Chapter Seventeen: Longing for the Great Dao, Yet Helpless Without Wealth

By the time Fang Zheng and the little girl returned to the inn, dusk had already fallen. After all, Yaya was still just a child of a little over ten years old. The many days spent braving the elements had clearly left her stifled, and today she had wandered around the entire, rather sizable Shangjia Town until she was finally content. At this moment, even Fang Zheng felt somewhat fatigued, yet the little girl remained as exuberant as a bird newly freed from its cage. Fang Zheng couldn’t help but recall a certain “cautionary proverb”—“Never go shopping with a woman.” It seemed that regardless of age, all females shared an innate gift for this particular activity.

Upon returning to the inn, Fang Zheng saw Zhao Zhong and was reminded of the events of the previous night. He soon seized an opportunity when Zhao Zhong and the elder surnamed Zhang were discussing matters and went to seek them out. Once inside the room, Fang Zheng said, “Elder Zhang, I wonder how long your household intends to remain here. I am away on sect business and cannot linger too long. If your family has pressing affairs, I fear I must bid my farewell.”

Of course, these words were pure fabrication, meant for Zhao Zhong’s ears, so that he might relay them to the mysterious “important figure” who had been inquiring about Fang Zheng’s identity. The goal was to create the illusion that he had the backing of a powerful sect, thereby making the other party hesitate to act rashly. As he finished speaking, Fang Zheng subtly observed Zhao Zhong’s expression. Seeing the brief flicker in his eyes, Fang Zheng knew his objective had been achieved.

“Oh, so Mr. Fang is still shouldering important duties for his sect—that is my oversight. Allow me to inform you, the caravan completed its delivery today. If you are in a hurry, we can set out together tomorrow. You are our benefactor; Miss has already instructed us that, once we reach Tianyu County, we must properly express our gratitude. We cannot possibly allow you to travel alone.”

“In that case, I must trouble you, Elder. I shall take my leave!” Having achieved his purpose, Fang Zheng did not linger, taking his leave at once.

Leaving their room, Fang Zheng weighed the pros and cons of the situation. For now, he was in the open while the other party remained shrouded in darkness, their intentions unclear. All he could do was respond to each move as it came, advancing step by step. Judging by Zhao Zhong’s conversation with the mysterious figure the previous night, once word of his supposed sect affiliation reached that “important figure,” they likely would not act against him for a while. By the time his lie was exposed, he would already be far away, and they would have no means of dealing with him.

Meanwhile, the little girl had returned from the street and dashed off to share her trove of snacks with Bi’er and Zhao Mubai. Fang Zheng, back in his own room, once more took out “An Introduction to Returning to True Essence” and began reading. Over the past year, he had read this book countless times. Previously, his focus had been on the basics of cultivation and the study of techniques, but today he needed to research commonly used treasure-refining materials in the cultivation world. His lack of techniques could not be resolved in the short term, so he turned his attention to the only two techniques he possessed. “Basic Swordsmanship” was little more than a collection of forms, lacking any real profundity—just a matter of practice and diligence over time. But “Universe Sleeve” was a true cultivator’s art, though he had possessed it for some time, it remained incomplete, which made Fang Zheng somewhat embarrassed. Fortunately, the technique itself detailed both the method and the materials needed to refine the “Great Luo Heaven Sleeve.” Fang Zheng hoped that, by cross-referencing with “An Introduction to Returning to True Essence,” he might quickly gather the necessary materials and complete the refinement. According to the manual, a complete “Universe Sleeve” should possess considerable power; with it, he would finally have a true means of defense and counterattack should he find himself in danger again.

The refinement of the “Great Luo Heaven Sleeve” required four materials: “Universe Stone,” “Heaven Silkworm Gauze,” “Voidfeather,” and “Phantom Beast’s Blood.” The first two, “Heaven Silkworm Gauze” and “Voidfeather,” formed the main body of the sleeve, while the Universe Stone needed to be ground into powder and mixed with Phantom Beast’s Blood to inscribe the formation. Once these two procedures were completed, a unique refining technique would be used to forge the “Great Luo Heaven Sleeve,” a magical treasure that paired with the Universe Sleeve.

Fang Zheng methodically searched “An Introduction to Returning to True Essence” for information about each material. He had to admit that this unexpectedly acquired book was truly invaluable, providing not only detailed explanations of cultivation basics, but also a wealth of information on relevant materials—from artifact components to alchemical herbs and more. Yet, due to the book’s focus, its coverage of medicinal herbs was not as extensive or detailed as that found in the unnamed tome Fang Zheng had brought from Green Ox Village.

It did not take him long to find a description of the “Universe Stone.” This material, he learned, was renowned throughout the cultivation world. Every space-related magical treasure—from Universe Bags to storage rings—relied upon it. Thus, Universe Stone was an exceedingly precious resource, as storage treasures were essential to every cultivator, and some carried more than one. The demand was enormous. The larger the stone, the greater its value, each increase bringing a geometric rise in worth. But this detail brought Fang Zheng some relief—the refinement of the “Great Luo Heaven Sleeve” only required powdered Universe Stone, with no particular size needed, so collecting enough should not be too challenging.

“Heaven Silkworm Gauze” was a semi-refined product woven from “Heaven Silkworm Silk.” In the cultivation world, this was a category rather than a single item—nearly all “spirit silkworms” were dubbed “Heaven Silkworms,” and their silk naturally called “Heaven Silkworm Silk.” Of course, the quality varied greatly depending on the species. Fortunately, this material was not considered rare. According to the book, every cultivator’s “Trade Market” would have Heaven Silkworm Silk available, though the quality was generally low. Here, the book also explained the term “Trade Market”—a marketplace where cultivators exchanged all manner of materials and techniques, much like the market in Shen Family Village, except it catered exclusively to cultivators.

To date, Fang Zheng had yet to meet another cultivator; as for Old Shen, Fang Zheng considered him only “half” of one, as he had never witnessed anything extraordinary from him.

Both “Voidfeather” and “Phantom Beast’s Blood” were materials harvested from demon beasts. Demon beasts were ordinary animals that, having absorbed the essence of sun and moon, evolved into higher forms, much like the distinction between mortals and cultivators. Fang Zheng himself had never encountered such beings. The “Voidfeather” came from the “Void Demon Swallow,” a demonic bird innately gifted with spatial abilities, with its power depending on its rank. “Phantom Beast’s Blood” referred to the heart’s blood of the “Phantom Leopard,” another demon beast renowned for its spatial talents, boasting lightning speed and the ability to conceal itself and move through the void—feared by many in the cultivation world.

Having clarified the nature of these materials, Fang Zheng now faced the problem of how to collect them. In his view, “Voidfeather” and “Heaven Silkworm Gauze” should be relatively easy to obtain, and, with some effort, he could likely amass enough Universe Stone, even if it meant gathering pieces so small as to be unwanted by others. But the “Phantom Beast’s Blood” was a real problem. According to the book, not only was the Phantom Leopard powerful, but it was also extremely rare; sightings were increasingly uncommon, and whenever its presence was rumored, it often attracted scores of cultivators hoping to hunt it. The blood was not only essential for artifact forging, but also a key ingredient in many elixirs, making it highly valuable.

Fang Zheng felt a headache coming on. Even the lowest quality “Heaven Silkworm Silk” was a monumental challenge for him, and for a simple reason: he had no money! The currency used by cultivators was not the gold or silver of mortals—such things were worthless to them, no different from dirt or stone. Transactions in the Trade Market were usually barter-based, with elixirs and materials in highest demand, followed by magical treasures and artifacts, and, finally, the cultivation world’s own currency: “spirit stones.” The book explained that these were stones naturally imbued with pure spiritual energy, graded as high, medium, or low, with an exchange rate of roughly one to one hundred from highest to lowest. Their value came from their utility: spirit stones could be used for cultivation, as a power source for formations, as energy in alchemy, or even directly absorbed to replenish spiritual energy. They were essential in cultivation, and since their supply was stable, their value remained relatively constant.

Fang Zheng felt that, as a man from a highly developed modern society, he compared most unfavorably to the protagonists of all those time-travel novels who arrived in feudal times and prospered with ease. Not only was he clueless, but he was also destitute—so poor, in fact, that he had never even seen what passed for “money” in the cultivation world.

For now, he had no better plan than to pin his hopes on reaching Azure Cloud Mountain, reasoning that making money would require first gaining access to the world of cultivators—otherwise, all else was empty talk. With this in mind, Fang Zheng grew increasingly impatient, wishing he could sprout wings and fly straight to Azure Cloud Mountain.

The night passed as Fang Zheng alternated between cultivation and idle, anxious thoughts. The next morning, after his routine exercises, he was sipping tea in his room when Zhao Zhong came to say that the caravan would soon depart. Fang Zheng looked up at him, recalling how Zhao Zhong had slipped out of the inn once again in the dead of night, his mind full of speculation…