Chapter 239: Purchasing Intelligence at the Bazaar

Chapter 239: Purchasing Intelligence at the Bazaar

"You first tell me, what's the difference between these two?"

Xiao Chen leisurely asked while admiring the island's scenery.

Guo Pan quickly responded, "Cang Ming Pavilion is backed by Cang Ming Immortal Sect. All intelligence there is strictly vetted by the sect—truthful and reliable, absolutely no fabrication."

"But precisely because of that, the information spreads slower."

"And in terms of price, it's slightly more expensive."

He paused briefly before continuing, "Spirit Intelligence Pavilion has diverse sources. Any minor disturbance, no matter where, can be known immediately. Their prices are also more affordable."

"However, it's mixed with many rumors—some true, some false. You need to spend extra effort distinguishing them."

"These two shops aren't far apart—just two streets away. Senior, which one would you like to visit?"

Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows in surprise. "This works?"

He felt unexpected—shouldn't truthfulness be the basic requirement for intelligence? Would anyone actually pay for Spirit Intelligence Pavilion's services?

Or perhaps there's some hidden logic here?

"Let's go to the closer one first."

Since the distance was short, he decided to purchase intelligence from both places.

First, he was genuinely curious about Spirit Intelligence Pavilion.

Second, cross-referencing information from different sources might provide a more comprehensive picture.

"Got it!"

Guo Pan readily agreed, skillfully leading him through the bustling streets. Soon, they arrived at a distinctive pavilion.

Constructed entirely from bluish jade, the three-story building stood with each floor reaching three meters high.

A massive plaque hung above the entrance, inscribed with characters as large as carriage wheels—Cang Ming.

In the lower right corner, smaller characters read: "Carefully selected, thoroughly verified, clearly priced, no returns or exchanges."

"Senior, just pick carefully. Let me know when you're done."

Guo Pan had explained earlier that Cang Ming Pavilion required a deposit of ten spirit stones just to enter, regardless of whether a transaction occurred.

Additionally, guides weren't allowed to wait at the entrance—they had to wait in the alley across the street.

The guard at the door was a middle-aged Foundation Building cultivator. Seeing Xiao Chen approach, he wordlessly extended his hand for the spirit stones before stepping aside.

His expression was blank, eyes dull—like a puppet.

The manager inside looked equally disinterested. "Customer, are you here to purchase or sell intelligence?"

Whether due to their sect backing or their near-monopoly, they remained unfazed even when encountering a Golden Core cultivator.

Xiao Chen didn't care about their attitude. He straightforwardly requested the latest and most detailed sea charts, a summary of all important intelligence from the past decade regarding Mercy Sea, and a list of recent major events.

"Senior, you're not joking, right?"

The manager blinked in surprise before asking, "You're certain you want a summary of all important intelligence from Mercy Sea? Let me warn you first—this won't be cheap."

"At least this much." He waved five fingers—clearly indicating fifty thousand spirit stones.

For intelligence alone, this price was indeed steep.

After all, what Xiao Chen requested was essentially public information. A Golden Core cultivator willing to spend three to five years gathering it could compile the same data.

Earlier, Guo Pan had said "slightly more expensive", but that was an understatement.

But it didn't matter—Xiao Chen had recently made a fortune at Tianxing Island. To him, this was pocket change.

He calmly nodded. "Just bring me the intelligence."

Notably, Cang Ming Pavilion's efficiency was impressive. Within less than half an hour, the manager had gathered all the intelligence, neatly divided into three boxes on the counter.

"Apologies for the wait. Total: fifty-five thousand spirit stones."

Intelligence transactions typically required payment first, then delivery.

Xiao Chen waved his hand, dropping the spirit stones, and immediately began inspecting the intelligence.

Everything needed thorough checking here—missing text, possible typos, or suspicious errors.

On-site inquiries received free explanations, but any questions after leaving would cost extra.

First was the sea chart worth twenty thousand spirit stones.

Indeed, due to Mercy Sea's vastness, the detailed map required fourteen scrolls, each three meters long and two feet wide.

This confirmed Xiao Chen's decision to come here first.

On this map dated from last month, over three hundred red-circled areas marked dangerous zones—thunderstorms or frost-fog locks. A cultivator entering these zones would face life-threatening danger.

Xiao Chen especially noticed forty-seven deep-red marked zones—dangerous areas that had appeared within the past five years.

A cultivator relying on outdated maps or past experience might easily walk into disaster.

"Five years with so many new disasters?"

Xiao Chen sensed something unusual. "In the past hundred years, have changes been this frequent?"

The manager raised his right hand, wagging his index finger toward the ceiling. "That information costs one hundred spirit stones."

...

After receiving the payment, the manager shook his head. "Excluding the recent five years, the past century saw seven disasters disappear and nineteen new dangerous zones emerge."

In other words, recent changes were extremely intense.

Xiao Chen pressed, "What caused these changes?"

The manager raised two fingers. "That information costs two hundred spirit stones."

Annoying—like dealing with an emotionless money-grabbing puppet.

Xiao Chen tossed two hundred spirit stones before hearing the answer. "Regarding the frequent disasters, major sects currently haven't identified the cause."

"Huh?"

This translated to the classic answer—"I don't know."

Xiao Chen glared. "Do you even deserve these spirit stones?"

The manager's complexion remained calm. "Lack of progress is also a form of intelligence."

He added, "If we found the cause, it wouldn't just cost two hundred."

Hmph!

What was the point of that extra sentence? Was he hinting at something?

Unwilling to argue with a mere Foundation Building cultivator, Xiao Chen flipped through the intelligence summary, roughly understanding the various changes.

Over the past decade, Mercy Sea could be described in eight words:

"Rising heroes, flourishing diversity!"

All forces—major and minor sects, cultivation families—were abnormally active, participating in forbidden realm explorations and resource competition.

Additionally, multiple hidden sect lineage heirs had emerged.

Some were well-known forces like Yuchen Sect and Qianyuan Sect.

Others were sudden rising stars among solitary cultivators—masters of secret techniques, suspected heirs of new Dao lineages.

The two most important pieces of intelligence were:

First, three years ago, two Golden Core True Sovereigns suddenly appeared in Mercy Sea, accompanied by eight Golden Core disciples.

They claimed to be from the Zhaokong Sect, quickly absorbing three local minor cultivation families.

Currently, they had become an emerging force that couldn't be ignored.

Second, last year, at the Yuntao Sword Hut in southern Mercy Sea, the former first-seat disciple successfully achieved Nascent Soul Formation.

Due to his mastery of water techniques, he received the title—Die Lang True Sovereign.

According to reliable intelligence, this newly ascended True Sovereign was only fifty-eight years old—shockingly young.

This speed had broken Mercy Sea's two-thousand-year cultivation record.

Thus, Die Lang True Sovereign was hailed by many as a once-in-a-millennium celestial genius.

Reportedly, despite already having a Dao companion within his sect, numerous forces still sent beautiful female cultivators, attempting to form connections with him.

For several months, the Yuntao Sea was filled with cultivators coming to offer gifts.

"Indeed quite formidable."

Xiao Chen put away the intelligence, silently memorizing the name.

It seemed his cultivation realm wasn't the only one advancing rapidly—other cultivators also had outstanding prodigies.

But no matter. If everything went smoothly, he would soon obtain malevolent qi.

Before long, he would break this cultivation record again.

These were already occurred events. For Xiao Chen, the most crucial part was the final list of major upcoming events.

Only four items, written in four lines, yet worth a full twenty thousand spirit stones.

The reason for this high price was that all four events were confirmed to occur—but hadn't happened yet.

First, the Zaojin Minor Forbidden Realm would open early in three months.

Each opening of this forbidden realm produced abundant rare spirit mines.

Its importance to artifact forging masters was almost equivalent to the Baicao Forbidden Realm for pill forging masters.

However, this held little significance for Xiao Chen—he had almost no involvement in artifact forging.

He also had no expectations for luck-based Fourth Stage spirit mine excavations.

Primarily, he needed to find Wuqi and return to Silent Calamity Island—no time for mining.

Second, in five months, a grand auction would be held at the Yuntao Sea.

While auction news itself wasn't secret, the key was the advertised Talismans Treasure—a confirmed fifth-grade defensive Talismans Treasure.

Those interested in bidding should start preparing spirit stones in advance.

"Fifth-grade Talismans Treasure?"

Xiao Chen had never seen a Talismans Treasure before, so he felt genuine interest.

If time permitted, he might consider participating in the bidding—after all, protective items were never too many.

Third was a special intelligence.

In the southeastern Mercy Sea, continuous heavy rain had lasted two years without stopping.

According to Cang Ming Immortal Sect's speculation, one possible reason was that a special Spirit Herb might soon emerge from the sea.

However, the specific situation remained unclear—it might continue for a long time.

"Southeastern region, huh."

Xiao Chen was currently heading northwest to find Wuling—completely opposite directions.

Moreover, Spirit Herbs emerging from the sea were mostly water-related.

After considering, he decided to leave this to fate.

Finally, a bounty order from the extreme west, plus an image.

The Yin Corpse Sect from Storm Sea's Golden Core sect was hunting a half-step Golden Core cultivator named 'Golden Light Technique Hermit.'

The rest of the text was filled with exaggerated descriptions of how brutal and ruthless the Golden Light Technique Hermit supposedly was.

Xiao Chen couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. Such shameless twisting of facts.

Judging from the Yin Corpse Sect’s account alone, an uninformed person might mistake him for a demonic cultivator who slaughtered innocents indiscriminately.

No matter. Let them revel in their arrogance for a few more days. The day they’d cry would come soon enough.

At the bottom was an astronomical bounty—Spirit Stones, insight crystals, and a Fourth Stage Spirit Herb were all listed as rewards.

So far, this news had only circulated among Golden Core True Sovereigns and a select few cultivators who had purchased intelligence reports.

The reason it hadn’t spread widely was to avoid alerting their target prematurely.

The Cang Ming Immortal Sect had specifically emphasized that the Golden Light Technique Hermit was extremely dangerous and strongly advised against any Golden Core cultivator confronting him directly.

Thus, if one encountered him by chance, they could discreetly report his whereabouts to the nearest major faction to claim the reward.

Speaking of the wanted poster, the portrait was indeed skillfully drawn, lifelike and vivid.

But here was the problem—Xiao Chen had already dispelled his disguise technique.

The face he wore now was his true appearance, so there was no risk of being recognized.

The Yin Corpse Sect’s attempt to capture him with a fake portrait was doomed to failure from the start.

Stepping out of the Cang Ming Pavilion, Xiao Chen called out, “Shitou!”

Guo Pan immediately emerged from a nearby alley, jogging over with a smile. “Senior, where to next?”

“Let’s go to the Spirit Intelligence Pavilion again.”

Xiao Chen added after a moment’s thought, “Also, I need to buy some Spirit Honey and sell a batch of Third Stage Talismans.”

“You contemplate where to go first, then lead the way.”

Since he was already at the bazaar, he might as well handle the Spirit Honey.

Next time some ill-fated Spirit Bird dared to eat him, he’d roast it with honey.

Guo Pan pondered for two breaths before replying, “This way, Senior. The Li Family’s shop has been selling Spirit Honey for over 300 years. Everyone who’s tried it swears by its quality.”

Even in the cultivation world, 200 years was a long time.

Such a time-honored establishment usually meant the family had produced at least three generations of Foundation Building cultivators. Otherwise, their business would’ve been seized long ago.

But what surprised Xiao Chen was that the seller was a Golden Core cultivator with a simple, honest face.

“Which grade would you like, Senior Fellow Cultivator?”

The man cheerfully presented two large bowls. “We have Second Stage Spirit Honey and Third Stage Spirit Honey. Feel free to taste both before deciding.”

Hmph, a tasting session?

Xiao Chen wasn’t worried about the honey being poisoned, so he took a bite directly.

The Third Stage Spirit Honey was smooth and delicate, with a faint aroma of spirit medicine.

It must have been infused with herbs that helped restore true mana during processing.

“What do you think? Isn’t our Spirit Honey amazing?”

The seller grinned proudly. “I’m not just bragging. Next month’s Fifth Day Grand Competition is coming up, and just two days ago, the Cang Ming Immortal Sect’s Manager bought a huge jar from me.”

“They’re using it to help their elite disciples recover true mana before the competition.”

Xiao Chen asked curiously, “Is that so? I haven’t heard anything about this competition.”

The man hurried to explain, “How could this be false? It’s absolutely true.”

“Our Cang Ming Immortal Sect, the Tian Gang Sect to the north, the Mo Zhang Sect, the Yun Tao Sword Hut to the east, and the Qian Ji Valley—all participating.”

“This time, the direct disciples of these sects are all attending. It’s already spreading like wildfire outside.”

“Oh, I see.”

Xiao Chen nodded and placed 10,000 Spirit Stones on the counter. “Give me 100 jin of Third Stage Spirit Honey.”

Interesting. This competition seemed quite targeted.

Earlier, from the intelligence Su Li provided, the Daoist sects around Mercy Sea were sparse, mostly concentrated in the southwest and northwest.

Several Buddhist temples occupied the southeast, northeast, and central areas.

Excluding minor sects with only Golden Core cultivators, the Daoists had only those five major factions.

They weren’t exactly sworn enemies, but they certainly didn’t get along.

Even the Qian Ji Valley couldn’t really be considered a Daoist sect, given their focus on mechanical puppets.

Yet now, these five sects were collaborating, sending their young generation’s direct disciples to compete.

Notably absent was the newly risen Zhao Kong Sect.

It seemed the relationship between the current sects and the hidden sects was somewhat strained.

Xiao Chen’s mind raced with possibilities. Perhaps they had always been at odds, or maybe there was another reason.

Earlier intelligence mentioned that other hidden sect lineages were also moving.

With only a few Fourth Stage spirit veins available, there was no way to accommodate all these factions.

Of course, that wasn’t Xiao Chen’s concern.

He just needed to keep his distance to avoid being dragged into any future conflicts.

“Senior, this is the Spirit Intelligence Pavilion.”

After passing through a narrow alley, Guo Pan pointed to a large quadrangular courtyard ahead.

The pavilion was perfectly square, with eight identical gates evenly spaced around its perimeter, all wide open.

Cultivators bustled in and out. Xiao Chen even spotted several Li Qi Stage cultivators.

After a brief observation, he realized that intelligence trading was just one of the pavilion’s features.

It served another, more important purpose: a hub for gossip and storytelling.

Unlike the Chao Hui Pavilion or Cang Ming Pavilion, where transactions occurred in isolated, soundproofed private rooms, the Spirit Intelligence Pavilion resembled a lively tavern or teahouse.

Besides a few secluded areas partitioned by screens for intelligence deals, the rest of the space was an open, bustling hall.

At the center stood a raised platform where cultivators took turns sharing stories.

Others listened intently, took the stage themselves, or chatted casually with fellow cultivators. The atmosphere was vibrant and lively.

After walking just a few steps inside, Xiao Chen overheard countless shocking rumors.

A Golden Core elder from the Cang Ming Immortal Sect secretly practiced forbidden cultivation techniques but suffered a catastrophic backlash.

Someone claimed to have seen the true form of a Kun Peng at the edge of the Kun Peng Sea.

Others spoke of a battle between a thousand-meter-tall giant formed from sea water and a Fourth Stage Great Spirit Beast in the northwest of Mercy Sea.

Hmph. Is there even a need to buy intelligence here?

Still, Xiao Chen decided to purchase a report. The reason? It was dirt cheap!

Excluding the sea charts he already owned, he paid only 300 Spirit Stones for a thick stack of booklets filled with various rumors.

Or rather, they resembled serialized storybooks recording partial intelligence.

The content was almost identical to the shocking rumors he’d overheard.

The only difference was the quantity and comprehensiveness—each event had two conflicting accounts.

Xiao Chen himself wouldn’t get much use out of it.

But he could bring it back for Su Li. She hadn’t kept up with the outside world for a long time.

After leaving the Spirit Intelligence Pavilion, he sold his talismans at a nearby shop for half price.

After all, he’d spent another month on Silent Calamity Island and the journey here, leaving his talismans with less than eight months of shelf life.

If he set up his own stall, he might sell them at 70% of the price.

But he didn’t have the time now. After finding Wu Qi, he’d be away for months. Better to cut his losses.

“Shitou, this is my first time here!”

After completing his three main tasks, Xiao Chen turned and asked, “Is there anything in this bazaar worth visiting?”

If not, he’d continue his journey.

Guo Pan answered without hesitation, “Senior, since it’s your first time, you should visit the ‘Fortune Wall’ at the island’s center.”

“I’ve heard many seniors come here specifically for it.”

“It’s lined with high-value bounty orders guaranteed by the Cang Ming Immortal Sect. Many cultivators have struck it rich there.”

Xiao Chen nodded. “Lead the way!”

Since he was here, he might as well check out this must-see spot.

At the island’s heart stood a red wall stretching a thousand zhang long.

Wooden plaques listed bounties from east to west, arranged by reward amount.

These bounties weren’t just for people but also for various items.

For example, the top bounty was for the Three-Pearl Star-Setting Disc.

It was a Treasure Artifact lost during the Mo Zhang Sect’s internal chaos years ago.

To recover it, anyone providing effective clues could claim a reward of up to one million Spirit Stones.

Returning the artifact itself would grant even greater rewards—Heaven-Tier legacies, Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs, insight crystals, and more.

Xiao Chen was scanning the list when he overheard nearby cultivators chatting.

“Another disappearance? Someone’s here to post a bounty.”

“This year alone, there’ve been six Golden Core Zhenren missing, right?”

“You missed one. This is the seventh.”

…

Xiao Chen glanced over and saw, toward the back of the red wall, many similar bounties.

Most were for cultivators who vanished without a trace. Their friends or family, desperate for answers, pooled Spirit Stones to seek a glimmer of hope here.

“Make way! All of you, make way!”

A Foundation Building cultivator in a Cang Ming Immortal Sect robe pushed through the crowd, heading straight to the front.

He removed the wooden plaque ranked nineteenth and replaced it with a new bounty, moving it to twelfth place.

The surrounding cultivators immediately gathered around.

“Quick, look! The Yi Family has raised the price again—this time to one million Spirit Stones!”

“No wonder they’re a Golden Core great clan. Such wealth!”

“They say the Yi Family’s elder is nearing the end of his life. Seems like it’s true.”

“That must be it. Otherwise, a Fourth Stage Life Extension Pill wouldn’t sell for such a price.”

“Hmph, you, a Foundation Building Initial Stage, actually know the price of Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs?”

The cultivator turned and saw the one mocking him was a Foundation Building Late Stage.

He immediately deflated, muttering as he slunk away.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end