speaking, the door opened, and a long-faced man with gray hair walked out. He lowered his head, and when he saw Ji Yuan at the door, he was taken aback for a moment, then turned to the side and nodded with a smile.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist."
"Friendly fellow Daoist."
Ji Yuan also greeted them.
"Please come in."
Another cultivator's voice came from inside the room, and Ji Yuan nodded to the long-faced man in front of him, saying, "Fellow Daoist, please go ahead. I'll go in first."
"No problem."
From the outside, Ji Yuan thought the room looked like a coffin, but once inside, he found it was as bright as day.
The walls were inlaid with warm-toned pearls, making people feel exceptionally warm upon entering, and even sweeping away any gloomy atmosphere.
Instead of the usual counter, there was a coffee table inside.
Behind the tea table sat a man in a yellow robe, brewing tea. He was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and Ji Yuan estimated that he was around forty or fifty years old.
"My name is Huang Yongnian. Please have a seat, fellow Daoist. The tea will be ready in a moment."
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Huang Yongnian's smiling face made Ji Yuan feel like he wasn't there to buy a corpse at all, but rather like a friend visiting each other's homes... This guy has some skills.
"My name is Qiu Qianhai. I greet Fellow Daoist Huang."
Ji Yuan pretended to be in a hurry, quickly cupped his hands in a salute, and then sat down opposite Huang Yongnian.
"Judging from Brother Qiu's accent, he doesn't seem to be a local."
Huang Yongnian's casual remark piqued Ji Yuan's interest... It seemed his disguise was still inadequate; it was just that imitating accents was a bit difficult.
"Indeed, a hermit from Shuinan."
If you can't avoid it, then admit it.
"Shuinan is a good place. I went south to Shuilong Sect with my elders a few years ago."
Huang Yongnian brewed the tea, poured a cup for Ji Yuan first, and then continued, "I can only say that the women of Shuainan... are indeed very radiant."
Ji Yuan awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth, "It's only because Brother Huang is young that he knows. At my age, it's useless for him to know."
Huang Yongnian was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and burst into laughter.
"What a useless fellow! I never expected Brother Qiu to be such a remarkable person."
Ji Yuan held his teacup but didn't drink. He waited for Huang Yongnian to finish laughing before saying, "I have come here today to purchase immortal materials."
"This is a small matter, leave it to me. Brother Qiu, just tell me what you need."
Huang Yongnian patted his chest and said.
In just a short while, they went from being fellow Daoists to Brother Qiu, and finally to Old Brother Qiu.
"Early Foundation Establishment stage, fire magic cultivator, eight."
Ji Yuan bought these items specifically for Tu Yue's advancement; the rest could be buried in the 【mass grave】 and left to turn into zombies. Anyway, buying them wouldn't be a loss.
"oh?"
Huang Yongnian was overjoyed upon hearing this.
He originally thought that this old man would be just like the previous one, stingy and hesitant, haggling for a long time over a corpse that was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.
That's why they set up this setup – they just wanted to save themselves some trouble and sell more goods.
Little did we know, this was a huge business opportunity!
"Brother Qiu wants quite a lot of goods."
"If I didn't need much, I wouldn't come to the general store."
Ji Yuan said with a smile.
"That's true. I'm not exaggerating, but the amount of goods Brother Qiu wants is so large that only our general store in the entire Hongcheng can handle it."
After Huang Yongnian finished speaking, he picked up the tea in his hand and drank it all in one gulp. "I wonder if Brother Qiu has any particular requirements for this batch of goods, such as whether they are for men, women, young or old?"
"No need, as long as it's a fire magic cultivator, it's fine. The elders in the sect need it for cultivation."
"Hmm? Okay, Brother Qiu, wait here for a moment while I go to the treasure vault to get some goods for you."
After Huang Yongnian finished speaking, he stood up, gave a slight bow, and took his leave.
Ji Yuan wasn't in a hurry and just waited quietly.
As for keeping one's wealth hidden, the reputation of the Corpse-Driving Mountain is still trustworthy. Even if the other party really wanted to become a robber cultivator... Ji Yuan would let him know what true double-crossing is all about.
Huang Yongnian returned shortly after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Ji Yuan guessed that there must be some special place on the Corpse-Driving Mountain to preserve corpses, otherwise things like these could just be stored in a storage bag.
"Brother Qiu, what do you think of this batch of goods?"
After Huang Yongnian finished speaking, he swept his right hand, and eight corpses appeared on the ground between the two of them, including men, women, and children.
The corpses weren't very aesthetically pleasing. For example, the male corpse closest to Ji Yuan had both legs clearly severed, but they were reattached with needle and thread later.
Fortunately, all eight corpses were indeed fire-based cultivators.
"It's technically sound, but the quality..."
Ji Yuan frowned slightly, "Brother Huang, isn't there anything better?"
Huang Yongnian spread his hands and said, "If you're willing to wait, I can help you get the goods from somewhere else, and then you'll have good quality ones."
"Otherwise, these are all we have now. Two of them were from other shops."
"Never mind then."
Ji Yuan shook his head. He had only asked casually, so there was no need to wait.
Moreover, even if it's incomplete, it's better because it's cheaper. Anyway, it's all for upgrading Tu Yue, so we don't care about these things.
What followed was naturally a tense and exciting bargaining session. After a long negotiation, Ji Yuan finally won the batch of immortal materials for 368 mid-grade spirit stones.
Cash on delivery.
After the transaction was completed, both of them had genuine smiles on their faces.
Ji Yuan was happy because he received the goods, while Huang Yongnian was happy because he could get a considerable commission from this batch of goods.
"From what I've heard, Brother Qiu, you're planning to continue heading north?"
Huang Yongnian poured out the previous inferior spiritual tea and instead brewed a pot of superior spiritual tea for Ji Yuan.
"Yes, I have a senior brother in the north, and I have to go and visit him."
Ji Yuan's lies came out of his mouth without hesitation.
"Going north now... is a bit difficult."
Huang Yongnian took a sip of the scalding hot tea, then calmly put it back down.
"How so?"
Ji Yuan leaned forward and asked curiously.
"To travel north from Hongcheng, one must pass through the Yunlin Mountains. Brother Qiu should know that, right?"
"I know. The mountain range stretches for thousands of miles from east to west and is full of rare treasures. It is said that even third-tier demonic beasts roam the deepest part of the Yunlin Mountain Range."
"That's right. But now the world is in chaos, and a group of Foundation Establishment stage bandits have gathered in the Yunlin Mountains. Anyone who wants to pass through here has to pay a toll."
"oh?"
Ji Yuan's expression was slightly strange upon hearing this.
"Of course, since Brother Qiu is my friend, I will show you the way."
"I would like to hear the details."
Ji Yuan feigned a flattered expression, but in his heart, he knew perfectly well what was going on... Just like Yun Yu Ze of the Water Dragon Sect, the land itself wasn't valuable, but security was.
The Yunlin Mountains are the same now.
This is already considered the heart of Corpse-Driving Mountain. If there's no one protecting it from above, would any Foundation Establishment cultivator dare to gather here in the mountains?
"It's not easy to get through the Yunlin Mountains alone, but if two people travel together, those bandits won't dare to mess with them."
"Brother Qiu, you saw that man earlier, didn't you? If you had gone with him, those bandits wouldn't have dared to mess with you."
Listening to Huang Yongnian's words, Ji Yuan understood something more and more. He looked at the fellow Daoist in front of him with a playful expression, "I wonder where I can find that fellow Daoist?"
Huang Yongnian pointed towards the door.
"He hasn't left yet; he's waiting for you at the door."
Ji Yuan followed him out and found that the long-faced man was indeed still sitting at the door.
Upon seeing the two of them emerge, the long-faced man immediately stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Huang Yongnian, and asked, "Brother Huang, have you found someone to accompany me?"
"Found him. This fellow Daoist is also preparing to head north."
Huang Yongnian slightly stepped aside to make room for Ji Yuan.
Ji Yuan looked around before finally fixing his gaze on Huang Yongnian, and said bluntly, "We've already paid our tolls in advance, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?"
Huang Yongnian's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he laughed it off.
"No, if anything goes wrong, I, Huang Yongnian, will cut off my head and give it to you to kick around like a ball."
The long-faced man, who hadn't quite figured it out before, suddenly understood. Then, when he looked at Huang Yongnian, he had a look of anger that he dared not express.
Ji Yuan cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Farewell."
"Goodbye."
Afterwards, Ji Yuan left the Dead Man's General Store with the long-faced man. They exchanged a few words through telepathy and got to know each other.
This long-faced man was named Wang Xiu, a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stages. He also came from Shuinan, but was a rogue cultivator within the Medicine King Valley.
"These people from Corpse-Driving Mountain are going way too far! Isn't this blatant robbery?!"
"They act one way during the day and another way at night. I suspect that the group of robbers in the Yunlin Mountains are actually cultivators from the Corpse-Driving Mountain in disguise, those damned sect cultivators!"
"All you do is bully us rogue cultivators!"
Wang Xiu was furious, but he only dared to say this to Ji Yuan via telepathy.
"Alright, alright, when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. We're both lucky; we paid the toll at this general store first, otherwise we would have lost even more."
Ji Yuan knew what kind of people the cultivators from the sects were, but he never expected that the cultivators from Corpse Driving Mountain would use such a clumsy method... Although the method was clumsy, it was practical.
'Master also said that the people of Corpse-Driving Mountain were honest, but now it seems they're just old and don't tell the truth anymore.'
Ji Yuan couldn't help but mutter a complaint in his heart.
That's true.
Wang Xiu felt better after hearing this and stopped complaining.
Both were in a hurry to get on their way, so they did not linger and flew through the Yunlin Mountains that same day.
Just as Huang Yongnian said, they encountered the group of bandits in the sky above the Yunlin Mountains. However, as if they had received some kind of message, the bandits did not make things difficult for them. Instead, they told them to be careful on the road and that if they encountered any difficulties, they could come back to them.
The after-sales service is excellent.
After crossing the Yunlin Mountains, it was time for the two to part ways. Ji Yuan asked one more question, inquiring where Wang Xiu was going.
The person didn't hide anything and told them directly.
"I'm planning to visit the ancient battlefield ruins."
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