One hundred and twenty-one days.

That was the fourth month since arriving at the Hundred Herb Garden.

It was deep winter. Outside the Servant Peak, heavy snow swirled, blanketing the world in white.

Yet, within the Hundred Herb Garden, thanks to Immortal methods, it remained as warm as spring, with medicinal herbs flourishing luxuriantly.

Chen Ping silently counted the days. The next marketplace opening was just one day away.

Early the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, Chen Ping left the stone house without disturbing anyone.

He had changed into his most inconspicuous set of old gray cotton-padded clothes. On his head was a worn felt hat that covered most of his face, and a cloth was tightly wrapped around the lower half, leaving only a pair of calm eyes exposed.

Tucked inside his robe was a bundle carefully wrapped in thick cloth. Inside were twenty of the finest-looking Dew Condensing Grass plants, arranged neatly.

This was his first attempt; he didn’t dare take out too many from his space.

Confirming no one was paying attention, he took a deep breath of the chilly air and trudged through the thick snow, heading north. Each step sank deep into the white expanse.

Fifty li of snowy road was not far for a martial artist whose Physical Strength far exceeded ordinary people’s.

He deliberately controlled his pace, not letting himself appear too agile.

After roughly two and a half hours, the entrance to a small valley surrounded by mountains appeared ahead.

The valley mouth was narrow and covered in snow—easy to miss unless one was specifically looking for it.

Faint sounds of people could be heard from within the valley.

Chen Ping tightened the cloth around his face, checked his disguise one last time, and stepped inside.

The scene inside the valley was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

The area wasn’t large. The snow had been cleared away, revealing frozen, hard ground.

Scattered about were twenty or so stalls. Some people had cloth spread out in front of them with items displayed; others simply stood there, talking in low voices.

There weren’t many people setting up stalls or browsing; altogether, no more than a hundred souls.

Most, like him, had taken some measures to conceal themselves—some with hooded cloaks covering their heads and faces, others wearing masks.

A few showed their faces openly. These were mostly younger-looking individuals with an air of arrogance—likely Outer Disciples.

The items on the stalls were varied and sundry.

Some damaged yellow paper slips, a few pieces of dull-colored ore, several ordinary-looking spirit herbs, a few old booklets with yellowed pages, and even some worn mundane weapons.

The sounds of transactions were all very low. Occasionally there was haggling, but agreements were reached quickly.

Chen Ping’s heartbeat accelerated slightly, but his steps remained steady.

He didn’t rush to find someone to trade with. Instead, like other browsers, he slowly paced within the valley. His gaze swept over each stall, his ears straining to catch the surrounding whispers.

He needed to observe, to understand the rules and market prices here.

“Fifty Spirit Stones! Not a single less! This is a ten-year-old Blood Stanching Vine!”

“Ten-year-old? Its medicinal potency is almost dissipated. Twenty.”

“Thirty! Take it or leave it!”

“Deal.”

“This Light Body Talisman can increase speed by thirty percent for one activation. I’ll trade it for three Wind Spirit Grasses.”

“No Wind Spirit Grass. Will Dew Condensing Grass do?”

“Dew Condensing Grass? Its medicinal effect is too mild; not very useful… Three Dew Condensing Grass plus one Low-grade Spirit Stone.”

“Two Dew Condensing Grass and one Spirit Stone.”

“Fine. Take the Talisman.”

Similar snippets of conversation continuously reached Chen Ping’s ears.

He memorized them silently.

Dew Condensing Grass indeed wasn’t considered precious here. Its mild medicinal effect was the main assessment. The price was roughly one Dew Condensing Grass for about fifty fragments of Spirit Stone value—or rather, a barter equivalent.

Common medicinal herbs like Blood Stanching Vine with low years were even cheaper.

Those yellow paper slips—Talismans—seemed to be relatively sought-after items.

After walking two rounds, he had a general idea in mind.

He found a relatively secluded corner, avoiding the main flow of people.

Unlike others who spread cloth and set up stalls, he simply stood there silently, like a buyer waiting.

But his gaze scanned the passing people, looking for a suitable trading partner. He observed those purchasing medicinal herbs.

Soon, a target entered his sight.

It was a short, stout middle-aged man wearing thick blue cotton-padded robes. His face wasn’t concealed, and his eyes held the shrewdness characteristic of merchants.

He picked and chose at several stalls selling medicinal herbs. He showed little interest in things like Blood Stanching Vine or Earth Root Tuber and seemed more eager to find something rarer. Having found nothing satisfactory yet, he appeared somewhat irritable.

Chen Ping moved closer unobtrusively. As they passed each other shoulder-to-shoulder, he quickly said in a deliberately lowered, hoarse voice:

“Top-quality Dew Condensing Grass. Want some?”

The short middle-aged man paused mid-step. His small eyes instantly lit up as he looked at Chen Ping.

“Dew Condensing Grass? How much?”

“Twenty plants. Full years’ growth. Picked very recently.”

Chen Ping’s voice remained low.

“Let me see the goods.”

The middle-aged man also lowered his voice.

Chen Ping turned slightly sideways, blocking others’ view with his body, and quickly lifted a corner of the bundle inside his robe.

Inside were neatly arranged Dew Condensing Grass leaves—a vibrant emerald green—their roots still bearing fresh soil. They were clearly top-quality and picked very recently.

A flicker of satisfaction passed through the middle-aged man’s eyes, but his merchant instinct immediately made him frown.

“The appearance is passable. But Dew Condensing Grass has a mild effect, and these plants aren’t very old either; not very useful. Sixty Spirit Stones fragments worth per plant.”

Chen Ping fell silent for a moment but didn’t refute immediately. He simply rewrapped the bundle tightly.

He observed the other’s expression. He knew the man was bargaining down the price, but that fleeting satisfaction in his eyes hadn’t escaped Chen Ping’s notice.

“In this Marketplace, fifty fragments per plant is the normal price. My goods are fresh and of good appearance.”

Chen Ping’s voice was steady, carrying an undeniable confidence.

The middle-aged man hadn’t expected this person wrapped up so thoroughly—looking like a lowly servant—to actually know market prices and be so firm in attitude.

He sized up Chen Ping again. Although Chen Ping’s aura was extremely well-contained, that steadiness didn’t seem feigned.

“Ahem.”

The middle-aged man cleared his throat dryly.

“That may be so… but it’s a large quantity… How about this: thirteen Spirit Stones for all twenty plants.”

He tried to push it down a bit more.

Chen Ping shook his head and made as if to leave.

“Then I’ll ask someone else.”

His steps were steady, without any hesitation.

“Hey! Wait!”

The middle-aged man quickly called him back, forcing a smile onto his face.

“Alright, alright, alright! You’re quite steady-handed! Seventy fragments worth per plant! Fourteen Low-grade Spirit Stones!”

He clearly didn’t want to miss this batch—good quality and fresh goods were hard to come by.

Chen Ping stopped walking and turned around.

They chose a corner for the transaction. Chen Ping handed over twenty Dew Condensing Grass plants; the other passed over the Spirit Stones.

He carefully examined the small stones in his hand.

The Spirit Stones were irregularly shaped, pale green, semi-transparent pieces about fingernail-sized. They felt slightly cool to the touch; one could clearly sense pure energy contained within them.

So these were Spirit Stones!

This was hard currency in the Cultivation world!

“If you have good goods in future days, young friend, you can come find me. My name is Wang Qianfu. I often buy goods around here.”

Wang Qianfu put away the Dew Condensing Grass, feeling pleased.

Chen Ping silently tucked the stones into his robe, nodded without saying more, turned, and merged into the sparse crowd within the valley. He quickly disappeared toward the valley mouth.

Wang Qianfu watched the direction where Chen Ping vanished, weighed the obtained Dew Condensing Grass in his hand, and muttered.

“Strange person… But the goods are truly good. This small Marketplace occasionally yields decent finds, too.”