Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 377 The Joys of Shopping, The Secret of Spring (Part Two)

Ji Yang eventually sold the remaining time of his stall for the price of one Qi Hua Dan.

At that moment, he realized that the most absurd thing in the world is to be arrogant at first and then obsequious.

Even more absurd than being arrogant at first and then obsequious is the statement, "I know what you don't know."

When Ji Yang received the Qi Hua Dan from Steward Zhang, he was extremely excited and wanted to share his emotions with that senior.

However, he dared not address the senior in front of Steward Zhang.

At this moment, Manager Zhang was far from being truly "arrogant at first and obsequious later" when facing Ji Yang.

His attitude remained arrogant, his eyes slightly downcast, as he said, "Eighty Qingfu coins are not enough, but one Qi Hua Dan will certainly suffice."

It should have been done long ago, Ji Yang. One must know how to be flexible.

Sigh, if you had transferred the stall earlier, you would have gotten more than just one Qi Hua Pill. You could have gotten two or three, and I, your Uncle Zhang, would have negotiated it down for you.

"Your father and I have known each other for a long time; why would I let you suffer a loss?"

Yes, the stall fee, which was originally worth ten Qi Hua Dan for a day, was transferred by Manager Zhang to Ji Yang for two or three Qi Hua Dan. That's what you call not letting him suffer a loss.
However, Ji Yang doesn't care about any of that now.

Because his stall had long been completely emptied, even if Manager Zhang didn't come to ask him to transfer ownership, he had nothing left to sell.

For Ji Yang at this moment, the appearance of Steward Zhang was equivalent to receiving a Qi Hua Pill for free, and the situation was completely different from before.

However, Ji Yang would never be grateful to Steward Zhang; he only found it absurd and laughable.

If it weren't for the fact that the transfer of this stall had to go through the neighborhood manager, Ji Yang would have loved to transfer the stall directly to someone else.

It's not unreasonable for him to charge three Qi Hua Dan for a stall fee in the afternoon.

However, Ji Yang could not act in this way, since he might not stop coming to the Hundred Battles Ruins in the future.

Manager Zhang may not seem to have much power, but he can still make things difficult for you. It's best not to offend him too much.

Ji Yang may seem simple and honest, but he is not entirely ignorant of social etiquette.

Besides, even if he wanted to find someone else to transfer the stall, there was no one to be found at the moment.

After much deliberation, the joy of obtaining a Qi Hua Dan for free vanished.

Ji Yang sighed silently, realizing that he was ultimately at the mercy of others.

If you are not strong, you will be constrained at every turn. What is the use of being proud for a short time?
He was so young, yet he had so many worries on his mind.

After carefully storing his belongings, he left the familiar stall.

After walking about ten steps, Ji Yang looked back.

Suddenly, an elderly man with a beaming smile appeared behind the stall. His face was as bright as a chrysanthemum as he warmly greeted the stall owners on both sides.

Ji Yang felt a mix of emotions. He desperately wanted to turn around and leave, but he hesitated.

Where is that mysterious senior now?

If he leaves now, what about that senior?
Suddenly, a voice rang in Ji Yang's ear:

"Let's go, don't look anymore."

Believe it or not, once you leave the Hundred Battles Ruins, there's a 90% chance you'll see Manager Zhang again, or the person who took over your stall.

Ji Yang was overjoyed; it was the voice of his senior!
The senior was indeed by his side.

Then he was startled again, and Ji Yang hurriedly whispered, "Senior, you said... you said that after I left the Hundred Battles Ruins, I would meet Steward Zhang again? Why is that?"

Ji Yang had a bad feeling.

But then the senior's voice said leisurely, "It's no secret that you make a fortune selling the Heavenly Secret Box on the street."

Others may not know your background and may not bother you, but how could those who know you best let you off easily?

Ji Yang, when people achieve extraordinary success, they inevitably face storms.

Do you regret it now?

Upon hearing this, Ji Yang immediately became serious and said:
"Senior, I will never regret it!"

How could I possibly regret it?
I'm so grateful to you.

No matter what crisis I may encounter in the future, at least I have gained a chance to break the deadlock, so that I won't be like a headless fly, not knowing where to go or what to do, like before.

My father once said that cultivators in this world are essentially fighting against fate.

Struggle against Heaven, struggle against man, struggle against oneself.

"To fight might mean certain death, but not to fight... if you don't fight, you'll either live a mediocre life or become just a roadside stone, a speck of dust on the ground."

He sighed softly.

This seemingly honest-looking boy exuded an indescribable melancholy and clarity at this moment.

Immediately afterward, Ji Yang whispered, "Senior, we agreed before that the profits from selling the Heavenly Secret Box would be split 30/70 between us."

We have now sold a total of 123 Heavenly Secret Boxes. Senior, you can receive 87 Qi Essence Pills. I wonder how I should give these Qi Essence Pills to you?

The sadness is temporary; the real excitement comes from the profit sharing.

Ji Yang was overjoyed at the thought that he could receive thirty-six Qi Hua Pills.

He really wished he could take the Qi Hua Dan and buy a bunch of other pills so he could quickly find a place to go into seclusion and cultivate.

As long as his cultivation can break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, and he finds a sect to join, he might not be afraid of Steward Zhang in the future.

Ji Yang gradually formed a plan, when he heard a mysterious voice in his ear say:

"Go and buy me some spiritual items first. If there are any Qi Hua Pills left over, give them to me as well."

After speaking, the mysterious voice first directed Ji Yang to buy spirit rice.

Yes, it is indeed Lingmi.

Chen Xu discovered that the spiritual rice in the Xuan Tian Star Realm is divided into nine grades.

The ninth rank is the lowest, and the first rank is the highest.

These go without saying. The key point is that the ordinary spiritual rice in the Xuan Tian Star Realm can be described as high quality and low price.

Compared to the Great Li Kingdom, where spirit rice was precious and rare, it was widely cultivated in the Xuan Tian Star Realm. Even low-level cultivators could usually eat some of it on a daily basis.

In the past, it was not common for people like Ding Chuan and his fellow apprentices to starve to death in the wild.

The reason they were in such dire straits was mainly because their sect had been defeated, they had lost most of their own property, and they were being chased all the way, leaving them with no money or food and nowhere to replenish their supplies.

Ordinary cultivators living in the city can usually afford to eat.

There is a big difference between being able to afford to eat and eating well.

One interesting point is that Grade 9 Spirit Rice can usually be harvested by ordinary people.

Chen Xu had previously seen a large number of ordinary tenant farmers outside Bailiu City, which was the reason for this.

In this world, things picked or slaughtered by mortals will not be affected by the Nine Netherworld Calamities.

Therefore, it is common for cultivator sects to hire or employ large numbers of ordinary mortals as menial tasks. However, the strength of mortals is limited.

For example, ninth-grade spirit rice can be planted and harvested by mortals, but if the spirit rice is upgraded to eighth grade, mortals cannot cut it or harvest it.

Thus, only cultivators can plant and harvest spirit rice of grade eight or higher.

After the cultivators plant and harvest the crops, a large amount of malevolent poison will appear.

Therefore, these spiritual items must be cleansed by a spirit chef before they can be used properly.

Finally, all these difficulties are reflected in the price.

Therefore, the price of Grade 8 spiritual rice can sometimes be as high as ten times that of Grade 9 spiritual rice!
As the saying goes, "a difference of one grade can result in a tenfold price difference," which refers to the difference between grade nine spiritual rice and grade eight spiritual rice.

One is of high quality and low price, while the other is something that only those with ample wealth can afford to try. There's nothing one can do about it.

What Chen Xu was interested in at that moment was the high quality and low price of the Grade 9 Spirit Rice.

In the Hundred Battles Ruins, a pound of ordinary Grade 9 Spirit Rice can usually be bought for only ten Green Coins.

The eighty-three Qi Hua Dan that Chen Xuxin obtained were worth eight thousand three hundred Qing Fu coins, which was quite a considerable purchasing power.

He then purchased 100 catties of Grade 9 Green Frost Spirit Rice, 100 catties of Purple Cloud Spirit Rice, and 100 catties of Jade Marrow Spirit Rice.

【Green Frost Spirit Rice: A ninth-grade spirit rice, it is called Green Frost Spirit Rice because it is usually planted in winter and harvested in spring, and grows with dew on its surface.

It contains trace amounts of spiritual energy, which is neutral and peaceful, and has a sweet taste. Consuming it can often make living beings feel full and happy.

Over time, it may have a slight effect on prolonging life.

【Purple Cloud Spirit Rice: Grade Nine Spirit Rice... Its color is a light purple, like rising clouds and mist, hence its name.】

【Jade Marrow Spirit Rice: Grade Nine Spirit Rice... It is named for its crystal-clear appearance, resembling jade marrow...】

Three types of Grade 9 Spirit Rice cost a total of thirty Qi Hua Pills.

In reality, the total weight of the three types of spirit rice received was more than 300 jin.

Ji Yang bought all 300 jin of spirit rice from the same stall, and the stall owner even gave him two jin of jade marrow spirit rice as a gift.

Because this Jade Marrow Spirit Rice is produced in the largest quantity in Bailiu City, it is the least valuable. The stall owner gave away two extra catties of Jade Marrow Spirit Rice in order to get a repeat customer.

In Chen Xu's view, even the lowest grade nine spirit rice in the Xuan Tian Star Realm is actually several levels better than the Dan Yu spirit rice in the Da Li Kingdom.

This is because the Xuan Tian Star Realm is rich in spiritual energy, while the Da Li Kingdom is lacking in spiritual energy.

In the Great Li Kingdom, only the upper-class nobles could afford to eat first-grade spirit rice, but in the Xuan Tian Star Realm, it couldn't even compare to ninth-grade spirit rice. The difference between them was truly lamentable.

After acquiring the Grade 9 spirit rice, Chen Xu also selected a type of Grade 8 spirit rice called Golden Ear Spirit Rice, which was worth one Qi Hua Pill per pound, and had Ji Yang purchase three pounds of it.

When Ji Yang bought it, his eyelids twitched with heartache.

However, the efficacy of Jinsui Lingmi (a type of rice) can be considered reasonably priced.

Golden Spike Spirit Rice, Grade 8 Spirit Rice. It grows bathed in the golden yang energy, sprouts ears in one year and is harvested in two years, containing a faint pure yang energy within.

Regular consumption can refine one's true essence, temper one's physique, and make a cultivator's blood and qi vigorous.

If one consumes this regularly from childhood, there is a certain chance of awakening a rudimentary form of pure Yang energy in adulthood.

When purchasing Jinsui Lingmi rice, Ji Yang also murmured with emotion:

"Golden Ear Spirit Rice is truly a wonderful thing. But how many people in this world can eat it from childhood, three meals a day without fail?"

The rice vendor laughed and said:
"Young man, you are quite naive. There are plenty of people in this world who eat Golden Rice as a regular meal, and some are even tired of it!"
Putting aside everything else, just consider the sons and daughters of the vice-leaders of the Four Symbols Alliance in Qingxi City. They eat Golden Ear Spirit Rice all the time, let alone the seventh-grade Azure Blood Spirit Rice.

Ji Yang felt a sudden longing.

He couldn't help but ask, "Those who regularly eat Golden Ear Spirit Rice, I wonder if any of them have awakened a pure Yang body?"

The vendor scoffed, "How easy is it to awaken? Although there is a certain chance, the chance is so small. Anyway, we've only heard about it in legends."

As for the area nearby, it was unheard of.

If you really want to awaken this kind of spiritual body, let me tell you, little brother, even eating Grade 8 spiritual rice regularly is not enough.

"At least sixth-grade spirit rice or higher is needed, and even higher-grade spirit rice should be consumed every few days, along with other spirit items as supplements."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yang let out a series of hoarse sounds, his honest face revealing an obvious and exaggerated expression of shock.

This greatly pleased the vendor, who then began to chatter, before lowering his voice to say:

"I've heard that in some top sects of the third rank or above, all the true disciples and geniuses possess spiritual bodies."

The food they eat is something we can't even imagine.

"Alas, even the eighth-grade spirit rice that we can't afford might not be good enough to feed spirit beasts in other people's eyes."

The vendor sighed, his words revealing his longing.

It was a world that was incredibly distant and mysterious, yet also seemed infinitely magnificent.

Both Ji Yang and the vendors in front of them felt as if that world was separated by clouds.

Chen Xu followed along, listening attentively, and memorizing all the information.

He wanted to ask Ji Yang to help him buy some Grade 8 spirit rice seeds, but found that Grade 8 spirit rice seeds were simply unavailable at various stalls outside.

Only the seeds of Grade 9 Spirit Rice are not difficult to buy, but they are somewhat expensive.

One pound of seeds often requires one Qi Hua Dan.

Chen Xu then asked Ji Yang to buy one pound of each of the three common types of Grade 9 Spirit Rice seeds currently on the market.

Thus, he still had fifty-one Qi Hua Dan left.

Chen Xu suddenly had another idea. He thought that since he was now at the Golden Core stage, could he condense the Qi Hua Dan himself?
Although his Golden Core stage might not be equivalent to the Golden Core stage in this world, it's still worth a try.

The problem now is that he doesn't know the secret method for condensing the Qi Hua Dan.

It's not a good idea to say this directly to Ji Yang. If we were to speak frankly, it would easily expose some of Chen Xu's unusual behavior.

He then instructed Ji Yang to specifically seek out stalls selling books and jade scrolls, and to carefully search for them.

Ji Yang didn't know Chen Xu's true purpose, but assumed he wanted to buy some miscellaneous books, so he diligently and earnestly searched for them.

After searching for a while, I found that most of the books for sale at the stalls were travelogues of low value.

There are also low-level spells, but they are all the kind that are common and readily available.

If it were a genuine secret technique, it wouldn't be available for purchase on the street.

However, low-level spells are not entirely useless.

Chen Xu found the three techniques, such as the Spring Encounter Technique, the Paper Crane Message Technique, and the Suspended Needle Technique, to be very interesting.

He asked Ji Yang to buy it.

All three techniques are inexpensive; you can buy one for just two Qi Hua Pills.

Chen Xu spent a total of six more Qi Hua Dan.

Finally, Ji Yang strolled around and walked until he arrived at the very center of the Hundred Battles Ruins, where the Sky Boat Merchant Guild was located!
(End of this chapter)