Crimson Sun Market.
A boy around 15 walked the road with a worn bundle on his back.
He seemed to walk peacefully, but a closer look revealed otherwise. His brightly shining eyes never stopped moving.
He moved slowly while watching all directions. Whenever someone approached, he naturally moved away to create distance.
His hand also never left the pudao hilt at his waist. Ready to draw it at any moment.
Trudge trudge.
How long had he walked?
The boy, Chen Xiaoming, arrived at a shop with the sign 'Spirit Elixir Pavilion.'
"Welcome... huh?"
The cheerful voice cut off abruptly.
A young girl who appeared to be Chen Xiaoming's age pouted her lips.
"Why's an ordinary person here? Leave before you get in trouble. Our Spirit Elixir Pavilion does business with Qi Refinement practitioners."
Just before Chen Xiaoming could respond to her blunt tone.
"Hehe. Xiao Ya. That child is my customer, so let him up."
A calm voice echoed from the second floor of the Spirit Elixir Pavilion.
"M-Master?"
The flustered girl's eyes widened. She had been boldly blocking the way but hurriedly moved aside.
Chen Xiaoming bowed in greeting and passed her to go upstairs.
The moment he stepped onto the second floor, a bitter medicinal herb smell hit him.
Soon his eyes met a man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties sipping tea.
Chen Xiaoming politely greeted him with a gentle, kind smile.
"Hello, Senior Fang."
"Mm. You're here."
Fang Yi, who'd been savoring the tea fragrance like a scholar, looked Chen Xiaoming over.
"Kid. You really are lucky. How on earth have you survived three years climbing Crimson Sun Mountain every day... Tsk tsk."
"Haha. Right?"
Chen Xiaoming smiled innocently like a child and politely offered his gourd bottle and bundle.
"Senior Fang. I'm in your care again today."
"Let's see."
Fang Yi examined the dew containing spirit qi in the gourd bottle and nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Good! Good! As expected, you're diligent. You harvested it this morning so the spirit qi hasn't escaped yet. I'll give you 2 spirit stone fragments for this much. And this is... hmm?"
Fang Yi opened the cloth pouch and let out an admiring "Oh."
"Three-Colored Grass? The roots are damaged but there's still spiritual essence remaining. ...Good! I'll give you 8 spirit stone fragments for this. Do you agree?"
Fortunately, it was the same price Chen Xiaoming had expected.
Fang Yi definitely had a merchant's credibility. It was a rare conscience in this harsh world.
Of course.
That was also why Chen Xiaoming patronized this Spirit Elixir Pavilion.
"Yes! I'll sell everything."
"I like how straightforward you are!"
Thumbnail-sized crystals popped out from Fang Yi's waist.
Whoosh!
Ten spirit stone fragments flew through the air and gently landed on Chen Xiaoming's palm.
"Thank you! But Senior."
"Mm?"
Chen Xiaoming hesitated for a moment then pulled out a worn pouch and politely offered it.
His fingertips trembled finely at the heavy weight.
No one except Chen Xiaoming himself would know how precious what was contained in this shabby pouch was.
He swallowed nervously and forced a smile as he spoke.
"Senior. Could I possibly exchange all these spirit stone fragments combined for a spirit stone?"
"...A spirit stone? Not fragments but a real spirit stone?"
"Yes."
Fang Yi tilted his head as if doubting his ears. After a moment, he spoke with wide eyes.
"Kid. Don't tell me you've gathered all the fragments?"
"Yes. I've gathered 110 as you told me before, Senior."
"Well."
Fang Yi stood silently for a long while.
He took the pouch Chen Xiaoming offered and shook it around, gauging the weight.
"An ordinary kid without any proper skills gathered 110 spirit stone fragments? How long did it take?"
"Ahaha. Since I have no education, it took me three years."
"Three years!"
Fang Yi's exclamation was full of amazement. He looked admiringly at him smiling innocently like a naive child.
Some strange emotion stirred as he muttered so quietly it was barely audible.
"A young child without parents or even a master didn't give up while risking their life for three years...?"
In this moment.
Fang Yi's attitude changed. His gaze toward Chen Xiaoming held genuine curiosity.
He abandoned the playful attitude of killing boredom and spoke seriously.
"Right. I remember. I definitely said I'd exchange it for a spirit stone if you brought 110 spirit stone fragments. When was that?"
"Two years ago."
"Hehe. Now that I think about it, you started selling dew more frequently from that time. Climbing Crimson Sun Mountain every day with an ordinary person's body... Now that I think about it, your survival really is a miracle."
Blue haze rippled in Fang Yi's eyes as he stroked his chin.
He'd activated the Spirit Eye Technique, a pupil technique that could see through all mysteries.
'Ugh.'
When he met that strange gaze, it felt like facing a tiger. Fang Yi before him felt like a monster, not a person.
His hands and feet trembled finely, but he forced a smile. Chen Xiaoming continued acting like an innocent child.
How many breaths passed?
Fang Yi, who'd been examining him for a long while like appraising an object, shook his head.
"...Not only perseverance but your disposition is remarkable too. But a trash spirit root. Truly regrettable. There's no possibility of great achievement."
Chen Xiaoming, who'd been acting like the most innocent kid possible, tensed inside.
Fang Yi's assessment was something he already knew, so it wasn't particularly hurtful.
'Please.'
He just hoped the transaction would end quickly.
According to three years of observation, this cultivator Fang Yi was at least trustworthy.
He was the most conscientious merchant Chen Xiaoming had met since his past life.
As the Spirit Elixir Pavilion owner, he had a good reputation. He was famous for keeping his promises.
Among the people Chen Xiaoming could choose, he was the best option.
'I can only trust him.'
To Fang Yi, a Qi Refinement Level 4 practitioner, one spirit stone wasn't a treasure.
'Like a tenth of someone's monthly income—not trivial, but hardly a fortune.'
He judged that Fang Yi wouldn't tarnish his shop's credibility and rob a kid who'd diligently gathered dew for three years over a mere spirit stone.
Just as Chen Xiaoming swallowed.
Fang Yi, who'd been stroking his chin for a long while thinking about something, suddenly chuckled.
"Good! A merchant must keep their promises. Here's one spirit stone."
Whoosh!
How bold. A blue crystal the size of a thumb flew in an arc.
Chen Xiaoming's eyes widened as he hurriedly caught it.
He clutched the spirit stone tightly as if afraid someone might see. He couldn't hide his finely trembling fingertips from the ecstasy surging from deep in his heart.
A spirit stone!
Not a shattered fragment but a real spirit stone!
An important treasure for him to achieve the Dao!
With just this, he could step onto the path of immortality and begin cultivation!
'Finally got it.'
Chen Xiaoming bit his lip hard, trembling with emotion.
Memories of truly dog-like difficult years came to mind, reddening his eyes.
The day he'd condense spirit qi and become a Qi Refinement practitioner wasn't far off now.
"Thank you!"
He quickly tucked away the spirit stone and bowed deeply.
To Fang Yi, the Spirit Elixir Pavilion owner, it was just ordinary currency, but to him it was hope that would change his fate.
A lamp that would improve his life!