Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World

Chapter 480: Chapter 262: Nighttime Splendor

As night fell, Zi’an County Town grew even more vibrant!

Brilliant lights twinkled like a sea of stars, and the shops remained open. The banks of the Zi’an River had become the liveliest part of the city at night.

On the south bank, beautiful women graced elegant pavilions, leaning against railings to gaze into the distance. Their flower-like smiles captivated countless admirers.

Merchants also flocked to the area, their stalls overflowing with a dazzling variety of goods. Snack vendors lined the streets and bridges, hawking their wares to the crowds admiring the riverside scenery. The fragrant aromas wafting through the air tempted passersby to stop for a taste.

Boats on the river, adorned with lights to resemble dragons, drifted by. The buildings on either bank formed walls of lanterns. Their reflections shimmered on the water’s surface, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene—a river of stars on earth!

On the river, over a hundred yards wide, painted pleasure boats drifted and swayed gently. Melodious zither music and sweet songs filled the air. Many people gathered aboard these boats—some drank and chatted merrily, some composed poetry, some performed elegant sword dances, and some even rode the wind on their swords! The spectacle drew thunderous applause and cheers from the countless onlookers.

"Bravo!" Squeezed in among the crowd, Cheng Zongyang clapped enthusiastically along with everyone else as he watched the figures flying on their swords and casting dazzling spells.

It was his first time seeing Cultivators show off, so naturally, he was excited.

’I can’t tip them with a ’Rocket Carnival’, but I can at least give them some free applause.’

He had been in this world for eleven years, but today was the first time he had truly experienced the splendor of such a prosperous era.

As a newcomer here, he had yet to encounter those lofty Cultivators who had transcended mortal needs. Nor had he witnessed any scenes of Cultivators despising mortals, viewing them as ants and slaughtering them like dogs.

Perhaps it was the County Town’s regulations, or maybe just local custom. But whatever the reason, nothing could stop him from joining in on the festivities tonight.

He didn’t have any Spirit Crystals or Spirit Stones, but he had other resources!

After following the crowds and admiring the spectacular sights along the Zi’an River for over an hour, Cheng Zongyang checked the time. He knew he had to leave the bustling scene and return to reality.

He found a pawnshop, holding a bottle of Water Element Spiritual Liquid in his hand.

Quite a few people were coming and going from the pawnshop. Unsure of the customs, Cheng Zongyang listened in on the conversations inside while he waited in line, hoping to get a better understanding.

When his turn came, he placed a palm-sized porcelain bottle on the counter, which stood about a head taller than him. "Shopkeeper," he said, "could you please appraise this for me? See what it’s worth?"

The pawnshop’s Shopkeeper was a middle-aged man in his fifties with a handlebar mustache.

’Cheng Zongyang could sense the man’s powerful qi and blood. Clearly, he was a Martial Artist too. Comparing him to myself, his strength must be in the Upper Three Grades or even higher!’

The Shopkeeper behind the counter took the porcelain bottle, gave it a look, and then uncorked it.

Instantly, a familiar scent wafted out! His expression shifted to one of surprise.

"Water Element Spiritual Liquid?"

’As expected of a pawnshop’s Shopkeeper,’ Cheng Zongyang thought. ’His knowledge is impressive. He identified it just from the scent.’

"This is indeed a good item," he began, "but this Spiritual Liquid isn’t particularly rare."

He weighed the bottle in his hand, peered inside once more to estimate the Weight, and then began to close the lid as he spoke:

"There’s about one tael’s worth here. I can offer you five Low Grade Spirit Stones. Are you selling it for good, or will you be buying it back?"

’Five Low Grade Spirit Stones?’

Cheng Zongyang looked astonished. ’Is it really that cheap?’

He quickly composed himself, took back the porcelain bottle, and said, "Sorry, I think I’ll consider it a bit more."

With that, he turned and left without a second glance.

Though he had only spent the better part of the day wandering a small section of Zi’an County, he’d gotten a rough idea of the prices in the County Town.

He’d expected the pawnshop to lowball him—that was standard practice. But he never thought the price would be *that* low.

’It took me three days to collect this one tael of Spiritual Liquid, and it’s only worth five Low Grade Spirit Stones?’

After some thought, he decided to try his luck at some Elixir Shops and Commerce Association offices.

In the end, the highest offer he got was seven Spirit Stones from an Elixir Shop.

This gave Cheng Zongyang a rough idea of the availability of Spirit Stones in this world—clearly, they weren’t very common.

’He wasn’t sure how to describe the economy. It was like deflation, in that the purchasing power of Spirit Stones was strong, but the general price of goods wasn’t low either.’

In the end, he sold the bottle of Spiritual Liquid for seven Low Grade Spirit Stones.

’Getting seven Low Grade Spirit Stones for Spiritual Liquid I collected for free isn’t a bad deal, all things considered.’

Just then, he recalled the High Tier Spirit Stones that had come included with the Array he’d purchased.

’Those must be worth a lot more.’

’The market hut... I think we can put in purchase requests for Spirit Stones there, can’t we?’ Cheng Zongyang suddenly remembered.

But Luo Dingran had always handled those matters. Cheng Zongyang pushed the thought aside for now and headed to the South District of Zi’an County to find an inn for the night.

He chose the South District simply because it was where mortals lived.

Zi’an County was divided into four major districts, but they were functionally split into two types based on their inhabitants: mortals and Cultivators.

The South District, where he currently was, was home to ordinary people and Martial Artists, making it the most populous of the four.

Aside from the South District, the other three were residential areas for Cultivators.

The Zi’an River flowed into the county from the southwest, separating the North, West, and East Districts from the South District, making the latter seem like an isolated island.

Three bridges connected the South District to the other three areas.

As a result, the South District was very lively and home to a great many common people.

Finally, as Cheng Zongyang searched for an inn with a vacant room, he began to piece things together. From what he’d learned about the South District over the past few hours, combined with everything he’d seen and the rumors he’d overheard along the way, he came to a realization—his initial impression had been wrong.