Damn it, lost again!

He slapped his forehead in frustration and pain.

With no other choice, Brian Carter walked to a banyan tree by the street and looked up. He saw many small red birds perched on the branches. The birds were bright red all over, with long, vivid crimson tail feathers. When they flew, it looked as if a trail of flames streamed behind them, earning them the name “flame birds.”

They were intelligent and perceptive, able to understand human speech and skilled at finding their way. Many cities used them as guides or living signposts, but this was not a free service.

With a pained expression, Brian Carter tossed a first-grade crystal stone into the air. A flame bird swooped down from the tree, caught the crystal stone precisely, and swallowed it.

“Free Market,” Brian Carter called out.

The flame bird circled above his head a few times, then flapped off in a certain direction.

Brian Carter hurried after the flame bird. It didn’t fly fast, its long tail feathers trailing specks of red light, dazzling in the night.

The red sparks scattered in the air, quickly fading away. Walking through streets lined with lanterns, quietly listening to the various street vendors, quietly watching the illusions shift on either side of the street, Brian Carter couldn’t help but fall silent as he recalled how he’d felt when he first opened his eyes two years ago.

He sighed inwardly, a faint sadness spreading through his heart.

The clear cry of the flame bird snapped him out of it. Seeing the Free Market not far ahead, his spirits lifted at once. The flame bird circled above him a few more times, trailing a stream of red sparks, then turned and flew away. Brian Carter waved at the departing flame bird.

The Free Market was the place most frequented by low-level cultivators. The so-called Free Market meant anyone could set up a stall and sell goods here. All you needed was to buy a Linglong House and pay a small fee, and you could freely sell your wares. The price of a Linglong House was much lower than a shop, and when packed up, it was only about the size of a palm, making it very convenient to carry around. Many cultivators would buy one to take with them, so they never had to worry about having nowhere to stay when traveling.

The goods sold here were much cheaper than in regular shops, but you had to spend time searching for bargains.

The Free Market was like a giant Go board, divided into squares, each square able to hold ten Linglong Houses, five on each side, back to back.

Soon, Brian Carter found his target.

“Hey, Mo-ge, you’re finally here!” The shopkeeper was a man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a sharp face and shifty eyes. His name was James Foster. He had average talent and little interest in cultivation, and was only at the third level of Qi Refining, so he simply went into business. He was good at networking and had wide connections, able to get his hands on almost anything, from low-level magic treasures to various techniques.

Brian Carter got straight to the point: “Did you get what I asked for?”

“Of course, of course!” James Foster patted his skinny chest and chuckled, “If Mo-ge wants something, how could I not give it my all?”

With that, he started rummaging in the small pouch at his waist. Brian Carter stared enviously at the pouch on James Foster’s waist. Though it looked unremarkable, it was actually a third-grade Hundred Treasures Bag.

But soon, Brian Carter’s gaze was drawn to the small item in James Foster’s hand—a piece of jade, green and lustrous, about a finger wide and two knuckles long. It was a jade slip.

“But Mo-ge, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The five elemental techniques in this spirit plant jade slip—very few people can master them all.” James Foster said seriously, “With your third-level Little Cloud Rain Technique, why not buy a water technique jade slip? Forgive me for being talkative, but I’ve seen a lot over the years. I’ve come to realize: if you master one thing, you can go far.”

Brian Carter replied earnestly, “Thank you, Brother Fu.”

He understood that the other was looking out for him.

Seeing Brian Carter insist, James Foster didn’t say more and handed him the jade slip. “We agreed on the price—twenty second-grade crystal stones.”

Brian Carter paid the stones without hesitation.

Twenty second-grade crystal stones was no small deal, so James Foster was in a good mood and laughed, “If you really manage to learn them all, Mo-ge, and become a spirit plant master, the benefits—heh, don’t forget to look after your little brother then!”

Brian Carter grinned, his face expressionless as he cupped his hands, “Thanks for your kind words, Brother Fu. To become a spirit plant master, you need to master at least three techniques to the third level. It’s not that easy.”

The transaction complete, both were satisfied.

Having spent more than half his crystal stones, Brian Carter didn’t actually feel much pain. He carefully placed the jade slip close to his body—this was a real treasure.

After buying the jade slip, Brian Carter prepared to return to the mountain. Though traveling at night was a bit tiring, if he stayed overnight in Dongfu, he’d have to spend more money.

With less spiritual grain, Xiao Huang seemed much lighter, carrying Brian Carter as they flapped toward Wukong Mountain.

By the time he returned to his place at Wukong Mountain, it was already late at night.

Under the starry sky, Brian Carter lay on the roof, aching all over, holding the jade slip before his eyes, squinting with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

In Jianhe Prefecture, many people took up planting. At Wukong Sword Sect, about seventy percent of the outer disciples chose planting tasks. The sect also taught some planting techniques, and the Little Cloud Rain Technique was one of them. But the sect only taught the basics. Wukong Sword Sect was a sword cultivator sect, so there were plenty of sword techniques, but other techniques were pitifully few.

Planting was a profound field of study, and after two years as an outer disciple, Brian Carter knew this all too well.