Chapter Twenty-Five: The Counterattack of the Earthfire Sect

“So this is the Flowing Cloud Market? It doesn’t look as lively as the rumors claimed,” Song Changsheng muttered as he gazed at the cluster of buildings in the distance, travel-worn and weary.

“Is this your first time here, fellow cultivator?”

Following the sound, Song Changsheng turned to see a fair-skinned, rotund man walking toward him. The man wore a golden brocade robe, his face round as a platter, and his small eyes gave him an honest, guileless look.

“I can’t see through this man’s cultivation,” Song Changsheng narrowed his eyes, a sense of vigilance rising in his heart.

The other seemed about his own age, yet his aura was completely concealed, as if hidden by some art, utterly inscrutable.

“What brings you here, fellow cultivator?” Song Changsheng cupped his fists in a polite but distant greeting.

“My name is Zhu Yiqun. I mean no harm. I simply noticed your extraordinary bearing and remarkable temperament, and wished to make your acquaintance.” Zhu Yiqun’s smile was wide and sincere.

“Pig in a Crowd—who would name their child that?” Song Changsheng’s expression turned odd, but his words flowed smoothly as he replied, “I am Shen Changsong. Pleased to meet you, fellow cultivator. However, my elders are waiting for me in the market, so you’ll have to excuse me.”

With that, Song Changsheng turned decisively and headed straight toward the marketplace.

Though this plump fellow didn’t look like a villain, making friends was unnecessary. It was like walking down the street and suddenly being accosted by an old man who told you your bones were extraordinary and he wanted to take you as his disciple—pure nonsense.

If not for the fact that he couldn’t gauge the man’s cultivation, Song Changsheng wouldn’t even have bothered to reply.

Watching Song Changsheng’s departing figure, Zhu Yiqun stroked his round chin and mused, “So young, yet already at the eighth level of Qi Refinement. His spiritual energy is also unusually strong—he can’t be just a rogue cultivator. But in Lingzhou, I’ve never heard of a young prodigy surnamed Shen. Shen Changsong… Interesting. I hope next time we meet I can truly call him a friend.”

With a jolly sway of his ample belly, he too headed toward the market.

Flowing Cloud Market covered a vast area, laid out in a circular pattern. At each of the four cardinal points—east, south, west, and north—there was an entrance, each opening onto a wide, straight stone-paved avenue.

On either side of these streets were all manner of shops and inns, but at this hour, everything was rather deserted, nothing like the bustling scene rumors described.

There were only a handful of people on the streets, which quickly dampened Song Changsheng’s interest in browsing. Recalling the map in his mind, he headed directly for the family’s shop.

Once, his family had owned over a fifth of the shops in the market, but for various reasons, most had been sold off. Now, only twelve remained.

Yet these twelve were all in prime locations, bringing in nearly ten thousand spirit stones a year—a major pillar of the family’s income.

“Treasure-Seeking Pavilion—this is the place.” Song Changsheng glanced at the sign above the door to confirm, then stepped inside.

The shop was spacious, three stories tall. In the center of the ground floor stood a rosewood counter, likely for payments.

Around it were waist-high glass display cases, arranged much like a jewelry store on Blue Star. Within them were all sorts of goods—the left side mostly finished magical artifacts, refined ingots of metal, and precious ores.

On the right were materials harvested from magical beasts, all processed and ready for artifact forging.

These items were mostly aimed at Qi Refining cultivators; anything desired by Foundation Establishment cultivators was typically found on the second floor. But in Lingzhou, where the cultivation world was weak, Foundation Establishment cultivators were rare—sometimes months would pass without seeing a single one.

Compared to the deserted streets, the shop was somewhat livelier. There were over a dozen cultivators in various garb browsing the wares.

Three family cultivators, identifiable by their uniform, were busy introducing products to the customers. Perhaps too occupied, none noticed Song Changsheng enter.

He didn’t mind, and leisurely began examining the display cases.

The shop’s selection was vast, divided into more than a dozen categories by function—attack, defense, support, and more. Many of the artifact designs were novel to Song Changsheng, sparking his creativity.

However, the quality of these artifacts was rather low—mostly first-grade, lower or middle quality, and many didn’t even have formations inscribed on them.

Such circumstances usually had two explanations: either the shop’s artifact forgers weren’t skilled enough, or they catered primarily to the loose cultivator clientele.

After all, only those pressed for funds would choose such low-quality artifacts.

As he was absorbed in his observations, a group of young cultivators in black robes entered. The leader, a dark-skinned youth, swaggered in and shouted, “Shopkeeper! Where’s the shopkeeper?”

A female cultivator in her twenties hurried over, her tone frosty: “Members of the Qiu Clan, please keep your voices down. Don’t disturb our customers.”

As soon as Song Changsheng heard mention of the Qiu Clan, his brow furrowed.

In Lingzhou, six major forces held sway: besides the Song Clan and Earthfire Sect, there were the Qiu, Wang, Li, and Yu Clans.

Of these, the Qiu and Yu Clans had always sided with Earthfire Sect, and their relations with the Song Clan were notoriously poor. Even a simple conversation was a waste of breath, so their arrival at a Song Clan shop could only signal trouble.

“All right, all right, I hear you,” the dark-skinned youth replied, but his voice remained loud as ever.

“The steward is out today. If you’re not here to purchase something, please leave,” the woman’s tone grew sharper as she blocked their way.

“Oh, Miss Song, you are mistaken. We’re here to commission an artifact. What, is Treasure-Seeking Pavilion in the habit of throwing out its customers?” The dark-skinned youth shot Song Changqian an exaggerated look.

Suppressing her anger, Song Changqian said, “We’re open for business. Naturally, we don’t turn away customers. What kind of artifact would you like to commission?”

A sly smile curled the youth’s lips. “I’ve long heard of Treasure-Seeking Pavilion’s legendary forging skills. I’d like a first-grade top-quality spirit orb, but it must possess offensive, defensive, and restorative properties—all three. If you can craft that for me, I’ll pay five hundred lower-grade spirit stones.”

“Three properties at once? Qiu Wenxiu, are you joking?” Song Changqian replied icily.

“Joking? Or is it just that you can’t do it? So this is the famous Treasure-Seeking Pavilion—nothing but an empty name!” Qiu Wenxiu said loudly, his voice full of provocation.

The other customers immediately perked up, sensing drama.

“Hmph, aside from the Eight Directions Pavilion, there are only five top-tier first-grade artifact forgers in the market. I’ve never heard of anyone pulling that off,” another Song clan male cultivator said angrily.

The onlookers nodded their agreement. Even if they weren’t forgers, they knew most artifacts only had one property; each additional property increased the difficulty tenfold.

To have three at once usually required a second-tier forger.

“Oh really? Then what do you call this?” Qiu Wenxiu produced a blue spirit orb, channeling spiritual energy into it. Instantly, three distinct formations appeared.

“It really does have all three abilities,” the onlookers gasped in astonishment.

“This was forged by a young master forger from the Earthfire Sect’s Hundred Treasures Pavilion. You say it’s impossible, but what about this? I say your Song Clan is all bluster and no skill—claiming to be the best forgers in Lingzhou, what a joke!” Qiu Wenxiu crowed, his ridicule unrestrained.

Seeing Song Changqian’s stunned expression, Qiu Wenxiu felt a surge of satisfaction. He had investigated thoroughly—none of the forgers in Treasure-Seeking Pavilion could achieve such a feat.

He would see the Song Clan thoroughly embarrassed—a fitting reprisal for their trade sanctions.