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Chapter 140: Fencing Stolen Goods (Please Subscribe! )

Chapter 140: Fencing Stolen Goods (Please Subscribe! )

Two months passed in a flash.

Fang Xi had settled down in White Peace Immortal City, and had also become familiar with the neighbors in Willow Lane.

Aside from Su Lie and his wife, one of his agreeable neighbors was a charming woman named 'Wisteria Fairy', a Qi Refinement seventh-level cultivator and a first-order superior-grade talisman master.

Living in White Peace Immortal City was far from easy!

Su Lie and his wife relied on the husband's profound cultivation, regularly venturing into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range to hunt monsters.

As for Wisteria Fairy, she acquired talisman paper and ink, then crafted them into talismans for sale, earning a meager living.

The rent in White Peace Immortal City was exorbitant; rogue cultivators who could reside there long-term all possessed a certain skill.

If one's cultivation skill among the hundred immortal arts was only of a first-order mid-to-low grade, and their cultivation hadn't reached late-stage Qi Refinement, then even if they wished to venture into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range to desperately hunt monsters, no one would be willing to take them along!

He merely displayed a hint of his advanced pill refining technique, and Wisteria Fairy, Su Lie, and the others were more than willing to befriend him.

After all, pill refiners occupied a much higher position in the hierarchy of disdain than talisman masters.

Fang Xi frequently purchased raw materials for pills, then refined and sold the pills, thus covering his ostensible expenses.

Incidentally, he could also collect materials related to the Foundation Establishment Pill.

"This White Peace Immortal City has a Core Formation ancestor overseeing it, and combat is forbidden within the city. . . It's also a place where resources from three countries converge, truly an excellent spot for cultivation. . ."

Inside the pill refining room, Fang Xi gazed at the Purple Jade Cauldron before him, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, he gently patted it with his hand!

The pill furnace lid opened, and several pills flew out, landing in his palm.

Pop!

One pill burst open, turning into black ash.

Another pill had a faint gray mark on its surface; it was an inferior-grade pill.

"This 'Dragon Transformation Pill' is a first-order superior-grade pill, and even among pills of its type, it's exceedingly difficult to refine. For an ordinary pill master, producing two or three pills per furnace is considered excellent skill."

"Yet when I attempt it, I can produce four authentic pills and one inferior pill from a single furnace. My skill can be considered at the peak of the first-order, I just lack second-order pill formulas to practice with. . ."

Fang Xi looked at the remaining Dragon Transformation Pills, a smile appearing on his face.

This Dragon Transformation Pill formula was obtained from the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan!

Its main ingredient was a fifty-year-old 'Dragon Transformation Ginseng', which happened to be in the herb garden, uprooted by marauding cultivators and sealed within a jade paste box.

When Fang Xi first saw it, he cursed the perpetrators for squandering such a heavenly treasure. If this ginseng had been several hundred years old, one of the auxiliary materials for his Foundation Establishment Pill would have been collected.

"The Zhong Clan was able to raise their little Green Horned Dragon precisely by relying on these 'Dragon Transformation Pills'!"

Holding the pills, he walked to the pond in his courtyard.

Splash!

The big green fish seemed to catch a scent, excitedly surfacing.

"Good for nothing but eating first!"

Fang Xi glared, but still tossed a Dragon Transformation Pill into the big green fish's mouth: "I'll give you another fifty years, and if you still can't break through to the second-order, then die!"

This big green fish was incredibly sluggish; Fang Xi suspected it deliberately waited until the very last moment of its current stage to break through each time.

However, he had to admit, this was indeed the path to preservation for a creature so lackadaisical.

If this fish were to break through to the second-order now, with its talent for activating a trace of flood dragon blood, it might very well truly cultivate an inner core. . .

And then there would be no 'then'. . .

Fang Xi needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, and he was currently in dire need of monster cores for practice!

After admonishing his spirit pet, Fang Xi sat on a stone stool in the courtyard and poured himself a cup of spirit tea: "Of the fifteen auxiliary materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, the other thirteen have long been fully collected. All that's missing are two hundred-year-old Dragon Transformation Ginseng and Verdant Spirit Liquid!"

There shouldn't be any Dragon Transformation Ginseng over two hundred years old in the Zhong Clan's herb garden; otherwise, they would have long ago brought it to White Peace Immortal City to try and collaborate with others to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, allowing their clan to produce another Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Fang Xi also visited various shops and inquired with his neighbors, learning that there were quite a few Qi Refinement Perfected cultivators in White Peace Immortal City secretly collecting Foundation Establishment Pill materials.

To gather all the auxiliary materials, besides continuously monitoring the auctions and exchange fairs of major merchant guilds, one could only look forward to White Peace Immortal City's grand auction, held once every ten years.

Although two hundred-year-old Dragon Transformation Ginseng and Verdant Spirit Liquid were rare, they occasionally appeared at the auctions and exchange fairs of large merchant guilds.

Even Foundation Establishment Pills occasionally appeared at the grand auction held once every ten years, so these two spiritual medicines were certain to be present!

"The next grand auction should be in three years, and I'll be fifty-six by then. . ."

"Never mind, it's only three years, I can afford to wait!"

"In the meantime, I'll visit more merchant guilds; who knows, I might just find them!"

Fang Xi decided to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills himself, so the required quantities of auxiliary materials would naturally differ from what others needed.

To be on the safe side, he needed to prepare at least ten sets.

Of course, some auxiliary materials might not require a full set. For instance, with Verdant Spirit Liquid, only a few drops were needed in a furnace to aid in the chemical transformation of the medicinal properties, so a small bottle would be sufficient. . .

...

"Now, is it time?"

Fang Xi quietly flew out of White Peace Immortal City. When he returned, he had transformed into a Daoist with a green robe and a long beard.

"One spirit stone for entry, may I ask this Daoist friend's surname?"

Since Fang Xi had not presented a long-term rental talisman, the spirit guard at the gate asked as a matter of routine.

In fact, he even took an extra look at this Daoist.

After all, a Qi Refinement Perfected cultivator could be considered a notable figure in White Peace Immortal City.

"I am. . . Daoist Mu!"

Fang Xi clasped his hands within his wide sleeves and indifferently stated his name.

Immediately, he took his second identity token and walked into White Peace Immortal City.

With a Martial God's control over his body, as long as he didn't encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator, there shouldn't be any major problems.

And the reason he adopted the 'Daoist Mu' alias was, naturally, to fence stolen goods.

Moreover, when bidding in future auctions, it would be best to operate under an alias.

Fang Xi entered the outer city and, knowing his way around, walked towards an artifact shop.

He had already found out that this artifact shop was backed by a Foundation Establishment family from the State of Mu and had no particular ties with cultivators from the State of Yue.

And what he intended to sell were, of course, stolen goods.

For example, the artifacts he had acquired by killing and seizing treasures during his time as the silver-armored figure more than thirty years ago, and some useless resources he had seized from the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan this time.

Indeed, news had recently arrived that the Thirty-Six Islands Alliance had achieved a great victory, overthrowing the Dragon Fish Zhong Clan.

The Dragon Fish Zhong Clan's reinforcements had retreated midway, effectively acknowledging the Thirty-Six Islands Alliance's dominion over Myriad Islands Lake.

Through this battle, the Tai Shu family and the other top three clans had actually suffered heavy losses, and could only quietly lie low, recuperating.

Myriad Islands Lake thus entered a period of calm.

However, Fang Xi knew very well that this was by no means the end, but merely the beginning!

All the resources of Myriad Islands Lake had likely fallen under the control of demonic cultivators, with the Situ Clan as the mastermind!

'Secretly reporting such a thing would bring me no benefit. . . and besides, it would be easy to expose myself. . . '

'It's better to wait until after I've reached Foundation Establishment and my methods are more refined. . . '

With that thought, Fang Xi walked into the shop. A greeter, with a face full of smiles, immediately approached him: "Esteemed guest, what kind of artifacts do you require?"

"I wonder if your esteemed shop purchases used artifacts?"

A smile blossomed on the gaunt face of Fang Xi's Daoist persona, like withered wood coming back to life, appearing exceptionally eerie.

"That, of course, we do."

The greeter's smile remained unchanged.

"I have quite a large quantity. Go call your shopkeeper over. . ."

The first batch of goods Fang Xi was preparing to sell had been in his possession for over thirty years. Furthermore, with the recent downfall of the Zhong Clan, it was now effectively safe to expose them, being quite secure.

However, for the sake of caution, it was better to fence them.

He possessed immense patience and could quietly carry out the fencing operation over several years.

Half an hour later, the shopkeeper of the artifact shop, his face wreathed in smiles, saw Fang Xi out of the establishment.

...

"Daoist Friend Fang, you're back!"

Returning to Willow Lane, Fang Xi saw a beautiful woman dressed in a green ruqun, possessing a refined and elegant demeanor.

She appeared to be in her twenties or early thirties, with an oval face and the gentle, demure air of a young lady from a prominent family.

"Wisteria Fairy!"

He nodded in acknowledgment: "Indeed. . . I went out to procure a batch of pill refining materials."

"Alas, I truly envy Daoist friend, to have mastered the art of pill refining. . . Unlike this humble one, who can only draw talismans daily to sustain herself. . . My talisman brush is almost worn bare. . . yet I can barely earn a few spirit stones, and can hardly afford the rent anymore."

Wisteria Fairy said with a hint of sorrow.

"This. . ."

For a moment, Fang Xi was at a loss for how to respond.

Could she be hinting that he should buy her a superior-grade talisman brush? Or perhaps pay her rent on her behalf, or even. . . live together?

'Forget it, cultivators possess many strange and secret arts; I must be careful not to fall into a trap unwittingly. . . '

He glanced at her voluptuous figure, smiled, and returned to his own courtyard, closing the door.

"Hmph. . . another one with a wicked heart but no guts."

Wisteria Fairy returned to her immortal's cave, secretly spitting in disdain.

Back in the day, she had started her cultivation journey by specializing in charm techniques, thus she could clearly discern what this man was thinking. It was only after she made powerful enemies that she was forced to flee to White Peace Immortal City for refuge, changing her profession to talisman drawing, while secretly dabbling in a few other side jobs.

Initially, she had thought Fang Xi's appearance was quite good and wanted to expand her clientele, but she never expected him to be so timid!

The next day.

Fang Xi took a bottle of casually refined pills as a gift and went to visit Su Lie and his wife.

After a casual chat, he began to inquire about Wisteria Fairy's past.

"That woman is not a proper female cultivator, Daoist friend, you must be extremely careful. It is said that many male cultivators in the outer city have fought and become jealous over her, some even arranging duels outside the city!"

Jin Ling, having received the spirit pills, was initially all smiles, but her expression turned cold when Wisteria Fairy was mentioned.

"So that's how it is, I understand. . ."

Fang Xi, however, secretly felt a touch of regret. It seemed there wasn't much of a problem, and it wasn't as if he couldn't afford a talisman brush. . .

By now, the spirit stones in his storage bag had exceeded five thousand, enough to even try bidding for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

However, it wasn't appropriate to continue the conversation in that vein, so he began discussing the sights and sounds of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range.

"Life is not easy in the Myriad Beast Mountains. . . A seemingly ordinary group of first-order monsters might even have a second-order beast king hiding behind them. . ."

Su Lie, speaking of this, also sighed deeply: "It is said that last year, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while pursuing a second-order monster suspected of cultivating an inner core, mistakenly strayed into the territory of two 'Thunder Horned Pythons' equivalent to late-stage Foundation Establishment. He was severely injured and barely managed to return, holding on just long enough to arrange his affairs before perishing in meditation. . . Alas, if even a great Foundation Establishment cultivator faces such a fate, how difficult must it be for us rogue cultivators to obtain a second-order inner core!"