Chapter 169: Chapter 112: Annual Assessment (2)
"There are three ways to buy Cultivation Resources. The first is to buy from the Cangyun Sect’s Treasure Medicine Pavilion. The items inside are half the price of what you’d find outside, and the selection is comprehensive. You can even find top-tier goods that aren’t available elsewhere! But you need to be an Inner Sect Disciple to buy anything, and even then, there are different purchasing limits for disciples of different levels. You’re still in the Outer Sect, so you can’t buy from there even if you have the money. It’s essentially a benefit for Inner Sect Disciples," Cheng Yuzhi explained.
"The second way is to go to the Sect’s Internal Marketplace. The Marketplace is a place where disciples or Elders of our Sect sell things they don’t need in exchange for Silver Coins or other Cultivation Resources. Outer Disciples can buy things there too. But the quality of the items is a mixed bag, so you have to assess them yourself. You also have to haggle over the price, and sometimes you might not find what you’re looking for. It’s all down to luck.
"As for the third method, you can just buy from a Pharmacy. The goods at a Pharmacy are guaranteed to be good quality and the selection is complete, but the prices aren’t cheap. There are branches of two major Pharmacies right outside the Cangyun Sect’s gates."
Cheng Yuzhi laid it all out.
"Inner Sect Disciples get such great benefits!" Jiang Che exclaimed.
’It seems the best way is definitely to buy from the Treasure Medicine Pavilion.’ But he wasn’t qualified.
"Of course! To be honest with you, besides the right to purchase from the Treasure Medicine Pavilion, Inner Sect Disciples can also enter the Cultivation Rooms and the Scripture Pavilion!"
"What are those?" Jiang Che asked.
"Cultivation Rooms are Cultivation Secret Chambers paved with a type of precious Jade called Snow Crystal. Cultivating inside them can speed up your progress quite a bit! The best, a Level A Cultivation Room, is said to increase cultivation speed by a hundred percent! Even the worst, a D-level room, can give you a twenty-percent boost!" Cheng Yuzhi’s eyes were also filled with envy.
’There’s actually something this good...’ Jiang Che’s eyes lit up.
’If he could train in a Cultivation Room all the time, it would largely make up for his poor Root Bone!’
"As for the Scripture Pavilion, it not only houses the Martial Arts from every school in our Sect, but it has also collected many superior Martial Arts from other Sects! Of course, ordinary people aren’t qualified to enter, and I don’t know many of the specifics myself."
’The Scripture Pavilion!’ Jiang Che’s heart stirred.
’If he learned all those Martial Arts, his Talent would stack to an unimaginable degree!’
Learning about the superior treatment of Inner Sect Disciples made him even more eager.
"Thank you for the information, Senior Brother Cheng!" Jiang Che quickly pressed a piece of silver into his hand. This information was very important to him!
"Don’t mention it, don’t mention it! By the way, if it’s inconvenient for you, Junior Brother Jiang, I can also help you purchase cultivation supplies!" Cheng Yuzhi said with a chuckle, accepting the silver.
"There’s no need for that. I’ll go take a look myself first. By the way, being here in the Cangyun Sect, information is hard to come by. Is there any way to learn about the news and developments in the Prefecture City outside?" Jiang Che asked.
Back in Lin Yuan City, he had been frustrated by the lack of a convenient channel for news, forcing him to resort to listening to conversations in teahouses.
But he hadn’t seen any teahouses within the Cangyun Sect.
Besides, time for cultivation was already tight, and gathering information by eavesdropping on others’ conversations was indeed rather inefficient.
"Someone in the Sect publishes a newsletter. I hear a high-ranking member of the Sect is behind it, so the news is quite accurate. It’s published twice a month, on the first and the fifteenth. A year’s subscription starts at ten taels of gold. Would Junior Brother Jiang like to subscribe?"
"Alright, I’ll trouble Senior Brother to subscribe for me then." Jiang Che immediately took out ten taels of gold.
Although it was a bit expensive, Jiang Che understood the importance of information.
Especially now, with rebels rising up everywhere and the world in turmoil.
If something major happened, he would be able to react in advance. It might even save his life!
"You got it! I’ll go take care of it for you right away. You won’t even have to pick it up; someone will deliver the newsletter to your residence on time."
After they finished speaking, Cheng Yuzhi took the money and left.
Afterward, Jiang Che first made a trip to the Marketplace.
The Marketplace was located on a street at the foot of the mountain.
It was called a Marketplace, but it was really more like a large flea market.
It was just a collection of temporary stalls set up on both sides of the road.
Moreover, everyone there, whether they were browsing or running a stall, had vigorous Qi Blood. They were all at the Force Integration Realm or higher.
There were hardly any Martial Artists at the Iron Skin Realm like Jiang Che.
Jiang Che felt like he was back where he started—practicing his fist techniques before his first Qi Blood breakthrough.
Of course, compared to back then, he now had at least some ability to protect himself.
Jiang Che browsed for a while and did indeed find many stalls selling Black Crystals, Exotic Beast Meat, and Qi and Blood Replenishing Elixirs.
In addition, there were also various other items for sale, such as Weapons, Hidden Weapons, and Armor.
He even saw someone selling live Exotic Beasts.
However, the prices varied from stall to stall, and Jiang Che couldn’t really tell if the quality was good or bad.
Furthermore, most of the goods were sold in scattered, small amounts.
It was fine for occasionally finding a small item, but making bulk purchases was impossible.
’Forget it. I’ll just go to the Pharmacy outside. I can come back later if I need to hunt for something specific.’
Jiang Che silently came to a decision.
He was a newcomer with no experience and worried about buying fakes.
On the other hand, he was still just an Outer Disciple, and it would be troublesome if he got into a conflict with someone.
With that, Jiang Che went to the Pharmacy outside the Sect’s main gate.
Although he was outside the main gate, this area was still within the Cangyun Sect’s sphere of influence, so Jiang Che wasn’t worried about his safety.
After comparing the two Pharmacies, Jiang Che found that their prices were the same.
So he didn’t overthink it and just chose the Pharmacy with the better reputation and more branches.
He bought a three-month supply for his cultivation, spending a total of four hundred taels of Gold.
After that, Jiang Che had four hundred and eighty taels of Gold remaining.
The prices were definitely not cheap; Jiang Che felt they were about thirty percent more expensive than in Lin Yuan City.
But there was nothing to be done about it for now. He had to break through to Force Integration in a short amount of time and enter the Inner Courtyard first.
As for money, Jiang Che was confident that as long as his strength increased, it wouldn’t be difficult to earn more.
...
Cangyun Sect, Main Pavilion Hall.
This pavilion was located at the peak of Cangyun Mountain, level with the clouds, and was also known as Qi Yun Pavilion.
Inside the hall, Sect Leader Xu Zhouzi was an old Daoist with silver hair and a silver beard, and a ruddy complexion.
He sat cross-legged on the head seat, looking down at the deans and Elders below.
Upon closer inspection, one would discover that his lower body was not touching the prayer cushion at all—he was floating slightly in the air!
"...What has the Demon Sect been up to recently?"
Xu Zhouzi’s voice rang out in the great hall.
His lips had not moved, yet everyone in the hall heard his voice clearly.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, the Demon Sect has been quiet ever since we annihilated one of their sub-altars last month."
Vice Sect Leader Xie Songnian rose and said.
He had black hair and a white beard, a lean face, and a gentle expression, though a sharp glint occasionally flashed in his eyes.
"Continue to keep an eye on them. We absolutely cannot let them disrupt the Cloud Tier Inquiry Conference!" Xu Zhouzi commanded.
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
"If there is nothing else, you are dismissed."
...
After the meeting was dismissed, the deans and Elders filed out and returned to their respective schools.
Xu Qingshan, who wore a black Daoist Robe and had white hair at his temples, came out and spotted an elegant figure ahead. Seemingly recalling something, he hurried after her.
"Junior Sister Ye, please wait a moment."
The figure paused upon hearing his voice but did not turn around.
"Senior Brother Xu, what is it?"
This person wore a white, cloud-patterned Daoist Robe. Her face was beautiful, making it impossible to guess her age, but a few silver strands in her hair indicated she was not young.
The lifespan of those who pursue Cultivation is greatly extended; someone in their sixties or seventies is only comparable to a Mortal in their forties or fifties.
"I recently met the disciple of an old acquaintance. Do you want to know who?" Xu Qingshan said with a smile.
"I don’t want to know. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving," the female Daoist said flatly.
"Ye Lianzhen, we’ve been senior brother and junior sister for fifty years. Can’t you be a little nicer to me?" Xu Qingshan sighed.
"The fact that I’m willing to listen to you is nice enough," the female Daoist named Ye Lianzhen said coldly.
"It was Luo Kun. Senior Brother Luo," Xu Qingshan said.
"...It’s him?!" Ye Lianzhen whipped her head around, a trace of excitement flashing in her eyes.
Xu Qingshan smiled and nodded.
"How... how is he doing?" Ye Lianzhen realized she had lost her composure and quickly reined in her emotions.
"Why don’t you go ask his disciple yourself? The kid’s name is Jiang Che, and he’s still in the Outer Sect." After saying this, Xu Qingshan left with a smile.
"Jiang Che..." Ye Lianzhen murmured, watching Xu Qingshan’s departing back.
...
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