Section 21: Illusory Scent Drywood Vanity Mirror
Author: Gu Zhenren, February 9, 2013
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“The Academy Assembly will last for two weeks. Let’s check out East Street first,” Chu Yun said noncommittally.
Before even entering East Street, a wave of human energy and heat washed over them, accompanied by a buzzing clamor. The crowd had clearly grown significantly.
Chu Yun looked from the street entrance and saw that East Street was about thirty feet wide, enough for over a dozen carriages to run side by side. Along the street stood rows of houses with red walls, green tiles, and ancient-looking eaves and upturned corners. In front of the houses, some displayed large red lanterns, while others flew banners. Both the lanterns and banners were Lesser Demon Soldiers, rented from the Academy for them to display their brand and advertise.
Each of these Lesser Demon Soldiers cost an exorbitant rent of one Tiangang Stone Coin per day. A shop required a daily rent of thirty Tiangang Stone Coins.
Chu Yun couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion upon realizing this. In his past life, such prices would have deterred him. But now, through his own efforts, these Tiangang Stone Coins were a mere pittance. With the entire Archipelago as his backing, he could afford to lease all the shops on East Street, numbering over a thousand, without issue.
However, he wasn’t here today to trade goods. He currently possessed an overwhelming number of Demonic creatures.
They arrived at the place everyone had been discussing and found that the vendor of Beacon Smoke Wolf was not in a shop, but at a small street stall.
The small stall was bustling, with a crowd two layers deep. Many people were bargaining with the vendor, inquiring about the price of the Beacon Smoke Wolf egg.
“Many shops are vacant, why aren’t these people renting them and setting up stalls here instead?” Erlang Tian Jun asked, perplexed.
“It’s because the transaction volume is too low; a street stall is sufficient,” said the Immortal Pouch King.
“Erlang, you’ve lived in the deep mountains and only recently ventured out into the world, so you’re unaware of the nuances. The rent for shops is negligible to us. However, for these lower-class Beast Masters, it’s a significant expense. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly vacant shops; they will fill up quickly, after all, it’s only the first day of the Academy Assembly.” The Wine King, having climbed from the bottom himself, had far more experience in this regard than the Immortal Pouch King.
“I see,” Erlang Tian Jun nodded, understanding dawning on him.
In fact, in the narrow alleyways between each shop, at the entrance of the shops, there were small stalls. These numerous small stalls stretched as far as the eye could see, filling the entire view. They were prevalent not only on East Street but also on other streets.
In his past life, Chu Yun had been one of them, struggling for survival at the bottom, looking up to the heavens with hope, and yearning for the future.
“The laws of Xingzhou prevent us from directly storing Vital Energy for self-cultivation. We can only rely on external objects to achieve eventual success. Because of this, the profession of Beast Master is truly reliant on external factors and resources. If not for the vast resources and manpower of the Archipelago backing me in this life, how could I have achieved such success and ease?” Chu Yun sighed inwardly.
This comparison made him realize the importance of the Archipelago even more. With such a strong backing, Chu Yun could go further, more steadily, and with greater focus. He absolutely would not let the Land Whale King succeed!
“Friend, how do you wish to trade your Beacon Smoke Wolf demonic beast egg?” Chu Yun pushed through the crowd and asked the stall owner.
“If you have an Upper-grade potential Pill Refining Demonic creature, you can exchange it directly. Of course, a furnace for Weapon Forging would also suffice. Besides that, if you have Upper-grade leather for making pouches, plus fifty Tiangang Stone Coins, you can also exchange it for my Beacon Smoke Wolf demonic beast egg.” The stall owner had answered this question many times, yet he remained patient.
Hearing this, Chu Yun couldn’t help but examine the vendor. His requirements were complex, involving Pill Refining, Weapon Forging, and pouch making. It was clear the stall owner had diverse knowledge. His demands were not unreasonable; considering the value of the Beacon Smoke Wolf egg, it was indeed an equivalent exchange.
However, having broad knowledge didn’t necessarily indicate the excellence of this Beast Master. On the contrary, lower-class Beast Masters in the Xingzhou World were often dabblers, knowing a little about everything but mastering nothing.
This was a common ailment among Beast Masters at this level, a无奈 due to reality. The cultivation of Beast Masters was heavily dependent on external resources. Especially for lone cultivators without any sect or school, they had to be self-reliant and would learn any trade that could earn them money.
The truly profound essence was held by the Academy or by Wanderer Sects. With their qualifications, they might never get access to it in their lifetime.
Looking at the stall owner before him, with his ordinary appearance, neatly worn clothes that clearly showed signs of long use, and a face etched with worry lines that spoke of hardship and exhaustion. Yet, deep within his eyes, a flicker of hope for the future remained.
All of this evoked Chu Yun’s memories of his past life. This small stall owner brought forth a sense of kinship. Wasn’t he just like this in his previous life?
“Vendor, your requirements are quite steep. Can you lower them a bit?”
“I have a Middle-grade Crimson Flame Copper Furnace, mainly for Weapon Forging, but it can also be used for Pill Refining. Will you trade?”
“I’ll offer three sets of Middle-grade pouch materials, plus eighty Tiangang Stone Coins, for your Beacon Smoke Wolf demonic beast egg, a firm offer!”
The surrounding people made their own offers, but despite the crowd, no one met the stall owner’s expectations. He shook his head. “This is already the lowest price; everyone should know that. If I lower it further, I’ll lose money. To be honest, I’d love to raise a Beacon Smoke Wolf myself, but I can’t afford the resources. It’s better to let this unborn child have a better future.”
As he spoke, he gently touched the Beacon Smoke Wolf eggshell, his eyes clearly showing reluctance.
“Of course, if any of you have a genuine basic manual for Pill Refining, even a partial fragment, I will exchange it on the spot without a second word!” he added finally, his tone resolute.
Immediately, laughter erupted from the crowd. “Genuine Pill Refining manuals are either controlled by the Academy or firmly held by the major Wanderer factions. How many truly circulate outside?”
“Even if there were some, such items wouldn’t be offered for trade!”
“Vendor, you’re dreaming too big. Such things are treasured jealously.”
The stall owner smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying no more. Like Chu Yun in his past life, he could only rely on experience for Pill Refining, yearning for a genuine manual. But reality was harsh; these things were firmly controlled by the upper echelons, leaving very little opportunity for these lower-class lone cultivators.
“Here, this is a Jade Slip. I’m not trading for the Beacon Smoke Wolf demonic beast egg; I’m trading for this antique of yours,” Chu Yun said with a sigh, pointing to an Illusory Scent Drywood Vanity Mirror on the stall, and handing the vendor a Jade Slip.
“Alright, it’s a deal.” The stall owner was unconcerned. This Illusory Scent Drywood Vanity Mirror was merely an antique from the Tang Jin Kingdom era that he had casually picked up during one of his adventures. As for the Jade Slip Chu Yun offered, it was a Lesser Demon Soldier in itself. Even if there was nothing recorded within the Jade Slip, its intrinsic value was more than enough.
So, after a glance at Chu Yun, he casually took the Jade Slip and let Chu Yun take the vanity mirror from the stall.
“Wonderful! This is one of the components of the Blissful Joy Ship. Once the seal is broken and it’s assembled, we’ll have another sister returned! Thank you, Chu Yun,” Chu Yun’s heart immediately heard the excited words of Hongshang Fairy upon obtaining the Illusory Scent Drywood Vanity Mirror.
“No need. We’re all family, why speak of thanks? Besides, the stronger you all become, the greater the help you’ll be to my Shu Family in resisting this powerful enemy,” Chu Yun replied inwardly.
Immediately, he heard the light laughter of the Immortal Consorts.
“Young Master Chu Yun, do you know what we admire most about you? Heh heh, it’s your frankness!”
“In these past days, seven more of our sisters have returned. Now, the Blissful Joy Ship has forty-eight Immortal Consorts. We are still twenty-four components short of the grand reunion of seventy-two.”
“Without Young Master Chu Yun’s care, we sisters alone could never have accomplished all this in such a short time.”
“It’s just a pity that every time we assemble a component, we face a great Demonic Tribulation. These tribulations, though weaker than a Tribulation Demon Tribulation, are far more powerful than a Spirit Demon Tribulation. Tribulating in the future will become increasingly difficult.”
“Indeed! Even though we’ve recovered the Illusory Scent Drywood Vanity Mirror, we still need to prepare ourselves and overcome the Demonic Tribulation before we can truly welcome our sister.”
The Immortal Consorts chattered incessantly. The seventy-two Immortal Consort components were all self-sealed. On the surface, they appeared to be ordinary antiques. In reality, they were Demon Soldiers. This intrinsic nature could only be sensed by the main body of the Blissful Joy Ship. It was precisely because the ship had sensed the Illusory Scent Drywood Vanity Mirror that the women urged Chu Yun to go to the stall for the exchange.
It is said that when all seventy-two Immortal Consort Demon Soldiers are collected and assembled onto the Blissful Joy Ship, this legendary demonic ship will reach its true completion, allowing the Beast Master to understand the secret of eternal life. However, achieving true completion is a pipe dream. The greater the progress, the more powerful the Heavenly Tribulation becomes.
When the Tang Jin Kingdom Lord first assembled the Blissful Joy Ship, it provoked the wrath of Heaven and Earth, unleashing boundless tribulations. The power of these tribulations, surpassing that of any Tribulation Demon Tribulation, severely wounded the Tang Jin army, then the strongest in Xingzhou. Subsequently, the nations of Xingzhou formed an alliance to resist, ultimately annihilating the Tang Jin Kingdom.
Chu Yun held no hope for a complete Blissful Joy Ship. However, his fondness for the Blissful Immortal Consorts and their alliance motivated him to constantly use the nation’s power to acquire antiques from the Tang Jin Kingdom era. Later, Jin Bihan also learned of the Blissful Joy Ship’s secret and used the power of Dunhuang Country to help acquire them. With the combined strength of two nations, an immense quantity of antiques was collected. Although only seven actual components were found, it brought immense joy to the Immortal Consorts. This was far more efficient than their individual searches. @. .
