Cultivating in a Bizarre World

Ren Qing had no idea how the matter with the Mud Association would unfold. In any case, he received the payment for the mission the very next day.

He had thought it would be as Huang Ziwang said—the reward delivered by a Nether Crow—but instead, Mu Yi arrived.

This was mainly because Song Zongwu was temporarily occupied and couldn’t get away, so he had asked Mu Yi to give Ren Qing the details about the Blood Crystals.

This showed that Song Zongwu was still keeping an eye on Ren Qing.

After Mu Yi’s explanation, Ren Qing understood why the Forbidden Soldier Hall used Blood Crystals as currency.

First of all, they were extremely convenient to carry.

When exposed to high temperatures, Blood Crystals would liquefy and merge.

The volume of the merged Blood Crystal wouldn’t change at all; only its color and weight would increase.

Ren Qing cleaved a Blood Crystal in half. The broken pieces quickly reformed into droplets, and the total weight remained unchanged.

This meant there was virtually no loss.

As a result, the weight of a Blood Crystal became the standard for its value.

Blood Crystals were measured in ’Sheng,’ ’Dou,’ and ’Stone.’ A ’Sheng’ was a specific base weight. A ’Dou’ was ten times that, and a ’Stone’ was a hundred times that base weight.

These units of weight had actually been in use for a long time, not just by the Forbidden Soldier Hall but by the common people as well. It was said they had a history of over a thousand years.

Ren Qing was deeply puzzled by this.

As far as he could tell, there were no historical records in Sanxiang City whatsoever. No one knew which dynasty they were in, and everyone seemed to have simply accepted this fact.

To avoid drawing attention to himself, Ren Qing never asked about the erased history, which he suspected was connected to the sundered North.

’I’ll have to wait until my Cultivation is higher before I can investigate further.’

Fortunately, the reward for the Mud Association mission was very generous, giving Ren Qing hope of achieving a Deceitful Transformation in a short amount of time.

Even though he had barely lifted a finger for the entire mission, the Forbidden Soldier Hall still rewarded him with fifteen Dou of Blood Crystals—the equivalent of one and a half Stone.

Keep in mind, one hundred Dou of Blood Crystals could be exchanged for a Mysterious Object from the Half-Corpse Realm.

For most Forbidden Guards, however, even though the Forbidden Soldier Hall had a vast number of Mysterious Objects, it was still difficult to find one that suited their desired path of Mutation.

So they either used Blood Crystals to purchase resources, or they saved up five hundred Dou to exchange directly for a Magic Technique manual.

Ren Qing couldn’t help but feel it was a shame. ’If I’d already been a reserve member during the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area incident, I might have been able to choose a Magic Technique.’

He stored the Blood Crystals and the Great Miao Blade in his Abdominal Prison, then patiently stayed in the Firework Hall for several days to cultivate.

When the time for the Ghost Market to open drew near, Huang Ziwang finally arrived for their appointment, walking straight into Ren Qing’s room under Bo Feng’s astonished gaze.

If Xiaowu hadn’t recognized Huang Ziwang, Bo Feng likely would have reported him to the authorities.

Ren Qing was already prepared inside his room, dressed in a straw rain cape and a Conical Hat.

Huang Ziwang, on the other hand, made no effort to hide his appearance. He urged, "Younger Brother Ren, let’s go!"

Ren Qing took out the Bone Key and drew the Forbidden Soldier Hall’s Gate. They stepped through one after another, and the wooden door vanished moments later.

A rain of blood still fell within Abi Hell, but the place seemed much more bustling.

Ren Qing stood on a rib bone and looked out. Dozens of Forbidden Guards were heading toward a certain spot to the southeast. He hadn’t expected so many Cultivators to come to the Ghost Market.

"You can trade for resources in the Ghost Market," Huang Ziwang said. "You should come every month if you have the time."

Ren Qing asked curiously, "Are there any Forbidden Guards from outside Xiangxiang?"

Huang Ziwang said softly, "There are countless uncharted forbidden areas around Xiangxiang, so the Forbidden Soldier Hall does not permit Forbidden Guards to leave Xiangxiang."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Song Zongwu has definitely left Xiangxiang. You could find an opportunity to sound him out."

Ren Qing shook his head. ’Song Zongwu is incredibly tight-lipped about it. There’s no way he’d talk.’

He did, however, have a faint suspicion.

’I suspect there aren’t actually many forbidden areas in the south. That must be why they stop Forbidden Guards with Mysterious Objects from going there—to prevent the forbidden areas from spreading. Xiangxiang is probably a buffer zone, situated right on the border between north and south. As for the North... it has probably fallen completely.’

Huang Ziwang led Ren Qing for quite some time until they reached an open space in the southeast. They then found a spot on a nearby tree branch to sit.

Dozens of Forbidden Guards were gathered nearby, seemingly waiting for something.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Huang Ziwang had just started to doze off and yawn when an excited shout suddenly came from a Forbidden Guard in the crowd: "It’s here! The Ghost Market!!!"

The flat ground began to shake, and a thin mist slowly enveloped the area.

Even the blood rain could not fall here, as if blocked by some unknown force.

A moment later, the mist dissipated, and a dreamlike market appeared before their eyes.

The market was bustling with activity. The figures of pedestrians were ethereal and indistinct, and an overwhelming variety of stalls lined the paths. One could even smell the aroma of snacks.

Everyone immediately set off.

As the Forbidden Guards passed through the streets, any pedestrians they touched would dissolve into smoke and dust, only to reform a moment later.

Following behind, Ren Qing couldn’t help but frown and ask, "Is this a Magic Technique?"

Huang Ziwang nodded. "The Dream Butterfly Skill."

"The Dream Butterfly Skill..."

Ren Qing muttered the name to himself a few times. He seemed to recall seeing it mentioned in passing in the Secret Pavilion, but the records had been rather vague.

It reminded him of only one allusion.

Zhuang Zhou’s Butterfly Dream.

Huang Ziwang said with a reverent tone, "This Magic Technique is the work of the Great Dream True Man, a Cultivator at Yin Messenger Realm Perfection."

After mastering the Dream Butterfly Skill, a Cultivator can construct a dream realm that is both real and illusory while asleep, and they can pull others into the dream.

In other words, on the fifteenth of every month, the Great Dream True Man has a dream called the ’Ghost Market,’ allowing the Forbidden Guards to gather here to trade.

A look of realization dawned on Ren Qing’s face. The clamor of the market flooded his ears, making the illusory figures feel completely real.

The old man at a noodle stall called out to Ren Qing, "Sir, care for a bowl of noodles?"

Before Ren Qing could open his mouth, Huang Ziwang refused, "No need, elder."

Ren Qing was surprised. ’Aren’t the pedestrians in the Ghost Market supposed to be illusions?’

Seeing his expression, Huang Ziwang explained, "The food sold in the Ghost Market is edible, yes. You can taste it, but you can’t actually swallow it."

"Moreover, you don’t use silver coins for this food, but it’s said that eating it reduces your Lifespan."

"So that’s how it is."

Ren Qing’s eyebrow raised. ’Don’t tell me... the Dream Butterfly Skill can be used to extend one’s life this way?’

’The rules of the Dream Realm must have been set by the Great Dream True Man. Acquiring Lifespan through a form of trade... it’s certainly possible.’

A pleased expression crossed Ren Qing’s face. He never thought he’d find a clue to a Life Extension Magic Technique on his very first visit to the Ghost Market.

’But the Ghost Market doesn’t feel like a Dream Realm at all. It’s as if every phantom has its own Spiritual Wisdom. If they exist independently of the Ghost Market...’

Ren Qing’s expression changed. ’Doesn’t the Magic Technique of the Rat Mother have a similar effect?’

’The opossum doubles used for Substitute Death are, in theory, just new life forms that inherit memories. Their relationship with the original is more like that of a mother and child.’

’The Land God summoned an astonishing number of opossum doubles. Could it be he was searching for... another self, one with an independent consciousness?’

"Ren Qing, what’s wrong?"

Huang Ziwang interrupted Ren Qing’s thoughts.

Ren Qing suppressed his distracting thoughts. ’Reporting my suspicions to the Forbidden Soldier Hall would only cause trouble. I’ll find a chance to tell Song Zongwu instead.’