The Three Green Flying Knife Artifacts were identical in size, each two fingers in width and one and a half fingers in length, quite pocket-sized.
Holding the three Verdant Flying Daggers, Jia Ren played with them in the palm of his hand. They were cool to the touch, made of a material that was neither metal nor wood, unrecognizable.
The Verdant Flying Daggers were all Medium-grade Magic Tools, of high quality, and belonged to the rare category of matching sets. Otherwise, a Cultivator at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining would not be able to control three Medium-grade Magic Tools at the same time. The three medium-grade Verdant Flying Daggers were worth at least two hundred Spirit Stones, definitely the most valuable treasures he had ever seen.
Jia Ren felt fortunate. If he hadn't insisted on buying the consumable Magic Artifact, the Green Spirit Shield, and had only relied on a low-grade Defense Artifact, he definitely wouldn't have withstood the attacks from three Medium-grade Magic Tools. Yesterday's cause, today's effect.
Jia Ren solemnly put away the three daggers and turned his attention to the Storage Bag.
The Storage Bag was not the rumored storage Magic Artifact that could recognize its owner; it had no prohibitions and could be used by anyone who obtained it.
Jia Ren emptied the contents of the Storage Bag onto the ground, resulting in a clutter of assorted items. He tossed aside the useless objects and focused on the items imbued with Spiritual Energy.
In total, there were twenty-five Spirit Stones and eight Fragmented Spirits.
Three hundred seventy-seven taels of Gold.
One Silkworm Inner Armor, a low-grade Defense Artifact.
One bottle of Spirit Bud Elixir containing seven pills.
Two bottles of unidentified Elixirs.
Three packs of unknown poison powder.
Five jin of Green Bud Rice.
The items were very disorganized and quite jumbled. The Elixirs, Spirit Stones, and miscellaneous items together were worth no more than fifty Spirit Stones.
The total haul was at least two hundred fifty Spirit Stones, which for Jia Ren, who was not very wealthy, could be considered a sudden windfall.
No man becomes rich without a windfall, just as no horse gets fat without nighttime grazing. No wonder so many people enjoy being Bizarre Cultivators. It's profit without capital; you lie down as a corpse if you lose, and if you win, you take all the Cultivator's possessions.
The Bizarre Cultivator bought a set of medium-grade offensive Magic Tools with Spirit Stones.
Infected with the Bizarre Evil Qi and unable to afford an Evil Warding Talisman, was that why he turned to being a Bizarre Cultivator?
Infected with Bizarre Evil Qi and lacking enough Spirit Stones to purchase an Evil Warding Talisman, one couldn't help but doubt his motives.
He must have harbored the intent to kill upon possessing powerful weapons.
Instead of thinking about selling the Magic Tools for an Evil Warding Talisman, he turned to robbery...
Indeed, one shouldn't hold too many expectations for the human heart in a perilous world.
Compared to that, Loose Cultivators who are so impoverished that they could never afford an Evil Warding Talisman are the truly pitiable ones.
The world is in chaos; I need to ensure my own safety. I'll hold off going to Grand Wilderness Mountain for now.
I'll replenish my supplies before planning to enter seclusion for Cultivation.
Jia Ren still had over forty jin of Spirit Rice, barely enough to last him more than ten days.
The chaos caused by the Bizarre Evil Qi will likely not be resolved in just ten days.
His reserves were insufficient.
Beyond that, he wanted to purchase Turtle Demon Beasts and make Turtle Spirit Ointment.
I'll first visit the Market to take a look and gather some intelligence.
Jia Ren cast an additional layer of Spirit Shield for defense, both to prevent sneak attacks and to avoid infection by the evil qi. As usual, he used the Wind Control Skill, hurrying towards the Market.
The Northern District Market had become even more desolate, with the number of Loose Cultivators setting up stalls reduced to one-third of the peak period. The few stalls there were spaced far apart, unwilling to get close to each other.
Where is the Market's supervisory staff?
The Market supervision personnel were stationed at the most conspicuous part of the Market, specifically collecting stall fees from Loose Cultivators. The stone house was empty, the Steward nowhere to be found.
"The Law Enforcement Office has moved back to the Inner City! The Outer City has been abandoned long ago!"
"Fellow Daoist, buy a Magic Artifact for self-defense to take back with you."
The eagerly selling Loose Cultivator gave Jia Ren a tip while pitching the Magic Artifacts on his stall. There was a wide variety of Magic Artifacts, quite disorganized, not crafted by the hands of a single Artifact Refiner. The prices weren't cheap; compared to the previous days, they had increased by an average of fifty percent. If one wished to sell Magic Artifacts, now was a good time.
All the way there, he saw many stall owners, the majority of whom, like Jia Ren, maintained a Spirit Shield to prevent being ambushed. This was to avoid being robbed of their possessions and treasures. Thieves were more rampant than before, a veritable disaster.
The Outer City could maintain order and safety only thanks to the power of the Five Elements Sect. Without the Law Enforcement Office, it's hard to imagine the Outer City not falling into chaos. With no deterrent, Bizarre Cultivators rob without punishment. The cost of violating morals and order is negligible; everyone pursues their greatest benefit. If a man doesn't fend for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him.
Jia Ren brandished his Magic Sword, scaring away the encroaching thieves.
He couldn't stay in the Market for long!
He rushed to the familiar meat vendor's stall, only to find it empty, the butcher nowhere to be seen.
No hope of getting Turtle Demon Beast now.
Jia Ren shook his head with a sigh, his plan to get Turtle Spirit Ointment thwarted again.
Chaos also represents opportunity.
Faced with crises, those Loose Cultivators with poor risk resistance might sell off their possessions, and the likelihood of them selling inheritances of the Four Arts of Cultivation increases!
At this thought, Jia Ren's eyes lit up. He quickly scanned each stall, searching for possible inheritances of these skills. Unfortunately, the result was disappointing. After searching the whole Market in the Northern District, he found nothing of relevance.
Alas, those who control the inheritances of the Four Arts of Cultivation and have the capacity have moved to the Inner City. Even if they sell, they won't sell in the Outer City.
With his hopes dashed, Jia Ren hurried to a rice shop to stock up on some Spirit Rice.
Datong Rice Shop, being close to the Inner City, was in a great location. Unlike many shops that were closed, Datong Rice Shop was always open and attracted many Loose Cultivators looking to buy rice. It was rumored that Datong Rice Shop was owned by the Five Elements Sect. Even after the Law Enforcement Office had withdrawn and stopped maintaining order, the business of making money did not stop. Datong Rice Shop had its Guardian Formation activated, and the Steward in charge was now a powerful Cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement.
"Why is the Green Bud Rice so expensive?"
"Two Fragmented Spirits for one jin?"
"Ordinary rice is already gone? How are we supposed to live !"
The price of Spirit Rice had doubled compared to before, a rise that was still within an acceptable range. Life must go on. Without ordinary rice, one could only buy the expensive Spirit Rice.
"Something's wrong, the weight is off!"
"A five-tael scale? I bought ten jin, but it's only five jin?! Five jin of Green Bud Rice is missing!"
Datong Rice Shop had a good reputation, and most Loose Cultivators just bought their Spirit Rice and left. However, some noted the discrepancy in weight. For the Loose Cultivators at the bottom, struggling to make a living, any money-making business was fair game, and many Cultivators were quite sensitive about weight. After getting ten jin of Spirit Rice, they realized something was amiss.
The Steward sitting in charge didn't even lift his eyelids as he responded indifferently, "If you want to use the normal scale, then the Spirit Rice is not this price; it's Four Fragmented Spirits per jin."
"Take it or leave it. If you cause trouble, believe it or not, I'll cut off your head with one strike!"
The aura of the Ninth-Level Qi Refinement powerhouse exploded, and the questioning Loose Cultivator turned pale with fear and scurried away with his Spirit Rice.
The price seemed to have doubled, but in reality, it had tripled.
Unscrupulous traders took advantage, making a killing from the chaos. The Loose Cultivators had no choice but to passively endure, buying at the high prices with gritted teeth.
"It's too expensive!"
"Better to take a trip to the Grand Wilderness Mountain."
Many Loose Cultivators shook their heads and headed towards the Grand Wilderness Mountain.
Should he go to the Grand Wilderness Mountain?
Buying Spirit Rice at the Grand Wilderness Mountain was cheaper, but it came with risks.
While Jia Ren was weighing his options, a streak of light flew towards him.
A Sound Transmission Talisman!
"Daoist Jia, the rewards from the Five Elements Sect have been distributed. They have granted me the status of an Inner Sect Disciple of the Five Elements Sect, access to the Transmission Hall to select a Cultivation Technique, and a High-Grade Magical Artifact."
"The status of an Inner Sect Disciple of the Five Elements Sect cannot be given to someone else, and only Five Elements Sect Disciples can enter the Transmission Hall to select Cultivation Techniques."
"The only thing I can give you is the High-Grade Magical Artifact."
"Come find me in the Grand Wilderness Mountain, and I'll give you the High-Grade Magical Artifact."