13: Depressed Han Lao Mo

Tai Nan Valley, located in an inconspicuous mountain range in the southern part of Yue Country, is renowned for the Tai Nan Small Meet held every three years.

At this moment, there were still two or three days until the Tai Nan Small Meet officially began, but the valley entrance was already bustling with people, a lively sight.

Various streaks of light constantly landed at the valley entrance, revealing Cultivators of all kinds.

There were Loose Cultivators who traveled alone, exuding a formidable aura.

There were also Family Disciples who gathered in groups of three or five, dressed in uniform attire.

And there were also some Sect Cultivators with profound cultivation and arrogant expressions.

Lin Feng and Mo Fengwu slowly entered Tai Nan Valley with the flow of people.

Inside the valley, there was a unique Immortal Cave, with a wide bluestone street winding forward, lined with shops and grand pavilions on both sides.

The air was filled with a faint Spiritual Qi and a strange fragrance, a mixture of various Materials and Medicinal Pills.

"Husband, it's so lively here!" Mo Fengwu's beautiful eyes curiously surveyed her surroundings, a hint of excitement on her small face.

This was her first time witnessing such a large gathering of Cultivators.

Lin Feng smiled slightly, holding her hand, and softly said, "This Tai Nan Small Meet mainly provides a place for various Loose Cultivators to exchange goods and mutually benefit each other.

Those who truly wish to join a Cultivator Sect must wait for the Ascension Gathering after the Small Meet ends."

"Ascension Gathering?" Mo Fengwu blinked.

"Yes, that's a grand event where major Sects recruit Disciples, but the threshold is high, and the competition is fierce," Lin Feng explained.

He had his own plans; to complete the System's main quest, he was definitely going to Huangfeng Valley.

The two found a hotel named "Welcoming Immortal Inn" and settled down.

This inn was quite large and appeared very clean, but the price was indeed steep, costing one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per night.

After settling Mo Fengwu, Lin Feng instructed, "Phoenix Dance, you rest in the inn first and get familiar with the environment; do not wander around casually.

I'll go out to check the situation and see if I can find anything useful."

"Don't worry, Husband, I'll stay in the inn obediently," Mo Fengwu nodded dutifully.

She knew her cultivation was still shallow, and in such a mixed place, following Lin Feng would only distract him.

Lin Feng gently kissed her forehead, then turned and left the inn.

On the market street of Tai Nan Valley, it was already crowded with people.

Various stalls were spread out along both sides of the street, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Most of the stall owners were Qi Refinement Stage Loose Cultivators, with all sorts of strange and peculiar items displayed before them.

There were Ore shimmering with faint Spiritual Qi, oddly shaped Yao Beast bones, Spiritual Plants emitting a medicinal fragrance, and some ancient-looking Jade Slips, Talismans, and damaged Magical Artifacts.

Cries of vendors and haggling voices rose and fell.

Lin Feng unhurriedly moved between the various stalls, his Divine Sense quietly released, carefully sensing the aura of each item.

His goal was clear.

"System, lock onto the location of the Jade Slip containing the subsequent Cultivation Technique of Evergreen Technique."

"Ding! Target locking… Locked! Located at the thirty-seventh stall on the left side of the street ahead, the stall owner is an old man at Qi Refining Fourth Level; the Jade Slip is considered useless by him and is mixed with a pile of miscellaneous items."

Lin Feng's lips curled into a slight smile, and he strode towards the target.

It was an inconspicuous stall, and the owner was an old man with gray hair and a worried expression.

On the stall were scattered a few pieces of inferior Ore, a few low-grade Spiritual Plants that were not old enough, and a pile of dusty, broken trinkets.

Among them was an inconspicuous, even slightly damaged, greenish Jade Slip.

Lin Feng's gaze casually swept over the pile of 雜物, picked up a relatively intact Yao Beast tooth, and asked, "Old man, how much for this tusk?"

The old man glanced at him weakly: "Ten Spirit Stones, no bargaining."

"Too expensive." Lin Feng shook his head, put down the tusk, and then casually picked up the green Jade Slip, asking as if unintentionally, "This Jade Slip seems to be quite old; what is recorded inside?"

A hint of impatience flashed in the old man's cloudy eyes: "I don't know! It's a broken thing I picked up; Divine Sense can't penetrate it, so it's probably junk.

If you want it, take it for three Spirit Stones!"

Lin Feng said "Oh," tossed the Jade Slip in his hand as if weighing its value.

"Three Spirit Stones for something unknown is a bit much.

How about this: this Jade Slip, plus this worn tortoise shell, for a total of two Spirit Stones, how about that?" Lin Feng pointed to a palm-sized, cracked tortoise shell nearby.

The old man's eyes lit up.

That tortoise shell was also something he had picked up from a ruin, equally a useless item that he couldn't figure out.

Someone willing to pay two Spirit Stones for these two useless items, he was naturally happy.

"Alright, alright! Two Spirit Stones, they're all yours!" The old man, fearing Lin Feng would change his mind, quickly pushed the Jade Slip and tortoise shell over.

Lin Feng unhurriedly took out two Low-Grade Spirit Stones and handed them to the old man, then put the Jade Slip and tortoise shell into his Storage Pouch.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully intercepting Han Li's Opportunity—the complete subsequent Cultivation Technique Jade Slip of Evergreen Technique!"

"Task Objective 1 completed!"

"Reward [System Points] + 200 has been issued!"

"[Cultivation Technique Deduction Optimization] function has been enabled! The host can consume points to deduce and optimize mastered Cultivation Techniques, increasing their Rank, compatibility, and power!"

"[Cultivation Technique Deduction Optimization] function is enabled for the first time, rewarding three Cultivation Technique enhancements.

The host can choose the Cultivation Technique to optimize."

Lin Feng smiled inwardly, but his expression remained calm as he continued to stroll through the market.

...

Two days later, Han Li arrived at Tai Nan Valley, looking travel-worn.

Days of rushing and diarrhea left him looking haggard and listless.

After finally finding a secluded corner outside the valley to resolve his "pressing need," he finally breathed a slight sigh of relief and entered the Tai Nan Valley market.

The sight before him invigorated his spirit.

The dazzling array of Cultivator items and the various types of Cultivators broadened his horizons.

"Goodness, this is a true Cultivator market!" Han Li sighed inwardly.

When he was in Seven Mysteries Sect, he had never seen such a scene.

Han Li endured the occasional dull pain in his stomach and enthusiastically lingered before various stalls.

He saw a Flying Sword Magical Artifact gleaming with cold light, priced at eighty Spirit Stones.

He also saw a bottle of Medicinal Pills that could advance Qi Refinement Middle Stage cultivation, priced at thirty Spirit Stones.

And there was a defensive Talisman, said to be able to withstand a full-power strike from a Qi Refinement Perfection Cultivator, priced at fifty Spirit Stones.

These items made his eyes burn with desire.

Unfortunately, he was short on funds.

After counting his Storage Pouch, all the Spirit Stones he had totaled no more than a dozen.

These were obtained from the Storage Pouches of the two people he had counter-killed on the road.

"Alas, I'm still too poor," Han Li felt depressed.

He could only look, not buy; this feeling was truly unpleasant.

He wandered aimlessly, hoping to find a bargain or something useful and inexpensive.

Unconsciously, most of the day passed.

Han Li was dazzled but still found nothing.

The discomfort in his stomach grew stronger, and his face turned somewhat pale.

"No, I need to find a place to rest first, and see if I can get some Medicinal Pills for healing or regulating my stomach," Han Li pondered.

He walked to a relatively secluded corner, where stalls were sparse and the crowd was much smaller.

His gaze swept over a stall filled with various broken copper and iron, and incomplete pottery, and Han Li's eyes suddenly narrowed.

Among that pile of miscellaneous items, a palm-sized, ancient-looking incense burner covered in verdigris caught his attention.

This incense burner looked ordinary, and even had several damaged spots.

But Han Li, relying on his protagonist's keen Divine Sense, vaguely felt that this incense burner seemed to emit an extremely faint, special fluctuation.

"Could it be some kind of treasure?" Han Li's heart stirred.

He stepped forward, squatted down, and was about to reach out to pick up the incense burner for a closer look.

"Ouch!"

Suddenly, a force came from behind him, and Han Li stumbled, almost falling.

He quickly steadied himself and turned to glare at the person.

He saw a young Cultivator dressed in a green robe with a handsome face, looking at him apologetically.

"Fellow Daoist, I am truly sorry.

I am clumsy and bumped into you; please forgive me." The young Cultivator cupped his hands in apology, his attitude very sincere.

It was Lin Feng, who had used the System to change his face to resemble Han Li; this time, Lin Feng had changed to another face.

Therefore, Han Li did not recognize that the man in front of him was the "Senior" who had suppressed him with a flick of a finger that day.

Han Li frowned slightly; seeing that the other party's attitude was good, he didn't make a scene, only grunted, and was about to turn back to continue looking at the incense burner.

Just then, Lin Feng seemed to notice that stall as well, and his gaze fell upon the old incense burner.

"Oh? This little thing is quite unique."

Lin Feng, before Han Li, bent down and picked up the incense burner, idly toying with it in his hand.

The stall owner was a lean middle-aged man; seeing someone interested in this neglected junk, he quickly said, "This Immortal Master has good taste!

This is a treasure passed down from my ancestors, but it's old and a bit damaged.

If Immortal Master likes it, take it for ten Spirit Stones!"

Han Li, watching from the side, felt his eye twitch.

This broken incense burner, when he had swept it with his Divine Sense just now, the stall owner hadn't even considered it important; he probably wouldn't have offered even one Spirit Stone for it.

Now, with Lin Feng holding it, he was asking for ten Spirit Stones—what a dishonest merchant!

Lin Feng played with the incense burner, then suddenly exclaimed "Oh dear!" and his hand slipped, causing the incense burner to fall from his grasp with a "thud" onto the ground.

The already cracked incense burner now had a small piece broken off its bottom.

"This..." The stall owner's face changed.

Lin Feng quickly picked up the incense burner, and with a look of apology, said, "Stall owner, I am truly sorry.

My hand slipped, and I dropped your treasure.

How about this: I'll buy this incense burner as compensation.

But since it's broken, the price..."

The stall owner looked at the more severely damaged incense burner, feeling depressed.

This thing was worthless to begin with, and now that it was more broken, it would probably be even harder to sell.

His eyes darted around, and he said, "Immortal Master, this is an antique.

With your fall, its value has greatly depreciated.

How about this: you give me eight Spirit Stones, and we'll call it making a friend."

Han Li, standing by, rolled his eyes.

Lin Feng, however, feigned deep thought and said, "Eight is still a bit expensive.

Fellow Daoist, look, this incense burner was already old, and now it has new damage.

I think... two Spirit Stones, how about that?

If not, I can only compensate you for some losses; I can't afford this thing."

Upon hearing this, the stall owner pondered.

Two Spirit Stones were better than selling it for nothing.

Moreover, this young man was well-dressed and had a composed demeanor, not seeming like someone short on Spirit Stones.

"Alas, fine, fine! Consider it my bad luck!" The stall owner slapped his thigh.

"Two it is! Immortal Master, take it!"

Lin Feng smiled slightly, readily paid two Spirit Stones, and put the old incense burner into his pouch.

"Ding! Detected that the host has successfully intercepted Han Li's Opportunity—the mysterious damaged Magic Treasure (an incense burner containing spatial power)!"

"Task Objective 2 completed!"

"Han Li's plan was frustrated, and he is extremely depressed; all rewards are doubled!"

"Reward [System Points] + 600 has been issued!"

"Reward [Exclusive Immortal Cave Space] Rank increased by one level! The space has expanded to a hundred zhang in circumference, and Spiritual Qi concentration has slightly increased!"

Lin Feng felt incredibly pleased.

Han Li stood by, watching Lin Feng buy the incense burner, and felt that something was off.

He vaguely felt that he had missed something important.

But the incense burner was indeed old and broken, and he couldn't discern anything special about it.

Perhaps he was just overthinking it?

He shook his head, no longer dwelling on it.

As dusk approached, he had wandered for most of the day, not only failing to buy anything but also having items he liked snatched away by others.

Han Li's mood grew increasingly depressed.

The discomfort in his stomach also became stronger.

"What a unlucky day!" Han Li sighed, dragging his tired body, preparing to find a place to stay for the night and make plans for tomorrow.