Chapter 142: The White Hemp Robe

Not far from the Tianhuan Mountains, outside a small valley—

A stout figure appeared, standing atop a massive black coffin. After arriving, he glanced briefly at the rows of orderly buildings within the valley and the continuous stream of people coming and going. Satisfied, he nodded, jumped down from the coffin, and slowly entered the valley.

This man was none other than Xing Bing, the puppet controlled by Qin Feng.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng remained lying within the coffin, floating just behind Xing Bing.

This place was a temporary market erected specifically for transactions among cultivators. The reason this market had sprung up near the Tianhuan Mountain Range was mainly due to the region’s growing fame over recent times.

It all began three years ago with a devastating war in which the Shu Sword Mountain Sect and the Earth Corpse Gate suffered heavy losses.

To outsiders, it appeared to be a fierce battle over the mineral-rich zones of the Tianhuan Mountains. But there was no secret that could stay hidden forever; the mysteries of the Nine Painted Walls gradually leaked out. Though both factions hastened their efforts to locate and plunder these walls, the Tianhuan Range was immense, and not all the walls could be revealed at once.

Over time, many outsiders sought to insert their influence into the Tianhuan Mountains.

Anyone who refrained from profiting was simply foolish.

At first, both factions fiercely resisted outsiders, striving to claim the Nine Walls exclusively. But as increasingly powerful forces intervened, the two sides were compelled to make concessions. After exploiting the majority of the benefits, they allowed some groups limited access to portions of the Nine Walls.

This small market belonged to the Tianzhi faction, which rented out stalls and auctioned treasures, all with the aim of earning the mystical stones brought by the flood of cultivators exploring the Tianhuan Mountains.

After all, within the Nine Walls, resources were abundant. Lucky explorers could stumble upon valuable treasures or inheritances with just a few steps. Those strong enough could even slay ancient beasts left behind on the old battlefields, obtaining rare alchemical and forging materials.

As the number of explorers steadily increased, so too did the market’s scale. Some major powers with keen senses also set their sights on profiting from Tianhuan Mountain, establishing numerous shops there.

Qin Feng chose to come here primarily to gather information.

Though he had already obtained some intelligence from Fan Liu, many details about the latest movements among the Shu Sword Mountain’s leadership remained unclear—especially the hypocritical Li Xingjian, whom Qin Feng needed to watch closely.

Additionally, Qin Feng hoped to acquire a complete map of the Qingxuan Eastern Domain.

Even without mentioning Qingxuan, the Eastern Domain alone was vast beyond measure for Qin Feng.

Whether escaping from Yunqi Kingdom or searching for his father’s whereabouts, he needed a map for guidance. He couldn’t just wander aimlessly like a headless fly.

Qin Feng dared not visit other markets.

Too many eyes and people meant a high risk of his identity being exposed, which would spell trouble.

Because this market was close to the Earth Corpse Gate, many of those coming to trade here were from that faction, along with numerous outsiders. The Earth Corpse Gate had been the first to settle in the Tianhuan area and controlled the richest resources. Generally, members of the Earth Corpse Gate came to sell, while outsiders came to buy.

At the valley entrance, after paying ten low-grade mystical stones, Qin Feng received a token permitting entry.

This was Tianzhi’s territory, and before entering, he was sternly warned that no fighting would be tolerated inside the valley. Any breach would result in immediate execution by Tianzhi agents.

Before arriving, Qin Feng had made inquiries.

Tianzhi was a mysterious power representing a vast coalition rather than an independent sect or faction. Its influence permeated the entire cultivation world of the Eastern Domain, with branches in various countries. Operating with great secrecy, it established markets for others to trade, sold rumors and news from the cultivation world, and organized large auctions, taking a cut and reaping tremendous profits.

What made Tianzhi truly famous, however, was its decade-long practice of compiling authoritative rankings. Every ten years, it conducted a comprehensive census of all talented individuals and peerless experts below the Heavenly Gang stage across the Eastern Domain. After professional evaluation and certification, seven highly prestigious lists were published.

The rankings of these Seven Lists were the focus of attention for all in the Eastern Domain.

Walking through the market streets, Qin Feng saw countless mystical weapons, talismans, pills, beast bones, spiritual herbs, and all manner of oddities, some so strange their purpose was unclear. These were all excavated from ancient battlefields. Whether useful or not, they were displayed on stalls—buyers who recognized their value purchased them, others passed by. Such was the basic principle of trade.

The prerequisite, of course, was no violence.

Any fighting would be met with immediate lethal force.

As Qin Feng meandered, he noticed many fine items.

Though the treasures were relics from ancient times, they weren’t necessarily suitable for every recipient. For example, a sword cultivator who unexpectedly found a demonic blade—while fine, it was useless to him. He would have to exchange it for a flying sword more suited to himself. Thus, mysterious cultivators rented stalls from Tianzhi and displayed their treasures, attracting passing buyers for barter—exchanging items for what they truly needed.

Qin Feng found several appealing objects, but their prices were exorbitant. Some sellers refused to name a price, demanding rare spiritual herbs or forging materials in exchange. Others were indifferent or openly hostile, evidently not interested in genuine trade but rather in using others to probe the secrets of their own possessions.

Though Qin Feng had some mystical stones on hand, they were hardly sufficient.

His own treasured items were far too valuable to risk trading. The only thing he could offer with some worth was his corpse meat pills.

These pills held a deadly allure for the Earth Corpse Gate.

Yet Qin Feng was cautious. Without an absolutely desired treasure, he would not part with them easily. The corpse meat pills originated from the Heavenly Demon Blood Qi coffin and might arouse suspicion if examined closely.

As he walked, Qin Feng used the Divine Purple Eye ability to observe discreetly. Lying within the coffin, he was careful not to attract attention.

Moreover, many Earth Corpse Gate members were present, so Xing Bing’s presence was not conspicuous.

There were many treasures, and quite a few curious items, but most were useless to Qin Feng.

After inspecting about a hundred stalls, persistence finally paid off.

Before a stall manned by a cultivator wearing a black wide-brimmed hat, Qin Feng’s gaze settled on an odd white garment stained with blood and smeared with corpse oil. Judging by the material, it looked like a burial shroud crafted from coarse white hemp cloth by impoverished folk.

Yet from the first glance, Qin Feng could not tear his eyes away from this white hemp garment.

“A fine item indeed!” muttered the demon eye, chuckling softly.

Qin Feng understood the demon eye’s amusement—there was a saying: “To have eyes yet fail to recognize gold inlaid with jade!” Here was such a treasure, yet unrecognized and put up for sale—an utter waste.

Controlling Xing Bing forward, Qin Feng pointed at the white hemp garment amid the miscellaneous clothing and asked directly, “What’s the price for this item?”

“It’s not for sale. Only barter!” came a hoarse male voice from beneath the black hat.

“Barter for what?” Qin Feng said bluntly. The more secretive the seller, the higher the price they would demand.

“Pills for breaking through realms!”

Though hoarse, the man’s voice betrayed his eager desire—he had long been suppressed in his current realm and was desperate to advance.

Narrowing his eyes, Qin Feng scrutinized the man. Though the seller tried to conceal himself, Qin Feng was over eighty percent sure he hailed from the Earth Corpse Gate. The man showed no hostility upon seeing Qin Feng, indicating their shared allegiance and thus a lowered guard.

Moreover, though the coffin was hidden, the distinctive Nine Yin Earth Qi aura was unmistakable to Qin Feng.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Feng controlled Xing Bing to retrieve three corpse meat pills from a hidden pouch at his waist, placing them into a white jade bottle, and offered it over.

“Three Blood God Pills in exchange for this white hemp garment.”

Naturally, Qin Feng did not reveal the pills’ true origin, not even their real name.

The man was briefly startled, then took one pill and sniffed it. Though Qin Feng could not see his face, the slight tremble in the fingers holding the pill did not escape his keen perception.

“Ten pills, and it’s a deal!” the man bargained.

“There are only three. These pills come from the Tianhuan Mountains and I cannot produce more myself. Take it or leave it, friend,” Qin Feng said, folding his arms and waiting patiently.

The man hesitated but eventually made up his mind. Gritting his teeth, he handed over the white hemp garment.

Qin Feng’s heart leapt with joy, just as he reached to take the garment—

A harsh voice interrupted sharply.

“Wait! I want that hemp garment!”

…