Chapter 67 Jinjiang's First Launch: New Target Ship Price 12,000...
The market was a mixed bag with a large flow of people. Since everyone was a cultivator, they got more and more excited when they talked about sects. Even though they hadn't joined any sects, they felt proud as if they had already joined. Whenever the topic of various sects came up, everyone would boast about it.
Someone replied to Yao Sisi, "Of course it's far away. Besides, our Maoling City isn't under the jurisdiction of the Xuanyun Sect, so they can't come here often. Recruiting disciples sometimes depends on fate. Moreover, the Xuanyun Sect already has quite a few eligible disciples in its own territory, so they don't need to ask for more from other places."
Yao Sisi thought to herself, "This is somewhat similar to university admissions in modern society. Local students make up the majority, while students from other places are relatively few. Moreover, the number of students being sent to other provinces through a large-scale casting net is decreasing."
She offered a simple compliment, saying that it wouldn't hurt to say things that others wanted to hear when you're out and about, "It seems you're quite knowledgeable, fellow Daoist!"
The man looked pleased, yet he humbly replied, "Not at all, I only heard it secondhand. But there are so many sects, and most of them only open their gates to recruit once every ten years. So even if you can't get into the Xuan Yun Sect, other sects will come to recruit you every few years. My nephew went to the Seven Star Sect, which is a major sect!"
Yao Sisi: "Your nephew is truly a young prodigy. I wonder what kind of sect the Seven Star Sect is, and what the Seven Sects and Eight Gates are?"
...
After a short while, Yao Sisi, having gathered enough information, slowly withdrew from the crowd and returned to her stall. Seeing that quite a few square basins had been sold, she exclaimed, "Business is pretty good!"
When Qi Mu saw that she had returned and seemed to have something to say to him, he asked Liu Yuan to watch the stall and went to a corner to talk with Yao Sisi. "Miss Sisi, do you have any news to tell me?"
Yao Sisi nodded: "You can't hide anything from me. I just heard some good news, but also some bad news."
Qi Mu: "What good news?"
Yao Sisi: "The good news is that the Xuan Yun Sect is about to recruit disciples. It is said to be a very large sect. But the bad news is that they may not come to Maoling City to recruit people. The last time they came was fifty years ago."
Qi Mu asked, "Does Miss Sisi really want to join this sect?"
Yao Sisi didn't expect him to ask this, and answered honestly, "I don't really need a sect and I don't want to become an apprentice, but I'm very curious about the life and atmosphere there. If I were to join a sect, I would definitely choose a top sect like this one. It would be more interesting and have a wider range of resources."
Qi Mu's voice was clear and gentle, like the sunlight at eight or nine o'clock, soft and warm without being glaring: "Then let's work hard towards the Xuan Yun Sect. Since they may not come here to recruit people, we can't just sit and wait for death. Let's take the initiative."
Yao Sisi: "Go on my own initiative? That's fine too. I like to take the initiative and not be passive. I'll find out how to get to Xuanyun Sect first."
As Yao Sisi left the stall, Liu Yuan, having just finished serving his customers, asked what had happened. Qi Mu told him about the Xuan Yun Sect.
Just then, the little girl who had bought something earlier came back with her friend to buy something again. She pulled her friend to stand in front of the stall and said to Qi Mu and Liu Yuan, "Little brother, the square basins in your stall are of very good quality. They are not easy to buy in the city. Even if you do find them, they are not cheap. You have to be lucky to get such good products. I showed my square basin to them and they all said they wanted to buy it. Oh, where is that pretty lady from earlier?"
Yao Sisi was inquiring about how to get to the Xuan Yun Sect, as it wasn't a secret and was easy to find out, but the result wasn't very satisfactory to her.
"That's so expensive! A teleportation array costs 10,000 low-grade spirit stones per person. No wonder the Xuan Yun Sect doesn't come here to recruit people often. They have plenty of resources in their own land, so there's no need for them to travel so far..."
If each person needs 10,000 low-grade spirit stones, then the four of them would need 40,000. Not to mention that spirit stones are consumables and are used everywhere, so it's not easy to accumulate them. Even if they managed to save enough, it would probably be too late.
Yao Sisi inquired about other ways to travel. She refused to believe that such a prosperous cultivation world couldn't possibly only have teleportation arrays. She asked around again and found quite a few other ways. The most suitable option for them was the merchant caravan's flying boat. Although it wasn't as fast as the teleportation array, it was much cheaper!
For the same distance, 3,000 spirit stones would be enough by flying boat. The four of them have a total of 12,000 spirit stones, so if they save up, they still have a good chance.
She planned to tell Qi Mu the news, but when she returned to the stall, she found that they were already preparing to pack up. She looked at the sky and it was already noon. "Where are we going next? Do you two have any plans?"
There weren't many items on the stall, and since cultivators all had storage bags, the goods were quickly packed up. Qi Mu took out 200 spirit stones and handed them to her, "That scimitar was sold. I estimated that the people here have higher spending power, so weapons and such sell quite well."
Yao Sisi took the spirit stone and casually stuffed it into her storage bag. "This little bit of money is enough to solve my immediate problem. I've been spending money all this time here, and this is my first income!"
Qi Mu: "We don't have anything to do for now, let's go back and cultivate!"
Yao Sisi: "Okay, then let me tell you what I found out. The fastest way to get to Xuanyun Sect is by teleportation array. It's like having a cheat code; you get there in the blink of an eye. But when I asked about the price, it costs 10,000 spirit stones per person, which is too expensive."
Qi Mu listened quietly without interrupting. Yao Sisi continued, "I inquired about a few other options. One is to ride in a monster-drawn carriage, but that's more suitable for short distances. We'd have to transfer back and forth, which would be quite troublesome. Another option is a caravan's flying boat, which is faster and much cheaper than the teleportation array. It costs three thousand spirit stones per person."
Qi Mu was quite familiar with numbers, and he quickly came to a conclusion: "It's not difficult to accumulate three thousand spirit stones, but how long will it take us to get there by flying boat?"
Yao Sisi: "If nothing unexpected happens, the time on the airship will be one month."
Qi Mu: "We spent so much time in the Mystic Beast Forest back then, but I feel like a month went by very quickly. Now that we're back, I'll plan how to quickly accumulate enough spirit stones so as not to miss the recruitment opportunity."
Yao Sisi nodded: "Okay, then thank you for your hard work. Also... besides accumulating spirit stones, young master, you should break through to the Foundation Establishment stage before you leave, so that you can't suppress your breakthrough on the flying boat, which might cause trouble."
Seeing that she cared about her, Qi Mu's dimples appeared like streams touched by a spring breeze.
"Okay, I understand."
Yao Sisi, like a concerned patriarch, turned to Liu Yuan and said, "Brother Liu Yuan, you also need to improve your cultivation level. You should at least reach the sixth level of Qi Refining. Only then will your dantian be more solid, making you safer when you're out and about."
Qi Mu, who was standing to the side, relaxed his smiling face slightly. He looked at the hem of his clothes moving as he walked, just like his mood rising and falling. So it turns out she cared about more than just me.
He said sourly, "Sisi is so thoughtful."
His words were spoken subtly, making them difficult to understand. Yao Sisi, who didn't pay attention to such things, couldn't understand them either. She said, "Sigh, the thought of setting off actually makes me a little annoyed, because I haven't figured out how to enjoy this city yet. I don't want to leave in a hurry. Fortunately, there are still more than half a year before the Xuan Yun Sect recruits disciples, which will allow me to relax and not be so nervous."
Qi Mu was used to being ignored, and quickly adjusted his mood. He said about today's situation: "The profit just now was good. After deducting the cost of materials, we made a net profit of 400 spirit stones. Because you made the Four-Sided Basin, we saved half the money. If this continues, we will have enough for the fare in a month. After deducting the resources needed for daily life and cultivation, it will be enough in two or three months if we save slowly."
Yao Sisi nodded, then stopped and gave an important instruction: "It's okay if time goes a little slower. We still need to add a budget. If you're going to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, it's best to choose a blessed land with abundant spiritual energy. Don't break through where we're staying. I'll find out how much it costs to rent a blessed land. This will benefit you in the future. A solid foundation will lead to greater achievements later."
Qi Mu was unsure of the cost of renting the blessed land and hesitated, saying, "Let's find out the fees first before deciding!"
Yao Sisi objected, "That won't do. We can't skimp on the money we need to spend. At worst, we can just board the flying boat later. If all else fails, we won't go to Xuanyun Sect. There are so many sects anyway, one more won't make a difference."
Qi Mu was somewhat moved: "You haven't even been to the Xuan Yun Sect yet, how can you say you're not going? Isn't that a top-tier sect? What a pity..."
Yao Sisi: "That's why I gave up so quickly. Anyway, I don't know what it's like, so it's not a pity to give up. If I had been there, I might not have said that."
Qi Mu choked up, somewhat at a loss. His bewildered expression resembled that of a rabbit whose food had been stolen, both cute and pitiful.
Yao Sisi laughed and said, "I was just teasing you. I noticed you were in a bad mood and wanted to cheer you up. What's wrong? You're not angry, are you?"
Before Qi Mu could speak, Liu Yuan chimed in, "Fellow Daoist Yao, how can you be so funny? You've scared my young master."
Upon hearing this, Yao Sisi put her hands on Qi Mu's shoulders, "Hey, were you really scared? I'm sorry!"
Qi Mu said helplessly, "You admit your mistake quickly, but... after being with you for so long, how could I be so easily scared..."
Yao Sisi turned her head and complained to Liu Yuan, "Hey, why did you lie to me! You made me nervous."
Liu Yuan rolled his eyes, his expression always cool. "You're allowed to joke about my young master? Are ordinary people not allowed to light lamps?"
Yao Sisi raised an eyebrow, thinking of the students in her past life who were forced to do homework, and said in a sinister tone, "You're eloquent, but I can supervise your cultivation. If your cultivation doesn't reach the sixth level of Qi Refining, then your young master and I will go on a flying boat and enjoy ourselves, without you!"
Liu Yuan, whether startled or not, habitually retorted, "What's so difficult about reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining? My physique has been tempered by you, young master, and my aptitude is excellent!"
Qi Mu tensed slightly as she listened to the two bickering, but relaxed a little when Liu Yuan didn't say anything. "Alright, alright, stop fooling around, let's go back to our cultivation!"
Yao Sisi teased Liu Yuan, "When will you be as composed as your young master?"
Liu Yuan: "Never. I am just a servant. My job is to be the most loyal dog."
Yao Sisi was taken aback. How could someone who was just a dog have such a sense of superiority? "What are you thinking about at such a young age? Wouldn't it be better to cultivate immortality and live a carefree life?"
Liu Yuan: "Okay, but this doesn't conflict with being a servant to the young master."
Seeing that the two were getting more and more outrageous, Qi Mu quickly stopped them, saying, "Xiao Yuan, Miss Sisi is right. You have to live for yourself. It will be more comfortable that way."
Liu Yuan didn't think so. If that were the case, why didn't the young master leave Fellow Daoist Yao and insist on staying with her? Wasn't that a different kind of emotional attachment?
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