Chapter 8

Fanghe Market

In Xiaohanshan, there are many market towns, but only three remain open at night, one of which is Fanghe Market.

In this world, a sect is like a country, centered around the sect, controlling thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of miles of territory.

Although Liangzhou is just a small part of this world, its area still reaches thirty million miles. Apart from uninhabited areas, as one of the largest sects in Liangzhou, Xiaohanshan controls hundreds of thousands of square miles. Within these hundreds of thousands of square miles, Xiaohanshan is the sky, the ruler.

Xiaohanshan is vast, covering thousands of square miles, with the five main peaks at its core, much like Zhongnanhai. Besides the five main peaks, Xiaohanshan has many other areas, such as Meiyin Peak, which is the territory of the Mei family, Tianfeng Valley, which is the territory of the Zhou family, and Fanghe Market, which is the territory of the Xu family.

The Xu family, the third major family in Xiaohanshan, is a thousand-year-old family.

Wang Tong came to Fanghe Market on a whim, with no premeditation. After leaving the Zhou family, he should have returned to Lianyun Peak, but suddenly he felt the urge to cast a divination, and he didn't have the tools with him. Since Fanghe Market was nearby and many shops were still open, Wang Tong went there.

Fanghe Market is located on a slightly sloping area halfway down the mountain, covering a large area. It was already midnight, but the market was still brightly lit. As Wang Tong stepped into the market, his ears were filled with various sounds of hawking, bargaining, arguing, laughing, whispering, and other strange noises, making it feel like he had entered a commercial pedestrian street.

Fanghe Market is well-planned, with shops distributed according to their functions. Since Wang Tong had been there a few times before, he didn't have much trouble walking to a corner where a general store was located.

"Boss, I want to exchange some jade coins!"

Jade coins are the currency used in the mortal world of this world. Although this is a world where immortals and Buddhas are revered, mortals still make up the majority.

This world, called Kunxu, is vast, and humans are not the eternal main characters but share the world with other powerful beings. The so-called Nine Provinces, Three Islands, and Twelve Immortal Mountains are not the entirety of the world but merely the territory of the human race. Besides humans, there are many other powerful beasts, strange creatures, and ghosts and gods in this world.

In places like the Nine Provinces, Three Islands, and Twelve Immortal Mountains, humans live in clusters, forming towns and cities. In these towns, jade coins are the currency used by mortals.

Jade is similar to gold and silver in Wang Tong's previous life, and jade coins are equivalent to money. Jade coins are divided into three grades: white jade coins, yellow jade coins, and purple jade coins. In Wang Tong's understanding, they are similar to copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins. Cultivators do not use jade coins, but the disciples of cultivation sects need to go down the mountain to spread the way and interact with mortals, so they naturally need to carry money. Therefore, in all cultivation markets, there is a service to exchange money. One spirit stone can be exchanged for 100,000 white jade coins, 10,000 yellow jade coins, and 1,000 purple jade coins.

Storage bags are also a standard for cultivators in this world, but here they are called Qiankun Bags, meaning "a universe within." They are a magical treasure and the only spatial magical treasure widely available in this world. The size of the internal space depends on the quality, but most Qiankun Bags are treasure-grade, with an internal space of a few square feet.

Wang Tong also has a Qiankun Bag, which was given to him by Wang Huai when he joined the sect. Although it is only a treasure-grade item, its internal space is one square meter, making it a rare and valuable item among treasure-grade items.

Wang Tong exchanged one spirit stone for 500 purple jade coins, 4,000 yellow jade coins, and 10,000 white jade coins, all of which he put into his Qiankun Bag. He immediately felt the Qiankun Bag was full, giving him a sense of fulfillment.

After exchanging the money, Wang Tong was about to leave when he heard a frivolous voice that made him very uncomfortable.

"Hey, isn't this Master Wang? Why are you exchanging money here? Are you planning to leave Xiaohanshan? When are you leaving? Let us know in advance so we can send you off properly!"

"Xu Ming, you're at it again!"

Wang Tong first lowered his head and took a deep breath, then turned around.

"Xu Ming, it's you again!" Wang Tong's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched, and his veins bulging, staring at Xu Ming like a vicious wolf, with a fierce desire to tear him apart.

"Hmm, not bad, your cultivation has improved since we last met."

Xu Ming is a few years older than Wang Tong, tall and strong. He is a collateral descendant of the Xu family and an outer disciple of Xiaohanshan. However, his cultivation is not weak, having reached the Seventh Heaven of the Mortal Realm. He is a follower of Xu Hanping, the third young master of the Xu family.

As a collateral descendant of a cultivation family, he has his own way of survival. Since Xu Hanping and Zhou Ningsnow became interested in each other, Wang Tong, as Zhou Ningsnow's fiancé, naturally became a thorn in the side of the third young master of the Xu family.

Wang Tong's reputation as a waste in Xiaohanshan is largely due to the propaganda of Xu Hanping and his followers, with Xu Ming being one of the main propagandists.

Xu Hanping is also an inner disciple of Xiaohanshan. He condensed his spirit root a year ago and reached the First Heaven of the Spirit Root Realm. His cultivation is now stable, making him a strong contender for the true disciple position. He is also proud of his status and would not personally seek trouble with Wang Tong, so his followers would handle it for him.

Ironically, Wang Tong should thank Xu Ming and his group. If it weren't for their humiliation, which led Wang Tong to drink to drown his sorrows and accidentally shatter his dantian and disperse his primordial spirit, he wouldn't have been able to possess Wang Tong's body and become a cultivator.

However, this is something he cannot tell others. No matter what, he is still Wang Tong, and Xu Ming is his enemy who once humiliated him.

"Xu Ming, you dare to show your face to me!"

If it were the old Wang Tong, his first choice upon seeing Xu Ming would be to retreat, as there was a significant gap in their cultivation levels. One was at the Fifth Heaven of the Mortal Realm, and the other was at the Seventh Heaven. One was an inner disciple, and the other was an outer disciple.

If an inner disciple's cultivation is inferior to an outer disciple and gets beaten in a conflict, even their own master would be embarrassed to seek trouble with the outer disciple and might even punish the inner disciple, as it is a matter of face.

In the past, Wang Tong's cultivation was far inferior to Xu Ming's, so he would run away upon seeing him. However, now that he has cultivated the Wu Xiang Jun Tian Great Power and reached the Eighth Heaven of the Mortal Realm, and considering he received the inheritance of Changyangzi and the rewards from the sect, his sudden improvement in cultivation is a reasonable explanation. Therefore, he is not afraid of others questioning him. Initially, he didn't plan to seek trouble with the Xu family and wanted to quietly prepare for the Five Peaks Competition, but now that Xu Ming has come to him, he feels it would be a disservice to the old Wang Tong if he doesn't teach him a lesson.

In fact, the current Wang Tong is a combination of Lei Hai and Wang Tong. Lei Hai's primordial spirit has not dissipated and dominates, while Wang Tong's primordial spirit has dissipated, leaving only his memories, which have been integrated by Lei Hai, forming a new Wang Tong.

Although the old Wang Tong's primordial spirit has dissipated, his deep-seated grudges still have a significant impact on the current Wang Tong. For example, he feels inexplicable anger when he reaches Tianfeng Valley. His excellent performance at the Zhou family was partly due to these grudges. Now, hearing Xu Ming's voice, his first feeling is a deep sense of humiliation and extreme anger, which is even deeper than when he was at the Zhou family. The Zhou family had limited contact with him, and the engagement was the main issue, but Xu Ming has been finding ways to trouble him for the past six months, either with sarcastic remarks or insults, and often forcing him to lose face in public under the guise of seeking guidance from an inner disciple. All of this has deeply imprinted on Wang Tong's heart, turning into a grudge. Initially, his anger upon hearing Xu Ming's voice was just an act, but when he saw Xu Ming's face, he truly became enraged, a deep-seated anger from the bottom of his heart.

"Xu Ming, you dare to show your face to me, you are courting death!"

Wang Tong roared and rushed to Xu Ming, punching him in the face.

Xu Ming was stunned. Is this the same Wang Tong who was once so weak and let him bully?

He had heard that Wang Tong had encountered a celestial opportunity, received the inheritance of Elder Changyangzi, and received rewards from the sect, but he didn't expect him to have such courage.

Moreover, underestimating Wang Tong's strength, he didn't react in time, only instinctively dodging. This dodge saved his life, but he couldn't escape a severe injury. The punch, fueled by Wang Tong's hatred, was powerful. Although Xu Ming dodged, his head wasn't directly hit, but half of his face was shattered, the skin and flesh on one side of his face were torn apart, and even some of his teeth were knocked out. The impact sent him flying several meters away, and he only started screaming in pain when he hit the ground, but it was too late.

"Ugh!!"

The force of the punch even surprised Wang Tong himself.

"Brother...!"

Xu Ming wasn't alone; he was accompanied by several others, including his older brother, Xu Yang.

Like Xu Ming, Xu Yang is also a follower of Xu Hanping, but he is much more low-key and stronger, reaching the Eighth Heaven of the Mortal Realm. Five years ago, he was taken in as an inner disciple by an elder from Jiurufeng. This time, he had persuaded his master to take Xu Ming as a disciple after the Five Peaks Competition. However, he didn't expect such an incident to happen just before the competition. Initially, he didn't pay much attention, but when Wang Tong's punch landed, he realized that this boy's cultivation had surpassed his own disciple, reaching the Eighth Heaven of the Mortal Realm. With this punch, Xu Ming was severely injured and might not be able to participate in the Five Peaks Competition, which would ruin their plans. This made him furious.

After a quick check of Xu Ming's injuries, Xu Yang drew his long sword, "Wang Tong, you are courting death!!"

He thrust his sword like a venomous snake, aiming directly at Wang Tong's throat.

"Such a fast sword!" Wang Tong was shocked and quickly retreated, momentarily forgetting to draw his sword.

Although he came from another world and was ruthless and cunning, with decades of experience, this experience was mainly in social and political interactions. This was his first time in a sword fight. The punch to Xu Ming was a sudden burst, and Xu Ming was caught off guard. Now, with Xu Yang's sudden attack, he was almost terrified. Suppressing his fear, he kept retreating.

Xu Yang was already furious, and his sword turned, creating a dense web of cold sword energy that enveloped Wang Tong. Wang Tong was flustered, unsure whether to draw his sword or flee. In his panic, his hand touched the Nine-Striped Green Jade Pendant, and he subconsciously channeled a thread of true qi into it. Instantly, a transparent green shield enveloped his entire body.

The shield was transparent, like a green glass sculpture, with nine dragon-like patterns on it, resembling a vertical egg protecting Wang Tong.

Xu Yang's sword struck the shield, producing a sound like pearls falling on a jade plate. Despite the fierce attack, the green jade shield remained unscathed.

This is an upper-grade magical treasure, while Xu Yang's Flowing Light Sword is only a lower-grade sword. It couldn't break through the shield.

With the protection of the Nine-Striped Green Jade Shield, Wang Tong finally calmed down from his initial panic.