Chapter 127: Chapter 120: Fleeting Shadows

The bustling and lively West Market was far beyond what a small place like Liuyun Marketplace could compare to. Song Changsheng led Song Qingluo on a stroll through it, getting a general sense of the place, and a plan slowly began to form in his mind.

The vast majority of people here were adventurers. They would hunt Demon Beasts in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, find rare Spirit Medicines, or even come here to set up a small stall to sell off stolen goods after a murder and robbery.

They usually didn’t hawk their wares. The prices were clearly marked—if you liked something, you left behind Spirit Stones; if not, you simply walked away.

The goods these people laid out were a mix of real and fake, and sometimes even they couldn’t tell the difference. However, generally speaking, there were relatively few fakes, as they mostly sold materials from Demon Beasts and harvested Spirit Medicines.

They weren’t Song Changsheng’s targets, because there were no opportunities to find a steal.

Aside from these adventurers, most of the remaining people were Independent Cultivators. Their wares were incredibly diverse, including ores, Magical Artifacts, Pills, Talismans, Heart Method Secret Manuals... they sold a bit of everything.

Song Changsheng took a brief look and saw that most of the goods were fake. The small number of genuine items were also somewhat overpriced. You might be able to make a small profit, but the stall owners would certainly never lose out.

Buying these things couldn’t be considered a real find—it was just chump change, which Song Changsheng had no interest in.

Finally, he set his sights on the "Gambling Merchants."

What were "Gambling Merchants"? At first, Song Changsheng didn’t know either, so he looked to Song Qingluo, hoping this "local" could clear up his confusion.

Song Qingluo smiled and said, "Young Clan Leader, when it comes to the so-called ’Gambling Merchants,’ it all boils down to one word: gambling.

"Although they are also Independent Cultivators, they’re different from the average ones. They’re affiliated with an Independent Cultivator Alliance.

"This Independent Cultivator Alliance is a fairly loose organization, bringing together many Foundation Establishment Independent Cultivators and Qi Cultivators. They spread out across this marketplace to set up stalls and peddle their goods.

"As for the items they sell, most are things of uncertain value, like maps, Artifact Fragments, pieces of ancient relics, and so on. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake, much like gambling. Over time, people started calling them ’Gambling Merchants.’"

Realization dawned on Song Changsheng. He couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Real or fake, they have to come from somewhere, right? Where do they get all this stuff, and in such large quantities?"

Song Qingluo smiled, shrugged, and said, "Everyone has all sorts of guesses about that. The most credible one is that their Alliance controls the ruins of an Ancient Battlefield, and all these items were scavenged from there. However, it’s never been confirmed by anyone else."

"Ancient Battlefield ruins? Interesting. Let’s go investigate." Song Changsheng stroked his chin, his interest suddenly piqued.

In the Ancient Era, Human Race Cultivators rose up in this world, carving out vast lands for their survival and prosperity. The Great Powers of the Human Race established one Immortal Dynasty after another, gathering their strength to stand against the most powerful Demon Beast clans as equals.

The Hundred Skills of Cultivation began to flourish during this time.

The Daqi Kingdom, where Song Changsheng was now, was one of the many Immortal Dynasties from the Ancient Era, responsible for fending off invasions by Demon Beasts from the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

During this period, to enhance their strength and foundation, the Royal Race of the Daqi Kingdom vigorously developed the Secret Realms and Small Worlds discovered within their territory.

This process was inevitably filled with slaughter and conflict. They clashed with native inhabitants, Demon Beasts from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and even other Immortal Dynasties.

When Immortal Dynasties went to war, they often deployed soldiers by the tens of thousands. Inside a Small World, the Law Power is weak, and the resulting slaughter was truly apocalyptic, enough to make mountains collapse and the earth crack open.

Many Small Worlds were destroyed in these wars. Some even lost their connection to the Purple Imperial Realm, left to drift in the Endless Void.

By chance, these Small Worlds would eventually be drawn back toward the Purple Imperial Realm, and new Space Tunnels would form.

And these were what Song Qingluo referred to as the ruins of Ancient Battlefields—the burial grounds of Human Race soldiers. Because they had already been devastated by war, these Small Worlds were no longer worth developing. However, they still contained numerous "relics" of the soldiers who fought and died there.

Though the passage of time had caused most things to decay, a fair few remained well-preserved and still possessed a certain value.

If that Independent Cultivator Alliance really has control of Ancient Battlefield ruins, then that would be a rational explanation for the source of their merchandise...

Song Changsheng looked around and finally stopped in front of a stall set up in a corner.

The stall owner was an old man who looked to be at death’s door, with only a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivation. He sat cross-legged before his stall, hands tucked in his sleeves, looking half-asleep.

When he saw Song Changsheng stop, a faint light sparked in his murky eyes. He immediately shot to his feet and said enthusiastically, "Young friend, what are you looking for? Take a look, take your pick."

His stall was mostly filled with tattered beast hides and damaged Magical Artifacts, all bearing the marks of age. It seemed the claims that these items came from the ruins of an Ancient Battlefield weren’t entirely baseless.

"Sir, why is all this just a pile of junk?" Song Changsheng asked, feigning a dismissive tone as he rummaged through the items.

The old man’s eyes darted when he heard this. He rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "This must be your first time at the market, young friend?"

Song Changsheng feigned a surprised look and nodded. He replied with a completely unguarded air, "How’d you know? One of my elders had some business nearby and brought me along to broaden my horizons."

Once a Cultivator broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they could use a sliver of Spiritual Power to halt their aging, preserving the appearance they had at the time of their breakthrough.