Chapter 182: Collection
From the black tiger’s mangled corpse, Shopkeeper Wu had unexpectedly crafted two Essence-Devouring Spikes—a stroke of good fortune indeed. Shopkeeper Wu himself admitted that without his recent rapid advances in artifact refinement, it would have been impossible to forge even one Essence-Devouring Spike, let alone two.
These two Essence-Devouring Spikes were nearly as powerful as the previous one; however, without the venomous fangs of the demon serpent, they lacked that extra layer of insidious poison that was so difficult to guard against.
Still, Qin Sang was more than pleased.
Following this, Qin Sang lingered at Wenyue Market for a few more days and attended a private gathering of the secret shop's members. Not every member attended these meetings regularly, so counting Qin Sang, there were only eleven people this time. Among them were three Foundation Building cultivators: one rogue cultivator, two members of other immortal sects, and the rest were mostly Qi Refining Realm cultivators like Shopkeeper Wu, each possessing a unique, reputable skill.
Qin Sang familiarized himself with the group. After a conversation with Shopkeeper Wu, he found that every attendee had a good reputation and no history of misconduct. It was surprising to Qin Sang that Granny Jing had allowed him into this circle so readily.
Shopkeeper Wu explained, "Among the various sects around the Yuncang Marshlands, Shaohua Mountain is one of the Eight Major Sects of the righteous path and is widely respected. Granny Jing might feel that, being bound by a respectable sect, you wouldn’t dare act recklessly, Daoist Qin."
Qin Sang reflected on this and found it reasonable. His background was clear and could be verified easily.
Shaohua Mountain prided itself on its righteous reputation; while it might overlook certain transgressions if they were well-hidden, it would never tolerate a disciple openly disgracing the sect. In such a case, Shaohua Mountain itself would deal with the offender even before Granny Jing had a chance.
At the gathering, some members sought assistance in hunting demons or treasure-hunting, while others were buying rare items and artifacts. A Foundation Building cultivator invited Qin Sang to join him on a hunt deep within the Yuncang Marshlands, but Qin Sang politely declined.