Chapter 611: An Invitation from City Lord Qiuyue
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 611: An Invitation from City Lord Qiuyue
The market wasn't particularly large and was situated a fair distance from the residential districts of Ninglan New City. After all, the wares here weren't intended for ordinary people.
Still, one could see plenty of curious residents wandering through, pointing and whispering at the novelties on display, though none dared to actually touch or play with them.
It was clearly a temporary zone designated for students who needed to offload materials. I took a quick look and noticed that for a modest stall fee, anyone could set up shop here.
Transactions took various forms. The most common was cash—the ordinary kind—while rarer items required Red Copper. Bartering was also supported. There were even official material collection points; their rates were lower, but they were convenient for processing bulk quantities of cheap materials.
I watched the roadside vendors with great interest, soaking in the lively atmosphere.
Though it was a temporary market, it had a name: the Witch Market. However, the crowd wasn't limited to Apprentice Witches; students from other academies were present as well.
Most of their wares had been scavenged from outside the city. Plants were the mainstay—various species, samples, seeds, and the like—followed by rare transcendent materials like ores and associated minerals.
As for the carcasses of mutant beasts—organs, bones, blood, and so on—those were common staples for alchemy. Such materials were also used in specific rituals, so despite their bloody appearance, they had a steady market.
Most of these items were sold directly to the collection points rather than at individual stalls, unless the seller had something particularly valuable. Some stalls even offered consignment services to save the students the hassle of hawking their own goods.
Unfortunately, I didn't have anything to consign for now. However, as I strolled along, I picked up a few materials that caught my eye. Beyond transcendent materials like crystals, gems, and minerals, I focused mostly on mutated transcendent plants.
My Tree of Great Knowledge had already harvested most of the data from the original Plant Network of that small world. After supplementing it with information from my Ley Line Identification Art, I could now see many of the finer details.
This allowed me to distinguish which plants were truly worth my interest.
After all, that had been a world with a civilization built on plant technology. Their techniques for cultivation and induction were incredibly sophisticated. Even if they had become "deformed" in their later stages, the accumulated technical prowess was undeniable.
Some plants had even completely evolved away from photosynthesis and chlorophyll, shedding typical botanical traits to serve the needs of technology and society. They relied entirely on Ley Energy to maintain their "plant life characteristics."
Once removed from the framework of their civilization, many of these plants had mutated under the stimulation of high-concentration transcendent power, while others had experienced a second "sprouting" of life.
These were the plants I was primarily interested in.
Because... the Plant Network needed them.
Perhaps I needed to find an opportunity to let plant technology flourish again, demonstrating advantages that others couldn't refuse. If I could promote it throughout the entire Expansion Realm, the reborn Omni-Link Main Network Tree would be able to fulfill its greatest potential.
But that... was a matter for the long term.
After browsing the stalls one by one and confirming there were no other plants or materials I needed, I prepared to head back. I had a room at a local hotel in Ninglan New City—a perk afforded to a Teaching Assistant of the Witch Academy. Ordinary students, it seemed, didn't get such treatment.
They could, however, rent housing within the city. Due to the previous expansions, the old outer walls had become inner walls, leaving a large number of vacant buildings waiting for students to move in. Since the population of Ninglan New City couldn't possibly explode in such a short time, these vacancies were naturally used to house visitors from outside the city.
"Oh? I guess I did find something after all."
As I was walking back, I made a discovery. It wasn't some treasure I'd missed earlier, but a familiar face.
She hadn't noticed me yet.
I stepped up quietly, watching her pick through the items at various stalls with a leisurely air, then reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Who is it?!"
Startled by the sudden touch, she jumped and spun around instantly. "I don't accept pick-ups—Huh? Sister Xiao Han? What are you doing here?"
"Is it that strange for me to be here?" I looked at Dongli Yiren, a teasing glint in my eyes. It was definitely her; she was still as terrified of being hit on as ever.
"I... I heard you were busy with construction at that shelter or something. Why are you back all of a sudden?" Dongli Yiren asked instinctively, clearly surprised to run into me here.
"Well, I felt like coming back, so I did. I didn't expect to see you here, though. I guess you couldn't stay cooped up in the academy either. How have you been faring?"
"I'm... I'm doing okay. I'm helping Senior Sister Sofiri. You know she researches plants. I'm currently a sort of Planter apprentice..."
"That's not bad. The plants outside the city are indeed unique and perfect for someone in the botanical field. Do you need anything else? I've just finished a circuit of the market. I can use the Ley Line Identification Art to get a list of all the plant species here. If you see something you like, you can go straight to the stall."
"That... that is a good method," Dongli Yiren replied. "But I still prefer walking around and identifying them one by one to read the information... I feel like I learn more that way."
"It was just a suggestion. Do whatever you prefer. By the way, you aren't the only one from our dorm who came, right?"
"No, Yu Yuetian is here too. Just the two of us... well, the three of us."
"Do you know what she's up to right now?"
"I heard she joined an exploration team. I'm not sure how she's doing."
"An exploration team? Yu Yuetian's got guts," I said, somewhat surprised.
Exploration teams in Ninglan New City were usually composed of students with significant combat capability. Their primary tasks were geographical surveying and mapping the areas outside the city, marking resource points, guiding refugees or wanderers they encountered, and flagging temporary small sanctuaries or settlements.
They also monitored the movements of mutant beast groups. If a Beast Tide began to form, it was a grave matter that had to be addressed immediately. Ninglan New City had long suffered under the threat of such tides; its walls and buffer zones existed specifically to repel them.
For Yu Yuetian to join such a team was a true test of courage. Even if a mentor could resurrect her back in the city if she died, death was not an experience anyone looked forward to.
"I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. She said it was a trial for her as an Ascetic," Dongli Yiren sighed.
"A trial for an Ascetic... Well, it suits her, doesn't it?"
"You think so too, Sister Xiao Han?"
"She chose her own path and is pursuing it with determination. No one has the right to tell her she's wrong."
"Then should I..."
"Haven't you already made your choice? Are you hesitating now?"
"Sorry..."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. Just like before, even if you worry about Yu Yuetian, don't doubt yourself. Just be responsible for your own choices... Let's drop this. Different topic: do you know where Sofiri is?"
"Oh, of course. Senior Sister Sofiri was the one who sent me out to see if there were any novel plants..." Dongli Yiren said quickly.
"Why don't you take me to see her? After you're done with your shopping, of course. I want to see how far her research into the plants of the Expansion Realm has progressed."
In truth, I wanted to see her personally to find out if she had any high-yield plants. If the Calamity Shelter was to be established, it needed a self-sufficient food source.
If all else failed... I still had the seedling and hybridization techniques for food crops from that civilization stored within the Omni-Link Main Network Tree. Since it was the technical data of an entire civilization, as long as we found the corresponding crops in the outside world, a Planter should be able to improve and breed them.
"Sure! Senior Sister Sofiri would definitely welcome you. She mentions you sometimes when we're together. But... her research on the plants of this world is still in the early stages. She might not be able to help much."
"Early stages... I see. Well, these things can't be rushed." I glanced at the plant samples in Dongli Yiren's hands. If Sofiri really had deep insights into these plants, she probably wouldn't have sent her apprentice to scavenge the market.
With that in mind, I decided to compile the plant research data I'd obtained from the Omni-Link Main Network Tree and give it to her when we met.
Though... I remembered she didn't have a Great Knowledge Seed... but that didn't matter. I could transfer the data through the Academy Network just as easily.
As I accompanied Dongli Yiren for another round of the market, I ran into another familiar face.
This person was clearly heading straight for me.
"Teaching Assistant Xiao Han..."
"Interesting. We meet again, Miss Lan Ke." I maintained a smile as I looked at the young woman. She was the secretary who followed Ninglan Qiuyue around—likely a personal aide. Last time Ninglan Qiuyue came to see me, she stayed so long she was worried this girl would be looking everywhere for her.
"I'm surprised you remember me, Teaching Assistant Xiao Han," she said, greeting me politely.
"Of course. My memory isn't that bad. You look like you were looking for me specifically. Is something the matter?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
"Oh, it's like this. When City Lord Qiuyue learned you had returned to Ninglan New City, she asked me to find you immediately. If you have the time, the City Lord would like to have a chat with you." As Lan Ke spoke, her gaze shifted to Dongli Yiren. "This must be a friend of yours? I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your conversation. May I ask your name...?"
"It's fine, no trouble at all. I'm Dongli Yiren," Dongli Yiren said, waving her hands dismissively.
"I see, Miss Dongli Yiren."
"Does Ninglan Qiuyue have some urgent business with me? She found me the moment I entered the city," I asked, noticing Dongli Yiren wasn't particularly interested in Lan Ke.
"It's... not exactly urgent. Since you've been outside the city for so many days, she simply wished to catch up. If you are truly busy, the City Lord said to prioritize your own plans," Lan Ke explained quickly.
"I was actually planning to go see Sofiri..." I looked toward Dongli Yiren.
"Senior Sister Sofiri is always there. If you're busy, Sister Xiao Han, you can just let me know in advance next time, and I'll tell her you're coming," Dongli Yiren offered.
"True... showing up unannounced isn't the best. Alright then, I'll visit her another time."
"Does that mean you intend to see City Lord Qiuyue first?" Lan Ke asked eagerly.
"Since you've come all this way to invite me so formally, I might as well go. Seeing Sofiri was just a spur-of-the-moment idea anyway."
"Great! Then... shall I lead the way, or would you like to finish browsing the market first?"
"I've already seen everything, but I have one thing to take care of. One moment." I turned back to Dongli Yiren. "I was thinking of bringing Sofiri a gift. I'll have to trouble you to deliver it for me."
As I spoke, I used the Great Knowledge Sharing Spell to "package" the massive amount of information—which would have taken ages to transfer via the Academy Network—into a composite Sharing Spell rune and handed it to her.
"This is..." Dongli Yiren asked, confused.
"A gift for Sofiri. It's information regarding plants. This rune will share it directly to your Tree of Knowledge. You can transfer it to her via the Academy Network later. Of course, you can also keep a copy in your own Great Knowledge Seed to study. It will be very helpful for your understanding of the plants in this world."
"I... thank you." Dongli Yiren took it instinctively, and the rune vanished the moment she touched it.
In the next instant, a massive archive of data decompressed within her Tree of Knowledge, making her eyes glaze over.
"Alright, snap out of it. Don't let the information overload you. Just absorb it slowly; don't be in such a rush."
"Ugh... I'm okay... That's so much information... It's my first time seeing that much."
"You'll get used to it. I'll take my leave now. Give my regards to Sofiri."
"Mhm, will do."
After saying goodbye to Dongli Yiren, she continued her stroll through the market, occasionally looking back to see if I had left.
"Alright, let's go." I turned my attention back to Lan Ke.
"Yes, please follow me." Lan Ke led me out of the market. To avoid any awkward silence on the way, she took the initiative to start a conversation.
She was curious about Dongli Yiren's identity, assuming that anyone who could wander the market with me must have a special relationship.
I told her truthfully that we were roommates. Whatever Lan Ke did with that information was none of my business.
Soon, Lan Ke brought me to Ninglan Township Castle.
"Ah, here again. Ninglan Township Castle," I murmured with a light sigh.
"Ninglan Township Castle is the residence of the City Lord, as well as her office. Most of City Lord Qiuyue's affairs—dining, resting, meetings—take place here," Lan Ke explained. Even though my comment was just a casual observation, she answered with total seriousness.
"Teaching Assistant Xiao Han, if you ever need to find the City Lord in the future, you can come directly here and speak to the City Guard outside. They will know what to do. You are the City Lord's most special guest."
"Is that so? I understand."