Crow Immortal: I Can Duplicate Infinite Resources

Chapter 266: A Dazzling Array

The massive Black Bear King lumbered forward, the puppet Li Ya trailing quietly behind. The bear surveyed the bizarre welcoming committee: a massive serpent, two hovering ghosts, and two human Rogue Cultivators.

“Honored representatives of Shaxing Mountain, Liuhe Ferry, Yinyi Town, and Qingfeng Mountain… thank you for the reception,” the Bear King rumbled.

While it sounded like a polite greeting, the bear was actively cataloging the entities for the puppet, ensuring Han Yu, watching from afar, knew exactly who the major players were.

Formalities concluded, the Bear King continued, “I have long heard rumors of the grand Rogue Cultivator bazaar hosted at Qingfeng Mountain. They say the variety of goods is staggering. I came tonight to broaden my horizons.”

The two humans in tattered gray robes were the local hosts. They were also two of the three Foundation Establishment masters among the eight Rogue Cultivators who claimed Qingfeng Mountain.

“We will certainly not disappoint the Bear King,” one of the gray-robed men smiled warmly. “Since this is your first visit, you honor our mountain with your presence. If any treasure catches your eye tonight, simply point it out. Qingfeng Mountain will purchase it for you as a welcoming gift. We cannot have an esteemed guest return home empty-handed.”

The Bear King blinked its small eyes, genuinely taken aback. “I couldn’t possibly! Humans have a saying: ‘Accept no reward without merit.’ How can a newcomer accept such a heavy gift?”

The two Qingfeng Mountain hosts waved their hands dismissively. “Nonsense, nonsense. Your sheer presence here lends immense face to our gathering. It is only right we show our sincerity.”

The massive python from Shaxing Mountain, its thick body coiled tightly, flicked its forked tongue and hissed. “Just take it, Bear King. They have a proposition to discuss with us later. Once you hear what they want, you’ll realize they aren’t handing out charity.”

The Bear King shifted uncomfortably. A proposition?

I might be a Foundation Establishment powerhouse in the Yulin Kingdom, but I answer to a Master now! What are these fools planning? If they drag me into something that causes trouble for Daoist Heifeng, he’ll skin me alive!

“Hehe. Rest easy, Bear King. It is an incredibly lucrative opportunity!” the Qingfeng Mountain host assured him quickly. “Even if you ultimately decline, we still wish to forge a friendship. The gift comes with no strings attached. You have my word.”

The Bear King gave a slow, hesitant nod and moved to follow them into the dense, fog-choked woods.

Suddenly, the two hovering Yin Ghosts drifted forward, their hollow eyes locking onto the puppet. “Bear King. The human you brought with you. What is his purpose?”

The Bear King froze, glancing down at Li Ya.

Before the bear could fumble an excuse, the puppet spoke, its voice perfectly even and entirely devoid of inflection. “I crossed paths with the Bear King on the road. I am simply here to browse the market.”

“Oh?” One of the ghosts drifted closer, the temperature dropping significantly. “Fellow Daoist does not radiate the aura of a Foundation Establishment master.”

“I am not,” the puppet replied flatly.

Satisfied that the human was a nobody, the python and the two ghosts immediately lost interest and turned away.

The two Qingfeng Mountain hosts maintained their polite smiles. “All Fellow Daoists are welcome here. Please, step inside…”

The Bear King and the puppet followed their hosts deep into the woods.

The dense trees eventually gave way to a long, winding dirt path carved through the forest. The sheer density of the crowd was staggering. Rogue Cultivators, vengeful spirits, Demon Beasts, and mundane Jianghu charlatans were shoulder-to-shoulder, haggling and shouting over makeshift stalls.

Some merchants retrieved goods from spatial Storage Bags. The vast majority, lacking such wealth, simply dumped their wares from rucksacks or pulled items directly from their bloodstained robes.

The variety was overwhelming, but the quality was abysmal.

There were piles of vividly colored berries, dewy wildflowers, bloody slabs of unidentifiable meat, and rusted, mud-caked iron weapons. Genuine Cultivation resources—Spirit Stones, potent Pills, authentic Talismans, Magical Artifacts, or Jade Slips—were incredibly scarce. Instead, the market was flooded with a dazzling array of absolute garbage. Most of the items possessed zero Spiritual Qi and served absolutely no discernible purpose.

The Qingfeng Mountain host gestured proudly to the chaos. “Behold, Bear King. The market now stretches for three solid miles. Forget the Yulin Kingdom; we have Rogue Cultivators traveling all the way from the Southern Sea Kingdom just to participate.”

“And the best part? We enforce three golden rules. First, absolutely no identity checks. Second, no arbitrary arrests or ‘righteous’ purges. Third, total free trade. Rogue Cultivators, Demon Beasts, Yin Ghosts, Demonic Cultivators… all are welcome. No one asks about your past. Grudges and survival depend entirely on your own strength.”

The Bear King nodded slowly, keeping its mouth shut.

Hovering miles above the canopy, Han Yu watched the spectacle through the puppet’s eyes. Hearing the Qingfeng Mountain host boast that their lawless bazaar was superior to the heavily regulated Mystic One Sect market, Han Yu couldn’t help but scoff.

A market with zero oversight or security might feel ‘free,’ but it is inherently unsustainable. The Mystic One Sect ignores you now because you are beneath their notice. But if this gathering continues to swell and attracts serious wealth, do you honestly believe a Golden Core Sect will tolerate a massive, unregulated black market operating in their backyard? They will butcher you all and seize the profits.

At the exact hour of the Rat, a rusted brass gong echoed through the trees, signaling the official opening of the market. The crowd surged as even more scavengers and monsters flooded into the path.

One of the Qingfeng Mountain hosts excused himself to manage the influx, leaving the second host to guide the Bear King and the puppet through the dense throng.

The clientele was a nightmare menagerie. There were Cultivators with faces like starving rats, transparent Yin Souls drifting over the mud, bloated water ghosts dripping stagnant pond water, humanoid foxes reeking of musk, and massive gray wolves with unnervingly intelligent eyes.

The Bear King, acting like a giant, furry tourist, pointed a massive claw at a jar filled with writhing red centipedes. “What is that?”

“Red Dragons,” the host replied patiently.

“Red Dragons? What do they do?”

“They are used in mundane rituals to ward off minor evil spirits. Completely useless to someone of your Cultivation.”

The bear pointed to a bucket of congealed sludge. “And that?”

“Black dog blood.”

Stopping at another blanket covered in rusted metal, the bear picked up a heavily corroded sword. “Is this a Magical Artifact?”

“No,” the scarred vendor grunted. “Dug it out of the dirt.”

“There are swords just buried in the dirt?” The bear examined the rusted blade in awe. “It looks quite nice.”

The vendor flashed a jagged, missing-tooth grin but offered no explanation.

Watching the giant bear ask incredibly naive questions about mundane trash, the Qingfeng Mountain host’s smile grew wider. Despite its terrifying Foundation Establishment aura, the beast was clearly an ignorant bumpkin.

“Bear King,” the host interjected smoothly. “Is there anything specific you desire? Let me guide you. We can bypass this clutter.”

The Bear King thought about it. I want Pills. But the Pills these scavengers are selling look like dried mud and smell worse. They are garbage compared to the ones the Daoist gives me. I don’t want them.

Before the bear could decline, the puppet Li Ya suddenly spoke up.

“Bear King. Did you not complain to me during our journey? You mentioned your Cultivation was stagnating and you required potent spiritual items to break the bottleneck. You also stated your innate techniques were too crude, and you desired rare, advanced Cultivation manuals and secret arts.”

The Bear King immediately caught the hint. “Yes! Yes, exactly! That is exactly what I said!”

The bear turned to the host. “I heard a rumor that someone here sells mermaid tears that can increase Cultivation by decades! And I want to see your highest-tier Cultivation arts. Take me to them.”

The Qingfeng Mountain host blinked in surprise. “Ah. Forgive me, Bear King. I assumed you were merely here to browse. If you have specific, high-end requirements, I know exactly who to speak with. Follow me.”

As they walked, the host clarified, “However, regarding the mermaid tears… there are none.”

“Twenty years ago, a lucky bastard from the Southern Sea Kingdom dragged a caged mermaid to this very market. He spread the rumor that their tears contained decades of Cultivation, but that the creature would only cry once in its life.”

“He sold tickets just to look at it. But no one ever saw a tear. The mermaid, a male, was feral. It spent weeks violently tearing at its iron cage, gnawing on the bars until its teeth shattered, and eventually starved itself to death out of pure spite.”

“So it was a scam?” the bear asked.

“Almost certainly,” the host chuckled.

He led them past dozens of stalls, finally stopping before a relatively clean mat displaying a few glowing vials. “Bear King, the Pills sold here are authentic. You may inspect them.”

The bear leaned down, taking a deep sniff of the vials. It looked back at the puppet. Li Ya remained perfectly still and silent.

The bear shook its massive head. “No.”

Unfazed, the host guided them deeper into the market, skipping over several lesser stalls until they reached a secluded corner.

A massive, seven-foot-tall bat with leathery, bruised wings hung upside down from a thick branch behind the stall. A neat row of Jade Slips was arrayed on the mat below it. The bat chattered and clicked its teeth incessantly; it had not learned human speech.

“Fellow Daoist Bat,” the Qingfeng Mountain host greeted warmly. “Please put away the elementary techniques. This is the Bear King of Heifeng Mountain, a Foundation Establishment master. He requires only your finest arts.”

The giant bat bobbed its rat-like head. Using an elongated claw, it pushed two specific Jade Slips forward and let out a series of sharp, rhythmic clicks.

Please, inspect.