Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo seemed oblivious to the discussions, calmly leading everyone towards the steps in the center of the platform. The steps spiraled upwards, leading to the main street of the market at the top of the mountain.

"Qingyan, Su Xiao, come with me. The rest of you can wander around the market on your own. Meet here in an hour." Shen Mo pointed to a stall next to the steps with a sign that read "Suspended Tea House." "Don't cause trouble, but don't be too tolerant either. If you encounter trouble, crush this talisman."

He flipped his hand, and several small jade talismans appeared in his palm, which he distributed to Shi Tie, Li Xiaocao, Atu, and others. The jade talismans were cool to the touch, and were engraved with simple teleportation runes and location markers.

"Yes, Sect Leader!" the crowd responded, their faces beaming with excitement. Being young people, they were filled with curiosity about this bustling market.

Shen Mo led Zhao Qingyan and Su Xiao straight into the depths of the main street. As they walked, Zhao Qingyan observed the shops on both sides of the street and whispered, "Sect Leader, the layout of this Suspended Mountain Market is quite orderly. The outer perimeter is mostly stalls and low-end shops, while the closer to the center, the higher the standard of the shops and the more heavily guarded they become. The intelligence station we're looking for is probably in the core area."

"Hmm," Shen Mo responded, his gaze sweeping over the shop signs along the street.

"Tiangongge", "Wanbaolou", "Dandingxuan", "Qiwuzhai"... and so on, all of them were thriving businesses.

Su Xiao, like a shadow, always lagged half a step behind Shen Mo, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over every pedestrian and every corner around her.

She concealed her presence so well that it was easy to overlook her unless one paid special attention.

But Shen Mo knew that at this moment, Su Xiao was probably already rapidly marking suspicious people, the best evacuation routes, and potential threats in his mind.

After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the streets became increasingly bustling, and the spiritual level of the pedestrians also noticeably increased. Some shops with simple, antique decorations and small storefronts began to appear along the roadside, exuding a dignified and imposing aura.

Shen Mo stopped in front of a shop called "Zhiweilou". The shop's facade was made of dark brown wood, and the signboard was an inconspicuous black wooden plaque with the three characters "Zhiweilou" written in strong, elegant strokes, faintly emanating from divine consciousness.

There are no welcoming children or eye-catching signs at the entrance, so it's easy to miss if you're not specifically looking for it.

"This is it." Shen Mo stepped inside.

The shop was dimly lit and simply furnished. There was only a long counter, behind which sat an elderly shopkeeper with white hair and a single crystal lens, carefully polishing a tortoise shell under a jade lamp.

On the display shelf next to the counter, there were scattered jade slips, animal skin scrolls, and old books.

Hearing footsteps, the old shopkeeper looked up and glanced at the three of them through his crystal glasses, lingering a little longer on Shen Mo. A professional smile appeared on his face: "What would you like, gentlemen? Our shop mainly deals in all kinds of news, intelligence, and rubbings of ancient books, and also deals in some obscure and miscellaneous knowledge."

"The latest and most comprehensive analysis of the forces in the Central Region, especially regarding the trends of this Tianyuan Conference and intelligence on the outstanding young figures of each faction." Shen Mo got straight to the point, his voice steady.

A glint flashed in the old shopkeeper's eyes. He put down the tortoise shell and soft cloth in his hand, took out three jade slips of different colors from under the counter, and placed them on the counter.

"The cyan jade slip, 'Records of Sects and Families in the Central Region,' contains basic information on 739 sects and families that are among the most prominent in the Central Region, including their location, main cultivation techniques, combat strength above the Nascent Soul stage, and recent activities. Price: 800 low-grade spirit stones."

"The white jade slip, 'The Chronicles of Tianyuan (Jiazi Edition),' is specially compiled for this year's Tianyuan Tournament. It contains the list of participants announced by each sect, their cultivation level assessments, their preferred methods of attack, as well as the tournament rules, anecdotes from previous tournaments, and unspoken rules. Price: 1,200 low-grade spirit stones."

"The purple jade slip," the old shopkeeper paused, lowering his voice, "is called 'Dark Currents.' This one isn't for sale, only for rent. It contains information that can't be openly discussed, but could very well be useful. For example, secret grudges between certain forces, the taboos and vulnerabilities of certain 'popular' figures..."

List of sensitive goods recently circulating on the black market...

"Rental fee is 500 low-grade spirit stones per day. You must swear an oath against your inner demons, and you must not copy or distribute this item. The jade slip will self-destruct after three days."

Shen Mo's expression remained unchanged, but a thought flickered in his mind. This "Zhiwei Tower" was indeed something special; they even dared to openly price such low-quality goods.

"I'll take them all." With a wave of his hand, a bulging bag of spirit stones landed on the counter, exactly two thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones.

The old shopkeeper scanned the jade slips with his divine sense, his smile becoming more sincere. He deftly pushed the three jade slips over and took out a blank jade tablet: "Sir, you're very generous. This is a purple jade slip; you need to drip your blood onto it and swear an oath."

Shen Mo followed instructions, dripping his blood and quickly making a vow in the jade tablet with his divine sense. The old shopkeeper checked it and, finding nothing amiss, handed over the jade tablet and jade slip together.

Just as Shen Mo put away the jade slip and was about to leave, a low-voiced conversation came from a small tea room behind a display shelf next to him, separated by a screen.

"...Have you heard? A major incident happened in the Southern Region a few days ago!"

"Oh? What big thing could happen in that remote, impoverished place in the Southern Region? Could it be that another minor sect has been wiped out?"

"Oh? What big thing could happen in that remote, impoverished place in the Southern Region? Could it be that another minor sect has been wiped out?"

"Hey, you're underestimating them. It wasn't the annihilation of an entire sect; it produced an extraordinary figure! Apparently, it's a small sect called... Qingyun Sect, whose leader's surname is Shen. He's so young, yet he's already broken through to the Nascent Soul stage!"

"A Nascent Soul? Really? The Southern Region is a place with scarce spiritual energy and resources. How can a Nascent Soul be produced there?"

"It's absolutely true! I have a cousin who works at the Sky Patrol Pavilion, and I heard the news has already reached the Central Region. That Shen Mo has only been cultivating for less than thirty years, yet he's already advanced from Qi Refining to Nascent Soul—it's simply unbelievable!"

"Thirty years to Nascent Soul?! This... how is this possible? Even the Daoists and Buddhist disciples of the three great holy lands wouldn't be this exaggerated, right? Could it be some kind of demonic method, or some heaven-defying fortuitous encounter?"

"I don't know. Anyway, the Qingyun Sect is currently riding high in the Southern Region. They'll definitely be coming to the Tianyuan Tournament. Hehe, that'll be quite a show. So many eyes are watching; we'll see if they're dragons or worms..."

The conversation gradually subsided, turning into more hushed whispers.

The old shopkeeper behind the counter seemed not to hear, and continued to slowly and methodically wipe his tortoise shell.

Zhao Qingyan and Su Xiao exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes. Had the reputation of the Qingyun Sect and its leader spread to the Central Region so quickly? And it sounded like it was attracting considerable attention, with no shortage of malicious speculation.

Shen Mo's face remained expressionless, as if the conversation wasn't about him. He nodded slightly to the old shopkeeper, then turned and led the two women out of "Zhiwei Tower".

Meanwhile, on the other side of the market, on the "Spiritual Materials Street," a completely different scene unfolded.

This street is narrower than the main street, and both sides are lined with all kinds of stalls. The air is filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs, the earthy smell of minerals, the bloody smell of monster materials, and all sorts of strange and inexplicable odors.

The sounds of bargaining, shouting, and arguing filled the air, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Li Xiaocao and A Tu were like two little mice that had fallen into a rice jar, excitedly lingering in front of each stall.

"Wow! Ah Tu, look! This is 'Crimson Flame Copper'! The purity is so high! In the Southern Region, you can only find a little bit deep in the volcanoes, and there's such a big piece here!" Li Xiaocao pointed to a dark red ore on a stall, her face flushed with excitement.

The stall owner, a burly man with a full beard, chuckled upon hearing this: "Young lady, you have a good eye. This is genuine Crimson Flame Copper mined from the depths of the Earth Fire Vein, an excellent material for forging fire-attribute flying swords and magical artifacts. Only three hundred spirit stones."

"Three hundred..." Li Xiaocao stuck out her tongue, touched her empty storage bag, and felt somewhat dejected. Although she had brought some spirit stones, she still needed to buy more important medicinal herbs.