In the eighth month in Luoshui, the market bustles at noon, gathering people from all over, trading goods from all corners of the world, each getting what they need.
The market is divided into thirteen types, including common ones like medicinal herbs, mountain treasures, tea, horses, vegetables, and rice markets, and seasonal markets that open at specific times.
In March, there’s the Silkworm Market; in April, the Brocade Market; in May, the Fan Market; in June, the Spring Market; in July, the Seven Treasures Market; in August, the Osmanthus Market; and in September, the Medicine Market.
The prosperity of Luoshui lies in the fact that out of the thirteen markets, eight are open year-round.
If one place runs out of goods, merchants from elsewhere will bring their products to sell.
At worst, substitutes are always available.
Gu Wen and his group walked through the medicine market, surrounded by various rare treasures.
Anything with spiritual energy, Gu Wen bought without hesitation.
By the end of the walk, he had spent over a hundred taels of silver, half of the three hundred taels he had robbed from the government boat.
Silver was still very valuable; it was just that Gu Wen’s sense of value had been elevated by his time in Longqiao.
However, the medicinal herbs he bought weren’t particularly good, and even after consuming them all, they didn’t amount to a single year’s worth of heavenly marrow.
As Ao Tang put it, they were all auxiliary herbs, incapable of being used as main ingredients in alchemy, but they were better than nothing and saved them the trouble of searching themselves.
Suddenly, a wave of magical energy caught Gu Wen’s attention.
His ears twitched, and as if anticipating it, he looked up towards a three-story restaurant in the southeast.
It stood out among the buildings in the entire city.
Two figures soared into the sky, trailing silken tassels from their weapons, like martial arts heroes standing apart on the rooftop—one wielding a sword, the other a spear.
Instantly, they drew the attention of countless spectators below.
“Twenty-second on the Human List, Luo Bing, seeking guidance from the brother!”
“Eleventh on the Human List, He Huan.”
The two clashed within a ten-step radius on the rooftop.
The swordsman’s movements were grand and open, while the spearman moved like a dragon, each demonstrating extraordinary skill beyond that of ordinary people.
Gu Wen, recognizing the spearman in white, remarked with surprise, “What’s he doing here?”
Ao Tang transmitted his thoughts, asking, “Do you know him?”
“He Huan is a friend. He was in the capital before, and now he’s here in Luoshui.”
Gu Wen was momentarily taken aback.
It had been a month since he escaped the capital, wandering and stopping until he reached Luoshui.
From a household slave to a free man, a month had already passed.
Ao Tang, narrowing his eyes at He Huan, recognized him and said, “Oh, it’s that kid from the Yin-Yang Sect. I remember he’s quite talented, possessing the Extreme Yang Physique. As long as he engages in intercourse with women, his cultivation will increase rapidly.”
“There’s such a divine physique?” Gu Wen gasped, transmitting his thoughts, “Does that mean he can become immortal through frequent intercourse?”
Gu Wen’s interest in sex was purely physiological, and he could completely control it after beginning his cultivation.
However, knowing it could boost cultivation changed everything, especially since the Extreme Yang Physique reminded him of an ancient ancestor.
Emperor Huangdi, who ascended to heaven after coupling with three thousand women—or twelve hundred, as some say—highlighted the importance of yin-yang union.
In this world, cultivators didn’t reject yin-yang union; they just had different philosophies.
Only ascetics preached the purity of heart and abstinence.
Even Buddhism had Joyful Buddhas, and Daoism had the Yin-Yang Sect.
Ao Tang explained, “This type of method theoretically aligns closely with the principles of heaven and earth. However, after the fourth realm, their power tends to be mediocre. But this kid is extremely intelligent, uninterested in beauty for its own sake, avoiding many entanglements.”
“What do you mean?”
Gu Wen recalled He Huan’s peculiar preference, valuing only emotional connection.
He didn’t care about status, appearance, or chastity.
There’s a song with lyrics that ask, “How deep is your love?” For He Huan, only love mattered; everything else was secondary.
Perhaps He Huan had hundreds of wives, yet he seemed less like a resident of the Water Palace and more like the head of a charity institution.
Ao Tang asked, “Suppose you were engaged to a celestial maiden and then sought another woman for your cultivation and constitution. What would happen?”
Gu Wen glanced at Yu Hua and then answered, “I’d die.”
“At the very least, you’d turn against each other. That’s the consequence of karma,” Ao Tang explained, in a teaching tone. “Although I enjoy watching young people in love, Second Ancestor, you should be cautious and avoid entanglements with too many women. At least be prudent in matters of love.”
“Emotions are inherently irrational; it’s best not to get involved,” Gu Wen agreed.
As they conversed, the duel above concluded.
He Huan struck his opponent down with a spear, sending him crashing into the nearby brothel.
This caused a chorus of screams from the women inside, and the surrounding spectators blocked the street, making it impassable.
Their duel caused chaos in several streets.
He Huan laughed loudly, then pointed his spear downward, challenging the crowd below despite the buildings obstructing his view. “Even if you all come at me together, you can’t take away my eleventh place on the Human List.”
“How did you lose the tenth place?” someone retorted.
“Humph, I lost to Brother Hongchen because he was better. Do any of you have a spirit form? You’re just showing off here, welcoming heroes from all over, yet none of you are capable—just a bunch of useless chickens and dogs.” Perhaps he was too arrogant, or perhaps there was already bad blood; another person rose into the air to fight He Huan, only to be defeated as well.
Gu Wen found a nearby teahouse and sat down.
Listening to the singing and observing the white-clad young master treading on the waters of Luoshui, looking down on all the talents, he witnessed the full display of the eleventh-ranked Human List’s prowess.
Old He could still fight.
In the teahouse, the onlookers seemed quite familiar with these people, even knowing their rankings on the Human List.
They discussed a talisman prodigy ranked twenty-second, a sword path genius ranked fifteenth, and a golden-bodied unbreakable warrior ranked ninth on the Earth List.
Conversations at the tables constantly debated who would win in a fight.
As for the specifics of these worldly practitioners, the common folk didn’t know much.
They only noticed that over the past month, more and more extraordinary people had flooded into the city, with daily battles breaking out.
Initially, people were terrified of those flying around, but gradually they got used to it.
Inside the teahouse, a storyteller’s voice rang out, “Last time, we spoke of Master Bujie and Fairy Fuyun, Gong Ruoyun, dueling by the river. Gong Ruoyun of the Yunxiao Sword Sect, fourth among military factions, is known for her beauty and unparalleled swordsmanship, unmatched by all but the grandmasters.”
Upstairs, Gu Wen threw down a small silver coin and asked, “Sir, who is ranked fifth among the military factions?”
The storyteller picked up the silver and replied, “Master, this is based on what outsiders have said. We common folk don’t know for sure. We only know the first is Zhejian Mountain, the second is Qianlong Villa, the third is the Hunyuan Sect, and the fourth is Yunxiao Sword Sect.”
“And the first is the famous swordsman of Luoshui, Qingfeng Sword Xiaoyun Yi. His feat of single-handedly breaking through Lianyun Checkpoint and cutting a river with one sword is legendary. It is said he had a relationship with Fairy Fuyun.”
Renowned beauties, lone heroes dismantling bandits, and warriors of great strength—these stories captivated the audience, creating an atmosphere of a grand era of contention.
Such scenes were unseen in the capital, where worldly practitioners adhered to strict rules, and Gu Wen had rarely noticed their presence.
The unification under the Zhao family was just a phenomenon of the capital; in reality, the world was shared between the sects and the Zhao family.