The content of the novel comes from-DIDIDA Novels
Translator: Yukidaruma Translations Editor: Yukidaruma Translations
The Saint followed behind Fang Xingjian, her gaze attracted by the various products. This place had gathered the majority of the factions in the Great Western Region. There were countless heavenly and earthly treasures. This was not something which the Horned Frogs Valley which she had come from could compare with.
Although these were temporary stalls, each stall took up quite a large area of space, around 20 to 40 square meters.
The lowest level stallholders were Knight apprentices, and almost every stall would have a first transition expert. They could easily bring out stone tables and benches. Those who were better off had even brought along various pieces of furniture. It was more like those exhibits back on Earth.
Fang Xingjian sniffed and followed a medicinal fragrance, arriving in front of a specific stall. He saw various medicinal pills put up for sale at the stall.
An attendant smiled and walked up, saying, "Hello, Sir. What are you looking for? Our Unicorn Trade Association has been trading in medicinal herbs for Knights for 80 years now. We have all kinds of medicinal herbs for cultivation."
From its name, the Unicorn Trade Association did not seem to be associated with any of the martial art factions at all. However, it was a fact that within the Empire, most factions were not purely martial art factions.
Most appeared to be a combination of trade associations, religious groups, and various interest groups.
The honourable businesses that they conducted out in the open could be setting up schools to take in students, or setting up trade associations for businesses in various aspects, including cultivating, training, medicinal herbs, armors, and hunting activities.
Meanwhile, in the dark, they might conduct various illegal activities such as assassinations, mobilizing mercenaries and spies, or underground battles.
The Unicorn Trade Association was seemingly a faction which was involved in trading with medicinal herbs.
In fact, it was exactly so. The Unicorn Trade Association had initially been a business trading in medicinal herbs, started up by a few wild Knights. However, as their businesses grew, the number of subordinates under them grew as well, and their influence also rose. They gradually became an organization which was half sect, half trade association.
Across the Empire, there was a countless number of similar organizations. In fact, there were even more such organizations than factions who were purely involved in martial arts.
After all, it was only through business and by earning money that their influence could swiftly expand. Otherwise, if it was just a few people or tens of people coming together only to train, it would be hard for them to achieve much if they could not get to second transition.
Fang Xingjian threw a glance at the various medicinal herbs and said, "I need medicine which can speed up the rate at which I condense specialties, and to increase my potential. Do you have those?"
The attendant smiled, picked up a box, and opened it. He pointed to a crimson red medicinal pill that was heavy as metal, and said, "This is the Crimson Fire Pill. We’ve only recently invented it. As a cultivator, sir, you should be aware that when we cultivate, we require a tremendous amount of energy in order to replenish our energy, right?
"But ordinary food has too many impurities and insufficient nutrition. After eating, we even have to waste our vital energy and blood to digest.
"But this Crimson Fire Pill is different. This is a dry ration that we've prepared especially for cultivators. One pill is able to replenish a first transition cultivator's one day energy depletion.
"If taken regularly, in the long-run it can even nourish one's bones and muscles, increase one's potential, and increase one’s possibility to condense specialties."
Fang Xingjian took the Crimson Fire Pill and sniffed it. He could smell a strong medicinal fragrance. The pill was clearly a condensation of the essences of numerous medicinal herbs.
"Interesting." Fang Xingjian put down the medicinal pill and continued, "But although this is acceptable for an ordinary first transition, it's insufficient for experts who are at even higher levels. Since you guys studied and came up with such medicinal pills for day-to-day use, you should also have similar ones for second transition experts, right? Bring them out for me to take a look."
A gleam shone in the attendant's eyes and he said, ashamed, "Sir is a second transition expert? Please forgive me for my impudence. Please come with me."
Seeing that Fang Xingjian did not deny his attempt in probing, the attendant understood that Fang Xingjian had tacitly admitted. Therefore, he spoke with increasing ardour, inviting him to take a seat while he took out a few boxes and placed them before Fang Xingjian. He handled the boxes with great care, as if the items stored in the boxes were priceless treasures.
Other people had been paying attention and gathered around, wanting to see what the items were.
The attendant carefully opened a box, revealing a translucent medicinal pill that looked as if burning flames were trapped within.
The moment the box was opened, streams of heat flowed out.
Seeing this medicinal pill that looked like burning flames, no one present could turn their gazes away. The Ice Palace's Saint even revealed a look of astonishment. She had never seen such an amazing medicinal pill before.
The attendant now broke into a proud expression and said, "After many years of hard work and research, our Unicorn Trade Association has finally created this Fire Deity Medicine especially targeted at second transition experts. It is condensed with the sun's fiery trait, compact with over 1,000 types of nutritional essences, and uses the sun's fiery trait to eliminate impurities.
"Even a second transition expert would only need one of these to go without food and drink for seven days. It increases over 10,000 potential points."
"Oh? This is really good stuff." As they spoke, a hunchback old man with a beard walked up and picked up the Fire Deity Medicine directly and asked, "How much is it? I'm buying it."
"Huh?" The attendant looked at the bearded old man in surprise. At the next moment, he immediately recognized the other party and said, "Lord Black Spear."
The Black Spear before them was one of the second transition experts from the Black Wings, one of the three greatest faction in the Great Western Region.
The Black Wings was a mercenary organization which went back several decades. They had often received requests to participate in various assassinations, spying missions, arena battles, and other such activities. They had even been enlisted for external battles.
The people in this organization placed huge emphasis on practical battles and they were equipped with various martial techniques characterized by extremely high killing intents. Their legacy was true massacre skills for battlefield use. They also tended to act unscrupulously without hesitation.
And Black Spear was also considered an old customer of the Unicorn Trade Association. Upon arrival, he spoke and acted with a great air of arrogance.
Black Spear stroked his beard and said, "Mmm, I'm asking you a question. How much is this? I'm taking it."
The attendant took a look at Fang Xingjian, feeling a little at a loss. After all, he had first introduced this item to Fang Xingjian. However, Black Spear was an old time second transition expert, and he was also backed by the Black Wings. The attendant did not dare to offend him either.
Just then, Fang Xingjian spoke, "First come, first served. This Fire Deity Medicine has already caught my eye. No matter how much it costs, I'm buying it. You’d better wait for another chance."
"Oh?" Black Spear frowned as he looked at Fang Xingjian and the Ice Palace's Saint. He searched his memories, but could not identify the two of them. Therefore, he asked, "Kid, which faction are you from?"
With a mere gaze and a question, boundless pressure came gushing down on him, and under the willpower impact, the Ice Palace's Saint started trembling.
However, after Fang Xingjian pat her on the shoulder gently, she immediately recovered, feeling extremely at peace and relieved.
"Ice Palace, Vicious Knight." Fang Xingjian stood up as he said this, and a world penetrating aura gushed forth, making the people in the surroundings stagger backward. They felt as if a huge block of mountain had come crushing down on them, rendering them unable to fight back against the tremendous power.
Black Spear's countenance changed as well. However, he was after all an experienced level 25 expert. Even though he had felt that heavy pressure, it was still within his tolerance level.
Furthermore, he had gone through the names of all the top notch factions in the Great Western Region in his mind. There was not one by the name of Ice Palace, except...
"Horned Frogs Valley's Ice Palace?" Thinking of this, Black Spear's confidence surged. "Kid, our Black Wings needs this urgently. If you give it up to me this time around, then we'll take it that our Black Wings owes you a favor."
Although the other party was merely a small sect, he did not treat them with violence, but tried to persuade them nicely. If they continued to be stubborn, then he would have no choice but to do things the hard way.