Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 342, the 332nd Palm Auction Venue
"Alright, Senior Brother Ningyuan, there's no need to be so formal. Please sit down!" Song Xian smiled and waved his hand, gesturing for the two to take their seats.

When he came to Xijiang County this time, he only brought Zhang Ningyuan with him, and he did not let him accompany his attendants to the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate, but instead had him wait in the market shops.

"Uncle Su's successful Foundation Establishment is a great blessing for the sect, and we are truly delighted to celebrate. It is an honor for us that the Sect Leader and Uncle Su have come to inspect the shops in the market. We have prepared a banquet in the backyard of the shop to celebrate Uncle Su's success, and we humbly request that the Sect Leader and Uncle Su do us the honor of attending." A man in his early thirties said with a fawning expression.

This person is Jiang Ming, the shopkeeper. He is a disciple trained by the sect since childhood. He once followed Su Yan to develop the Jade Fragrance Pill market and is now in charge of business in Xijiang County.

"Let's skip the banquet. Cultivators don't need to stand on such worldly formalities. We're not here to investigate. Jiang Ming, I heard there will be Cloud Jade Mystic Stones up for auction in this market on the fifteenth of October. Is that reliable?"

"Yes, disciple has found out that this Cloud Jade Mystic Stone was obtained by a rogue cultivator by chance and handed over to the Xuan Yuan Pavilion, where it will be auctioned at the auction."

"Could we find someone in charge of Xuan Yuan Pavilion and ask them not to put the items up for auction, but to sell them to us privately?"

"That probably won't work, the items for auction have already been decided. Unless we can find the cultivator from the Beast Taming Sect in charge of the auction, and the shopkeeper from the Xuan Yuan Sect to coordinate between the two parties."

Upon hearing how complicated it would be, Song Xian gave up the idea. Although he had some influence in Bianxi City, he knew his own limitations.

"Then forget it, let's wait for their auction! There's one more thing, do you know about a small shop called Tingyu Pavilion in Dragon Head Valley?"

"Tingyu Pavilion in Longtou Valley? This disciple has never heard of it."

"What kind of place is this Dragon Head Valley? Is it a legitimate market town?"

"No, Longtou Mountain is located in the southwest of Xijiang County. It is a well-known gathering place for independent cultivators in Xijiang County. As a result, a sizable trading market has spontaneously formed there. There are no formal shops there. Most of the shops are built by independent cultivators themselves and sell low-value items."

"You should inquire more about this Listening Rain Pavilion in the future, especially its relationship with a cultivator named Han Yuan."

From the first time Song Xian met Han Yuan, he had a vague feeling that Han Yuan was a man of profound and unfathomable character, and the last time they met, this impression was reinforced.

How could a rogue cultivator with four-attribute spiritual roots and no power or influence not only break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm but also advance at an astonishing speed, surpassing even the sect leader with two-attribute spiritual roots?
If he doesn't have exceptional luck, then he must have some unknown secrets behind him.

"Yes, the disciple obeys."

.........

The next day, Song Xian left the market and went to Longtou Valley.

This valley is named for its resemblance to a snake's head.

To the west of the valley is an information exchange.

To the south is the gathering place for recruiting cultivators.

For example, if someone wants to find someone to go out to sea to hunt monsters, or to find an alchemist to refine pills for them, or a weapon refiner to forge magical artifacts for them, they can find suitable people here.

The east and north sides of the valley are both free trade markets. The east side has many buildings and relatively large shops, while the north side is entirely occupied by individual vendors setting up stalls.

Tingyuxuan Shop is the fifth shop on the east side of Longtougu Avenue. The shop is not large, with two floors and only a few display cabinets in the back. However, there are quite a few people coming and going.

As Song Xian walked toward the shops, everyone who came and went made way for him. No one dared to look him in the eye; at most, they would glance at him sideways, as if he were some kind of terrifying murderous maniac.

In places like this, murder and robbery are commonplace; high cultivation level is everything.

"Senior, your presence is an honor. I apologize for not greeting you sooner." As Song Xianfang stepped into the shop, a thin old man with graying temples hurriedly came up to him, bowed, and looked extremely respectful and obsequious.

The previously noisy sounds inside suddenly quieted down. Some people were secretly glancing at him, while others stood to the side, as if afraid of being stared at by him.

"Who is in charge here?" Song Xian asked. The old man in front of him was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, which was considered relatively high in this chaotic gathering place of rogue cultivators.

"I am He Xiu, a junior of our shop. May I ask what your instructions are, senior?"

What kind of things do you sell here?

The old man dared not be negligent and quickly introduced the products to him: "This shop sells all kinds of spiritual herbs. Here are seven different kinds of first-grade low-level spiritual herbs, here are five different kinds of first-grade mid-level spiritual herbs, and here are four different kinds of first-grade high-level spiritual herbs."

Hearing this, Song Xian was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that such a small shop would sell so many different kinds of spiritual herbs. It was indeed a place where hidden talents resided, and it was no ordinary place.

"Do you have any second-tier spiritual herbs?"

"Our sect also has a few second-tier spiritual herbs, namely the Purple Vine and the Long Yuan Grass. I wonder if you would like them, senior?"

"Fellow Daoist He, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course, please, senior." The old man led him to a room on the second floor of the attic.

"I wonder what instructions you have, Senior?"

"Does Fellow Daoist He know Fellow Daoist Han Yuan?"

"This junior does not know this senior Han Yuan."

"I haven't even mentioned Fellow Daoist Han Yuan's cultivation level yet, how do you know he's a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

"Uh..." The old man was speechless for a moment, and then he argued, "Since you are asking so solemnly, you must be a Foundation Establishment senior."

“Fellow Daoist He, you don’t need to worry. I am Song Xian, the head of the Hunyuan Sect in Bianxi City. I am a friend of Fellow Daoist Han and I am not here to cause trouble. Fellow Daoist Han told me before that if I had any urgent business with him, I should come here. I happened to be in Xijiang County on my way, so I came to visit you.”

The old man breathed a sigh of relief: "So it's Senior Song. Please forgive me, Senior. I was just worried about being implicated, and I didn't mean to deceive you."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Senior Han instructed that if Senior Song comes looking for us, we should inform him immediately."

"So you've managed to contact Fellow Daoist Han."

"I only know of one of Senior Han's secluded locations, and I cannot guarantee that I can contact Senior Han in a timely manner. If Senior Han has important matters to attend to, I may go there to find him."

"I don't have anything urgent to discuss. I just happened to be in Xijiang County, so I came here to confirm things, just in case something happens and I can't reach Fellow Daoist Han. Since you can contact him, I'm relieved. By the way, what is the relationship between Fellow Daoist He and Fellow Daoist Han?"

"Senior Han is my savior."

"And this shop?"

"This is a business I do to make a living." Song Xian didn't believe these words. How could a powerless Qi Refining cultivator obtain so many kinds of spiritual herbs to sell long-term? There must be a stable supply of spiritual fields behind him.

It's likely that the person behind this is Han Yuan. If the two weren't on good terms, Han Yuan, being cautious, would never have revealed his secluded location to a junior Qi Refining cultivator. This person must undoubtedly be Han Yuan's confidant.

Given Han Yuan's cultivation level, it was perfectly normal for him to own several spiritual fields as private property. However, since the other party was unwilling to disclose this, he didn't ask any further questions.

He came here to confirm that Han Yuan could be found here, and incidentally, to investigate the shop.

After chatting for a few more minutes, he left.

.........

In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed.

On the fifteenth of October, the market was even more bustling. Around 3 PM, Song Xian left the inn with Su Zhirou. The two walked on the street, and in other people's eyes, they looked like a pair of celestial lovers. Passersby automatically parted to make way for them and stared at them. In particular, Su Zhirou's graceful figure made some virile young men secretly swallow their saliva.

As the two approached the entrance to the auction venue, a sudden commotion of whispers arose.

Song Xian turned around and saw a group of people striding towards him. Leading the group was a slender man with handsome features and a Foundation Establishment Level 2 cultivation.

Beside him was a beautiful and gentle woman with a fifth-level Foundation Establishment cultivation.

The two were no more than half a step apart, followed by a number of Qi Refining cultivators dressed in Beast Taming Sect robes. The group walked leisurely through the middle of the market street.

Song Xian looked up and met the eyes of the leading man; both of them were taken aback.

The man then said a few words to the woman next to him and strode over.

"I wondered which divine couple was so captivating! It turns out to be Brother Song and his wife! What a coincidence that we meet here." The man smiled and bowed, looking at Su Zhirou: "Sister-in-law, you have also broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Congratulations! You two are a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, truly enviable."

"Brother Xu, it's been a long time." Song Xian returned the greeting.

The person before me was none other than Jiang Feng's disciple, Xu Hao. Many years ago, he had left Bianxi City and returned to the mountain gate to build his foundation. After achieving success, he stayed in Xijiang County to serve as an official.

Su Zhirou also greeted him politely.

"Brother Song, when did you arrive in Xijiang County? Why didn't you come looking for me? If we hadn't met here, I wouldn't have known you were here." Xu Hao was unusually enthusiastic, as if the two were truly brothers who had shared life and death.

“We haven’t been in Xijiang County for very long. We came here to borrow your sect’s sacred mountain site to help my wife break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Since we don’t know where Brother Xu is working or whether he has any free time, we didn’t dare to disturb you.”

"I currently work at a spirit mine under the sect's jurisdiction. Since Brother Song is here, come to my spirit mine later so I can show you some hospitality and we can have a few drinks together."

"Brother Xu, could it be that you came to the market for this auction as well?"

“That’s right, I just had some free time, so I came over for a stroll.” As soon as Xu Hao finished speaking, the woman from the Beast Taming Sect led her people over. She glanced at the two of them, her gaze settling on Song Xian, and said in a clear voice, “This fellow Daoist looks a bit familiar. Have you seen him somewhere before?”

"Fellow Daoist Wang has a good memory. Do you still remember the shop called Hunyuan Pavilion when you went to Bianxia Town Market in Bianxi City?"

"Oh! I remember now." The woman exclaimed, "Yu Xiangdan, you're the shopkeeper of that shop."

“That’s right, I am Song Xian, and this is my wife, Su Zhirou. When our sect first settled in Bianxi Town, we had no means of livelihood, so we refined Jade Fragrance Pills to sell. Fellow Daoist was our sect’s first major customer. It was thanks to you that our sect was able to gain a foothold in Bianxi Town,” Song Xian replied with a smile.

This woman was none other than Wang Qingyao, who had gone to Hunyuan Pavilion to buy Yuxiang Pills with Yang Yude, the nephew of Yang Jinzhang, the former head of Bianxi City. Song Xian had a deep impression of her because it was the sect's first major income. So, after many years, he recognized her at a glance.

At the time, he did not know the woman's identity. It was not until he was chatting with someone much later that he learned that she was the daughter of Wang Xuan, the chief of the Beast Taming Sect's inner cabinet.

Wang Xuan was also a disciple of Hong Haoran, the leader of the Beast Taming Sect.

When Song Xian was building his foundation at the Beast Taming Sect, Wang Xuan extended an olive branch to him, and now Wang Xuan has also broken through to the Golden Core realm.

"So Brother Song and Senior Sister Wang have known each other for a long time. What a coincidence!" Xu Hao said with a smile. "Senior Sister Wang, you should know about the incident a few years ago when Bianxi City almost formed an independent alliance! My master acted decisively and wiped out the Kong family, who had been secretly dealing with the Yunxuan Sect and the Murong family, thus saving Bianxi City from danger. Brother Song and his sect, Hunyuan Sect, were the ones who carried out this mission."

"So Fellow Daoist Song is the leader of the Hunyuan Sect. I have long admired your name. I apologize for my disrespect. I have heard about the incident in Bianxi City. Thanks to your sect's intervention, otherwise our sect would have lost this important city." Wang Qingyao nodded slightly.

“I was only acting on the orders of Master Jiang. If it weren’t for your esteemed clan’s promotion, neither I nor my clan would be able to serve your clan today. It is simply my duty.”

"Brother Song, since we've met here and you're old acquaintances of Senior Sister Wang, why don't you come with us to the private room for a chat?"

"No, I've already booked a private room, so I won't disturb Brother Xu and Fellow Daoist Wang any longer."

"Alright then! After the auction, come to my place and we'll have a good drink. Brother Song, you go first."

"Brother Xu and Fellow Daoist Wang, please go first."

While the group chatted idly at the entrance to the auction, the cultivators stood to the side of the outer path, not daring to pass through them.

Only after the group entered the inner room did the cultivators outside file away. Song Xian was led to a room on the second floor, and from the window there, the entire auction venue was in full view.

As time went on, many cultivators gradually entered the auction venue.

More than an hour later, the auction finally began as the doors to the auction venue closed.

Two men walked from backstage to the circular platform, explained the rules, and then began hawking their wares.

The first item to appear was a century-old healing herb, which was immediately snatched up by many people.

Afterwards, they took out many rare items, including but not limited to pills, spiritual herbs, formations, and various cultivation materials.

It wasn't until the middle of the process that the Cloud Jade Black Stone was presented.

"The next item up for auction is the Cloud Jade Black Stone, weighing twenty-three catties and eight taels." The burly man with a thick beard on the round plate lifted the red cloth on the jade plate, revealing a crystal-clear object that was half black and half red.

"Some of you may not be familiar with this item. Cloud Jade Mystic Stone can only be obtained in the deep sea. It is formed by the condensation of seabed mud and various minerals. It takes decades of soaking in seawater and undergoing the baptism of the seabed's molten lava to be formed."

"It is one of the essential materials for refining various mirror-type magical treasures, and it also has uses in certain fields, such as the refining of special array flags."

"Such a large and heavy piece of Cloud Jade Mystic Stone is extremely rare. The bidding price starts at 7,500 spirit stones, with each bid increasing by no less than 500 spirit stones. Fellow Daoists who are interested, please place your bids."

(End of this chapter)