Chapter 4

Chapter 2: The Fruit of Black Copper

In the present age, the world of Hongmeng is experiencing a great flourishing of the Daoist path. Since the human race overthrew the once-dominant rule of the demon race ten thousand years ago, based on the legacy of absorbing spiritual energy from spirit crystals to cultivate various Daoist powers, a myriad of complex, wondrous, and powerful Daoist techniques have been created over this long period by countless ingenious and dedicated individuals. Today, the human cultivation world of Hongmeng is indeed a scene of flourishing diversity.

After the human race expelled the demon race and unified the various realms of Hongmeng, it did not form a unified imperial court like the demon race of the previous generation. Instead, powerful cultivation sects and noble families replaced the former rule of the demon race, becoming the strongest forces in the various realms of Hongmeng.

Cultivators, as they are commonly known, are the most revered identities in this prosperous era, and in the hearts of ordinary people, any connection to the cultivation world is considered a celestial destiny, which speaks volumes.

Against this backdrop, the number of cultivators in the various realms of Hongmeng is countless, forming a mysterious and wondrous, splendid and colorful cultivation world in the hearts of ordinary people. Among them, the "Four Orthodox and Seven Mystical" sects and noble families in the main realm of Hongmeng, which are at the peak of their power, are naturally the strongest group on this vast land of Hongmeng. However, in addition to these, there are countless ordinary people. Indeed, even in the cultivation world, compared to the disciples of famous sects, there are still cultivators living in difficult circumstances, known as itinerant cultivators, struggling to survive and pursuing their dreams of immortality.

The number of itinerant cultivators is extremely large, and no one knows exactly how many there are. However, it is generally believed that among the vast number of cultivators in the cultivation world, the lowest-ranking itinerant cultivators make up more than half of all cultivators. These itinerant cultivators come from various sources; some have obtained an introductory cultivation manual from somewhere, others have gained a body of Daoist power through luck and the acquisition of rare treasures, and still others have left their sects for various reasons to practice and wander on their own. The reasons are varied and the sources are diverse, making it a unique and colorful scene in the cultivation world of Hongmeng.

Shen Jia's Tianyi Building, which operates various spiritual materials and treasures, primarily serves these seemingly ubiquitous and endless itinerant cultivators.

At this moment, Shen Shi walked briskly to the long counter on the west side of Tianyi Building. There were already quite a few people standing on both sides of the counter, with the Tianyi Building's uniformed clerks and managers inside, and various people outside, most of whom were itinerant cultivators. A few of them looked particularly impressive, possibly disciples from nearby cultivation sects, as Xilu City is the most prosperous large city in the Yin Prefecture's Tianyin Mountains, with the most complete variety of spiritual materials and goods. Disciples from various sects often come to Xilu City to find items they need for their cultivation, whether urgent or not.

Just then, Little Hong, who had called out to Shen Shi, was standing in a corner of the counter. Outside the counter, a man was standing. After calling Shen Shi over, Little Hong smiled, seemingly a bit embarrassed, and whispered, "Little Stone, this customer wants to sell a 'Black Copper Fruit,' but I'm not very familiar with this spiritual fruit. Can you help me take a look?"

Shen Shi smiled and said, "Sure."

However, at that moment, a surprised and slightly angry voice came from the side, "Are you kidding? How does your Tianyi Building do business? Not only can't you recognize this Black Copper Fruit, but now you're even calling over a kid to appraise this rare spiritual fruit. Are you crazy?"

Shen Shi turned to look and saw that the speaker was the man who had been standing opposite Little Hong, a middle-aged man with average clothing, with many wrinkles around his eyes and eyebrows, looking like a frustrated itinerant cultivator. He now had a look of anger on his face, glaring at Shen Shi and Little Hong.

Shen Shi hesitated, but Little Hong, who had been working at Tianyi Building for several years, was experienced in dealing with itinerant cultivators. She did not get angry and smiled slightly, "Sir, please don't be angry. Although Little Stone is young, he is the only beloved son of the head manager of Tianyi Building and has grown up here since he was a child. He has seen more of the various rare treasures, elixirs, and spiritual herbs traded in this building than anyone else. He has also learned from the elders in the building for several years and now has a keen eye. Even the Elder Song from the Xuan Yin Sect once praised him highly and said that if there's anything you're unsure about, just ask our Little Master."

The itinerant cultivator's angry expression eased slightly, but he still had a look of suspicion, sizing up Shen Shi, clearly not fully believing Little Hong's words.

Shen Shi was not angry and exchanged a glance with Little Hong, thinking that this man was likely an itinerant cultivator from elsewhere, as if he were a regular in Xilu City, he would have heard of Little Stone, one of the two major shops in the city.

Shen Shi ignored the itinerant cultivator's suspicious gaze and leaned against the counter, saying to Little Hong, "Where is it? Let me take a look."

Little Hong turned to the itinerant cultivator, "Sir?"

The itinerant cultivator hesitated, frowned, and finally, somewhat unwillingly, took out a wooden box from his chest and carefully placed it on the flat counter, "Take a look." After saying this, he seemed to think of something and quickly added, "Just look, don't touch it with your hands. If you lose the spiritual energy of the fruit or damage this rare treasure, I won't let it go!"

Shen Shi glanced at the middle-aged itinerant cultivator, smiled, and agreed. He then took the wooden box and placed it on the counter, first gently touching the surface of the wooden box, pondering for a moment, and then opened the box.

As the lid of the wooden box opened, a faint fruit fragrance wafted out. Under the gaze of the three, the wooden box contained several layers of soft blue silk, with a thumb-sized black fruit in the center, dark and glossy, round and plump, with a faint black light, looking quite appealing.

Shen Shi's eyes were bright as he carefully examined the black fruit, not touching it with his hands, but just staring silently, seemingly deep in thought. The middle-aged itinerant cultivator, however, was impatient and after a short wait, could not help but ask, "How is it? This Black Copper Fruit is quite good, right? I risked my life to pick it in the Gao Wu Mountains in the north of Yin Prefecture. Look at its quality; it should be worth at least ten... no, at least fifteen spirit crystals, right?"

Shen Shi was silent for a moment, then gently pushed the wooden box with the black fruit towards the itinerant cultivator. The middle-aged man was taken aback and asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Shen Shi smiled and said, "Sir, I'm sorry, but we don't buy this item at Tianyi Building."

The middle-aged man's face darkened, but before he could get angry, Shen Shi continued, "Because the item in this box is not the Black Copper Fruit, which is ranked as a second-grade spiritual herb in the 'Hongmeng Pharmacopoeia,' but a common fruit found in the Gao Wu Mountains called the Black Snake Fruit, which contains no spiritual energy and is useless for cultivation or alchemy."

The middle-aged man was stunned, his face changing dramatically, his eyes wide with a hint of bloodshot, and a fierce look, growling, "You brat, if you keep lying, I'll kill you!"

Shen Shi remained calm, standing there composed, while Little Hong, on the other side of the counter, changed her demeanor, her face turning cold, and said, "Sir, please be careful with your words. Although Tianyi Building is open for business and values harmony, it is a property of the Xuan Yin Sect and is not easily bullied."

The mention of the Xuan Yin Sect made the middle-aged itinerant cultivator's body tremble, and his fierce demeanor dissipated, though he still had a look of anger and frustration. In this world, the status of cultivators with and without sect affiliations, and the difference between noble disciples and ordinary itinerant cultivators, is vast. Despite the large number of itinerant cultivators, most of them are at the bottom of the cultivation world, and they dare not provoke famous sects in the cultivation world. In terms of strength, the cultivation sects that have survived to this day in the highly competitive cultivation world are not to be underestimated, let alone the Xuan Yin Sect, which is well-known in Yin Prefecture. Although it may not be as prestigious as the top sects of the "Four Orthodox and Seven Mystical," compared to the lowest-ranking itinerant cultivators, it is a behemoth, capable of crushing them with a single finger.

Shen Shi smiled, not minding the itinerant cultivator's earlier aggression. Having grown up in Tianyi Building, he had seen similar scenes countless times. He simply smiled and said to the middle-aged itinerant cultivator, "If you don't believe me, let me ask you, how did you determine that this fruit is a Black Copper Fruit?"

The itinerant cultivator almost answered without thinking, "Of course, it's completely black, the size of a thumb, grows in deep, damp mountains, and when ripe, it has a unique fragrance and is rich in spiritual effects, making it a necessary ingredient for several elixirs."

Shen Shi smiled, "Not bad, you know the 'Hongmeng Pharmacopoeia' well."

The itinerant cultivator, flattered by the compliment, his expression softened, and he looked pleased, snorting, "Of course, we itinerant cultivators have to rely on ourselves. It's hard to hunt powerful demon beasts, so we often have to rely on picking spiritual herbs and fruits to exchange for spirit crystals for cultivation. If our judgment is off, what would we do?"

Shen Shi smiled but said nothing, pushing the wooden box closer to him, "There are countless spiritual herbs in the world. The 'Hongmeng Pharmacopoeia' alone records 13,750 types, most of which are briefly described. Look closely at the skin of this black fruit, yes... hold it up to the light and examine it carefully."

The itinerant cultivator was taken aback, his face showing a hint of suspicion. He hesitated but slowly picked up the wooden box, turned his body to the bright entrance, and squinted to examine it, muttering, "This is clearly a Black Copper Fruit, why are you talking nonsense about a Black Snake..."

Before he could finish, his voice faltered. At that moment, the young man's calm voice came from behind him, "Did you see it? Under the bright surface, is there a black shadow, twisted and shaped like a black snake?"

The middle-aged itinerant cultivator's body stiffened, holding the wooden box motionless for a long time, his eyes fixed on the object in his hand, looking incredulous. The young man's voice remained calm, "The real Black Copper Fruit is a deep black, not this bluish-black gloss. The 'Hongmeng Pharmacopoeia' mentions the size of a thumb, which refers to a small thumb, and this black fruit is too large. Moreover, the reason Black Copper Fruit is rare is not just because it grows in remote, damp mountains, but mainly because its fragrance is extremely strong, attracting demon beasts to eat it, making it rare in the market. And this one..."

Shen Shi shook his head slightly and smiled, "The fragrance is too faint."

At this moment, the middle-aged itinerant cultivator was speechless, cold sweat appearing on his forehead, unable to say a word. Seeing his state, Shen Shi shook his head slightly, said nothing more, turned to Little Hong, who had smiled again, and then walked away.

The Tianyi Building was bustling with people, a lively scene. Shen Shi weaved through the crowd, and when he reached the entrance, he glanced back and saw Little Hong walking away to serve another customer, while the middle-aged itinerant cultivator was still standing there, dazed and motionless.

Shen Shi's lips twitched slightly, and he turned and walked out of Tianyi Building.

(Tomorrow, I'll start with a regular schedule, aiming for two updates a day! If my speed keeps up... the update will be around 10 AM tomorrow.)

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