Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Rest, Trade Assembly

As the main army swept through the Marketplace, Lu Zhao took in the scene before him.

Smoke from the fighting still hung in the air over the streets. The once-tidy shops on either side now had their doors wide open, and some had half a wall blasted away by Magic, revealing ransacked shelves inside.

Cultivators bustled about everywhere. Some escorted dejected prisoners to makeshift cells sealed with Restrictions. Others worked in teams, hauling out supplies plundered from Warehouses and shops—crates of ore, neat stacks of talisman paper, tightly sealed Pill Jade Bottles, and even a few Magical Artifacts whose Spirit Light had dimmed.

Lu Zhao walked through the streets with a calm expression, his gaze sweeping rapidly over his surroundings, taking in any potential dangers or valuable corners hidden within the chaos.

He had just finished the preliminary inventory and sealing of a medium-sized shop with his squad. The Hundred Arts Camp Token at his waist warmed slightly, signaling the end of his shift.

Just then, the Token vibrated again. A concise stream of information flowed into his mind: "Hundred Arts Camp order: Qing Yan has been conquered. All personnel not on duty are granted three days of leave. Report to the main camp for roll call at 3:00 PM daily. Do not travel more than thirty li from the Marketplace."

’An order for leave.’

Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow. ’This is an unexpected pleasure, but it also reveals the Zhou Family’s confidence—the situation is completely under their control.’ He quickened his pace and returned to the temporary barracks area assigned to the Hundred Arts Camp.

The barracks were in a relatively intact courtyard that had been requisitioned for the Array Masters, Talisman Masters, Artifact Refiners, and Pill Masters.

Lu Zhao’s room was in the Southeast corner. It was small and sparsely furnished with only a stone couch, a stone table, and a stone cabinet. But out of habit, he had placed several extremely faint warning Spirit Patterns, drawn with a special powder, in inconspicuous spots by the door and windows.

He also placed a dormant, palm-sized Ice Mouse Puppet in a shadowy corner. It was a habit he had developed over many years.

Before he could open the door, he saw a figure already waiting there. The person had his back to him, hands clasped behind, looking out at a withered tree in the courtyard that had been sliced in half by Sword Qi.

"Mr. Chen?"

The visitor was none other than Chen Moyang. Lu Zhao paused his steps. His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, curled imperceptibly as a strand of Divine Silk silently connected to the Mouse Puppet in the corner.

"Mr. Lu, you’re back." Chen Moyang clasped his hands in a salute, his eyes sweeping over Lu Zhao. "Finished with your shift? Perfect. I was looking for you about something."

"Please, speak, Mr. Chen."

Lu Zhao opened the door and entered the room with Chen Moyang. He walked to the stone table but did not sit, merely gesturing for the other man to speak. ’Chen Moyang is looking for me now,’ he thought. ’It’s most likely related to the order for leave or the current situation in the Marketplace.’

"Mr. Lu, have you received the order for leave?" Chen Moyang asked, just as he’d expected.

"I just received it."

Chen Moyang nodded and lowered his voice. "Three days of leave is the perfect time to trade for what we need. A few well-informed colleagues in the camp have taken the lead to organize a temporary ’small Trade Assembly,’ and it’s tonight at 7:00 PM."

"A Trade Assembly?" A glint appeared in Lu Zhao’s eyes as he quickly began to calculate. ’Wartime material controls are extremely strict, and the initial phase after conquering the Marketplace is chaotic. A privately organized trade assembly like this is risky, but the opportunity is equally immense.’

"That’s right."

Chen Moyang seemed to sense Lu Zhao’s concerns and explained, "The participants are mostly familiar faces from the Hundred Arts Camp—Array Masters, Talisman Masters, Artifact Refiners, a few people in charge of logistics and inventory, and some other Late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators.

"As for security, the one heading it is a nephew from the Zhou Family who manages the Warehouse. The location was also chosen in the Inner City, an area completely under our control. It’s inside a shop that originally belonged to the ’Thousand Stars Tower.’ There’s an Array to conceal auras, and identities will be checked at the entrance.

"There’s still some risk, but it’s within an acceptable range."

He paused, looking at Lu Zhao with a probing tone. "I know you specialize in Puppetry, Mr. Lu, which consumes a vast amount of materials. Now that the Marketplace has just fallen, many confiscated goods haven’t been registered and stored in the warehouse yet. Some are ’private stashes’ looted from those Wanderers and cultivators from smaller families.

"If you go through the official channels to exchange for these things at the camp’s Warehouse, the prices are stable, but they take a hefty cut, and you might not get what you need right away."

"But at this private trade assembly, prices fluctuate based on one’s eye for value and demand. You can use Spirit Stones or barter. More importantly... right now is the perfect time when material prices might be undervalued, while the prices for certain finished products—like high-quality Puppets, Talismans, and spare Array Discs—might be driven up."

Lu Zhao’s gaze sharpened. Chen Moyang’s words had hit the nail right on the head!

After conquering the Marketplace, the allied forces had reaped a huge harvest, and various raw materials were surely piled up like mountains. To quickly cash out or trade for what they needed, many people would likely sell off materials they had no immediate use for or couldn’t identify, especially those confiscated "private stashes" with complex origins.

Meanwhile, for other Cultivators, the continuous battles meant the demand for consumables and life-saving items like Magical Artifacts, Talismans, and Puppets would inevitably surge, and their prices would naturally rise.

This was the perfect time to buy low and sell high! For a Puppet Master like him, it would be a huge gain if he could restock on Ironwood, Profound Iron, Ice Condensing Stones, or even rare Wind Pattern Stones at a low price.

And as it happened, he had several finished Ice Mouse Puppets and an Ironwood Guard that he had crafted over the past few days, which might fetch a good price.

The risks certainly existed, but the rewards were just as tempting. Lu Zhao pondered for only a few moments before nodding decisively. "Mr. Chen has a point. It would be a shame to miss such an opportunity. How does one participate in this Trade Assembly? What are the rules?"

"It’s simple."

Seeing Lu Zhao agree, a smile appeared on Chen Moyang’s face. "It’s not easy for the organizers, so they’re charging one Lower Grade Spirit Stone per person to cover the cost of the venue and maintain the concealment Array.

"At 7:00 PM, just go to the old site of the Thousand Stars Tower with your Hundred Arts Camp Identity Token. Someone will be at the entrance to verify your identity and collect the Spirit Stone."

"One Spirit Stone?"

Lu Zhao nodded slightly. The price was very reasonable, even cheap. It was clearly meant to attract more Cultivators to participate and increase the scale of the event. "Alright. At 7:00 PM, I will go with you, Mr. Chen."

"Excellent."

His purpose achieved, Chen Moyang didn’t stay long. "Then I will take my leave and go find a few other acquaintances. You can use this time to get some rest and recuperate, Mr. Lu." He clasped his hands in salute again, then turned and left the room.

The door closed, and silence returned to the room. Lu Zhao walked over to the stone couch and sat down, but he didn’t immediately start meditating. Instead, he took out three Ice Mouse Puppets and one Ironwood Guard from his Storage Bag, carefully inspecting their Core Spirit Patterns and the wear on their joints.

He then counted his few remaining Spirit Stones and began to calculate which materials he urgently needed and might be able to get for a steal, and which of his finished Puppets he could sell for the greatest profit.

He was now filled with anticipation for the upcoming Trade Assembly.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.