Intrigues Within the Sect Chapter 21: The Myriad Treasures Market

Old Bai’s cloudy eyes darted around as he glanced toward the direction Mu Wanqing had left. He mulled over the meaning behind her words, a knowing smile slowly spreading across his face.

Leaning close to Fu Lingchuan, he lowered his voice, the fire of gossip burning brightly within him.

“Old Fu, I can’t help but feel… there’s more to this story than meets the eye.”

Fu Lingchuan set down his teacup and shot him a sidelong glance. “Speak.”

“You see, just now Wanqing looked both angry and upset, with a hint of shame mixed in…” Old Bai analyzed with firm conviction, “This isn’t just a simple matter of disliking someone.”

“I’m guessing that brat Chu Xing somehow seriously offended your prized disciple.”

At this, Fu Lingchuan’s brow twitched ever so slightly.

His disciple was extraordinarily gifted and notoriously aloof within the sect. Suitors lined up from the pill hall all the way to the mountain gate, including inner sect elites like Zhou Yuan, yet she had never once spared any of them a second glance.

How could she possibly be involved with some unknown outer sect disciple?

“That’s nonsense,” Fu Lingchuan retorted, lifting his teacup, though the crease between his brows remained.

“Hey, don’t be so quick to dismiss it!” Old Bai’s excitement grew. “Think about it—when has Wanqing ever lost her composure like that? It must be that kid who did something outrageous and angered her! Otherwise, why would an inner sect disciple randomly comment on the character of an outer sect disciple?”

As he spoke, his theory seemed increasingly plausible, and he chuckled softly. “But I have to admit, that kid’s got guts, daring to provoke your precious disciple. He’s got potential, for sure!”

Fu Lingchuan sipped his tea silently.

In his heart, he was already about seventy to eighty percent convinced.

It seemed that sooner or later, he would have to find a chance to give this Chu Xing a stern warning. How dare he upset his disciple—no matter what opportunities he’s stumbled upon, he’d have to make him spill everything.

Chu Xing sat up from his bed, exhaling a long, heavy breath.

Despite the frantic training these past few nights, he did not feel weary; instead, his energy surged, and his body brimmed with unprecedented strength.

Rising to his feet, he casually threw a punch into the air. The wind sliced through the silence, accompanied by a low, muffled thud.

At the peak of the seventh tier of Body Refinement, his internal energy swelled and expanded, just a step shy of breaking into the eighth tier. His physique had grown noticeably tougher than before.

Little did Chu Xing know that due to a huge misunderstanding, a highly influential elder in the pill hall had already taken an interest in him.

If he were to learn of this, he would likely be baffled and amused beyond words.

For now, the only thing on his mind was the mysterious Mu Wanqing, who had suddenly appeared last night, inexplicably lost her temper, and walked away.

“This woman is really strange,” Chu Xing muttered, shaking his head and deciding not to dwell on it further.

The urgent matter at hand was to resolve his current predicament.

Glancing at the table, he saw the small porcelain bottle that once held Body Refinement pills was now empty, and the nine stalks of hemostatic herbs by his bedside had withered into mere husks.

He was completely out of supplies.

Breaking through to the eighth tier of Body Refinement through sheer effort alone was impossible now; new resources were essential.

Exchanging merit points at the Contribution Hall? He had just traded his points for those nine stalks of hemostatic herbs, which had already run out. His training was clearly consuming a hefty amount of resources.

Frowning slightly, Chu Xing paced back and forth in his room.

Suddenly, he stopped as a thought flashed through his mind.

A few days ago, Sun Lao Er—the steward from the Affairs Hall—had once mentioned something to him.

The Treasure Market!

Chu Xing’s eyes brightened. From his pocket, he carefully took out the worn cloth pouch he always kept close and gently poured out three seeds.

These three seeds had been plucked from a blue-veined herb in a cave on the back mountain.

Nurtured by the Life Stone’s vitality, the seeds now shone with a faint, shimmering light beneath their smooth surfaces.

Sun Lao Er had said that a single ordinary blue-veined herb seed could be exchanged for ten low-grade spirit stones.

Spirit stones were the hard currency of the Nine Heavens Continent, imbued with pure celestial energy. They not only aided cultivation but were indispensable for purchasing pills, techniques, and all manner of resources.

These three seeds in his hand were undoubtedly far superior to common ones.

If he could exchange them for spirit stones, then use those stones to buy the herbs needed to refine his body, wouldn’t his training resources be secured?

This thought set Chu Xing’s heart ablaze.

He carefully wrapped the three seeds back into the cloth pouch, opened the courtyard door, oriented himself, and headed straight toward the mountain gate of the Xuán Star Pavilion.

The Treasure Market was situated in a spacious area between several sects, including the Xuán Star Pavilion. It bustled with noise all year round.

Free from any sect’s authority, it was a melting pot where all walks of life mingled—disciples of the Xuán Star Pavilion, Qingyun Sect, and others traded and exchanged resources discreetly.

The Qingyun Sect and Xuán Star Pavilion were evenly matched powers, both among the top forces in the Northern Star Domain of the Yongchang Dynasty, boasting countless disciples and an endless supply of spirit treasures and cultivation techniques.

Within the market, the cacophony of vendors’ calls and bargaining filled the air, steeped in earthy, mundane life—the bustling scene eased the tension in Chu Xing’s strained heart.

Strolling along, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a few shadowy figures skulking around a nearby corner.

A girl dressed in a flowing green gown was flanked by two men exuding composed auras. They spoke in hushed tones.

Her figure was graceful; even standing still, she exuded an extraordinary vitality.

Wanting to avoid trouble, Chu Xing muttered to himself, “Better not get involved,” and turned to look away.

But at that moment, the girl seemed to notice him. Her bright eyes met his gaze.

Their eyes locked.

Her eyes were moist and clear, imbued with an ethereal charm that could cleanse away the clamor of the mundane world, leaving one momentarily breathless.

She scowled at him without hesitation.

Chu Xing felt a slight chill run through him, but he remained composed, withdrawing his gaze and continuing onward.

The pressing matter was to exchange those seeds for spirit stones.

After wandering through the market, Chu Xing’s gaze landed on a stall bearing the Xuán Star Pavilion insignia.

The vendor was a somewhat lethargic inner sect brother, reclining in his chair with eyes closed.

Chu Xing thought it best to approach a fellow sect member. He cleared his throat.

“Senior brother.”

The inner sect disciple opened his eyes and glanced at him.

“Something you need?”

“May I ask, do you buy blue-veined herb seeds?” Chu Xing asked cautiously.

“Blue-veined herb?” The senior brother frowned, his eyes falling on the seeds Chu Xing held out. His expression sharpened as he pinched one and examined it closely. “The color… that’s a rare top-grade specimen.”

But then he tossed the seed back into Chu Xing’s palm. “Unfortunately, something’s happened with the Pill Hall. They’ve suspended purchasing for now. You’re stuck with these for the moment. Come back later and ask again.”

With that, he ignored Chu Xing.

Chu Xing’s heart sank. He hadn’t expected such an outcome.

Unwilling to give up, he asked around at several other stalls, only to receive similar answers: for some unknown reason, the Xuán Star Pavilion’s Pill Hall had suddenly issued an order to halt all purchases related to blue-veined herb materials.

This unexpected turn of events caught Chu Xing completely off guard.

He had been counting on exchanging these seeds for low-grade spirit stones to buy the herbs necessary for Body Refinement and significantly improve his strength.

Now, it seemed that path was closed.