Chapter 37
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Talisman-Selling Girl (1)
"We've arrived. That's the bazaar up ahead."
Yuyeon had obtained a map of the bazaar through her teacher. The reason she'd gone out of her way to ask for her teacher's help right after acquiring Spiritual Vision was simple—she was just tired.
And wouldn't it be a waste not to make full use of her daily teacher quota?
"I was picturing the bazaar as some little flea market, but this is a fairly sizable village."
The bazaar might be called a neighborhood market, but in reality, it was more like a small city.
There were no walls or fences serving as boundaries around it, so it felt open, but countless houses clustered together to form various streets.
This place was smaller than the county seat, but it was far beyond a mere flea market or hamlet.
"This bazaar is on the smaller side. Larger ones, with even more cultivators living there, are called 'immortal cities.' Of course, even those immortal cities can't compare to the outer cities of the main sect."
Yuyeon was surprised that there were enough cultivators to form a bazaar like this. And yet there were even more, enough to fill entire cities?
In her mind, the number of cultivators was based on those in her allowance hall—at most around fifty in total.
Most of them were out on missions or training outside the clan anyway, so the number actually staying in the allowance hall was less than twenty.
She'd heard plenty of times that her allowance hall was a very minor faction even among the branch sects, but this was neither the main sect headquarters nor anything grand—just a small bazaar, and it was already this big?
However, one thing Yuyeon had mistaken was that not everyone working in the bazaar was a cultivator.
Just as mortals lived alongside cultivator clans, serving their needs, the bazaar was full of ordinary folk handling the menial labor—making up roughly half the population.
In any case, as Yuyeon scanned the bazaar's layout with her Divine Sense, she noticed something odd: some buildings appeared completely empty inside.
"Teacher, why are those empty?"
"Shops probably have parts they don't want seen. I skipped over places with measures against casual prying."
He said that, but some of those 'empty' shops had lanterns hung out front, looking quite upscale. They must have been censored somehow.
But since Yuyeon had no intention of visiting such places anyway, she decided not to press the teacher further.
"When visiting a bazaar, the rule is to walk in from the outskirts—unless you're from some prominent clan."
On the flip side, anyone flying a flight artifact all the way to the inner areas was someone with a bit of swagger.
If she spotted flight artifacts zipping around, she'd better steer clear.
Though she'd shed some prejudice against cultivators via her allowance hall experience, Yuyeon still harbored wariness toward anyone beyond the Aura Condensation stage.
The three disembarked from the flight artifact, which Heodamun stored away in the Dimming Ark. They walked to where the bazaar's streets began.
The main street was lined with shop buildings on both sides, interspersed with street vendors who had set up tables or mats between them.
"Normally, you need permission to sell anything in the bazaar. Those folks are mostly loose cultivators hawking without permits.
The bazaar has a freewheeling vibe, so they overlook minor infractions like that for individuals.
But we're here representing the allowance hall, so we can't just set up without decorum. That's why we get permission from the Bazaar Association and coordinate spots."
Yuyeon half-listened while eyeing the wares on the street stalls.
The street vendors mostly sold low-quality junk by her standards—nothing worth opening her pouch for. The shops had decent goods, but nothing she needed, and the prices were inflated.
The three walked along the main street a bit before spotting a grand, walled building amid simpler one- or two-story structures.
"That's the Bazaar Association hall. As I mentioned, to do legitimate business in the bazaar, you report to them in principle. They handle the bazaar's management."
That management mainly involved maintaining the formations around the bazaar, keeping the peace inside, and mediating disputes.
'Activities like that must cost money.'
So how much did the main sect gouge them on contribution points for them to still profit after fees? Yuyeon's mind soured with resentment toward the sect's tax policies. Her cultivator aversion briefly reared its head again.
"Do you have to pay for a spot when registering with the association?"
"No, not at all. The association doesn't just run this one bazaar—it's a massive organization overseeing many. They don't bother with petty fees like that."
Yuyeon was stunned. They managed the bazaar for free? Were they mining the land or something?
She revised her view of the association upward and dialed back her grudge against the sect a notch.
The association hall was as impeccably organized inside as its clean exterior suggested—no gaudy displays reeking of nouveau riche, just neat, simple, and spotless.
As the three entered, a man checking ledgers looked up, scanning them in order: Yuyeon, Heodamun, Heoserin. His gaze then settled back on Heodamun.
The man appeared to be at the Qi Refining stage. When Yuyeon probed him with Divine Sense, his experience made him instantly peg the eldest-looking Heodamun—whose bearing seemed the most senior—as an Aura Condensation cultivator.
"Greetings, senior. I'm the association clerk. What can I do for you?"
Association clerks were rarely rude but usually haughty and nitpicky. Heodamun was surprised by the man's unusually deferential attitude.
"Pleased to meet you. We're from the Heo Allowance Hall under Silver Mountain Sect. Here to register a street stall with the association."
"Ah, welcome. I'll note it as Heo Allowance Hall of Silver Mountain Sect."
Normally, they'd next ask about the items for sale and planned location, but that step flowed by naturally.
"Much obliged. We'll be off then."
"Yes, senior. Safe travels, and may your trades go well."
The three exited the hall. Yuyeon kept her lips sealed until they were well clear, then blurted,
"Is the association always this polite and efficient? It's nothing like I expected."
"The clerks aren't incompetent, but they're usually far more arrogant and slow. I wonder why things went so smoothly today."
Yuyeon had a hunch. Probably like when she'd mistaken a shaman for Aura Condensation via Divine Sense—someone in their group had been misread the same way.
This could be handy for business. Rescuing contribution points from crooked cultivators' pockets.
"You said we coordinate spots with the association, right? So what now?"
"That's the rule, but in practice, on days without a rush of stall-holders, they give leeway. Seems like today, so let's pick our own."
He said "our own," but how much bazaar experience could two Entrance Stage cultivators have? The pair meekly followed Heodamun's lead.
They found a moderately crowded street with no shops—just long stretches of walls abutting one another. Across was the main avenue of big trading houses; this was more of a back alley.
No one sat selling on mats under the walls, but proper stalls with canopies and tables lined the way.
"This street is implicitly for allowance hall clans' stalls. They can't all have shops in every bazaar, so they claim these stall zones."
As they walked, carefully scanning wares with Divine Sense, the quality was indeed higher than the earlier vendors.
Those previous stalls were mostly rank-1 loose cultivators peddling scavenged junk or failed apprentice artifact-crafters dumping rejects.
What shocked Yuyeon most was that even these low-tiers filled a whole street. Where did all these cultivators crawl out from?
"Let's take this spot."
Heodamun claimed a gap between stalls with room to spare, swiftly unloading a canopy and table from the Dimming Ark to set up.
They were just about to start business.
"Damun-senior, look over there."
Heodamun turned at Heoserin's call. A crowd was appraising goods at one stall—silver powder in a box.
"That sheen means mid-grade rank-2 spirit silver sand. The garden foreman asked me to get some if possible...
Of all people, it's the Wallara Clan selling it. Headache dealing with those guys.
Hm, I'll step out briefly. You two mind the stall."
Yuyeon and Heoserin nodded, and Heodamun headed over.
Alone now, talisman sales naturally fell to Yuyeon. They laid out goods on the table and sat quietly, waiting.
Yuyeon took stock: Leader Heodamun was away on business. Beside her: Heoserin.
In other words, her long-awaited moment had arrived.
Fleecing crooked cultivators! And training Restraint Heart to boot.
"Serin-senior, just sitting here like this, we might spend the whole week selling nothing."
Heoserin, not even a quarter-hour in, saw Yuyeon whine and thought, Kids gonna kid.
The teacher read it on her face and felt guilty for corrupting pure Heoserin.
"So we need to be a bit—more—proactive! With a sales strategy. Agree?"
Stunned by Yuyeon's sudden energy, Heoserin nodded reflexively.
"Thank you. With senior's approval, Yuyeon of Heo Allowance Hall steps up for maximum sales!"
Now comfy name-dropping the hall, Yuyeon confidently activated Spiritual Vision.
She swept the street's cultivators. Who needed talismans or pills?
Ideally, someone who looked desperate at a glance. Emotions plain on their face from poor heart training would be easy to peek with Restraint Heart.
Divine Sense on top? Perfect.
"I can see you're up to mischief. Be careful, please."
Ignoring the teacher's warning, Yuyeon locked on her first target.
A shabbily dressed young male cultivator fidgeting and glancing about nervously.
No need for Restraint Heart—his face screamed urgency, churning wildly.
But for precise customer intel, Yuyeon deployed Divine Sense.
His mind snapped clear; she stirred spirit power to shape his mind-pond.
'Ah, so that's his situation...'
Yuyeon sent a low, clear voice his way.
"Sir, are you perhaps looking for a quick place to hide?"
The young cultivator's shoulders jolted. He stared aghast at the stall.
There sat a blindfolded little girl smiling faintly his way.
"H-how... how do you know that?"
But she couldn't be just any girl. How else Divine Sense?
His gut twisted at the probing sensation.
This merciless disdain for juniors screamed orthodox Aura Condensation old monster.
Even mastering girl-disguise and hiding aura—a truly age-inappropriate crotchety senior.
Yuyeon read his thoughts but played it cool, replying like a Zen master.
"The storm in your heart reached even me."
And so began Yuyeon, supreme cultivator economist, initiating capital transfer.