Immortals Step into Heaven

The towering memorial archway stood like a giant, and the exquisite carvings sparkled in the sunlight, showing the prosperity and extraordinaryness of this place. The gate of the market town was wide and bright, with people coming and going, and it was very lively. The sounds of shouting and laughing were intertwined, and the light of various rare treasures flashed in it, making her dazzled. Zhao Linger couldn't help but open her mouth slightly, her eyes full of amazement, and said sincerely: "Brother Zheng Yuan, this market town is so prosperous and magnificent, much more amazing than I imagined!" Zheng Yuan looked at her with a smile, his eyes full of doting, and said: "This is just the gate of the market town. There are many more novel things inside. Let's go in and take a look. After that, he took Zhao Linger into the Yunshan Market Town.

After entering the market, Zheng Yuan took the curious Zhao Ling'er on a leisurely stroll through the bustling street stalls. Zhao Ling'er, like a lively deer, her eyes sparkling as she glanced left and right, brimming with interest in everything around her. The stalls held a dazzling array of items, from simple jade pendants to bizarre weapons, from mysterious elixirs to ancient books inscribed with strange runes.

Ling'er was drawn to the shimmering spiritual pearls in a stall owner's hands, then fixed on the exquisite puppets on the nearby stall, occasionally letting out soft exclamations of admiration. Zheng Yuan patiently accompanied her, watching her every move with a smile, his eyes filled with tenderness and doting, and occasionally gently explaining the origins and uses of some items to her.

The stall owner was a lean, middle-aged man, his eyes narrowed to a slit, his face a worldly smile. He examined the jade hairpin in Zhao Linger's hand and said slowly, "Miss, you have good taste. This jade hairpin is not an ordinary item. It is made of spiritual jade and is meticulously crafted. It must cost at least fifty low-grade spirit stones."

Zhao Linger's mouth widened slightly upon hearing this, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the jade hairpin. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes. In her eyes, fifty low-grade spirit stones was no small sum. She had heard Zheng Yuan say he'd traded one spirit stone for 100,000 silver notes.

Seeing this, Zheng Yuan understood Ling'er's dilemma. He gently patted Ling'er's shoulder and said to the stall owner with a smile, "Can we negotiate the price? Look at this jade hairpin. Although the material is good, the plum blossom carving is still a little lacking in detail. How about thirty low-grade spirit stones?"

The stall owner's smile faltered after hearing Zheng Yuan's words, and a subtle flicker of displeasure flashed across his eyes. He chuckled dryly, took the jade hairpin from Zhao Linger's hand, and held it before his eyes, pretending to examine it. He muttered, "Sir, you're bargaining too hard. While my jade hairpin isn't a rare treasure, it's one of the best items on this street stall. Look at the quality of the jade, the luster. How can I sell it so cheaply?"

Zheng Yuan was not annoyed. He crossed his arms and said with a smile, "Boss, your jade hairpin is indeed good, but we also have to pay attention to fair transactions, right? Look at this carving, there are indeed some minor flaws, and the quality of this spiritual jade is not top-notch. I offer thirty low-grade spiritual stones, which is already very sincere. If you think it is not suitable, then we will have to look elsewhere." As he said that, he pulled Zhao Linger and pretended to leave.

Seeing this, the stall owner hurriedly called them over, his smile once again plastered on his face, though it was a somewhat forced one. "Never mind, since you two are so sincere about wanting this, I'll consider it my friendship. Forty-five low-grade spirit stones, no less."

Zheng Yuan frowned slightly, a sly look flashing in his eyes. He shook his head gently, tightened his grip on Ling'er's hand, and turned again: "Boss, at most thirty-five low-grade spirit stones. You know, this market is so big, and we haven't even explored much. Maybe there are better and cheaper ones somewhere else." The stall owner's face showed a pained expression when he heard this. He hesitated for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying, "Forty yuan. Any less than that, and you two really have to look elsewhere. I can't even recover my costs."

Zheng Yuan looked down at Ling'er's expectant eyes, and his heart softened. He took out forty low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to the stall owner: "Okay, boss, this time I'll consider it a token of my support for you." The stall owner took the spirit stones, counted them carefully, and then handed the jade hairpin to Ling'er, muttering, "Oh, I really lost money selling it to you two this time."

Ling'er happily took the jade hairpin, looking at it over and over again, unable to let it go. Then she carefully inserted it into her bun, looked up at Zheng Yuan, and smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Brother Xiaoyuan." Zheng Yuan smiled and scratched her nose, saying lovingly, "As long as Ling'er likes it, it's fine. Let's go and take a look at the front. Maybe there are other interesting things there."

The two continued strolling, their eyes constantly drawn to the various novelties on the street stalls. Soon, Ling'er was drawn to a color-changing silk dress on a stall. The silk dress shimmered with a dreamy luster, its colors shifting like a flowing galaxy—a truly beautiful sight. Ling'er's eyes were filled with longing. She gently stroked the soft fabric and looked back at Zheng Yuan, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Seeing this, Zheng Yuan walked over with a smile and, after some bargaining with the stall owner, bought several pieces of clothing for Ling'er. Ling'er hugged the clothes, a happy smile on her face, and kept saying "Thank you, Brother Xiaoyuan".

They wandered around for a while longer before Zheng Yuan suddenly stopped in an obscure corner. There sat an ancient book, seemingly ordinary, yet Zheng Yuan keenly sensed a faint emanation of spiritual energy. The stall owner was a white-haired old man, his eyes cloudy yet shrewd. Zheng Yuan picked up the book and flipped through it. The old man said in a hoarse voice, "Young man, this is a rare book I stumbled upon. It might contain some unparalleled martial arts technique. I'll sell it to you for fifty medium-grade spirit stones." Zheng Yuan was startled; the price was high, but he had a hunch that this book was something special, so he began to negotiate with the old man.

After a heated exchange of words, the deal was finally settled at thirty mid-grade spirit stones. Zheng Yuan carefully put away his books, thinking of finding a quiet place to study. Ling'er watched curiously from the side. Although she didn't quite understand, she knew that there must be a reason for what Zheng Yuan did.

Afterwards, they came to the central area of ​​the market town, which was more lively and prosperous, with people coming and going, and the surrounding shops were more grand.

After a brief stroll, Zheng Yuan and Zhao Linger found a clean and comfortable inn to stay in. Zheng Yuan approached the counter and asked the innkeeper for a quiet room upstairs. The innkeeper, a slightly plump, middle-aged man, smiled broadly as he accepted the spirit stones from Zheng Yuan and sent a waiter upstairs.

The room was warm and elegant, with a magical formation outside. The tables, chairs, and beds were neatly arranged, and the air was filled with a faint scent of incense. Ling'er threw herself onto the bed, rolled around happily, and said to Zheng Yuan with a smile, "Brother Xiaoyuan, I'm so happy today!"