After leaving the shop, Song Changsheng slipped into a nearby alleyway. When he emerged again, he was cloaked in a hooded robe, completely concealing his appearance.
At the same time, he activated the Concealment Technique, a secret art from the Dao Scripture. Not only could it mask his aura and cultivation level, but it also hid any fluctuations of spiritual energy.
Forget Qi Refining cultivators even Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't be able to see through him without some special means.
The reason he was being so secretive was simple he knew himself well.
Lately, not only had he seriously injured Chang Tianhua, but he had also humiliated the Earthfire Sect during the refining competition, stomping all over their pride.
If Earthfire Sect didn't want him dead, Song Changsheng wouldn't believe it.
Although the market strictly forbade violence, it was always better to be cautious.
"As expected, the streets are pretty empty most days. Better head to the central plaza might be able to find something worthwhile."
He had already learned from Song Luyuan that most of the cultivator trading in the marketplace happened in the central plaza, so the main streets usually seemed deserted.
Sure enough, the central plaza was bustling. Rogue cultivators had stalls set up everywhere, selling all kinds of goods. The air buzzed with shouting and haggling it reminded Song Changsheng of a lively street market.
He strolled among the stalls with great interest. Some items were worth a second look like an unassuming talisman brush at an old cultivator's stall.
Although it lacked any spiritual glow, Song Changsheng's expertise in artifact crafting let him see its true value. It would be a great find for a talisman master.
But for him, it wasn't necessary.
After browsing for a while, he stopped in front of a stall selling ores. The owner, a sharp-faced, monkey-like middle-aged man, greeted him enthusiastically:
"Fellow Daoist, take your time everything here is rare raw ore! You won't see this kind of selection every day!"
Song Changsheng squatted down and casually scanned the various stones, asking, "How do you price these, Daoist?"
The man rubbed his hands and said, "One spirit stone each. Everything here goes for just one spirit stone."
Song Changsheng chuckled coldly. "Do you take me for a fool? These are all unrefined ores raw materials. They're not worth that price."
"Come now, Fellow Daoist, don't say that. There are quite a few second-tier ores in here. If you pick the right one, it's a steal!"
The middle-aged cultivator smiled innocently, but Song Changsheng didn't believe a single word.
True, there were some second-tier ores in the pile, but they were defective and useless for refining. Buying them would be a loss.
Still, he wasn't here for those. What caught his attention was a nondescript rock tucked in the corner. It looked like a piece of first-tier Kongming Iron.
But Song Changsheng vaguely sensed a hint of water-element spiritual energy within it something Kongming Iron shouldn't have. That made him curious.
"Three spirit stones for five pieces. That's all these are worth," Song Changsheng said, holding out three stones.
"Deal, deal!" the seller said cheerfully, taking the stones.
After all, he'd scavenged these from abandoned mines. They were practically free.
Besides that piece of Kongming Iron, Song Changsheng also picked four other decent-quality metal ores. Even if the Kongming Iron held no surprises, the others would still be profitable.
After putting the ores away, he continued wandering. Before long, he spent ten more spirit stones on a broken formation base from another stall and five more on a damaged jade piece.
As he neared the edge of the plaza, a gaunt old cultivator suddenly stepped in front of him, speaking in a mysterious tone:
"Young friend, I have here a map to an ancient ruin. I can see it in you you have the look of one destined for greatness, a future saint or even a founding ancestor!"
"For only one hundred spirit stones, I'll sell you this ancestral treasure map. What do you say?"
As he spoke, the old cultivator lifted a corner of his robe, revealing a worn-out beast-skin map.
Song Changsheng was instantly at a loss for words. To think he'd run into such a low-level scam.
He hadn't planned on paying the man any attention, but curiosity got the better of him, he wanted to see what kind of fake this was. So he feigned interest and said, "Senior, with all that grand talk, the least you can do is let me take a look. How else can I tell if it's real or not?"
Seeing that Song Changsheng seemed to be taking the bait, the old cultivator cheerfully handed over the map. "By all means, examine it."
As soon as Song Changsheng took a look, he realized the guy had some skill in craftery. Never mind whether the map's contents were real or not the aging and wear on the beast's hide were impressively realistic.
Even with his discerning eye, Song could only spot a few minor flaws. A less experienced young cultivator would likely be taken in by such craftsmanship.
Just as Song was about to ask more questions, a familiar voice spoke from behind:
"You old fraud! Still, running your scams here? Fellow Daoist, he's selling nothing but fakes don't be fooled by him!"
The old man immediately flew into a rage. "Zhu Fatty quit spouting nonsense!"
Song Changsheng turned around and saw a richly dressed, plump man standing behind him.
He vaguely recognized the man he'd seen him when he first arrived at the market. The guy had even tried to befriend him. If he remembered correctly, his name was… "Zhu Yiqun"?
At first, he'd thought the man seemed a bit shady. But now it appeared he had a touch of righteousness after all.
Many people might have recognized the scam, but Zhu was the only one who stepped in to help a stranger.
Zhu Yiqun ignored the fuming old man and spoke to Song earnestly, "Everything I said is true. Whether you believe it is up to you."
Song nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Though the aging technique was clever, the hide lacks the deep, musty decay of true age."
Hearing this, the old cultivator's face changed dramatically. He abandoned his so-called 'ancestral map' and vanished into the crowd without a trace.
Song Changsheng made no move to chase him down. He was far more interested in the man in front of him this "Pig" fellow.
Seeing this, Zhu Yiqun chuckled and shook his head. "So you'd already seen through it. I suppose I was just showing off for nothing."
Song clasped his hands in greeting. "Daoist Zhu, we meet again."
Zhu looked surprised. "You know me?"
"We met briefly outside the market once. Perhaps you don't recall?"
Zhu Yiqun immediately realized who Song was and laughed. "Ah, so it's you! Should I call you Fellow Daoist Shen or Fellow Daoist Song?"
Now it was Song Changsheng's turn to be taken aback.
"No need to be surprised, my friend. Your name is well known in this market everyone's heard of you. I was lucky enough to witness your brilliant formation inscription half a year ago.
From that moment, I knew that Fellow Daoist Shen and Fellow Daoist Song were the same. I felt we were destined to meet, and now here we are again. It seems I've made a fool of myself in front of a true master."
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